“

Tamarac Education Centre “Reading to or with your child daily will significantly improve their reading ability.”

Where Learning Comes To Life! March, 2018

Spring is quickly approaching and we have been having some very nice days lately. The warmer temperatures this time of the year can be very misleading. Warmer temperatures can quickly change and a sunny day could turn into frigid temperatures, rain and/or snow. Students are reminded to continue to dress for the changing weather we know all too well.

Each year, Primary Registrations begin our staffing process, so it is important that our numbers be as accurate as possible. If you know of any parents who have children of school-age for September, 2018, please encourage them to register their child as soon as possible, if they haven't already done so. Orientation for new Primaries will take place on Friday, April 6th. A no-tice will be going home to the parents/guardians of in-coming Primaries, giving Orientation information, as well to our current Primaries notifying them of no school for them on April 6th.

Note: We only send Primary Orientation packages home to parents who have registered their child. Please contact the school if you have any questions regarding this process.

The Science Fair is scheduled to take place on Thurs-day, March 22

nd, 2018. Our grade 3 students are taking

part this year under the direction of their classroom teachers. Students in Grades 5, 7 and 8 have been giv-en the option of participating in the Fair this year. I am pleased to say that we have a good number of partici-pants from these grade levels. Report cards for Term 2 will be going home on Thursday, March 29

th. Parent/

Teacher meetings will take place the evening of April 4th

and the morning of April 5th

.

Have a great March! March Break is from March 9th to 16th. Students return to school on Monday, March 19

th,

Day D of the cycle. Suzanne Delaney Principal

2. Electronic devices must be turned off and stored out of sight.

3. The office phone should be used in the case of emergencies, but students are permitted to use their cell phone in the main office.

4. Students have been informed of these expectations.

5. Failure to comply will result in immediate loss of the electronic device.

First Offense

Electronic device will be confiscated by supervising adult and

brought to the office. The incident is logged in Power School un-

der student name.

Electronic device will be held for the school day in the office

and may be picked up by student at the end of the day.

Failure to comply will be dealt with in the same way as a third offense.

Second Offense

Electronic device will be confiscated by supervising adult and

brought to the office where it will be held for the day and logged

in Power School under student name.

Parents will be informed by administration.

Electronic device will only be retrieved by the parent only.

Third Offense

Electronic device will be confiscated by supervising adult and

brought to the office where it will be held for the day and logged

in Power School under student name.

Parents will be informed by administration.

Electronic device will only be retrieved by the parent.

Student will be suspended for a period of one to five days

Students and parents are reminded that lost or stolen property is NOT the responsibility of the school. Valuable items should be safeguarded by students.

Parents/Guardians are asked to please refrain from texting or calling students during class time. If you wish to speak to a stu-dent, please contact the main office and we will gladly reach them for you.

Cell phones and Electronic devices in school:

These continue to take up too much of our time on a day to day basis. Please note the following:

1. Electronic devices include cell phones, MP3 players, CD players, portable game players.

Breakfast Program Volunteers

Looking for parent volunteers to come in every second week to help serve breakfast. Please con-tact Dayna MacDonald if you are able to help out.

dayna.macdonald@srsb.ca

Mr. Druhan’s Grade 3 Science Adventures

Mr. Druhan's Grade 3 class is busy getting geared up for their Science Fair projects on Structures. Half of the students are building

bridges while the other half are building boats. The students had to first create a blueprint design of their "vision". They were then presented with a large assortment of materi-als in which they had to decide on to be used to create their structure and then modify their existing blueprint according-ly. The boats being built must be just large enough to hold a toy truck 22 cm long, 9 cm wide, and 9 cm in height. Their boat must not only float, but also see how much weight can be added before the boat begins to take on water. Those building bridges must build it so that the same truck may pass over the top of the bridge. The bridge must not only withstand the toy truck, but also see how much weight can be added before it collapses. The kids are having a lot of fun exploring the steps of the Scientific process and in designing and testing out their structures. Mr. Druhan would like to thank Mrs. MacNeils grade 7's as well as the Leadership group for coming in to lend a hand and collaborating with our class.

Derek Druhan

Microwaves

Parents - We ask that you please refrain from send-ing in un-popped bags popcorn and uncooked kraft dinner in the premeasured bowls. These dinners re-quire almost 3 minutes of heating and the water is boiling when the student gets it back to mix in the powered cheese.

Microwaves are limited and therefore we ask that nothing that requires more than a minute to warm should be sent in. ALL food should be fully cooked before sending to school.

Thinking about Math Every month in this section we offer tips and advice on how to help your child understand math. The ability to identify and describe shapes, sizes, positions, directions, and move-ment is needed in many work situations, such as construc-tion and design, as well as in creating and understanding art. Becoming familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in their environment will help children understand the im-portance of these principles. Identify shapes and sizes. When playing with your child, identify things by their shape and size: “Pass me a sugar cu-be.” “Take the largest cereal box out of the cupboard.” “What shape is a stop sign?” Build structures using blocks or boxes. Discuss the need to build a strong base. Ask your child which shapes stack easily, and why. Hide a toy and use directional language to help your child find it. Give clues using words and phrases such as up, down, over, under, between, through, and on top of. Play “I spy,” looking for different shapes. “I spy something that is round.” “I spy something that is rectangular.” “I spy something that looks like a cone.” Ask your child to draw a picture of your street, neighbour-hood, or town. Talk about where your home is in relation to a neighbour’s home or the corner store. Use directional words and phrases like beside and to the right of. Go on a “shape hunt.” Have your child look for as many cir-cles, squares, triangles, and rectangles as he or she can find in your home or outside. Do the same with three-dimensional objects like cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders. Point out that street signs come in different shapes and that a juice can is like a cylinder.

Important Dates:

March 12-16 Inclusive– MARCH Break

March 22– Grade 3, 5 7 & 8-Science Fair– Open

house 1:30-2:30

March 23– Inservice Day– No Classes

March 31– Good Friday

April 2– Easter Monday

Track and Field

Track and Field Season will start April 3rd. Any students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 who wish to sign up for track and field can see Mrs. Campbell in Room 103 or Mrs. Pace in room 206 at the end of March. The practices for track and field will be held two days a week. Either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesday and Thursdays from 2:40pm until 4:00pm, depending on gym availability that week. The qualifier meet will be held in Mabou mid May. The NSSAF Highland Regional meet will be held at the end of May in Sydney. If an athlete qualifies at this meet they will go on to compete at the NSSAF Provincial meet which is scheduled for the first weekend in June in Sydney. Stu-dents are able to compete in 4 out of 15 different track and field events in addition to two relays. There are a lot of opportunities for students to participate (Throwing, jumping, sprinting and long distance running). We expect that every athlete goes to all practices in addition to prac-ticing on their own when they can. We are looking for-ward to a great track season.

Coaches Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Pace.

Dietitian’s Corner: Shelley LeBlanc PDt. 902-631-4969 shelley.leblanc@nshealth.ca

March is Nutrition Month! This month’s theme is: Unlocking the Potential of Food To help the potential to fuel; let’s review some ideas for lunches at school or work Always remember to keep school lunches free of any restrict-ed foods, such as nuts when packing school lunches.

Bake healthier snacks, such as whole grain muffins or cookies on the weekend and freeze for an easy-to-pack snack

Vary the bread: try whole grain breads, tortilla wraps, crackers, bread sticks

Include bite size veggies, such as red pepper slices, cu-cumber, or baby carrots

Include easy to eat fruit like grapes, melon slices, peeled mini oranges; or orange wedges.

Meal ideas: leftover pasta heated and placed in a ther-mos; cheese with crackers and fruit; tuna or chicken salad with crackers and fruit; a sandwich roll up with any kind of filling you or your child likes- adding grat-ed veggies & salsa

How to properly use a thermos for hot food: • Start with a clean thermos. • Follow everyday food safety practices. • Warm your thermos by filling it with boiling water. Put

the lid on. Let it sit for a few minutes then pour out the water.

• Once your thermos is warm, quickly add steaming hot food (at or above 74°C or 165°F) or boiling hot drinks and put the lid on tightly. The only way to be sure your food is hot enough is to use a thermometer.

How to properly use a thermos for cold food: • Start with a clean thermos. • Follow everyday food safety practices. • Chill your thermos in the fridge or freezer. • You can also fill the thermos with ice and water. Put

the lid on. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool then pour out the water.

• Once the thermos is chilled, quickly add cold food or drink (at or below 4°C or 40°F) and put the lid on tightly.

• To keep your food cold, pack your thermos just before leaving home. Resources: https://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Factsheets/NM18-Factsheet-Set-EN.aspx http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Cooking-And-Food/Cooking-Methods/Everyday-Tips-For-Using-A-Thermos.asp https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Lunch/Brown-Bag-Lunches.aspx

Poster/Literary Contest

Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 43 Post-

er and Literary Contest Awards night

will be held on Wednesday, March 21st

at 7:00 at the Royal Canadian Legion on

Reeves Street. All students, parents, grandparents

and family friends are welcome.

There are multiple local awards to present as well

as Provincial awards. See you there!

SAC - School Advisory Council is always

looking for new members

If you want to become involved - we meet

once a month

Your input is greatly valued!

Contact the main office for more infor-

mation!

African Heritage Month

In February we had a visit from Diane Dzokotoe who manages a

school in Ghana, Africa. Diane went to different classrooms to discuss

life in Ghana. One thing that amazed the students is the fact that ani-

mals in Africa; lions, giraffes, elephants, tigers, and camels to name a

few roam, around outside just like we have racoons, deer, fox, and

porcupines. There is a difference in the size of the animals in Africa

versus here and they are able to hitch a ride with some of their ani-

mals.

Students here saw that although Africans seem to have very little in

their school they were always happy to be in school. Schools are strict

and they have a dress code. Students were given trivia questions each

morning during African Heritage Month. The student with the correct

answer whose name was picked out of the entries submitted won a

prize from Africa.

Mrs. Burgoyne’s grade 2 class generously donated the rest of the

books from their book fair to the Greater Heights International

School in Tamale, Ghana. We will be starting a writing assignment to

children at the school telling them things that we like to do here and

telling them about the snow they don’t have. Janice Decoste and

Susan Langley’s class will also take part in us sending a package to

Ghana.

Lisa Cameron’s

class has also creat-

ed African masks

and we are in the

process of coming

up with a tribal

African name for

the class. Each stu-

dent has created a

Tribal name for

themselves so stay

tuned if you hear

your son or daugh-

ter referring to

their own made up

tribal name. There

are many different

tribes in Africa,

here we call them

communities.

Sabrina Skinner

Student Support

Worker

Lost Coin?– Book Fair

A special coin was used at the Book Fair on

Wednesday, February 28th.

If this coin was a gift/

keepsake in your fami- ly

please contact the

school with a descrip-

Congratulations to students who

won the Trivia contest this month

connected to African History Month.

Thank you to Sabrina Skinner for the

beautiful display case!