Coldwater Public School Moonstone Elementary School
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Coldwater Public School
Moonstone Elementary School
L. Wallace January 2022 F. Henderson
Principal Vice-Principal
Happy New Year Coldwater / Moonstone families!
Although 2022 has not started out the way I’m sure we all were hoping, as administrators, we have
high hopes that things will get back to “normal” soon. We want to commend our staff for their flexi-
bility in pivoting, once again, to distanced learning seamlessly, and for providing their students with
quality, creative and engaging lessons through this time. We can see how difficult these changes in
learning mode have been for students, teachers, and families, and we truly appreciate everyone’s
support, resilience, and extra efforts to ensure your child’s success and wellbeing. Nobody expects
perfection--keep doing what you can and try to stay positive during this time and we WILL get
through it together! As parents, your wellbeing is of utmost importance, so don’t forget to take care
of yourselves!
When students are back to school in person, we want to assure you that we will continue to follow
all safety measures set out by the government and health units to keep everyone safe. Please
continue to screen your children using the self-assessment tool daily and keep your kids home if
they are experiencing any communicable symptoms. Masks will still be mandatory on the buses
and in the school.
We have said it before, and we will say it again….we will get through this together. Do not hesitate
to contact us in the office if you have any questions or concerns!
Be well, stay warm, stay safe (and be kind to yourselves)!
Faith and Lori
January PA Day Character attribute for the
month of January
Honesty - we behave in a sincere, trust-
worthy and truthful manner.
Please note that Friday, Jan. 28 is a PA Day for elementary
SCDSB students.
Please refer to the 2021-2022 School Year Calendar on the More information about character educa-
SCDSB website for more information: www.scdsb.on.ca/ tion can be found here: www.scdsb.on.ca/
elementary/planning_for_school/school_year_calendar. about/character_education.
Hello Coldwater and Moonstone students and loved ones,
On behalf of the Coldwater-Moonstone Parent Council we would
like to extend an invitation for you to join us in our PARENT
COUNCIL COMMUNITY SHARING SPACE accessible via
Google Classroom (Class Invite Link and class code - bihv5pt).
Our goal as a parent council is to advocate for student rights,
needs, and hopes for their educational experiences, as well as
working in collaboration with the incredible staff and faculty at our
two (small but mighty!) schools. We hope to contribute to a learn-
ing environment where students feel seen, heard, appreciated,
respected, welcome, and understood, and we want to ensure that
you and children's voices are being heard and amplified.
Our council consists of a small group of parents from across both
schools, but we would like to create a space where our students
and their greatest supporters can share ideas, feedback, and in-
formation that we can use to make informed decisions about
things like student support and resources, fundraising, budget, field trips, parent/caregiver support sessions,
and more.
We are also attempting to launch a school community hand-me-down program called Care to Share in col-
laboration with the incredible Caring Closet in Coldwater. More information about this can be found in our
Coldwater-Moonstone Parent Council Google classroom space.
If you have any questions, recommendations, ideas, OR if you have any trouble accessing the Google
Classroom space, please feel free to email councilchaircol@scdsb.on.ca.
We value your thoughts and opinions tremendously, and we look forward to chatting with you soon.
Kindest Regards,
The Coldwater-Moonstone Parent Council
Community Library Project
Mrs. Lavigne Wilson’s kindergarten class would like to create a Community Library Book Box and is looking
for the following materials. If you may have any of these materials siting in your garage or shed waiting for a
project, we will gladly accept donations.
Materials needed:
-barn board ends (about 1.5 -2’ in length) or any other wood scraps that might be useful
-2x4’s or 4x4 for the post
-1x1 pieces to build a frame
-2 hinges for a door
-flat wood pieces for the sides, roof, or a shelf inside the box.
-a handle or cabinet knob
-a small piece of plexiglass
-a few shingles or other materials suitable for a small roof
*This list are suggestions only and if you know of any other materials that might be useful, we are interested.
*Please email slavignewilson@scdsb.on.ca for more details.
Tips to Support Your Child’s Mental Health Through Remote Learning
With the provincial lockdown and many schools closed to in person learning, we know that many families are facing
new challenges around online learning. Remote learning doesn’t work well for every child and it can be very challenging
for parents and caregivers who are working with kids at home.
Many families and students may not feel like they are not thriving right now. It’s ok if you are not!
In this difficult phase of the pandemic, prioritizing the mental health of our kids and the entire family is really important.
Children’s Mental Health has compiled tips from our child and youth mental health professionals to address some of the
issues and concerns we are hearing from parents.
Tips to Support Your Child Through Remote Learning
Manage expectations. Some children are really struggling with remote learning, and we may need lower our expecta-
tions. It’s okay to make your child’s mental health the priority as you continue to parent through a strange and uncertain
time. Read more tips on Your child’s mental wellness and remote learning.
Ask what they need to feel better about this period of remote learning. Asking open-ended questions around your
child’s learning needs will encourage them to fill in the blanks. Maybe they need extra support to adapt the virtual class-
room to their learning style, more time to practise self care at home (reading together or watching a favourite movie),
support connecting with friends, or building in extra family time away from the virtual classroom. If your child is feeling
frustrated with online learning, check out Four tips to ease frustration in remote learning.
Staying connected. For older kids and teens especially, it can be tough not to have access to the social connections
they have at school. Encourage them to talk about how difficult it can be to be disconnected from their peers and help
them brainstorm ways they might feel most comfortable connecting with their friends. Working with your kids to come
up with creative and diverse ways for them to stay connected may help ease anxiety they may be feeling around miss-
ing their social connections. Read more tips on Peer Support and School Relationships.
Encourage media breaks. For many of us, we know that our kids’ screen time has increased significantly during this pe-
riod of remote learning. It can be a draining experience for some kids, and the blue light from screens can impact a
child’s sleep – all of this can affect their mental health. Try carving out scheduled time within the day where the family
agrees to decreased screen time, such as collectively putting phones away for a time period, or creating dedicated
“phone free” zones in the house to focus on in-person connection time. Think creatively about how you can turn these
screen free times into ways to connect with each other – play a board game, do a puzzle, get outside together, build on
your relationship with play and fun! Parents may find that media breaks are beneficial not only to kids, but to parents as
well! Make room for physical activity. It can be difficult to stay focused and connected for long stretches of time in a vir-
tual learning setting at any age. In class, your children would get opportunities in the day to stretch their legs, whether
it’s moving from class to class or having recess or gym time. It may help reset their focus for the day to have opportuni-
ties to stretch, go for a walk, or get in any kind of physical movement (there are lots of YouTube dance and exercise
videos for children and teens to help get them moving). It can be helpful to remember that little children, especially, find
it challenging to sit still for periods of time. Easing that expectation of them may help to ease some stress.
Recognize that remote learning is not for every child. Remote learning can be really challenging, and it’s not something
that works for every child’s learning style. Some kids will thrive with online learning, and some really do not – each child
is unique. It is important to recognize all children have different learning styles, and it is ok if one child is not doing as
well in the online learning space as another.
SOURCE: https://cmho.org/tips-to-support-your-childs-mental-health-through-remote-learning/
Inclement weather and bus cancellation information reminder
All information regarding cancelled buses in Simcoe County is posted on the Simcoe County
Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC)’s bus information website at
www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca. Our school is in the NORTH zone. When buses are
cancelled, schools remain open for student learning, unless otherwise noted. School staff are
expected to plan for such emergencies in order to transition students who are unable to at-
tend due to inclement weather to their online platforms (Google Classroom and/or SCDSBhub
[Brightspace by D2L]) and continue with academic programming. It is always a family deci-
sion whether or not it is safe for their child(ren) to leave for school under severe weather con-
ditions.
The SCSTC and bus operators try to make the decision to cancel school buses before 6 a.m. and
make every effort to post announcements before 7 a.m. Inclement weather cancellations are effec-
tive for the whole day and buses cancelled in the morning will not run at the end of the day. You can
follow the SCSTC on Twitter @SCSTC_SchoolBus for bus cancellations and other information. You
can also subscribe to receive bus delay notifications here: https://scstc.ca/Subscriptions/Login.aspx.
Interested in learning more about IEPs and school-based assessments?
Join us for a virtual special education outreach session
In 2022, the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) is hosting virtual special education outreach
sessions to assist parents/guardians in learning more about programs, supports and ways that we work to-
gether to support students with special education needs.
On Jan. 13, join us for the first session, ‘IEPs and school-based assessments – information for parents/
guardians.’ This virtual presentation will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will include opportunities for partici-
pants to share their questions regarding IEPs and school-based assessments.
For more information and to register visit: https://www.scdsb.on.ca/elementary/special_education.
Daily COVID-19 self-assessment
All students and staff are required to complete the daily COVID-19 self-assessment prior to entering SCDSB
schools and buildings, using the provincial self-assessment tool. Students or staff with symptoms must stay
home from school.
To access the COVID-19 self-assessment tool, please visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/.
Kindergarten registration for September 2022 is open!
Kindergarten is the beginning of a wonderful journey of learning and we want your child to begin their journey
in a SCDSB school! Do you have a child who is turning four in 2022?
If so, we invite you to register your child for kindergarten. To register online or for more information visit:
www.scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/kindergarten.
Math @Home parent series
Thank you to everyone who completed the parent survey. The winners of the prizes will be notified in January.
The SCDSB math department is offering three evening virtual sessions for caregivers of SCDSB students.
These sessions will focus on practical and fun ways to support students with their mathematics learning and
engagement at home. Participants will receive a math pack of resources to use at home, and must pre-register
for each of the sessions by visiting https://bit.ly/SCDSBMathAtHomeRegistration.
Having fun with math facts @Home
Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
7 to 8 p.m.
This session will explore practical, intentional and fun ways to practice math facts at home. Participants will
leave with ideas, games and activities to support their child in becoming fluent with their math facts.
Making math connections @Home
Thursday, March 24, 2022
7 to 8 p.m.
This session will explore where we find numbers, patterns, measures and shapes in our daily lives.
Participants will learn about practical ways to help their child notice and wonder about the math in their world.
Problem solving @Home
Wednesday, April 26, 2022
7 to 8 p.m.
This session will explore how to encourage children to be active thinkers and problem solvers, both in math
and around the house. Participants will learn about how solving problems at
home can help their children solve problems in math class.
*Participants must pre-register for the sessions they wish to attend. Registered
participants will receive a Math @Home pack of hands-on resources that will
be sent to the school indicated on the registration form.
You can also read
