2023 December News
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Notes from the Office!
It’s December! It is getting cold and snowy! Please help us support your child in developing responsibility! Remind them to come dressed for the weather (clothing labeled!), learning outside and to bring all their materials for the day. This should include lunches, water bottles, and this time of year – a dry pair of socks and indoor shoes!
We’ve been through a lot of illness in November. Thanks to those of you who are able to keep your children at home when they are ill. It is the expectation that if your child is well enough to come to school, that they are well enough to learn and participate in outdoor recesses.
Mr. Keesmaat and Mr. Lindsay
Please walk to school!
We have had a number of families pulling into the Parking lot after the bell in the morning and at the end of the day. This creates extra vehicle traffic in addition to buses, taxis and those parents with accessible access passes. This creates an unsafe situation as we aim to create a fully pedestrian friendly school. Families who pull into the parking lot after 8:35 are also creating a situation where their children are late for school. It is important for your child to arrive at school on time. This way they learn responsibility for being on time (an important life skill) and that school is important as, by arriving on time they are not missing learning time or disrupting the learning of others. If attendance is a challenge for your child, please contact the office and we can help with strategies.
If you must drive, please park on a side street and walk your child onto school property/use the crossing guard to cross the street. Please see the map for places to park and enjoy the walk with your child to the school!
From our Parent Handbook:
Cars: Staff may access the property at any time and use the side and back parking lots. Families may have access to the property at any time – EXCEPT between 8:15 – 8:45 am and 2:45 – 3:05 pm. Families may park in the visitor’s spots at the front of the school or use the side and back parking lots. No vehicles may stop/park/discharge/pickup in the bus lane or park in Fire Routes. Families may park on the street in designated parking areas. Your respect for the traffic laws keeps the school zone safe for all children. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to cross the street only at the crosswalk – “children learn their traffic safety from adults”.
Winter Holiday Assembly:
On Thursday December 21st at 9 a.m., Taylor Evans Public School will be celebrating the Winter season with a variety of performances at our Winter Holiday Assembly. The Primary, Junior and Intermediate Choirs will be performing, along with the Junior/Intermediate Drama Club and the Intermediate Concert Band. A variety of classes have also chosen to perform. Teachers will be sending out a notice if your child’s class is performing. Families are invited to come and enjoy the performances.
Winter Sing-Along:
On Friday December 22nd at 11:15 a.m., Taylor Evans Public School will be doing a Winter Holiday sing-along. We will be singing some classic winter holiday songs, as well as learning about winter celebrations such as Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas. Families are welcome to join us for our sing-along. This assembly will not include any performances.
Our school and community did a fabulous job supporting the FOOD Banks!
The food drive was an AMAZING success! In total our school donated 759 different items of food!
Thank you to all of the intermediate students who helped with announcements and collecting food and to Ms. Cass’ class who helped to sort, count and pack up everything ready for the food bank!
Here is the final tally of items donated:
Our Kindergarten classes donated 94 items
Our junior classes donated 154 items
Our intermediate classes donated 172 items
And the division who brought the most items was the Primary division, with 339 items donated! Way to go Primary classes, you’ve won your prize of a movie in the gym!
Remember to check our calendar for important dates!
Term 2 Pizza Registration is open from now until January 7th at midnight, 2023
Because of our Intermediate Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday December 13, PIZZA day will be on THURSDAY Dec. 14th!
School Council Meeting is Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Wellness Works December 2023
December’s Umbrella Theme is Gratitude
Gratitude is not just “good manners” and it plays a significant role in overall wellbeing. Gratitude can be expressed by a simple “thank you” but there are many other ways to nurture and identify gratitude. Gratitude can happen in four ways:
- NOTICE what it is that you are grateful for
- THINK about why you are able to be grateful or why the thing you are grateful for is there
- Identify how you FEEL about the things we are grateful for
- DO express appreciation back “outwards”
Gratitude is not just about receiving, it is also about giving. So what can you do with your child/ren or even yourself?
- Point out the things you are grateful for and remember that modeling for your child/ren is a very powerful technique
- When you are grateful make sure to point out why you feel grateful
- Help your child/ren find gratitude in the things they may take for granted such as something in nature, or a simple meal
- Encourage them to use their own areas of strength to give back and be helpful and cooperative with others
- Notice accomplishments – even the smallest ones are something we can be grateful about
- Have a gratitude wall or space on your fridge where everyone can write something they are grateful for – the whole family, visitors, friends. Seeing what others are grateful about is also quite powerful
- Identify someone your child/ren is grateful to have in their life (e.g., an extended family member, an elder, a peer, a teacher, a principal, a counsellor) and encourage them to let that person know
Taking just a bit of time to identify gratitude can have an impact. We are very grateful to all of the parents, guardians, elders, and caregivers who support our communities’ children and youth.
Jenny Marino, Mental Health Lead
And the Wellness Works Committee
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