black history valentine’s day olympic spirit...

MUNDEN MATTERS MARCH 1, 2014

“Children are “open to wonder and puzzlement” (Galileo Educational Network) and are eager to learn about their world. This natural inquisitiveness is nurtured when teachers adopt an

inquiry approach. As teachers give students opportunities to seek answers to questions that are interesting, important and relevant to them, they are enabling them to address curriculum content in integrated and “real world” ways and to develop – and practise – the higher-order

thinking skills and habits of mind that lead to deep learning.”

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OLYMPIC SPIRITSWIM TO SURVIVE

VALENTINE’S DAY FUN

MUNDEN MATTERS

BLACK HISTORY MONTH


Inquiry Based Learning ! This coming September we will finally have implemented Full Day Kindergarten at Munden Park. Full Day Kindergarten is a very welcome addition to our school. Not only is this program beneficial for our youngest students, it will also allow us as a school to become fully immersed in inquiry based learning. The Full Day Kindergarten program is rooted in the philosophy that when children are given the opportunity to inquire about and explore the world around them, the learning that results is much deeper, more authentic, rich and engaging. This pedagogy is supported by research. There is growing consensus, both in Canada and internationally, that greater student engagement leads to greater student achievement (Cummins, et al.,2005; Flessa et al., 2010; Leithwood, McAdie, Bascia, & Rodrigue, 2006; Willms, Friesen, & Milton, 2009). While some students make an effort at school because of extrinsic rewards such as good grades or praise, it does not necessarily lead to deep, authentic and meaningful learning. Kids are engaged when they find learning interesting, enjoyable and self-fulfilling. Students who are actively engaged in the learning process stay on task independently, readily take academic risks because they view errors as learning opportunities, and most importantly, persist in their efforts to overcome challenges. When kids are focusing on “big” ideas to solve problems that are important to them, they become passionate about learning. Knowing how to learn is one of life’s most important skills.

For children to be engaged in rich, authentic problem solving, requires that they have an opportunity to play. Play is the vehicle through which children learn a variety of important skills such as perseverance, risk taking, collaboration, problem solving, creativity and independence. These are the exact same skills needed to be successful in the 21st century workforce. Current research suggests that students are more likely to be engaged, self-directed learners in inquiry-based classrooms (Jang, Reeve & Deci, 2010; NCREL online). Children play because they are naturally curious and want to explore and understand the world around them. Through play as inquiry, children learn to form hypothesis, realize connections that exists between learned concepts, and create solutions to problems. Play as inquiry, in other words, brings out higher order thinking.

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“InMotion” Student Team vs. Munden Park

Staff Dream Team Basketball Game


The questions that many parents ask are what will my child’s education look like if he is engaged in play throughout the day at school? How will I know that my child is progressing well? How do you measure play? And what will the teacher be doing when the kids are playing? The answer to these questions is that learning through inquiry looks different at different stages of a child’s development. The basic premise is the same, although as children get older the complexity of the questions they ask and the problems they solve is greatly increased. The role of the teacher is also very different. It is no longer the teacher’s job to gather and provide information for children to learn and to assign work for children to complete. The teacher ’s role is to create a safe, welcoming classroom environment allowing for rich learning to take place. Teachers help children articulate their questions and make sense of their discoveries. The goal for every teacher is not to tell children what to discover but to invite them to share ideas and reflect on their learning experiences. Teachers are responsible for creating classroom where respect for others’ ideas and opinions is fostered and risk-taking is encouraged. Teachers use instruction and assessment strategies that keep students focused on personal improvement and make sure that students have the necessary knowledge, skills and strategies “to operate independently, make appropriate choices, and expand their abilities by attempting challenging tasks” (Perry, Phillips & Dowler, 2004, p. 1856).

Here are some examples of children at different grade levels at Munden Park “wondering about”, asking questions and coming up with solutions to problems they posed.

!Mr. Shchukovsky’s Kindergarten

students are asking what is inside the egg with the help of our

Superintendent, Anthony Edwards. The class also solicited the help of their Twitter followers to help them

solve the problem.

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!Grade Two students in Ms. Johal’s

class wondered what kind of inventions they could make based

on the important inventions of Black Canadians as part of Black

History Month.

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Ms. Essex grade three students posed questions about how much sugar is in the foods we enjoy. What amount of sugar can we consume to maintain a healthy body? And how do we know

what foods and beverages are good for us?

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!Mr. Szakolcai’s students in Kindergarten inquired what kind of ramps they

could build to get objects to travel faster. Innovative thinking requiring real life

engineering skills.

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One of our grade five students, Elsa, wondered what would it be like if we could all have a thinking cap to help us get answers to our question quicker. She created this Google Doodle to

express her idea and entered it into the Google Doodle contest. She was one of twenty-five finalists in the contest and was awarded with a trip to Google Canada for her effort.

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Our Report to the Community Everything we do is designed to help students learn and do well in school. To support this, our school has developed a school success plan to help students achieve to the best of their ability. This Report to the Community communicates our progress and helps us celebrate our many successes with our learning community. The report, including EQAO and report card data, is available under the ‘About Us’ section of our school website. You can also visit www.reportcardforstudentsuccess.org to learn about the strategic plan for the Peel board as a whole. !!!

March 7, 2014, is an unpaid day for all permanent teaching staff—there is no school on this day !

As you know from our school year calendar, March 7, 2014, is a Ministry Designated Day. Students will not be at school on this day. !Traditionally, school staff participate in professional learning activities on these days. However, the Ministry of Education has designated March 7 as an 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 March 7 as an unpaid day and are not required to be at work on that day. March 7 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. 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 March 7. !!

Conference helps parents 'make a difference in literacy and beyond' !

Make a difference in literacy and beyond – practical ways parents can boost learning is on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Mississauga Secondary School in Mississauga. This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels. !• choose from more than 40 practical workshops designed to help you help your child

succeed in school • purchase educational materials from exhibitors • receive a free lunch, giveaways and more !

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!Registration closes March 7, 2014 !

Stay up-to-date! Conference and registration information is available in the "Parents" section of www.peelschools.org/parents/literacyconference/ !Event sponsors include: !

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2014 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Open House March 12 - 15 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. !Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as Spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Bush. Join in on an authentic Canadian tradition. For a number of years the Peel Field Centres have invited the public for an awe-inspiring visit to our outstanding Maple Sugar Bush during the March Break. Individuals and families are invited to get involved as Spring comes to life. Help empty sap buckets, tap trees or sample some freshly made maple syrup as we celebrate the new syrup season. Take a hike along our tranquil trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand. A teepee and early settler site will also be set up to show how syrup was collected and produced in centuries past. Use pioneer tools or listen to an Aboriginal tale around the campfires. No visit would be complete without a trip to the sugar shack where the sap is boiling and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney. Learn how modern day syrup operations are conducted with an industrial evaporator and tap line system. Have a taste of the freshly made syrup. It's going to be sweet! The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under. Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. Please note that all payments are “cash” only. For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771. Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta: North on Mississauga Rd, Left on King Street (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left), Right on Winston Churchill Blvd (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site.

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!Neighbourhood police officers inspire students during

regular school visits !From time to time, you may see a police car parked outside our school or police officers walking through our hallways. You may wonder why they are there and feel uncertain or intimidated, but do not be alarmed. !Our Neighbourhood Police Officers (NPOs) help to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff during regular school visits. Through a positive partnership with our school, our NPOs: !• act as a police liaison officer between school officials and our local police service • investigate incidents and conduct follow-ups at schools • help to organize community events, e.g. charity sport events held at the school • deliver presentations on topics including: fraud, drugs, gangs, cyber-bullying and

personal safety • implement Problem Orienting Policing (POP) projects that are aimed at identifying and

resolving problems within a school and community that interfere with the safe school learning environment !

Our NPOs play an important part in, not only ensuring the safety of our staff and students, but also in fostering meaningful partnerships between parents, staff, students and the wider community. !! !!

Peel board receives donation of 250 defibrillators to place in all schools, worksites

Thanks to a gracious donation from The Mikey Network, all Peel board schools and worksites will soon be equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)—a medical device used to treat individuals experiencing cardiac arrest. The initiative began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed by December 2016. Approximately seven defibrillators will be placed in Peel board buildings each month, for a total of 250 new defibrillators.

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