285 Great Lakes Drive, Brampton on. L6R 2R8 Phone 905-7938632 Fax 905-793-1860

Principal—Mrs. W. Vokey Vice-Principals-Ms. R. Perri & Ms. D. Shamas Trustee– Harkirat Singh

Office Manager-Mrs. K. Baioa Superintendent-Mr. Michael Logue

DECEMBER/JANUARY EDITION

Great Lakes P.S.

A Message from the Principal—

December/January

We look forward to our primary grade winter musical “Candy Cane Lane” to be

held on Thursday, December 21st at 6:30 pm. A thank you to the students,

Ms. McKillop, Mr. Vladetich, Mr Musceleanu and all of the staff from the musical

committee for their leadership with the performance.

Also in December, grade 8 students from Mr. Hovius’ and Mr. Walker’s classes

will lead the school in a celebration of the character value “Honesty”. The assem-

bly will be held on Friday, December 22nd at 10:05 am. All are welcome.

Our Chat n Chai this month will be held on Wednesday, December 20 at

1:45pm in our staff room. Our public health nurse and our settlement worker

will join parents/guardians in making some healthy holiday treats. We hope

you can join us.

During the month of December, we have hosted a winter clothing drive to support

the Salvation Army and We Welcome the World Centre, as well as a food drive to

support Knights Table. Thank you to the students and families of the Great

Lakes community for supporting these local charities!

Our next School Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7th at

6:30 pm. All parents/guardians are welcome. Please know, report cards will be

sent home on February 8th.

We would like to thank Ms. Shamas for her support this fall as our

acting Vice-Principal. We appreciate her contributions to our school.

We would like to welcome Mrs. Okazawa who will be joining us in

January as our new 0.5 Vice-Principal.

We hope you enjoy the holiday season. All the best to you and your families in

2018!

—————————————————————————————

SCHOOL SUCCESS

As part of our school’s work in embracing the board’s vision document Empowering

Modern Learners, our teachers have been partnering with our school librarian to

embrace various devices including—Osmo, Cubelets, Lego Robotics, etc. Students will

be using these devices in our Library Learning Commons in relation to curriculum

expectations to develop critical thinking and problem solving

skills.

Math Tips:

All students can learn

math skills just as they can learn

to read and write.

Ask your child what he/she has

learned in math at school.

Know that there isn’t one “right

way” to solve the problem.

Break the problem down into

parts.

Put a handful of change on the

table for counting and coin recog-

nition.

Math is all around us!

Home of the Grizz

Kindergarten registration at Peel District School Board schools will take place on each of the following dates:

Monday, January 29th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday,January 30th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday January 31st, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday February 1st, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5pm to 8 pm. Friday February 2nd, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

School Council

The next School Council meeting is sched-

uled for Feb.7th. Please come to the

Great Lakes staff room for 6:30-7:30

p.m. We hope that you can come and par-

ticipate.

If you have questions, please contact the

council executive at greatlakescoun-

cil@peelsb.com.

Holiday Concert

Candy Cane Lane

Performance:

Thursday December 21st

Time: 6:30 p.m.

$2.50 per person

or $ 5.00 a family

Proceeds support costs for the musical production.

WINTER BREAK

Monday, December 25 to Friday

January 5, 2018.

December Character Trait Theme: HONESTY January: RESPONSIBILITY

Demonstrate integrity in your words and actions. Set goals, stay focused and stick with the task until completed

Acknowledge responsibility for your actions and words. Do your share of the work.

Tell the truth and admit to your mistakes. Recognize and learn from your mistakes.

Play by the rules. Follow through with your commitments.

Do what is right, even when no one is watching. Demonstrate perseverance in overcoming difficulties

What's Happening At Great Lakes? Grade 1—Mrs. Mendez’s class during school yard clean up

What's Happening At Great Lakes?

Grade 1—Mrs. Spence’s class

What's Happening At Great Lakes?

Grade 1—Mrs. Spence’s class using the Green Screen Technology

FOR BRAMPTON & MISSISSAUGA SCHOOLS ONLY

Volunteer Criminal Record Checks to cost $33 as of January 1, 2018

Peel Regional Police have advised us that, as of January 1, 2018, Criminal Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Check for adults, including those for volunteers, will cost $33; students and seniors will remain at the current cost of $25. Processing of CRCs for volunteers is free until the end of December 2017, with Form A provid-ed by the school.

CRC application forms are available in the lobby of Peel Regional Police Head-quarters, and at the Square One Community Station, or online by accessing the link on the Peel Regional Police website: https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/services/vulnerablesectorcheck.asp.

FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ONLY

Time for school - A parent’s guide to reporting school absences

All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their children's absences or late arrivals from school via our automated SafeArrival system.

Whether it is an illness or another absence and you decide to keep your child home, please report your child’s absence via the SafeArrival system quickly and conveniently in one of the three ways:

Call an automated, interactive toll free number – 1-855-209-6155 (Please note – You must wait for confirmation)

Report absences online by accessing the SafeArrival parent portal on pdsb.schoolconnects.com

Download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices

Help your family stay warm this winter

Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia when working or playing outdoors:

Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should keep an extra hat at school.

Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the body.

Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have liners, carry an extra pair to replace damp ones or take an extra pair of socks. Invest in thick socks to keep your feet warm. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on outings, etc.

Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself when doing vigorous activities.

Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypothermia.

If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive sweating caused from an extreme change in temperature increases the risk of developing hypothermia.

Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins. A balanced diet will also help keep you warm and healthy in the winter.

If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies.

Train More. Rehearse More. Learn More.

Peel District School Board program offers flexible school options for student athletes, artists

Does your child/teen have an intense sports or arts training and competition schedule that makes it difficult to attend school regularly? The Peel District School Board’s Peel Region High Performers Program will offer flexible timetabling to accommodate student athletes and artists with demanding practice, competition, rehearsal and/or performance schedules.

The Peel Region High Performers Program is available to students in grades 4 to 12 at Britannia Public School, Dolphin Senior Public School and Mississauga Secondary School.

Applications close Jan. 12, 2018

For more information and applications, visit www.peelschools.org/HighPerformers.

Winter bus safety

The following winter school bus safety tips will help to keep your child safe throughout the winter months.

Allow extra time to get to your bus stop.

Wear bright clothing so the bus can see you in the early morning and late evening.

Stand away from where the bus stops. Buses need extra room to stop when there is snow and ice.

Use the handrail when boarding or exiting the bus to prevent slipping on wet or icy steps or road surfac-es.

Dress properly—winter clothing, hats, and boots will keep you warm.

Don't throw snowballs at the bus or other children waiting for the bus.

Don't slide on the snow or ice patches in driveways or on the street.

Don't push or shove around the bus. Someone could fall down on the ice and get hurt.

On very rare occasions, buses are late because of weather conditions or mechanical problems. Talk to your child about what to do if the bus is late. Here are some suggestions:

When possible, wait with your child for the bus.

Make sure your child knows a phone number where he can reach you or another trusted adult.

Teach your child how and where to get help. Talk to your child about what a "safe" stranger is.

Help your child set up a bus stop buddy system so your child has someone to wait with for the bus.

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather.

Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations listed below and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca or by calling

905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 BREAKFAST TELEVISION NEWS AM680

CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1

NEWSTALK1010 AM EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860

FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107

CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSE

GLOBAL NEWS CITY NEWS CTV

CFRB – (Bell Media)

One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only):

Peel District School Board buses are cancelled

This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will op-erate as usual.

All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed

This means that all schools and Peel board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits.

All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled

This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

It's time to register children born in 2014 for kindergarten

We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2014, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2018. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register.

Peel schools will also hold a Kindergarten Registration Week with special registration activities during Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2018. Visit Great Lakes P.S. from:

Jan. 29 to 31, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Feb. 1, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

Feb. 2, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What you will need to bring to registration

Proof of child's age (one of the following)

Canadian birth certificate

Canadian passport

citizenship card/certificate

Permanent Resident Card

confirmation of permanent residence

work permit

refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

Ontario driver's license

utility bill

bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution)

credit card statement

federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents)

purchase agreement

Apply for Extended French by Jan. 26, 2018

If your child will be starting grade 7 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to consider Extended French (EF). To find out more about the program, visit www.peelschools.org/French

The EF school for our area is Ross Drive P.S. . The phone number is 905-796-4563

Online application

The application form for Grade 7 EF for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m.

The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. A computerized random selection process assigns a rank to each application received by the deadline. Students are offered available space in Extended French in this order. Students who are not selected will be placed in rank order on a waitlist. Each school has its own waitlist. Parents will be notified if a space becomes available. Applications received after that date will be put on a waiting list.

For more information

visit www.peelschools.org/French

call your nearest Extended French school

talk with parents who have children in the Extended French program

visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca

Apply for French Immersion by Jan. 26, 2018

If your child will be starting grade 1 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to consider grade 1 French Immersion (FI). To find out more about the program, visit www.peelschools.org/French

The application form for grade 1 FI for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French as of Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. Applications received after the deadline will not be included in the random selection process and will be placed on the school’s waitlist.

The FI school for our area is Ross Drive P.S. . The phone number is 905-796-4563

Enrolment cap and random selection process

The Peel board has a limited number of spaces available for students interested in grade 1 French Im-mersion. At this time, the grade 1 FI enrolment cap is set at 25 per cent of all Peel students enrolled in grade 1. A random selection process is used to determine which students will be offered spaces in the grade 1 FI program.

It is important to note that applicants are not offered space in grade 1 FI on a first come, first serve ba-sis. A computerized random selection process will randomly assign a rank to each application that is re-ceived by the deadline.

Once students have been assigned to all available spaces, remaining students will be placed, again in rank order, on the school's waitlist. Each school has its own waitlist.

How to get more information

Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/French.

Call Ross Drive P.S.

Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca/.

Follow us on Social Media

Social media is the easiest and fastest way to stay connected to the amazing things happening in the Peel District School Board.

Follow @Peelschools on

Twitter to:

learn about our schools and programs

find out if buses are cancelled during bad weather

share the Peel smile

Follow @Peelschools on Instagram where we share motiva-tional and inspirational #PeelProud moments

Follow Peel schools

on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools.

Our school is on social media too!

@1GreatLakes2013

Conference helps parents empower modern learners

The Peel District School Board is hosting its annual parent conference, co-presented by the Peel Elementary Teachers’ Local, on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at Mississauga Sec-ondary School in Mississauga. Once again, the conference will focus on Empowering Modern Learners. Parents will still have the opportunity to attend workshops on topics, including numeracy, literacy, special education, technology and science.

This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels.

Our keynote presentation will be delivered by Dwayne Matthews, a life and education strategist, who converges and shares knowledge on modern learning, disruptive tech-nology, and the evolution of work. Dwayne will present Learning in the 21st century: Why it's different, why it matters and how to help children thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Registration opens Feb.5, 2018

Stay up-to-date!

For more information, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/conference.

Middle School Regional Learning Choices Programs

Regional Learning Choices Programs offered by the Peel District School Board empow-er students by providing an opportunity to develop and explore skills in a particular area of interest. These programs are open to all students who meet the criteria for ac-ceptance.

Information Nights

Students and their families are encouraged to attend the information night for the program of their choice to receive more information about the program and applica-tion details. If you are unable to attend the information night, program details and in-formation about the application process are available through the school.

How to apply

Application dates for middle school programs vary from school to school. Visit www.peelschools.org/RegionalPrograms to learn more about our programs, applica-tion process and transportation eligibility. The application window for our secondary regional programs has closed for this school year.

FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ONLY

School doors remain locked during the school day

We wanted to share a reminder with our school community. The front doors of our school will be locked during the school day. This is part of the Safe Welcome program, originally announced by the Ontario Government in December 2012, for all elementary schools in Ontario. As part of this program, portable doors will also be locked during the school day.

A camera and buzzer unit is located by the front door and will be linked to a monitor in the main office of the school. Anyone who wishes access to the school once the school day has begun—parents, Peel board staff and visitors—will request entry by pressing the buzzer. Staff in the main office will be able to see and speak to the person, and release the door lock to provide access.

We have long had the practice for Peel schools that all outside doors, with the exception of the front door, would be locked during the school day. While we acknowledge that locking doors will not in itself prevent all risks to the safety of students and staff, it is an important step in providing an additional level of security.

Thank you for your continued support for the safety and well-being of all students and staff in our schools.

Nutritious lunches help children learn

Use Canada’s Food Guide to help your child get nutrients and energy needed to have a successful school day.

Try to give your child some choice about what to take for lunch. If possible, get your child involved in preparing meals.

Give your child a variety of healthy choices. Keeping your child inter-ested in lunch is the first step to making sure it is eaten.

Make the food easy to eat. If it will take your child a few minutes to unwrap a sandwich, it may be skipped.

Resist the temptation to routinely send sweets, pop, chips and cook-ies in your child's lunch. Save treats for special occasions.

Try to avoid fast food or pre-packaged, convenience lunches, which are often high in salt and fat.

Do your best to role model healthy eating behaviours for your fami-ly.

To speak to a registered dietitian about healthy food choices, call EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-5102.

For more information about the policy, visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschools. If you have questions about how we are implementing the School Food and Beverage Poli-cy, please call the school.

Celebrating Faith and Culture

December 2017

December Luut’aa and Little Spirit Moon Aboriginal Spirituality

December Luut’aa and Little Spirit Moon Aboriginal Spirituality

December 3 Sanghamitta Day Buddhism

December 3 First Sunday of Advent Christianity

December 8 Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) Buddhism

Sunset of December 10 to 29 the month of Masa'il Bahá’í

Sunset of December 12 to Decem-

ber 20 Chanukah Judaism

December 13 Birthday of Imam Aga Khan Islam

December 21 or 22 Yule/Winter Solstice Wicca

December 21 Tohji-taisai Shinto

December 25 Christmas Christianity and Canada

December 26 to January 1 Kwanzaa African-Canadian communities

December 26 Boxing Day Canada

December 26 Zarathosht-no-diso Zoroastrianism

December 30 to January 17 the month of Sharaf Bahá’í

December 31 to January 4 Ghambar Maidyarem Zoroastrianism

DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

Month of January K'aliyee & Spirit moon Aboriginal Spirituality

December 31 to Jan. 1 Ghambar Maidyarem Zoroastrianism

January 1 Temple Day Buddhism

January 1 and 14 (J) New Year’s Day Christianity and Canada

January 1 Gantan-sai Shinto

January 2 Mahayana New Year Buddhism

January 3 Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday Buddhism

January 5 Birth of Guru Gobind Singh Sikhism

January 6 and 19 (J) Epiphany or Feast of Theophany Christianity

January 7 (J) Christmas Christianity

January 8 Seijin-no-hi Shinto

January 13 Lohri Hinduism

January 13 Maghi Sikhism

January 14 Makar Sankranti Hinduism

January 18 to February 5 Month of Sultán Bahá'í

January 21 World Religion Day Bahá'í

January 21 Vasant Panchami Hinduism

January 24 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Enlighten-ment

Buddhism

Celebrating Faith and Culture

January 2018