Volume 8, Issue #1 MacLeod’s Musings · 2014. 3. 25. · MacLeod’s Musings From the Administrative Team: MacLeod’s purpose driven September 5, 2013 Volume 8, Issue #1 Brad Derry

MacLeod’s Musings

September 5, 2013 Volume 8, Issue #1

Brad Derry Principal 905-398-7945 Nadia Russiello Vice Principal 905-398-7945 Gayle Brocklebank-Vincent Superintendent 905-884-4477 Diane Giangrande Trustee 905-770-0826

Dates and Events

September

1- First Parkash (Sikhism) 2 – Labour Day 3 – First Day of School 5-6 – Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) 5 – Welcome Assembly 9 – Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism) 11 – Coptic/Ethiopian Orthodox New Year (Christianity) 13 – Agenda money due 14 – Yom Kippur (Judaism) 18 – Ananta Chaturdasi (Jainism) 19-25 – Sukkot (Judaism) 20 – Character Matters Assembly (9:15 a.m.) 22 – Mabon (Wicca) 23- P.T. Day (No School) 24 – MONDAY Schedule 26 – Shemini Atzeret (Judaism) 26 – Terry Fox Run (11:15-12:55)

26 – School Council Meeting (7 pm)

27 – Simhat Torah (Judaism)

From the Administrative Team: Welcome Back! On behalf of all of the staff at MacLeod’s Landing Public School, we would like to welcome all of the families in our community to another exciting school year! We hope that everyone enjoyed a safe and relaxing summer, and that all students are ready and eager to meet the challenge and excitement that comes with the start of another school year. We have been very busy at MLPS. Mrs. Ho Tom and Mrs. Varone have worked very hard to make sure that the office is organized and that materials have been prepared for our opening week of school. Also, our caretaking staff has done an amazing job preparing classrooms for learning. A hearty “Thank You” goes out to our teachers, early childhood educators and educational assistants for all of their hard work in making your childrens’ classrooms welcoming learning environments. Great job and well done! MacLeod’s Landing is pleased to welcome the following new and returning staff members for the 2013-2014 school year: Mrs. Stephens, Mrs. Mako, Mrs. Sanna-Christie, Mrs. Rampersad, Ms. Kang, Mrs. Dillon, Ms. Ganesh, Mr. Branoff, Mrs. Reiss-Daides, Mrs. Anderson, Ms. Beaupre , Ms. Mereker, Mr. Fasciano and Mrs. Varone. We are thrilled to have Full Day Kindergarten start this year! We would like to welcome the following Designated Early Childhood Educators who will be working in the classroom with the teachers: Ms. Koral, Ms. Chen, Ms. Sadighi, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Lai and Ms. Spall. The new addition to our school is coming along nicely and we anticipate completion in late November/early December. Please review the important information in the newsletter regarding our new drop-off and pick-up procedures. As your child’s journey gets underway over the next weeks and months, please be sure to share information, ask questions, and discuss any concerns with school staff. For specific questions and concerns that relate to particular classes feel free to contact the appropriate teacher. Also, please remember that the Principal and Vice Principal are available to work with parents and students to ensure that the year runs smoothly. We strongly believe and value the community school concept, where the school is an integral part of the community and serves students and their families by providing opportunities for life-long learning. Sincerely,

B. Derry N.Russiello B. Derry N.Russiello Principal Vice-Principal

MacLeod’s

Landing P.S.

MacLeod’s Landing Mission Statement

We are at the heart of our community.

We stand together in our

commitment to reflect its identity

in a way that facilitates inquiry, provides support and encourages purpose driven

growth and discovery.

The Challenges of Change

As a school in a growing community, we will be watching our registrations very closely throughout the year. Should our numbers change significantly, we will be in discussions with our superintendent to apprise her of the situation. Reorganization always remains a possibility. Please note: Due to ongoing growth in our area, the class that your child is in at the beginning of the year may not be the one in which he/she remains. It is quite likely that we will need to reorganize shortly after the start of the school year in order to meet Ministry of Education requirements for primary class sizes. Should this occur, it is essential that we remain positive throughout the process. Our children take their lead from us and it is therefore important to face these challenges with a positive outlook. These sorts of reorganizations can be looked upon as adventures and opportunities to embrace change. It is also important to note that we may face additional reorganizations throughout the school year.

Student Agenda Planner

Each student is asked to purchase a student agenda planner for $4.75. This handbook is prepared specifically for students and parents of MacLeod’s Landing Public School and contains all the necessary information regarding expectations, routines and school organization. It will also serve as an organizer for students to record homework, assignments, test dates, trip dates and more.

MacLEOD’S LANDING IS A TRIBES COMMUNITY

The purpose of the TRIBES process is to assure the healthy

development of every child so that each one has the knowledge,

skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world.

TRIBESis a step-by-step process to achieve specific learning

goals. Four agreements are honoured:

Textbooks

Students will be assigned a number of textbooks. If these are lost or damaged, the individual who is responsible for the book will be charged the replacement cost. Replacement cost also applies to library books that are lost or damaged.

School Council

There is a large body of research that illustrates that children whose parents take an active role in their education enjoy greater success in school and beyond. There are so many ways that one can be involved, from assisting with homework to volunteering at the school. As always we encourage you to play an important part in your child’s education. The school council is just one of the means by which you can support the education of your child and the children of this community. Members of our council work to enhance the learning environment here at MacLeod’s Landing. We encourage you to join our efforts as many hands make light work. On Thursday, September 26th the council will hold its election. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend these meetings. Your commitment to the education of the children of this community will yield benefits for many years to come. Our children are our hope for tomorrow. Become involved today.

Keeping Our Environment Safe

Allergies – We ask that you remember that a number of our students and staff members are allergic to many food products and scents. The York Region District School Board policies require us to keep the environment free of nuts and nut products. Although a good source of nutrients, nuts can be lethal to those with nut related allergies. Please leave all nuts and nut products at home. Let’s keep MLPS a nut safe place to learn and work. Likewise, scents and perfumes can make breathing very difficult for those who suffer from allergies. Please refrain from wearing these products when you enter the school. Safe Play Alert – Our students are reminded that in order to keep our play areas safe, rough play including tackling is prohibited on the yard.

We’re Going Paperless!

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we will be sending future newsletters and notices home by email. This will begin next month. If you have not provided us with your email address, please do so by emailing us at macleod’[email protected]

Please include your child’s name and the email address you would like us to use.

MacLeod’s Landing Eco-Gold!

Here are some of the Eco-School initiatives that we are planning for the 2013-2014 school year:

Waste-Free Lunches: Snack and lunch times produce the biggest amounts of waste each day, especially plastic wrappers. Families are asked to send lunches that produce as minimal waste as possible. Food packed in reusable containers is highly recommended.

Green Bin Program: Our school is continuing our Green Bin Program. Many classes will have green bins in them, where students can place food scraps similar to their green bin at home. Please help remind students what items are acceptable in the green bin.

Reusable Water Bottles: M.L.P.S. encourages the use of reusable water bottles. Many students still rely primarily on single use plastic water bottles, which produce a great deal of waste even though they are recyclable. Students are asked to switch to labeled reusable water bottles.

Battery Depot: There is a bin set up in the foyer of M.L.P.S. to collect used batteries. These items will then be delivered to the proper waste management facility through the YRDSB.

Electronic Newsletter: Many families are familiar with our school’s website at: http://www.macleodslanding.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/. We are encouraging all M.L.P.S. families to rely on this website for our school’s monthly newsletters instead of the paper version. On our website you will conveniently be able to access important information such as the school calendar, Code of Respect, teacher links, student agenda, school council news and much more. Our newsletters are posted on the website at the beginning of each month.

Let’s all do our part to help our Eco-School’s Initiatives!

Our School is a Healthy School! The Lunch Lady provides a hot lunch service to our school every

week on Thursdays beginning September 19th.

Order online within 3 days of any lunch date at: www.thelunchlady.ca [email protected]

Safe Arrival - Please remember to call the school when your child is going to be absent or late. Our answering

machine will take your calls when the office is closed. Calling will help us ensure the safety of your child and

prevent a call to you at work or at the emergency number that you have provided for us. Please remember, the fewer

calls we have to make, the sooner we are able to contact parents with a concern. When illness is at a peak we may

have to make 50 or more calls in one morning.

The YRDSB protocol states that if we are not able to reach an adult to confirm a child’s absence we are to call the

police.

Medication

Any student who requires medication during school hours is required to have a York Region District School Board Medication Form completed and signed by his/her parent or guardian. All medication must be stored in the office (with the exception of emergency items such as additional Epi-pens which are to be carried with the individual at all times) and must be in their original container with medical labels/prescription information attached. Please call or drop into the office if you require a form.

Freedom of Information &

Protection of Privacy Act

The York Region District School Board and its schools recognize and highlight the significant achievements/work of our students through a variety of sources such as hall displays, school and board publications, as well as the media such as the local newspaper. We believe that this acknowledgement and recognition is valuable and enhances student self-esteem and helps create a positive environment. Lifetouch Photography will be doing our school photos. Lifetouch is provided with class lists (student full names and grades) which will be used to prepare individual and class photos as well as records for our school office. We request that those parents who DO NOT want their child’s / children’s efforts recognized in school postings and publications, or their photographs taken for this purpose, please notify the principal in writing.

Follow YRDSB on Twitter!

Parents and students who are interested in learning more about what is going on in York Region public schools are invited to follow the York Region District School Board’s newly established Twitter account. Followers of @YRDSB can expect to receive information about:

Opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys Busing and transportation Student programs and events Board policy information Board meetings and agendas New content on the YRDSB website Board events and photos Media releases

Visit www.twitter.com/yrdsb to follow the York Region District School Board.

Open House Evening

Please mark October 3rd on your calendar. From 6:00 to 7:00 dinner will be available at the BBQ. At 7:00 our classrooms will be open providing you the opportunity to see where your child spends a large portion of the day. It will also be an opportunity to connect and acquaint yourself with your child’s teachers. Presentations will also be made for the grade six camping trip and the grade eight extended overnight trip. Parents of grade 8 students can meet in the library at 6:30 p.m. Parents of grade 6 students can meet in the library at 7:15 p.m.

MACLEOD’S LANDING P.S.

STUDENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP

CHANGES

IN EFFECT IMMEDIATELY

AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSURE OF THE DAYCARE

PARKING LOT (DUE TO CONSTRUCTION), THE BUS

LOOP IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AND THE ADJOINING

PARKING LOOP WILL BE OPEN TO DROP-OFF and

PICK-UP OF STUDENTS. PLEASE LOOK CAREFULLY AT

THE ATTACHED MAP.

Designated areas designed as drop-off only. Please no parking in the lot!

Please consider options such as walking to school,

riding bicycles or car-pooling as alternatives.

ANY QUESTIONS??? CALL 905-398-7945

Respect Responsibility Courage Empathy Optimism Initiative Honesty Fairness Integrity Perseverance Inclusiveness

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

First Parkash

2 3 4 5

Welcome

Assembly

6

Rosh Hashanah

7

8 9

Ganesh Chaturthi

10 11

Coptic/Ethiopian

Orthodox New Year

12 13

Agenda Money due

14

Yom Kippur

15 16 17 18

Ananta Chaturdasi

19

Sukkot

20

Character Matters

Assembly

(9:15 a.m.)

21

22

Mabon

23 24

MONDAY Schedule

25 26 Terry Fox Run

(11:15-12:55)

Shemini Atzeret

27

Simhat Torah

28

29 30 October 3

Open House

Evening

September 2013

BUS ROUTES HOTLINE

1-877-330-3001

www.schoolbuscity.com

Optimism

We maintain a positive attitude. We look on the brighter side of situa-

tions. We are able to see opportunities even in the face of adversity.

We have hope for the future.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

MEETING (7 PM)

LABOUR DAY

WELCOME

BACK!

Updated: 4-Sep-13

FALL BEGINS

PT DAY

(No School)

MacLeod's Landing Public School

Tel: (905) 398-7945 Fax: (905) 398-0842

Website: www.macleodslanding.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

eMail: macleod’[email protected]