Unionville Public School

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Helen Hart– Principal
Carolyn Brndiar-Vice Principal
Ruth Lambert-Superintendent
Ada Yeung-Trustee
School (905) 477-1824
Fax (905) 477-5745
School Website - www.unionville.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
October
2011
York Region District
School Board
Message from Administration
THE ANNUAL GRADE 3 & 6 EQAO
ASSESSMENT
The EQAO (Education, Quality and Accountability Office) is an annual assessment which takes place each May. It measures each students’ knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Students are required to do much more than
memorize and recite facts. They work independently to solve problems, write responses and answer multiple choice questions; they read and respond to a variety of materials, and write for different purposes and audiences; they solve mathematical problems and explain their answers, and they apply their knowledge and skill to real-world problems and tasks.
The purpose of the EQAO assessment is to provide information that parents, teachers and policy makers can use to help
children to learn more effectively. Everyday teachers use tests, assignments and activities to see how well students are
learning, and to make programming decisions. The Provincial test is designed to be a “snapshot of learning” used along with
teachers’ assessments to give teachers and parents a clear picture of students’ knowledge and skills. The assessment
measures how well students have met the provincial expectations in reading, writing and math. The students’ work is
marked according to the four levels of achievement (1-4) with level 3 representing the expected standard. All Grade 3 and
6 students are required to participate in the EQAO assessment. It is based on the provincial curriculum and is considered
to be part of the regular program. In very rare situations, students may be exempted from all or part of the assessment.
The use of real-world problems requires students to use factual knowledge to apply, organize and communicate what they
know and show what they can do by using pictures, numbers and words.
While the EQAO results provide us with valuable information about individual students, we must exercise caution when
reviewing the results for the following reasons:
- Schools are different and serve dramatically different populations.
- Some schools may have a significant population for whom English is a second language.
- Groups of students, either in Grade 3 or Grade 6, may have stronger or weaker skills.
While the results may vary from year to year, we want the long-term trend to highlight steady
improvement. We are committed to a long-term plan that will benefit our students both now and in the future. Unionville
Public School has a professional staff who are dedicated to the improvement of student learning. We will, as always continue to work closely with parents as partners in the education of the children we both share.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Helen Hart
Principal
Carolyn Brndiar
Vice-Principal
UPS 2011/2012 School Council
The first official meeting of the Unionville Public School Advisory Council (UPSAC) was held
on Tuesday September 27th, 2011. We had over 35 attendees, many of whom came out to support our school and sign up to help on a committee, or with lunch programs, or just to contribute
The council for the 2011-2012 school year has been formed by acclamation. The council members are as follows:
Gary Crosby, Ian Turner, Candice Mackie (Fundraising), Diane Loveys (Healthy Schools),
Karen Mitas (Lunch Programs), Janice Tomes (Treasurer), Diane Chang, Jasmin Schiralli,
Lorrie Anne Lauder (Community Programs), Suzanne Fearn, Emma O' Farrell, Vanessa Filosa,
Ruchi Vij (Secretary), Kristen Hansen, Hilary Seppanen, Pamela Nitert (Chair).
Elizabeth Dyer, Sharon Schlesinger, and Michael Leung (teacher representatives), Helen Hart
(Principal), and Carolyn Brndiar (Vice Principal) are also designated non-voting members.
The next meeting of the council will be on Tuesday October 18, 2011 at 7:30pm in the library.
All are welcome.
Parent Council Website
Please bookmark the below website for a quick communication tool to check important dates,
handy web links, healthy school tips, lunch program information, and upcoming events or programs.
WWW.UPSAC.YOLASITE.COM
Playground Update:
In the first month of school we have had an opportunity to meet with York Region Board representatives and it looks like we are able to begin to plan a two phased approach of playground
enhancement. A playground committee has been assembled and will meet shortly to draw up a
plan and meet with respective board approved vendors. There will be more details coming soon.
Please contact Hilary Seppanen at [email protected] if you are interested in this
committee.
Fundraising and Community Programs:
In the upcoming month you will receive a communication home detailing the plan for the
2011/2012 school year with respect to both Fundraising activities and events that will benefit
the community we live in and support. Please let Candice Mackie [email protected] or
Lorrie Anne Lauder [email protected] know if you are interested in helping on these committees.
EQAO HIGHLIGHTS—DID YOU KNOW?
-Across the province, EQAO data have helped inform teaching practices and continue to serve as a catalyst
for improving student achievement.
-This report is intended to help foster constructive conversations about improving student achievement and
assist educators with the planning of educational strategies.
-Provincial assessment results are just one of the many tools that support student learning. These results are
a snapshot of achievement and should be considered alongside school based information. Regular assessments conducted in the classroom remain the fundamental method of assessing and supporting students
throughout their education.
Understanding Assessments – Assessment for Learning
Sound assessment is the basis for good instruction and academic success. Sound assessment is
ongoing and is done in a variety of ways.
Diagnostic Assessment helps the teacher and the student demonstrate what the student knows
and is able to do prior to learning a new concept.
Formative Assessment provides valuable information throughout the teaching and learning
process. It guides instructional choices, time spent on a topic, and the selection of learning tools
and resources to be used.
Summative Assessment gives a measure of progress at a certain point in time, usually at the
end of a unit of study. Assessment results help parents and students monitor their child’s progress. Results also help and encourage children by making a positive and meaningful connection
with the classroom teacher.
Pets on School Property
Animals are wonderful members of the family.
Unfortunately, many children (and adults) have
allergies to and anxieties with animals. We are
reminding our families that pets are NOT allowed on school property during school and at
all other times pets must remain on a leash.
Thank you for your support and consideration in
helping us all feel safe.
Bus Safety
Our Bus Safety Awareness will be
held on November 7th and 8th.
The students will have the opportunity to board a bus, learn about
safety procedures while on the bus
and then practice a bus evacuation.
Parent Tips For Families
Most people look forward to Halloween but for parents
of children with food allergies, diabetes or other dietary restrictions, this can become a challenging time
of year. The following are tips for parents on how to
cope with the “food” tradition of Halloween. Even families without concerns may find these tips useful.
*Feed your children their favourite meal before trick-or-treating. This will decrease
their temptation to snack while they are out
*Do not permit your child to eat any treats until they have been checked by a parent/
guardian at home
*Avoid the risk of cross contamination by kindly saying “no thank you” to any treats
that contain foods that you are allergic to (e.g. peanuts/nuts)
*Create a “trade bank” at home to allow your child to exchange unsafe/non-suitable
treats for safe alternatives including non-food items such as stickers, pencils, mini
books, or small toys
*Have a safe treats bag ready that you can trade with your child for gathered loot
when they return from trick-or-treating
*If your child is diabetic, learn what treats can be fitted into their meal plan over
the next few days or weeks. Check with your doctor/dietician to help with determining
food choice values for treats
*Keep in mind that miniature versions of chocolates/candies may have different ingredients than their full size counterparts— always call the manufacturer if in doubt
*Consider other Halloween festivities instead of trick-or-treating such as visiting
local haunted houses, pumpkin farms or hosting a costume party with the emphasis on
fun activities
*If your child has a food allergy, ensure that you carry an Epipen while trick-ortreating
*Do not accept any unwrapped treats
*Check ingredients of make-up or face paint
What other parents can do to help:
*Give out treats in their original commercial wrapper with the ingredients label
*Consider handing out non-food alternatives (stickers, pencils, gift certificates
etc.) especially if you have neighbours with food allergies or diabetes
*Avoid giving out homemade goods such as cookies etc.
A Healthy and Safe School
There are students and staff members in our school who have life-threatening allergies to nuts, tree
nuts, latex, and egg which can cause an anaphylactic reaction.
Avoidance of the allergen is the key in preventing the occurrence of these reactions. Please check the
ingredients label on any food you may send with your child for lunch or snack. Ensure that allergens are
not listed in the ingredients. Also ensure, for example, that there is no warning of “may contain traces of
peanuts/tree nuts” or “manufactured in a facility that handles peanuts/tree nuts”. The warning may vary
between manufacturers but they will identify if there is a risk that the food product contains the allergen.
Examples of tree nuts are almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews etc.
Many fast food restaurants cannot promise a nut safe environment or guarantee a nut free product. We
urge you not to bring snacks or lunches which could be nut-laced or nut-based products from fast food
restaurants. Please be cautious of restaurants where nuts are prevalent on the menu in the form of
sauces, curries, cooked in peanut oil or directly on foods such as bakery items.
We respectfully ask that children wash their hands thoroughly before arriving to school to ensure that
they are not bringing any trace amounts of the allergen to the classroom and common areas such as
library, playground and washrooms. Children are further reminded not to share their snacks and
lunches .
As a school we are committed to focusing on NON-FOOD items (for example, stickers, pencils,
note pads) as treats as they would serve as a better alternative for any celebrations and it is also
in keeping with our Healthy Schools focus.
Your cooperation and support in this important matter is deeply appreciated and critical to maintaining
the safety of our school. Together we can all contribute to a safe environment for all.
School Photographs
Trillium School Portraits will be taking our student and class photographs on November 8th
and 9th at Unionville Public School.
More detailed information will be forthcoming at a later date, therefore, we recommend that
parents keep an eye out for updates as we approach the school photo day.
Please contact the school office if you have any questions or concerns.
Is your child ready to use the rules of the road?
According to Safe Kids Canada, each year in Canada more than 4,000 children are
hit by motor vehicles while playing outdoors or walking to school, a friend’s house,
to sports activities, or to a neighbourhood shop.
Teach your child these 5 steps to safely cross the street:
1. Stop
2. Look down the road to make sure you have a clear view in all three directions: left, straight ahead and right
3. Listen for traffic
4. Wait until the street is clear and all traffic has stopped
5. Make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see you
Remember:
• Wear reflective or colourful clothing to be more visible to drivers
• Always walk on the sidewalk. In areas without a sidewalk, walk facing traffic
• Cross only at traffic signals, crosswalks and stop signs
• Never run out onto the street, especially between parked cars
• Keep a safe distance from service vehicles such as waste and recycling trucks
• Cross at railway using the designated crossings
• Young children should be accompanied by an adult when crossing
For health-related information call York Region Health Connection
at 1-800-361-5653 or visit www.york.ca.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
School Traffic
Curriculum Night
We have seen an increase in the traffic
around the school. We are asking for your
support in ensuring the safety of our students. Please be aware of students walking
and bicycling to and from the school. Please
do not use the school’s parking lot when
dropping off or picking up your child as
we have school buses dropping/picking up
many of our children.
Thank you to everyone who came out to
our Curriculum Night on October 4th. It
was good to see so many familiar faces
and families new to the school.
U.P.S. Student Parliament 2011-2012
Our 2011-2012 Student Parliament has been elected. Congratulations to the following students:
Prime Ministers: Kiran S and Blake M
Deputy Prime Ministers: Megan B and Elizabeth G
Secretary: Sarah C
Cabinet Ministers: Kevin M, Claire C
We are very excited to be able to represent our student body. Currently, we are working on planning
several events for our school. The first event we are working on is the intermediate dance for October.
The theme is 'Rock-toberfest' and there will be more information coming out in the next few weeks.
Finally, we are always working on a school wide plan to help promote school spirit and a sense of community. Stay tuned for more updates in the next school newsletter!
Athletic Council
The Unionville Public School Athletic Council consists of eighteen students from grades 6-8. The members of the
Athletic Council are Bridget, Maria, Katherine, Samantha, Chloe, AJ, Nick, Megan. M, Megan. G, Megan. B,
Jessie, Tara, Anastasia, Denise, Emily, Emma, Brenden, and Dawson. In the Athletic Council Bridget and Maria
are co-leaders, and Katherine is our secretary. The Athletic Council is responsible for improving the athletics at
the school and encouraging students to live a healthy and active lifestyle. During this school year we have already
coordinated intramurals, for grades 4-6. We have different intramurals for each month and a half. This month
until mid November we are doing flag football. We also have walking Wednesday, where we walk around the
field at morning recess. We accumulate the distances from each week and by the end of the year we want to make
it across Canada, to complete Terry Fox’s journey. There are also prizes awarded for walking a certain amount of
laps. We have created many athletic events so far this year but we have many more planned. There are several
events coming up in the next few weeks at UPS. We have an athletic awareness assembly on Friday, 28 th where
we will quickly talk about the athletics at UPS, and we will walk around the pond for the remainder of the afternoon. We will be walking laps to kick off athletics at UPS! We are also going to start intramurals for the younger
grades (1-3). We would love to see all the kids at UPS join intramurals and participate in walking Wednesday; it
is a great way to show school spirit while exercising!
Written by: Bridget B
Bill Crothers Secondary School
Bill Crothers Secondary School (BCSS) is a system-wide school with a focus on healthy active living and sport.
The school is open for Grade 9 to 12 students. Students and parents from across the region are invited to attend an
information evening. Information will be shared regarding the vision, mission, schedule, programs, the transfer
policy and application process.
All information sessions will occur at Bill Crothers Secondary School, 44 Main Street, Unionville, Ontario, L3R
2E4 from 7 – 8:30 in the cafetorium.
Tuesday, November 1st – Students in the West & North Region
Thursday, November 3rd – Students in the East Region
Tuesday, November 8th – Students in the Central Region
We request that only students and parents interested in attending BCSS for the school year 2012 - 2012, attend
one of these evening, due to building capacity regulations. Parking is limited so we ask that you carpool or park at
the GO Station. By-law officers will enforce the parking regulations.
October 2011
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
5
4
Curriculum
Night
10
11
7
8
13
14 Area Cross
Country
Pizza Day
15
Girls Inc.
(Gr. 4 girls)
(7:008:00p.m.)
9
Sub lunch
6
12
Thanksgiving (No
School)
Girls Inc.
(Gr. 4 girls)
16
17
18
19
Girls Inc.
(Gr. 4 girls)
20
21
Regional Cross
Country
Sub Lunch
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 Pizza Day
29
P.A. Day
(No School)
30
31
Halloween
Girls Inc.
(Gr. 4 girls)
Nov. 1
2
Gr. 8’s to
Markville
Girls Inc.
(Gr. 4 girls)
Scientists in
the School
(JK/SK)
3
Boys V-Ball
game @
3:30p.m.
(Armadale)
Scientists in the
School (JK/SK)
4 Day of Change
Workshop
(gr. 7/8)
Sub Lunch
5