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
May 10, 2012
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.
8:25 That’s the time school starts in the morning. STILL….too many of our students are arriving late for school. Our Students Need to be Here ON TIME! Being late for school without a valid excuse is unacceptable here at Park West. When students arrive late for school (either in the morning or after lunch) they are disrupting school and classroom routines, missing out on receiving classroom instruction and important information. Arriving on time allows them the opportunity to prepare for learning (getting their materials organized, removing outdoor wear, going to lockers, etc.). Entrance bells ring at 8:25 am and 12:50 pm. Students should be on school grounds and ready to enter the building at those times. We are striving to teach our students the value of time management, punctuality, respect for others, and good citizenship. We are preparing them for life. Our society values punctuality. We need them to be here ON TIME…..and we need your help to make this happen. Parents….PLEASE assist us!
Safety First: We are working together to make our school grounds safer for our students…safer for everyone. We are in the process of developing some new school ground safety guidelines for pedestrians and drivers. In the meantime we expect these guidelines to be followed on Park West School property:
· Parents and students who walk on the grounds must use the sidewalks and crosswalks. Some walkers are still creating unsafe conditions by crossing our driveway at unmarked places and walking through the parking lot amongst cars. We are asking parents and adults to provide an example for their children.
· If it is necessary for you to drive your vehicle on the school grounds to drop off or pick up your children ALL VEHICLES must ONLY use the traffic loop. There is no parking in the loop; only brief stopping. Only drop off and pick at curbside, not in the middle of the road. Do not use the staff parking lot for this purpose. You are encouraged to pick up and drop off your students at curbside on Langbrae Drive.
· Visitor parking is provided in only ONE LOCATION; on the paved area on the left hand side of the building. Please do not park in the staff parking lot unless you are authorized to park in one of two handicap spots.
· No vehicles should be entering the staff parking lot with the exception of vehicles officially authorized parking in the handicap parking spots.
· All vehicular traffic must not exceed the posted speed limit of 5 km / hour.
Family Bingo Night! Our PTA is hosting another Family Bingo on May 10th (6 – 8:30 pm). Bingo cards will be $5 per 10 game package. There will be a 50/50 draw. Ice cream treats will be sold for $1.00. There are lots of great prizes to be won. Come on out to this fun family community event and support our PTA. All children attending MUST be accompanied by an adult.
Professional Development is Key: More than two decades ago the school year in Nova Scotia was increased from 190 to 195 days. One reason for this change was to accommodate in-servicing and professional development for teachers without costing students valuable instructional time. Professional development (PD) is critical for teachers in their efforts to provide the best learning opportunities for students. Recent research has shown that the number one influence on student achievement is quality teaching. According to data collected over the past three years, teachers in Nova Scotia do more than 65 hours of PD per year (much of it during weekends, evenings, and summer months), while the school calendar allows for only 25 hours (i.e. five days). Unfortunately, parents are not always aware of the benefits that professional development of teachers provides to students. Some would support that all PD activities occur during the summer months. The fact is, most new initiatives are introduced at the beginning of a school year, while others are introduced during the year. For teachers to make appropriate assessments and enhance the teaching of these initiatives, it is necessary to support the teaching and learning with in-servicing at strategic moments in time. Educational programs, strategies, resources, philosophies, and initiatives continue to change at a rapid pace. Teachers must keep abreast of the evolution. Our next PD Day is MAY 11. School staff will be participating in professional development in the following areas: PFI (Planning for Improvement), PEBS (Positive Effective Behaviour Supports), PowerSchool/PowerTeacher, and PLC’s (Professional Learning Communities). Students will not attend school on that day.
Important Meeting for Grade 9 Quebec City Trip: An information meeting for student participants and their parents, with all the final details, will be held on May 16 at 8 pm. Please contact Mr. Carter if you have any questions or concerns.
ASSESSMENT IN SCHOOL TODAY: What is assessment and why is it changing? Everyone needs information to plan. Doctors need information about patients to plan treatments. Investors need information to help you invest your money. And educators need information about students` achievement to help them learn. Assessment is the process for collecting information. In our schools, it is the process of collecting evidence of student learning. That evidence may focus on individuals or groups of students, and it may come from one or more sources. Tests are the best-known tools for collecting that information. But tests are only one tool. Student oral presentations, projects, student interviews, writing samples, performance assessments, teacher observation, portfolios, and student self-assessment can all serve to collect accurate information about student learning. (from Understanding School Assessment, Jan Chappuis and Stephen Chappuis)
Some holidays for the 2012-2013 school year when schools will be closed:
· Labour Day (September 3)
· Thanksgiving Day (October 8)
· Remembrance Day (November 12 in lieu)
· Christmas Vacation (December 21 to January 2 inclusive)
· Spring Break (March 11 to March 15 inclusive)
· Good Friday (March 29)
· Easter Monday (April 1)
· Victoria Day (May 20)
Parent Concern Protocol:
· If you have a question or concern regarding your child, the channel of communication begins with your child’s teacher, or the teacher with whom you have the concern. A teacher deserves the first opportunity to address your concerns. Communication can be done via telephone or email, or make an appointment to meet in person.
· If an issue cannot be resolved at this level, please contact one of our Vice Principals, or the Principal.
· Parent concerns related to school administration/operation issues should be addressed with the Principal or Vice Principal. Mr. Carter (Principal), Ms. Chiasson (VP) and Mr. Melanson (VP) are very approachable and would be happy to address your concerns.
We’re Scent-Free! Did you know that perfume is made of toxic chemicals that can be detrimental to your health? Many of the chemicals in perfume are the same chemicals in cigarette smoke, and yet there is no regulation of the fragrance industry. Perfume today is not made from flowers, but from chemicals. More than 4000 chemicals are used in fragrances. Of these 95% are made from petroleum. Many of us are bothered by perfumes; causing headaches, sinus problems, and even provoking asthma. Other affects may include exhaustion, weakness, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, rashes, muscle ache, nausea, and stomach cramps. Many get sick from wearing or being exposed to it. The result here at school is that learning is affected. Park West School is a scent-free environment. Parents and students: please do not wear perfumes, colognes, and heavily scented products to school.
Staying for Lunch Next Year? In accordance with the Education Act of the Province of Nova Scotia all students may remain at school for lunch without fees. However, all students who wish to remain at school over the lunch period must be registered for the lunch supervision program. Once registered it is essential that student participation remain consistent with the registration information provided by parents. We will strive to meet the HRSB supervision ratios of 1 monitor for every 25 students (elementary), and 1 monitor for every 100 students (junior high). Ratios at the elementary level may exceed the recommended ratio if monitors are unavailable and the supervision space allows for additional students to be accommodated safely. Lunch supervision will be provided by monitors, not teachers. Once the cafeteria seating reaches capacity students may have to eat their lunches in classrooms. Students may bring lunches from home or purchase from the cafeteria. Full cafeteria service will be available to all students with sandwiches, soups, salads, drinks, snacks, and hot lunch choices for purchase. Menus and order information will be provided in early September. Students must register for the lunch program for next year if they wish to participate. Registration forms will be sent home with all students ( grades primary – 8) on May 14. Completed forms are due back to teachers on May 18.
Bullying Hurts: Bullying is about human relationships, power and control. Bullying differs from “normal” childhood conflict. The chart below was developed to help build an understanding of the differences between bullying behaviour and “normal” conflict or inappropriate behaviour. If you suspect your child is a victim of bullying, you should:
· Listen carefully to what he/she says about the bullying.
· Be sympathetic and take the problem seriously.
· Assure your child that it is not his or her fault.
· Tell your child that she or he will not have to face it alone.
· Discourage your child from getting revenge.
· Do not promise to keep it a secret. Anonymous reports are hard to fix.
· Tell the principal or a staff member.
Bullying is intentional, hurtful and repeated behaviour that intimidates, threatens harm, or victimizes another person to make the victim feel weaker. Some of the ways bullying behaviours differ from inappropriate behaviours are:
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Inappropriate behaviours
often look like this:
· They are isolated conflicts.
· The children are equally matched - there is no power imbalance or abuse of power.
· Harm was caused by verbal or physical interactions which may have been accidental.
· The behaviour was not intended to threaten, intimidate, or victimize someone.
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Is it a bullying behaviour?
Let’s check:
· It is a repeated behaviour.
· It is an unfair match and/or there is a power imbalance or abuse of power.
· It is an intentional and hurtful behaviour.
· The behaviour was intended to threaten, intimidate, or victimize someone.
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Neptune Comes to Park West: The Young Neptune Co. will be here at Park West on Wednesday, May 23 to present two plays to our students. At 9:00 students in grades primary to four will see Beethoven Lives Upstairs. This is a 45 minute presentation. At 10:30 students in grades five to nine will see Pink. Pink is the story of the two high school students in the Valley who started the pink t-shirt phenomenon in response to bullying. This is a 45 minute presentation. Funds to pay for these presentations will come from the student fees we collected at the beginning of the year. Parents are welcome to attend these theatrical presentations.
Park West Celebrates our Diversity: Our annual Multicultural Celebration will be held on Friday, June 1st. Each class has adopted a country and is creating visual displays in classrooms. Parents are encouraged to contact the EAL teachers (Ms. Graham or Ms. Sydney at 457-7800, ext. 5271061) if they would like to donate food for this exciting event. During the morning the students will have time to visit the various classroom displays. There will be an assembly in the afternoon which will include a fashion show and various presentations. All students, staff, parents and visitors are encouraged to dress in a cultural outfit on that day. Parents and community members are invited to attend.
New Primary Parents: A meeting for parents of students entering grade primary in September 2012 will be held on May 30 at 6:30 pm in the cafetorium. New grade primary students may participate in a Vision Screening here at the school on June 6 (by appointment) and in an in-class orientation session on that same date (2:45 – 4:15 pm). Information for parents will be mailed home soon.
Dates to Remember:
MAY
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11
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PD Day NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
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16
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SAC and PTA Meetings
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5:45 and 7:00 pm
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16
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Grade 9 Trip Meeting (parents and students)
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8:00 pm
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23
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Young Neptune Theatre Co. at Park West
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9:00 and 10:30 am
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29
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Fine Arts Night (band, choir, strings)
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6:30 pm
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30
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New Primary Parents Information Meeting
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6:30 pm
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