ILPS May 2019 Newsletter

Posted May 6, 2019

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Finally, the weather is beginning to look a little more spring-like!  There has been lots going on at ILPS so far this term.  The energy in the building has been very positive – we would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your ongoing support of both the school staff and our students!   Please see the info below and, as always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely, Sean Singh (x223) and Janice Dampier (x224)

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Congratulations on your retirement, Mrs. Dampier!

We would like to thank Mrs. Dampier for all that she has done for our staff and students here at Island Lake.  Mrs. Dampier will be retiring in June and we have been very fortunate to have her spend her last few years in education on the Island.  Her expertise in special education and her gentle, kind manner will be missed greatly.  All the best for the future, Mrs. Dampier!!

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Mental Health and Well-being Week 

Talking about Mental Health – May 7-11 is Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being Week!
Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being Week is about promoting mental wellness, increasing awareness of child and youth mental health, decreasing stigma and understanding that support is available. Let’s improve everyone’s mental health and well- being!
The theme for Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being at UGDSB is: Have a SUPER Week!
Social Connections
Understanding Emotions
Personal Health
Empathy
Resilience
Each day of the week will focus on a different aspect of Mental Health and Well Being. Teachers will be provided with resources and activities related to each day’s theme.
As a parent, you can increase the Mental Health and Well-being of your children, youth and family too! Here are some suggestions:
Monday May 7 -Social Connection – “Don`t be shy. Just say hi!“
o Say Hi to 3 people that you do not know. Perform a random act of kindness.
Tuesday May 8 – Understanding Emotions – “Sad, glad, happy, mad – just be you”
o Right now, stop and reflect on how you are feeling. Take a couple of moments as a family to do some deep breathing. http://youth.anxietybc.com/how-do-it Now, how are you feeling?
Wednesday May 9 – Personal Health – “Healthy Self. Heal-thy self”.
o Wear green today to support Mental Health Awareness.  Did you know that how our bodies feel affects how good we are feeling? Three of the best things you can do to improve your mood is to exercise, sleep well and eat well. Go for a walk or play a game, get outside, turn off the devices an hour before bed and eat fresh food! The more you do to help your body feel good, the better you will feel!
Thursday May 10 – Empathy – “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody”.
o When in doubt – be kind. Try seeing something from another person`s perspective today.
Friday May 11 – Resilience – “If Plan A doesn`t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters!”.
o Mental Health and Well-being means coping with the ups and downs of day to day life. Building more resilient thoughts and skills can really help. Children and youth can also find support by seeking help from caring adults. Take time now to talk with child or youth about who those caring adults are in their lives.

For more information dealing with mental health and well-being, check out the following online resources:
Mind your Mind (online) www.mindyourmind.ca/interactives
Smiling Mind (Free App) smilingmind.com/au/
GoNoodle (Free App) https://www.gonoodle.com

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School Safety Drills

As a reminder, each year our school must conduct drills to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of a real emergency.  While our school has been conducting fire drills, lockdown drills and tornado drills for the last several years, beginning this school year, we are also required to conduct a bomb threat drill.

For the school year:

  • Three (3) fire drills in the fall and three (3) fire drills in the spring
  • Two (2) lockdown drills
  • One (1) tornado drill
  • One (1) bomb threat drill

For each of these drills, there is an educational component to explain why they are necessary.  All drills are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of our students.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

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ARE YOU MOVING?

If you will be moving out of our school area over the summer, please let the school know. This will help in determining our new classes for September. We will be working on class lists for next year in early June, so if you could let us know before then, it would be greatly appreciated. Similarly, if you have new neighbours moving in, please direct them to the school before the end of June to register for September.

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EQAO Dates at ILPS

All Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be writing the EQAO test sometime between May 22 and June 3.  Please ensure that students get plenty of rest and a healthy breakfast during this time. Please also avoid appointments that may interfere with testing dates.

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ILPS School Organization 2019/20

We are in the process of planning for September 2018. Please note that all schools in our Board will be  organized according to the provincial guidelines that provide “hard caps” on primary and junior class sizes. This means that schools are likely to face reorganization well into September.  Staff have been tentatively assigned to specific grades at this point but they may change as our enrolment changes up to and including September.   The Staffing Process in Upper Grand is still in process through the summer.

The following are our tentative teacher placements for September 2019:

Tentative ILPS School Organization 2019/2020
4 Full Day Kindergarten – P.Palmer , A.Helps, LTO (J.Cera),A.Pesic (ECE’s to be determined)
Grade 1 – K. Lindsey Grade 4– S. Brock
Grade 1 – M. Chaubal Grade 5 – N. Hughson
Grade 1–R. Teo Grade 5– J. Broderick
Grade 1/2 – T. Gear Grade 5/6 – LTO
Grade 2 –  A. Sanders Grade 6– To be determined
Grade 2—T. Gillis Grade 6/7 – LTO
Grade 2/3– K. Andrews Grade 7—D. Beazley
Grade 3—D. Byers Grade 8 – S. Manzerolle
Grade 3—T. White Grade 8 – M. Miller
Grade 4 – A. Noble Special Education (DD)– S. Laughton

Question for the Principal

Question: How does staff decide which class to place my child in?

Answer: When school staff draft class lists, a  variety of factors are taken into consideration. Some of them are as follows:

  • Total number of students (must meet Ministry and contractual guidelines)
  • Balance of female/male students
  • Balance of abilities
  • Number of students identified with special needs
  • Combinations of students (positive and challenging)
  • Formation of interactive learning groups
  • Teacher experience
  • Parent requests

If parents/guardians wish to make a request for a particular class, it must be supported by specific and detailed reasons.   

Our final deadline for requests to be emailed to the Principal is Friday, May 24th, 2019.    email address:   [email protected]

The request must specify the reason for the request.  We will make every effort to honour parent requests, but please realize that we cannot guarantee that requests will be met, due to the number of variables involved in student placement. 

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BAG 2 SCHOOL

Congratulations on a fantastic campaign and your support of Bag2School!  Island Lake Public School diverted 1000kg  out of our landfill.

We hope the students and families enjoyed the experience and are more aware about the importance of responsible textile disposal and conscious purchasing decisions.  The textile industry is the 2nd greatest polluting industry in the world, only together can we help slow the rate of consumption and therefore enact sustainable change.

Thank you to Mrs. Hughson for organizing the campaign and thank you to all of our community for participating to make the world a better place.

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Belwood Osprey Webcam

For those interested is viewing the Osprey at Belwood Lake check out the live webcam

www.grandriver.ca/osprey

There are already 3 eggs in the nest.

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