DATES TO REMEMBER

Welcome Back to school—Mon Jan 8

Pizza Days 2nd term starts —Jan 10 —Mar 7

Milk Days 2nd term starts — Jan 9—Mar 8

Report Card Writing NO SCHOOL—Jan 22 Character Trait Assembly—

Honesty—Jan 26 at 9am Return Newsletter Tear Off

due by Jan 15. Kindergarten Pre-

Registration Package for Next September Kindergarten students

by Jan. 15

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM

MUST CALL BEFORE 8:50AM IF NOT THE SYSTEM WILL CALL

PLEASE ANSWER AND CONFIRM YOUR CHILD’S ABSENSE.

CALL 1-855-209-6155 or pdsb.schoolconnects.com

When your child will be absent from school

We inspire everyone to reach their full potential to be successful life-long learners.

JANUARY 2018 Principal: Mrs. D. Lataille-Herdsman Hickory Wood Public School Vice Principal: Ms. A. Sirpal 630 Ray Lawson Blvd. Superintendent: Mrs. M. Stubbings Brampton, Ontario Trustee: Mrs. K. McDonald Telephone: 905-451-3444

Hickory Wood School Hours Staff on duty for Supervision 8:35 a.m. Entry Bell 8:45 a.m. School Starts – classes begin 8:50 a.m. Morning Recess 10:10 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. Lunch Hour 11:35 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. Afternoon Recess 1::45 p.m.—2:00 p.m. School Ends - Dismissal 3:20 p.m.

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year to all our Hickory Wood Families. We hope that everyone had a safe and restful holiday with family and friends. We hope the holidays were enjoyable and fun-filled. The team at Hickory Wood would like to wish you and your family a happy, peaceful, and healthy new year. It is great to have everyone back and we are looking forward to an exciting and reward-ing 2018 as we continue to inspire success, confidence and hope in each student. At Hickory Wood we believe that student success happens when we work together in partnership to support our stu-dents in achieving their goals. We look forward to your con-tinued support. The new year brings yet another opportuni-ty to celebrate the many strengths and successes of our stu-dents. We would like to thank the Hickory Wood community for their generous support of our Food Drive and Hat and Mitten Tree. Your donations were greatly appreciated.

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 Secondary 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 con-verges and shares knowledge on modern learning, disruptive technology, 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.

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

All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their chil-dren'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

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools be-cause 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.

Climate Team

In January, Honesty is the theme for the month. The assembly is set for January 26th and will be lead by the grade 2 team. All parents are al-ways welcome to join our assemblies, not just the parents of the grade leading the assembly. We look forward to their presentations at the as-sembly. As a school we look at the importance of honesty in being a good friend. We also talk about the importance of honesty when there is a disagreement between friends. When sorting an issue out, if both sides are honest, it makes the problem easier to solve. At home, you can ask your child “How does it feel when someone is not honest with you?” and “How do you feel when you are not honest with a friend?” to start a discussion about honesty.

IN THE MUSIC ROOM WITH MS. STRAND:

Congratulations to the following people who were selected to audition for the Peel Elementary Honour Choir on December 2nd: Akasia, Ma-riah, Unique, Shaan, Jaskaran, Manmeet, Jasjeet, Suhaan, Ramy and Neveah! So many great voices at Hickory Wood, it was a very tough choice. They sure made us proud and the following students were selected to perform in the choir: Neveah, Unique and Mariah Congratulations on being chosen to represent your school as a member of the Peel District School Board's Honour Ensembles that will be performing in the Peel Music Showcase 2018, at the Living Arts Centre on Monday May 7th , 2018, 7:00 pm! The Ensembles (bands and choirs) are comprised of students from over 60 schools in Peel, grades 3-12. Over 750 stu-dents auditioned on Saturday, December 2nd, for seven different ensembles. This month we also saw a wonderful assembly about Caring featuring the students in Grade 3. They did a fantastic job showcasing their talents. The students in Mrs. Plumb and Mrs. Peddinti's classes created their own song that was performed on xylophones and drums. While Mrs. Sran's class performed a play and created an iMovie!

Library Learning Commons News New and exciting things are happening all the time in the Learning Commons. This month our student made murals are up on the walls, which add such a burst of colour and delight to all who come in here. Silver Birch Book Club (grades 3-5) and Blue Spruce Book Club (grades 1-2) have started and students are reading away and en-joying fulsome conversations about the books. Some classes have been exploring graphic novels and their text features during Student Lead Book Talk. While many other teachers are co-facilitating inquiries about Celebrations and Tra-ditions, Working and Living in Ontario and Soil. A big thank you to Ms. Dunbar and all the library helpers who are keeping our Learning Com-mons neat and organized. It is your job students to know your student number so that you can check out books as effi-ciently as possible and get onto Peel District School Boards BYOD site. Please practice your student number. All the best over the holidays……..keep reading!

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 hypother-mia. 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 hy-pothermia. 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.

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 reg-ister 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 Hickory Wood Public School 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. By appointment only 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 docu-

ments) purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation sup-ports an alternate living arrangement Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated

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 is 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. Appli-cations 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 Copeland Public School. The phone number is 905-451-2217. Enrolment cap and random selection process The Peel board has a limited number of spaces available for students interested in grade 1 French Immer-sion. 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 basis. A computerized random selection process will randomly assign a rank to each application that is received 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 Copeland Public School at 905-451-2217. Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca/.

Calling all Hickory Wood Wolves! Mr. Bhagwandin and Mr. Osatczuk are looking for curious minds to join the Collaborative Inquiry Club! Together we will explore and create solutions to questions and problems that students are interested in learning more about. Through the use of technology, the MakerSpace and Learning commons, students will use different resources to collaborate together. This will be an opportunity for students to work as a school team. The Collaborative Inquiry Club will start Tuesday January 16th 2018. Sign-up sheets will be posted outside of room 124 starting January 9th 2018. Listen to the morning announcements for further details! Hope to see all of our great Hickory Wood Wolves there! Sincerely, Mr. Bhagwandin and Mr. Osatczuk

Train More. Rehearse More. Learn More. Peel District School Board program offers flexible school options for student ath-letes, 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, re-hearsal 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

Middle School Regional Learning Choices Programs

Regional Learning Choices Programs offered by the Peel District School Board empower students by provid-ing 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 acceptance. 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 application details. If you are unable to attend the infor-mation night, program details and information 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, application process and transportation eligibility. The application window for our secondary regional programs has closed for this school year.

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

Calling all Hickory Wood Wolves! Mr. Bhagwandin and Mr. Osatczuk are looking for curious minds to join the Collaborative Inquiry Club! Together we will explore and create solutions to questions and problems that students are interested in learning more about. Through the use of technology, the MakerSpace and Learning commons, students will use different resources to collaborate together. This will be an opportunity for students to work as a school team. The Collaborative Inquiry Club will start Tuesday January 16th 2018. Sign-up sheets will be posted outside of room 124 starting January 9th 2018. Listen to the morning an-nouncements for further details! Hope to see all of our great Hickory Wood Wolves there! Sincerely, Mr. Bhagwandin and Mr. Osatczuk

Grade 1 Mathematicians in the School

Attention grade 1 students! This January you will all become 'Mathematicians in the School'. All grade 1 classes will collaborate to-gether to participate in two half day workshops at Hickory Wood Public School. The grade 1 teachers will be hosting this free event, to allow students to explore math strategies and think critically about mathe-matical processes. In addition, we will be looking for grade 5 student volunteers to help assist the grade 1 Mathematicians with activity cen-tres. Look out Hickory Wood Wolves for more information!