Important Date:

Monday, October 5

Teachers’ Recognition Day

Monday, October 12

Thanksgiving — No School

Wednesday, October 14

Principal / VP Day

Wednesday, October 21

Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Thursday, October 28

DECE Appreciation Day

October 2020

http://schools.peelschools.org/1280

Principal: Ms K. Bergen

Vice-Principal: Ms L. May

Superintendent: Mr. D. Van Hooydonk

Office Manager: Mrs. K. Nummi

Office Assistant: Mrs. C. Caramanda

Trustee: Mr. J. Marchant

Next deadline to switch learning models is Oct. 14 at 12 p.m.

Over the first 2 weeks of October, families have the opportunity to request a switch in learning models from online to in-person learning, or vice-versa. The deadline to submit your request is Oct. 14, 2020 at 12 p.m. These changes will take effect on Nov. 18, 2020. How can families request a change? Families who would like to switch learning models must contact their in-person school via phone or emailing Mineola.ps@peelsb.com by Oct. 14, 2020 at 12 p.m. Please provide the school with the following information:

1. Student name 2. Student number (This can be found on your child's last report card) 3. Learning model choice (For K-8 students: in-person or online. For Grade 9-12 stu-

dents: adaptive learning or fully online)

If your child will be remaining in the same learning model, no action is required.

When will students start their new learning model? Students' first day in their new learn-ing model will be Nov. 18, 2020. Leading up to this date, students should continue to at-tend their classes as usual. We will use this time to plan for your child's smooth transition into their new learning model, ensure health and safety measures are in place, and make any necessary adjustments to staffing.

What if I miss this deadline? Will there be other opportunities to change learning mod-els? After the Oct. 14 deadline has passed, students will remain in their chosen learning model until the next key entry date. Another opportunity to switch learning models will be January 2021.

Due to the considerable impact switching learning models has on staffing, physical distanc-ing and students' continuous learning, transitions between learning models can only take place at key entry dates. Families are strongly encouraged to avoid switching between learn-ing models multiple times throughout the school year. If you have any questions, please visit the Peel District School Board website or contact your child's school directly.

Visiting your child’s school

To limit and track the number of visitors in our schools, only essential visitors will be permitted into schools.

If families wish to speak to someone at the school, they are asked to do so by emailing or calling the school

directly. You may be required to make an appointment to visit the school based on the reason for your visit.

Upon arriving at the school, visitors are required to:

1. Enter through the main entrance door using the buzzer or by phone

2. Wait in the established waiting area outside the main

entrance

3. Wear a mask/face covering

DO NOT require appointments Require appointments

Family member or caregiver who is picking up a sick

child or has another emergency. Only one adult per

household should attend the school at once.

Family or caregiver who is meeting with school

staff to discuss an issue with their child of a non-

urgent nature. All meetings should take place virtu-

ally or by phone whenever possible.

4. Sign in upon entry, and sign out when you leave

5. Physically distance as much as possible

Families encouraged to sign up for ParentConnect to access school alerts, report cards,

busing info and more online

To help keep families connect to their children’s education experience, we are encouraging all Peel District

School Board parents/guardians to sign up for ParentConnect. ParentConnect is our online parent portal

which provides parents/guardians with a single access point to stay informed, access services online and re-

ceive important information about your children.

ParentConnect allows parents/guardians to:

view school based alerts and information

access the parent/guardian view of Brightspace for PDSB Online School

track real time absence reporting

view current and historic elementary report cards for your child(ren)

get up-to-date busing information

review secondary school credit history and diploma status

To register and begin using ParentConnect, visit www.peelschools.org/parentconnect or click the

ParentConnect button on your child’s school website. Parents/guardians that have used ParentConnect in the

past will continue to have access to your child(ren)s information. You do not need to register again.

The ParentConnect online portal can be accessed through any computer, smartphone Internet browser and/

or tablets by visiting parent.peelschools.org. Families can also download the mobile app titled Peel

ParentConnect through Google Play Store or Apple Store.

If you have any questions about ParentConnect, please call the school or visit the ParentConnect FAQ page.

If you encounter technical issues signing up for an account, please email ParentConnect@peelsb.com.

October is International Walk to School Month

According to the 2015 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card, about 91 per cent of 5-to-17-year-olds are

not meeting Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines to get at least 60 minutes of daily moderate-to vigorous-

intensity physical activity. These declining activity levels are linked to obesity, illness and chronic diseases

(i.e., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer).

Using active transportation for the school journey is one of the easiest ways for students to get regular daily

physical activity. Managing time to allow for the walk or bike ride to school will become a positive habit

that leads to children arriving on time, refreshed and energized for the school day.

That is why our school will be participating in International Walk to School Day on

Wednesday, October 7. On that day—and throughout the month, if you can—walk, bike,

blade, scooter, skip or hop to school… but don’t drive!

International Walk to School month is part of the Active & Safe Routes to School program.

Visit www.saferoutestoschool.ca for more information.

Celebrate Educational Assistant & Early Childhood Educators’ Appreciation Day on

Oct. 28

In 2014, the board of trustees declared the last Wednesday in October as the Peel Educational Assistants

and Early Childhood Educators’ (ECE) Appreciation Day. This year, the recognition day falls on October

28, 2020. The Peel board appreciates the important work of educational assistants and ECEs, and the contri-

butions that they make in the lives of children, families and community members.

Registration Open for Continuing Education International Languages program for K-12

The opportunity to study a language in addition to English and French can benefit all students, society in

general and an increasingly independent world, including:

students with no prior knowledge of a particular language

students whose first language is English or French and who wish to study their home languages as a sec-

ond or third language

students whose first language is their home language

The International Languages program is based on oral communications, reading and writing in languages

other than English or French. Grammar and language knowledge are incorporated into each of the three skill

areas.

Any student who is currently enrolled in a Peel District School Board elementary or secondary school is eli-

gible to attend. Classes will operate online each Saturday from mid-September to mid-June, except for holi-

day weekends and school vacations. Credit classes are 3.5 hours per day and run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Elementary classes are 2.5 hours per day and run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The online classes will take

place through Google Classroom or Brightspace – your child’s teacher will contact students to let them

know which platform will be used.

Registration is currently open. In partnership with School Day, Continuing Education offers an online, cash-

less registration process. Please visit www.peelschools.org/conted/il for further information.

“October 2020: Identifying Our Strengths and Assessing Our Needs –

The Wheel of Well-Being

From the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team

Welcome to the second month of a school year like no other. We have made it this far, and we should con-

gratulate ourselves, although it is important to note we are all at different points of coping with the upheaval

and loss COVID-19 has created in our lives.

As the fall leaves start to turn colour and we are settling into the school year, now is a good time to reflect on

our strengths and needs. The Kids Help Phone has an easy to fill in Wheel of Well-Being to help us accom-

plish that. The Wheel is divided into sections: Physical Health, Emotions, Relationships, Environment,

School and Work, Spirituality, and Creativity and Thinking; with you (or your family) at the centre. It is an

excellent visual guide to help you think about what, or who, can fill in any missing gaps to increase your

support system. The Wheel of Well-Being can be completed as a family activity, or you can do it inde-

pendently using it as a discussion aid for conversations about what each family member might need. It can

also allow you to identify strengths you may not previously have appreciated. You can find the template, and

suggestions to consider for each section here: www.kidshelpphone.ca/get-info/kids-help-phones-wheel-of-

well-being

You could also make your own wheel as a creative exercise, with you at the centre, or “our family” at the

centre. Often creative exercises can be a safe way to help us talk to each other during challenging times. If

you do make your own wheel and feel comfortable to share a photo, please tag @MHRTPeel and

#WELLinPEEL.

Despite the challenges 2020 has brought us, remember to tell yourself

that you are doing your best; that it is okay to not feel your best; that we

are all in this together, and we are doing the best we can with the re-

sources we have. Please consider seeking support if you feel you or

your child/teen needs it. Now more than ever before, our mental well-

being is just as important as our physical well being.

If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health visit

www.peelschools.org/schools/reopening/mental-health-and-well-being-

supports for further information and links to school and community re-

sources. For updates and to follow along with the work of the PDSB

Mental Health Resource Team, find them on Twitter @MHRTPeel.

Acknowledgement:

Indigenous teaching reminds us that mental wellness is a balance of the mental, physical, spiritual and emo-

tional parts of ourselves and is enr iched when individuals exper ience purpose, hope,

Regional Learning Choices Programs empower students to unlock their passions

Regional Learning Choices Programs, offered by the Peel District School Board, empower students by provid-

ing them with opportunities to develop and explore skills in a particular area of interest. Regional programs are

open to all students who meet the criteria for acceptance. Students and their families are encouraged to attend

the information night for the program of their choice to receive more information about the program and appli-

cation details.

Transportation is not provided for students in regional programs. If students have been accepted into a regional

program and they live within the school boundary, they are eligible for busing only if they meet the distance

criteria outlined in the board’s Transportation Policy #39.

All regional programs include annual fees, including a non-refundable $40 application fee, except the Region-

al Skilled Trades and Transportation Engineering and Technology programs, which are offered at no cost.

Please note that support are available for families who are interested in applying and may require financial as-

sistance — please speak to your principal.

For more information go to: www.peelschools.org/RegionalPrograms.

Programs Starts in grade: 6 7 9

Actively in Motion (AIM) – Royal Orchard MS

Advanced Placement – Central Peel SS, John Fraser SS

Arts – Earnscliffe Sr. PS (starts in grade 6), Queen Elizabeth Sr. PS (starts in grade 7), Cawthra Park SS,

Mayfield SS

Arts and Technology – Morning Star MS

Graphic Design Management – T.L. Kennedy SS

International Baccalaureate – Bristol Road. MS, W.G. Davis Sr. PS, Erindale SS, Glenforest SS, Harold

M. Brathwaite SS, Turner Fenton SS

International Business and Technology – Allan A. Martin Sr. PS, Lisgar MS, Williams Parkway. Sr. PS,

Meadowvale SS, North Park SS, T.L. Kennedy SS

International and Executive Leadership Academy – T.L. Kennedy SS

Regional Skilled Trades – Judith Nyman (starting in September 2020

SciTech – Centennial Sr. PS, Macville PS, Tomken Road. MS, Chinguacousy SS, Port Credit SS

Sports – Applewood Heights SS

Strings – Central Peel SS, Port Credit SS

Truck and Coach Engineering and Technology – Bramalea SS

Applications open Applications close

ELEMENTARY Jan. 25, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 8, 2021 at 3 p.m.

SECONDARY Nov. 9, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 23, 2020 at 3 p.m.

Peel District School Board program offers

flexible school options for student

athletes, artists

Does your child/teen have an intense sports or arts train-

ing and competition schedule that makes it difficult to attend school regularly? The Peel District School

Board’s Peel Region High Performers Program will offer flexible timetabling to accommodate student ath-

letes and artists with demanding practice, competition, rehearsal and/or performance schedules.

Peel Region High Performers Program is offered at:

Britannia Public School (grades 4 to 5) Dolphin Sr. Public School (grades 6 to 8)

Mississauga Secondary School (grades 9 to 12)

For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/HighPerformers or contact the school.

Oct. 21 opportunity to say ‘thanks’ to bus drivers

Peel schools will pay tribute to bus drivers on Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Oct. 21, 2020. The day will

be celebrated with special activities that provide teachers, students and parents an opportunity to thank the

people who safely transport students to and from school each day.

If your child rides the bus to school, take this opportunity to thank the bus driver for his or her contribution

and ask your child to do so too. The Peel board appreciates the important job bus drivers do each school day

and Oct. 21 provides an opportunity to give these individuals the recognition they deserve.

Peel board recognizes Peel Principals and Vice-Principals’ Day on Oct. 14

In 2018, the board of trustees declared the second Wednesday of October as Peel Principals and Vice-

Principals’ Day. This year, this date will be celebrated on Oct. 14. This day allows the community to recog-

nize the important work of principals and vice-principals, and to acknowledge the lasting contributions that

they make in the lives of students, families and community members. Take a moment to let your principal

Website: http:// schools.peelschools.org/1280 e-mail: mineola.ps@peelsb.com

Twitter: @MineolaPS Telephone: (905) 278-3144 Fax: 905-278-7639