Park West School

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Arpil 18th Newsletter

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

April 18, 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.

Let’s Talk About Student Progress: Parents and Teachers will meet to discuss student progress on Thursday, April 26, (1:00-3:00 pm and 5:30-7:30 pm). There will be no classes for our students that afternoon. They will be dismissed for the day at 11:35 am. 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 been asked to request appointment times with their child’s teacher. Confirmation of appointment times will be sent home to parents. Some elementary teachers have chosen to conduct Student Led Conferences. 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.

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.

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 April 26 (Parent-Teacher Day) will be donated to charity.

Grade 9 Quebec City Trip: The final payment for the grade 9 trip is due on April 19. By that date the full amount ($860.00) should be paid in full. Account statements for each student (indicating credits and balance owing) have been sent home. Plans are well underway for this exciting excursion. 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.

EXCEL Registration Information for 2012-2013: Families who are interested in participating in next year’s EXCEL Child Care before & after school programs are encouraged to mark the following important dates on your calendars:

Ø April 30th Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on April 30^th current participants of the 2011/2012 EXCEL program may submit an application for the coming school year via the online application system or by email. Current participants will receive a letter in mid-April identifying a user name and password providing them exclusive access to the online application system.

Ø May 7th General Registration begins for all EXCEL Before & After school programs at 8:00 a.m. on May 7^th. Applications may be submitted via the online system, https://secure.hrsb.ns.ca/excel, or brought to the EXCEL office at

25 Alfred Street, Dartmouth

Limited Edition PWS Yearbook NOW ON SALE!: Only one book captures this year’s incredible events and experiences at Park West School…….the 2011-2012 Yearbook. Our professionally produced Yearbook includes all students and all grade levels (primary to nine). Preserve your child’s memories for the 2011-2012 school year at Park West by purchasing a Yearbook for only $25 (cash or cheque). All orders are due by April 21. Only a limited quantity will be produced, so don’t forget to place your order before the deadline. You may also order by dropping by our school office (Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 3:30 pm).

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 satisfactorily due to a lack of volunteer help; 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 her/his 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 a valuable 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 for one hour beginning at 8:45 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.

Checkmate: The Nova Scotia School Team Chess Championship sponsored by the Nova Scotia School Chess Association was held on Sunday, April 1 at Mount Saint Vincent University. Park West School was represented by a junior high team as well as an elementary squad. The junior high team of Janie Z., Faris K., Jeremy P., and Brian P. placed first in the junior high division among the three schools competing. Our elementary team comprised of Dulhan N., David L., Simon S. and Zach O. placed second among the three schools competing at their level. All 8 team members were excellent ambassadors on behalf of Park West School. Congratulations! A big thank you to our teachers (Ms. Hunter, Mr. Stach and Mr. Cunningham) for volunteering their time to provide this extra-curricular activity for our students. The chess team meets every Wednesday at noon in Mr. Stach’s classroom.

The Hills Are Alive….. Our school choir, under the direction of Ms. Servant (our music teacher), will be competing in the Halifax Kiwanis Music Festival at the Dalhousie Arts Centre on the morning of April 23. Ms. Chiasson (one of our vice principals) will be accompanying them on piano. We wish them well and know they will proudly represent Park West. A big thank you to Ms. Servant for providing this extra-curricular experience for Park West students.

Come to the Fair: The Spring Scholastic Book Fair will run from Tuesday, April 24 - Thursday, April 26 in our school library. It will be open during parent-teacher interview times (afternoon and evening) on April 26. If any parent/guardian is interested in volunteering to help with the book fair please contact Ms. Comeau at 457-7800 ext 5271039. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. 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. Please consider dropping by the Book Fair to purchase a book or two. You will be encouraging your children to read and supporting our school library.

That’s a LOT of Pennies!!! Park West had another successful Pennies for Books Campaign during the month of February. We raised over $1000 in pennies to be used to purchase books for the school library. Mrs. Crummer's grade three class raised the most money and Mr. Stach's grade nine class raised the second largest amount. Both these classes won a pizza party for their efforts and support. Thank you to everyone who helped out with the campaign.

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.

Broadway Comes to Park West: Park West School students, staff and PTA are presenting the musical Annie on May 2 and 3 at 6:30 pm in our cafetorium. Over 80 students and lots of staff and parents are involved in this exciting production. Tickets are $5 and available from the school office beginning on Friday. Seats are limited.

Dates to Remember:

*April*
18	SAC and PTA meetings	*5:45 / 7:00 pm*
19	Last payment for Grade 9 Trip due
20	School Spirit Day – *“Crazy Hat Day”* *Students and staff are encouraged to wear a favourite or outrageous hat to school. Be creative and decorate one!
*24-26*	Book Fair (library) Open every day and on the evening of April 26
26	Parent-Teacher Conference Day to discuss student progress. Early Dismissal for students at 11:35 am/no school in the afternoon.	*1-3 pm / 5:30-7:30 pm*

Grade P-6 Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent/Teacher Interviews

April 26, 2012

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

On Thursday, April 26, 2012, 1:00-3:00 and 5:30-7:30 we will be holding our Parent-Teacher Interviews. This is an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with the homeroom teacher and the specialist teachers. Please note teachers Kim Aucoin, Christine Curry, Karen Daye, Michelle Hunter, and Ellen Kostlac will not be available for conferences on this day. Please contact these teachers directly if you are interested in meeting with them.

Grade Primary – 6

We are scheduling parents for ten (10) minute appointments. If you need extra time after your initial appointment, please feel free to call the teacher at 457-7800 and we will be glad to make further arrangements. Parents will meet teachers in their classrooms. Your appointment time will be confirmed with a note being sent home. If you have other children in the school in grades primary to six, please list their names and teachers’ names below and we will do our best to coordinate appointment times so you will only have to make one trip to the school. Please complete the form below and return it to your child’s teacher by Friday, April 20, 2012.

Grades 7-9

Meetings will be on an “as you arrive basis” in the Gymnasium. Grades 7-9 teachers will meet with parents as grade level teams. If after your initial appointment you need extra time, please feel free to call the teacher at 457-7800 and we will be glad to make further arrangements.

SPECIALIST TEACHERS meeting will be on an “as you arrive basis” in their classroom areas or in the gym. (Music, Band, Resource, ESL, Guidance, Learning Centre, Phy Ed, French)

Derek Carter

Principal

Students will be dismissed at 11:35

on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

There will be no school for students in the afternoon.

Please detach and return to the homeroom teacher

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

(Primary – 6 Students Only)

Complete and Return by Friday, April 20

Parent’s Name: _____________________________ Phone: _____________________

Pupil’s Name: ______________________________ Class/Teacher: _______________

Brother/Sister’s Name: ______________________ Class/Teacher: _______________

Please indicate by using number 1 and 2 for your first and second choice of time. Efforts will be made to accommodate your appointment choice.

Thursday, April 26 1:00 – 3:00 ________

5:30 – 7:30 _________

A note as to the specific time of your interview will be sent home at least two days prior to your appointment. Thank you for your assistance.

Grade 7-9 Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent/Teacher Interviews

April 26, 2012

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Grades 7-9

SPECIALIST TEACHERS meeting will be on an “as you arrive basis” in their classroom areas or in the gym. (Music, Band, Resource, ESL, Guidance, Learning Centre, Phy Ed, French)

Derek Carter

Principal

Students will be dismissed at 11:35

on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

There will be no school for students in the afternoon.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Scholastic Book Fair

The Spring Scholastic Book Fair will run from Tuesday, April 24 - Thursday, April 26. If any parent/guardian is interested in volunteering, please contact Ms. Comeau at 457-7800 ext. 5271039. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

March 28th Newsletter

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

March 28, 2012

Mr. Carter is Back: Mr. Carter, our principal, has returned to work after a prolonged absence. He really appreciates the warm welcome he has received from students, parents, and staff. It’s good to be back!

No School: This Friday (March 30) is Assessment and Evaluation Day for teachers and staff. There is no school for students. Enjoy the long weekend.

Off to High School: Tomorrow morning (March 29) all grade 9 students will be walking to Halifax West High School for an orientation session.

Grade 9 Quebec City Trip: The final payment for the grade 9 trip is due on April 19. By that date the full amount ($860.00) should be paid in full. Account statements for each student (indicating credits and balance owing) will be sent home next week. Plans are well underway for this exciting excursion. An information meeting for student participants and their parents, with all the final details, will be held in late May. Please contact Mr. Carter if you have any questions or concerns.

SIS: Elementary and Junior High Schools in Nova Scotia are now in the process of converting to a new web-based student information system (SIS) called PowerSchool. High Schools began using PowerSchool last year. Information stored on this system includes demographic information for our students, grades, timetables, health alerts, attendance, and more. The system is designed to be used by school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. We, here at Park West, have been using the new system since September. Certain parts of the system are now available to our students and their parents. You, and your children, can now have access to grades, assignments, attendance, teachers’ comments, and school bulletins through the internet using the Student-Parent Portal website. The Student-Parent Portal is a public website available to parents/guardians and students to view school related information. Please be patient with us as we work to include more and more of this information for you to view. We’re just getting used to it. To access the system you and our students will need the website location, a confidential user ID, and a user password. Letters with this information included, as well as other information to help get you started, will be sent home with our students tomorrow (Thursday, March 29). Students in grades primary to eight will receive two letters (one for parents and one for students). Grade nine students have already been using the system, so will only bring home one letter for parents.

Dance Fever: The Park West School PTA is presenting another Family Dance on Thursday, March 29, 5:30 – 7:00 pm for pizza and ice cream, and 6:30 – 8:00 pm for music and dancing. Doors will be closed and locked at 7:00 pm. All students MUST be accompanied by an adult. Admission is $15 per family at the door; $5 for children/students attending with a family other than their own. Pizza, ice cream, glow bracelets, candy bags, popcorn, and water will be available for sale. Come on out and kick up your heals at this fun family event for our school community.

25 Alfred Street, Dartmouth

This Year Has 195 Days: The school year in Nova Scotia is 195 days. Students who are absent for any of those days must have legitimate excuses (such as illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, etc.). That time is needed in classrooms to cover the outcomes for all subjects at each particular grade level. Students must be assessed so that we can determine if they have met the outcomes covered. When our students are absent for an extended period of time it may negatively impact on their academic progress. This year school does not close until June 29. Meaningful learning and assessing will be occurring in the classrooms of Park West School until that date. We do not stop working, party non-stop, show one movie after another, or tell students they should stay home because we ‘won’t be doing anything’. We are assuming that ALL our students will be in attendance until then so that their academic progress is not jeopardized. We cannot teach and assess our students if they are not here. Students should not be unnecessarily absent from school for extended periods of time. Teachers are not responsible for providing packages of work to students in advance so they can participate in extended vacations from school. Parents: please consider this when making your summer travel plans.

Order Your Yearbook SOON: Only one book captures this year’s incredible events and experiences at Park West School…….the 2011-2012 Yearbook. Our professionally produced Yearbook includes all students and all grade levels (primary to nine). Preserve your child’s memories for the 2012-2012 school year at Park West by purchasing a Yearbook for only $25 (cash or cheque). Order forms will be sent home on April 3. All orders are due by April 16. Only a limited quantity will be produced, so don’t forget to place your order before the deadline. You may also order by dropping by our school office (Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 3:30 pm).

REPORT CARDS: This year all elementary and junior high schools in the Halifax Regional School Board will have three terms and issue report cards at the end of each term (in December, early April, and June 29). Students at Park West School will receive their 2^nd term report cards on April 12. Parents are to keep the copy of the report card received. You are invited to write comments regarding your child’s report card and sign the accompanying form. Please return the signed form in the report card envelope.

Your son or daughter’s progress is assessed based upon a standard set of goals, or “curriculum outcomes”, for each subject taught at his/her grade level. For instance, a curriculum outcome for grade three mathematics is: “Students will be expected to use simple fractions to describe situations.” All curriculum outcomes are prescribed by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and used by all schools in our province as a basis for student assessment and evaluation. Curriculum guides for each subject with curriculum outcomes are available to the public through the Department of Education website: http://www.ednet.ns.ca/Cart/index.php?UID=20040204095917142.227.83.129

Because all students at the same grade level are assessed and evaluated using the same set of standards (i.e. curriculum outcomes) you may have the opportunity to notice some report cards within a certain class, written by the same teacher, to be very similar. Comments, phrases, terms, and descriptions may be similar, or even identical. This is inevitable, despite teachers’ efforts to make each student’s report card personal and individual. Nevertheless, be assured that teachers have assessed and evaluated your child thoroughly and individually. Statements recorded on the report cards reflect your child’s progress.

The report card you receive should give you a clear idea of how your child is progressing with the program at his/her grade level. All references to individual achievement and progress will be in relation to the prescribed curriculum outcomes for each subject at his/her grade level. If, after reading your child’s report card, you do not have a clear indication of his/her progress, please contact your child’s teacher to review the report and clarify any concerns or questions you might have.

Progress with the prescribed outcomes will be indicated using LETTER GRADES (A, B, C, and D) for grades one to eight, and NUMERICAL GRADES (percentages) for grade nine. Explanations of these letter and numerical grades will be provided with the report cards. Grade primary report cards do not have letter or numerical grades, only anecdotal comments.

Report cards are only one component of the assessment and evaluation process. Teachers at Park West constantly use a variety of strategies to assess and evaluate student progress. Assessment is the process of gathering information on student progress. The information gathered during the ongoing assessment process may include: work samples, test and quiz scores, projects, oral presentations, informal observations (by the teacher), student conferences, portfolios, guided reading assessments, etc. The list goes on! As the information is collected it is evaluated. Evaluation is the process of analyzing, reflecting upon and summarizing the assessment information, and making judgments or decisions based upon the information gathered. The report card you receive for your son or daughter will reflect this process.

Communication between home and school regarding your child’s academic progress should be continuous throughout the school year, and not only occur during scheduled parent-teacher interviews and at report card time. Communication can occur in many ways: telephone calls, notes, e-mails, communication logs, student agendas, class newsletters, school/class websites, students bringing tests home to be signed by parents, personal visits, etc. The report cards are intended to provide you with a more formal, thorough, and personal perspective on how your son or daughter is progressing academically in relation to the prescribed grade level/subject outcomes. Report cards should be combined with all other forms of communication to provide a complete picture of your child’s academic progress.

The next date for formal Parent-Teacher Interviews at Park West School is April 26 (afternoon and evening). The dates and times for these sessions have been coordinated between Halifax West High School and its feeder schools to make it as convenient as possible for parents who have children attending more than one of those schools. Remember: you do not have to wait until formal Parent-Teacher Interviews to discuss your child's progress with teachers.

Dates to Remember:

*April*
2	Term 3 begins
4	PTA Popcorn Sale - $1 per bag
6	Good Friday (no school)
9	Easter Monday (no school)
12	Report Cards go home today
18	SAC and PTA meetings	*5:45 / 7:00 pm*
19	Last payment for Grade 9 Trip due
20	School Spirit Day – *“Crazy Hat Day”* *Students and staff are encouraged to wear a favourite or outrageous hat to school. Be creative and decorate one!
26	Parent-Teacher Conference Day to discuss student progress. Early Dismissal for students at 11:35 am/no school in the afternoon.

Happy Easter

Sunday, March 25, 2012

iPad fundraiser for Learning Center

Help raise money for an iPad2 for the Learning Centre! Our "Night Out at the Movies" basket contains: 2 Adult Empire Theatres tickets with popcorn and pop, 2 Kids Empire Theatres tickets with popcorn, pop and treat, Garfield The Movie, various treats (chocolate, popcorn and candy).
Prices:
1 ticket for $1.00
3 tickets for $2.00
10 tickets for $5.00
Tickets sold in the Learning Centre and will be available at the
Family Dance Thursday March 29. The draw will be made on Friday March
30 at 11:30.