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
5, 2012
Receive the PWS Update electronically! You can receive the PWS Update
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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. Our
students need to be here on time. 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. Parents whose children who are chronically
late for school will be contacted by teachers and school administration.
A Safe School: In an effort to keep our school safe and secure we
continue to closely monitor individuals entering our building during school
hours. Anyone (that includes parents, family members, maintenance workers,
volunteers, and other visitors) entering our school during school hours MUST
report to the office. At this time
you may be requested to register in our Visitors Sign-In Book and wear a
“visitor” ID tag. All permanent staff
members at Park West wear official HRSB photo ID tags. Substitute teachers, volunteers, and visitors
are provided with appropriate ID tags as well.
Any individuals found in our school without an ID tag and/or
authorization may be questioned. Entry
to the building is via the main doors
only. We appreciate your support and
cooperation as we strive to maintain a welcoming yet safe and secure facility
for our students and staff.
Let’s Talk About Student Progress: Parents and Teachers will meet to discuss
student progress on Wednesday, November 14 (12:30 – 3:30 pm and 5:30 –
7:30 pm). Our students will
be dismissed for the day on November 14
at 11:35 a.m.. There will be no
classes for them in the afternoon.
Teachers, including specialists (French, music, band, resource, phys.
ed., guidance, learning centre, EAL, 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 the opportunity to request
appointment times with their child’s teacher.
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. More information (including
appointment request forms) was sent home with elementary students last
week. Elementary parents: please book your appointments now.
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 Ceremony on Thursday, November 8, 10:30 am.
The assembly will feature special music, student participation, readings,
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 and visitors are invited to buy a
poppy at the office by making a small monetary donation.
SAC News: We have some new members on our School Advisory
Council. Congratulations to Craig
Poirier (recently elected as our new chair for 2012-2013), Sheetal Ajay (the newly elected parent rep),
and Panos Giannopoulos (grade 9), Helena Fernandez-Murray (grade 8), and Nicole
Fakhory (grade 7) our newly appointed student reps from junior high). Our SAC also includes staff members,
community members, and our administrative team.
Staff members new to the SAC this year are Mr. Banks and Ms.
Tulloch. The SAC meets six times a
year. A huge Park West thank you to our
outgoing chair, Glenn Anderson, for his outstanding leadership, support, and
commitment to our school and community.
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 the
Principal or Vice Principal.
•
Parent concerns related to school administration/operation issues should
be addressed with the Principal or Vice Principal. Mr. Carter, Ms. Chiasson and Mr. Melanson are
very approachable and are happy to address your concerns.
•
Email, telephone calls (we have voicemail), and meetings by appointment
work best for effective communication.
•
Minor discipline issues are handled by teachers. Major issues are addressed
namely by our Vice Principals.
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 back stairwell. 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. 14 (Parent-Teacher Day) will be donated to charity.
Come to the Movies: The parent fundraising committee for the
grade 9 spring trip to Montreal is hosting a Movie Night on Thursday, November 8 (6:30 – 8 pm). Doors open at 6:15 pm. The movie being presented is RIO.
Admission is $2 per person. Children
must be accompanied by an adult.
Popcorn and water will be available for $1 each.
Grade 9 Trip Reminder: Completed permission forms and the $200
deposit are due to the office by Tuesday,
November 6 for all students who wish to participate in the spring trip to
Montreal.
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.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
.
Photo Retakes: School photo retakes will be done by our school
photography company, Lifetouch, on Tuesday,
November 13 (morning). Class photos
for the following will also be re-taken at that time: P Ng; P Henneberry; 1 Casford; 2 Lucas; 3 Smith; 4 Jones; 5
MacDonald/Mackay; and 5 Curry.
Tired of making sandwiches? The Park West School cafeteria serves a
variety of hot tasty healthy meals for our students to purchase at lunchtime.
Daily specials include: grilled cheese
and tomato soup; beef & macaroni bake; baked chicken with rice and veggies;
meatloaf with mashed potatoes; sloppy joes; roast beef dinner; sweet & sour
chicken balls with rice and egg roll; chicken cacciatore; lasagna; mini
hamburgers and taters; chicken fajitas; meatballs with rice; baked ham and
scallop potatoes; shepherd’s pie; and chicken fingers. Lots of other choices are available. Hot
lunch specials are from $3.75 to $4.50.
Other cafeteria offerings include:
cheese pizza ($3.50); garlic fingers with donair sauce ($3); nachos and
dip ($3); hamburgers ($2.25); cheeseburgers ($2.75); chicken burgers ($2.75);
veggies trays ($2.25); fruit cups ($1.25); and chicken ceasar wraps
($3.75). An assortment of freshly made sandwiches are available
(egg salad, chicken salad, ham & cheese, and tuna salad) for only $3.25,
and salads (garden or ceasar) for
$3.35. During the cold winter months hot homemade soups will be served daily
for only $3.25. Drinks include: bottled
water ($1.25); 100% pure fruit juice (.55/$1.50); milk (.35); and chocolate
milk ($1.25). A variety of snacks for sale include: baked chips ($1.50); Crispers ($1.50); Rice
Krispie squares (.60); and cookies (.60). The cafeteria opens at 8 am for pre-ordering and for breakfast. Toast, bagels, and bacon/ham/cheese on toast
are available for those who didn’t get to eat at home. Two copies of the menu are sent home to all
students in grades primary to three every month; one to keep and one to use as
an order form. Menus will soon be
available on our school website. To
request a menu, place an order, or if you have any questions please contact our
cafeteria operator, Jane Scrymgeour, at 440-7352 between 8 am and 12:45
daily.
At Park West School we’re working on: (1) getting our students here on time –
school starts at 8:25 am; (2)
getting our students and their parents to use the crosswalks and sidewalks on our school grounds; (3) ensuring our
elementary students walk, not run, in
the hallways; (4) encouraging students who eat lunch in the cafeteria to clean up after themselves (not leaving
garbage on their tables and on the floor); (4) encouraging students to dress appropriately for the weather –
it’s starting to get cold. Students spend time outside playing while at school
during the day; (5) getting students to not litter on our school grounds; (6) encouraging our students to show pride and respect by stopping and
standing at attention during the playing of our national anthem every morning;
(7) improving student achievement in
mathematics and literacy (reading and writing) through the goals in our School
Improvement Plan.
Park West School on TV: During the month of October the Nova Scotia
Teachers Union (NSTU) ran a Teachers Make
a Difference Recognition Campaign through CTV Bell Media. A 15-second ad ran throughout programming on
CTV during the month of October encouraging students to go to the NSTU website
and nominate a teacher who has made a difference in their lives. Up to 10
nominated teachers will be chosen for recognition by the NSTU. For each recognized member, a donation of
$300 will be made towards the school/campus breakfast or library program. During the month of November a series of four
60-second vignettes will be broadcast on CTV during Morning Live, Live at Five, and The X Factor which will focus on
the following themes in addressing why teachers make a difference in the lives
of their students: 1. Lifelong learning;
2. Care and compassion; 3.
Extracurricular/volunteer activities;
4. Cutting edge/innovation in learning. We’re excited that Park West
School was chosen to participate in the filming of these television ads. Filming took place here at the school for two
days last week. Some of our staff members and students will appear in these ads
(speaking or being interviewed, or simply appearing in the background). Ms. Ng’s grade primary class, Ms.
MacDonald;s/Ms. Mackay’s grade 5 class, and Mr. Beattie’s grade 9 class will be
featured. Watch for Park West in these ads on CTV during
the month of November.
Dates to Remember:
|
November 8
|
Park West Remembrance Ceremony (you’re invited to attend)
|
10:30 am
|
|
November 8
|
Movie Night (grade
9 trip fundraiser)
|
6:30 – 8 pm
|
|
November 9
|
PD Day (no school for students)
|
|
|
November 12
|
Schools
closed to commemorate Remembrance Day
|
|
|
November 13
|
School photo retakes
|
morning
|
|
November 14
|
Parent-Teacher Conferences (to discuss student progress)
|
12:30-3:30 & 5:30-7:30 pm
|
|
November 29
|
International Community Pot Luck Dinner -
please plan to attend and bring a family sized dish to share.
|
5:30 – 7 pm
|
|
November 30
|
Assessment/Evaluation Day
(no school for students)
|
|
|
December 3
|
Fine Arts Christmas Concert (band, choir, strings)`
|
Evening
|
|
December 11 & 12
|
Christmas Concerts (grades P – 6)
|
1:15 pm and 6:30 pm
|
