12175 Bramalea Road, Caledon, ON L7P 2P9 Phone 905-843-2927 Fax 905-843-2936

Principal—Mrs. P.Lone Vice-Principal—Mrs. T. Ajrawat

Office Manager—Mrs. B. Elder Superintendent—Ms. Patrika Daws Trustee—Ms. Harinder Malhi

Walnut Grove P.S. Newsletter

Walnut Grove’s Daily

Schedule

Entry Bell 9:15

Nutrition Break A 11:15 - 11:35

Nutrition Break B 11:35 - 11:55

D.P.A. 1:15 - 1:35

Nutrition Break C 1:35 - 1:55

Nutrition Break D 1:55 - 2:15

Dismissal 3:35

A Message from the Principal Walnut Grove continues to thrive and flourish. Although a shorter month, December is

packed full of fun, excitement and great learning. Mr. Amaroso will be taking both the Boys

and Girls Volleyball teams to their tournaments – they have been practicing very hard and

will compete for the first time as “Walnut Grove ” teams. We wish them well! There will

also be a Teacher vs. Student Volleyball Team game this month, with our cheerleaders

performing during the “half-time” show.

In November, each class had an opportunity to talk about and choose which mascot they

would like to see as the official Walnut Grove school mascot. There were many fantastic

ideas, and we are now working on organizing the voting process to select the official school

mascot. Hopefully, January’s newsletter will announce the students’ choice for the Walnut

Grove mascot.

We will be having a Primary Winter Holiday Concert on Thursday, December 12, 2013,

starting at 6:45 pm. Students in Grades 1 and 2 (French and English), will be performing,

under the direction of Ms. Li and Ms. Rodriguez, as well as their classroom teachers. They

have been working very hard to prepare for this event, and we know it will be a memorable

experience for all.

Most classrooms are now actively using BYOD, and we have noticed just how engaged

students are in their learning. The power of technology truly has enhanced the way

students find and use information. Our Grade 3’s are blogging, the Kindergartens are

tweeting, and most other classrooms are accessing a world of information through their

devices, and using technology to create presentations and demonstrate learning. This was

very evident in the “Family Media Night,” on November 28. We ARE 21st century learners at

Walnut Grove.

On behalf of Mrs. Ajrawat and myself, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of

our Walnut Grove families a safe and happy winter holiday season, and all the best for the

new year ahead.

December 2013

School Security

All parents and visitors

entering the school during

school hours must be

buzzed in through the

front doors and sign in

and out at the office. You

are also reminded to wear

a visitor’s badge while you

are in the school. For

safety reasons, it is impor-

tant that we know who is

in the school at all times.

Winter Holiday Schedule

Thursday, December 19, 2013 – Last day of classes for students

Friday, December 20, 2013 – No School for students

Monday, January 6, 2014 – school starts – classes resume

Late Arrivals

If a student ar-

rives late to

school, after the

9:15 a.m. entry

bell, they must report to

the office to sign in and

receive a late slip before

going to their class. Please

help your child arrive to

school on time up estab-

lishing and encouraging

morning routines.

Bullying Awareness and Prevention week

During Bullying Awareness and Prevention week, we had a

special presentation for gr.1-7 called The Power of One. It is

a series of skits presented by actors who use boxes, colours,

and masks to vividly portray what bullying is, what can be

done about it, and how every child has the power of one,

the power to report and deal with bullying when they see it.

The Power of One presentation has given us valuable infor-

mation about bullying and how we have the power to

stand against bullying. At the end of the presentation we all

took the Power of One anti-bullying oath verbally and now

we are in the process of signing the oath. The oath posters

will be displayed once staff, students and School Council

have signed the Bully Prevention Oath.

Bullying Prevention Week

Walnut Grove celebrated Bullying Prevention Week during

the week of November 18th to November 22nd with many

activities such as a Primary, Junior and Intermediate Poster

Contest and Power of 1 presentations. Many of our Grade 4

to 7 students also participated in the ―Choose Action‖ work-

shop at the Powerade Center on Wednesday, November

20th, 2013.

Some picture books to view are: The Three Bully Goats - by:

Leslie Kimmelman; Say Something – by: Peggy Moss; Stand

Tall, Molly Lou Melon – by: Patty Lovell and The Recess

Queen – by: Alexis O’Neill. Some resources for parents in-

clude: The Bully, The Bullied and The Bystander – by: Bar-

bara Coloroso and Hold on to Your Kids – by: Gordon Neu-

feld.

Here are some websites:

http://www.prevnet.ca/

http://www.peelregion.ca/health/topics/injury/bullying/

index.htm

h t tp : / /www.k id she lpphone .ca/Teens / In foBooth/

Bullying.aspx

The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Committee

Reading Tip

Remember, you're reading

with a purpose, so focus on

that purpose and the mate-

rial. If you lose interest or

keep losing your place, take

a break or read something

else. You can keep track of

where you are by following

along with your hand. This

simple tech-

nique helps

you focus and

increase your

concentration.

The Meaning of

Power of One

Inderjit

To me power of one means that

one person can stop bullying all

around the world. I learned that

bullying could be very hurtful and

also that there are three types of

bullying and they are cyber bully-

ing which means sending bad or mean notes to people

through the internet, physical bullying which means like hit-

ting, pushing , and punching and last is verbal bullying which

means hurting their feelings like name calling and gossiping. I

don’t think bullying is good.

Simmar

The power of one assemble was helpful because it tells kids

not to hit or say bad or mean words to anybody else because

the person will feel sad. I learned that you should always

tell a grown up so that they can stop it and also I learned that

if you are watching someone getting bullied you should stand

up for them not just watch because maybe one day it would

happen to you to and no one will stand up to you too.

Loveleen

I think the power of one means to stand up to bullying and

for others to. I even learned in the assembly if you are a by-

stander just don’t sit down and watch the bully hurt the vic-

tim, say stop and if they don’t listen tell a teacher or a adult. I

even learned that if you don’t help a victim you may become

a victim yourself. Well that is what I thought power of one

means.

Jaiveer

The power of one means standing up to bullies and standing

up for others and yourself to stop bullying. You shouldn’t just

watch someone being bullied, you should stand up for them

to stop the bully. I learned at the assembly that if you don’t

help someone when they were bullied then when you get

bullied they won’t help you.

Professional Activity Day on Dec. 20, 2013

As you know from our school year calendar, Dec. 20, 2013, is a Professional Activity Day.

Students will not be at school on this day.

Traditionally, school staff participate in professional learning activities on these days. How-

ever, the Ministry of Education has designated Dec. 20 as unpaid day for some staff and a

professional development day for others.

Based on new provincial legislation, permanent teachers, both elementary and secondary,

will take Dec. 20 as an unpaid day and are not required to be at work on that day. In

some cases, principals and vice-principals will choose to take this day as an unpaid day and

will also not be present in their schools. In other cases, administrators will choose to take

an unpaid day at another time and will be at school on Dec. 20.

Dec. 20 is a regular, paid work day for all other Peel board staff members and many will

participate in professional learning offered through the board on this day.

Monthly Character Trait Winners

Each month students will be recognized for demonstrating the monthly character traits. The character trait for November

was Respect and the students that were recognized are:

Grade One : Komlica J., Kismat G., Ashonanand B., Parisa G., Matthew S., Ashish G., Ashraj B., Ariana C., Jeevan D., Ath-

avi J., Miveen M., Harmandeep G., Sairah B., and Michael Y.

Grade Two: Dakota V., Keeret M., Shreya C., Chatanpreet C., Harjot R., Harisha S., Tanya D., Bhajneek S., Arjun M.,

Karishma G., and Fatehveer S.

Grade Three: Mehak M., Richey V., Ishan S., Rajit J., Vidhi P., Amjot B., Aarchi P. Aryan P., Kayla B., Sinthujan J., and

Daniela Z.

Grade Four: Simmar B., Mohit P., Hartej C., Saloani S., Akshays S., Nadia E., Ratnaa D., Lackshan M., and Arzoo G.

Grade Five: Gurnoor D., Harsh T., Inthujaa S., Navroop T., and Manjot T

Grade Six: Natalyn L., Rohan D., Chelsea C., Sahij K., and Avneet S.

Grade Seven: Manjot J., Alyissa S., Sathyan S., Krishna P., and Maheen C.

Kindergarten: Shivam P., Himmat D., Sukhsahej S., Diajot S., Ruhani B., Harjodh N., Angelina A., Krish T., Suhani B., Sad-

hani S. and Sulav R.

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

The School Council met on Wednesday, Novem-

ber 13, 2013. It was an amazing planning meet-

ing, with many different fun and exciting ideas

for our school.

An initial fundraiser will be held during the

month of December. School Council have put

together ―Gift Baskets‖ that will be raffled off

during the last week of school in December.

Each basket will have a specific theme (e.g., Win-

ter Fun, Christmas, Sports, Girls Basket etc.). Stu-

dents will be able to purchase raffle tickets for

the baskets that they wish – winners will be

drawn at the Character Assembly on Wed. De-

cember 18, at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are $2.00 each, or 3 for $5.00.

Next School Council Meeting:

Wednesday, January 8, 2014, 6:30 pm

Closing schools because of bad weather

Please be advised that during the winter months, inclement weather may cause disruption of bus transportation

and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school transportation and/or to close schools is usually made

by 6:00 am and will be announced on the radio and television stations identified below. Please forward this in-

formation to your school community. You can also visit our school website or www.peelschools.org for bus can-

cellations.

VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9 CHUM AM1050

CJCL AM590 CJBC (FR) AM860

CHFI FM98.1 EZ ROCK FM97.3

CFTR AM680 CFRB AM1010

FM Z103.5 FM93.1

CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CHIN FM100.7/AM1540

CBC FM99.1 CBC99.1

CITYPULSE GLOBAL NEWS

CTV

Our busses are only cancelled if you hear the following ―THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

AND THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD BUSSES ARE CANCELLED.

***If Caledon Only busses are cancelled, our busses will continue to operate because we are

considerd a Brampton school***

December Character Trait

PARTICIPATION

Participation is an important part of learning and having

fun. The more we participate in an event or an activity, the

more we feel included and valued.

Positive participation involves giving our best effort, regard-

less of winning or losing. It means we play or get involved

simply for enjoyment and interest, and to have fun. It of-

ten leads to developing new interests.

What do you like to participate in? Why? What are some

new things that you might like to try? These are some

things you might want to talk about as a family.

December - Classism

For the month of December

we wi l l be di scus s ing

―Classism.‖ As we all know

Peel families come from differ-

ent economic scales. One in

five children in Peel are living

in poverty. We are teaching

our students that no one

should be judged because they

lack resources or materials. We

are helping our students under-

stand that the value and worth

of students are not tied to their

economic status. Everyone

deserves to be respected re-

gardless of who they are and

what they have.

Holiday Concert at Walnut Grove

Thursday, December 12, 2013

6:45-8:00pm

Come and support our Grade 1 and 2 classes as

they will be performing at our Holiday Concert! All of

our Grade 1 and 2 French Immersion students will be fea-

tured as well as our students in the regular track. Get

ready for some Holiday cheer and save the date on your

calendars!

Notifying the School of a

Student Absence

Your child’s safety is very impor-

tant to us, for this reason please

make sure to call the school and

leave a message on our atten-

dance line for each day that your

child is going to be absent from

school or will be coming in late.

A message can be left on the

school’s attendance line (905-843-

2927 and press #1) at anytime,

however please call before 9 a.m.

for the current school day. Safe

arrival calls will be made each day

for students that have an unex-

plained absence.

School Success

At Walnut Grove, our staff are committed to providing strong academic programs for students, which includes incorpo-

rating 21st Century teaching and learning. As a new school community, we want to ensure success for each student in our

school. We know that success is not simply measured by grades – it is all encompassing. The staff at Walnut Grove have

collaboratively developed our School Success Goals:

Literacy

By September, 2014, 68% of our students will be achieving at Levels 3 and 4 in Reading and Writing. We will focus on

identifying main ideas in what we read, and using proof/evidence to support responses. Students will continue to de-

velop critical literacy skills to demonstrate their understanding of what they read, and to communicate their thoughts in

writing

Numeracy

By September, 2014, 65 %, of our students will be achieving at Levels 3 and 4 in mathematics. We will begin to incorpo-

rate Social Justice issues through problem solving to develop a deeper awareness of equity, while using critical thinking

skills to communicate mathematical thinking and understanding. Problem-based learning will incorporate technology and

will allow students to communicate and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

Pathways

All staff will fully support the academic, social and emotional needs of all students, particularly those requiring advocacy

for specific transition needs. All staff will participate in the planning process for transitions for students entering Kinder-

garten, moving into Grade 1, as well as transitioning into various programs with PDSB, including regional programs.

Community, Culture and Caring

We will deepen student understanding of inclusion and Social Justice, Equity and Diversity, by embedding the ―isms‖ and

Character Attributes into monthly themes and daily classroom activities. Classrooms will focus on being inclusive and re-

spectful environments for students and staff. Student Leadership will be fostered in all grades, and community involve-

ment will include cultural celebrations, family nights and community events. We will inspire students to be successful,

confident and hopeful.

Help your family stay warm this winter Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia when work-

ing or playing outdoors:

Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should keep an extra hat at school.

Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the body.

Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have liners, carry an extra pair to replace

damp ones or take an extra pair of socks. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on

outings, etc.

Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself when

doing vigorous activities.

Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypo-

thermia.

If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive

sweating caused from an extreme change in temperature increases the risk of developing

hypothermia.

Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins.

If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies.

Fundraising at Walnut Grove

As a brand new school, Walnut Grove has been working very hard to raise funds for various activities for our students.

Some of the ways we have raised money have included:

Pizza Days (every Friday)

Professor Jamz Move-A-Thon

Scholastic Book Fair

So where does this money go? This money goes right back into the school to provide activities, presentations and re-

sources for our students. For example, to support our Anti-Bullying initiatives, we recently brought in ―The Power of

One‖ presentation for the whole school. We plan to continue bringing in guest speakers, presentations and workshops

to enhance the academic programs in each level, which ultimately support our school success goals.

As well, money will be allocated to support our sports programs (e.g., sending school teams to tournaments, and provid-

ing coverage for teachers who take our sports teams out during the school day).

The Scholastic Book Fair raised funds to purchase English and French reading materials for students that we will bring with

us to the new school.

We will also use funds to bring in presenters for the Arts – dance, music and drama. There are many, many ways that the

funds we raise truly benefit our students. Thank you so much for supporting our fundraising initiatives – none of this

would be possible without your continued support.

Student Math Challenge

Students: Select the question for your grade. Answer the question, showing all of your work and hand

it in to the office. We will select a winner the last week of December!

Primary (Grade 1-3): Mrs. Hall is twelfth in line. Mrs. Tisdale is sixteenth in line. Mr. Amaroso is in front of Mrs. Tisdale.

Mrs. Locke is behind Mrs. Hall. Mrs. Lone is between Mr. Amaroso and Mrs. Locke. In what place in line is Mrs. Lone.

Draw a picture to show your thinking!

Junior (Grade 4-6): Mrs. Arjarwat baked 78 cookies. She gave 2/6 to her family, 1/3 to her neighbours and ate 11 cookies

with Mrs. Lone. How many cookies does she have left? Show your thinking!

Intermediate (Grade 7-8): One night the King could not sleep so he went down to his royal kitchen where he found a

bowl full of mangoes. Being hungry, he took 1/6 of the mangoes. Later that same night the Queen was hungry

and couldn’t sleep and took 1/5 of what the king had left. Still later, the first Prince awoke, went to the kitchen, and ate

1/4 of the remaining mangoes. Even later, his brother, the second prince ate 1/3 of what was then left. Finally the third

prince ate 1/2 of what was left, leaving only 3 mangoes for the servants. How many mangoes were originally in the

bowl? Show your thinking!

Math for Parents

Everyday children go about their daily lives exploring and discovering things around them, and by doing so, they are ex-

posed to the world of mathematics. Since mathematics is becoming increasingly important in this technological age, it is

even more important for our children to learn math at home, as well as in school.

Attitude is Important

How do you feel about Math? Your feelings will have an impact on how your children think about math and themselves

as mathematicians. Take a few moments to reflect on these questions:

Do you think everyone can learn math?

Do you think math is useful in everyday life?

Do you believe most jobs today require math skills?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you are probably encouraging your child to

think mathematically. Positive attitudes about math are important for your child’s success.

What is a Problem Solver?

A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates and explores solutions to problems. They persevere through

a problem to find a solution and understand that there may be different ways to get there. You can encourage your

child at home by involving him or her in family decision making using math.

It’s almost time to register for kindergarten

Join us for a Kindergarten Live! open house in December to learn more

Do you have a young children that will start school in the next year or two? If so, join us for a Kindergarten Live! infor-

mation session to learn more about the Peel board’s full-day kindergarten program and how to register your children

for school.

Four elementary schools in Peel will host Kindergarten Live! information sessions in December where Explore Guides

will takes families on a small group tour to see a kindergarten class in action, find out about play-based learning and

have the opportunity to ask questions about special education.

Kindergarten Live! information sessions will take place at the following Peel elementary schools in December:

Queen Street Public School in Brampton

Caledon East Public School in Caledon

Clarkson Public School in Mississauga

Marvin Heights Public School in Mississauga

For more information or to register for an information session, visit http://www.peelschools.org/parents/kindergarten.

If your child was born in 2010, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2014. All Peel elementary schools will be

open for kindergarten registration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 4, 5, 6 and 7 and from 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 6.

Traffic safety in our community

Safety is a top priority at our school. Here is a list of traffic tips to keep students, staff and parents safe while commuting

to and from school.

Respect traffic signs and road markers around the school.

Drive slowly and with caution on and near school property. Adhere to the posted speed limits on any surrounding

streets used by students on their way to and from school.

Always yield to pedestrian traffic. Wait for students, staff members and parents to cross before driving past them.

When dropping your child off at the school, use the Kiss'n'Ride area. This is a supervised area that is designed to keep

students safe.

Do not double park or do anything else to block traffic or draw your child off the curb and into traffic. Do not take

shortcuts over curbs.

Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Say goodbye to your child before you park at the

curb to let your child out of your car.

During regular drop-off times, students are to remain in the car until it is safe for them to exit the car onto the curb.

Follow the directions of staff or volunteers on duty in the school parking lot and treat staff, students, volunteers, pas-

sengers and other drivers with respect.

Consider parking off site and walking a short distance to school. This will give you time to

talk to your children about their day, review new vocabulary words, math concepts, etc.

Remind your child to only cross the street at an intersection or crosswalk. They should never

―jaywalk‖ by crossing in the middle of the street.

Students who bike to school should always wear a helmet, and follow all traffic laws. They

should only cross the street at a crosswalk or intersection—never in the middle of the road.

Register for Extended French by Jan. 31, 2014

Are you thinking of registering your child for Extended French (EF)? For the 2014-15 school

year, parents must register children for entry into grade 7 Extended French by 4 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2014.

The registration date will help determine the number of grade 7 Extended French classes at each school for the following

September. The board can then hire the appropriate number of qualified staff. As well, because the registration date hap-

pens earlier, the intention is that no new EF classes will be created at reorganization time in September, so the level of

student disruption will be reduced.

The school for our area is Sir John A. MacDonald M.S. The phone number is 905-457-5535. Registration for EF will be

done through an online registration form that will be available on Nov. 22 at www.peelschools.org/parents/

programs/French/registration

For a complete list and maps of Extended French schools, go to the Peel board’s website at www.peelschools.org/

parents/programs/French. You can also visit the website of Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) at http://on.cpf.ca/.

How to get more information

Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/French/registration.

Call Sir John A. MacDonald M.S. at 905-457-5535.

Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca/.

Register for French Immersion by Jan. 31, 2014

Are you thinking of registering your child for French Immersion (FI)? For the 2014-15

school year, parents must register children for entry into grade 1 FI by 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014.

Registration for FI will be done through an online registration form that will be available on Nov. 22 at

www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/French/registration.

The FI school for our area is Walnut Grove P.S. The phone number is 905-843-2927.

Registration process

A grade 1 FI enrolment cap is in place. This means that a specific number of spots are available for students entering

grade 1 FI. If the number of students registered by the deadline exceeds the number of spots in grade 1 FI, a random

selection process system will be used to identify students gaining entrance into the grade 1 FI program.

All students who make the registration deadline will be placed in a random selection process and assigned a rank using

a computerized random selection process. Spots are not assigned on a first come, first served basis. Once students

have been assigned to all available spots, remaining students will be placed, again in rank order, on the school's wait-

list.

Some students will be automatically placed in grade 1 FI. To find out if your child does not need to participate in the

random selection process, and for more information about the random selection and waitlist processes, visit

www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/French/registration.

How to get more information

Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/parents/programs/French/registration.

Call Walnut Grove P.S. at 905-843-2927.

Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at www.cpfont.on.ca.