85 Burnt Elm Drive, Brampton On, L7A 1T8 Phone 905-495-9368 Fax 905-495-9371

Principal—Mrs. W. Vokey Vice-Principal-Mrs. T. Ajrawat Vice-Principal-Mrs. Ritchie

Office Manager-Mrs. S. Corbett Superintendent-Mr. Mark Haarmann Trustee-Mrs. S. Nurse

MAY 2013 EDITION

The Burnt Elm Banner

A Message from the Principal—

April Highlights

Education Week was a great success at Burnt Elm! Thank you

for coming out to our school’s Open House and visiting your chil-

dren’s classrooms. Further, during Ed Week, our grade 4 stu-

dents did a wonderful job in their concert, highlighting how we

can work together to make positive contributions to our world.

Thank you to Ms. Moddle and the gr. 4 teachers for their leader-

ship with our students in preparing for the concert.

Our Award of Distinction assembly was an important part of our

Education Week’s festivities. We honoured a number of staff

and volunteers at this assembly including — Miss Stetson, Mrs.

Lang, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Jack, Mr. Pitts, Mr. White and Mrs.

White. Mary Biondo, “Nonna”, was honoured both at our school

and at our board office with an Award of Excellence. She has

been a volunteer at our school for 10 years! Her contributions,

as well as those of the award of distinction recipients, are most

appreciated in helping support Burnt Elm.

Our Parent Council hosted an exciting 10th birthday celebration

for Burnt Elm during Education Week. It was attended by over

600 people! We appreciate the efforts of council in hosting this

event and in sponsoring the Michael Mitchell concert, our end of

week activity for Education Week.

Reading Tip:

Put out to your child different signs

in the community

Write out a shopping list in front of

your child and talk about what you

are doing

Draw attention to print on packages.

Look at advertisements in newspa-

pers, magazines and on TV

and talk about what the ad is

Inserts:

Celebrating Faith and Culture

Peel schools honour Police Officers during

Police Appreciation Week

May 5 to 11 is Emergency Preparedness Week

Burnt Elm puts spotlight on Asian Heritage

11 Tips for helping children cope with fears and

anxieties

Help us keep students and staff safe in the

school parking lot

Keep your child safe around train tracks

Keep your child safe on the internet

Welcome to the home of Benny

the Bengal!

School Success Update

Our staff have been participating in workshops on the use of

iPads in supporting our classroom work with our students. We

look forward in continuing to use technology to support our pro-

grams with students. May is Asian Heritage Month. Our Com-

munity, Culture and Caring Team have been working to organize

an Asian Heritage month assembly with performers from Burnt

Elm, Cheyne and Fletcher’s Meadow SS to be held on May 15.

What's Happening At Burnt Elm?

Absences and Lates

One important life skill that students need

to learn is to be on time for school. Unless

a student is sick or has an appointment,

students should arrive to school on time.

Students suffer academically when they

are consistently late or absent.

School starts at 8:20 (1st bell rings at

8:15). Nutrition breaks starts at 10:40 and

12:40. Kindergarten classes in the after-

noon start at 12:10.

The Power of One Oath

Students, staff, and parents of our

community pledge the following:

I will not bully others.

I will not stand by while others are bullied.

I will report and deal with bullying whenever I see it…

… because I have the

POWER OF ONE

Lunch Deliveries

We encourage families to send their children with their lunches each

day. If you have a day when you need to drop off your child’s lunch, please

label it with your child’s name and class and leave it on the table outside

the office.

Please note, so that we don’t interrupt teaching time, we do not call into

your child’s classroom to notify him/her of the lunch.

Please make sure your child knows that you are deliver-

ing food, so that your child comes down to the office to

pick up his/her lunch.

ARE YOU MOVING?

If you are moving over the sum-mer, please let the office know as soon as possible. We will then give you a transfer form to assist in your child’s move to his/her new school.

EQAO Reminder Dates

Grade 3 students at Burnt Elm will

be writing the EQAO on the follow-

ing days:

Tuesday, May 28th

Wednesday, May 29th

Thursday, May 30th

Burnt Elm’s Students’ Work (Gr. 4s)

Medieval Times

Medieval Her-

aldry and

Coats of Arms

Learning About the

A few of the fun ways grade

4s have been learning...

Ms Lang’s

Grade 3s

Canada’s Provinces and

Regions

To Topographic Maps of Canada’s Regions

Eco Messages

Using Comic

Life

Canada’s Regions in

the style of artist Ted

Harrison

Mosaic Art of Canada’s Regions

Provinces and

Territories Posters

The Power of One

Anti-Bullying Messages from Ms. Folorunsho’s ELL Students

This year, students at Burnt Elm learned about what bullying is, what can be done about it, and how every student has the

“power of one” to make difference in stopping bullying.

Please enjoy the short passages written by some of our ELL students to share their ideas about what the “Power of One Anti-

Bullying Pledge” means to them!

What the Power of One means to me...

Written by Azlan in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Azlan and I will tell a teacher when I see any bully-

ing happening at school. I don’t like being bullied and I will help

kids who are being bullied. I can make a difference at school by

helping other kids who are being bullied.

Written by Mahreen in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Mahreen. The Power of One means that I can make a difference

by stopping bullying and standing up for my friends. I will tell the teacher

when me or my friends are being bullied. I can make a difference!

Written by Luckshana in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Luckshana. The Power of One means that I can

make a difference by telling the teacher when bullying happens. I

will stand up for my friends when I see any kind of bullying happen-

ing.

Written by Shilah in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Shilah. The Power of One means I can make a difference by

reporting any type of bullying to a teacher. I promise to help others that are

being bullied and I won’t stand by and watch. We all must help each other.

Together, we can make a difference!

Written by Navroj in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Navroj. I can help stop bullying by helping someone

who is getting bullied. I can tell a teacher, and tell the person who is

bullying to STOP! I have the “power of one” to help stomp out bully-

ing!

Written by Zake in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Zake. I know that the Power of One allows me to stand up,

reach out, and tell someone about bullying! I promise to help the community

with the fight against bullying!

Written by Sahib in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Sahib. The Power of One means that I can make a

difference in the school by helping others. If I see someone being

bullied, I can tell the bully to stop bullying and tell an adult. I can

tell the other person to stand up for yourself and be strong! I have

the “power” to make a difference!

Written by Komal in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Komal. The Power of One means that I can make a difference by

taking a stand against bullying. I can change the world by being a kind, caring

person and also by helping my friends. Bullying is not allowed in Burnt Elm!

That is what the Power of One means to me.

Written by Rasleen in Ms. Folorunsho’s ESL Group

Hi, my name is Rasleen. Some ways that I can help stop bullying is

to stand up to a bully and help others when they are being bullied.

It’s very important to stand up and let the bully know that it’s not

okay to be mean. That’s what the Power of One means to me!

An Inclusive Quilt Created by Ms. Folorunsho’s ELL Students

Celebrating Faith and Culture

May 2013

DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

May Yansa'altt Aboriginal Spirituality

May 1 Beltane Wicca

May 2 12th Day of Ridvan Bahá'í

May 2 Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) Christianity

May 3 Good Friday (Holy Friday) Christianity

May 5 Easter or Pascha Christianity

May 6 Easter Monday Christianity

May 9 Ascension Christianity

May 10 or 24 Jashn-e-Sadeh Zoroastrianism

April 13 Akshaya-tritiya Jainism

Eve of May 14 to May 16 Shavuot Judaism

May 17 or 18 Sakyamuni Buddha;s Birthday Buddhism

May 17 the month of 'Azamat Bahá'í

May 19 Pentecost Christianity

May 20 Victoria Day Canada

Eve of May 22 to May 23 Declaration of the Báb Bahá'í

May 25 Wesak Day Buddhism

May 25 Zarathosht-no-Diso Zoroastrianism

May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'í

Peel schools honour police officers during Police Appreciation Week

The Peel District School Board will pay tribute to police officers by holding Police Appreciation Week from May 5 to 11,

2013. Peel students and staff will show their appreciation for the tremendous job being done by police to protect schools,

homes and communities. Police Appreciation Week coincides with National Police Week. National Police Week pays trib-

ute to the work of police officers across Canada.

"The Peel board appreciates the dedication and commitment of police officers who work to keep our schools

and communities safe," says Janet McDougald, Peel board chair. "Police Appreciation Week is our way of

thanking officers who dedicate themselves to protecting our community. It's also a way to give these offi-

cers the special recognition they deserve."

During this week, students, staff and parents in schools throughout Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will honour the

work of police officers and thank them for enhancing public safety and security.

May 5 to 11 is Emergency Preparedness Week What is EP Week?

Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is a nation-wide initiative to increase awareness about individ-

ual and family preparedness, emphasizing how the public can reduce the risks and consequences of an

emergency by being better prepared. During this week, we promote, educate and bring about awareness

concerning emergency management planning and personal preparedness.

What is the purpose?

The purpose of EP Week is to educate students, parents and the community about the importance of being

prepared in the case of an emergency.

When is EP Week?

The first full week of May of each year is Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week. This year, we will celebrate

EP week May 5 to May 11.

What’s happening?

The City of Mississauga’s Emergency Management Office is holding a variety of EP Week activities in

partnership with other community services to raise awareness of being prepared. Highlights include:

Engaging children and students on the topic of emergency preparedness through presentations and game

activities. This is an opportunity for them to learn more about their community, how they can help plan for

their family

Variety of presentations and visits to community events/facilities throughout the week with Buzz the Bee

Community day at a public arena (location to be determined) on Sunday, May 5 to kick-start the week

For more information, contact:

Gilda Cheung

Emergency Management Assistant

Gilda.cheung@mississauga.ca

Catherine Blair

Emergency Management Coordinator

Catherine.blair@mississauga.ca

Burnt Elm Public School puts the spotlight on Asian Heritage

In December 2001, the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heri-

tage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heri-

tage Month.Throughout May, students, staff and parents from across Peel will participate in a number of activities that promote

the understanding of the many contributions made by Asian Canadians.

Here is a list of Asian Heritage Month events happening at Burnt Elm:

Asian Heritage Month Assemblies May 15th

9:30 and 1:30

Assemblies include a fashion show, dancing and musical performances featuring students from our family of schools: Burnt

Elm, Rowntree, Cheynne and Fletcher’s Meadows.

Showcase Artifact Display May 6-31

11 tips for helping children cope with fears, anxieties

Parents can help children learn techniques to manage anxiety. Here are some tips to try:

Reduce stress: Excessive stress and tension in your home can have a negative effect on your child. Look

for ways to reduce stress by doing calm activities together and deal with conflict as it arises, avoiding

raised voices or arguing around children.

Make a routine: A regular routine for meals, homework, quiet time and bedtime can be comforting to an

anxious child.

Give consequences: Anxiety does not excuse inappropriate behaviour. It is important to set limits and ex-

pectations and follow-through with realistic consequences, rewards and praise. Children are happier when

they know what the rules are and what will happen if they break them.

Be supportive: It is difficult for children to face their fears. Don't laugh at your child or minimize your

child's fears. Let your child know it is normal to have fears and listen to your upset child and let them know

it is okay to talk about feelings. Help your child figure out ways to handle difficult situations. Ask, "How

can we make this easier for you?"

Encourage independence: Although it is tempting to do things for your child when they are anxious or

fearful, it is much more beneficial to help children learn to do things for themselves and take some risks.

By doing this, you will help your child develop the skills and abilities to cope with life. This can include

giving your child responsibilities around the house or brainstorming ideas for solving problems. Be suppor-

tive but don't take over.

Avoid giving excessive help and reassurance: Giving constant help and reassurance can prevent your

child from learning how to cope on his own. Teach your child to answer their own questions and model

problem solving for them.

Build self-confidence: Praise your child for their accomplishments in facing their fears. Involve your child

in activities that help him feel proud.

Have realistic expectations: It is important your child is taking steps forward, even if they are small steps.

Help your child set and achieve goals that can be more easily met, perhaps at a slower pace. Have realistic

expectations for your child.

Take care of yourself too: It can be very difficult dealing with an anxious child. Make sure you manage

your own reactions and take care of yourself. Remember the basics of eating well, getting enough rest and

give yourself permission to take some time off.

Take risks: Model brave behaviour for your child by trying new things together. Anxious children need to

try new things and take some risks in order to develop increased confidence and skills.

Avoid avoidance: Anxious children want to avoid things that cause them anxiety. Although this temporar-

ily decreases distress, it also allows fears to grow and can make coping more difficult in the future. It is bet-

ter to support your child in facing their fears-small steps at a time.

Source: Anxiety BC website (www.anxietybc.com)

Help us keep students and staff safe in the school parking lot On any given school day, as many as 750 students are dropped off at Burnt Elm Public School within about 10 minutes. This

number greatly increases during the winter months and on rainy days. As such, traffic congestion in front of the school in the

morning and at dismissal can create a dangerous situation for our students and staff.

We understand that many families need to drive their children to school, but that doesn't mean that safety

needs to be put at risk. Based on ongoing concerns about the safety of our students and staff, we are asking for

your co-operation and assistance in following the safety rules in our parking lot. These rules have one pur-

pose—to ensure that every child arrives and departs from school safely each day.

Here are some ways you can help to keep students and staff safe in the school parking lot:

Drive slowly and with caution on and near school property. Adhere to the posted speed limits on Burnt Elm Drive and any sur-

rounding streets used by students on their way to and from school.

Always yield to pedestrian traffic. Wait for students, staff members and parents to cross before driving past them.

There is NO PARKING and NO WAITING in the Kiss and Ride lane, parking spaces for persons with a disability, bus lanes or

fire lanes. You must keep your car engine running while in the Kiss and Ride lane. Pay attention to the traffic in front of you

and pull forward as cars move forward.

Do not leave your car if you are waiting for your child. If you get out of your car, park in a lined parking space or on the street.

Do not double park or do anything else to block traffic or draw your child off the curb and into traffic. Do not take shortcuts over

curbs.

Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Say goodbye to your child before you enter the drop-off area.

Students must be dropped off and picked up at the crosswalk in front of the office. Please ensure that your children exit through

the passenger side of your vehicle. If you choose to park in the parking lot, please escort your child to or from the nearest

foot patroller and use the main crosswalk.

During regular drop-off times, students are to remain in the car until it is safe for them to exit the car.

If your child is not waiting for you at the main crosswalk at the end of the day, please circle the parking lot and rejoin the line or

park in a designated parking space to wait.

After picking up or dropping off your child, leave promptly so that others can get in behind you.

Follow the directions of staff or volunteers on duty in the school parking lot and treat staff, students, volunteers, passengers and

other drivers with respect.

Consider parking off site and walking a short distance to school. This will give you time to talk to your children about their day,

review new vocabulary words, math concepts, etc.

As you may know, the by-law enforcement officers for the City of Burnt Elm have the authority to hand out tickets on school

property. Burnt Elm Public School assumes no responsibility for drivers parking where they shouldn’t park.

The above parking lot rules have been implemented for the safety of our students and their families. Please follow them when

dropping off your children, picking them up or parking at the school. Your co-operation and patience is greatly appreciated. If

you have any questions, please contact the school.

Thank you for working with us to keep Burnt Elm a safe place for students, staff and the community.

Keep your child safe around train tracks Trains are often closer and are moving faster than most motorists and pedestrians perceive. That's why all members of a family should be

are aware of the importance of rail safety.

Safety steps for children

Playing on railway tracks and bridges is dangerous. Find safe, supervised and open areas (e.g., neighbourhood parks) in which to have

fun.

The only way to safely cross a rail track is to use designated railway crossings.

If you must cross railway tracks, for example on your way to and from school, stop, look and listen before crossing.

It is against the law to trespass on railway property. Safety steps for adults

Be prepared to stop at a highway/ railway crossing.

Listen for warning bells and whistles of an approaching train. Turn off, or turn down distracting fans, heaters, music/radios.

Obey the signals. Never attempt to drive under a gate as it is closing or around a closed gate. If the gate begins to close while you’re

underneath, keep moving ahead until you clear the crossing.

If a police officer or a member of the train crew is directing traffic at the crossing, obey their directions.

If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get out quickly and away from the vehicle and tracks. Move in the direction that the train is ap-

proaching from to avoid being hit by debris. Your vehicle will be swept forward by the momentum of the train.

Keep your child safe on the Internet

Even without trying, children can come across materials on the internet that are obscene, pornographic, violent, hate-filled, racist or offen-

sive in other ways.

Here are some steps to help you ensure that your children use the internet as safely as possible:

make sure your children understand what sites are appropriate for them

keep the computer in a common area of the home like the kitchen or family room

discuss the meaning of an ‘unsafe’ site with your children

explain to your children what they should do if they reach an unsafe site

make exploring new websites a family activity

pay attention to the games your children may download or copy

look into software or online services that filter out offensive materials or sites

It's important to review safety tips with children regularly. It is possible for children to meet unsafe strangers on the internet. Ensure your

child knows the following rules:

never give out personal information (including name, address, phone number, age, school name or location)

never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online

never use bad language or send mean messages

never respond to e-mail messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable

tell an adult immediately if something on the internet makes them feel uncomfortable