1486 March 2018 Newsletter - schools.peelschools.orgschools.peelschools.org/1486/Lists/SchoolNewsLetters/March_ 2018.pdf · friendly business plan, ... announce the launch of ParentConnect,

Peel District School Board

Lougheed Middle School

475 Father Tobin Road, Brampton, ON L6R 0J9

TEL: 905-789-8751 FAX: 905-789-8754

http://schools.peelschools.org/1486

March 2018 Newsletter

Ruth Wedderburn-Shelton Principal Mateja Drinovac Vice-Principal

Katrina Laforest Office Manager Pat Noble Superintendent Harkirat Singh Trustee 647-209-8000 Transportation www.stopr.ca 905-890-6000 Attendance Check 1-855-209-6155

SafeArrival Parent Portal at

pdsb.schoolconnects.com

twitter.com/LougheedMiddle

SCHOOL CASH ONLINE

Pay school fees online

The Peel District School Board is excited to announce that your child’s school now

offers a new, preferred method of payment for all school fees. School Cash Online is

a safe and secure form of online payment that allows you to pay for your child’s

school items, like field trips and pizza days, from your computer or smartphone

using eCheck, Visa or MasterCard.By registering, you’ll have the ability to:

Keep track of your children’s school item and activity fees

Check account history

Print or view receipts

Make donations to school fundraisers online and instantly receive a tax receipt

Pay for school fees with the click of a button

For more information and to register, visit https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com. If you have any questions, please contact the school directly.

Page 2 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

A recent visit to Living Arts Centre 602 and 610 had a great time at the Living Arts Centre making totem poles, and looking at the artwork by indigenous women at the Art Gallery.

Lougheed visit at Springdale Library Springdale Library - a new modern architecture, a 3D printing area, and a special nook for children with fun colors, shorter bookshelves, and a cool lighting display mounted on the wall. The Grade 6 students are looking forward to walking over and exploring the new Springdale Library at the end of the March.

Lougheed Career Fair - Coming Soon!

An annual career fair is being planned for all Lougheed students on Thursday, April 26th, 2018 from 9:00 am -11:30 a.m. If you are interested in presenting to our students about your career, please contact Ms. Rana at [email protected].

Please see the advertisement in this newsletter.

Grade 8's Mall Working Towards Becoming Successful Entrepreneurs All grade 8's are working hard in making an eco friendly business plan, budgeting their product and producing a commercial and designing advertising materials. All eco-taxes are calculated on the profits of a business, and will be donated to a charity decided on by the Grade 8 class.

Page 3 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

Lougheed Annual Career Fair

CALLING ALL COMMUNITY LEADERS

Do you have a career in a field that you are interested in that you are

passionate about ?

carpenter, Plumber, welder, Hair

dresser, esthetician, Dental Hygienist, Pilot,

Baker, Personal Trainer, Lawyer, ENGINEER,

Accountant, Police Officer, Interior Designer, ARBORIST, border guard, social worker...

WE ARE LOOKING FOR PRESENTERS FOR OUR ANNUAL CAREER FAIR!

PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME FOR THIS INSPIRATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION

Please contact :

[email protected]

April 26, 2018- 9:00 AM - 11:00AM

Page 4 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

Online parent portal to access

important student information

The Peel District School Board is excited to

announce the launch of ParentConnect, an

online parent portal to access important student

information. The pilot program was introduced

at select schools and phased in to all Peel

schools on Feb. 23, 2018.

What is ParentConnect?

ParentConnect is a safe and secure website,

created by the Peel District School Board, that

acts as a single point to stay informed and to

access all electronic services provided to Peel

board parents and legal guardians.

The parent-friendly website will allow you to:

view school-based alerts and information

access real time absence reporting view current and historic elementary

report card information get up-to-date busing information review secondary school credit history

and diploma status and more

To learn more about the benefits of

ParentConnect, visit our school website or

www.peelschools.org/parentconnect

Important changes coming to

SafeArrival system in May 2018

The Peel District School Board is currently using

the SafeArrival system by Synervoice

Technologies. As Synervoice has been sold to

West Communications, there will be slight

changes to our SafeArrival system and how you

will report your child’s absence from school. The

phone number to report your child’s absence

will stay the same, but there are a few other

changes.

Beginning May 14, 2018, all elementary school

parents/guardians need to report their child’s

full-day absences, late arrivals and/or early

departures from school via our new School

Messenger SafeArrival system.

The phone number will stay the same: 1-855-

209-6155

Website has changed to: go.schoolmessenger.ca

Download a new app: School Messenger App

(from Google or Apple)

(please be sure to delete the old Safe Arrival app

after May 11)

Please continue to use our current Synervoice

system until Friday, May 11, 2018. The new

School Messenger SafeArrival will be live on

Monday, May 14, 2018.

Important to note:

The transition to a new company and system will

require parents to set up a new account with

School Messenger SafeArrival as data will not be

transferred from the old system to the new.

More information on how and when to set-up

your new account will be coming in the next

month.

Page 5 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

Build Happiness

External factors often only have a partial

influence on our level of happiness. Promotions,

new relationships and lucky lottery wins give

only a temporary boost to happiness before we

return to our baseline.

Sustained happiness takes work. Listed here are

a few exercise ideas that, when practiced

frequently, can build habits of happiness.

Journal About Gratitude

Every night write down three good things about

your day. They don’t have to be major. They

might be as simple as a good meal, talking to a

friend, or getting through something difficult.

Say, “Thank You”

Keep your eyes open throughout the day for

reasons to say “thanks”. Try to notice and

recognize the actions that people do, such as a

coworker who works hard or a friend who seems

willing to listen.

Take a Gratitude Walk

Go for a walk and make a special effort to

appreciate your surroundings. You might notice

the smell of flowers, a pretty building, or a

soothing breeze. Spend a few minutes focusing

on each of your senses (sight, hearing, taste and

touch) to find new things you may not have

noticed.

It's time to register children born in

2014 for kindergarten

We inspire success, confidence and hope in each

student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your

child was born in 2014, he or she can start

kindergarten in September 2018. You can

register your child at any time during regular

school hours—just visit the school he/she will be

attending to register.

What you will need to bring to

registration

Proof of child's age (one of the following)

Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent

residence work permit refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

Ontario driver's license utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly

from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g.

Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents)

purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their

parent(s) unless provided documentation

supports an alternate living arrangement

Proof of immunization – proof that your child has

been immunized/vaccinated

Page 6 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

It’s time to elect your student

trustees for the 2018-19 school year.

Student trustees serve an important role for the

Peel District School Board. They represent the

voice of students in decisions about education in

Peel, and they help keep students informed

about important decisions that affect them. Each

school year, the Peel board selects two student

trustees—one representing schools north of

Highway 401 and one representing schools south

of Highway 401.

Voting for student trustees will be held at each

secondary school on April 17 or 18. All candidate

videos will be posted to YouTube and

www.peelschools.org in the Student Trustee

section made active on March 19.

Learn more at

www.peelschools.org/studenttrustees.

Prevent the flu. It's in your

hands.

Hand washing is the most important way to

prevent the spread of infection. Always wash

your hands with soap and water when they are

dirty.

Clean your hands before:

i. touching your eyes, nose or mouth ii. touching/preparing food or drinks

iii. eating or drinking iv. caring for someone in your home who

can easily get sick (baby, elderly or someone who has an unhealthy immune system) first aid

Clean your hands after:

i. touching pets or other animals ii. touching raw meat, particularly chicken

iii. touching surfaces such as a railing or grocery cart

iv. touching money v. touching objects sick people have

touched vi. touching blood or body fluids such as

urine, vomit or feces vii. contact with those who have a cold, the

flu, diarrhea or virus of any kind viii. changing diapers

ix. wiping your own or a child's nose x. sneezing or coughing

xi. using a facial tissue xii. using the washroom

xiii. removing gloves xiv. cleaning xv. gardening

What to do when you cough or sneeze:

i. cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve

ii. put used tissues in the wastebasket iii. clean your hands with soap and water or

a hand sanitizer

For more information call Peel Health at 905-

799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

Page 7 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

2018 March Break Maple Syrup Days

at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Open Wednesday, March 14th - Saturday, March

17th

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as Spring

blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an

exceptional family experience with a visit to its

maple syrup bush. The March Break programs

runs from Wednesday, March 14 to Saturday

March 17 from 10 a.m. with the last

presentations of the day at 3 p.m.

The Peel District Sugar Bush program has been in

operation for more than 40 years and provides

families with an educational activity and a

hands-on experience. The program is run by

Peel District School Board teachers and staff

during March Break.

Families are invited to get involved as spring

come to life in the following activities:

help tap trees and empty sap buckets.

Sample some homemade maple syrup.

Hike along our trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand.

Learn how pioneers collected and produced syrup compared to modern-day operations.

Experience the indigenous roots of sweet water.

Visit the sugar shack where the sap boils and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney.

The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and

under. Lunch will be available for purchase. It

will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs

for you to roast over an open fire.

Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592

Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:

North on Mississauga Rd, Left on King Street

(You will see Credit View P.S. on your left), Right

on Winston Churchill Blvd (You will pass the

Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to

the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe

site.

For more information, please contact the Jack

Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.

Using social media safely

With the growing number of social media sites, it

is no surprise that social media is the most

common form of communication for children

and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments,

instant messages, video uploads, tweets and

texts have become a regular part of their lives.

While there are many positive benefits to using

social media, including staying connected with

friends and expressing your interests, students

must be cautious in their use of these networks.

Among the most popular social media platforms

used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat,

Instagram, YouTube and Whatsapp Messenger.

Many of these platforms are free and are

available on Smartphone's and other electronic

devices. These platforms are easy to navigate

and often allow information to be shared

instantly, not only with friends, but with

strangers. On social media, it is important to

remember that the world is watching.

Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian

Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to

Page 8 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter keep your children safe and help them make

smart choices when using social media:

Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.

Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.

Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.

Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.

Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.

Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn

how privacy settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.

Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and parents’ full names.

Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.

Parent resources help you

support your child’s learning

At the Peel District School Board, our mission is

to inspire success, confidence and hope in each

child. There is no doubt that families play a vital

role in helping us achieve this goal. As our

partner in education, we hope you'll stay

connected to your child's learning throughout his

or her entire school experience.

Visit

www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to

explore all resources available to parents.

There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that

connect families to tip sheets and web pages on

a number of different topics, including math,

homework, special education, EQAO and mental

health.

Page 9 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

School doors remain locked during

the school day

We wanted to share a reminder with our school

community. The front doors of our school will be

locked during the school day. This is part of the

Safe Welcome program, originally announced by

the Ontario Government in December 2012, for

all elementary schools in Ontario. As part of this

program, portable doors will also be locked

during the school day.

A camera and buzzer unit is located by the front

door and will be linked to a monitor in the main

office of the school. Anyone who wishes access

to the school once the school day has begun—

parents, Peel board staff and visitors—will

request entry by pressing the buzzer. Staff in the

main office will be able to see and speak to the

person, and release the door lock to provide

access.

We have long had the practice for Peel schools

that all outside doors, with the exception of the

front door, would be locked during the school

day. While we acknowledge that locking doors

will not in itself prevent all risks to the safety of

students and staff, it is an important step in

providing an additional level of security. Thank

you for your continued support for the safety

and well-being of all students and staff in our

schools.

Nutritious lunches help children learn

Use Canada’s Food Guide to help your child get

nutrients and energy needed to have a

successful school day.

Try to give your child some choice about what to take for lunch. If possible, get your child involved in preparing meals.

Give your child a variety of healthy choices. Keeping your child interested in lunch is the first step to making sure it is eaten.

Make the food easy to eat. If it will take your child a few minutes to unwrap a sandwich, it may be skipped.

Resist the temptation to routinely send sweets, pop, chips and cookies in your child's lunch. Save treats for special occasions.

Try to avoid fast food or pre-packaged, convenience lunches, which are often high in salt and fat.

Do your best to role model healthy eating behaviors for your family.

To speak to a registered dietitian about healthy

food choices, call Eat Right Ontario at 1-877-510-

5102.

For more information about the policy, visit

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschool.

If you have questions about how we are

implementing the School Food and Beverage

Policy, please call the school.

Page 10 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

CELEBRATING FAITH AND CULTURE MARCH 2018

Date CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

March Xsaak and Sugar Moon Aboriginal Spirituality

Eve of February 28 to

March 1

Holi Hinduism

Sunset of February 28 to

March 1

Purim Judaism

Sunset March 1 to 20 Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í

March 2 Lantern Festival/Magha Puja Buddhism

March 2 World Day of Prayer Christianity

March 2 Hola Mohalla Sikhism

March 14 New Year Sikhism

March 16 to 20 Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem Zoroastrianism

March 17 St. Patrick's Day Christianity

March 18 Vasant Navratri and New Year’s Day Hinduism

March 20 Shunki-sorei-sai Shinto

March 20 Lady Day (Ostara) Wicca

March 20 or 21 Naw Ruz/Navroze Bahá'í and Zoroastrianism

March 21 Eid e-Navroz Islam

March 25 to 31 Holy Week begins Christianity

March 25 Palm Sunday Christianity

March 25 Shri Ramnavami Hinduism

March 26 Khordad Saal Zoroastrianism

March 29 Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) Christianity

March 29 Mahavir Jayanti Jainism

March 30 Good Friday (Holy Friday) Christianity

Sunset of March 30 to

April 6

Pesach (Passover) Judaism

March 31 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day Buddhism

Page 11 out of 11 March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Newsletter

2 Grade 6 Art Trip

604 & 605

African

Drumming

Cheyne

3

4

5 Day 3

Art Club

3-4:30 pm

6 Day 4

806-Water

Trip

7 Day 5

805 Water Trip

8 Day 1

Peel Dance

Showcase

@Living Art

Centre

9 Day 2

Buy Out

10

11

12 Day 3

M B

13 Day 4

A R

14 Day 5

R E

15 Day 1

C A

16 Day 2

H K

17

18

19 Day 3

20 Day 4

21 Day 5

Grad Photos

22 Day 1

Cooking

Session #5 (3-

5:00 pm in

the Staff

Room)

Tchout-ball

Tournament

@Earnscliffe

23 Day 2

24

25

26 Day 3

Art Club

3-4:30 pm

27 Day 4

Jr. Girls

Basketball

Tournament

@Williams

Pkwy (10am-

5pm)

28 Day 5 29 Day 1

Monthly

Assembly

Jr Boys

Basketball

Tournament

@Williams

Pkwy (10am-

5pm)

30

Day 2

Good Friday

31

Sun Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat

1 Day 1 Grade 6 art trip

610 & 602

African

Drumming

@Williams pkwy

Grad Photos

March 2018 Lougheed Middle School Calendar