Gage Gazette April 2013

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Staff UpdatesWe welcome Ms. Arvinder Bhui who has joined the gr. 6 team in place of Ms Grace Bailey for a short term LTO. We wish Ms Bailey a speedy recovery.

Dates to RememberMar. 27 – SWG chess club beginsMar 29. – Good Friday – no classesApr. 1 – Easter Monday – no classesApr. 2: ICLS – assessment for selected grade 8 studentsApr. 10 – Day of PinkApr. 12 – Special Sub Lunch by School CouncilApr. 15- 19: Education Week Activities –see newsletter section for more detailsApr. 17: Kids Can Stress parent presentation by School council – see school council section for more detailsApr. 23: School Council Meeting @ 6:30pm in the staffroomApr. 24: SWOLE Day: Lead by Example DayApr. 29: Grad Re-take Photos

School Council NewsAt the March meeting, Council began to finalize its plan to spend $1500 in grant money for parent resources and presentations.

April 17 th : Kids Can Stress Presentation Arrive: 6:00pm for a light dinnerPresentation: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

All parents are invited to this special presentation. Parent information sheet has been sent home. Please send the information back indicating the number of people attending. There will be child care available. A light dinner will be provided. Please return all forms back by

Friday April 5th.

Raffle for Grade 8 GraduationThe school council is having a raffle to

raise funds and support our grade 8s and their graduation. If you work or know of a company that would like to donate their services or product to the raffle. Please let Mr. Harris know by calling the school at x402 so that he can inform School Council.

There will be a Council meeting in April. The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 23rd in the staff room at 6:30 pm. All parents are welcome.

Email correspondence can be sent to:

sirwilliamgageps.cou@peelsb.com

School Times are changing!Sir William Gage times

are changing. This will be on every newsletter going forward. Please understand that the change will take in effect as of Sept. 3, 2013.

Supervision begins: 7:55amStart Time: 8:10amLunch: 1 hour in the middle of the dayDissmissal Time: 2:10pm

There will be one hour break in the middle of the day.

Take note – the dismissal will be earlier: 2:10pm.

The timetable is still being establsihed with the times – please check back in the upcoming newsletters for

more detailed information. Student Special Events

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

S upporting

W elcoming

G uiding

Gage Gazette April 2013

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Picture with cans:The students of Grade 6DR have been collecting pop cans since September. Their goal is 1500 cans. So far, they have collected close to 1100 cans. If you can help them out, please send empty pop cans and the students will clean them and prepare them. The cans are sold to a third party in partnership with Homestead Public School in Brampton and the money is sent to Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the less fortunate.

Picture with pop can tabs:Students remove the tabs from pop cans that the have collected for Habitat for Humanity and donate them to a foundation. This foundation sells the tabs to an aluminum foundry and the money collected is used to by medical equipment for patients at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto who cannot afford it. Some of the equipment bought to date are several custom wheelchairs and a dialysis machine. Please feel free to send your pop can tabs. Last year 20 pounds of tabs were donated. Can we beat last year's number?

Picture with slippers:A knitting and crochet club was started in

October and both boys and girls participated. Most students had never used needles or crochets before. The girls from 6Dr are presenting their last project, a pair of stripped slippers

based on the old Phentex pattern. Boys and girls from Mme Roch's and Mr. Kim's class participated in these clubs.

Chess for Rook-iesOn March 27, students of S.W.G. received exciting news that extra curricula's were back

and in action.  First on the agenda was the Chess Club.  Mr Howell put on the first announcement and without prior notice, over 60 students arrived eager and willing to learn more about this fascinating and strategic game.  For students who did not show up for the first meeting, they are always welcome to join as chess is a game that encourages deeper thinking and is always open to all.  Please listen to the announcements.

Graduation for Grade 8s

Graduation and events will be announced closer to the date.

For parent preparing, please be aware that the ceremony and

events will be happening during the last week of school.

Please contribute and support the raffle by School Council to support our graduating students. The school community would like to make this graduation memorable.

Library News from Mrs. Axiak

I'm excited to let everyone know that 10 Library Leaders have been selected and have started working in the library during nutrition breaks. These 10 students will be going through training so that they are able to successfully complete all volunteer duties within the library and will then go on to coach other students who are interested in becoming Library Helpers. A big thank you goes out to these 10 Library Leaders who have demonstrated their skills in leadership, organization and collaboration!

Thanking you for continuing to support your children in their reading.

S.W.O.L.E Update: Leadership as a Way of Being

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

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Working with our Grade 7s: Positive Leaders

In the month of March, SWOLE came in and worked with our Grade 7s. The focus was on being positive leaders and what that looks like, sounds like and feels like. There were incidences that occurred among several grade 7 students where personal space was an issue and reported to the office. All students and families that were involved were notified and appropriate consequences were given.

SWOLE came in to talk with every class in grade 7 about being upstanders and doing the right thing – even when it is not the most popular choice. What is an upstander? It is a person who will stand up to defend others who are being mistreated. They made our grade 7 students think, engage in real conversation about change and making positive choices. SWOLE will be back to work with the grade 7s closer to the end of the school year.They made our grade 7 students think, engage in real conversation about change and making positive choices. SWOLE will be back to work with the group closer to the end of the school year.

Next SWOLE day: Lead by Example Day(for the selected Leadership Group)

Education Week at SWG– April 15-19Theme: Every Smile Tells a Story

Peel public schools will host hundreds of special activities and events to celebrate Education Week 2013 from April 15 to 26. The theme for this year's two week-long focus on education is Every smile tells a story.

Each year, more than 50,000 parents and community members across Peel attend activities and events during Education Week. We are looking forward to an equally successful week this year.

Education week at SWG will to bring awareness to the wonderful work of the staff and parents that inspire success, confidence and hope every day. We like to think of this week as a way to share our stories with the school community.

Below is a tentative schedule of the event this year:

Mon Apr 15

TuesApr 16

WedApr 17

ThursApr 18

FriApr 19

Q-MacKAssembly for students

Block 1 & Block 3

Spring Clean UP

Unleash your PassionBlock 3

Unleash your Passion Block 3

School Council Evening Presentation(See Council Section for more details)

ALL Day Unleash your Passion

ALL Day Unleash your Passion

Details of the events:Q-MACK: To start off Education Week we are pleased to present the most electrifying school assembly available in the country today. Q-Mack is Canada's most successful basketball trickster. He will be presenting his Increase the Peace Assembly with Canada's most talented beatboxer J-Box. The students will be mesmerized and at the same time will receive a positive message on respect and bullying.

Unleash Your Passion:All students will have an opportunity to pick a Passion of choice to participate in during Education Week. There will be teachers leading

the groups throughout the week to help students ‘Unleash their passion’. On Tuesday April 2nd, each student will be given a ballot to mark their 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice.

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

http://schools.peelschools.org/1519/Pages/default.aspx

All students must have their agendas with them to participate in a passion – lead teachers will be handing out labels to go into their agendas. If the student does not have an agenda, they must come to the office before Education Week begins.

Spring Clean-Up:Led by Ms Ahmed and the Green Gators. This group will head outside to help clean-up our school grounds and help keep SWG eco-friendly.

School Council evening Presentation for Parents:See School Council section for more details

Let us know if your child is absent. . .Parents are reminded to call the Attendance Line before 9 am to report your child’s absence. Don’t leave a message in the teacher’s voice mailbox as it may not be picked up until later in the day. Similarly, notes in

students’ agendas may not be read until later in the day, so a voicemail on the attendance line is the best way to let us know if your child is away.

Day of PinkAgain this year, staff and students at Sir William Gage will recognize April 10th as the Day of Pink. This day originated in Nova Scotia in response to one boy wearing a pink shirt and being mercilessly bullied for it. In response, students organized a campaign to all wear pink to convey a message to bullies that discrimination of all kinds is unacceptable. The campaign is now international, so please support this anti-bullying effort

Help us to encourage and enhance parent involvement in Peel

Apply for a position on the board's Parent Involvement CommitteeUnder the Ministry of Education's Parent Involvement Policy, all boards must have a committee comprised of a majority of parents that is directly linked to the director of education and trustees. The Peel board Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) meets regularly throughout the school year to review the board’s plans for parent involvement as they relate to parent, family and community engagement, and to make suggestions to schools, councils and the board regarding additional parent outreach.

As mandated by the ministry, the purpose of Peel board's PIC is to: support, encourage, and enhance

meaningful parental involvement within schools and across the district, including, outreach to parents who find involvement more challenging

work collaboratively with the school board to support student success

seek out the advice and ideas of school councils, and other parents and partners as they plan and implement strategies to involve more parents at the regional level

develop strategies for enhancing parental engagement and outreach

Membership is a majority of parents, reflecting the diversity of the parent community. Parent representatives will be required to serve two-year terms, beginning in September and ending in August.

We are now in the process of inviting parents to apply for four positions on the committee. In early May, a selection sub-committee consisting of current parent and trustee members will review all parent applications and select representatives using the

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

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following Parent Member Selection Criteria as a guide: reflects the diversity of the community understands the importance of parent, family and

community engagement has experience working with newcomers to

Canada, Ontario or Peel has volunteer experience – including experience

on school council has previous experience in Peel board parent

involvement activities demonstrates advocacy and community

development skills

has a present level of involvement in the education system

demonstrates a keen interest in public education

For more information about the PIC and to download the application package, visit

www.peelschools.org. Under the ‘Parents’ menu, select ‘Get Involved’ and ‘Parent Involvement Committee’.

Forms must be returned by April 26, 2013.

Celebrating Faith and Culture BackgrounderApril 2013

The Peel District School Board is a mosaic of many cultures and faiths from all over the world. To commemorate this diversity, the board recognises special faith and culture days of our communities. April 2013 has several special faith and culture days to celebrate and remember:________________________________________________________________________

April - Mmaal in Aboriginal Spirituality

Mmaal is celebrated by Nisga'a people of the Nass Valley in northwest British Columbia. It is the season when rivers again become accessible after winter. The Nisga'a people can launch their canoes and resume travel on the Nass River.

Sunset of March 25 to April 2 - Pesach (Passover) in Judaism

Pesach, or Passover, commemorates the liberation of the Jews from Egypt and slavery. It is celebrated for eight days. Pesach begins at dusk (before sundown) on March 25th. The first and last days of the festival are full holidays - work is not done by followers.

A highlight is the Seder (meaning "order") meal held in each family’s home on the first evening of Pesach, when the story of their deliverance is recounted as narrated in the Haggadah (the Telling, the Story). Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods that contain no leaven and are symbolic to the struggle. There is a great spring cleaning in the home before the festival to ensure that no trace of leaven is left in the home during Pesach.

April 1 - Easter Monday in Christianity and Canada

Easter Monday is the day following Easter and is celebrated as a holiday by followers of Christianity. Roman Catholics celebrate it with many traditions depending on their country of origin. Egg rolling competitions and dousing each other with water are a few of the traditional celebrations.

Sunset of April 7 to 8 – Yom HaShoah in Judaism

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

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This Holocaust remembrance day is a Jewish holiday. “Shoah" is the Hebrew word for destruction and is another name for the Holocaust. The anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 is the date chosen to commemorate the six million Jews who died during World War II. In Israel, a morning siren sounds stopping all activity, and people stand in honour of those who died. Jews around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting six candles in honour of the six million Holocaust victims. Many hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.

April 8 - Farvardegan in Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrians following Fasli calendar celebrate this ten day Farvardingan festival honouring the dead. Followers of the faith believe that guardian angels of humans and spirits of departed souls (fravashis) return to earth during this period and accept the hospitality of relatives.

April 9 to 27 - the month of Jalál in Bahá'í

In the Bahá'í calendar, there are 19 months of 19 days each. Each month represents an attribute of God. April 9 is the Feast Day for the beginning Jalál, the second month of the Bahá'í calendar, signifying "glory."

The Bahá’í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast Day.

April 10 or 11 - Vasant Navaratri in Hinduism

Chaitra Navratri (April 10 to 18) begins from this day. This festival is observed twice a year, in the month of Chaitra and then in Aswayuja (September). It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine manifestations of goddess Durga. During Navratri (the word literally means "nine nights"), devotees of Hinduism observe a fast and undertake religious activities like puja.

April 10 - Jashn-e-Sadeh in Zoroastrianism

Jashan-e-Sadeh, also known as the Feast of Fire, is a highly religious festival for Zoroastrian followers of the Qadimi calendar. The festival involves collecting wood by all in the community, and then lighting the bonfire after blessing the community to drive back the winter.

April 13 or 14 - Saka and New Year’s Day in Buddhism and Hinduism

The Saka calendar’s New Year’s Day is a religious and cultural celebration for Sri Lankan, Indian, Burmese, Kampuchean, Laotian and Thai Buddhists. The Saka calendar is a lunar calendar based on the Hindu astronomy of the holy Vedas.

This New Year's Day is celebrated also by Hindus in many Southeast Asia countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia over two days. The exact date of In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

http://schools.peelschools.org/1519/Pages/default.aspx

celebration is determined by astrologers. New Year's Day observations, traditions and customs vary based on adherent's country however common to all are feasts, gift giving, religious ceremonies and spending time with family and friends.

April 13 or 14 - Vaisakhi or Baisakhi in Sikhism and Hinduism

Celebrated throughout India, Baisakhi has special importance for Sikhs. On this day in 1699, Sikhs believe that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, created the Khalsa Panth, the Brotherhood of the Pure. On this day, the farmers also commence cutting their harvest.

This is the holiest day of the year for followers of Sikhism. It signifies the beginning of the Sikh New Year. The day is celebrated with Bhangra and Gidda dances.

Sikhs celebrate this day by visiting gurudwaras and distributing kada prasad. Processions led by the Panj Piaras or the five religious men, are taken out. Kirtans and recital of passages from the Granth Sahib are also organized in gurudwaras.

Vaisakhi, the first day of the Hindu solar year, is celebrated differently in the many regions of India. The farming communities in the northern states of India celebrate it as an agricultural and harvest festival. For people in Himachal Pradesh, it is a religious celebration and for many others - Bengal and southern states it is the New Year's Day.

April 19 or 20 - Shri Ramnavami in Hinduism

Ramanavmi celebrates the birth of Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. He is the hero of Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic of 24,000 stanzas. A continuous recital of the book takes place for about a week prior to the celebration and on the day itself, the highlights of the story are read in temples.

Many communities and temples celebrate this festival for nine days, beginning from Gudipadwa—the first day (pratipada) of the month of Chaitra.

Celebrations on the day begin with a prayer to the sun early in the morning. At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed. In northern India especially, an event that draws popular participation is the Ramanavmi procession or Ramleela – depiction by drama/play.

Sunset of April 20 to May 2 - Ridvan in Bahá'í

The festival of Ridvan, considered the "most great festival" in Bahá'í, is a 12-day celebration that starts at sunset April 20 and runs until sunset May 2. The most important date on the Bahá'í calendar, Ridvan (pronounced "Riz-wan") commemorates the public declaration of the prophethood of Baha'u'llah, the acknowledged founder of the Bahá'í faith.

The first, ninth and 12th days of Ridvan are all major Bahá'í holy days. Bahá'ís suspend work on the ninth day (April 29).In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

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April 23 - Mahavir Jayanti in Jainism

Mahavira-Jayanti is the festival to commemorate the birth of Lord Mahavira, who was the 24 th and the last Jain Tirthankara (enlightened soul). He was born on the 13th day of the rising moon in the month of Chaitra (March/April) in 599 BCE in India. Jain temples all over the world are decorated with flags for the occasion. On his birth anniversary, the followers of the faith observe the day by visiting temples, offering prayers, reaffirming their beliefs, meditating and listening to discourses on Mahavira's life and teachings. Mahavira-jayanti is celebrated not only to mark the birthday of Mahavira, but also to inculcate his teachings in one’s life. Mahavira preached that right faith (samyak-darshana), right knowledge (samyak-gnana), and right conduct (samyak-charitra) together is the real path to attain the liberation of one's self.

April 23 - Akshaya-tritiya in Jainism

Akshaya-tritya (Immortal Third) celebrates the day when Lord Rishabha broke his first year-long fast by drinking sugar cane juice. Jains who fast on alternate days for six months, or a year, break their fast by sipping fresh sugar cane juice. People who perform the austerity of Varsitap (fasting for a year on alternate days or longer period at a time) complete the austerity on this day by taking sugar cane juice. This day is considered to be very auspicious for going on a pilgrimage to Shatrunjay (located in Gujarat, India).

April 25 to 28 - Theravada New Year in Buddhism

In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, the New Year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the New Year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

April 25 - Zarathosht-no-Diso in Zoroastrianism

In April each year, Zoroastrians following the Qadimi calendar, commemorate the anniversary of the death of Prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), the founder of their faith. Scholars say he lived between 1500 and 1000 BCE in northeast Iran.

April 28 to May 17 - the month of Jamál in Bahá'í

In the Bahá'í calendar, there are 19 months of 19 days each. Each month represents an attribute of God. April 28 is the Feast Day for the beginning of the third month of Jamál, which signifies beauty.

The Bahá’í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast Day.

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine

Gage Gazette April 2013

http://schools.peelschools.org/1519/Pages/default.aspx

April 28 - Palm Sunday in Christianity

Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week leading up to Easter for Eastern Orthodox churches who follow the Julian calendar. It celebrates the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where people spread palm branches and clothing before him. During Palm Sunday services, many churches distribute cut palm leaves, sometimes woven into the shape of a cross.

April 29 to May 4 - Holy Week begins in Christianity

Holy Week is the period from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity it is also known as Great Week. It is the last week of Lent. Each of the days of Holy Week has its own traditions of services.

April 30 to May 4 - Ghambar Maidyozarem in Zoroastrianism

Followers of Zoroastrianism celebrate six seasonal festivals, known as the Ghambars. These are associated with agricultural seasons. Ghambar Maidyozarem, the mid-spring feast, celebrates the creation of the sky and the harvesting of the winter crop.

In the adult world, what really counts is how strong your strengths are, not how weak your weaknesses are.

Dr. Mel Levine