OPENING DAY NEWSLETTER 2013-14

Welcome to all our returning staff and students, and of course, to all of you who are new to the

school! I hope you are coming to Whiteoaks with fond memories of an enjoyable, restful summer. I am

looking forward to the upcoming year at Whiteoaks and am excited to continue to work with our

committed students, our dynamic staff and all in our supportive Whiteoaks community. Many of our

staff have been in the during the summer and have been planning interesting and creative activities for

our students.

This newsletter outlines important information regarding routines and procedures that are in

place to help students and parents experience a positive year at Whiteoaks. It also contains important

information about the upcoming School Council elections. The School Council elections notice and

nomination form are also posted on our school website (http://schools.peelschools.org/1259) under

the School Council tab. Inserted in this newsletter, please find the Children in Need of Protection

Letter from the Director of Education, Tony Pontes, and an important reminder regarding the

Board’s Safe Welcome Program.

The weekly newsletter, the Whiteoaks Wednesday Weekly, although usually sent out on

Wednesdays, will be sent out this Friday. It will contain information about upcoming dates and events,

along with release forms to be signed by parents and returned to the school. It is important that parents

and guardians read this newsletter carefully as the procedures outlined in it are communicated at this

time to facilitate an effective start to this school year.

In addition to this newsletter, a critically important resource for effective, consistent home-

school communication is the student agenda. Our parent handbook is included in the student agenda.

It is very important that parents and guardians review the information section of the agenda with their

children as, in addition to the information in this newsletter, it comprehensively outlines critical

information about school routines and procedures. It is important that you to review your child's agenda

with her/him and to ensure that the content is clearly understood by your child. This the first step in

setting the building blocks in place for a successful year at Whiteoaks. School staff will also reinforce

the expectations concerning the student agenda. Consistency between home and school regarding

information in the agenda should support your child’s experience at Whiteoaks. I would like to thank

the School Council for their generous funding of this important communication tool.

The agenda is provided free of charge to students as we believe its regular use is essential to a

successful school year. To save costs, we only order the number of agendas that we need. Because of

this, please encourage your child to care for his/her agenda as we do not have the luxury of replacing

lost agendas. Please look for the agenda to come home on a daily basis to encourage regular contact

with your child’s teacher.

Whiteoaks Public School

1690 Mazo Cres.

Mississauga, Ontario

L5J 1Y8

t 905.822-0451

f 905.822-5973

http://schools.peelschools.org/1259

Principal:

Greg Lorentz

Vice-Principal (Acting):

Christine Barnes

Office Manager:

Jolanta Nolevski

Office Assistants:

Grace Piatek & Rimple Sembhi

Superintendent:

Wendy Dowling

Assistant: Eileen Martak Phone: 905-366-8800

Trustee:

Brad Macdonald

Phone: 905-593-3547

Together, we build our future at Whiteoaks

Tuesday, September 3rd

, 2013

Any information that must be communicated immediately to the community could be sent home

on any day. You will find home-school communication enclosed in the sleeve of your child’s agenda. We

ask that you please review any communication and return it on Fridays with your signature,

acknowledging receipt of news items.

The agenda, parent-teacher conferences, school-wide communications, our Open House,

classroom newsletters, Volunteer Orientation sessions and School Council meetings will provide you with

information to assist with your child's progress and success. We are committed to making the home and

school communication process as effective as possible. Should you have questions and wish to speak

directly to a teacher, please feel free to call the school.

The Full Day Kindergarten addition is nearing its completion and we are looking forward to our

students and staff having access to this beautiful facility. The rooms in the addition are wonderful

spaces for learning to occur. It is exciting to look forward to such a facility to house our Kindergarten

students and staff. Until the addition is complete, Kindergarten students and staff are using existing

classrooms inside the school. Please see the information letter regarding the new addition inserted in

this newsletter.

This year we will continue to work toward our school academic success goals of improving our

students' ability to communicate, think critically and to problem-solve; and with these goals in mind,

we will continue to look at the integration of technology as a learning tool. We will make decisions

regarding acquiring technology that will support student learning consistent with the Peel District

School Board’s vision of 21st Century Learning. As well, we will resume our work with student data and

use it to inform our instructional focus at each grade-level. We will also refocus our emphasis on

developing actions aligned with the Peel District School Board’s Character Attributes to develop a

positive environment for teaching and learning and to continue to work to foster an atmosphere of

mutual respect. We will work to support a school culture where all learners can succeed to the best of

their ability - academically, socially, physically and emotionally, and one that provides students the

skills to become responsible digital citizens in a digital age.

Our teachers have been busy preparing for the new year to ensure quality programming and to

continue to bring you those extras that make Whiteoaks a school that is second to none!

Our custodians, Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Borges, and our school attendants have worked hard over

the summer - and the school literally sparkles!

Staffing Update

September always brings new faces to the school. We welcome our new students, families and

staff! Please see the Whiteoaks staff update inserted below.

I am pleased to welcome Mrs. C. Barnes as acting Vice-Principal. Mrs. Barnes has actively worked with

the Whiteoaks staff over the past 2 years as an Instructional Resource Teacher. She has engaged staff in

professional dialogue regarding efficacy in literacy, mathematics and critical thinking. She has

supported our staff with preparation for EQAO provincial testing and the implementation of the Full Day

Kindergarten Program.

We are pleased to welcome new office staff! Please welcome Mrs. J. Nolevski as our new Office

Manager. She comes to us from Mississauga Secondary School! As well, please welcome Ms. R. Sembhi

who comes to us from the We Welcome the World Centre. Mrs. Nolevski and Ms. Sembhi bring many

strengths to the Whiteoaks office. Mrs. Nolevski, and our new Office Assistant, Ms. Sembhi and Mrs.

Piatek, have done a great job organizing the tasks that will keep us on track for a smooth opening and

a successful year.

We are pleased to welcome our Early Childhood Educators who will team with our Kindergarten staff:

Ms. S. Galbraith will team with Mrs. Lancaster, Ms. S. Mendelin will team with Mr. S. Gallant,

Ms. G. Geller will team with Mrs. K. Walton and Ms. N. Gharios will team with Ms. V. Mannering and

Mrs. M. Eastwood.

Please welcome Mrs. D. Axiak as the teacher of class 2/3E. Mrs. Axiak is an experienced teacher,

joining us from Sir William Gage Middle School. And welcome to Ms. C. Lee who joins us as a 0.2 FTE

English Planning Time Teacher. Welcome to Ms. T. Raso who will be at Whiteoaks as a 0.3 FTE French

Immersion Planning Time Teacher.

I am very pleased to welcome back Mme K. Marin! Mme Marin is very glad to be back at Whiteoaks

and is looking forward to an exciting year.

Welcome back to Mrs. K. Cassidy who will share 0.2 FTE LTO teaching responsibilities for class 3F

with Mrs. N. Patrick. And welcome back to Mme J. Oliva who will work as an LTO to teach the English

portion of classes 1C and 1D, with Mme W. Mundy.

There have been some additional changes to our staffing. Mme Horn has accepted a position with

the Halton Board in order to be closer to her family. I wish her all the best, and I know we all miss her

at Whiteoaks. Congratulations to Mme B. Hausler who has attained a permanent teaching position at

Clarkson P. S. Mme Hausler vacates the LTO position as the teacher of Mme M. Dul’s class 2A.

Congratulations and best wishes to Mlle K. Seipt who has attained a full-time French Immersion

teaching position with the Peel District School Board. She has accepted a position at Agnes Taylor P.S.

She will be missed at Whiteoaks. Mlle Seipt has vacated the LTO position as the teacher of Mme C.

Cummings’ class. I welcome Mr. J. Madden to fill this LTO position until Mme Cumming’s return. I am

currently in the process of hiring to fill the newly created vacancies. A staff list has been inserted in

this newsletter outlining our current staffing.

Parent Engagement

Whiteoaks has a widespread reputation for incredible parent engagement. We invite parents to

continue the impressive level of support demonstrated by the Whiteoaks community; and we encourage

you to continue to take an active role in school life. Research shows that there is a direct relationship

between parent involvement and student success. Parental support is a vital part of student and school

success. We encourage parents to become a part of our amazing team of volunteers at the school.

Information inviting you to become a volunteer or a member of the School Council is included in

this newsletter.

Release and permission forms that require parent signatures will be sent home separately this

week. I ask that parents and guardians review these forms carefully and return them to the school with

your signature

Again, I am excited to continue the rich learning legacy of Whiteoaks Public School; and I look

forward to working with all in our Learning Community to support the learning of our students. I wish

all in our Learning Community an excellent year.

Sincerely,

G. Lorentz, Principal

School Hours

Our school hours remain the same this year as last year with the exception that Kindergarten students

will now attend full day as part of the Full Day Kindergarten Program. School hours are as follows:

Entry 9:10am

Start of Classes 9:15am

Lunch hour 12:00pm -1:00pm.

Dismissal 3:45pm

Full Day Kindergarten Student entry: 9:10am classes begin at 9:15am and end at 3:45pm

Student Accident Insurance

Every September the board provides parents with the opportunity to purchase student accident

insurance for their children. This is a very low cost program which provides excellent coverage

and is particularly valuable to our most vulnerable communities who may not have access to

insurance alternatives and who may be ill-equipped to deal with the high cost of accidents.

Although the provincial health care system covers the majority of medical expenses, many

costs which are commonly related to accidents are not covered including dental work,

ambulance fees, casts and crutches and physiotherapy. All of these are covered by the student

accident insurance plan. Please see the letter to parents inserted in this newsletter.

Student Safety is our Priority

Safe Welcome Program begins September 3rd at Whiteoaks

School doors will remain locked during the school day

New buzzer system as of Sept. 2013

In June a letter was sent out to our community from Director Tony Pontes regarding the Safe

Welcome Program. This Safe Welcome Program is as follows:

Beginning this September, the front doors of our school will be locked during the school day. This is

part of the Safe Welcome program announced by the government in December 2012 for elementary

schools in Ontario. As part of this program, portable doors will also be locked during the school day. A

letter explaining this program was sent home to all families in June 2013.

We have long had the practice for Peel schools that all outside doors, with the exception of the front

door, would be locked during the school day. While we acknowledge that locking doors will not in itself

prevent all risks to the safety of students and staff, it is an important step in providing an additional

level of security.

A camera and buzzer unit has been installed by the front door and will be linked to a monitor in the

main office of the school. Anyone who wishes access to the school once the school day has begun—

parents, Peel board staff and visitors—will request entry by pressing the buzzer. Staff in the main office

will be able to see and speak to the person, and release the door lock to provide access.

We understand that this new practice will require some adjustment. In particular, you may have to

wait briefly at the front door before the buzzer is answered. Also, please note that lunchtime at our

school is between 12:00pm and 1:00pm. During this time, office and administrative staff are busier than

at other times of the day so there may be a delay in providing access. You may wish to choose another

time to visit our school.

While this new program will lead to changes in routines, we are confident that the increased

security it provides will be reassuring to students, families and staff. As a result of this new practice,

we ask that parents be patient when waiting to enter the school.

Thank you for your continued support for the safety and well-being of all students and staff in our

schools.

Road Safety Starts with You

It is important to make effective use of the Kiss and Ride Program which will continue to

operate each morning from 9:00am to 9:15am, and each afternoon from 3:45pm to 4:00pm. Thank you

to our parent volunteers for your continued support and coordination of this safety program.

The East Side of Mazo Crescent has been declared a No Stopping Zone by the City of Mississauga

during school hours. The safety of the children crossing the street is critical. Please help us keep our

children safe by obeying these bylaws.

To ensure our students’ safety, the school parking lot will be closed off to cars before school

between 9:00am to 9:15am. As a reminder, you will notice orange pylons at the entry of the

parking to restrict the flow of vehicles on school property as children enter on foot. A staff member

will be on duty to support student safety. Parents are encouraged to leave themselves enough time to

use the Kiss and Ride, or to park in the church parking lot and, then to escort their children across

Mazo Cresc. onto school property. We do understand that mornings are hectic and we do appreciate

your cooperation in leaving early enough to allow for unanticipated delays.

Congestion making you late? Try the Kiss and Ride!

Because of the large number of vehicles dropping off or picking up students, congestion often

results at these times. To alleviate this concern, and instead of spending time waiting for a parking

spot or place in line, why not use the Kiss and Ride Program?

The Kiss and Ride Program makes school drop-off and pickup easier, but it only works if everyone

follows the Kiss and Ride guidelines. Please help make our school's Kiss and Ride system run smoothly by

following the Kiss and Ride markings on the pavement, and by stopping only at the designated drop-off

areas. You can help keep the Kiss and Ride running smoothly by:

having your child prepared for a quick exit from your vehicle (e.g. backpack ready to go as the vehicle approaches its stop)

waiting for a Kiss and Ride adult (staff or volunteer) to indicate that it is safe for your child to disembark the vehicle (staff and volunteers wear vests)

saying goodbye to your child and exiting the drop-off area, stopping only long enough for your child to disembark your vehicle

not turning off your vehicle not stopping your vehicle in the “thru” lane or blocking bus access to the drop-off area not exiting your car in the Kiss and Ride area – if you need to walk your child into school, please

park your car in the parking lot or on a nearby street not stopping in the drop-off lane to access vehicle storage compartments for projects. If it is

necessary to transport a large project to school, please park your car in the parking lot or on a nearby street and carry the project into the school

respecting the directions of duty staff and volunteers at all times

By following the above guidelines we can work together to keep our children safe. If you have any

questions about our Kiss and Ride program, please contact the office.

Busing - Courtesy Transportation

It is important to note that even though your child may have received busing by way of courtesy

transportation last year, that busing provided by courtesy transportation is not guaranteed for this

school year. Courtesy transportation is dependent on the number of available seats after students

designated as bus riders by the Peel District School Board have been assigned to a bus. It is also

important to note that if the number of students seeking courtesy transportation exceeds the number of

available seats, that it may not be possible to assign a seat to all students seeking courtesy

transportation. Courtesy transportation bus seats are assigned on an annual basis.

Courtesy transportation will not be available until the fifth week of school. If you are interested

in courtesy busing, please call the school early in October to inquire if there are seats available. If seats

are available, please request a courtesy bus form. It is important to note that completing a form does

not guarantee your child a seat on the bus if there are more requests than there are available seats. A

process will be used that will take into consideration such things as age of the student, distance to the

school and consideration of mitigating factors. Please be aware that schools cannot assign courtesy

transportation to students, nor enter students into the transportation database to receive courtesy

transportation before the fifth week of school. The School Board Transportation Department will begin

to assign courtesy transportation to students, including the identification of their bus stops, during the

fifth week of school. All students to be provided with courtesy transportation will be assigned to a bus

by the end of October.

Life-Threatening Allergies

Some students at Whiteoaks have been diagnosed as having a life-threatening allergic condition to

foods. On a daily basis, they must be guarded from accidental exposure to allergens. Many students need

to be shielded from exposure to ALL NUTS. In addition, some students have severe allergies dairy, eggs,

sesame seeds and other food sources. (A common non-food allergy is latex.) A tiny amount of any of these

allergens is potentially fatal within minutes. A trace of these allergens, on a desk, or even a whiff of

protein from them may be enough to cause a violent anaphylactic reaction in which vital body systems

virtually shut down. This disturbing scenario describes a condition known as anaphylaxis. You can help to

ensure the safety of these students by ensuring that your child does not bring the allergy-causing food

to school. This is necessary, because if one child were to eat a food containing an allergen, then

accidentally leave traces on objects in the school, there would be a potential danger to the anaphylactic

child.

To support a safety plan for students with allergies, an Administration of Prescribed Medications

Form A must be completed and signed by a physician. In addition to the Form A, a Form B (Allergy Alert

Emergency Plan) must be completed and returned to the school for any student with an anaphylactic

allergy. Please contact the school if your child has life threatening allergies (Please see Prescription

Medication for additional information regarding the Form A.)

Prescription/ Over-the Counter Medication

It is very important that the school is aware of any medical condition that your child may have.

Asthma and serious allergies are very common, and can become very serious threats to child safety. If

your child must take medication at school (e.g. puffers, epi-pens) you must have your physician fill in a

Administration of Prescribed Medications Form A available in the school office. Once complete, the

form must be returned to the school immediately, signed by a physician and with the medication. No

medication (including over-the-counter products such as Tylenol) will be administered without a

completed Form A.

Forms and medication not returned to the school promptly may necessitate students being kept

home until safety measures are in place. All Administration of Prescribed Medications Form A forms

must be completed on an annual basis. They do not carry over year to year.

Epi-Pens

If your child carries an Epi-Pen, it should be carried on his/her person in a fanny pack. The

school should be provided with two epi-pens so that one can be stored in the office in the event of an

emergency. A picture of each anaphylactic student will be kept with his/her medication in a secure

area of the office. All staff receive training in the use of the Epi-Pen.

Nutrition Break

All students will participate in a mid-morning replenishing break during which they may eat a

healthy snack and/or have a drink. Please make sure to include an extra snack in your child's lunch pack

for this daily energy break. Please ensure that the snack is free of all tree nuts and the food items sent

in also respect any additional food allergies in your child’s classroom.

Attendance and Punctuality

There is a direct correlation between students’ regular attendance at school and positive

student achievement. Student achievement is also positively impacted when students are consistently

on time for classes. It is important to establish these good habits early in the school year. We ask that

you ensure that your children are on time for the start of the school day. Similarly, we ask that you

please schedule any private lessons, such as piano lessons, outside of the school day.

By avoiding such appointments throughout the school day, it not only ensures your child’s

consistent participation in class activities, but also reduces disruption to the class lessons that occur

when students are frequently pulled out before the end of the day. Students also miss important

information when they arrive late or leave early. Thank-you for working together with us to set up our

students for success.

Physical Education

Who’s ready for another fun year in Physical Education class?! In P.E. class, students will

participate in a variety of activities, learning many different skills, movements and sports. Students

beginning in the third grade will be asked to bring a change of clothes (T-shirt and shorts) to participate

in P.E. class for safety and hygienic reasons. Proper footwear is also mandatory for P.E. class. Any type

of non-marking runners is acceptable. Crocs, sandals and similar footwear are not suitable for

participation in gym classes. Please note that any student without proper footwear will not be allowed

to participate in the class activities. For reasons of safety, any hanging jewellery such as necklaces and

hoop earrings are not to be worn. We thank you for ensuring that your child has proper attire and shoes

for safe and enjoyable participation in the Physical Education Program.

Lost and Found

Please remember to check the two Lost and Found boxes located in the lower hallway and in the

new wing on a regular basis.

Litter-less Lunches, Please

Whiteoaks has earned the designation of an Eco School, having received a Silver certification. At

Whiteoaks, we respect the environment; and we are trying hard to recycle, reuse and reduce. We ask

that you please do all you can to send litter-less lunches to school by using reusable containers and

minimizing foods with packaging. This promotes healthy eating, encourages respect for the environment

and helps to keep our schoolyard free of litter. Thank-you for your support of the litter-less lunch

program.

Dropping Off Lunches:

Lunch hour is a very busy time in the office at Whiteoaks. While we understand that students

occasionally forget their lunch and that parents need to come to school to drop one off, we appreciate

your assistance in keeping these instances to a minimum. When a student’s lunch is forgotten, parents

are asked to leave lunches labelled with student and teacher names on the counter inside the

office. If your child is expecting you to drop off a lunch, please encourage him/her to come down at

lunch hour to retrieve the lunch. If the lunch drop is unexpected, we will call your child down to pick up

his/her lunch. In order to maintain a safe environment and continuity of program, parents are not to go

directly to classrooms.

Visitors/Volunteers

Please help keep our school safe by following our procedures when visiting or volunteering at

Whiteoaks. You are required to sign in at the office and wear your identification badge. If you have

forgotten yours at home, please pick up a temporary identification pin/button from Mrs. Nolevski. The

date of the upcoming volunteer orientation session will be communicated in the near future.

It is a Peel District School Board policy that all new volunteers are required to provide an

original copy of a Criminal Record Check, which is processed free of charge by Peel Regional Police.

Application forms for the criminal record check are available at the school following a meeting with the

school principal. A valid, up-to-date Criminal Record Check is required for participation in field trips

with your child’s class.

We welcome parent volunteers at Whiteoaks, and before staff begins to assign volunteers to

classrooms, participation in the Parent Volunteer Orientation Meeting is required by all volunteers to

discuss changes, expectations, and important information about your role. More information will follow.

Please Support Our School Council

School Council is a very important parent advisory group at our school. Make your voice count

and please get involved. We are seeking new members and are looking forward to an exciting year! If

you are interested in filling a position on Council, please complete the nomination form inserted in

this newsletter and return it to the school by September 12th. We look forward to your participation!

School Council Roles:

Chair / Co-Chair

Meet with the Principal to set the School Council Meeting Agendas

Act as liaison between the school and community

Communicate with the community and school

Co-ordinate Council activities

Chair School Council Meetings

Treasurer

Keep a record of School Council fundraising monies

Track the expenditure of funds raised

Report fundraising and expenditures to Council and to the community

Secretary

Produce a record of minutes of School Council meetings

Submit minutes for approval by School Council Chair and the Principal

Our first meeting of the Whiteoaks School Council is scheduled for Wednesday, October 2nd at 7pm

in the school library.

Parent Bulletin Board

Be sure to check the parent /community bulletin board by Exit Door 5 (the main entrance door,

close to the office). If you have information you would like posted, please leave a copy for Mr. Lorentz

to approve before posting.

School Council Elections Process for Whiteoaks P.S. 2013-14

Whiteoaks School Council continues to play a vital part in the education of our students. All parents/guardians of Whiteoaks students are welcomed and encouraged to attend Council meetings. If you would like to be a voting member of Council, you must be elected into a position. The process for the election is very simple and follows the Ministry's guidelines and the Peel District School Board's Operating Procedures for School Council elections. These guidelines ensure a fair and transparent process, allowing all parents equal access to contribute to our fantastic school. Please consult the timelines below. Please note that the Whiteoaks 2013-2014 Council will remain in effect until the new Council is established.

The Election Process 1. On September 03, 2013 nomination forms will be sent home. Forms will also be available in the main office.

2. Interested parents may self-nominate or nominate a parent member (with his/her approval) and return the nomination form to the school office by September 12, 2013

3. Once nominations are received, the principal and current School Council Chair will tally the names of all of the parents who were nominated and/or self- nominated. If the nominations received for voting parent positions are less than or equal to the number of voting parent positions required (nine positions), then these parents will be acclaimed at the first meeting of Council. If there are more than nine parents interested in a voting position, a ballot will be created as explained below.

4. In the event that a vote is needed to determine our nine voting parents, a ballot will be created and left in the office. All Whiteoaks parents are invited to cast a ballot in the office during school hours on Thursday, September 19, 2013. The last opportunity to cast a ballot will be at 4:00pm on Thursday, September 19, 2013, at which time the polls will close. Parents are encouraged to contact Mr. Lorentz if they will not be able to cast a vote during the time provided. In the event of a vote, nominated parents will also be asked to provide a short bio that would be available for view in the office and on the school website.

5. The elected parent representatives will be contacted and these representatives will constitute the School Council. Executive positions (Chair, Secretary & Treasurer) will be subject to a vote at the first meeting of Council on October 2, 2013. These positions will be voted on by the nine elected parent representatives of Council.

6. Within thirty days following the first meeting of the School Council on October 2, 2013, the community will be advised of all of the elected positions and the composition of the Whiteoaks School Council for the 2013 - 2014 school year.

ALL PARENTS ARE INVITED AND WELCOME TO ATTTEND ALL SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETINGS. HOLDING AN OFFICIAL VOTING POSITION IS NOT A PREREQUISITE TO ATTEND WHITEOAKS SCHOOL COUNCIL EVENINGS

Appendix A

Parent School Council Candidate Nomination Form

WHITEOAKS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Name

Address

Home phone # Business phone #

I am the parent/guardian of

(student name and date of birth)

who is currently registered in this school.

I wish to declare my candidacy for an elected position as a parent representative on the school council. I

understand the role and responsibilities of a member of the school council as described in the Peel Board’s school

council policy.

Candidate signature Date

Received by Date

Nomination form receipt

The nomination form for parent representative on the school council for

___________________________________________ has been received.

Whiteoaks Public School

Date

Mr. Lorentz, Principal

Principal: Greg Lorentz Superintendent: Wendy Dowling

Vice Principal: Christine Barnes (Acting) Trustee: Brad McDonald

Principal: Greg Lorentz Superintendent: Wendy Dowling Vice Principal: Christine Barnes (Acting) Trustee: Brad MacDonald Administrative Staff Custodial Staff Office Manager: J.Nolevski Head Custodian: S. Cooper Office Assistants: G. Piatek / R. Sembhi Night Custodian: T. Borges Teaching Staff S. Gallant Kindergarten K. Lancaster Kindergarten K. Walton Kindergarten P. Hughes(LTO) Core French/PT-F.I. M. Eastwood Kindergarten – AM only M. Cirovic Core French/PT-F.I. V. Mannering Kindergarten – PM only K. McGibbon Library/PT-F.I. L. Helsby Grade 1 English A. Campbell ISSP/ESL B. Churly Grade 1 F.I. D. French ISSP/ Gr 5 Eng K. Kormann Grade 1 F.I. M. Mazzucco ISSP W.Mundy/J.Oliva(LTO) Grade 1 F.I. S. Villa ISSP J.Oliva(LTO)/W.Mundy Grade 1 F.I. M. Auchterlonie Music D. Stewart Grade 1 F.I. D. Kim Phys. Ed M. Eastwood Eng. Planning Time D. Axiak Grade 2/3 English H. Lavalley Eng. Planning Time TBA (LTO) Grade 2 F.I. C. Lee Eng. Planning Time J. Racanelli Grade 2 F.I. B. Milroy Phys. Ed J. Marino Grade 2 F.I. M. Wilson Eng. Planning Time TBA (LTO) Grade 2 F.I. T. Raso F.I. Planning Time J. Madden(LTO) Grade 2 F.I. S. Atanassova Grade 3/4 English T. Hutt Spec. Needs ERF M. Bird Grade 3/4 F.I. M. Cassolato Spec. Needs ERF E. Goulden Grade 3 F.I. D. Robson Behaviour ERF A. Wald Grade 3 F.I. ERF = Educational Resource Facilitator C. Ramirez Grade 3 F.I. A. McKillop Grade 3 F.I. S. Galbraith ECE N.Patrick/K.Cassidy(LTO) Grade 3 F.I. S. Mendelin ECE N. Gharios ECE B. Milroy/D. Kim Grade 4/5 English G. Geller ECE J. Gregory Grade 4/5 F.I. ECE = Early Childhood Educator S. Wilson/S. Ghaffarpour Grade 4 F.I. S. Ghaffarpour/S. Wilson Grade 4 F.I. D. French/T. Marriott Grade 5 English L. McFarland Grade 5 F.I. P. Parry/K.Marin Grade 5 F.I. K. Marin/ P. Parry Grade 5 F.I

WHITEOAKS STAFF

September 03, 2013

Dear Peel District School Board Families:

We all want our students to experience success and we do this by focussing on their well being as well as their academics. If a student is facing challenges at home or school it influences how they learn, grow and interact with others. Our goal is to help our students. We have a number of resources within our schools and within the community to help students. One of the organizations we partner with is Peel Children’s Aid, our local Children’s Aid Society whose role it is to support and help strengthen families so children are safe and well. Last year, Peel CAS worked with about 10,000 Peel families who were experiencing stressors and difficulties related to their children. Ninety percent of Peel CAS work is with children and their families. Peel Children’s Aid is mandated under the provincial Child and Family Services Act to investigate children in need of protection and work with families to keep children safe. This Act has specific requirements which school staff must follow:

School staff do not have a choice if they suspect that a student is or may be in need of protection. Staff must report their suspicions directly and immediately to the Children's Aid Society.

When staff report concerns to Children's Aid, they must also share with them any information about the concern which might otherwise be confidential. We must share information so the Children’s Aid Society can learn more about what is happening and work with families to find solutions, whenever possible.

It is not the school's responsibility to investigate suspicions, evaluate the situation or assign blame.

Staff can be fined $1,000 for failing to report that a student is or may be in need of protection. Staff may also be subject to employment consequences and a provincial offence charge under the Child and Family Services Act.

Our staff are aware and knowledgeable of the signs of child abuse and neglect, and as such, has a legal

responsibility to report any suspicions to Children's Aid. It is not necessary for staff to be sure that a student is or

may be in need of protection. All that is needed is "reasonable grounds to suspect" abuse or neglect. "Reasonable

grounds" is defined as being what the average person would expect given his or her training, background and

experience.

The Peel District School Board is fully committed to meeting the legal requirements of the Child and Family Services

Act. Staff has the full support of the board in meeting this obligation.

Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility – parents, schools, police, Children’s Aid and all members of the

community. At the Peel District School Board, we are committed to the welfare of our students.

Sincerely,

Tony Pontes

Director of Education

September 3, 2013

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Re: Student Accident Insurance 2013-2014

Protect your kids—and your finances

Each year, many of our families spend thousands of dollars when their children are injured at school, on

field trips or at home. For pennies a day, this can all be avoided.

The Peel District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that

occur on school property or during school activities including extracurricular sports. If a student is

injured, parents are responsible for any costs not covered by provincial health care or their employer's

health care plan. Please check with your provider regarding your coverage.

The provincial health care system does not cover costs which are commonly related to accidents including dental work, ambulance fees, casts and crutches, and physiotherapy. All of these are covered by Reliable Life’s student accident insurance plan.

To help protect your family, it is recommended that you consider obtaining student accident insurance.

The insuremykids® Protection Plan is available through Reliable Life Insurance Company, which offers a

variety of plans and benefits at affordable prices for as little as $6.00 per year.

The attached application form provides details regarding rates and coverage plans. Family rates for

three or more children are available even if they attend different schools in Peel. Additional savings

are available with 3 Year and 5 Year Plans for on-line purchases prior to October 1, 2013.

If you purchase a plan as described above, the insurance agreement is between You and Reliable Life

Insurance Company. Please mail the application directly to them with your payment (no cash) using

the self addressed stamped application form.

You can also apply for coverage online at www.insuremykids.com. For more information call Reliable

Life Insurance Company toll free at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).

Sept. 3, 2013

Dear Whiteoaks families,

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful summer. I am writing to update you on the construction of our full-

day kindergarten classes. If you've ever built a new home, you know that there are often delays that are beyond

your control. Although progress was made over the summer, the work continues and we expect the addition to be

completed by the end of November 2013. In the interim, kindergarten classes will take place in two of the school’s

portables, as well as the school’s library.

I want to assure you that the safety of students and staff is a top priority. I hope that together, we can reinforce to

children the need for extra care and caution during our school's ongoing construction.

Thank you for your patience as we continue the work to build additional classrooms that will provide students with

an incredible learning environment. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at the

school at 905-822-0451.

Gregory Lorentz

Principal

Whiteoaks P.S. 1690 Mazo Cres. Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1Y8 T 905.822-0451 F 905.822-5973 Principal: Greg Lorentz Vice-Principal: Christine Barnes Office Manager: Jolanta Nolevski Office Assistant: Grace Piatek Rimple Sembhi

Together we build our

future at Whiteoaks