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Friday 31 March 2017

APRIL NEWSLETTER



April, 2017
School News

MATH - MODERN LEARNING - MENTAL HEALTH
At Blue Willow P.S., we continue our commitment to the three York Region District School Board foci: Math, Modern Learning and Mental Health.  

MATHEMATICS

Math Inquiry and Problem Solving through Games and Puzzles
We are dedicated to best practices at Blue Willow Public School. As partners in education, we are building student knowledge and capacity of foundational math concepts through critical thinking, games, and puzzles.  Ask your child about MATH and encourage your child to share some strategies at home!

MENTAL HEALTH
Restorative Rooms
Healthy relationships affect healthy learning environments.  Our Growth Mindset and Restorative approach to challenges, influence our behaviours and build resiliency when facing adversity.  The restorative approach to problem solving supports our children with every aspect of learning and growing.  At Blue Willow, we continue to support students to independently solve social conflicts using positive restorative skills and strategies in the library every Monday and Thursday during recess.

PLAY Program
Every Wednesday at recess, our Intermediate PLAY Leaders engage various Primary classes (K-3) in safe and fun play in the gym.  This has been a very exciting opportunity for all our students and we have received positive feedback from our students and staff.

YRDSB Survey for Parents/Guardians

We will be inviting parents/guardians to participate in a survey May 1-19, 2017. This survey provides an important opportunity for parent/guardian voice. Results will be used to guide planning to support student achievement and well-being.

You may complete the survey online or on paper. The online survey will be available in English. Paper surveys will be available from the school office in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Sri Lankan Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese.

We value your input and encourage you to complete the survey. The information you provide will be anonymous, considered confidential and kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.  

Information about how to access the online survey will be sent home with students at the end of April. Please contact the office at (905) 851-0043,  if you have any questions.

MODERN LEARNING

As Modern Learners, we value collaborative learning environments where deep, authentic and relevant learning prepare our students to be future ready. Blue Willow continues to collaborate with various community partners to further develop Modern Learning and Mental Health strategies.



ECO ASSEMBLY
The Eco Team led an engaging and impactful ECO Assembly on March 31, 2017.  During the assembly, our students reminded us of our responsibilities as agents of change.  They presented the values of the First Nations peoples and how they cared for Mother Earth, they created drama and dance pieces that highlighted the interconnectivity of life on earth, and they engaged the audience with recycling brought to life!  
ECO Assembly March 2017.PNGAt Blue Willow, ECO mindfulness includes:
  • bringing a water bottle for our water-filling stations
  • packing food items in reusable containers
  • powering down technology and turning off lights when not in use, and
  • using the appropriate bin to reduce waste and cross-contamination.
We continue to improve our ECO practices and we strongly encourage our community to join us in our pledge for change.


HEALTHY SMOOTHIES
As part of our HEALTHY SCHOOLS initiative and in collaboration with our community partners META Centre (http://www.metacentre.ca) and York Region Food for Learning (foodforlearning.com), META centre volunteers continue to prepare Healthy Smoothies for students to taste and trial. This initiative strives to build awareness of healthy food choices to fuel a healthy body and mind. Each class have had the opportunity to try a healthy green smoothie, and complete a survey to rate the smoothie.   

Here are the results of the first round of taste-testing:
recommended smoothie.JPGmake a smoothie at home.JPG
Healthy Schools Team
Together with York Public Health and Food for Learning, our Healthy Schools Team have stocked EVERY classroom with healthy fruits and vegetables to support student success!  Students now have access to healthy snacks at any time of the day!More Fruits and veggies.png
We encourage parents and guardians to include more fruits and veggies in every meal, in order to ensure every child meets the five to six serving recommendation each day.

YORK REGION POLICE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Our Community partner, Officer Toni, continues to engage with our staff and students on building a healthy sense of belonging and well-being for everyone. Grade 4 and 5 classes will soon participate in a presentation about the use of Social Media.  Our Grade 6 classes continue to participate in the Values, Influences and Peers (VIP) Program. The Intermediate classes reviewed their VIP program strategies, and extended their understanding of the dangers of gangs and violence. During these sessions, students review proactive strategies on how to build and maintain healthy relationships through positive choices.

Parents as Partners
One of the ways parents and guardians can support healthy routines and fulfill learning potential is to encourage their child(ren) to begin the day on time.   Families are strongly encouraged to support their children to arrive to school prior to the start of our school day.
THE LEARNING BEGINS AT 8:25 a.m.



APRIL 2017 Calendar
Monday
Tuesday
 Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
3



Day 3
4
OFFICER TONI
- USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA (Gr.4&5)

Day 4
5



Day 5
6
Mental Health Myth Busting Workshop
(Gr.7)     

                              Day 1
7



Day 2
10




Day 3
11


Day 4
12
DAY OF PINK ASSEMBLY

Day 5
13




Day 1
14

GOOD FRIDAY
NO SCHOOL
17

EASTER MONDAY
NO SCHOOL
18



Day 2
19


                 
                       Day 3
20



Day 4
21



Day 5
24
Grade 8 Females HPV
PUBLIC HEALTH
Grade 7s Hepatitis B
Day 1
25
Gr.7 Junior Achievement Program



Day 2
26
Gr.8 Junior Achievement Program


Day 3
27






Day 4
28

RETRO DAY - School Spirit Day

                 
                       Day 5

Community News
NEW COMMUNICATION ROLLOUT
Please note that we will be sending May and June Newsletters through the EDSBY platform, as well as our School Blog.

Upcoming School Council Meeting
Monday, May 8, 2017 in our Library from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  All Welcome!

Parking Reminders:
When parking in school and Board parking lots, please ensure you are parked in an appropriate designated parking space and obeying any parking signage.  Failure to do so may result in a parking ticket. Our schools are busy locations, and the safety of all our students is paramount.  


Here are some tips to help you:
  • Arrive early to ensure enough time to find an appropriate parking spot
  • Students must be signed-out at the office, in order to leave the premises
  • If there are no appropriate legal parking spots available, please find appropriate legal parking on nearby streets.


LIGHT IT UP BLUE for WORLD AUTISM MONTH

Join Autism Ontario, York Region on April 2nd for World Autism Awareness Day at Sky Zone Vaughan! Free fresh scones from Cobbs Bakery and awesome raffles and prizes to be won! Support the cause and make a donation :)

All families are welcome to join us, as we raise the flag to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day and bring awareness to your communities.

Monday April 3rdCity of Vaughan – 9:00am  - 2141 Major MacKenzie Dr. West



LATE SCHOOL BUS REPORT

As the season changes, both weather and traffic tend to be unpredictable throughout the school day.   Parents and guardians are  encouraged to stay informed of Bus Arrival times by checking your child(ren)'s bus status under Late Bus report on www.schoolbuscity.com.








Board News



What is Autism? Workshop
What is Autism Workshop April 20 (English).jpg





Tuesday 21 March 2017

BE WEATHER WISE!!


While we are enjoying the sunny and warm weather, please be reminded that fluctuations in the weather are to be expected throughout the upcoming weeks.
Image result for kids wearing winterBe Weather Wise!!

Last Day to register for the Internet Safety Workshop at Blue Willow!

SCHOOL COUNCIL presents...
Internet Safety Workshop for Parents on
Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Join us for an informative workshop on internet safety brought to you by our School Council in collaboration with TELUS. Registration is FREE!  Please click here to register.

*** Last day to register is this Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Lunch Assistant Wanted

Are you available to support Blue Willow between 12-1:15 p.m. as a Lunch Assistant? 

Are you a conscientious community member who is committed to building a safe, happy, and healthy learning environment for our children? 

If you have answered YES! then please contact the office for more information at (905) 851-0043.

Monday 20 March 2017

Join Us for an Internet Safety Workshop at Blue Willow!

SCHOOL COUNCIL presents...
Internet Safety Workshop for Parents on
Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Join us for an informative workshop on internet safety brought to you by our School Council in collaboration with TELUS. Registration is FREE!  Please click here to register.

*** Last day to register is this Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Friday 10 March 2017

Happy March Break!!!

On behalf of all our staff at Blue Willow, we wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable March Break
We hope you all take time to reconnect and recharge.  
See you at school on Monday, March 20, 2017.


Tuesday 7 March 2017

LOST and FOUND REMINDER


                                             Image result for lost and found clothing
With the change in weather, many students have not noticed that they are missing personal items. Please remind your child to check the LOST and FOUND for any missing items.   With March Break coming soon, it is a good time to double check that you have all your belongings. 



Monday 6 March 2017

An Invitation from our YRP Partners


York Regional Police is a proud partner in a region that celebrates its rich cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity within a regional municipality where residents trace their ancestries to virtually all corners of the world. 

Within this microcosm of the world, York Regional Police has, for the past 14 years, commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in partnership with our multicultural community in celebration of our diversity while collectively re-affirming our commitment to the eradication of racial discrimination. Our communities have always responded with overwhelming support as these events have showcased a diverse mosaic of food, culture, art, and entertainment.

Through our continued collaborations with our communities, we hope to one day to see the permanent eradication of racism, prejudice and hatred in all of its ugly manifestations, as we collectively strive to build community resilience, social cohesion, and peaceful co-existence in communities that personify the principles of human rights and social justice through expressions of courtesy, dignity, respect, and equality for all people each and every day.

As we prepare for this year’s event themed Diversity Includes Me, we would be honoured to have you join us at our event on Sunday, April 2, 2017 11:00am – 3:00pm at the Markham Event Centre located at 95 Duffield Dr, Markham, Ontario. Please feel free to extend this invitation to family and friends. Admission is free and all are welcome!

Please R.S.V.P. your attendance at rsvpevents@yrp.ca

On behalf of all of the members of York Regional Police, we extend to you our sincerest thanks for your consideration of this request and convey to you our very best wishes.


Paul Chiang
Sergeant #1041
York Regional Police
Diversity & Cultural Resources Unit

1-866-876-5423 ext. 7986