Park West School: November 2011

PWS UPDATE
Park West School Newsletter
Phone: (902) 457-7800 E-mail: parkwest@hrsb.ns.ca Website: parkwest.ednet.ns.ca
Principal: Mr. D. Carter Vice Principals: Ms. M. Chiasson, Mr. B. Melanson

November 25, 2011

Receive the PWS Update electronically! You can receive the PWS Update electronically via e-mail. If you wish to be among the first to receive the latest editions of our school newsletters by having it sent to your e-mail address simply e-mail your request to Mr. Carter at dcarter@hrsb.ns.ca The PWS Update is published approximately every two weeks.

Christmas Concerts: Our elementary Christmas concerts will be held on December 6th and 7th. This year’s theme is Paint the Town December. Students are now working hard rehearsing. Dress rehearsals will be held in the morning for students. There will be two presentations of each concert:
• Afternoon Concerts (1:15 pm) will be general seating on a “first-come” basis (no tickets are required for admittance) for anyone who wishes to attend. This is a good opportunity for family, friends, and community members to enjoy the concerts.
• Evening Concerts (6:30 pm) require tickets for admittance. Each performing student will be issued two tickets. We are working hard to accommodate as many family, friends and community members in our audiences as possible with limited seating capacity in our gym. Please understand that we must adhere to very strict regulations imposed upon us by the Fire Marshal. A waiting list will be compiled for those wishing extra tickets. Please return tickets you are not using so they can be redistributed.
Out of respect for all performers we request audience members to remain for the length of the entire concert (about one hour). If you wish to bring children to the evening performances, tickets will be required for their admission and children will be expected to remain in their seats with parents.

Doors will be open for audience members and performing students at 6:00 pm for evening performances. A free-will collection will be accepted at the door.

We are pre-selling professionally videotaped DVD’s of both concerts. These make ideal gifts for this time of the year. Order forms are available on the school website. During the taping we are asking audience members to refrain from using flash cameras as this affects the quality of the taping. The performance schedule for classes is as follows:

Tuesday, December 6 (1:15 pm and 6:30 pm) Grades 1,3,5
Wednesday, December 7 (1:15 pm and 6:30 pm) Grades P,2,4,6

International Human Rights Day Celebration
Park West is hosting an International Human Rights Day Celebration organized by Partners for Human Rights. This celebration recognizes 25 yrs of Partnership for Human Rights: Raising Awareness through Education in our Communities. The School community is invited to participate in this celebration being held on Friday, December 9th in the school gym (Harmony breakfast 8-9am and Celebration 9-12).
Park West students will be involved in various performances throughout the morning promoting awareness and diversity.

Acting Principal
Mr. Carter will be away from the school until the Christmas break. Mr. Tim Schaus will be filling in for him as acting principal. He will be answering messages left on Mr. Carter’s phone line (ext 5271001). Mr. Schaus’ email address is: tschaus@ns.sympatico.ca

Dates to Remember:
November
26 Choir singing at Dartmouth Crossing 2:00 pm
28 Assessment and Evaluation Day – (no school for students) All day
30 Fine Arts Concert – Choir, Strings, Band 6:30 pm
December
6 Christmas Concert, Grades 1, 3, 5 1:15 and 6:30 pm
7 Christmas Concert, Grades primary, 2, 4, 6 1:15 and 6:30 pm
8 Report Cards go home
9 International Human Rights Celebration 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
13 Grade 9 Entrepreneur Day
16 School Christmas Assembly – wear Red and Green!
Last Day of Classes for Christmas Break
January
3 First Day of Classes after Christmas Break

PWS UPDATE

Park West School Newsletter

Phone: (902) 457-7800 E-mail: parkwest@hrsb.ns.ca Website: parkwest.ednet.ns.ca

Principal: Mr. D. Carter Vice Principals: Ms. M. Chiasson, Mr. B. Melanson

November 9, 2011

Receive the PWS Update electronically! You can receive the PWS Update electronically via e-mail. If you wish to be among the first to receive the latest editions of our school newsletters by having it sent to your e-mail address simply e-mail your request to Mr. Carter at dcarter@hrsb.ns.ca The PWS Update is published approximately every two weeks.

Let’s Talk About Student Progress: Parents and Teachers will meet to discuss student progress TODAY (Wednesday, November 9, 12:50-3:50 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm). There will be no classes for our students this afternoon. Teachers, including specialists (French, music/band, resource, phys. ed., guidance, learning centre, ESL, etc.), will be available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress. Elementary teachers will meet in their classrooms with parents by appointment. Parents of elementary students have requested appointment times with their child’s teacher. Confirmation of appointment times were sent home to parents. Junior High teachers will meet with parents in the gymnasium on a first-come/first-served basis. Jr. High parents are encouraged to take advantage of the availability of afternoon meeting times when possible, as the evening tends to be busier. To accommodate all parents most appointments will be for ten minutes each. If more time is required to discuss your child’s progress then a longer appointment can be made for another time. We look forward to seeing you.

Blessed Eid: Many Muslims in our Park West School community celebrated Eid al – Adha on November 7. Happy and blessed Eid to all who celebrated this special holiday.

Is Something Missing From Your Life?: Is your son or daughter missing boots, sneakers, a GAP hoodie, a ball cap, an umbrella, a lunch bag, Tupperware, spoons, gloves, pants………? We have a mountain of lost & found items here at the school. Everything is on display in our “lost & found” area in the main lobby. Feel free to drop by to take a look for yourself. You might be amazed by the ‘lost treasures’ you’ll find. Whatever is left over after Nov. 9 (Parent-Teacher Day) will be donated to charity.

HRSB School Closures: The Halifax Regional School Board takes great care when making the decision to alter the normal operations of schools in the event of severe or inclement weather. Decisions on school closures and/or bus cancellations are posted on the board’s website at www.hrsb.ns.ca , on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HRSB_Official, recorded on 464-INFO (4636) and communicated to all local radio stations. You can also receive notice of school and bus cancellations by e-mail or text message by following the link on the front page (left side) of the HRSB website. If you are interested in learning more on how decisions regarding closures and cancellations are made, visit http://www.hrsb.ns.ca/content/id/1137.html .

Safe Arrivals Needs Your Help! Each morning, a group of office staff and parent volunteers work together to account for the safe arrivals of all students at Park West. We collect attendance from classes, write late slips and process voicemail messages from the Safe Arrival Absence line. There is one step in this process that we are unable to complete due to a lack of volunteer help and that is ensure that every single student is accounted for each morning. We need the help of parent volunteers for just one hour each morning to help call parents or guardians if we do not know why a student has not made it to school. Sometimes it can be something innocent like a parent forgot to call in that their child is home sick. Our fear is that there will be a time when a student leaves home but doesn't make it into school for some unknown reason and that is where Safe Arrival can be an invaluable service. We can respond quickly and decisively if there is a problem and that is a comfort we would all wish to have. Won't you help us with this? We need just one extra volunteer each day for 30-45 minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m. If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Monica Geske, PTA Secretary, at 454-8389 or jamageske@msn.com. Thank you.

EXCEL March Break & Summer Camps: Looking for a week-long day camps for your child for March Break or Summer 2012? Visit the EXCEL pages on the HRSB website to learn more about the action-packed themed weeks that EXCEL staff has developed for elementary-aged students from all HRSB schools. Registration for the 2012 March Break “Stay-cation” camps that are being offered at twelve elementary schools throughout metro begins on Tuesday, November 15^th. Parents may register online at: https://secure.hrsb.ns.ca/marchcamps

In Remembrance: To commemorate Remembrance Day, to honour our Veterans, and to appreciate and celebrate peace in a meaningful way, Park West will be hosting a Remembrance Assembly on Thursday, November 10, 10:30 am. The assembly will feature special music, student participation, our school band, and a special time to remember those who have sacrificed for us. Parents and community members are invited to this special event. We are encouraging those who are veterans, in the military, members of police forces, members of Girl Guides of Canada and Boy Scouts of Canada, or others who wear an official uniform to wear them if attending. All students are requested to wear Red and Black on that day. The Royal Canadian Legion has provided us with poppies for this occasion. Students are invited to buy a poppy at the office by making a small monetary donation.

Come to the Fair! It’s time for the fall Scholastic Book Fair at Park West School! The book fair will run from Tuesday, November 8th through Thursday, November 10th, during regular school hours (until 3:30 daily). For your convenience, it will also be open during parent teacher interviews on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, November 9. The Scholastic Book Fairs are our most important library fundraiser of the year. Because of your support, we are able to put quality books on our library shelves. Customers will be able to pay with cash, credit card, debit card and cheque. If a parent/guardian is interested in helping with the book fair please contact Ms. Comeau at 457-7800 ext. 5271039 or email acomeau@staff.ednet.ns.ca. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Grade 9 Trip Meeting: There will be an information meeting on Wednesday, November 16 at 8:00 pm for all grade 9 students (and their parents) who wish to participate in the spring trip to Quebec City. This is the next step in the trip planning process. It is essential for parents to attend this important meeting if they wish for their son/daughter to participate in this travel opportunity. Interested grade nine students should attend with their parents. There will be an opportunity for interested parents to establish and join a fundraising committee. We are looking for a parent to chair this committee. If you are interested in being the chair of this committee please contact Mr. Carter (our principal and trip organizer).

NEW Homework Policy from the Nova Scotia Dept. of Education:

Homework is an assigned activity that students complete outside of regular class time. When assignments are purposeful, engaging, of high quality, and given in moderation, the assignment of homework by teachers is positively associated with student learning success. Homework competes for time and priority with other aspects of the student’s life, and the amount of time that families have to supervise the completion of homework or to tutor children successfully is limited. For homework to serve as a support for student success, it must be meaningful, independently completed, and based upon student learning needs, and it must adhere to recommended time limits. The Nova Scotia Department of Education (DOE) and its educational partners recognize that clear and purposeful homework assignments adhere to recommended time limits and consolidate and extend students’ in-class achievement of learning outcomes. The DOE recently developed new guidelines for homework for all public schools in our province. According to the new DOE guidelines formal homework is not required for grades primary to three students. Teachers can and often do provide families with regular access to books that may be read with young students. This practice supports the cultivation of a love of learning and is encouraged. Teachers may also offer activities for students to complete at home, such as math games. However, such activities should not be regarded as a requirement. Teachers should communicate with parents/guardians about how learning can be supported at home without the formal demand for homework. Play is integral to childhood and learning. It is important for healthy brain and body development, and teachers need to respect the time a student has at home to play. The introduction of homework at the grade four level recognizes this need by recommending a maximum time for daily homework.

It is recommended that students in grades four to nine not exceed the following daily (four nights) maximum total time for all homework in all subject areas:

Grade 4 20-30 minutes per day (maximum 2 hours per week)

Grade 5 30-40 minutes per day (maximum 2.6 hours per week)

Grade 6 40-50 minutes per day (maximum 3.3 hours per week)

Grade 7 60 minutes per day (maximum 4 hours per week)

Grade 8 60 minutes per day (maximum 4 hours per week)

Grade 9 90 minutes per day (maximum 6 hours per week)

Homework is…

· Purposeful learning designed to meet identified needs

· A recommended strategy to support students in finding time to read for pleasure

· A recommended strategy to support students in completing some portions of the writing process outside of regular class time

· An opportunity for students to independently conduct primary research in the home and community.

· An opportunity for students to independently reflect on and apply in-school learning

· A supportive strategy designed to assist students as they prepare for assessments

· A recommended way for students to practice skills they understand

· An activity that is usually completed independently and with no requirement for intervention by family or the teacher.

Homework is not…

· Busy work

· An effective way for students to practice skills they do not understand

· A recommended strategy to teach students time management

· A “catch-up” strategy when a student is routinely unsuccessful in managing in-class work time.

· A way for students to regularly complete in-class work

· A recommended activity for Christmas, winter and March breaks

· Always necessary or recommended

· Ever to be used as a disciplinary or punishment measure

· Assigned marks for the purpose of calculating grades

Homework should…

· Be developmentally appropriate so that it can be completed independently

· Consolidate classroom learning, either through specific activities or through project-based learning

· Address learning needs and guide student choice among well-designed learning activities

· Be timed, planned, coordinated, and monitored by teachers who share a group of students

· Frequently require the practice of physical skills

· Be a reasonable and rational undertaking that engages students in inquiry

· Encourage students to contribute positively to their communities

· Encourage and support reflection by students on their learning preferences, achievements, and goals

· Facilitate communication between the home and school in support of student success

· Accommodate students’ out-of-school schedules

Homework should not…

· Create inequity or otherwise disadvantage students’ learning success due to time or resources available within the family to complete homework tasks

· Exceed the recommended time limits

· Create an economic burden for families

Reading for Pleasure: Reading at home for pleasure is to be encouraged at all grade levels. Student choice in reading material is critical to the development of a love of reading. Both fiction and non-fiction are excellent sources of reading and must be valued equally. A requirement to log and reflect on reading reduces the pleasure of reading for many students and should be an occasional, rather than a regular, homework activity.

Dates to Remember:

*November*
9	Parent-Teacher Meetings	*Afternoon/Evening*
10	Remembrance Ceremony - you are invited!	*10:30 am*
14	PD Day for Teacher (no school for students)
16	SAC and PTA meetings	*5:45 and 7:00 pm*
16	Grade 9 Trip Meeting	*8:00 pm*
23	PTA Book Drive and Sale	*All day*
25	School Spirit “CRAZY HAIR” Day
28	Assessment and Evaluation Day (no school for students)
30	Christmas Concert for Band, Choir and Strings	*6:30 pm*

Friday, November 25, 2011

November 25th Newsletter

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

School Notice

Monday, November 21, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Christmas Concert December 6 & 7

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

November 8 school newsletter

Monday, November 7, 2011

PTA November Notice