Severe Weather Conditions

The following summarizes TDSB's guidelines regarding Severe Weather.

Weather Guidelines

Children need an opportunity to get exercise and free play time outdoors,  however, weather conditions sometimes warrant that indoor recesses, lunch periods and pre-entry periods be considered necessary for student and staff safety.

Conditions warranting indoor recesses

•  Rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, extreme winds and extreme cold.
•  Cold weather:  When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates -28C or lower children will remain indoors due to risk of frostnip and frostbite.
• When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates –20 to –28C, recesses may be shortened to 10 minutes and lunch recess be 20 minutes depending on local conditions.  Children should be monitored closely for signs of frostnip, frostbite or difficulty breathing.

CBC Canadian Music Challenge

Check out LKS' entry into the Canadian Music Class Challenge!

https://youtu.be/Kf-vNz-xvp4https://youtu.be/Kf-vNz-xvp4

The grade 7 and 8 students will be performing their entry at their concert on December 15th from 6 to 8!

Huddle Up Leadership Committee

This past Wednesday, our Huddle Up Leadership Committee had the opportunity to join 3000 other students to stand up against bullying at the Argos Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Rally at Nathan Philips Square.  They all took this pledge:

Together, we will huddle up as one team for one dream – to celebrate, embrace, and encourage uniqueness in ourselves and others.

I promise to stand up and speak up so that everyone is part of our team and this dream.

This year the focus of the committee is Kindness and Caring.  The team is made up of grade 6, 7 and 8 students who are leading school wide efforts to promote a kind and caring school community.  Last month, the Huddle Up team ran a school wide activity that had students walking around the class and stop and say one kind thing to a classmate.  Here is a link to some highlights of the rally.

http://www.argonauts.ca/2016/11/24/huddle-up-rally-nov-23/

What is kindness and caring?

• Showing understanding and  treating others with compassion, generosity, and a forgiving spirit
• Being gentle, friendly, considerate, and willing to help
• Showing concern or sympathy for others and being sensitive to the needs of others
• Offering support and giving your time, talents, and resources to help others
• Talking positively about others
• Considering the needs of others, not just your own

What does kindness/caring look like and sound like?

• Doing something nice for somebody––a random act of kindness
• Smiling at those you know and those you don’t know
• Saying “Good Morning”
• Reminding someone how special he or she is
• Volunteering time to help others in need or donating to a charity
• Asking “How can I help?” or “How are you?”

What can families do at home? 

Parents, guardians, caregivers and family members are the first and most important character educators of children. Working together with the school and community, we can guide our children towards common beliefs. When families reinforce kindness and caring at home, it becomes a way of life for children.

Tips for Supporting Character Development and Reinforcing Kindness and Caring

• Use kind and caring language at home with family members and friends
• Model and teach respectful manners
• Listen to your children and be clear about your ideals
• As a family, take part in community service projects or civic activities
• Establish family traditions and enjoy family celebrations together
• Identify and talk to your children when you witness a random act of kindness
• Teach your children to be responsible and discerning with their choices in media, entertainment and online interactions
• Teach your children how to resolve conflict in a respectful and caring way
• Encourage kindness, caring and empathy by asking: "How would you feel if...?"

Power of One

Today we learned all about the POWER OF ONE!  We had the pleasure of learning with two actors today who presented three bullying scenarios.  Through their dramatic presentation and interactions with us as an audience we defined bullying as any situation where, because of a power imbalance, systematic behaviour occurs that is HURTFUL, PURPOSEFUL, and REPEATED where one person picks on another with the intent to cause harm and isolation.  The actors explained that they will be acting out skits to show us the negative effects of specific types of bullying, the roles that people play that make bullying possible, and what each child can do to prevent bullying from happening in their school.

We will all be taking the Power of One Bully Prevention Oath and will be signing this contract.  Look for it in the hallway real soon!

I will not bully others.

I will not stand by while others are bullied.

I will report and deal with bullying whenever I see it...

...because I have

THE POWER OF ONE!

Toronto Argonauts' Huddle Up Bully Prevention Program

We are very pleased to be working the the Toronto Argonauts' Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program this year.  Thank you to the parent council for providing the funds for this fantastic opportunity for LKS students.  A leadership committee has been selected made up of grades 6 to 8 students who will be working with Ms. Shklar, Mr. Iceton, Ms. Chandra and Ms. Dacyshyn in partnership with the Toronto Argonauts to:

1. raise awareness about bullying prevention in our school
2. create a positive and inclusive school enviornment
3. advocate the Huddle Up message: "Be a Friend: Support, Report and Defend."

I look forward to sharing highlights of our meetings and events.  Mark your calendars now for a special visit from a Toronto Argonauts player on Friday, February 24, 2017.

Students and Parking Lot Safety

Dropping Off Students

We encourage students to walk to school whenever possible.  If you are walking, drop your child off in the playground.  If you are driving, please do not stop at or near a crosswalk to drop off or pick up your child as this creates a hazardous situation for children.  When driving, please use our Kiss and Ride program.

Kiss and Ride

The Kiss and Ride drop off loop is provided in the morning to help improve safety and alleviate congestion in the teacher parking area.  Parents are asked to drop their child off at this location whenever possible.  Parents should drive into the parking lot and drop off their child at the sidewalk entrance to the school yard.  Drivers should then leave the Kiss and Ride area.  While in the parking lot, we ask that you watch for children and drive carefully.   Please do not park in the Kiss and Ride area.  The space is very limited and we must keep traffic moving to ensure students arrive to school safe and on time.  

Parking

Cars entering the parking lot are to do so slowly and are not to pass other cars as a child may exit from the driver’s side of the vehicle.  If you wish to walk into the school yard with your children or need to be in the school, please park in the parking spots in the parking lot near the pool or on the side streets close to the school.  The parking in-front of the school is for staff only.  Parking on Marquis Avenue is only permitted in the designated spaces on the north side of the street.  Do not park along the south side of the street.  This limits access for residents and emergency vehicles and narrows the street for accessing the Kiss and Ride drop off area.  Parking your car in an area not designated for parking may result in a ticket from the Toronto Parking Authority.

Street Smart Kids

The Canadian Safe Schools Network provides the following information about creating “street safe” habits for our students.

While the age at which we or our children are comfortable walking without an adult will vary from parent to parent and child to child, it is important that we educate or “street proof” our children for unsupervised situations as early as is possible.  Obviously we wouldn’t send small children out on their own, but equipping them with street smarts early will help them cope if they accidentally become separated from you.  By the time they are ready to be unsupervised they will have a firm understanding of how to stay safe while gaining some independence.

Here are some tips you can incorporate into your own set of “street smarts” ground rules:

1.	Establish a walking group to and from your child’s school by including other children who live near-by. The group can then walk to and from school together with a parent walking with them or watching from a distance.
2.	If you child is going to walk somewhere with other children without adult supervision, map out a route together beforehand and make it clear that your child is to follow that route.
3.	If your child is walking to a friend’s house, have the children phone you upon arrival.
4.	Provide your child with a few phone numbers of neighbours, friends or family members to call if you are unavailable and they need support.
5.	If you have older children who are coming home to an unsupervised home (either on a regular or occasional basis), be clear about the time they are expected to be home and have them check in with you when they arrive. Establish clear expectations for what will happen if they want to stay late at school or visit friends. While they are alone, make it clear that they are not to answer the door.
6.	Talk to your children frequently about their trip to and from school. Monitor for signs of fear. Are they asking to leave very early, or very late? Do they suddenly begin taking a different route?
7.	If possible, try to be at home after school occasionally. Not only will you confirm who walks home with your children, they may appreciate you coming home early to spend time with them.

Grade 4 and 5 Lunchroom Changes

With the influx of more students staying at school for lunch, we have had to make some changes to our lunchtime routines.  In the past, all grade 1-5 students ate in the lunchroom from 11:30 to 11:50 and then went outside for some outdoor play until 12:30.  We are switching this up a bit for grades 4 and 5.  They will be going outside from 11:30 to 12:00 and then coming inside to eat until 12:20 and then going back outside until 12:30.  This will give both the primary and junior students some extra space outside as well as in the lunchroom.  Nothing changes for the Kindergarten or primary students.  We will be trying this out for a bit to see how it works and will keep you informed about any further changes.

Universal Screening Process for Grade 3 Students


Effective September 2016, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) will be introducing a universal screening process for all grade 3 students across the TDSB. The purpose of this universal screening test is to:

• Provide information to classroom teachers about the strengths and learning needs of each student in order to better support teachers in programming for students;
• Help teachers to know when to bring a student forward to In School Team (IST) or School Support Team (SST) for programming suggestions;
• Improve equity of access for all students to differentiated programming including the potential identification of students with a gifted exceptionality.

Grade 3 parents are asked to complete and return the permission form sent home this week.

Student Safety

As you can imagine, our students are very excited about the long-anticipated summer break that is now just around the corner. One of the best parts about living in our community is the variety of activities that we can enjoy in our parks and public spaces all year round. With these activities, and with warmer weather and longer daylight hours upon us, students may be spending more time outside. This presents a good opportunity to remind everyone to take extra care in enjoying all the outdoors can offer.

We are fortunate to have a number of initiatives, programs, and policies that contribute to a caring and safe school. Our staff periodically speak to students about how to stay safe.  I know that you too will want to help ensure children are safe. Here are some tips that you may find helpful when discussing safety with your child:

·         always walk with a buddy to and from school

·         always tell your parents where you are

·         never accept gifts from strangers and never approach or enter a stranger’s car

·         if a car is following you, change directions and run

·         when help is needed, go to the nearest store or school, the home of a friend or run towards a group of people or a parent with children

·         know your name, address and phone number

·         know that police officers are friends and can help you

·         tell your parents or teacher whenever someone treats you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe; trust your instincts.

Our staff also review traffic safety with students. Please reinforce these messages with your child.  Below is a list of tips that might be helpful to review:

• stop, look, and listen for traffic
• only cross at corners and crosswalks and only if clear
• obey crossing signals
• make eye contact with drivers when crossing
• walk on sidewalks; where there are no sidewalks, walk as far away from traffic as possible facing traffic.

For those who drive, please take extra care on the roads, especially in areas where children might be present.

It’s been a good year and we want to ensure that the summer is equally enjoyable. Let’s continue to work together to make our communities as safe as possible for everyone.

Instrumental Concert

A big CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to the grades 6, 7 and 8 students for putting on a fantastic show for us this evening under the leadership of Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Quintyne.  We are very proud of all your accomplishments this year in the instrumental program and we are looking forward to the growth and success you are sure to enjoy next year.  Continue to demonstrate ZEST, GRIT and OPTIMISM! 

Safety

The safety of your child is an important priority. Remember to keep us up to date with your current address, phone number, childcare arrangements, to whom your child may be released, etc. We also need you to let us know about any changes of routine and to sign your child in if they are arriving late or leaving early for any reason. 

The Toronto Police streetproofing program encourages you to teach your child:

1. his/her name, address, phone number 
2. to Dial 9-1-1 in an emergency 
3. to communicate with you when they feel unsafe or afraid 
4. to keep you informed as to his/her whereabouts at all times 
5. never to admit to being alone in the home when answering the telephone 
6. never to invite strangers into the house or answer the door when alone 
7. never to approach or enter a stranger's car or hitchhike 
8. never to travel or play alone -- always be with friends to trust their feelings and say "NO" to an adult if that adult wants them to do something that is wrong 
9. not to accept gifts from strangers 
10. to tell you if someone has asked them to keep a secret from you 
11. that no one has the right to touch any part of his/ her body that a bathing suit would cover 
12. that if he/she is being followed, or approached too closely, to run home or go to the nearest public place and yell for help 
13. to report to your school authorities or a police officer, anyone who act suspiciously towards him/her 
14. never to play in deserted buildings or isolated areas 
15. never to enter anyone's home without your permission 
16. to avoid taking shortcuts through parks and fields 
17. never to show his/her money and if attacked to give it up rather than risk injury. 
18. that a police officer is a friend who can always be relied upon when he/she is lost or needs assistance. 

Construction

Construction

Bell Canada will  be working around the south end of the school parking lot Thursday and Friday.  Please take extra care when entering and exiting the parking lot and while driving around the school.  Access may be limited along the street as well as getting into the parking lot.  

Inquiry-Based Learning

　

As professionals, we are actively engaging in professional learning around Inquiry-Based Learning.  I along with Ms. Kim, Ms. Younger, Ms. Olson, Ms. Souter, Mme. Pagnotta and Mme. Freitas attended a professional learning session on Tuesday morning with 60 other teachers from our Family of Schools to learn more about how to implement this teaching and learning strategy in the classroom.  Ms. Kim and I were both able to lead a part of this professional learning and would like to share a bit about this pedagogy.

Inquiry-based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that places students’ questions, ideas and observations at the centre of the learning experience. Educators play an active role throughout the process by establishing a culture where ideas are respectfully challenged, tested, redefined and viewed as improvable, moving children from a position of wondering to a position of enacted understanding and further questioning. 

For students, the process often involves open-ended investigations into a question or a problem, requiring them to engage in evidence-based reasoning and creative problem-solving, as well as "problem finding." For educators, the process is about being responsive to the students’ learning needs, and most importantly, knowing when and how to introduce students to ideas that will move them forward in their inquiry. Together, educators and students co-author the learning experience, accepting mutual responsibility for planning, assessment for learning and the advancement of individual as well as class-wide understanding of personally meaningful content and ideas.

Inquiry-based learning concerns itself with the creative approach of combining the best approaches to instruction, including explicit instruction and small-group and guided learning, in an attempt to build on students’ interests and ideas, ultimately moving students forward in their paths of intellectual curiosity and understanding.

International Day of Pink

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION JOHN MALLOY:

International Day of Pink is Wednesday, April 13, 2016 – Remember to Wear Pink!

The International Day of Pink is a day of action, born when a youth in a high school in Cambridge, Nova Scotia was bullied because he wore a pink shirt to school. His fellow students decided to stand up to bullying; and hundreds of students came to school wearing pink to show support for diversity and stopping discrimination, gender-based bullying, homophobia and transphobia.

We encourage staff and students to not only wear pink in support of diversity, but to also hold events and activities that will engage their community and challenge gender stereotypes.

Around the world discrimination continues to be the leading source of conflict. Discrimination includes ableism, ageism, classism, heterosexism, homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, among many other forms. Stereotypes (ideas) may lead to prejudices (attitudes/feelings) which may lead to discrimination (actions) and affect how we work, study and treat one another; they create barriers, bullying, harassment, hate and violence.

The International Day of Pink is more than just a symbol of a shared belief in celebrating diversity – it's also a commitment to being open-minded, understanding of differences and to learning to respect each other.

Please remember to wear Pink.

Street Safety

We will be talking with students about traffic safety and being safe while walking to school and around the community.  Officer Rich has provided us with the following advise and we will be sharing it on the announcements and during sharing assemblies.

1. Look all ways before you cross the street. Cars can come around corners really fast. They also drive very fast and you must be very sure it is safe, before crossing the street.
2. Keep away from Parked cars. People driving cars can’t see people in between other cars. They expect people to be at corners.
3. Ride your bike safely ~ Obey signs and signals. I bet you can ride your bike safely. Do you remember all the proper signals to turn and stop? I am sure that you know what the big street signs and traffic lights mean too! Then with your helmet on, you are riding your bike safely.
4. Play in a safe place away from the street. Streets are for cars. Parks are for playing. You can also play safe in your yard with mom or dad.
5. Walk when you cross the street. Do you know why you should walk when you cross the street? It is easier for the drivers of the vehicles to see you. It is also safer so that you don’t fall down.
6. Where there is no sidewalk, walk on the left, facing traffic. Of course, it is always best to use a sidewalk. Do you have streets with no sidewalks in your neighbourhood? Then always walk on the grass, facing traffic and watching traffic. That way, if you see a vehicle coming and the driver does not seem to see you … you can always move over. Don’t take a chance, move safely over and give lots of room between you and the car.  STAY ON THE GRASS.
7. Always wear your seat-belt in the car. I know that you know this rule! Make sure you are wearing your seat-belt properly and know that you are safe.

If you and your friends follow all of these safety rules, you will be smart and be safe.

Coyotes in the Neighbourhood

A number of families and community members have reported seeing coyotes out and about in the neighbourhood.  The following information is provided by the City of Toronto.

City policy on coyotes

News Release, Jan. 8, 2016: Winter sightings of coyotes are normal in parts of Toronto

Coyotes are considered normal urban wildlife in the City of Toronto and inhabit areas in parks and ravines City-wide. 

The City of Toronto has a formal "Coyote Response Strategy" (available through Animal Services). The Coyote Response Strategy lays out a sound systematic approach to dealing with coyote problems. It also gives some background on coyote behaviour, what works and what doesn't. 

Residents in the City of Toronto who live on or near ravines and forests (typical coyote habitat) should expect to have more coyote sightings during winter months. 

Coyotes have become a natural part of the urban landscape in Toronto. They can thrive in urban areas because of the abundance of food and shelter available to them. 

Residents can expect to see coyotes more often in winter for the following reasons:

• It is easier to spot coyotes in parks and ravines in the winter because they are not hidden by foliage.
• Coyotes are wary by nature and are more comfortable roaming in residential neighbourhoods when fewer people are outside.
• The months of January and February are mating season for coyotes, which means coyotes are more active during this time, making them more visible.

Coyotes may approach pets that are not supervised, especially cats and small dogs. It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your pet while they are outside. It is very unlikely that a coyote will be attracted to a child; however, close supervision of children is also important. 

Residents are advised to follow these practical steps that will help to minimize negative encounters with coyotes:

• Never feed a coyote or any wild animal. Feeding wild animals is detrimental to the community and to the animals themselves.
• Do not feed domestic pets outside.
• Ensure all household garbage is inaccessible to animals.
• Place garbage at the curb the morning of the scheduled pick-up.
• Consider using green bins instead of composters for food waste.
• Always supervise pets - keep dogs on a leash and cats indoors or supervised while outside.
• Remove dense brush and weeds around property to minimize hiding spots for coyotes.
• If you encounter a coyote, wave your arms aggressively, make loud noises, and throw objects in its direction (but not at it) to scare it away. These actions teach coyotes to be afraid of humans and this will minimize conflicts. If these actions do not scare a coyote, back away slowly from the animal. Do not turn your back or attempt to run away.

In this last scenario, if the coyote is not scared away, please contact Toronto Animal Services during regular business hours. There is no need to call if you simply spot a coyote (or other wildlife i.e. black bears) exhibiting its normal behaviour. If wildlife is causing a risk to safety, contact Toronto Police.
If every member of the community commits to following these steps, we will experience fewer negative encounters with coyotes in Toronto.

Severe Weather Guidelines

The following is taken from the TDSB's Sever Weather Guidelines.

Children need an opportunity to get exercise and free play time outdoors,  however, weather conditions sometimes warrant that indoor recesses, lunch periods and pre-entry periods be considered necessary for student and staff safety.

Conditions warranting indoor recesses are rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, extreme winds and extreme cold.

Cold weather:  When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates -28C or lower children will remain indoors due to risk of frostnip and frostbite.  When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates –20 to –28C, recesses may be shortened to 10 minutes and lunch recess be 20 minutes depending on local conditions.  Children should be monitored closely for signs of frostnip, frostbite or difficulty breathing.

After School Talks