Willingdon Monthly Newsletter

Willingdon School

5870 Terrebonne, Montreal, Quebec, H4A1B5

T: 514-484-2881

@Willingdon_EMSB

WORKSHOP FOR GRADE 5 AND 6 STUDENTS ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS:

A reminder thatDr. Alyssa Sklar founder of Risk (within) reason, will be giving RoyalVale, Edinburgh and Willingdon Grade 5 and 6 students along with their parents a talk on Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. The workshop will be held on November 3rd, 2016 from 7:00PM to 8:30 PM in the RoyalVale auditorium.Risk (within) reason is a Montreal consultancy project focused on teens, technology and risky behaviors. Dr. Sklar has also taught at Concordia and worked as a researcher and consultant in adolescent risk prevention at McGill. This is a very worthwhile discussion for students about whatthey need to know about engaging in safe, respectful,creative andproductiveuse oftechnology and for parents about how we can teach our children to put these technologies to use in ways that are creative and productive, but also safe and responsible. For more information on Dr. Sklar please visit the website: We, the RoyalVale, Edinburgh and Willingdon administrative team are looking forward to seeing you there!

TERRY FOX FUNDRAISER

Congratulations to the Willingdon community for raising 26 570$ for the Terry Fox Foundation. A true testimony of how we can be a better society if we all work together! Here are links to some of the media coverage of the event that was held on October 14, 2016.

WILLINGDON ATHLETIC COUNCIL: Walking water challenge

This month we are challenging students and parents to walk a little extra everyday. As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder it is important that we stay active outside. We challenge you to go for a walk every single day in the month of November. Keep track of your walks and share pictures or stories with your Phys Ed teacher.Along with going for a walk every day, we challenge you to drink more water this month. Drink up to 5 glasses of water throughout the day, or simply eliminate juice and replace with water for the month of November. You can do it Willingdon.Take these small steps to adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle.

REPORT CARD DISTRIBUTION AND PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Term I report cards will be distributed to students on Monday, November 14th. The first term report card is worth 20% of the year end school mark. Parent-Teacher interviews will be held on Wednesday, November 16th and on Thursday, November 17, 2016. On November 9th, you will be receiving a letter confirming your appointment. We kindly ask you to respect the appointment that is given to you. The administration will also be available on both days to meet with parents.

REMEMBERANCE DAY ASSEMBLIES

On Monday November 7th, Willingdon Elementary School will be having a Remembrance Day assembly for our cycle two and three students. Our special guest for the assembly will be Captain Karl Morel, a retired Canadian Forces Veteran. As part of our ceremony, we will be distributing Remembrance poppies to each of our students, including kindergarten and cycle one students. We kindly ask, that families who can afford to do so, send their children to school with a minimum $1.00 donation. “While Poppies are distributed freely, the Legion truly appreciates the generous donations to the Poppy Fund4 in support of serving and retired Veterans and their families.” All funds raised will be given to the Royal Canadian Legion. We will be collecting donations from November 2nd to November 4th. Students may give their donations to their homeroom teachers. Thank you for your kind caring support.

GRADE 6 MUSIC FIELD TRIP

On November 7, 2016 the grade 6 students will be going on a field trip to Place Des Art to watch a concert by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. This trip was organised by our music teacher, Mr. Nick Batzios. This cultural experience will be very beneficial on so many levels. Music stimulates imaginationand helps us acquire a vision. It helps our students become independent learners and plays an integral role in our children’s educational growth and development. This activity was kindly sponsored by EDP.

GRADE 4 VACCINATION

The grade 4 vaccination will take place on November 9th, 2016. Please return your signed form before that day if you haven’t done so already.

MP MINISTER GARNEAU’S VISIT TO WILLINGDON

On November 11th, 2016, Willingdon will host Minister Garneau as part of the annual “Bring your MP to School” visit in collaboration with UNICEF Canada. The objective is to give elementary school students an opportunity to speak to their elected representative in person and to share their opinions and concerns.The majority of the visit will take the format of a question and answer period that gives students the time they need to speak to their MP. Minister Garneau will begin with a short introduction of his work in Parliament as MP and Minister of Transport.

UNITÉ SANS VIOLENCE

Les élèves de 6e année recevront la visite d’Ann-Nathalie Côté et ses collègues de la SPVM le Jeudi 10 Novembre 2016. Ce sont des agentes sociocommunautaires. Les élèves recevront un chandail et ils devront signer un contrat sur le dos du chandail en mentionnant qu'ils devront faire respecter des consignes contre le taxage, la discrimination et L’abus dans toutes ces formes. Ils seront les porte-paroles de notre école.

BOOK FAIR

The first book fair organized by the Willingdon Home & School will be held on November 16th, 2016. This year we put together a teacher’s wish list so that you can help furbish your child’s classroom library. The book fair is held on the same night as Parent-teacher interviews. Remember to pass by before or after your interview!

GRADE 6 GRADUATION BAKE SALE

Preparations for the Grade 6 grad are underway and the Grad committee’s first fundraiser is a bake sale on November 16th. The grade 6 students will have a table of baked goods at the Scholastic Book Fair. Be sure to send a couple extra loonies or toonies with your children so they can enjoy a sweet treat!

WINTER WEATHER

We would like to remind parents that children should be dressed appropriately for the winter weather. Proper snowsuits and waterproof boots should be worn once we get our first snowfall.

Students should have a pair of shoes in their lockers since they will not be permitted to enter their classroom with boots. Students should also have another pair of socks in their lockers should they need to change.

IN THE EVENT OF SCHOOL CLOSURE

In the event of a school closure due to inclement weather, the announcement will appear on the Twitter section of the EMSB website at www. emsb.qc.ca. For all other emergency situations, the administration will contact parents by usingBlackboard Connect either by phone or by e-mail.

TOOLS THAT FOSTER & PROMOTE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

We wish to inform everyone that the Toolbox Project outlines a set of tools that help children deal with challenging situations that can arise in their daily lives. The program which originated in California, is up & running in our school; we are incorporating it into our curriculum and we will soon be offering extra support/ training to our new teachers. We are presently focusing on one tool per week, and we encourage children daily to use the tool that would best help them throughout the day as the need arises. A list of the tools can be found in your child's agenda as a means to use these tools outside of school- it's all about developing one's emotional intelligence, to be able to handle challenging situations in a calm, effective & stress-free manner. Throughout the course of the year, ateam of dedicated parents will be offering workshops to individual classes as a means to support teachers in effectively implementing the tools.

For more information about the project, visit dovetaillearning.org

October 2016 / Page 1 of 4