Here’s the Buzz

FROM BRIARWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

OCTOBER 2016 NEWSLETTER

PRINCIPAL MRS. JAGGI-VAID ACTING VICE PRINCIPAL MRS. COOK-MADGETT

OFFICE MANAGER MRS. SINGH OFFICE ASSISTANT MRS. SALEMA

1065 Mississauga Valley Blvd., Mississauga, L5A 2A1 (905) 270-2597

Follow us on Twitter @Briarwood_Buzz Visit us at http://schools.peelschools.org/1356/Pages/default.aspx

SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION MR. ANTHONY EDWARDS SCHOOL TRUSTEE MRS. SUE LAWTON

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OCTOBER AT

BRIARWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

2

3 4

5 World Teachers

Day

6 School Open

House

6:30 – 7:30

p.m

Chocolate

Fundraiser

Begins!

7 PD Day – No

School for

students

8

9

10 Thanksgiving

Day – No

School

11 12 Cross Country

Meet Grades 4

and 5 to

Springfield PS

13

14

15

16

17 School

Council

meeting

6:00 – 7:00

p.m.

18 19 School Bus

Driver

Appreciation

Day

20 Early Bird

Prize Day for

Chocolate

Fundraising

21

22

23 24 25 26 Teaching

Assistant and

Early Childhood

Educator

Appreciation

Day

27 Chocolate

Fundraising

Ends – Grand

Prize Draws!

28 School

Picture Day

29

30 31 Hallowe’en

Spirit Day

Celebrating Faith and Culture in October

DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE October Xlaaw and Falling Leaves Moon Aboriginal Spirituality October 1 Sharad Navratri Hinduism October 2 World Communion Sunday Christianity October 2 New Year (Hijra) and Muharram Islam Sunset of October 2 to 4 Rosh Hashanah Judaism October 7 to 9 Jalsa Salana Islam October 9 Durgashtami Hinduism October 10 Vijaya Dashmi/Dassehra Hinduism October 10 Thanksgiving Day Canada October 11 Sunset of October 11 to 12

Ashura Yom Kippur

Islam Judaism

October 12 to 16 Ghambar Ayathrem Zoroastrianism October 15 – November 3 The month of 'Ilm Bahá'í October 16 Kathina, Pavarana, Anapanasati

and Founders' Day Buddhism

Sunset of October 16 to 23

Sukkot Judaism

October 18 Karva Chauth Hinduism October 20 Installation of Guru Granth as Guru Sikhism Sunset of October 23 to 25

Simchat Torah Judaism

October 29 or 30 Diwali Hinduism October 30 Diwali/Lord Mahavir Nirvan Jainsim October 30 Bandi Chhor Divas Sikhism October 30 or 31 New Year’s Day/Day of

Enlightenment Hinduism/Jainsim

October 31 Halloween Canada Sunset of October 31 - November 1

Samhain Wicca

BRIARWOOD TEACHING STAFF 2016-2017 Kindergarten K1 – T. Siciliano / J. Homel (DECE) K2 – M. Eyers-Chiazza / S. Luke (DECE) K3 – D. George / S. Fileva (DECE) K4 – A. Reichenbach / S. Moosa (DECE) K5 – D. Ferguson / R. Shirodkar (DECE) K6 – M. Dietz / T. Karwel (DECE) Grades 1-5 1-2 – M. Orme 1A – M. Komar 1B – B. Frangos 2A – N. Sitkei 2B – S. Kuz 2C – H. Bokun 3A – R. Dawson 3B – J. Penfold 3C – L. Campbell 3-4 – K. Dhami 4A – L. Tutty 4B – Y. Gidzinski 4-5 – S. Taylor 5A – M. Correia 5B – S. LeCompte Special Education – DD Classroom A. Scott C. Sangregorio (TA) J. Pacheco (TA) I. Violante (TA) Special Education / ESL A. Jolly K. Nunes M. Ray K. Hughes French (FSL) B. Janco Music S. Ryan Physical Education S. Virk Library Learning Commons K. Hughes

Planning Time Teachers T. Ahmed S. Weidner

Teaching Assistants L. Thompson I. Martin-Daley L. Thomas S. Racanelli

Behaviour Teaching Assistant D. Brown

CELEBRATE WORLD TEACHER’S DAY

Since 1994, parents and students from around

the world have celebrated World Teachers

Appreciation Day. During the week of

October 5th

, take time to let your child’s

teacher know he or she is truly appreciated.

BRIARWOOD OPEN HOUSE

Please join is on Thursday October 6 from 6:30

p.m. – 7:30 p.m. to meet your child’s

classroom teacher and to tour the school. On

hand will be our school’s Settlement Worker,

along with our PLASP Coordinator, to answer

any of your questions. We will begin in the

gym with a brief introduction of Briarwood

staff. At the end of your classroom visit, return

back to the gym to pick up your box of

chocolates for our school’s fundraising

initiative.

LOST and FOUND

Our lost and found bin is already filling up

with jackets, sweatshirts, umbrellas and water

bottles. Please remind your child to visit the

lost and found, located outside of the front

office for any items that they may be missing.

THE TERRY FOX RUN

Our staff and students took part in The Terry Fox Run on Friday September 30th. We began with a whole school warm up and then walked and ran for those who are, and have been, impacted by cancer. Together, we raised in excess of $670.00 to support cancer research. Thank you for your contributions towards such a worthy cause.

CROSS COUNTRY MEET

Cross Country Grades 4 and 5 On Wednesday October 12th, fifty one students participated in a cross country race at Erindale Park in Mississauga. We were lucky as the weather was beautiful. We would like to thank Mrs. Hartnell for coming to volunteer her time and for helping to bring the tent and set it up. She also took the pictures that will be used to create the cross country movie for viewing at the sharing assembly. It was fantastic to see so many parents there to watch their child race. We are so proud of everyone for finishing the race, as it is a challenging course (the big hill). It was wonderful to see students cheering and giving high fives as their teammates crossed the finish line. Special thanks to Mrs. Weidner for coming in on her day off to help coach the team. She also collects and washes all of the Briarwood shirts. She is a valuable Briarwood member. A few special mentions, in grade two Sarah placed second, Sabrina fourth, Reina fifth, Lucas fifth. In grade three, Tijaan place third, Laraib fourth, Erta tenth, Olebube sixth and Eric tenth. In grade four Jennifer placed fourth, Sally eighth, Luke sixth, Zeke seventh and Badr ninth. In grade five, Serena placed eleventh, Nikola third and Mohib sixth.

Team members included: Nichelle, Serena, Taninne, Yusra, Mohib, Nikola, Kaylan, Behzad, Milan, Zachary, Sally, Manha, Mehdia, Jenny,

Renka, Justice, Zeke, Ahmed A., Mathew, Gregory, Abhi, Yaman, Devin, Luke, Badr, Irfan, Ahmed S., Javeria, Hana, Laraib, Suhavi, Tijaan, Erta, Olebube,Eric, Aditiya, Nirupa, Yazad, Hasan, Manraj, Aarush, Sarah, Sabrina, Angelina, Javeria, Reina, Lucas, Yahya, Mahad, Ahilian and Amin. Mrs. Weidner, Mrs. Sitkei and Mrs. Tutty are proud of every single runner. Congratulations! Way to go Briarwood! SAFE ARRIVAL This is a reminder, if you have not already done so, to please register with our new Safe Arrival Automated System. To do so, you can call 1-855-209-6155 or by going to the website at pdsb.schoolconnects.com or by downloading the Safe Arrival App on your Apple or Android device. Please note that ALL absences and/or lates must be reported through this new system. Benefits of using SafeArrival include:

Phone, website and mobile app options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can report your child(ren)’s absences in advance (e.g., doctor’s appointment).

Keep phone numbers and email addresses up-to-date.

If your child’s absence is not reported in advance, the automated notification system will contact parents to inform of a student’s absence and will provide an opportunity to verify the absence. The automated notification system will contact parents/guardians at multiple contact numbers until one of the designated contacts is reached. If our automated system is unable to reach a designated contact, office staff will follow up. By reporting your child absent in advance, using the SafeArrival toll-free number, SafeArrival website or SafeArrival mobile app, you will not receive a call.

TRANSPORTATION - COURTESY BUSING

Courtesy Busing has been assigned and parents will be receiving notification through a telephone call or letter indicating if they have or have not received busing. A reminder that students must apply for courtesy busing each school year. It is allocated on a case-by-case basis according to specific criteria, and is based on the number of confirmed available seats. OCTOBER 19 – SCHOOL BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY Peel Schools will pay tribute to bus drivers on School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. If you child rides the bus to school, please take this opportunity to thank the bus driver for his or her contribution and ask your child to do so too.

SAFETY IN THE KISS AND RIDE:

The front of our school is very busy at the

beginning and end of the school day. Parents

are asked to NOT park in the Kiss and Ride,

but to use the Kiss and Ride to drop off and to

use the thru lane to drive through. Please be

patient and courteous, and above all consider

the safety of our students. We ask that parents

driving through the Kiss and Ride yield to the

buses that are arriving and departing our school

so that they too remain on schedule.

STUDENTS WITH SEVERE ALLERGIES Help protect students with severe allergies by keeping lunches and snacks peanut free. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that affects some children. We ask that you help us take care of these students by sending lunches and snacks for your child that are free from peanuts or nuts. If the label says, “May contain nuts or peanuts,” please do not send it to school. If your child is eating peanut products before school, please ensure that they wash their hands as a preventative measure.

MEDICAL INFORMATION At the end of the school year, medical forms were sent home with students who need to take medication at school. Forms and the appropriate medication should be returned to school at the start of the year. If your child never needed to take medication in the past, however needs to now, please obtain the appropriate forms from the office. BRIARWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL NEEDS YOU! The role of the School Council is focused on helping students succeed. School Council plays a crucial role in building the school culture. On September 28th we elected our new school council representatives. We welcome to the council: Mrs. Saba Rafiq – Co Chair Mrs, Corrine Brown - Co Chair Ms. Brittany McNabb - Secretary If you would like to participate, join us at our next School Council meeting on Monday October 17 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. in the Library Learning Commons.

WELCOME TO OUR COMMUNITY!

My name is Yusriyyah Mohiuddin; I am a Settlement Worker at Briarwood Public School. I can help your family and you in number of settlement issues, such as community resources, language support, finding a job, finding a family doctor, access to Service Canada, connecting you to the right staff from school to speak with about your concerns and so forth. I can speak English, Urdu, and Hindi, however if you need assistance in a language that I cannot speak, I would be glad to make arrangement to speak to my co-worker in your language. I am available Tuesdays in the Conference Room; you can also contact me by phone at 905-609-4122, or email me at ymohiuddin@ncpeel.ca

Chocolate Fundraising Initiative Sales of Lamontagne Chocolates are well underway! Our early bird prize draws will be held on Thursday October 20th for families that have sold their first case of chocolates. WANT TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE? Check out our school website at http://schools.peelschools.org/1356/Pages/default.aspx Where you’ll find:

School newsletters Contact information Calendar School hours Mission, Vision, Values Registration information Printable forms Frequently asked questions Volunteer information

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUR WEBSITE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Our new website also features a subscription service where you can sign up for email notifications or text messages. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @briarwood_buzz

BRIARWOOD IS GOING CASHLESS

How do I register? Register Now

Registering to use School Cash Online is simple.

1. First, visit https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com and click "Get Started Today."

2. Next, confirm your email. Check your inbox for the email confirmation from School Cash Online and click the confirmation link inside.

3. Click "Add Student" and fill in the required fields with your child's details.

The first 100 families to register for School Cash Online will have their names placed in a raffle draw for one of two $25.00 Cineplex Movie gift cards! Good luck! PIZZA DAYS ARE COMING! Once again, Briarwood will be offering pizza days. We encourage you to register with School Cash Online so that you will be able to order and pay for your child’s pizza lunches. Details to follow soon!

Halloween guidelines:

Participation in Halloween activities by students or staff is completely voluntary. Participation or non-participation should not be used as a basis for exclusion. Voluntariness allows for full inclusion of those who wish to participate as well as those who do not. There is no preferred option, there is simply the choice to do whatever one is most comfortable doing. We share a common goal—that our Halloween activities are fun, encourage school spirit and foster inclusion. They also help raise awareness of this cultural event amongst those unfamiliar with its origins. The spirit of equity and inclusion also engenders respect for the decision of those who choose not to participate in Halloween activities. We are requesting that the students:

Do not wear costumes that include masks, as these can obscure vision, muffle speech, or prevent the wearer from being identified

Do not wear costumes with accessories or props, such as replica guns, knives, whips, chains, torches, etc., which may promote images of gratuitous violence or cause distraction or disruption to learning activities.

Please note: In order to be inclusive and to model our character values, please do not dress in costumes that mimic the traditional attire of an ethnic, racial or gender group/identity. Pretending to be a member of a group for ‘fun’ is evidence of cultural appropriation and sends the message that cultural attire is a ‘costume’ to be donned for entertainment purposes. Additionally, do not wear costumes that require you to assume a racialized, minority or other marginalized identity. Assuming such an identity for entertainment purposes trivializes and disrespects the oppression of the group. Regardless of whether you or our students choose to participate in Halloween events or not, all members of the school community are expected to honour our values and demonstrate that they care, are cooperative, honest, inclusive, respectful and responsible. We would also ask you to keep those values in mind—particularly being respectful and inclusive—in choosing a Halloween costume for yourself.

Dear Peel District School Board Families, As a school board that supports the development of learning experiences that are relevant to the modern day, we believe that it is important to encourage and support the use of technology for instructional, assessment and evaluation practices to improve the educational outcomes for our students. We enable inquiry-based learning opportunities to occur in supervised classroom environments that permit the use a variety of technologies to assist students to reach their educational goals. The Peel District School Board's BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) culture enables every student to have an opportunity to use technology to facilitate the investigation and expression of ideas in a multitude of innovative ways. Teachers and students in all grades and subject areas are able to use Internet-based programs and applications that facilitate collaborative discovery and demonstration of learning. In Peel, instructional teams decide how, when and which tools they would like to use in their classrooms and with their students to support learning. Pursuant to the Peel board's obligations in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, section 29(2), we are providing notice to parents/guardians that some personal information belonging to students may be collected, retained and disclosed by third parties managing Internet-based programs and applications used by our staff and students. These Internet-based programs and applications typically use Cloud-based hosting and retention services, which means that some of the work that students produce using these tools may be collected by third parties, as a result of the hosting services involved in providing these services. In some cases, the United States of America Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (otherwise known as the USA Patriot Act), may permit disclosure pursuant to law to student work/product without prior notice to the Peel board. Please note that the Peel board does not store Ontario Student Records or information related to special education on external servers. These records are not accessible by third parties without prior consent from the school board. If you have any questions or concerns about the Internet-based tools that your child/teen's teacher is using or the student work that might be collected, retained and subject to disclosure, please contact your child/teen's principal for further information. Sincerely,

Tony Pontes Director of Education

SafeArrival Parent Portal Tutorial: Create a login

Follow the steps below to create your account. Please note, this tutorial is only for parents who received their login information by email. If you did not receive an email from Synrevoice Technologies, please follow the Don’t Have An Account? tutorial on our school website. STEP 1: Visit pdsb.schoolconnects.com STEP 2: In the “Login Name” field, enter in ONE of the following that was provided in the email you received from Synrevoice Technologies: login name, phone number or email address. In the password field, enter the password provided in the email. Ensure you are entering the information exactly as it was provided to you (case sensitive). If successful, you will see this message. Click “OK” to continue. STEP 3: Fill out the fields using the information that your school has on file. For example, do not use a nickname, if the school has your full first name on file. Your email address must

be the same email address that you received the initial email from Synrevoice Technologies. Within 10 minutes, you should receive an email with a verification code. STEP 4: Enter the verification code in the indicated field, and click “Go”. Please ensure you are entering the code exactly as it is in your email—if there are extra spaces, the code will not work. STEP 5: You have successfully created an account! Click “Continue” to view your account and begin reporting absences online. Need further support? If you notice something wrong with your account or you are unable to login, please contact your school or get support on the SafeArrival app. Your school will assist you with your request as soon as possible.

SafeArrival Parent Portal Tutorial: Don’t have an account?

Follow the steps below to create your account. Please note, this tutorial is only for parents who did NOT received their login information by email. If you received an email, please use the Create a Login tutorial available on our school website. STEP 1: Visit pdsb.schoolconnects.com STEP 2: Click on “Don’t have an account?” STEP 3: Enter your first and last name, and the first and last name of ONE of your children. Ensure this information is entered exactly as it is on your child’s file at the school. Enter a cell phone number (without any dashes or spaces) that you have on file at the school. If you don’t have a cell phone number on file, please

provide it to your school before proceeding. Check off the box to consent to receiving the verification code by text message. Click “Go”. If you receive an error message, please ensure that the information you provided is exactly as it is on your child’s school file. You can contact the school to verify this information—ask for a print out of your child’s Student Verification Form. STEP 4: A text will be sent to the cell number that you provided. Enter the code provided in the text to authenticate your account. Click “Go” STEP 5:

You will be prompted to change your password. Choose something that you will remember. Click “Save changes and log in.” You have successfully created an account! Need further support? If you notice something wrong with your account or you are unable to login, please contact your school or get support on the SafeArrival app. Your school will assist you with your request as soon as possible.