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11 Coppard Avenue, Markham, ON, L3S 2J4 Phone (905) 472-4050 Fax (905) 472-4299

E-mail: armadale.ps@yrdsb.edu.on.ca Website: www.armadale.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Principal - Jay Wolkoff

Superintendent - Erik Khilji (905) 940-7800

Vice-Principal - Fawzia Durrani

Trustee - Juanita Nathan (416)885-3479

ARMADALE September

2015

Eye on

Mark summary

sheets are

available in the

office.

We are very excited to begin another

school year at Armadale Public School. As

we begin our year, it has been nice to see

so many familiar faces as well as welcome

new families to the community.

Each year holds such promise and hope for all our students, parents

and teachers. We take a lot of pride in our school and will work

together to provide a learning environment that is safe, inclusive

and engaging for your child. We have high expectations for all our

students and have shared these expectations and our commitment to

learning at our opening assembly today. With our dynamic and

dedicated staff, we will continue to build the cooperative

partnerships between student, parents and teachers. Our staff has

worked hard to prepare their classrooms for the arrival of your

children. We encourage you to keep in touch with your child

(ren)’s teacher(s) throughout the school year. If at any point in time

you have any questions or concerns, please discuss them with your

child(ren)’s teacher(s) as our role is to help the students become

the best learners that they can be.

Our school looks wonderful!! Thank you to Mr. Banks, Mr. Chang,

Mr. Loughrey and Mr. Mclean, who worked tirelessly throughout

the summer to make our school look

great. Also, thank you to Mrs. Longo-

Iandoli, Mrs. Tanna and Ms. Hutton,

who have worked so hard in the office

to organize and get things ready for the

start of the school year.

A learning community requires the dedication of all stakeholders,

and it is our goal to work with you to make your child’s/children’s

school experience a positive and happy one. We value your

involvement and welcome you into our school.

Lastly, please take the time to carefully review this newsletter and

all of the individual forms distributed on the first day. It is very

important that all the applicable forms are completed and returned

to the school as soon as possible.

Jay Wolkoff Fawzia Durrani

Principal Vice Principal

Initiative is the

character trait for

September!

Eye on

Armadale goes

online! See Page

3 for details.

@armadaleps

Student Pick-Up and Drop off Most students that attend Armadale Public School should walk to school for their physical health, well-being, independence and protecting our environment. If you must drive your child to school, for safety of all, we are asking drivers to follow these simple rules for drop-off and pick-up.

When driving your child to school, please follow the outside lane to the end past the front of the

school, where a staff member is waiting for you to drop off your child. Please proceed SLOWLY back onto Coppard Ave.

Do NOT park in the “Kiss N Ride” loop as it makes it impossible for other cars to pass by.

For safety reasons, do NOT drop-off or pick-up your child/ren on Coppard Ave. The street is very busy and it can be very dangerous with children darting in and out between cars.

Lastly students must exit the school through their specific scheduled doors. Parents please

meet your child/children at their assigned exit door. What doors do students exit through each day? The entry doors for specific grades are as follows: Door A (Front door of the school) - Community Class, Grade 2A, Grade 2B Door C (Back tarmac door closest to the parking lot) - Grade 6, Grade 7 & Grade 8 Door D (Back tarmac door nearest to the basketball court) - Grade 2/3A, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5 & Grade 4/5A

Door E (Back tarmac door nearest to the port-a-pack) - Grade 1, 1/2A, Your cooperation is appreciated. Only together can we maintain a safe pick-up and drop-off plan for your children. As always, your input is invaluable, please feel free to contact Mr. Wolkoff or Mrs. Durrani.

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EMERGENCY INFORMATION FORMS In the event of an emergency involving your child, we rely on the information with which you provide us to

contact you. It is your responsibility to ensure that the school has the most current contact information on

file. A copy of the current emergency information form will be sent to you on the first day of school. Please

take a moment to review the information, make any necessary changes and return it to the school so that we

can update our files.

Student Accidents and Insurance

All accidents should be reported to a teacher and the school office so that a record of the incident is kept on file. The York Region District School Board makes insurance plans available with several options for insurance. Applications are

distributed from the school in September.

Allergies At Armadale, there are children who have life-threatening allergies to specific foods. In order to ensure the health and well-being of these students, we have a Peanut and Nut Sensitive Policy in our school. We need the support of everyone in the community. Please take the time to read ingredient labels carefully. This will help to ensure that our students remain free from exposure to nut products and help avoid the possibility of a medical emergency.

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM It is the policy of the York Region District School Board for all elementary schools to monitor and report on the safe

arrival of our students. If you know that your child will be absent, please send a note to the teacher, or call (905) 472-4050

and leave a message on the school’s answering machine. If we do not know why your child is absent, we will, under Policy

#665.0, do the following:

1. Call the home and business numbers provided;

2. Call the emergency contact number provided ;

3. If the above are unsuccessful, we will call the York Regional Police to report your child as missing.

Your support in following the procedure outlined above are important in ensuring the safe arrival of students.

Thank you.

SCHOOL SAFETY While the majority of our students will fortunately complete their schooling without experiencing any serious

emergencies, it is important for students to be aware of what to do and where to go to protect themselves in

an emergency. During the first few weeks of school, students will be taken through a series of safety drills in

order to ensure that routines and procedures are in place in the event of a real emergency. These include a

Fire Drill, a Lockdown Drill and School Bus Safety procedures. Many teachers will reinforce safety

concepts by incorporating lessons on safety in their curriculum.

A reminder to parents that if you are in the school during a fire drill, please exit the building promptly, following the same rules as staff

and students; this means not stopping to collect your child’s belongings. The same applies during a Lockdown Drill— find a safe place

away from doors and windows and remain there until the drill is over.

Included in the package of materials sent home with your child is a booklet entitled Guide to the 2015-2016 School Year. Please take a

moment to review this material with your child and note any questions you may need to have answered by the school.

Our first priority is the physical and emotional safety of students and that requires the joint efforts of parents, staff and students. Please

discuss with your child the role s/he can play in making school a safe place for everyone. Included in the School Start-Up Package is a

form that must be signed by parents and students and returned to the school, acknowledging receipt and awareness of the policies related

to the acceptable use of technology at school, as well as the policies related caring and safe schools.

Please continue to reinforce safety rules with your children at home. All students should know their address and telephone number, how

to call 911, how to exit their surroundings safely in case of a fire, and where to find safe refuge if they ever need it. It is important to

convey this information to young children without causing undue fear or concern, especially to very young children.

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EYE ON ARMADALE GOES ONLINE

As a school, our goal is to communicate largely through elec-

tronic means. As we move forward, we will publish a monthly

e-newsletter which will be available on our school website. We

will no longer be sending home a paper copy of our newsletter. We will notify

parents electronically through email that the e-newsletter is available on our

website. If you have not provided the school with your email address and

would like to receive further communication please provide Kelly Hutton in

the office with this address (kelly.hutton@yrdsb.ca ). We will have a few

copies available in the office should you require a hard copy.

School Forms Please take the time to read all school forms and documents. Each student will be given a package which includes their Student Registration Verification form, School Start-Up Package, Guide to the School Year, School Uniform form, School Year Calendar, International Languages Program, September’s newsletter and lastly their agendas. Carefully read and return all forms that require a signature to your child’s homeroom teacher no later than September 18th. The agenda costs $7.50 in exact funds, please.

Forms found in the Student Start-Up Package

School Startup Permissions Form Policy Agreement Lunch Time agreement Information Technology Acceptance Use Agreement

Caring and Safe Schools Agreement Permission Form—Walking Field Trips Informed Consent agreement—Sports School Council Form Nomination (optional) Student Accident Insurance Enrolment Form (optional) Volunteers in Our Schools (optional) Snack Program (optional) Milk Program (optional) Pizza Program Form (optional) Student Registration Verification forms MUST be updated and returned to school by September 18th. Please check carefully emergency contact information and family e-mail address as we rely on this information to reach you in emergencies and/or to inform you of school news/events.

Medication Either on a regular basis or at times throughout the year some students may need to take medication at school. Parents are required to complete a Request for Administration of Oral Medication Form signed by the parents and approved by the Principal before the medication can be given or stored in the school. For legal and safety reasons, written permission is required for ALL medications including inhalers, Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil. All medication is kept locked in the office and students are super-vised as they take any medication. Students are not permitted at any time to keep medication in their classroom, lunch bags, lockers or back packs.

Nutrition Programs At Armadale Public School we have a variety of nutrition programs available for our students. Our FREE Breakfast Club in Room 132 will begin on Monday September 14th from 7:15 – 8:15. Healthy Snack Program order forms will be sent out soon for 2 daily snacks to be provided at recess.

Milk program order forms will be sent out this week for daily white or chocolate milk…a great source of calcium!

Pizza and subs lunches will also be offered throughout the school year. Order forms will be sent out shortly. Lunches that are dropped off for students during the morning may be placed on the table in the front foyer. Notes are available to write the student name on the lunch. Please be sure that your child knows that their lunch will be delivered. When meeting students please make arrangements to do so in the front foyer or outside of the school.

LITTERLESS LUNCHES In keeping with our commitment to teach our students

awareness about the need to protect the environment, we

are kindly asking parents to send students with lunches

containing as little litter as possible. Using reusable

containers for snacks and meals is one easy way for you to

support our efforts. Thank you.

School Schedule Being on time and prepared for instruction not only supports student success and academic achievement, but it is also an expectation of the staff at Armadale. Students are able to enter the school building at 8:15 a.m. to get themselves organized for their school day. Regular attendance and punctuality is expected of all Armadale students.

All YRDSB Schools, including Armadale, will follow a Day 1-5

schedule. As a result, please refer to the

agenda books for the cycle day and bring

the necessary materials to school

that day (such as gym clothes, instrument,

etc.)

INDOOR SHOES PLEASE Our caretakers do an outstanding job of maintaining

the clean and polished look of the floors in the school.

Please support their efforts by ensuring that your chil-

dren have indoor shoes for use in classrooms and in

the gym—no black soles please, due

to the stubborn marks they leave on

the floors. This is particularly

important during wet weather when

boots and shoes track a great deal of

dirt, snow and water into the school.

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Electronic Devices If your child comes to school with iPads, iPods, cell phones etc. the school will not assume responsibility for these valuable items. Also items that should not be used at school

include skateboards, roller blades, heelies, scooters or laser pointers.

Volunteers Needed!

Welcome back to Armadale! There are many exciting thing happening at Armadale this year and we need YOUR HELP!! Check out the following opportunities: Breakfast Club Healthy Snack Program Reading Program Classroom Support Library Milk Program If you are able to volunteer your time in any of the above areas please notify the school office.

Uniforms Students in Grades 1-8 are required to wear their uniform during the school day and a gym uniform during physical education classes. We appreciate your continued support by making sure your child/ren wears their uniform every day to school. The uniform store will be open every Wednesday from 12:20 to1:20 p.m. Order forms are always available in the office. Any questions regarding uniforms can be directed to the office.

Tentative School Organization Please note that like other schools in York Region, due to enrolment changes we may need to reorganize some classes later in September.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY

The display of student work, student performances or significant achievements of our students are com-

mon school practices both within the school, on the school and board websites or at board and school-

sponsored events beyond the school. We recognize that there are situations where these practices may

be contrary to the wishes of some parents and students for important reasons. If you do not wish to

have your child or your child’s work displayed, published or broadcast within or beyond the school,

please inform the principal in writing.

News from the Armadale

Parenting and Family Literacy Centre

The Parenting and Family Literacy Centre is a place where you

can bring your children (0-6 years of age) to play, learn, sing,

read and explore together every day that school is open.

This year, we have new hours:

Monday: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Come and visit Parent Worker, Inna Veprinska, in Room 128

and see all the new toys and equipment waiting for you to enjoy

with your children. For those children not yet in Kindergarten,

visiting the Armadale Parenting and Family Literacy Centre is a

great way to start school right away!

Parent Worker: Inna Veprinska Open: Every school day

No cost or registration required Snacks are provided for the children

Casual lunch

assistants needed.

Please see Ms.

Tanna in the office.