Dear Families,

As always, there is always a lot going on at Vellore Woods!

We would like to thank both Ms. Lambert and Mrs. Pringle for their work with Vellore

Woods PS students. We would also like to welcome back Ms. Brett and Mrs. Weller.

Congratulations to the stu-

dents who participated in the

Regional Chess Tournament.

Vellore Woods was proudly

represented by Anthony, Jake,

Justin, Matin and Saad who all

placed in the top 20 for their

age groups! A special con-

gratulations goes to Jake who

tied for third in his category!

Thank you to our volunteer Mr. Luong for leading Chess and to Mr. Oberoi and Ms. Sterling

for their assistance.

We have two exciting evenings planned for April—a Family Math Night and an evening by

parents for parents. Please see page 5 in this newsletter for more information.

Shawna Gates, Principal and Elizabeth Lau, Vice-Principal

Vellore Viewpoint M A R C H 2 0 1 6

V O L U M E 7

Vellore Woods PS 115 Starling Blvd.

Woodbridge, ON

L4H 2T9

www.vellorewoods.ps.yrdsb.ca

vellorewoods.wordpress.com @VelloreWoods

Principal: Ms. S. Gates

905-417-9211 x155 Vice-Principal:

Ms. E. Lau 905-417-9211 x154

Elementary Office Administrative Assistant: Ms. C. Labate 905-417-9211 x151

Secretary: Mrs. G. Zuzek

905-417-9211 x150 Superintendent:

Mr. C. LaTouche 905-764-6830

Trustee: Mrs. L. Aversa 647-462-0921

O U R M I S S I O N :

To advance student achievement and well-being through public education, which motivates learners, fosters inclusion, inspires innovation and builds community.

Inside:

Calendar 2

Staying Healthy 3

Muskoka Woods 4

Upcoming Evenings:

Family Math

Parent session

5

Summer Learning

Programs

5

Monthly Math Insert 6-8

Winter Carnaval 9

Special Olympics

Sports Festival

10

Administrator’s Message

Please remember to register for School Cash Online. The link

is found on the Vellore Woods School website.

Thursday, April 7 Gr. 7&8—3 Musketeers Performance

Parent Evening: Creating True “Face Time” in our Homes—

more details to follow

Wednesday, April 13 Family Math Night—Welcome to Mathville! - more details to

follow

Friday, April 15 Public Health—Gr. 7&8 Vaccinations

Gr. 6 VIP Program begins

Monday, April 18 Gr. 7 Program with School Community Officer

School Council Meeting

Wednesday, April 20 Jump Rope for Heart Kickoff Assembly

Friday, April 22 Vaughan—20 Minute Makeover!

Monday, April 25 Gr. 8 Program with School Community Officer

Tuesday, April 26 Assembly

Friday, April 29 Spring and Sibling Photo Day

Upcoming Dates and Events

P A G E 2

March 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Day 5

2 Day 1 3 Day 2 4 Day 3 5

6 7 Day 4

Sash & Toque

Day

8 Day 5

Sports Spirit Day

9 Day 1

Red & White

Day

10 Day 2

Blue & White

Day

11 Day 3

Winter Carnaval!

12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 Day 4

School Council

@ 7 pm (library)

22 Day 5 23 Day 1 24 Day 2 25

Good Friday

(no school)

26

27 28

Easter Monday

(no school)

29 Day 3 30 Day 4 31 Day 5

Assembly

MARCH BREAK - NO SCHOOL

P A G E 3

Staying Healthy Student absences have increased recently within several schools in York Region, related to illnesses with respiratory

and enteric symptoms.

To protect staff, students and families from getting ill, remember to:

Stay at home when you are sick, and keep your child home if they are sick

Keep healthy by eating healthy foods, being physically active and ensuring your immunizations are up-to-date,

including the seasonal flu shot

Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Wash your hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are

not available

Cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue, not your hand, and throw away used tissues immediately

Avoid touching your face

Clean and disinfect common surfaces

Symptoms of respiratory and/or enteric illness can include:

Headache

Chills

Fever (over 38 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit)

Muscle aches and fatigue

Runny nose

Sneezing

Sore throat

Watery eyes

Loss of appetite

Nausea and vomiting

Diarrhea

If you or your child are sick and do not improve, contact your health care provider.

Many viruses are commonly active at this time of year, for example norovirus and influenza (flu). Both viruses are very

contagious and can be spread by contact with contaminated surfaces, such as door knobs or eating utensils. For more

information, read the norovirus and flu fact sheets online at the following links:

Norovirus fact sheet

Flu fact sheet

Vellore Woods School Council Executive: Ann Chambers–Smith (Co-Chair)

Lynette Katsivo (Co-Chair)

Alexandra Balasoiu (Treasurer)

Sandra Borzellino (Secretary)

School Council can be contacted via email at: vellore.woods.ps@sc.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

School Council—Next Meeting Monday, March 21st, 2016

The Grade 8 overnight trip

took place from Wednes-

day, February 3rd to Friday,

February 5th.

Students boarded the bus

north to Lake Rousseau and

engaged in many activities

over the three days there

including:

Cross country skiing

Indoor rock climbing

High and low ropes

Tubing

Snow Shoeing

Team building chal-

lenges

A special thank you to Mr.

McInnis for organizing the

trip. Thanks go out as well

to Ms. Burnett, Ms. War-

rington and Ms. Hishon for

accompanying the students

on this overnight adventure!

P A G E 4

Muskoka Woods 2016

P A G E 5

Upcoming Family and Parent/Guardian Evenings

Family Math Night—

Welcome to Mathville!

When: Wednesday, April 13th, 2016

Where: Vellore Woods PS

First Floor

What: Students are invited to bring their families to Mathville—the Vellore Woods Math Community! Visit

various community places and participate in math activities! At the end of your visit to Mathville,

families will receive various math items to continue the learning at home!

By Parents, For Parents

Creating True “Face Time” In Our Homes

When: Thursday, April 7th, 2016

5:30—6:00 p.m.—light dinner available for purchase in gym

6:00—7:30 p.m.—Parent session in the library; babysitting provided for children

Where: Vellore Woods PS

Library and Gym

What: Parents/Guardians are invited to participate in a discussion on two topics:

1) How to create an environment of trust and open communication in your home, where children

feel safe to talk about anything and where parents can take a proactive role in helping their children

make wise decisions.

2) Making good decisions and creating safe boundaries for children regarding technology.

Information is now available on the YRDSB website for various Summer Programs that will

be available this summer at this link: http://www.yrdsb.ca/Programs/summer/Pages/

default.aspx

Grade 7—8 Summer School (language and mathematics reinforcement)

Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8 Summer Institute

Summer Learning Programs

Did you know?

The first large winter Carnival

in Quebec City, the world’s

snow capital, took place in

1894. Often faced with win-

ter’s hardships, the city’s popu-

lation reinvented this popular

tradition with a winter celebra-

tion that warmed up the hearts

of all of its revellers. Inter-

rupted by two wars, then the

economic crisis of 1929, the

Carnival was held sporadically

until the second half of the

century. In 1954, in the con-

text of the economic develop-

ment of the Old Capital, a

group of business people re-

launched the festivities. That

year, Bonhomme was born and

elected the event’s representa-

tive. The first official edition of

the Québec Winter Carnival

took place in 1955. The Carni-

val snowballed into an undeni-

able manifestation for the en-

tire Québec City population,

and was an important vehicle

for tourism and economical

activity in the city.

From one winter to the next,

the Carnival enriched its activ-

ity program. It has since added

even more popular activities,

such as winter sports, snow

sculptures, and activities based

on the traditional Québec life-

style, such as canoe races and

dogsled races. The Québec

Winter Carnival is the largest

winter carnival in the world

today, and is third on the List

of Top Carnivals after the fa-

mous carnivals in Rio and New

Orleans.

From: https://carnaval.qc.ca/

P A G E 6

Winter Carnaval!

Character Trait for the Month of March

PERSEVERANCE We stick to a goal and work hard even in the face of obstacles and challenges.

We complete all tasks and assignments.

We are very excited to celebrate winter with our "Winter Carnaval." Our Equity Team has

been working hard to organize a week of of activities beginning Monday, March 7th and

ending on Friday, March 11th. The following are just some of the highlights of the festivi-

ties:

Monday, March 7th Sash, Scarf and Toque Day Wear your favourite item to school.

Tuesday, March 8th Carnaval Sports Spirit Day Wear your favourite sports jersey, t-shirt, etc)

Wednesday, March 9th Red and White Day Wear red and white clothing to reflect Bonhomme Carna

val's colours.

Thursday, March 10th Blue and White Day Wear the school colours to show your school pride.

Friday, March 11th Outdoor Carnaval Day Students will rotate to different stations participating in

team building activities-including a stop in the French

cafe for hot chocolate.

Carnaval is a Canadian tradition and a great way to encourage school spirit and teamwork

amongst all students. Please help us celebrate the season!

P A G E 7

From York Region Public Health

Some sample questions

to ask your child when

reflecting their work.

P A G E 8

Monthly Math Insert

Have you thought

about…?

What do you notice

about…?

What patterns do

you see?

Does this problem/

answer make sense

to you?

How does this com-

pare to…?

What could you start

with to help you ex-

plore the possibili-

ties?

How can you verify

this answer?

What evidence of

your thinking can you

share?

Is this a reasonable

answer, given that…?

Last month we shared information about Reasoning and Proving and role of the student

in this process.

It is important for students to demonstrate that they are reflecting on and monitoring

their thinking to help clarify their understanding as they complete an investigate or solve

a problem (e.g., by assessing the effectiveness of strategies and processes used, by pro-

posing alternative approaches, by judging the reasonableness of results, by verifying solu-

tions). Students become good problem solvers when they regularly and consciously re-

flect on and monitor their own thought process.

Reflecting — Student’s Role

Considering Data Collected Search for relevant primary and secondary data

Check that data being gathered is appropriate to the inquiry

Reflecting on new skills, concepts, and questions

to see how they connect to prior knowledge Apply and extend knowledge to new situations

Examine questions and demonstrate flexibility in choice of strategy

based on the nature of the question

Verify a solution to a problem by using a different method

Consider the reasonableness of their answer

Self-monitor progress while problem solving and revise, as necessary

Propose alternative approaches to a problem

Figure This! Math Challenges for Families Did you try the February challenge? Square manhole covers can be tipped diagonally and fall through the hole!

Try this new math challenge with your family...we will share the answer in April’s newsletter! These math chal-

lenges come from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics website (http://figurethis.nctm.org/).

Additional Challenges:

1. Create words that are spelled the same backward or forward. Such words are palindromes.

2. Create sentences that read the same backward or forward when punctuation is ignored.

3. What times on a digital clock can be read the same in different directions?

4. Some letters can be rotated 180o (or a half circle) to form different letters; for example “d” becomes “p.”

What other lowercase letters can be rotated to form different letters?

P A G E 9

P A G E 1 0