ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE

S E P T E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

John Dryden P.S.

40 Rolling Acres Drive

Whitby, Ontario

905-434-7400

905-434-5363 FAX johndryden.ddsbschools.ca

Sue Lunn Principal

Hayley Aiken Vice Principal

Sonia Khoury Kim Smith

Admin. Assistants

John Bowyer Superintendent 905-666-5500

Greg Island

Admin. Officer 905-666-5500

Whitby Trustees Kimberly Zeppieri

905-668-7782 Christine Winters

905-430-6050

John Dryden Public School Home of the Dolphins

“Preparing for the Future by Caring for Today”

Welcome back to the 2015/2016 school year at John Dryden P.S. We are looking forward to positively connecting and communicating with students and community members this year, and are committed to providing a positive and purposeful learning environment for our students. We strongly encourage students to set goals for both personal and academic achievement and embrace new learning. We offer many clubs, and teams, and plan school events so that students can try dif-ferent activities and make friends in the process.

We will continue to focus on numeracy, literacy, assessment, interventions, and 21st Century Learning at John Dryden P.S. Staff meet regularly to learn about, and implement best instructional practices in order to improve and build upon school-wide academic achievement and student well-being.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Binning (release teacher), as well as Ms. Mackie (Grade 6) and Ms. Darling (Grade 7/8), who are returning to the school. Ms. Berkis is joining us as the evening custodian. We'd like to formally welcome Hayley Aiken the new Vice Principal at John Dryden P.S.!

Sue Lunn, Principal Hayley Aiken, Vice Principal

 JDPS VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATED CRIMINAL

REFERENCE CHECKS REQUIRED Do you have some extra  me on your hands? Would you like to make a difference in the life of a child? John Dryden gratefully welcomes volun-teers to work with our students. If you are inter-ested in volunteering some of your  me to work with our staff and students, please contact Ms. Gozdziewicz and Mrs. MacCharles-Crain. Also, there is an applica on form that is a ached that you can fill out and return to school.  Only those who have Criminal Reference Checks filed in the office are eligible to volunteer.   If you would like to volunteer please get a Criminal Reference Check. 

 

School  Informa on

THE SCHOOL DAY (5 Day Cycle) School Holidays Entry 8:10 a.m. Labour Day September 7, 2015 Period 1 8:15-8:45 Thanksgiving October 12, 2015 Period 2 8:45-9:25 December Break Dec. 21 – Jan. 1, 2016 Recess 9:25-9:40 * Family Day February 15, 2016 Period 3 9:40-10:20 March Break March 14-18, 2016 Period 4 10:20-11:00 Good Friday March 25, 2016 Lunch 11:00-12:00 Easter Monday March 28, 2016 Period 5 12:05-12:45 Victoria Day May 23, 2016 Period 6 12:45-1:25 Last Day June 29, 2016 Recess 1:25-1:35 Period 7 1:35-2:15 Period 8 2:15-2:45 Dismissal 2:45 * NOTE CHANGE TO MORNING RECESS Professional Activity Days - October 9 , November 20, January 22, June 3, June 30

Early dismissal (one hour early) on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 and Friday, December 18, 2015

VOLUNTARY, CONFIDENTIAL ABORIGINAL STUDENT SELF-IDENTIFICATION The Ontario Ministry of Education has identified Aboriginal Education as one of its key priorities. The 2007 Ontario, First Na-tion, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Education Policy Framework outlines strategies to improve achievement among First Nation, Mé-tis, and Inuit students and to help close the achievement gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in the areas of literacy and numeracy, retention of students in school, graduation rates, and advancement to post secondary studies. By partici-pating in the Self-Identification program, you are assisting the board with the determination of programming and support to increase Aboriginal student success and achievement, and to help our board monitor the success of students and the programs and supports implemented. Information about individual students will not be released and is kept confidential in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act. The Durham District School Board (DDSB) will only share its Aboriginal Self-Identification data with the Ministry of Education and the Education Quality Accountability Office (EQAO). These provin-cial bodies will report their findings in an aggregate or collective format to the public.

FORMS SENT HOME THIS WEEK– PLEASE RETURN!

A variety of information will be sent home over the next few days. Please read all of the material, return completed forms where necessary. School newsletters (monthly online), classroom newslet-ters (monthly) and some school information will be sent home with the youngest child in every fami-ly. We appreciate your commitment to your child’s education!

What Needs to be Returned:

1. Registration Form 2. Medical Forms for students with extreme allergies/medical needs 3. Student Insurance forms (optional)

 

School  Informa on

Photo Day is Coming

October 19th Details will be sent home.

Visitors

We welcome visitors at John Dryden. ALL visitors are required to check-in at the of-fice and wear a ‘Visitor’s Pass.’ This proce-dure is to ensure the safety of all our stu-

dents. It is very important that parents/visitors do not enter the school at points other than the front door. Everyone must respect this routine as we work together to ensure that we do not have the opportunity for strangers to enter the building. Safety first!

Dogs on School Property

Please leave your dog at home, or keep it leashed on the sidewalk, off of school property. Many of our students feel unsafe around dogs, large or small. It is best to avoid unnecessary accidents or uneasiness. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

 

Ways to Help Your Child Excel at School Encourage your child to set goals. Early in the school year, ask your child to think about what they enjoyed last year, what they are excited about this year and what they need to work on. Examples of goals might be focusing on specific components of academic growth, making friends, joining a club, or becoming involved in planning or im-plementing school events. Ensure that your child has some ‘down time’ in his/her schedule. Balance is essential for well-being, and leisure time is important for re-charging both body and soul. Work on a manageable morning routine that allows for breakfast, which is the most important part of the day. Pack school lunches that are nutritious so that your child can re-fuel and concentrate on learning in the afternoon.

Parents Informa on

Growth Mindset in Math In general, a growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ‘smartness’ can also be learned and that the brain grows from experience and effort. The opposite, a fixed mindset, is the idea that you are smart, or you are not. In math, that translates into “some people are good at math, and some are not.” Did you know that praising efforts rather than intelligence or results can impact your child’s ability to persevere in challenges?! The goal is to have children thrive on challenges and see failures, not as a sign of low intelligence, but as a learning opportunity. Brain research tells us that making mistakes actually wires more connections into the brain! When a person has a growth mindset, they accept challenges, see their efforts as worthwhile, and are open to learning from mistakes. Students with a growth mindset achieve at higher levels than those with fixed mindsets. How can you help? Some simple ways:

Adding “yet” when they claim they are “not good at this” (Respond: “You are not good at this yet.”)

Ask questions that focus on their effort and choices and get them to reflect on satisfaction of that effort (e.g. What did you learn today? What mistake did you make that taught you something? What did you try hard at today?)

Model this yourself as you share about your day

Religious Requirements, Practices and Observances The new document Guidelines and Procedures for the Accommodation of Religious Requirements, Practices and Observances has been produced in compliance with the requirements of Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy within the contexts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code. This document will assist us in creating and maintaining an equitable and inclusive environment at John Dry-den PS. The document is available for viewing at http://ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca/DDSBmain.htm. If you anticipate that you or your family might require religious accommodation at any point during the school year, we ask that you inform the administration at your child’s school as early as possible, preferably at the start of the school year. Areas that you might consider include, but are not limited to, the following: Observation of major religious holy days and celebrations Accommodation in, or exemption from, specific areas of the curriculum or other school activities Religious attire Modesty requirements in physical education School opening and closing exercises Prayer Dietary requirements You are also welcome to speak to Mrs. Lunn or Mrs. Aiken about religious accommodation needs as they arise.

 

 

Allergy Information

Food Allergies and Class Treats Due to the increasing number of students who experience allergies to certain foods, we kindly ask that parents refrain from sending food from home or store bought to share at parties or for birthdays or other celebrations. We have students in our school who unfortunately have life threatening allergies to spe-cific foods that we need to keep safe. Thank you for your cooperation and at-tention to this matter.

ALLERGIES/MEDICATION Please let the school know if your child has a severe or life-threatening allergy or medi-cal condition. If your child requires medication or medical care while at school, please contact the office for the appropriate forms, which must be completed and signed by your physician annually. Medication must be stored in the office at all times.

WOW BUTTER Please be reminded that WOW Butter is not permitted at school. We have been advised by the Durham Health to keep our policy consistent so there is no confusion about what is, and is not permitted.

Allergy Tips Anaphylaxis (anna-fill-ax-tic) is not the sniffles or a runny nose. It is a life-

threatening allergic reaction that involves the airways. If not treated quickly and properly, coma or death may result.

An anaphylactic reaction can occur within seconds, minutes or up to 2 hours from the time of the exposure. Anyone who has been injected with an EpiPen should seek hospital treatment immediately, even if symptoms see to go away. Symptoms can reappear.

Food allergies are not the only triggers for anaphylaxis. Some people are super sensitive and highly allergic to insect stings, medications, latex and even exercise. Sounds strange, but it’s true. Other common food allergies besides peanuts and nuts included milk, eggs, shell-fish, fish, wheat, soy and seeds.

THANK YOU to all parents who support our Allergy Aware Program. Every time you choose to bring peanut and nut-free foods to school, you are making a conscious choice to help make our school safer for children, staff and volunteers who may have these types of allergies.

Understanding allergies can sometimes be difficult and confusing. If you have questions or concerns you can go to the following website: www.anaphylaxis.ca

 

School Community Council ALL ARE WELCOME!

First Meeting: Wednesday September 30 @6:30pm The SCC is a group of interested parents, guardians and school members who meet once a month. This advisory body plans fundraising and student activities, working together to make the school a better place for all. If you are interested in becoming an executive member of our SCC, please complete the application form attached to this newsletter and return it to the office no later than Thurs-day, September 17.

 

SCC  

Highlights 

 

 

 

johndrydenscc@gmail.com

www.mabelslabels.com

To place an order go to : “support a fundraiser”

and follow the instructions.

 

 

 

SCC ELECTIONS 2015/16 The role of the School Community Council Members is to act as a link between the council and the community and to reflect the views of parents during the decision –making process.

Non-Voting Members Non-voting members are individuals who want to participate in the SCC, but recognize that they are not able to commit to attending most meetings.

SCC Executive Committee •These positions include the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. • Positions require a strong commitment to attend each meeting. •The Executive will be elected at the first SCC meeting after the elections / acclamations.

DEADLINE TO RETURN THIS FORM IS SEPTEMBER 17TH.

 

 

 

 

 

www.johndryden.ddsbschool.ca

Our next newsletter will be published on Oct 1, 2015

John Dryden P.S. 40 Rolling Acres Drive Whitby, Ontario L1R 2A1 905-434-7400 905-434-5365 FAX

"Follow us on Twitter @JohnDrydenPS"

DATES TO REMEMBER Sept 23 - QSP presentation - 10 am Sept 25 - Terry Fox Run - 12 pm Sept 30 - SCC Meeting - 6:30pm Sept 30 - Orange Shirt Day Oct 9 - PA DAY—NO SCHOOL Oct 12 - Thanksgiving Day Oct 19 - Picture Day DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR

SEPTEMBER Sept 13 - 15 - Rosh Hashanah Sept 21 – 26 - Hajj Sept 21 - International Day of Peace Sept 22 - 23 -Yom Kippur & Eid al-Adha Sept 25 - Franco-Ontarian Day Sept 26 - Sukkot Sept 30 - Orange Shirt Day

THIS IS OUR ONLY PAPER COPY OF THE NEWSLETTER!!!! All future newsletters will be posted on the website to save paper and money! Please check us out regularly at: www.johndryden.ca If you would still like to receive a paper copy of our newsletter please send back the bottom portion of this page. Please detach and return to your child’s teacher ------------------------------------------------------------ I would prefer a paper copy of the newsletter Child’s name ________________________________

Child’s teacher ______________________________

Friday, Sept. 25th

THANK YOU Thank you to Mr. Segu who donated a 7 piece drum set to the school’s Music program. We ap-preciate the generosity of this member of the community who had 3 children graduate from John Dryden PS.

STILL ON THE LOOK OUT John Dryden Public School is in need of supply and full time lunchroom supervisors for this year. If you are interested in working one hour a day from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., please contact the office for further information. This is a paid position. If you would be interested in be-coming a lunchroom supervisor contact the office at 905-434-7400 or come into the school. Thank you for your continued support.

VOLUNTEER OF DISTINCTION

Congratulations to Nikki McKenzie for be-ing nominated as the Volunteer of Distinc-tion for 2014/15 school year.