Welcome new staff!

We are welcoming several new staff to Castlebridge Public School. Joining us this year is: Mme Vinales (gr. 1 FI), Mrs. Paul (gr. 3), Mrs. Kinnis (ECE), Ms. Nguyen (ECE), Mrs.Verma (FDK), Mrs. Reiter (FDK), Mme Richards (gr. 2 FI), Mme Ryan (gr. 3 FI), Mme Naseer (gr. 2 FI), Mrs. O'Neil (ASD), and Mme Chiasson (gr. 3 FI). We are also happy to welcome Mrs. Ramsay (Gr. 1) back from her parental leave.

Over the summer months, we had several Castlebridge families volunteer to weed the gardens in front of the school. Thank you to the Wroblewski, Ganjoo, Lundie and Yao families. We would also like to thank the following families for all their hard work watering and tending to our new learning garden: Porter, Lavery, Baker, Boylan, Peart and Wroblewski families. Your effort kept our garden growing strong.

AtCastlebridge we promote character attributes such as Caring for self, others and theenvironment. Through our continued efforts to be an Eco-school, we model environmental awareness best practices. Less than half of what we put in the garbage actually belongs there. Come on Castlebridge – let’s work together to bring litter less lunches, and boomerang our compost home. We CAN make a difference! We believe that engaging students in small environmental initiatives can have a big impact.

So how can Castlebridge continue to be a more environmentally friendly school?

A boomerang lunch is a lunch that has every piece of it returned to its source. In other words, everything in the lunch goes back home at the end of the day. No matter if it is leftover food, containers, recyclables or garbage, it all goes back. Yes, even the garbage. School lunches are a major source of waste in Ontario – the average student’s lunch generates a total of 30 kilograms of waste per school year, or an average of 8500 kilograms of waste per school per year.

Please help your child pack Boomerang lunches every day. Help create awareness around recycling and encourage and promote the use of reusable containers and utensils. As we try to model environmental best practices for our students, we do not provide plastic utensils in the office.

Frequently students come down during lunch for a fork or a spoon, in the same way we have gotten use to bringing our own reusable bags to stores, parents need to provide reusable cutlery in their children’s lunches. By doing so, you completely avoid the process of creating a single use item, thus no solid waste is created.

But solid waste isn’t the only thing that’s wasteful about plastic cutlery. Plastic cutlery also takes energy and water to create. Help us to create the environmental champions the world needs to help make positive changes. And by doing so, we will educate generations of children about why the right attitude towards the environment is so important.

What else can Castlebridge do to be a more environmentally friendly school?

One of the easiest and quickest ways we can help to reduce our impact on the environment is to look at ways we can save energy and conserve paper. The Castlebridge Connection willcontinue to be our regularmeansofcommunication. This year we will continue placing the newsletter on our school website().

Much of the information items that the board provides to schools will now be uploaded each month to our school website under the What’s New section. With just a few simple changes, there’s a lot that schools can do to make themselves more environmentally friendly. By prompting discussions about how things can be improved, schools can create the environmental champions the world needs to help make positive changes. And by doing so, we will educate generations of children about why the right attitude towards the environment is so important.

Want to keep up to date with what’s happening at Castlebridge?

Check out our school website where you'll find:

  • the latest school news
  • contact information for school administration, superintendent and trustee
  • calendar
  • enrolment data
  • school hours
  • mission, vision and values
  • registration information
  • printable forms
  • frequently asked questions
  • volunteer information
  • EQAO reports

Keep up to date with our website subscription service

Our new website also features a subscription service where you can sign up to receive email notifications for school news, calendar events and volunteer job opportunities. You can also choose to be notified via email and/or text message for critical news, such as school closures due to bad weather. Click on the subscribe link on the left-hand side of the main page of our website.

In addition, our Peel Board Website is nowavailable in 40 Languages. Click on "Welcome” and select the language of your choice.

FRIDAY FOLDERS

Please be sure to review the contents of the FF each week, sign your initials on the provided page so that we know that you're in touch with all that is happening at school and send itback on each following Monday.

AGENDA (FOR GRS. 1- 5)

This agenda is an invaluable tool in so many ways. Please consult it daily to learn about your child (ren)'s day.The entries may include homework details, notes from your child's teacher, spelling words for the week, etc...

Safe Arrival of your Children

We must account for all students in the school eachmorning. If your child is going to beabsent or late FOR ANY REASON, please phone the school’s Safe Arrival automated phone line, 905-812-7906, press 1, to reportyour child’s absence. The line is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Unfortunately, some parents do not call the school to let us know about their child’s absence. For each student who is not accounted for, we are required to locate the parents/guardians to confirm the child is safe. Often we must try many telephone numbers before successfully reaching anadult who is able to confirmthe whereabouts of this child.

PLEASE take a moment to call the Safe Arrival line for your child’s safety. If you choose to leave a message on the teacher’s voicemail, please also call SafeArrival to avoid a breakdownin communication. There are times when teachers aren’t able to check their voicemail messages until later in the day, or in the event of a teacher absence, no onewill receive themessage.

FOR EACH CALL WE HAVE TOMAKE, PRECIOUS TIME ISWASTED, IN THE EVENT WE HAVE A TRUE EMERGENCY OF A MISSING CHILD.

Keep students safe in school parking lots

Many elementary schools offer a Kiss N’ Ride program, where parents/guardians can drop off and pick up their children at a designated area on school property. The program was established to provide a convenient and safe option for our students and parents driving to school. To ensure the safety of staff and students, we ask all parents/guardians be mindful of the following guidelines:

  • There is no parking and no waiting in the Kiss and Ride lane. Pay attention to the traffic in front of you and pull forward as cars move forward. If you choose to park in the parking lot, please escort your child to or from the nearest foot patroller and use the main crosswalk.
  • During morning drop off and afternoon pick up, parents are not permitted to park in the school parking lot as it impedes the movement of Kiss and Ride.
  • Vehicles entering the Kiss N’ Ride lane must stay in the designated lane, unless otherwise directed by a staff member or volunteer.
  • The Kiss N’ Ride program is only available to students who are able to disembark independently for this reason, during the afternoon pick up, parents of Kindergarten age children cannot use the Kiss and Ride.
  • Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the curb. Students may only exit from the passenger (right) side of the vehicle.
  • After picking up or dropping off your child, leave promptly so that others can get in behind you.
  • If your child is not waiting for you at the main crosswalk at the end of the day, please circle the parking lot if permitted and rejoin the line or park in a designated parking space to wait.
  • Always respect traffic flow and abide all traffic laws and signs.

Please review the Kiss and Ride notice that was sent home with your child.

Visitors at Castlebridge P.S.

All visitors to the school (Peel District School Board employees included), no matter how well known to the staff and students, are required to signin at theoffice upon arrival andto wear anidentification badge. Staff has been asked to redirect adults in our building wit out a pass to theoffice. This ensures the safety andwell-being of everyone at Castlebridge Public School. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Join our school council—share your ideas

Every Peel school has a school council—a group focused on helping students succeed. School councils provide a voice for parents and the community and offer advice to the school principal on a number of topics.

We are holding school councils elections on Tuesday October 7th, 2014.

If you would like to know more or are interested in joining our council, please contact Mrs. M. Haddad, Principal at 905-812-7906, # 303.