Terry Fox Run/Walk Page 2

Book Fair Page 3

Dress for the Weather Page 3

Cold Creek Page 4

Kiss ‘n’ Ride Page 5

Eco-Schools Page 6

FDK Explore and Inquire Page 7

November 2016 Glenn Gould Public School

675 Vellore Park Ave Vaughan, ON L4H 0G5 Phone: 905-417-4517

Fax: 905-417-4540

Ms. H. Kardassopoulos

Principal

Mrs. A. Bruno Vice-Principal

Mrs. A. Lombardo E.O.A.A.

Mrs. R. Costa Secretary

GG BLOG: glenngouldyrdsb.blogspot.ca

Mr. D. Legere Lead Caretaker

Ms. J. Decaire Mr. L. Regno

Caretakers

Mrs. Linda Aversa Trustee

647-462-0921

Mr. Paul Valle Superintendent CEC West

905-764-6830

Aisha Hasan & Andrea Vieira

School Council Co-Chairs

Inside This Issue…..

YORK REGION DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

Administrators’ Message

On November 23rd, students at Glenn Gould will be bringing home their Progress Reports. The Progress Report is only one among several means used by teachers for reporting student achievement to par-ents and students. Communication about student achievement should be continu-ous throughout the year and should in-clude, in addition to the report card, such things as parent-student conferences, in-terviews, phone calls, communication through student’s agenda, parent signa-ture on assignments and tests, and review of rubrics. Communication about student achieve-ment should be designed to provide de-tailed information that will encourage stu-dents to set goals for learning, help teach-ers to establish plans for teaching, and assist parents in supporting learning at home.

Studies show that students perform better in school when their parents are involved in their education. Effective ways in which parents can support student learning in-clude attending parent-teacher inter-views, participating in parent workshops and school council activities, and encour-aging students to complete their assign-ments at home. Conferences give you a chance to get to know your child’s teacher, learn about the program your child will be studying (the curriculum), and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your child with the person who will be helping him/her to learn. This year, we are introducing an online book-ing system for parents to select a day and time to meet with your child’s teacher. A letter is going home to fully explain the process of booking an appointment. Please see page 9 for Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Happy Diwali

Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights is celebrated on Saturday, October 29th. Some Temples may celebrate this day on October 30th. Tamil Hindus may observe this day on October 28th. Diwali (short for Deepavali, meaning 'line of lamps'), also known as the Festival of Lights is a Hindu, Sikh, and Jain festival that originated in India. For most Hindus, Diwali is dedicated to the Goddess of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. In Bengal, Diwali honours the goddess Kali. For Sikhs, the festival commemorates the return of the sixth guru to the Holy city of Amritstar after his release from detention. For the Jain community, it commemorates the passing into Nirvana of Mahavira. It also may be the beginning of a new year for farmers who plant their crops after Diwali, as well as for business people and merchants who traditionally settle all accounts on this day and begin the new financial year. Everywhere it is celebrated, it signifies the renewal of life. To celebrate this joyous and important festival, people get togeth-er with friends and family, exchange gifts of sweets and greet each other with the words 'Subh Diwali’. Some set off fireworks and wear new clothes. Many light little clay lamps, called dipas or diyas, candles and even neon lights.

We wish our students, staff, and members of the community who celebrate Diwali, a happy and festive time with friends and family.

Glenn Gould P.S. Page 2

School Council Terry Fox Run/Walk @ GGPS

Our School Council organized our Annual Halloween Dance-a-Thon on October 31st. Fun was had by all with great entertainment pro-vided by Pure Entertainment Inc. Our school raised approx. $2500 toward technology.

GO GRYPHONS!

We welcome you all to our next School Council Meeting on

Thursday, December 1st at 7:00 p.m.

Artists at Work!

On October 7th, Glenn Gould had their annual Ter-ry Fox Walk. Kindergarten to Grade 8 students raised close to 1000 dollars for Cancer Research. We as a school honoured and reflected on those who continue to battle cancer. We would like to give thanks to Ms Awal and the Terry Fox team for organizing this event. A huge thank you to all the Staff and Students of Glenn Gould for you spirit, enthusiasm and, participation. By Stephanie Vong

The grade ones in Mrs. Cucullo’s art class are learning to create art by using colours to com-municate their ideas and feelings. In this les-son, students learned about primary colours and about the amazing the art work of Piet Mondrian who used primary colours in his pieces. They also learned how to use painting tools, like brushes and paint palettes. Stu-dents worked so hard, and are so proud of their “compositions”. They are looking forward to learning about how to mix primary colours to create the secondary colours next!

Glenn Gould P.S Page 3

Dress Warmly for Cold Weather All our students will be expected to be outside before, during and after school in all weath-er conditions (i.e., rain or shine, snow or heat). Students need to come to school dressed to play outside during recesses. Boots (for rain or snow), rain jackets, hats, mitts, scarves and snow pants will help make recess an enjoyable time. It is advisable for children to keep extra pants and socks at school in case they get wet. To avoid adding to our clothing collection in the Lost and Found Bin, please be sure to label all articles of clothing.

News from Our Learning Commons

Important Dates

November

7 Parent Teacher Online Booking Opens

10 Yellow Fish Campaign

11 Remembrance Day

November cont.

17 Photo Retake Day

18 - 25 Book Fair

24 - 25 Parent Teacher Interviews

This month our Learning Commons will be hosting its first “Scholastic Book Fair” of the year! The arrival of our first book fair always excites our students, and motivates them to explore their reading interests throughout the school year. The fair will run from Monday, November 21st to Friday, November 25th. We will be hosting a “Family Event” on the evening of Thursday, November 24th from 4:00-7:00 pm. We will also be open on the P.A. Day, Friday, November 25th, from 9:05-11:00 am. Proceeds from this book fair will go towards the resources needed for the creation of a “Lego Wall” in our Learning Commons. We look forward to seeing you there!

Another addition to our Learning Commons this month will be a “Colouring Corner”. This centre will allow those students who need a break from their learning activities, or an opportunity to reflect on a decision they are trying to make, a quiet space to help reduce the anxiety they are experiencing. Colouring and art therapy, has been shown to help people refocus their thoughts, relieve daily stresses and pressures, and pro-

mote positive thinking. This is one of the many ways that our school, and Learning Commons, hopes to address the mental health and well-being of all of our students.

Every year on November 11th, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. We honour those who fought for Canada in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945), and the Korean War (1950-1953), as well as those who have served since then. More than 1,500,000 Canadians have served our country in this way, and more than 100,000 have died. They gave their lives and their futures so that we may live in peace. By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women fought to preserve. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought hard to

achieve. At Glenn Gould we will be holding a Remembrance Day assembly on Friday, November 11th from 10:15 - 10:45 a.m. to commemorate this day. We kindly ask students to bring in a $2.00 donation for a poppy. Parents are welcome to attend.

Remembrance Day - “Lest we forget”

Glenn Gould P.S Page 4

Grade 7 & 8’s #ComeTogether@Cold Creek

The Cold Creek trip on October 20th was an amazing way to start the year as a division. We spent the day doing activities such as mountain biking, team building exercises, high ropes, rock climbing and archery. Although it was cold and rainy both staff and students had a great time creating new friends and memories together. By Stephanie V.

Glenn Gould P.S Page 5

Kiss N’ Ride and Bus Loop

Parking Lot, Bus Loop and Street Safety

Like you, we plan on your child arriving to and from school safely. For this purpose, the Board has pro-vided the school with two separate driveways. On the South side of the school, is a “Kiss’N Ride” loop for parents. The parking spaces in the “Kiss’N Ride” loop are for school staff only. On the East side of the school, is a “Bus Loop” for school buses and taxis. Parents are asked not to use this loop for student pick-up, drop-off or for parking. Do not park your vehicle at the front of the school at any time. There is plenty of parking on many of the side streets for up to 3 hours. Feel free to park and walk your child over to our school. Some students are not eligible for bussing while others are, as they live within the Board mandated walking distances. We strongly encourage you to walk your child to and from school.

The “Kiss’N Ride” loop is identified by signs and designated for parents and family members picking-up or dropping-off children. Please do not drop of students on Vellore Park Ave or Highmark Dr., as it is not safe for students to walk through a Kiss N’ Ride or Bus Loop. We are requesting parents who are choosing to drop off their children in the morning to abide by the following rules: 1. Arrive to school between 8:50 and 9:00 a.m.. 2. Drive all the way through the loop and only drop off your children in the Drop-Off zone. Follow the

map provided) 3. Pull all the way up into the drop off zone—8 - 10 cars can drop off at the same time. 4. Students should have their bags ready on their laps. 5. To ensure a quick and safe drop-off or

pickup, parents are not to get out of the vehicle.

6. Students are to exit from the passenger side of the vehicle ONLY.

7. Students should never walk through the parking lot or bus loop.

8. End of day Pick-Up: You will have to circle the loop, exit onto Highmark and re-enter the loop if your child is not ready for pick-up at the end of the day.

9. Park your car on the street if you have younger children who need assistance (in order to reduce congestion in the drop off zone).

10. Use your signal to merge when exiting the drop off zone.

11. Abide with instructions given by Glenn Gould staff monitoring the parking lot.

We need your cooperation to ensure the safety of all students, parents and staff.

Glenn Gould P.S Page 6

Eco Corner - Yellow Fish Campaign As a Gold certified ECO school, Glenn Gould is committed to helping the environment. On November 10th, the Grade 1-3 students will attend a presentation from the Toronto and Region Conservation about ways to protect our local watersheds. A watershed is an area of land where all of the water (rain, run-off, groundwater, etc.) drains to a common point, usually a river or lake. The Yellow Fish Program wants to draw attention to the storm drains that we see on the roads in our community. These storm drains are often polluted with garbage or used to dispose of hazardous wastes (e.g., paints, car fluids, fer-tilizers, etc.). The students of GGPS and supervising parents and teachers will be painting “Yellow Fish” near the storm drains in our community and delivering important information on how the community can help keep pollutants away from causing harm to our water systems. Together we can help the animals and plants that live in our community and rely on these watersheds for survival.

Kindergarten Sharing Assembly

The Kindergarten classes had their first Kindergarten Sharing Assembly. Each class performed a song with either props or actions. Congratulations FDK Students!

Glenn Gould P.S Page 7

FDK Students Continue to Explore and Inquire

Students in Kindergarten have planted bulbs in their tree bed. We are hopeful that they grow in the spring! They have also been creating Fall trees with sticks and gems and they even made applesauce. YUM!

Glenn Gould P.S Page 8

ECO Corner WE Student Leadership Team

The Eco team has been very busy involving the entire school and community in initiatives to help the environment. Thank you to everyone who par-ticipated in "Take Me Outside" on October 26th. Turning off screens and spending time outside with friends and family is great exercise and helps the environment. Walking to school is a great way to spend time outside. Congratulations to Ms. Verri’s class who had the most walkers during our "Walk to School Challenge". They won the golden shoe!! Thank you to everyone who participated in the walk. Together we can make a difference!

Our "Lights Out" hour reduced our energy con-sumption by almost half. At our peak on Oct 11th we were using 65 kilowatts of power and but dur-ing our "Lights Out" on Oct 12th, we were only using 35 kilowatts. Instead of using lights we used natural sunlight from the windows. Using daylight instead of lights is a great way to save energy at home too.

Primary Assembly On October 26th, the primary students (Gr 1-3) celebrated the character traits Respect and Re-sponsibility. The students did a fantastic job dram-atizing and singing ways to show respect and re-sponsibility. Our next primary sharing assembly will be in December.

The ‘WE’ Student Leadership Team is a group of students from

grades 1 to 8 that has been working together on a variety of

leadership roles at our school. Their involvement and partici-

pation has created a positive environment for all at GGPS, and

has allowed these students to develop a variety of leadership

skills. The ‘WE’ Student Leaders are interested in enhancing

their leadership skills through spirit events, as well as looking

at social justice issues in combination with WE.org. The Team

so far have orchestrated various Spirit Days events, such as

Glenn Gould days, that will take place on or around the 25th of

each month, and most recently the Halloween Spirit event.

They are also working together to coordinate other social jus-

tice awareness events throughout the coming months.

The winners for showing the most Halloween Spirit are: Ms. Campanaro's grade 7's, Ms. Boshan's grade 4/5, Ms. Jalil's grade 2, and room 105 JK/SK class.

The winners for Glenn Gould Spirit are: Ms. Rowe's grade 8, Ms. Veri's grade 5, Ms. Chavez's grade 1, and room 105 JK/SK class.

Glenn Gould P.S Page 9

Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences As a parent, what should you do to prepare for a parent-teacher conference? Talk to your child beforehand. Have a good understanding of the expectations of the teacher, the cur-

riculum, homework assignments, and any issues that you should raise with the teacher. Be prepared to share specific examples if you have concerns about any aspect of the classroom or pro-

gram. If applicable, bring your child’s latest report card with you so that you can discuss it in more detail. Make a list of things that will help the teacher better understand your child, such as any special health

or medical needs, outside interests and hobbies that may have an impact on school, and events occur-ring at home that may affect your child’s learning (such as the sickness or death of someone close, change in your home life, or past school experiences).

Share approaches that have worked for you when dealing with your child that the teacher might also find useful.

Put together a list of things that you would like to find out from the teacher, such as services and pro-grams the school offers, discipline policies, how your child will be assessed and graded, homework ex-pectations, or extra-curricular activities that your child can take part in.

What can you expect to learn in a parent-teacher conference? Although all conferences will be different since they are about individual students, most conferences will provide information related to: Your child’s progress to date in the required subjects Recent test results and what they mean Your child’s strengths and weaknesses in school Any observations about your child that may be affecting his/her school work (such as difficulty seeing

the blackboard, distractibility or requiring more sleep) Your child’s current reading and math levels and how they compare to the grade expectations Recent work your child has completed Any issues related to behaviour, discipline or work completion How your child is getting along with other students Suggestions or ideas that you can use at home to help your child in school Helpful Hints for Conferences: If possible, both parents should attend the conference. Be on time. Most conferences will be held on a day when teachers are meeting with parents back-to-

back throughout the day. When one parent is delayed, it backs up the meetings of all parents and cre-ates more pressure for the teacher.

If you aren’t available to meet with the teacher during the designated period, call and see if there is another time that could be arranged. Teachers will work to ensure that they can find a mutually con-venient time for you to get together. A phone interview, while not optimal, may be another option.

Follow up with the teacher if there are areas discussed during the conference that require further ac-tion.

Glenn Gould P.S Page 10