The Crossroads

Connection School Newsletter

November 2013

Crossroads Public School Troy Wal lace, 1350 Niagara Stone Road Pr incipal Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0 Steve Holowchuk, 905-468-7793 Vice -Principal crossroads.dsbn.org

November Character Trait

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

A Note from the Office Staff:

If your child will be away from school for the day or will be late please take the time to call the school

and let us know. Under the Safe School Act all students must be accounted for in a timely fashion.

Please, the office is a very busy time at the end of the day, try to make all arrangements before your child

comes to school in the mornings. We do understand that emergencies do happen. Although we try

really hard to ensure that all messages get passed on, with the bustle around dismissal time things can

get missed. The agenda is a great communication tool for messages such as this. Appointment pick up

times and alternate dismissal arrangements can be passed on using this valuable tool.

We have a answering machine available 24/7 for your convenience. The machine is checked several

times throughout the day if you need to reach the office and we do not answer immediately, we may be

on the other line or away from the desk.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Upcoming Events: Nov 1: Random Acts of Kind-ness Day Nov 4 Grade 8 HPV Nov 8 Gregg LeRock concert Nov 11 Remembrance Day Ceremony 10 am. Nov 13 Jack Grunsky Concert Nov 13 ARC Review meeting 6pm Nov 15 PA Day no school for students Nov 26-29 Book Fair Winner of the October draw: Ariel, Talon and Xavier C.

Lunch Lady on Tuesday for those who order

Pizza on Thursday for those who have ordered

Snack program runs Tues, Wed and Thurs

From the Principal’s Desk: Progress Reports were sent home earlier this week on October 29

th. This is an excel-

lent opportunity to sit down with your child and look over the report together. Highlight where you think he/she has done well and congratulate your child’s efforts! Pay close attention to the Learning Skills on the first page as these skills are the pillars that al-low children to achieve success. Parent-teacher conferences are currently being scheduled for the evening of Thursday, November 7

th to provide you the opportunity

to arrange a meeting with your child(ren)’s teacher. Here are a few tips to help make this year’s parent-teacher conference a success:

Take Notes- before the conference, jot down your child’s areas of success and any concerns you have about your child’s progress. Write down the questions or suggestions you have about the strategies that will be used to support your child.

Teamwork- Children benefit most when parents and teachers work to-gether to develop strategies to support learning. If there are concerns, focus on ways to work with your child’s teacher on solutions.

Next Step- Develop a clear action plan. Discuss how you at home and the teacher at school will follow up on concerns raised. Main-tain regular communication with your child’s teachers to monitor progress.

This is the perfect time to set goals with your child for the remainder of this term. Post the goals in a visible spot such as on the fridge. Working together as a collaborative team will allow us to best support your child’s learning needs.

Clocks go back

Sunday, November 2nd.

Shining Star Students FDK1- Jacob B., Helena K., Finnegan C.

FDK2 - Sophie K., Emma V., Matthew H.

FDK3 - Nathan L., Kennedy B., Cohen A.

Miss. Kent - Easton A., Hailey E., Megan H.

Ms. Fairchild - Kristina F., Mika V.

Miss. Jones - Isabella B., Hudson D.

Ms. Komandanski - Mischa D., Bailey N.

Mrs. Tompsett - Connor S., Christopher W.

Ms. R. Willms - Eilijah B., Molly S.

Ms. Buck - Kaitlyn F., Shaelynn L.

Mrs. Anderson- Taylor A., Henry B., Andrew E.

Mme. Peters - Ayva B., David K., Ashley R.

Mr. O’Connor-Mitchell B., Amaia P., Nathan R.

Mr. Reschke - Clare C., Mikey L., Elissa R.

Mr. Kenworthy - Carly G., Susana K. Joshua K.

Mr. Snider - Kai B., Maddie C., Joshua P.

Mrs. Huntingdon - Reuben E., George K.

Mrs. McNarry - Carter L., Sam P.

Ms. Ho - Evan A., Zack G., Michael W.

Mrs. Krake - Talon C., Brittany K., Katie V.

Ms. L. Willms- Margaret H, Aaralyn U,

Charlotte B

Mme. Zoccoli - Zack G., Riley V., Kyle G.

Free Social Media Workshop for Parents

Chris Vollum from Social Media Trust pre-

sents Social Media Fitness.

Teens love social media. Join us for an evening with

Chris Vollum a social media expert.

Learn how to:

keep your child safe from predators and cyberbul-

lying

explore social media with your child in a safe way

help your child build a positive on-line reputation

navigate

Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr

& ASK.FM.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013 at 7pm

Where: Burgoyne Room- Lock 3 Museum

1932 Welland Canals Pkwy.

St. Catharines, ON L2R 7K6

To register go to

www.niagararegion.ca search ‘social media work-

shop’

NOTL HOME SHOW Plans are well underway for the 6th annual NOTL Home Show, to be held on Sat. March 1st, 2014. Once again our platinum sponsors are Meridian Credit Union and Phil's Valu-mart. We have added two new sponsorship levels! Gold Sponsorship ($1000) entitles you to a 5x8 booth, a medium sized logo on all print media and the opportunity to put 600 flyers in the gift bags that are handed out at the door. Silver Spon-sorship ($500) entails your small logo on all print media, and 600 flyers in the gift bags. This is a great way to show your support for the home show and showcase your business at the same time! If you would like to partake of this great op-portunity please contact the school, or email notlhomeshow@gmail.com by November 30th so we can start advertising your involvement. If you, or someone you know would like to be a vendor, please email us! We would love to hear from you!

Grade 8’s Visit High School On Wednesday, November 6th all Grade 8 students will be par-ticipating in the DSBN Grade 9 Preview Day. This is an opportunity for our Grade 8 students to experience “a day in the life” of a high school student, and our students will be visiting Laura Secord Secondary School

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause trans-portation cancellations or school closures. At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision of whether or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian. Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is cancelled but schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you call your child’s school to inform them of your child’s absence. A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at the begin-ning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact information or procedures you wish to be followed throughout the school year. For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided via school announcements and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m. Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it is available through the following:

Websites: www.dsbn.org www.nsts.ca Subscription Features: DSBN Facebook or Twitter NSTS Transportation Delay or Cancellation Alerts Phone: Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant Radio Stations:

CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines

WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines

CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie

CHML (900 AM) Hamilton K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton

CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland

Y-108(107.9) Hamilton

Television Stations:

CH – Hamilton, CTV Toronto, CityTV Breakfast Television,

Page 4

Niagara on the Lake Rangers Basketball Presents their Season Opener: Saturday, November 2, 2013, Crossroads Public School Novice Boys (grade 3/4): 12:00 PM Tip Off vs. Niagara Falls Red Raiders (Head Coach for the Rangers: Red Klassen) Major Atom Girls (grade 5/6): 1:30 PM Tip Off vs. Flamborough Fire (Head Coach for the Rangers: Jennifer Caughill) Major Bantam Girls (grade 7/8): 3:00 PM Tip Off vs. Welland Warriors (Head Coach for the Rangers: Dragan Matovic) Many of the Rangers are Crossroads PS students. Come on out to this free event & cheer on the Rangers! For further information contact: Jennifer Caughill at (905) 468-9408, email: winnersdaycamps@cogeco.ca; website: niagararangers.com

How do I want to receive my newsletter?

Family Name: _____________________________________________

Children at Crossroads: _____________________________________

___________________________________________________________

[ ] EMAIL (our email address: ________________________________)

If you choose this approach, we won’t clutter your inbox with a huge document. Instead, we’ll send you a link directly to

our Crossroads website newsletter page so that you simply click and read.

[ ] FACEBOOK

Please visit www.facebook.com/CrossroadsPublicSchool and become a friend of our school. We post the newsletter here on

the first school day of each month.

[ ] PAPER COPY (sent home with ___________________________ name of child)

We would like to thank Mr. Leno Mori, owner of Mori Nurseries Ltd. for his generous donation of nursery plants for the schools front garden. Thanks to Mr. Mori, our front gardens will be full of colour next season and for years to come!

Page 5

November Newsletter Draw

Ballot Print/email this ballot and send it in to the office for a chance to win a fabulous family prize. We value your input! Family Name: ____________________ Student Names: __________________ ________________________________

Comments: ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

The Elementary Progress Report

On October 29, your child will bring home their Elementary Progress Report. The format was created after years of consultation with par-

ents, teachers, principals, and students across the province. Although it looks much like the Report Card, this report has a very different

intent. The purpose of the Progress Report is to share early and specific feedback on your child's development of work habits and learning

skills as well as his/her progress towards achieving the curriculum standards by the end of the school year.

Traditionally, when reporting to parents about their child’s progress, teachers have prepared by looking back over the work

done. The teacher evaluated your child’s progress from the beginning of the school term to the current point in time, and

reported on the highlights of achievement as they compare to overall curricular expectations. Teachers continue to report

on Provincial Term One and Term Two Report Cards in this manner.

Reporting on the Progress Report is about looking forward. The purpose is to set the course for the learning journey ahead.

Based on the evidence teachers see, as well as what teachers know about learning at this grade level, the report communicates

the path your child is on towards achieving the grade level expectations by the end of the year. For students who are on a

modified Individual Education Program, the teacher uses those modified goals when determining whether a child is progress-

ing well, progressing very well, or progressing with difficulty.

All subjects that are part of your child’s program in the first weeks of school will be assessed according to the following indicators:

Progressing Very Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demonstrating consistent progress and is on track

to meet and/or surpass the provincial standard set for the end of the year.

Progressing Well: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is demonstrating consistent progress and is on track to meet

the provincial standard set for the end of the year.

Progressing With Difficulty: In the first weeks of school, evidence shows that the student is experiencing difficulty towards meeting the

provincial standard set for the end of the year.

For subjects in which your child is Progressing With Difficulty, the teacher will discuss specific next steps plans needed for success. We

look forward to partnering with you and your child for a year of great learning and growth.

Are you ready for the CHALLENGE?!?

Did you know that school lunches are a major source of waste in Ontario? In fact, the average student’s lunch generates a total of 30 kilograms of waste per school year, or an average of 8500 kilograms of waste per school per year.

In an effort to engage students in small environmental initiatives that can make a big impact, Crossroads is participating in the week-long Waste-Free Lunch Chal-lenge (WFLC) beginning on Monday, November 4, 2013. The Waste-Free Lunch Challenge is a province-wide initiative run by the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO), in partnership with the Carton Council of Canada.

Parents and Guardians are invited to visit the WFLC’s parent website at

www.wastefreelunch.com. Here, you can download resources to help ensure you are doing your part to reduce lunch waste at Crossroads. Winning classrooms or schools can earn great prizes including: $1000.00 for their school’s environ-mental projects.

Thanks for your support,

The Eco Team

Scholastic Book Fair The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school November 26

th -29th! It's a great opportunity to pro-

mote reading to our students by supporting this literary event. We invite your entire family to participate by purchasing the latest and greatest in children’s books. Did you know that for every $10 you spend at the Fair up to $6 goes directly back to our school? Your support of this fundraiser is key to our obtaining new books and resources for our library and classrooms.

You’ll find hundreds of quality books at our Book Fair with a wide assortment for all reading levels. A Book Fair flyer, that provides a preview of only a FEW of the many books available to purchase at our Fair, will be sent home with students the week before the fair begins. The flyer also contains a special Family Event Draw ballot that parents can deposit during our Family Event. You could win $50 in books – $25 for your family PLUS $25 for your child’s classroom! Our classrooms are also in need of more books. We invite you to increase the size of your child’s classroom library by purchasing books. Visit our Classroom Wish List display at the book fair if you’re interested in pur-chasing a book for a classroom. Each teacher was asked to fill-in their “book wish list” prior to the Fair. Look for your child’s teacher’s name on the display. Teachers have selected books to meet their students’ reading levels, interests and learning needs. The books will become a permanent part of the classroom library. Every gift, will be recognized with a bookplate, identifying your family or child as the donor. Alternatively, you may wish to purchase a book from the wish list and save it for Christmas as an option for a teacher Christmas gift.

Don’t forget to mark the Book Fair dates on your calendar! You're welcome to attend the book fair along with your child's class (visit times will be in agendas closer to the event) or if you want to stock up on Christmas presents, please feel free to come in during any of the scheduled book fair hours. In the event that you cannot attend you may choose fill out the Student Wish List order form and send it in with your child along with cash or a cheque. Taxes are included in prices listed. We look forward to seeing you during our Scholastic Book Fair and thank you, in advance, for supporting this great literary fund-raiser. If you are interested in volunteering at the Book Fair, please contact Ms. Andres.

Book Fair Dates: Tues. Nov. 26th, Wed. Nov. 27th, Thurs. Nov. 28th, Fri. Nov. 29th

Times: 8:30 – 3:45 (closing at 1:30 pm on Friday) Location: Crossroads Learning Commons We accept cheques made payable to Crossroads Public School. Visa and MasterCard are welcome, too.

FROM PUBLIC HEALTH

When to keep your child at home? Please keep your child at home and away from others if he or she has any of these symptoms:

Fever Diarrhea Vomiting

Rash Frequent coughing or sneezing

Yellow or green discharge from the nose, ears, or eyes Sore throat

Contact your family doctor for advice about care and treatment. For more information, talk to your school nurse or go to www.niagararegion.ca/health