Tottenham Public School

December 2016 Newsletter tot.scdsb.on.ca

From The Desk of Mrs. Nixon….

A heartfelt thank you to our School Council and the many Parent Volunteers who made our annual

Pancake Breakfast and Craft Fair last Saturday such a huge success! It was wonderful to have families from

the Tottenham community in our school as they shopped for crafts, enjoyed goodies at the bake sale, bid on

silent auction items, and had a pancake breakfast served by members of the Tottenham Steam Hockey

Team. We especially appreciated the generous donations from local businesses! AND it was wonderful to

have our TPS Choir performing in the Tottenham Santa Claus Parade!

This month at Tottenham Public School, students are focusing on the character trait of “Empathy”. I continue to be very proud of the way our students are growing daily in their commitment to demonstrating

positive character and are remembering the importance of ‘treating others the way that they want to be treated!’ Thank you for your ongoing partnership in growing kids with character!

On behalf of the entire staff of Tottenham Public School, I wish you and your dear

families great joy this Christmas season and may we always remember how truly fortunate

we are and give with generous hearts, to help others in need. Best wishes for a New Year

filled with immense joy, adventurous learning, good health, and a heart overflowing with

love. Hope to see you at our TPS “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Concert on

Thursday December 22nd – Matinee (11:45 am) OR Evening (6:00 pm) performances. Best

wishes for a happy holiday with your wonderful family and loved ones!

SPIRIT DAYS The Student Leadership Team would like to

invite everyone to get into the holiday spirit by

participating in three spirit filled days.

Tuesday December 20th is Festive Sock Day

and students are encouraged to wear festive

socks to school. The fun continues on

Wednesday December 21st with Holiday Dress

Up Day. On Holiday Dress Up Day, students

can wear holiday hats, ugly holiday sweaters,

red and green or other holiday themed

clothing. On Friday December 23rd, we will

end the week with Pajama Day. The Student

Leadership Team can't wait to see everyone

joining in on the fun!

T.P.S. Fill the Food Bank Walk Monday December 12, 2016!! Join us in teaching our children that the little things

they do can have a big impact. On Monday

December 12, 2016, we will have our 3rd

Annual T.P.S. Fill the Food Bank Walk! Students are

asked to bring a donation of non-perishable food

items to the school and our entire school will

parade to Our Town Food Bank so that the

children can make their donation in person to the

food bank volunteers. Most needed items include

canned and dried pasta and sauces, canned

meat and meat alternatives such as peanut

butter, canned beans, soups and stews, canned

vegetables and fruit, and whole grain cereals. Too

much to carry? We hope to have our New

Tecumseth Fire Fighters join us again this year to

bring larger donations by truck! We look forward to

working together to fill the food bank for the

holiday season!

Message From the Health Unit Bedtime Stressing You Out?

Kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night but sometimes getting them to bed can be frustrating. You can help create a regular sleep schedule for your child by setting a clear bedtime and sticking to the same time every night. Start getting ready an hour before bed: turn off the TV, computers and phones. Spend quality time talking or reading stories to help them unwind. Agree on how many books you’ll read before you start! Keep their room dark, cool and quiet - a nightlight is fine. Remember, making sure your child gets enough rest will help improve their mood, behaviour and ability to learn.

Kiss And Ride Reminders For the safety of our students, we

would ask that you please try to follow

the following guidelines for our Kiss &

Ride Zone:

1. Please enter the “Zone” from the RIGHT only.

2. Please exit the “Zone” turning RIGHT only.

3. Please only remove your children from your vehicle onto

the sidewalk (passenger side), not onto the road.

4. Please obey the supervising crossing guard and stop to

allow students and parents to cross at the pedestrian

walkway in our parking lot.

A Friday Night Out for PARENTS! Once again this year, we are pleased to offer Child Care (with a difference!) on the evening of Friday

December 9th. From 4:30 – 8:30 pm, you are welcome to drop off your children (ages 4-10), for a fun evening of gym time, crafts, movies, and a pizza

dinner. This is a Fundraiser for our Grade 8 students and their Year End Graduation Trip. The

cost is $15.00 per child! (Discount for families with more than 1 child).) Don’t miss this great “Date Night” or “Shopping Night” opportunity! Please

complete the attached reservation form and bring your payment when you drop off your child(ren).

Please complete the registration form with emergency contact details.

All School Playgrounds Are Closed For

The Winter

Every winter, school playground structures are closed. Students are made aware of this during school hours through announcements and staff reminders during breaks. This may not be well known throughout the community despite signs indicating that playground structures are a winter hazard and are closed. The Canadian Standards Association Regulations make recommendations for the depth of ground cover required to minimize injuries (eg. sand, pea gravel, or wood chips). These surfaces cannot be maintained when the ground freezes. Injuries from falling would be more significant on frozen ground. We strongly recommend that you do not allow your children to play on any structures while the ground is frozen.

Proposed 2017-18 School Year Calendar Input

The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) invites public school communities to submit input regarding the proposed school year calendar for next school year (Sept. 2017 to June 2018). Input can be provided by visiting www.scdsb.on.ca, then clicking the link on the ‘School Year Calendars’ page under the ‘Schools’ menu. All stakeholders including staff, school council members, parents/guardians, students and members of the school community are invited to provide input. The deadline to submit input is Jan. 13, 2017.

Message from the Health Unit: Stay Healthy This School Year! Colds and Influenza spread easily from person to person. These germs can spread directly from person to person when someone coughs or sneezes, or indirectly when germs land on hard surfaces like door knobs, desks, keyboards, or wet tissues and then are touched by someone. These germs can then enter the body through the eyes, nose or mouth.

The most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and stop the spread of germs to others is wash your hands with soap and warm running water for at least 15 seconds. If your hands are not visibly dirty, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 15 seconds. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or cough into your sleeve or upper arm and stay home if you are sick. Teach your kids to do the same!

For more tips to keep you and your family healthy this school year, contact Health Connection at 1-877-721-7520 or visit the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

Register Your Child For French Immersion The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) offers French Immersion (FI) at select schools throughout the county beginning in Grade 1. This program gives students a bilingual education and the opportunity to become fluent in another language. Information sessions will be held in January for parents of students in Senior Kindergarten. A letter will be sent home to those parents with more details. Information session dates will be posted at www.scdsb.on.ca under Programs, French as a Second Language. The FI online application form will be available from 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 at www.scdsb.on.ca under Programs, French as a Second Language. While every effort is made to accommodate all FI applications, available space and staffing will determine how many students can be registered in the program. Applications will be processed in the order they are received electronically. Please contact the school if you do not have Internet access at home or require assistance accessing the online application. Please note that the host sites for FI may change during your child’s time in the program, and your child may need to move schools. This may also include splitting the program between two different sites.

HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHTS

Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) secondary schools are hosting information sessions for Grade 8

students and their parents to support the transition to high school.

“We know starting Grade 9 can be an exciting time for students and parents,” says Kathi Wallace, Director of

Education.

“Families are invited to come and learn about the great opportunities our public high schools offer for students as

they embark on this next stage of their education.”

High school information nights provide an overview of secondary school life and the many opportunities available.

SCDSB high schools offer a wide-range of programming, including Co-op, Dual Credit, eLearning, Ontario Youth

Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM).

The SCDSB also offers alternative secondary school programs in 10 locations. The school is designed for students

who have difficulty coping with a large school setting and who may benefit from small class sizes, one-on-one

assistance, flexibility and close relationships with the teachers.

Visit http://www.scdsb.on.ca/Schools/Pages/highschool.aspx for more information about high school.

Banting Memorial HS—Tuesday Feb 7th @ 7:00 pm

Barrie North Collegiate—Wednesday November 30th @ 6:30 pm

Bear Creek SS—Thursday January 12th @ 6:30 pm

Bradford District HS— Thursday January 19th @ 6:00 pm

Collingwood Collegiate Institute— Tuesday January 17th @ 7:00 pm

Georgian Bay District SS—Wednesday November 23rd @5:30 pm

Eastview SS— Wednesday February 22nd @ 6:30 pm

Elmvale District HS—Wednesday January 18th @ 6:30 pm

Innisdale SS—Wednesday December 7th @ 7:00 pm

Nantyr Shores SS—Wednesday January 18th @ 7:00 pm

Nottawasaga Pines SS—Wednesday February 22nd @ 6:00 pm

Orillia SS—Wednesday January 18th @ 6:00 pm

Stayner Collegiate—Wednesday November 30th @ 6:00 pm

Twin Lakes SS—Wednesday January 18th @ 7:00 pm

Kindergarten Registration Opens in January

Do you (or someone you know) have a child who was born in 2013? If so, it’s almost time to register them for Kindergarten in the SCDSB! Beginning on January 23, 2017, Simcoe County’s public schools will register children for Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year. Required registration documents include birthdate documentation, proof of address and record of immunization. Visit www.scdsb.on.ca/kindergarten for more information.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

3

4 5

School Council

Mtg @ 6:30 pm

6 7 8

DARE

Graduation

@5pm

9

Gr.6 Trip to

Miracle on 34th

Street

10

11 12

Fill The Food Bank

Walk

13 14 15

16

17

18 19 20

Festive

Sock Day

21

Holiday

Dress Up Day

22

Winter Concert

Matinee-11:45 Evening-6:00

23

Character Assembly

24

25

Merry Christmas

&

Happy Chanukah

26

27 28 29

30 31

1 2

3 4 5 6 7

December 2016

Tottenham Public School

21 Rogers Road

Tottenham, ON

L0G 1W0

Susan Nixon, Principal

tot.scdsb.on.ca School Website...PLEASE

SUBSCRIBE

(905)936-4951 Phone

(905)936-2832 Fax

* First Day Back to School January 9th 2017 *