May 2016 Newsletter - Alliston Union Public School

ALLISTON UNION PUBLIC SCHOOL
25 Albert Street West, Alliston, Ontario, L9R 1H2
Phone 705-435-7391 / Safe Arrival Press 1 / Fax 705-435-6124
[email protected]
Greg Jacobs, Principal
Jenn Carrick, Vice Principal
Len Dunkley, Vice Principal
MAY 2016 NEWSLETTER - Issue #9.
RESPECT - We treat ourselves, others and our environment
with consideration & dignity.
Grade Three and Six - E.Q.A.O. Provincial Assessment
For the past several years, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has conducted province
wide assessments for students in grade three and six. Our grade 3 and 6 students will be involved in provincial
tests on May 26, 27, 31 and Jun 1, 2, 3. It is important that during this time your child is present in order for
them to participate fully in the assessment. If your child is to be absent for any known reason during this time,
please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible. It would be advisable to reschedule any dentist or
medical appointments if possible. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions regarding this
assessment, please contact your child’s teacher. School-wide and individual student’s results are mailed in the
Fall 2016.
To add some fun for the students involved, we are inviting them (our grade 3 and 6 students) to participate as
follows:
Thur, May 26 – Thinking Cap Day
Fri, May 27 – PJ Day
Tues, May 31 – Mathlete Day
Wed, Jun 1 – Extra DPA Day
Thur, Jun 2 – Beach Day & Ice Cream Sandwiches
Fri, Jun 3 – Superhero Day
Each morning, fruit, granola bars & peppermint patties will be offered.
Summer school registration now available, including free math prep program for Gr. 7, 8, 9 students
Summer School programs are an essential component for supporting and improving student achievement. Summer school
options include a Grade 7, 8 and 9 math preparation program. The courses are available at our local Learning Centre.
On-line registration is now available for students to register for programs through the Simcoe County District School Board website or
http://www.thelearningcentres.com.
The Board would like to encourage all students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to participate as it gives the student
a better understanding of the math concepts being taught and gives the student confidence in their next
school year’s programming.
Emergency Preparedness Week
Week of May 2nd is Emergency Preparedness Week. We, at Alliston Union P.S., will be practicing fire drill, lock down and shelter in place
procedures with the students.
School Hours
Just a reminder that school begins at 8:30 am and yard supervision begins at 8:15am. We continue
to have a number of late students as well as a number of students showing up quite early prior to the
time that there is supervision on the yard. Please aim to arrive at school between 8:15 and 8:30 each
day.
Jump Rope for Heart
The Simcoe County District School Board is a proud supporter of Jump Rope for Heart. Jump Rope
encourages and reinforces healthy habits, and is a great way for students to give back. It encourages
school spirit & teamwork.
1. All students who register for Jump & receive one online donation get a free skipping rope –
regardless of the donation amount.
2. Students are not awarded individual prizes for fundraising. Instead, these prizes will be given
to the school to use as draw prizes. All students who register for Jump will be eligible for a
draw prize.
3. The more funds your child’s school raises, the more the school gets back!
 HeartSmart Points can be redeemed for sports equipment, school supplies, electronics
& more; or a cheque for 10% of the net amount fundraised.
If you have a questions, please contact the SCDSB at [email protected]
Our jump dates will be Wed., May 4th and Thur., May 5th.
Pets on Property
As the weather gets warmer, more families seems to be bringing their pets along on the walk to and
from school. We love pets, however just a reminder, with the exception of service animals, pets are
not allowed on school property. Please help keep our school yard clean and our children safe and
feeling comfortable by adhering to this rule. We hope that all those people who allow their dogs to
run on our school yard at night and on weekends also remember to clean up after their dogs!!!!!
Alliston Union’s first “Happy Healthy Family Fun Night” was a huge success. Families from
grade 4 to 6 came out to participate and enjoy the evening. It was so great to see the community come out be a
part of our school! Smoothies, earthball, mindfulness and planting made the night a huge success. Keep your
ears open to hear more about our community garden. GO HEALTHY GATORS
HOCKEY SUCCESS!!!!!
Wow! Another outstanding year for the Alliston Union Hockey teams! Team #2 won one game and tied one game in their
first round to advance to the semi-final round robin. They battled hard in the semi-finals but succumbed to two very strong
teams. Players demonstrated sportsmanship and had fun throughout their tournaments playing hockey with their friends.
Team #1 successfully challenged four teams in their preliminary and semi-final rounds, earning themselves a spot in the
championship game. When the championship day arrived, the players were excited and the coaches were nervous.
Players soon proved we had little to be concerned about as they settled right down to business scoring and defending for
three solid periods. At the buzzer the scoreboard showed 5-2 for us. We had won the County Championship for the
second year in a row!
The coaches are very proud of both teams and the effort and perseverance they displayed. We would like to make
special mention of our goalie, Rod L., who played all games for both teams. Rod was injured late in one of the series but
managed to hold on and carry us to the championship. Congratulations to all players! We look forward to seeing you on
the ice next year!
CHESS CLUB SUCCESS
Ms. DeGrace and Mme Goncalves would like to thank all those who participated in Chess Club and Team this
year. AUPS had over sixty club members and thirty-three students representing our school in the area
tournament. Of those, five members went on to the county tournament. Kudos go out to Risha, Tyler, Drew,
George, and William. An Alliston Alligator high five goes out to George for a third place finish at County’s.
JR. & INT. CHOIR
A huge congratulations goes out to the Junior and Senior Choirs who represented AUPS with pride at the
South Simcoe Regional Choral Festival! Both choirs performed incredibly well and earned silver. Go Alligators!
A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Suu Taylor and Mrs. Charlene Gauthier who helped to direct and accompany
the choir.
Mrs. Baird and Mrs. Kennedy
Junior Boys’ Basketball
Mlle Stinson coached a dedicated group of Grade 4-6 Junior boys who gave it their all on the basketball court
and represented Alliston with pride and dedication. They practiced several days a week and played many games
in preparation for the zone tournament on April 21st. Coming in first place in their pool at Baxter, they moved
on to play at Tosorontio later that day. Giving it everything they had practiced, they won and moved on to the
finals. In the final game the boys truly showed great teamwork to win the game, ending a fantastic season. Mlle
Stinson is extremely proud of all the boys and believed every member of the team demonstrated excellent skill
development and teamwork. All of the players made very good contributions to the team: Wade, William, Cal,
George, Jason, Colton, Adam, Elijah, Josh, Fletcher, Wylie, Carter, Toby and Rory. Gators on three, one two
three Gators!
Junior Girls’ Basketball Champions!!
Congratulations to the junior girls’ basketball team who are the new Area Champions! The girls went
undefeated in round robin play in the morning, moving on to the semi-finals in the afternoon. Their hard work
and dedication continued through the afternoon where the girls won both the semi-final and the final games.
Congratulations to Blythe, Madison, Kayla, Emma, Paige, Kylie, Taylor, Emily, Kali, Abby, Jailyn, Lilly, Kyla,
Diana, and Chloe on a great season!
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Parents of kindergarten students can still register for the 2015-16 school year. Please come into the office and
pick up the kindergarten registration package.
WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN
Our Kindergarten Welcome Bag Program will take place on Thursday, May 19th from 3:30 -5:00 in the gym.
Each new student beginning kindergarten next year will receive a “welcome bag” containing many materials
and guidance from our teachers to support their learning. Parents of our new kindergarten students are invited
to bring their child to school in order to take part in this program.
VOLUNTEERS!
Start to plan now for 2016-2017!! If you would like to volunteer at Alliston Union P.S. next year PLEASE
START TO PREPARE NOW.
As a new volunteer, you will need:
1. A valid updated Criminal Background Check or Offence Declaration.
2. Request a Consent to Disclose Personal Information form from the school office and complete this form and
submit it to Mr. Dunkley, Vice-Principal.
3. Arrange to meet with Mr. Dunkley to determine your volunteer interests.
4. Complete the volunteer application form with Mr. Dunkley. If you start this process TODAY, you will be
reading with students, helping with the school program or driving students to sports events in September!
Offence Declarations will be given out to current volunteers at the Volunteer Tea, or if not in attendance, sent
home with student in late May to complete for the 2016/17 school year shortly. Please complete it as soon as
you receive this paperwork and send it directly back to school for processing.
Thank you for your support.
THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S VOLUNTEERS!
We would like to acknowledge the wonderful dedication and hard work of our volunteers at AUPS. They truly
make a difference to our school and are greatly appreciated! We look forward to seeing you at our Volunteer
Tea on Tuesday, June 14th at 12:30 pm. Aspiring volunteers are welcome!
CLASS PLACEMENTS FOR 2016-2017
Soon we will begin to co-ordinate the placement of students on class lists for the next school year. Please
understand that teachers put a great deal of time and effort into the task of making up class lists. A great
number of factors are considered to determine the best placement for each child. We encourage parents not to
request that their child have a particular teacher. Please rely on the experience and wisdom of the teachers to
make the best appropriate choice. However, if there are educationally sound circumstances that you feel the
office needs to be aware of, please put your information in writing to Mr. Jacobs. The deadline for submitting
this information to the office is Friday, May 20, 2016.
School Cash On-Line
Thank you to those parents who are attempting to use our new on-line payment option. The Board has now
updated the system to include the option of paying on-line using your credit card. Again, if you have any
questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Strongman or Mrs. Finkle for assistance.
SAFETY REMINDERS
PLEASE, FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF:
1. Doors are locked to the building during class times. Visitors need to be buzzed in. Remember to report to
the office immediately upon entering the school and advise the office staff the reason for your visit. You will
be directed to sign in and receive an ID tag if you will be entering the school.
2. Remember that if your child is leaving school during the school day that you must pick your child up and
sign them out, at the school office. Students may not leave school property on their own with a note,
excluding the second nutrition break while crossing guards are on duty.
Thank you for your assistance in student safety procedures.
AUPS – DRESS CODE
We have a school dress code that requires students to dress appropriately for school. Now that the weather is
warmer please remind your child(ren) of our school’s dress code. Please refer to your child’s agenda for further
information about the Dress Code at Alliston Union.
1) Midriffs must be covered – not bare
2) Undergarments must not be evident. Straps on tops must be at least 3 finger widths wide – not spaghetti
straps.
3) Shorts/skirts need to be a reasonable length, not revealing.
4) Hats/caps are not to be worn indoors
5) Pyjama pants are not to be worn at school unless it is a segregated Spirit PJ Day.
6) T shirts, shirt necklines must be above the mid chest line. As always, shirt logos must not advertise drugs,
alcohol or any age inappropriate activities.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in this matter. Students who do not follow these rules will be asked to
“cover up” and parents may be called to pick up their child or to bring appropriate clothing to the school.
We would like to remind parents and students that we are a scent free environment. We must be considerate of
everyone’s situation in life and want to remind that sunscreen products need to be scent free. Thank you for your
continued support in our school setting. INCLUSION of everyone is our goal.
TRACK AND FIELD
Junior (Gr4-5 only) T&F day – Thursday, May 12th
Int. (Gr 6, 7&8) T&F day – Friday, May 13th
Rain date: May 16
We will be walking as a group to the Gibson Field (field events & PPG field (track events) for our Track & Field
activities. We are confident we will have a great day of activities.
Students will be training for Track & Field during gym time in their classes. Please contact the school if you
are able to help during our Track & Field meet. Volunteers will need a valid Criminal Background check on
file. Students need to wear sunscreen (unscented) and appropriate clothing on the day of their track meet!
Drinks & snacks will be for sale at the site.
GRADUATION 2016
Our grade 8 graduation will be held on the evening of Tuesday, June 28th. Each family will be
allocated 4 seats. A letter with grad night details will be sent home soon.
Upcoming Important Dates for June …..
(mark your calendar now)
Jun 7, 8 & 9 – Gr 8 trip to Camp Tawinga
Jun 7 – Primary Play Day
Fri, Jun 10 – PA Day (no school for students)
Tues., Jun 14 – Volunteer Tea at 12:30 pm. Please RSVP
Jun 15 – Area Track & Field at Tosorontio P.S.
Jun 18 – GirlStrong Final Run at Earl Rowe
Jun 28 – Report Cards Home
Jun 28 – Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony
Jun 29 – Last day of school
Jun 30 – PA Day
YEARBOOKS
We will be selling AUPS Yearbooks again this year. An order form has been sent home. We will only be ordering the number of
yearbooks that have been pre-ordered. Orders are due by Wednesday, May 11 th.
FINAL BOOK FAIR
We will be having a final Book Fair on Wed, May 4 th to Fri, May 6th. Profits made from the book fair allow us to purchase books for
our library. We would like to thank everyone who has supported our book fairs during the school year.
Ensure your child’s immunization record is up to date
All families are required to provide the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) with a record of their child’s
immunization information. This is required by law under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). The SMDHU can
suspend students whose immunization records are not up to date.
You can update your child's immunization record in one of the following ways:
 Online at: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/immsonline
 Fax: 705-726-3962
 Call: 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 ext. 8807
The health unit hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2016-2017 school year calendar is now available
The calendar for next school year has been approved and can be found on the Simcoe County District School Board’s
website at www.scdsb.on.ca under ‘Schools’ – ‘School Year Calendars.’ Key dates include:
 Students start school on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. All Junior Kindergarten students will begin school on
Thursday, September 8 and will attend continuously from this time.
 The holiday break is December 26 to January 6.
 March Break is March 13 to 17.
Summer childcare available at select SCDSB schools
In partnership with community child care operators, we are pleased to support your child care needs, offering full-day child
care programs for children (JK to 12 years) in select schools across Simcoe County this summer. Registration in advance
is required. Please contact the child care operator directly to register. A fee subsidy may be available to families who
qualify.
For more information, please contact Alliston Union Public School’s daycare program is offered by Upper Canada Child
Care. To obtain information go to 222.uppercanadachildcare.com or phone 705-435-9661.
Message from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: Emergency Preparedness Week: May 1 - 7
Talking to your child about emergencies before they happen can help take some fear away and help them to be prepared.
Here are some ideas to get you started at home:
 Teach your child about natural hazards like tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, ice storms and blizzards – and
what to do when they happen.
 Teach them what to do in case of a fire; plan emergency exits and a safe meeting spot.
 Make sure your child knows how to use 9-1-1 and when to call.
 Create a family emergency plan and prepare a home emergency kit together.
For more tips visit www.getprepared.ca or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
Message from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: Safe Kids Week is May 30 to June 5
We all have a role to play in teaching our children to be safe as they explore, discover and creatively problem solve at
home and in the great outdoors!
 Set age appropriate guidelines and talk to your child about how to play with safety in mind, then let them get
adventurous. Climbing trees, over rocks, running up hills or watching the clouds can all be fun activities.
 It is never too early to start talking to kids about pedestrian and bicycle safety. Kids under age of 10 do not have
good depth perception or the ability to judge oncoming traffic speed. Teach your child how to safely cross roads
and at traffic lights, watch for cars and the dangers of texting while walking. When biking, ride with your child to
help them learn to navigate safely around traffic, and make sure everyone wears a good fitting helmet.
Walk/run/bike for kids
Canadian Tire Alliston is proud to host a charity event to help give kids a chance to get active.
Sunday, May 29th
9:00 am
Canadian Tire parking lot, 110 Young St in Alliston
Register Now at Canadian Tire, Alliston $30.00/adult; $15/student; $60/family
Event will include: the walk, loot bags, prizes, a bbq, refreshments & more!
MAY 2016
MONDAY
2
TUESDAY
3
Fire Drill practice
Education Week
16
Raindate for Track & Field
and 100m race finals
Gr5 English – Springwater
Park/Simcoe Cty Museum
3-4:30-GirlStrong
■Simcoe Cty Wrestling
Championship
Gr 7(Eng)-Ont Science Centre
2:50pm-Gr4,5,6 After Schl Math
17
18
5-8 Pizza
19
Character Spirit Day
3:30-5:00-Welcome to Kdg
3-4:30-GirlStrong
25
5-8 Pizza
26
K – 4 Pizza
Cty Rugby Finals
30
Gr 1 – Elmvale Zoo
K – 4 Pizza
Fire Safety Trailer (Gr 3&7)
3-4:30-GirlStrong
31
EQAO
K – 4 Pizza
3-4:30-GirlStrong
2:50pm-Gr4,5,6 After Schl Math
Gr 7-Tiffin (Brd Sponsored)
MacRae’s class to Christian Island
Gr 3-Essa Agriplex
Fire Safety Trailer (Gr 1&5)
2:50pm-Gr4,5,6 After Schl Math
Jun 1 EQAO
5-8 Pizza
FRIDAY
5 Book Fair
6
Book Fair
JUMP ROPE for Heart
■ Wellness Walk 2016
Gr 2 – Highland Outdoor Shelter in Place practice
Gr 6 – Ont Science Centre
11
5-8 Pizza
24
VICTORIA
DAY
THURSDAY
10
K-4 Pizza
3-4:30-GirlStrong
23
4 Book Fair
JUMP ROPE for Heart
Lock Down practice
2:50pm-Gr4,5,6 After Schl Math
6:00pm-Schl Council Mtg
9
WEDNESDAY
12
13
Gr 2 – Highland Outdoor Ed
RUGBY Tournament
Gr4&5 – Track & Field
3-4:30-GirlStrong
Gr 6,7&8-Track & Field
20
EQAO
Gr 4 – Simcoe Cty Museum
27
EQAO
3-4:30-GirlStrong
6:00pm-New FI/EFSL
Open House
2
EQAO
3-4:30-GirlStrong
3
EQAO