November 2023 Newsletter

Posted November 1, 2023

PRINCIPAL NEWS

We have a busy month ahead with Remembrance Day, Treaties Recognition Week, progress reports, Parent-Teacher interviews, Winterfest, and Bullying Prevention week to name just a few of the items of significance for this month!

I want to acknowledge and thank staff who are taking the time to organize extracurricular activities before and after school as well as at recess. This month students will have the opportunity to participate in; reading club, ECO club, volleyball, yoga, and games club to name a few of the many things that are happening here. Please discuss with your child what is happening at school and how they are choosing to become involved.

 

We are working with community partners to welcome Family Transition Place and Dufferin Waste presentations here at the school to enhance the curriculum.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the Parent Teacher Interviews at the end of the month. Information about how to sign up for your interview will come out in the next few weeks.

Lori Shilvock

 

Attendance

A reminder that students regular attendance at school, arriving punctually and ready to learn (healthy) greatly impact student success. Accumulated absences or lates impacts a student’s ability to keep up with the curriculum content. Just a reminder that if your child will not be attending school or will be late on any given day, please call us at 519-940-3666 on the attendance line ext. 100. Please include your child’s name, the bus number, the teacher’s name and indicate illness or absence. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school if their child(ren) will be absent or late. We also request that you send a note (include the bus number and teacher’s name) or call the school before 2:30 p.m. if you are picking your child(ren) up during the day or at the end of the day.

Progress Reports & Parent Teacher Interviews

Progress report cards will be made available to families on Thursday, November 16th. Please review student successes and areas of need with your child. Continue to encourage daily reading and good study habits.

 

Parent Teacher Interviews will be help on the evening of November 23rd  and during the day on November 24th.

It’s Not that Chilly Yet But….

We are in November and the snow will be here soon! Please remember to send indoor shoes and assist your child in wearing the proper clothing to school and label it. This includes a warm jacket, hat, mitts, and waterproof footwear. Thanks for sending extra socks in your child’s backpack just in case and extra clothes for our Kindergarten students! All students are expected to participate in outdoor recess, and we will continue to make use of the outdoor classroom space and the beautiful yard at Laurelwoods. Our playground structures will be closed for use as of November 1st.

 

Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week

Ontario has designated the week beginning on the third Sunday of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week to help promote safe schools and a positive learning environment. During Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, Ontario students, school staff and parents/guardians are encouraged to learn more about bullying and its effect on student learning and well-being. Learn more here.

Resources to support parents/caregivers:

UGDSB Bullying Prevention Plan 

Reporting Bullying

We take all incidents of bullying seriously. If your child(ren) is the victim of bullying and/or identity-based harm, please encourage them to speak with someone at school or use the board’s online reporting tool. The Report Identity-Based Harm and/or Bullying tool gives students and parents 24/7 access for reporting. You don’t have to identify yourself – just your school – and your message gets sent directly to the school principal for follow-up. You’ll find the Report button on our school’s website.

We encourage everyone to report any incidents of bullying. There are multiple ways to report in the UGDSB.

  • Online Bullying Reporting Tool: An online bullying reporting tool is available to UGDSB students in every grade – victims or witnesses – to report incidents at any time, from anywhere. The tool makes it easy for kids to reach out and let an adult in authority know when there’s a problem. Parents are also welcome to use the tool, either to report incidents they have witnessed themselves, or by passing on second-hand accounts from younger children. This tool can be easily found on the board’s website, school websites or on the UGCloud landing page for students. Reports go directly to the school principal for follow-up.
    • School administrators will receive the report and will respond accordingly dependent upon the situation reported and the availability of contact information
  • Contact school staff directly (Click here for contact information for each UGDSB school)
    • Educators and administrators are key personnel with whom to make a report of bullying.

Colour House November Challenges

Waste Free Lunch Days

Challenge will run on Wednesday November 8th, Thursday November 9th and Friday November 10th.

Earn points for your Colour House by packing a lunch that does not generate unnecessary waste! A waste-free lunch may include reusable food and drink containers, washable cutlery, and cloth napkins instead of prepackaged foods, single-use plastic baggies, juice boxes and pouches, paper napkins, aluminum foil, and disposable utensils. When you go waste-free, you are helping to reduce the environmental impacts caused from the unnecessary transportation, production, and disposal of packaging products. Take action by tackling the first of the 5 Rs by reducing the amount of waste generated at your school!

 

Divert Textile Waste – Clothing Drive November 20th to December 1st

There will be bins set up in the front hall based on school colour teams! If you drop off a donation, please place it in the appropriate bin for your child’s team colour! We will continue to collect donations until December 1st.Clothing can be sent with your child to school (if the bag is small enough to carry), or dropped off during school hours (8:30-3:30). The Kidney Foundation does provide a small money incentive for every pound of clothing collected. Any funds that we receive from the clothing drive will go towards our ECO initiatives.

Thank you in advance for helping to make our world a better place by eliminating textiles in our landfills!

 

  • The Kidney Foundation will accept clothing, textiles, belts and accessories, shoes and boots, jewelry, bags and purses, bedding, and linens (all considered cloth items). Items do not need to be in perfect condition as the Kidney Foundation works with their partner to ensure that all items donated to us get repurposed.
  • 100% of the net proceeds support The Kidney Foundation of Canada to fund kidney research, education, peer support and programs to help ease the burden of kidney disease.

 

Reduce, reuse, repurpose, repair, and recycle old textiles such as clothes, shoes, and bedding, and help to divert waste from the landfill.

Did you know that the clothing industry creates 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions each year or roughly 8-10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions? It also uses 342 million barrels of oil a year to make our synthetic clothes, like those made from polyester or spandex. In fact, 7% of plastic waste in our landfill comes from our synthetic clothes. Fashion production consumes more energy than both aviation & shipping combined, and it can take 2,700 liters of water to make a single cotton t-shirt. In Canada, each household throws away an average of 81lb of textiles per year, making up for 5-10% of municipal landfills. Work with your school and take action to divert textile waste through a fun and creative campaign.

Wellness Works Focus for November

This month we will be focusing on problem solving which is defined as:

  • Gathering, processing, analyzing, and interpreting information to make informed judgements and decisions
  • Using critical thinking to better understand and address challenges that arise
  • The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues

 

Developing strong problem solving skills directly align with classroom goals and students’ success as it strengthens:

  • Cognitive flexibility and metacognition
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Perseverance
  • Creativity
  • Adaptability
  • Flexibility
  • Conflict resolution and well-being

Progress Reports

Parents and guardians can download their child’s Progress Report from the following website:

https://connect.edsembli.com/on/ugdsb/lwood/portal/viewer/login/login.aspx?logintype=P

If you previously accessed our Electronic Report Card system, no action is required at this time.  If you do not have an account set up or do not remember your password, instructions on how to set up and manager your account can be found on the following website: https://sites.google.com/ugcloud.ca/parenthelp/report-cards-parent-portal

Parent Teacher Interviews

We ask teachers to meet with all parents following the progress reports. November 24th is designated as the Parent-Teacher interview day.  We will once again be using an online system for booking parent-teacher interviews this year (unless alternative arrangements are communicated with you by your child’s teacher). Booking interviews using this system is extremely easy; the instructions for booking an interview are as follows:

  • the system will be open from November 16th @ 4:30 pm to November 23rd @ 10:00 am
  • you will need your child’s date of birth and OEN to book an interview (the OEN is found on the Progress Report – progress reports will be available on the 16th of November)
  • go to the website https://webapp.ugdsb.on.ca/pti/Account/Login (this link can also be easily accessed by viewing our school web page under quick links)
  • log in at the top left-hand corner of the page
  • a screen with available teachers will appear
  • click on the teacher that you would like an interview with, then click the “Book for Selected Student” button
  • pick an available time that you would like, then click “Close to View Schedule”; your confirmed appointment will now appear
  • no interviews will be able to be selected after the deadline

If you do not have internet at home, please call the school and we will set up the interview for you. Please contact Karen Gardhouse or myself if you have any questions about using the online system.

Westside Secondary School

On Wednesday, November 1st, 2023, the grade 8 students travelled to Westside Secondary School to view and experience all the different technology options available in grade 9. It was an exciting experience for all.

Inclement Weather

With the colder weather coming, the snowflakes are not too far away. During times of inclement weather, please check the transportation website at https://stwdsts.ca/ for any bus cancellations or delays. Cancellations are made after 6:30 am.

 

Remembrance Day Presentation

Mrs. Jordan’s class will be presenting an Assembly in honour of all those who have fought and continue to fight for freedom in Canada. The presentation will be presented to the students on November 10th, 2023.  Poppies will be available online at schoolcashonline for students/parents who wish to donate.

2022 – 2023 Grade 8 Grad Wear

Our 2022 – 2023 Grad Wear has been ordered and the students are excited! You will see many grades 8’s around the school wearing their signature hoodies and shirts.

 

Attention All Cookie Monsters!

Terra Cotta cookies will be sold each Wednesday at second nutrition break, as a fundraiser for graduation. Mrs. Jordan’s class will be selling these individually wrapped, large, peanut free cookies for $1.00 each for any student who has placed an order online or have brought in a Loonie.

 

News from the LLC

Our first Scholastic Book Fair of the 2023/24 school year will be happening this month!  From November 20th to the 24th students can view and purchase a variety of items from books to posters, to even unique pencils and erasers.  There’s something for everyone at the sale!  Also, don’t forget to drop in sometime during the night of our Parent-Teacher interviews.  The Book Fair will be open from 4:00-6:30 pm on November 23rd.

P.A. DAY

Just a reminder that Friday, November 24th is a

 P.A. Day and there will be no classes for students.

Food Drive

Congratulations to the Green Colour House Team! This team raised 803 points bringing in donations for the Orangeville Food Bank in October. The students on the Green Colour House Team helped load the Orangeville Food Bank Van with our donations and were rewarded with a sweet treat afterwards. Thank you to all the students, parents and staff that brought in donations for the Orangeville Food Bank. We did a fantastic job donating items from the most wanted items list that the Food Bank provided. Together, the school donated 1099 pounds of food. You should all be very proud of your efforts and generosity.  Way to go Laurelwoods!

Parent Support Programs

CANADA DENTAL BENEFIT –

Applications for the second period of the Canada Dental Benefit are open. Eligible families can receive up to $650, to help with expenses for their children under 12 who receive dental care between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. canada.ca/dental

 

Speech, Language and Hearing Resources for Parents

Did you know that over 10% of children have a communication disorder? A new resource for parents has been added to your school website. Parents of children who have a persistent difficulty in speaking, listening, reading and/or writing will find helpful information and strategies to support their child.  www.ugdsb.ca/clsparents

Nature Art

On “spend the day outside” day, Mrs. Jordan’s class were creative and made beautiful art using items from nature.

Dates to Remember

November 2nd                       School Council Meeting

November 2nd                       Dufferin Waste Presentations

November 6th  – 10th            Treaties Recognition Week

November 7th                        Junior Volleyball

November 8th                        Indigenous Veterans Day

November 9th                        Picture Retake Day

November 10th                      Wear Red and Black for Remembrance Day

November 13th                      World Kindness Day

November 16th                      Progress Reports available online

November 17th                      Comfy Cozy Day

November 20th  – 24th         Bully Awareness Week

November 22nd                     Special Olympics Basketball / UGDSB Pink Shirt Day

November 22nd                     Oral Health Fluoride Varnish ( JK / SK / 2 / 4 /7

November 23 – 24th             Parent Interview Evening & Day

November 24th                      P.A. Day

 

School Council

Parent Council would like to say thank you to all the parents for a great start to the school year. The next parent council meeting will be held on November 2nd at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons. All parent council meetings are now held on the first Thursday of each month to help parents plan to attend if they are interested. We would love to see you there!

This year we have established subcommittees so parents can be involved in specific planning that interests them, outside of the Parent Council monthly meeting. Involvement in any of the subcommittees does not require involvement on Parent Council.

The subcommittees are Events/Community Building, Fundraising, Playground, and Agricultural Involvement. If you are interested in joining a subcommittee reach out to our Parent Council Chair, Alyssa Johnston ([email protected]), for more information.

 

Winter Market – November 23rd  The parent council events subcommittee is happy to announce we are bringing back the Winter Market which will coincide with the school book fair and parent-teacher conferences on November 23rd from 4:30pm-7:00pm. The school gym will be filled with wonderful local vendors for you to peruse and support. Money from the Winter Market will help fund Parent Council initiatives throughout the school year. If you would like to be a vendor for this year’s market, please email [email protected] for more information.

 

Winter Fest – December 8th 4:30-7:30pm  We are also introducing a second event this Fall with the Winter Fest which will be held on December 8th from 4:30-7:30pm. This will be a fun night for families to enjoy games and activities along with a food truck, snacks, prizes, face painting, and more. More information will be shared about the event in the coming weeks. If you are interested in volunteering to help with Winter Fest, please email us at [email protected] . We always appreciate any help we can get! Parent volunteers ensure this festival can be successful and we can continue to hold fun events the rest of the school year.

 

Kids Winter Market – December 14th-15th New this year is the Kids Winter Market. This will be a small market set up during school hours where kids can shop independently for things to buy for the special people in their lives. All items are $12 or less with a majority being under $7. Each class will get time on both the 14th and 15th to visit the market. This is a great opportunity for the students to practice budgeting and planning with some autonomy to make their own gift selections. Volunteers will be there to help the students with their selections and work with them to wrap their gifts, keeping it all a surprise for their family and friends. Material will be sent home to help the students plan who they want to shop for and set a budget for themselves. More information on the market will be sent home with your students in the coming weeks.

A small portion of each sale will go to the Parent Council to help fund activities/initiatives throughout the school year.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with the market, please email us at [email protected] every little bit helps!

 

Student Meal Program – Food & Friends:

The Food & Friends student nutrition program is going strong. We provided over 50 meals for the month of September to Laurelwoods students. We will be holding another raffle to support the program on November 23rd during the Winter Market and Book Fair and hope to see you there!

If you are interested in learning more about the meal program and how it supports Laurelwoods students, or in volunteering for the program, please email Alyssa Johnston at [email protected]

The Wellington Dufferin Student Transportation Services

Our transportation service offers a subscription service through their Parent Portal which will notify you via email when your child’s bus has been cancelled or delayed  – Sign up on their website at

www.stwdsts.ca.

If your child is eligible for transportation and you do not plan on your child riding the bus, please make sure you have notified Transportation by filling out their online “opt-out form”. All opt-out status’ are carried forward yearly but can be reversed at any time upon notification that transportation is required.  Please call STWSTS at 519-824-4119 if you have any questions or concerns.

Bus Patrol Training

On Thursday, October 26, 2023, Mrs. Jordan along with 24 Bus Patrollers travelled to Mono Amaranth Public School to participate in Bus Patrol Training. The students received training in instructional video, practical evacuation and a Bus Patrol written test.

Fluoride Varnish at School – November 22, 2023

Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health will be providing free fluoride varnish on November 22, 2023 at Laurelwoods ES for children in Junior and Senior Kindergarten.  Fluoride varnish helps to prevent cavities which can cause dental pain and infections.

To enroll your child in this free program, please complete the consent form which can be found by visiting www.wdgpublichealth.ca/hso or using the QR Code. If you have any questions or need help enrolling your child in the FV program, please contact the Public Health dental team at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 2661.

November 2023

Categories: Newsletter