Crescent Town Public School Proud to be Gold

Message from the Principal

It’s truly remarkable what an event-filled school year we have all been engaged in. Ms.

Kondilis-Minos and I would like to extend a sincere appreciation to our Parent Council. They

have organized and updated their school website and created a new communication tool for

better reaching our parents via email. They have also designed a new logo to represent the parent community. Many thanks to all those involved.

In addition, we would like to relay a special thank you to all our families, staff members, and

students that supported our recent Remembrance Day ceremony. Many students performed

beautiful tributes and poppy’s graced the audience as everyone was a witness to the

commemoration of our recent fallen soldiers. We will continue doing our part to ensure we

honour the sacrifices of all that have served for our prosperous nation.

Thank you to everyone that contributed to our recent Bullying Prevention and Awareness

Campaign. The week of Nov. 17-21st highlighted and promoted a positive school climate. Ms.

Kondilis-Minos engaged students in grades 1-4 through the story telling of, “Have you Filled a

Bucket Today?” and discussed S.M.A.R.T strategies for utilizing in resolving conflicts. A

special thank you goes to all the teachers that distributed Caught You Caring Cards that have

been coming into the office daily. Our Kindergarten classes will have the same book read to

them in the coming weeks. Our week culminated with a guest speaker, Duane Gibson a.k.a.

known as O.D. His powerful hip-hop message on how to combat bullying was well received.

His H.O.L.L.A strategies were shared with our students. The coordinated efforts of all Crescent

Town staff allowed for our students to shine and enjoy opportunities in the spotlight through

daily prizes and student shout-outs over the announcements.

We continue our focus on Character Education traits which are honoured every month through

school-wide assemblies. It affords our students an opportunity to share and hear about

significant values placed on development and ones which we foster. This month’s focus was

Empathy and many students demonstrated this important trait in the acts and gestures made

throughout the building. As we move into December, another Character Trait, Kindness and

Caring takes center stage. As students endeavor to learn about this trait, they also have

opportunities to become role models for their fellow peers. We are building on the leadership

skills of our students to make Crescent Town the wonderful school that it is.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone that is part of the Crescent Town

community for their contributions and we look forward to the months ahead.

It’s truly an honour to serve the students, staff and community at Crescent Town.

Sincerely,

Harpreet Ghuman

December 2014

Calendar of Events

Harpreet Ghuman , Principal

Peppi Kondilis-Minos, Vice-Principal

Rumana Islam, Settlement Worker

Melissa James, Community Support Worker

Vicky Branco, Superintendent

Sheila Cary-Meagher, Trustee

School email: CrescentTown@tdsb.on.ca

School website: http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/crescenttown/

School Green Team Blog: http://kidblog.org/CrescentTownGreenTeam/

Parent Council website: http://www.crescenttownschool.com/

Parent Council email: crescenttown.communications@gmail.com

Toronto District School Board Website: http://www.tdsb.on.ca

Crescent Town Elementary School Proud to be a Gold Eco-School

4 Massey Square, Toronto, Ontario M4C 5M9

T:416.396.2340 F:416.396.2903

Dates to Remember:

Dec | 1 – World AIDS Day

Dec | 2 – International Day of the

Abolition of Slavery (UN)

Dec | 3 – International Day of Persons

with Disabilities (UN)

Dec | 5 – P.A. Day – No School

Dec | 8 – National Day of

Remembrance and Action on

Violence Against Women (UN)

Dec | 10 – Human Rights Day (UN)

Dec | 17 – Hannukah Begins

(Judaism)

Dec | 18 – International Migrants Day

Dec | 19 – Last Day before Winter

Break

***

Dec | 21 – Winter Solstice

Dec | 24 – Christmas Eve Day

Dec | 25 – Christmas Day

Dec | 26 – Kwanzaa Begins/ Boxing

Day

Dec | 31 – New Year’s Eve Day

Extended immersion deadline is

coming up. Parents who are interested in French programs,

please check this link.

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ElementarySchool/SchoolChoices/FrenchProgr

ams/ApplicationProcess/JuniorExtendedFrench.aspx

The English Language Learners in grade 3 are exploring different kinds

of fables from different parts of the world. They are using bitstrips.com to create their cartoons to demonstrate their understanding of character traits to solve social problems to meet the needs and wants in a positive way. Mrs. Hasan

Orff in Room 204

For forty minutes each week, the students in Mrs Hughes Grade One class are treated to lessons in music taught with the Orff approach. Mrs. Ruth Schmidt, a student and teacher of Orff music combines music, movement, drama and speech into lessons surrounding current thematic units being taught in the curriculum. Our lessons allow the children to play and explore using a variety of instruments including xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and drums. Each week we combine movement and rhythm with songs and actions which the children really enjoy.

BULLYING AWARENESS AND PREVENTION WEEK – 16-22 NOVEMBER

Ontario has designated the week beginning on the third Sunday of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week to help promote safe schools and a positive learning environment. At our school we use this week to highlight initiatives that promote a positive school climate and celebrate the outstanding partnerships and programs that promote harmony and respect in our schools. A caring, safe, inclusive and accepting school climate is essential for student achievement and well-being. For students to reach their full potential, students must feel safe, included and engaged in schools. All of us have a part to play in making and keeping schools safe. By working together, we can provide learning environments that are caring, safe, accepting, respectful and inclusive, where students can acquire the knowledge, skills and values they need to become responsible members of their communities. At Crescent Town, students learned how to be a “bucket filler” and heard powerful messaging from Duane Gibson, “D.O!” as part of a school assembly. To learn more about the bullying prevention programs that we offer, and the TDSB Caring and Safe Schools Policy and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Procedure, visit http://www.tdsb.on.ca/safeschools.

Operation Girl is an organization where

we donate un-used items for girls!

Our club made announcements to

encourage people to donate.

We collected donations from kids around

the school. When the due date came, we

sorted the items by age. The items will

be shipped to 3 girls in other countries.

Thanks Crescent Town for your support.

Written by: Rekik, Shaeera,

NIRJALA of the Girls Club!!!!!

Crescent Town engages in

Financial Literacy!

On November 6

th, Toronto’s

Roseneath Theatre brought their

production of The Money Tree to

Crescent Town. The play was about

the journey of three young friends

who learn about the importance of

friendship, the power of the

imagination and about understanding

the difference between what we want

and what we truly need. At the end of

the play, everyone discovered that

“You can’t make a better future,

unless you imagine it first.”

Rong Fu as Shasta and Joshua Stodart

as Simon in the play The Money Tree.

Rong Fu is a graduate of Crescent

Town Elementary School!

Photo Credit: Robert Harding

Library News…

Snuggle Up and Read will continue in the Library for the month of December.

Please take the time to join us after school with your children and curl up with a

good book. Our special guest readers will be Kindergarten Teacher Ms. Kim-Keogh

on Wednesday, December 3rd

and Grade 4 Teacher Ms. Dietz on Wednesday,

December 10th

. We look forward to seeing you then!

During the month of November we enjoyed listening to stories read by Ms. Perry,

Vice-Principal Ms. Minos and an entertaining dual-language reading of The Very

Hungry Caterpillar by Ms. Hasan and Ms. Kostiw.

Guided Reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher reading with a

group of 3 – 4 students. This small group instruction allows the teacher to be more

focused on the specific needs of the students. Both M.s Amsterdam and Ms. Totsis

are working with the TDSB Reading Recovery and English Literacy Departments to

learn about using Guided Reading in their Grade 1 classrooms to accelerate the

progress of their students in Reading. Also, in collaboration with Model Schools for

Inner Cities and Early Years Learning, Ms. Fowke and Ms. Kurita are exploring

ways to incorporate Critical Thinking into a Guided Reading lesson with very young

children. These teachers explain: “Asking questions that challenge the children’s

thinking about a book, even from a very young age, can help to develop critical

thinking skills over time. The goal is to encourage children to independently

question the world around them and to be better thinkers.” Here are some examples

of questions that can help promote critical thinking while reading a story or a picture

book:

Is this story real or not real?

Can you connect to this story? How?

What would the story be like if the main character were a girl

instead of a boy?

What message or opinion is the author trying to express in this

story? Is it a fair message? Why or why not?

How is the author of this book trying to make you feel?

Whose story is NOT being told in the book? Why?

Look at this character in the story, what do you think he or she might be saying in

this picture?

Submitted by Ms. Kurita and Ms. Fowke

Library News

To learn more about how to read with your young child,

especially if they are an English Language Learner (ELL),

please view their YouTube video at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aiAw_PAfg0

"Reading should not be presented to children as a chore

or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift."

Author Kate DiCamillo

More Reading Events Coming Soon…January 22nd

REA@CT – Feb. to April – Forest of Reading Program

More Reading Events Coming Soon…

January 22nd

REA@CT

February to April – Forest of Reading Program

Stay Healthy During Flu Season

Flu season is here again. In Canada, flu

season tends to run between October

and April.

Toronto Public Health is recommending

that whenever students and staff

experience flu-like symptoms, they are

sent home and do not return to school

until they are no longer infectious to

others. Therefore, ill students and staff

must be symptom-free (especially from

vomiting and diarrhea) for at least 48

hours before returning to school.

The primary concern is for the health

and safety of all students and staff.

Please note that no special measures are

required when there is a case of

influenza in a school or daycare.

However, everyone should do their part

to stop the spread of the flu. As parents,

you can also assist by:

• reminding children to wash their hands

often especially after using the

washroom and before and after eating;

• reminding children to cover their

sneeze and cough;

• watching for symptoms of vomiting,

diarrhea, dizziness, and/or high fever;

• informing the school if your child is

ill;

• keeping your child at home when

he/she is ill.

For more information, please visit the

Toronto Public Health website

www.toronto.ca/health , contact your

family doctor, or Telehealth Ontario. 1-

866-797-0000.

Here’s a helpful handout that the PHE

program utilizes on how to protect

yourself from Germs.

Hello Crescent Town Parents, In our September Parent Council meeting, there was a discussion raised regarding fundraising for more technology in the classrooms for the students. Our children can benefit greatly and learn so many things on these devices. We are looking for 4-5 people who would be willing to assist with some fundraising. The time commitment involved is about 1-2 hours for event planning, and then the time on the actual day of the event. We are planning two big events and hopefully monthly Pizza Lunches. If you are interested, please contact Salima Headley at scheadley@hotmail.com, please put CT volunteer in the subject line. As some of you already know, we have launched an email communications with the school to the parents. If you are interested in receiving emails updates from the school please email crescenttown.communications@gmail.com. Please put sign up in the subject line, and in the body of the email please let us know your first and last name. The email updates will be the following:

Monthly newsletter from the school Minutes from Parent council meeting Parent council updates School updates Community updates Request for volunteers for events Any other items the school and parent council would like parents to know Please check your junk mail first, as some of you may have already signed up.

Crescent Town Parent Council "Parents as Partners" 2014-2015

Community Support Worker Updates Events are open to all parents; some may require you to register before attending! Complete your Police Checks and volunteer today! Are you interested in Volunteering at your school? Please visit your school office and ask for a Police Reference Check Form. Parents/ Caregivers of students can improve school spirit simply through volunteering!

Cluster B3 Parent Academy Training Week 2014 Professional and informational training for parents/caregivers of students in Model Schools Monday December 8, 2014 9:30-4:30p.m

CPR/First Aid at Valley Park M.S Tuesday December 9, 2014 9:30-3:30p.m

Food Handling at Westwood M.S Wednesday December 10, 2014

Computer Skills 9:30am -11:30am at DA Morrison M.S Social Media 1:00-3:00p.m at DA Morrison M.S

Thursday December 11, 2014 9:30-4:30p.m CPR/First Aid at Queen Alexandra M.S

Friday December 12, 2014 Financial Literacy 9:30-11:30a.m at D.A Morrison M.S Restorative Practice 2014 1:00-3:00p.m at D.A Morrison M.S

Extra info: Child-minding, lunch (provided Monday, Tuesday & Thursday) and transportation will be provided Register at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N0S-n6hhTqc4FKIGpj2GnUAcuyfTkTdYbMzVN1BF_LU/viewform?usp=send_form

Cluster Parent Academy Holiday Dinner This monthly meeting will give parents the chance to celebrate the holiday season. Dinner, child-minding and Transportation will be provided. Date: Tuesday December 16th, Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm Location: 271 Gledhill Ave, DA Morrison Middle School Please contact Melissa James at 416-573-9049 to confirm your attendance.

For more information on any of the events posted above please connect with the contact listed or the Community Support Workers Melissa James at 416-573-9049 or

Check your community board at Crescent Town for events!

Crescent Town Parent Council Parent website: http://www.crescenttownschool.com/

The PHE program at CT

Community

Health & Wellness

Nutrition at Crescent Town:

An Interview with Ms. Princess

Ms. Princess is always preparing and delivering food for us, around the school, so we

decided to find out more about her and the work she is doing.

* What sort of food do we get here at Crescent Town? We get a lot of different fruits, whole wheat crackers, cheese, milk and vegetables.

* Where does the food come from? Who delivers it?

The food comes from the organizations like Food Share.

* What do you do when the food arrives?

I deliver it to all of the classes.

* How long have you been doing this work at Crescent Town?

Two years.

* What else can you tell us about yourself? I love to cook, and to feed kids. I love seeing them eat healthy food. I am also the mother of

eight children.

What do you think about this nutrition program?

It’s a very good program. It teaches kids to eat healthy. They can come to school and get

healthy food to eat, which some kids don’t get at home.

Why is eating healthy food so important for kids?

It is good for the brain. It makes you think better and do better at school.

Thank you for preparing our snacks, Ms. Princess. Our favourites are: PIZZA! Yum!!!

Interviewers: Niloy and Nirvachita, Room B104

CONGRATULATIONS to our Crescent Town Running Club! Thirty-two students in grades 3 and 4 came out almost every day for the entire month of September to improve their running endurance. They all went on to represent our school at the South Qualifier Cross Country meet on October 8 at Ashbridges Bay. All runners put forth their best effort, and showed excellent sportsmanship. The Running Club is continuing to meet on Tuesdays at lunch and Wednesdays after school, and we hope to attend future running events. GO COUGARS!!! Lisa Perrotta, on behalf of the CT coaches (Mr V, Ms Stotts, Mr Wa, Ms Chiu and Mr Cartaya)

All About Grade 3 Boys Indoor Soccer Club!

At Crescent Town School, there is a Grade 3 Boys Indoor Soccer Club. Our teachers are Ms. Stotts and Mr. V. Each Thursday there is Indoor Soccer Club in the Gym. The time we come in is at Lunch Time, which is 12:00 p.m. Indoor Soccer Club is fun, exciting, and full of exercises. Each team gets 2 super long games of soccer! There are a lot of people. You could invite your friends and family who are boys in Grade 3 too! If you are a boy in Grade 3 and you want to come, come to Crescent Town School! It will be fun! Learn about Soccer! Written by

The Benefits of Fitness

You have more energy.

You cope better with stress.

You feel better about yourself.

It helps you stay fit and trim.

You do not feel as tired.

It tones your muscles.

It helps you feel relaxed and less tense.

It helps to control your appetite.

If you feel sad, it helps you feel better.

It helps you fall asleep and sleep well.

It is a great way to share an activity with a friend.

It improves your health.

It is fun!

Character Development: A Partnership with Families With a new school year ahead, we continue to develop character in all students and this is a shared responsibility between home and school. There is a need for family, community and schools to engage cooperatively to encourage students' learning and maturing as social beings. Throughout the year, we will continue to focus on the 10 attributes identified at the TDSB and we encourage parents to reinforce these attributes at home whenever possible: Respect, Responsibility, Empathy, Kindness and Caring, Teamwork, Fairness, Honesty, Co-operation, Integrity and Perseverance. Some tips for supporting Character Development in the Home, include: • Use the language of character development and be clear about your values • Model and teach respectful manners • Listen to your children and spend time with children in shared activities • As a family, take part in community service projects or civic activities • Establish family traditions and enjoy family celebrations together • Teach your children to be responsible and discerning with their choices in media and entertainment and online activities • Teach your children how to resolve conflict in a peaceful, respectful way • Become involved in your child’s school life from Kindergarten to Grade 12 • Live character every day For more information, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/character

The Green Team will be doing a

waste audit in December and then feature the results of the audit in

the January Newsletter.

The Green Team will be collecting empty pop and water bottles for a

variety of upcoming Green

projects. If you have any bottles to donate, there will be a bin set

up outside Room 204 for collection.

Being Prepared for

Winter Weather We would like our students to go

outside as often as possible so that

they can enjoy outdoor activities

during breaks in the day. Please

help us by ensuring your son/

daughter is dressed appropriately

before leaving for school.

Students must wear shoes at all

times when in the building.

Please make sure your child has

shoes at school every day, this

would mean an extra pair if they

are wearing winter boots. We have been reminding students

of the rules for safe winter play,

and we ask for your support in

reviewing these with your

son/daughter. Snowball throwing

is not allowed at school. We

strongly advise against snowball

throwing at all times, as it can lead

to serious injuries. The field

attached to the school will be out

of bounds when deemed to be

unsafe due to icy conditions.

We thank you in advance for your

support.

Crescent Town’s Eco-Corner Eco Hero for October:

Muntahar Hoque

in Ms. Soane’s class for being an eco-rep

Crescent Town is interested in knowing how our students and families recycle. Through this parent survey, we will be able to get valuable information about how we can program and educate students about sorting. The recycling survey will be sending it home to families shortly.

We would like to inform families of this and remind them to complete it and return it to school. A list of tips from the City of Toronto household items that could be recycled.... http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=ff45ab376c432410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=318c433112b02410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD