Issue 7 March 2015

MEADOWS MESSAGES Churchill Meadows Public School 3310 McDowell Dr., Mississauga, L5M 6R8 Phone: 905 363 2338 Fax: 905 363 2337

Principal: C. Herauf Vice-Principal: A. Hollingsworth Superintendent: Dr. P. Bent Trustee: Nokha Dakroub 905-366-8800

Up-coming Events

Pizza Days March 3

rd

March 10th

March 24th

March 31st

Sub Days March 5

th

March 12th

March 26th

Kindergarten Pizza Day

March 12th

Lunch Box Days March 2

th

March 9th

March 23rd

March 30th

March Spirit Day School Colours

(i.e., green and yellow)

Wednesday, March 11th

The Big Crunch

Thursday, March 12th

2:30 p.m.

Spring Break March 16

th to 20

th

(School Closed)

Dear Families of Churchill Meadows:

We are rapidly approaching the wonderful time of Spring and the warmer weather that accompanies this time. I know we are all looking forward to seeing the days grow longer, to hearing the birds chirp and to seeing the many flowers bloom.

We have experienced an exceptionally cold winter this year; one that required our students to stay indoors for numerous recesses. Our students did a terrific job in keeping themselves occupied with various co-operative games. As a result, the Churchill Meadows’ staff has identified the need to develop “Inclement Weather Bins”, in which various board games and other multi-player activities will be found. Each classroom will be receiving an age/grade appropriate bin in the next few weeks. These activity bins can be used on any type of inclement weather day.

March is always an exciting time particularly since students look forward to their much needed break which falls this year between March 16th and March 20th. Many of the students have already been discussing what their break will look like with their friends and teachers. Hopefully you will be able to spend some quality time with your children at home or abroad.

February at Churchill Meadows had many exciting and meaningful activities for students and staff alike. Mr. Schade, once again, began the Forest of Reading Program, we celebrated Valentine’s Day, Family Day, Chinese New Year and Black Heritage Month. Some of these learning moments have been captured in this newsletter – please be sure to see the wonderful things that have been taking place this past month. As we continue to learn about various cultures, we will be highlighting the cultures and faiths from all over the world. We will commemorate this diversity by announcing faith and cultural days of our community during our daily announcements, and they will also be posted on our electronic screen in the front lobby. We are most fortunate to be honouring several special faith and cultural days. The staff of Churchill Meadows will also be continuing the “Inspirational Quote” of the week, which will be based on a theme for the month; the month of March will focus on Gratitude.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Maya Angelou

I would like to thank all the students for their great work preparing and officially completing Term One! For parents who had formal interviews with our teachers this term, thank you for taking the time to discuss the progress of your children; it is through consistent and ongoing communication that we can all make a difference in your children’s learning. Sincerely, C. Herauf Principal

Check out our website:

www.

churchillmeadows.com

Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2015 DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

March Xsaak Aboriginal

Spirituality

March 1 Intercalary Day Bahá'í

Sunset

March 1 to 20

Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í

Eve of

March 4 to 5

Purim Judaism

March 5 Latern Festival Buddhism

March 5 Magha Puja Buddhism

Match 5 Holi Hinduism

March 6 World Day of Prayer Christianity

March 6 Hola Mohalla Sikhism

March 14 New Year Sikhism

March 16 to 20

Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem

Zoroastrianism

March 17 St. Patrick's Day Christianity

March 20 Vasant Navratri and New Year’s Day

Hinduism

March 20 Shunki-sorei-sai Shinto

March 20 Lady Day (Ostara) Wicca

March 21 Eid e-Navroz Islam

March 21 Naw Ruz Bahá'í and

Zoroastrianism

March 26 Khordad Saal Zoroastrianism

March 28 Sri Ramnavami Hinduism

March 29 Palm Sunday Christianity

March 29 to April 4

Holy Week begins Christianity

Reminder for Parents:

When you are parking in the school parking lot or the public parking lot that borders on our school, it is imperative that you do so in a careful and considerate manner. With so many children in the area, safety must be the priority. Please focus all your attention on driving slowly and carefully.

Reporting Absences:

Please report all student absences through the

Attendance Line only at 905-363-2338. This is critical

information that is required by the office. Messages

left on other phone lines do not always get heard at the

beginning of the school day.

Unique Symposium Addresses the needs of

Families of Children with Special Needs

This free family event is being held at West Credit Secondary

School during the afternoon of April 18th. Agencies such as

Peel Children’s Centre, Erinoak, MotherRisk, CCAC will be in

attendance as well as presenters that will address the

social/emotional and behavioural needs of unique children.

Parents will have the opportunity to ask psychiatrists, social

workers, speech and language and behavioural specialists,

questions about community resources and network with other

parents. There is limited babysitting available.

This free event is open to parents of all grade levels. Please

speak to your school administrator for a registration form or e-

mail trelawny.ps@peelsb.com or call 905-824-0360 ext 402.

Offence Declaration for returning volunteers

Parents play an important role in the development and education of their children and in the success of the school community. At Churchill Meadows Public School, we welcome and encourage the participation of parents and community members, and are grateful for the countless hours our volunteers contribute throughout the school year.

To volunteer at our school, you must complete a short interview and a criminal record check. A criminal record check is required for all school volunteers in Ontario. Even if you want to accompany your child on a field trip, you need this record check.

Once you have completed the process, you are on file with the Peel District School Board as being a school volunteer. All returning volunteers will be mailed an Offence Declaration Form that must be filled out and returned to the board office each year. You will not be able to volunteer with the Peel board if you do not return this form. Forms will be mailed home in February.

MyClass Site

Some of our teachers have set up a MyClass Site that you can access through the Churchill Meadows website if you click on the MsClass chiclet on the right-hand side. Then, click the LOGIN button. When your reach the BYOD page enter the username parent and password parent and click sign In. On the Welcome Parents page use the school’s drop down to select Churchill Meadows Public School. Finally, click on your child’s class.

Kindergarten Six is learning about

Chinese New Year and practising

co-operation as they demonstrate the

Chinese New Year Dragon Dance.

"Every day is a new beginning. The mistakes from yesterday are now just lessons learned. Absorb the energy and possibility of today, Acknowledge the simple beauty that can so easily be taken for granted, And look forward to another new beginning tomorrow."

Love in Kindergarten

Eight

What does Valintines Day

mean to you?

Friendship in Kindergarten

Some of our

Kindergarten classes

were sharing the

things they loved and

writing special notes

to friends sharing

what makes them a

good friend. Even

parents were invited

to share their special

messages.

Spotlight on Learning

Four

Kindergarten Four is learning about diversity by exploring a

variety of apples. The students observed that although the

apples looked different on the outside they were all the same

on the inside. This led to a discussion about how the boys and girls in the classroom look different on the outside but are

the same way on the inside.

Spotlight on

Black Heritage

Student have been learning about Black Heritage and diversity through classroom activities. Using the book “Sketching History” written by Anthony Stanberry and Jermaine Smith as a resource, announcements and “Did You Know” posters, hung throughout the school, further highlighted some of the most successful and influential Afro-Canadians and African-Americans.

During the month of February, Ms.

Srivastava’s Grade Two class was

exploring aspects of Black History as

they learned about character traits

and selecting factual information

while they were reading.

During a read aloud about Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr., the students

listened to the information to in order

to choose words that described best

his character. The students then selected another book about Dr. King

Jr. to read independently and select

three important facts from his life.

Spotlight on Learning

PHYSICAL EDUCATION UPDATE

“Tell me, show me, but most of all involve me.”

Students have been ‘working up a sweat’ in the gym as they

participate in a variety of physical activities. As they play, they

are developing an understanding of the rules and objectives of the

games and the ability to identify tactics and strategies that they

find effective.

Games such as Newcomb Ball and Beachball-Volleyball will

require the students to apply the appropriate skills, movement

concepts, as well as teamwork. As students’ skills and ability to

apply movement concepts become stronger, their level of

participation and enjoyment increases.

A fun way to spend time together as a family and also help your

child develop his/her large muscle control is by participating in a

variety of physical activities.

So Parents, as the weather begins to warm up, turn back the

clocks and try some of the activities listed below. Physical play, a

couple of times a week, for even a few minutes can do wonders

for our outlook on life and family!!

THE GREAT BIG CRUNCH !

There is a saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor

away!’. There is actual truth to this saying. Eating

apples is one type of healthy food that we can consume

on a regular basis as a part of a healthy diet.

To help raise awareness of the importance of healthy

eating and to celebrate locally grown produce,

Churchill Meadows’ staff and students will be

participating in a nationwide event called ‘The Big

Crunch’. On March 12th

at 2:30 p.m., we all will be

biting into delicious, crunchy apples provided by the

school! We are excited to be a part of this history

making event!

February has been a chilly but exciting month at Churchill

Meadows. Primary grades have been studying the music and lives

of the great composers Beethoven and Mozart. They have been

learning and practising the basic skills required to read and play

keyboard music written by these Great Masters using traditional

music notation. Grades Two and Three have also been learning

about the history of instrument building and how the development

of the modern acoustic piano has directly influenced twenty-first

century digital keyboard technology.

Grade Fives have continued improving their literacy skills on the

grand staff (e.g., treble and bass clefs) in preparation for the Grade

Six instrumental (i.e., band) programs offered in Middle School.

During Black History month, Junior Classes studied units on the

history and evolution of Black Music from the African-influenced

rhythms of nineteenth century Spirituals and Gospel Music in the

American south to modern Pop, Rock, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz

and Urban Contemporary styles. Students have enjoyed learning

about early Gospel Choirs like The Fisk Jubilee Singers who are

still active today, as well as twentieth century Blues and Jazz

singers Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena

Horn and instrumental performers including Duke Ellington,

Louis Armstrong and Mississauga’s own Oscar Petersen.

Students were fascinated to learn how many “Pop Artists”

including Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston,

Paul Simon, Adam Levine and Lady Gaga credit Black music as

having a major influence on their own careers and success . Many

students have expressed an interest in doing research projects on

this topic.

We wish everyone a warm, restful and musical March Break!

Update: The Forest of Reading program continues in March. If your

child is in Grade Three, Four or Five and is participating in

the Silver Birch Reading Program make sure to ask and talk

about his/her comments at www.silverbirchonline.ca. For

Blue Spruce, we are recording teachers reading the books. We

will air the recordings on our school station one week prior to

and during Education Week in April.

We recently added over 150 new books to our non-fiction

collection! These new books are resources chosen specifically

to align with the revised Ontario Social Studies Curriculum,

Primary and Junior Divisions.

There will be a Spring Scholastic Book Fair during education

week in April, and we look forward to seeing you there!

The Learning Commons (i.e., the library) is a great place to

borrow books for the March Break! With this in mind, I am

asking that Churchill Meadows’ students bring back their

school library books by Thursday, March 12th

and sign out

new ones for the break. This way, when they return from the

break, they won’t have any overdue books and our collection

will be up-to-date and in order.

Always leave it better than you found is one of our motto in the

Learning Commons.

Mr.Schade

Learning Commons

Corner

Musical Notes

Walking, Jogging,

or Running

Bicycle Rides

Tennis or

Racquetball

Jumping Rope Dancing Volleyball or

Wallball

Roller Blading or

Skating

Swimming Throwing a

Football /Baseball

Shooting some

Hoops

Kick the Ball

Around

Hopscotch

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March

2015

Sp

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