December 2015 Newsletter

Upcoming Events
December 11
Progress Reports Go Home
December 14
Cookie Dough Order Pickup
Between 2pm and 8pm
December 15
Skating Day (Gr. 3-8)
Fun Fitness Day (JK-Gr.2)
December 16
Winter Concert @Southwood
1:00 pm & 6:30 pm
Southwood Staff
JK/SK – M. Savo-Newman
ECE – D. Francis-Hobbs
JK/SK – C. Djelebian
ECE – A. McKane
Grade 1 – K. Malcolm
Grade 1 – A. Mamo
Grade 1/2 – C. Coulter
Grade 2 – S. Tessier
Grade 2 – D. Hunt-Robinson
Grade 3 – V. MacDonald
Grade 3 – S. Forget
Grade 4 – M. Dragicevic
Grade 4 – K. Aversa
Grade 5 – N. Baughan
Grade 5 – P. Mio
Grade 6 – J. Piescic
Grade 6 – K. Camlis
Grade 7 – J. Cadarette
Grade 7 – D. Chisholm
Grade 8 – J. Dunlop
Grade 8 – M. Cichon
SERR – M. Brown
LST- D. Edgar
GAINS – A. Bellemore
Physio – B. Johnson / M. Brown
French – M. Hermle
French – J. Meszaros
Library – M. Lucier
Music – A. Cecile
Physical Education – K. Trudell
DSW – D. Branch
DSW – C. Jubinville
EA – T. Campbell
EA – S. Kovacevich
EA – K. Quick
EA – A. Renaud
EA – S. Szostopal
EA – L. Zittlau
CYW – J. Glover
Custodian – J. Telford
Custodian – D. Sherlock
Secretary – K. Renaud
Clerk – H. Labelle
December 2015
From the desk of the Principal and Vice Principal …
It’s hard to believe that we are already into December! We appreciate children coming
to school dressed for the weather. We are outside three times during the school day:
arrival recess, first nutrition break, and second nutrition break, for a total of 50 minutes
per day. The guidelines for keeping students indoors during extreme cold are -21
degrees Celsius with the wind chill factor considered.
The safety of students is most important and when the decision is made to cancel bus
transportation, it is posted on the board website at www.buskids.ca and broadcast as
soon as possible on radio stations: CBE, AM 630, CHYR FM 96.7, CKLW FM 93.9,
CBEF AM 540, CIMX FM 88.7, CKSY FM 95.1, CFCO AM 630, CKLW AM 800,
and CKWW AM 580.
Also, as winter approaches, we have contractors who plough snow for us and almost
always, the plough picks up gravel and debris as it piles the snow. With snow, comes
ice, and for these reasons as well as past injuries, for the safety of all students, we do not
permit snowball throwing. Thank-you for your attention to our cold weather reminders.
At this time of year, we reflect on everything that we are thankful for, both here at
Southwood School and in our own homes. Because of that, we encourage our children
to think about ways to “give back” to those who are in need. The following link takes
you to the 2015 Holiday Sharing Guide for our community, for your family to consider
during this holiday season:
http://www.211ontario.ca/sites/default/files/2015%20Holiday%20Sharing%20Guide_
FINAL%20Nov%2013.pdf
Our next newsletter will be in January, so on that note, we would like to wish each and
every one of you a safe, enjoyable, and relaxing holiday with your family and friends.
Partners in Education,
Mrs. Lowes
Principal
Mr. Johnson
Vice Principal
Follow us on Twitter @ SPSSabres
Please note: all students who are either dropped off or picked up in a vehicle
by parents should be using the “Kiss and Ride” Road located at the south end of
the school property. If you are dropping your children off after the entry bell, there
are three “10 Minute” parking spots at the north end of our school parking lot.
Please use these spots and enter through the front doors. Please do not drop off
any students at the Kiss and Ride after 8:20 am as there is no supervision after that
time.
When using the Kiss and Ride road, please stay in your vehicles as you are
approaching the “drop-off/pickup” zone by the gate. At the “drop-off/pickup”
zone, the staff members on duty will assist your child in exiting or entering your
vehicle.
The purpose of this road is to ensure the safe exit and entry for the students
while maintaining a system that is as efficient as possible. Vehicles that are left
unattended interrupt the flow of traffic. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly
appreciated!
Parents who pick up their child(ren) by foot, or children that walk home on their
own, are asked to exit through the gate opening onto Mount Royal or through the
fenced area onto Mount Carmel (not through the Kiss’ n Ride). We are trying
to eliminate foot traffic through this area to avoid possible accidents. Thank you
for your cooperation!
Mt. Royal
The Dropoff / Pickup
Zone is the
only place
where
students
should be
exiting or
entering
any
vehicles.
GATE
Enter the Kiss and Ride Road and stay to the right
hand side. Do not park your vehicle. Please stay
in your vehicle and keep moving towards the
“Drop-off / Pickup” Zone by the gate. Please do
not pass other vehicles.
When you reach the “Drop-off / Pickup” Zone by
the gate, your child will exit or enter your vehicle.
Please do not pull ahead until the vehicle ahead of
you has moved. Staff will be present to assist at
this area.
Once you are done in the “Drop-off / Pickup” Zone,
please exit carefully towards Mt. Carmel. Please
do not attempt to go around or pull ahead of
other vehicles.
Mt. Carmel
INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY PROCEDURES
It is VERY important to your child’s safety that you listen to the radio or check online for updates on inclement
weather that may impact our schools. Please note that schools are seldom closed due to severe weather conditions,
however, the following steps will assist you in determining whether there will be transportation delays, cancellations
or school closures.
 A decision will usually be made by 7:00 a.m. by our Director of Education.
 If inclement weather occurs on a school day morning, please listen to local Canadian AM radio stations
such as CKLW 800 AM or CBC 1550 for frequent updates regarding school closures and busing
delays/cancellations.
 This information is also posted on the Board website at https://publicboard.ca and
http://www.buskids.ca.
 Please call our school on days of extreme weather if you decide to keep your child at home.
Please be aware also that on FOG days, buses may be cancelled in the morning but will continue in the afternoon.
On SNOW/FREEZING RAIN days, the buses will likely be cancelled the ENTIRE DAY.
A reminder that on Inclement Weather Days student arrival continues to be between 8:05-8:20. Staff
supervision does not begin until 8:05 a.m.
Please keep in mind, the Kiss n’ Ride should continue to be utilized on Inclement Weather Days, so that we can
continue to provide a safe arrival for all students.
During the week of our recent Parent Teacher Interviews,
Southwood School hosted another Scholastic Book Fair. Many
students and parents visited the Book Fair and many books,
posters, pencils and bookmarks were sold. Thank-you to all the
families who supported this Book Fair by making purchases.
Because of your purchases at the Book Fair, over $1800 worth
of books have been added to our school library! Thank-you to
Mr. Lucier and our volunteer, Mrs. Dion, for organizing this
successful Book Fair!
Reminder: Indoor and Outdoor Shoe Requirements!
Parents, we are requesting that all students have an “indoor” pair of shoes to be kept
here at the school. During the winter months, students will be asked to remove their
boots or outdoor footwear at their classroom door. While outside, students require
appropriate footwear for our playground. Proper footwear would include running shoes,
boots and canvas sneakers or closed sandal/runners with rubber soles.
Important Notice from the School Office
Family life in today’s world can be hectic, and mornings are particularly challenging! We
respect the time and effort that it takes to get kids ready for school for their learning.
Learning time in the classroom is tightly budgeted and the teachers are expected to teach
a large number of learning expectations from the curriculum. Students that are late for
school are prone to missing key components of lessons that have to be “caught up” at a
later time. We understand that unexpected things can happen on any particular day that
can cause a family to be late, but we ask that you make every effort possible to ensure
that your child is at school on time, ready for learning. We also believe that placing a high
priority on being “on time” is a valuable lesson for young minds that will be a benefit to
your children for many years to come!
As a friendly reminder …
 8:05 – Supervision for students begins on the playground
 8:20 – The morning bell rings and students are expected to be present
 If a student arrives at school past 8:20, they are expected to check in to the office

and receive a late slip.
Our “Kiss and Ride” road has staff members present from 8:05 – 8:20. If you arrive
after 8:20, please use the “Short Term Parking” at the front of our parking lot and
use the front door of the school. After 8:20, there will be no staff members present
at the Kiss and Ride road. Please do not drop students off in the staff parking lot.
As an added note …
 If you know that your child is going to be absent from school, please advise the
school by calling the office by 8:20 the morning of the absence, at the latest
Thank-you for consideration in this matter … Mrs. Lowes, Mr. Johnson, and Mrs. Renaud
School Phone Number: 519-969-3470
Mr. Piescic & 6P Chosen As “Class Of The Week” By Local Radio Station
On Tuesday, November 24th, Mr. Piescic & his Grade 6 class was chosen to receive lunch from Country 95.9
FM and Capri Pizza. The class was nominated for this Class pizza party by Susan Gauthier (Cody's mom) for
the following reason: Mr. Piescic is a great
teacher who engages his students in so many
little, fun ways. For example, Mr. Piescic likes
Arnold Schwarzenegger, and my son loves
Arnold; so he and his teacher often talk in
Arnold's voice. The kids also do the Batman
theme song when he tells someone "to the
whiteboard!” It is these little things that keep
the kids so engaged, and they LISTEN to him.
Cody always gets his homework done, and he
stays to help Mr. Piescic clean up the classroom
because he thinks he's cool. I know the little
things he does with my kid, he's also doing with
the other kids too, and it's working! I would love
to give his class a pizza day to acknowledge the
little extras he does to keep the kids attention.
Thank you ... Susan Gauthier, faithful listener!
Remembrance Day Assembly 2015
On Wednesday, November 11, Southwood School held its annual Remembrance Day Assembly. Students
from Kindergarten to Grade 8 gathered in the gym to take part in a poignant ceremony that honoured the
sacrifices made over the years by Canada’s Military Forces. Our assembly began with a formal procession
of flags by Ethan C., Taylor M., and Prasanna M. Our assembly continued with “O Canada” performed by
our Flute Ensemble and sung by Southwood Graduate Olivia Ridpath. Other notable moments included the
songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Peace Like a River”, performed by the Grade 2 students, a moment of
silence with “The Last Post” performed by Olivia Ridpath on the trumpet, a reading of “In Flanders Fields”
by Mrs. Aversa’s Grade 4 students, and a dramatic presentation by Mrs. Cadarette’s Grade 7 students.
Thanks to Mrs. Cecile for organizing this moving experience for the students and staff.
You are Invited to:
Southwood School’s Annual
Winter Concert
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.
and 6:30 p.m. at Southwood School
Featuring the students from:
Grades 3 and 4, the Band and Flute Ensemble
SOUTHWOOD ‘BOWLS’ OVER THE CEREAL BOX CHALLENGE
Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially our Southwood
Sabres and their families! The goal of the Cereal Box Challenge, which began on November 9 th was
simple. Bring in as many boxes of cereal as possible to help out local school and community breakfast
programs. By the last day of the challenge, our amazing Sabres brought in a total of 341 615 grams
of cereal!
Congratulations go out to Mrs. Hunt-Robinson’s Grade 2s for winning the first place price of a pizza
party. They brought in the highest average grams of cereal per student, a whopping 2899 grams!
Congratulations also goes out to Mrs. Baughn’s Grade 5 class, who brought in an impressive average
of 2003 grams of cereal. They are the winners of the second place prize of a pancake breakfast.
Many, many thanks go out to the students, families, and staff of our Southwood community for making
this year’s Cereal Box Challenge so successful and educational. A special thank you also goes out
to the students in the SERR and GAINS Physio classrooms for their hard work in creating slogans
and posters to promote the challenge.
… And Here’s A
Message From Our
School Board
Trustee,
Kim McKinley,
Regarding the
“Cereal Box
Challenge”
I can’t thank all of you enough
for your participation this year
in the Cereal Box Challenge.
Every school stepped up for the
Challenge however one school was just a step ahead in their per student average grams of cereal donated. I have
done the math (I am on the Math Task Force after all) and the winning school for bragging rights this year is
Glenwood PS.
Your schools collectively filled over 235 leaf bags with over 2 million and 43 thousand grams of cereal!! I
know that the 26 schools and 3 community organizations that received the cereal were very grateful for all that
they received this year.
Below are the school totals: (Grams per Student average has been rounded up or down)
Talbot Trail
Southwood
Bellewood
Central
McWilliam
Glenwood
Overwhelming Success!
Your thrilled Trustee,
Kim
546,999g with 830 students = 659 grams per student
361,615g with 447 students = 809 grams per student (we finished 2nd!)
523,095g with 850 students = 615 grams per student
162,632g with 243 students = 669 grams per student
172,514g with 318 students = 542 grams per student
277,000g with 293 students = 945 grams per student
3D Printer to Debut at Southwood in the New Year!
Students and parents, keep your eyes and ears open for the start-up of the Technology Club
which will be seeing its birth at Southwood in the New Year. The club will include such cool
things as Lego Robotics, Coding, Computer/tablet/iPod technology but is certainly not limited
to these items. Students will be supported in any technology inquiry they may wish to explore.
We are most excited to announce the donation of a 3D Printer to our school! This spectacular
donation was made by one of our very own parents, Mr. Fo Abiad. Mr. Abiad is President of
the local company Windsor Textiles, a company with a long history of giving back to the
community. The students and staff appreciate your vision and generosity!
Grade 7 Students Help “Save African Child Uganda” (SACU)
A few weeks ago, Geri Sutts, a retired teacher, came to Southwood and gave a presentation
to the students in Mrs. Cadarette’s Grade 7 class about SACU. Geri had traveled to Uganda and
established a shelter and school there. After the presentation, Mrs. Cadarette’s class adopted
two classes from SACU. The students designed tote bags and filled them with necessary items
such as socks, pencils and sharpeners, etc. Ingrid Heugh (Silvaggio), a retired teacher as well,
came to Southwood and picked up the suitcase on Nov. 11. Ingrid then flew to Uganda to join
Geri where they are currently distributing the items and caring for the kids etc. We raised just
over $400 for the school and shelter which is caring for over 100 children. Further donations
and sponsorships can be arranged through Geri Sutts, 105-2985 McKay Ave., Windsor, ON N9E
2R1. For more information, check out her Facebook page: Save African Child Uganda - Geri
Sutts Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
Southwood’s Annual Skating Day
On Tuesday, December 15th, students in Grades 3 through 8 will be
participating in a “Skating Day” at South Windsor arena
(JK through Grade 2 students will be participating in fun fitness
activities back at school. Students will report to school at regular
time and check in for attendance with their homeroom teachers.
After attendance is taken, they will continue with regularly
scheduled classes until 10:15 a.m. when they will be called to load
the bus.
At South Windsor arena, the students of Southwood will engage in recreational skating on one of
the two ice surfaces. There will be one ice pad for the students in Grades 3 through 5 and one ice
pad for students in grades 6 through 8. Both ice pads will have sections on the ice for beginning
skaters. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase or a home-made lunch can be brought
to the arena.
To help ensure the safety of our students, we are requiring that each student wear a CSA approved
hockey helmet (not a bicycle helmet). If you have any helmets that you could donate or lend to the
school, it would be greatly appreciated. Other donations, such as skates, are also welcome. If you
have donations, please send them to the school and drop them off in the gym on the stage. If you
intend to have the helmets or skates returned to you, please ensure that they are clearly labelled.
Thank-you for all of your support!
Happy Holidays,
Mr. Trudell
Mr. Trudell is collecting skates and
helmets (not bicycle) to borrow for
our upcoming skating trip for
Grades 3 to 8. Please label them
and we will return to you.
AND THE SABRES SHOUT OUT GOES TO …
The staff and students of the GAINS and GAINS Physio classroom want to send a huge Sabres “shout
out” to the Ontario Scarlet Nobles and Ladies Association, Windsor Chapter. These hard
working individuals are well known for their fundraising efforts and generosity for donating funds to
enhance the experiences of students with physical and developmental exceptionalities.
Many of the students in the GAINS classrooms require wheelchair accessible bussing when going on
field trips. Because of this, bussing costs are quite high. The Ontario Scarlet Nobles and Ladies
Association, through their donation of almost $500.00, have made it possible for the GAINS students
to attend field trips to Adventure Bay and Devonshire Mall over the next few weeks. Once again,
thank you to the Ontario Scarlet Nobles and Ladies Association!
If you are interested in finding out more or joining this great organization,
please contact Al Masse at (519) 734-0026.
There are many factors that go into the “day-to-day” operation of our school,
and there are many people who work behind the scenes to ensure that Southwood
School remains a great place to learn. Our fundraising efforts that are ongoing
throughout the year help to fund the tools that teachers use in the classrooms to
enhance the learning experiences for every student. Bingos remain one of our most
critical and impactful fundraisers! The funds generated through Bingos have helped
to directly purchase technology for the classrooms (such as SmartBoards, iPads and
Laptops), along with helping to offset the transportation costs (busses) for field trips.
We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who continue
to ensure that the Bingo fundraiser functions properly. These individuals have
given their own time to be trained with the City of Windsor, and many of them
have been present at our allotted time slots to “work” the Bingos. We cannot
thank them enough for their sacrifice of their personal time!! The following is
a list of our current Bingo volunteers: Angie Dinham, Beverlee Lachine,
Bryan Johnson, Ellen Hope, Carolyn Carder, Jackie Thompson, Jason Miller,
Jeff Piescic Marianne Brown, Megan and Scott Boucher, Mel Patten,
Mihaela Birley, Mirisa Hermle, Ronda Solly, Ryan Wakeman, Sydney Kale,
Sandy Tessier, and Tammy Piliotis.
As you can see from this list, we have
a large team that ensures that each and
every Bingo session has the necessary
number of workers. Because of this large
list, the individual burden is lessened
greatly. If you would be interested in
joining this team, please let us know! We
guarantee that this is one of the easiest
volunteer jobs going … and the financial
impact to our school is great!
Cookie Dough Fundraiser Update
Thank-you to all of our amazing Sabre families for your hard work in our fall fundraiser! We had an
incredible response! Together, we raised OVER $4,000 for our school!! The winners of our 2 for 1 passes,
which were kindly donated to us by Adventure Bay were:
Tiffany L. (1/2C), Caleb S. (EYN), Hannah W. (7CA), Caleb P. (5B) and Taylor M. (8D)
“Honourable mentions” for those students who raised over $200 go to:
Aiden B., Avery L., Taylor M., Luca Q., Anthony F., Lilly M., Madison S., and Michael T.
As for our top sellers, these 3 students raised an incredible combined total of $1,120.00!
☆In 3rd place with $315 in sales, winning a $50 Mastermind gift card was Caleb S. (EYN)!
☆In 2nd place with $365 in sales, winning a $75 Devonshire gift card was Kyle C. (8C)!
☆In 1st place with $440 in sales, winning a $100 Devonshire gift card was Peyton O. (EYN)!
Lastly, our GRAND PRIZE draw for a $100 Adventure Bay gift card went to Spencer R. in 7Ca!
Congratulations to everyone for a fantastic fundraiser, and thank you to everyone for your participation and
enthusiasm!! WAY TO GO SABRES!!
-Your Southwood SAC