210 Hawker Road

Maple, Ontario

L6A 2J8

905.417.9177

Principal: Marisa Cerullo

Vice Principal: Sharron Rosen

Superintendant: Paul Valle

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Administrators’ Message April 2018

Dear Families and Community Partners,

Maple Creek is an exciting place where teaching and learning focuses on developing a

positive and inclusive school for teachers and students to thrive! There are many mean-

ingful experiences occurring throughout our school that highlight the importance of

achievement, well-being and community partnerships. Our staff continue to collaborate

and engage in professional development opportunities both within and beyond the

school to enrich the learning experiences for all students. Teachers are focusing on ask-

ing critical and open ended questions that support rich tasks that are interesting, inten-

tional and relevant to students’ lives.

We have had many events in the past few months which highlight our work and cele-

brate student success and achievement including: School Bingo Night, Earth Hour, Sci-

entist in the School, Regional Intermediate Girls and Boys Basketball and York Re-

gional Skills Challenge at Seneca College,

On Tuesday, April 3rd, Maple Creek will be highlighting the important learning involv-

ing World Autism Awareness Day. Students will be drawing awareness in a variety of

ways including raising funds through donations, wearing blue to stand in solidarity and

engaging in learning using a variety of resources from organizations such as

www.autismspeaks.org

Wednesday April 4th, School Council Members will be attending YRDSB’s Regional

Parent Symposium and will be sharing the learning and information from this event

with the broader school community.

On Wednesday April 18th Maple Creek is hosting a parent/caregiver Math Night

with a Junior/Intermediate focus, facilitated by special guest Trevor Brown.

Families will learn how to further support their children and offer strategies in the

area of mathematics at home and within the community. The evening event will

occur from 6:30-8:00 at Maple Creek.

Stay tuned for many exciting events to occur in May including: Our annual 5km Run;

Welcome to Kindergarten Evening; EQAO, Math Night with a Primary Focus and our

overnight Grade 8 trip to Lake St. George. As we approach these dates more informa-

tion will follow.

Please follow us on our school Twitter page: @MapleCreekPS to see the great learning

our students are engaging in throughout their days at Maple Creek!

Thank you for your on-going partnerships

Marisa Cerullo and Sharron Rosen

Principal Vice Principal

Maple Creek Public School Page 2

Full Day Kindergarten Registration for September 2018

Children born in 2014 are eligible to attend Junior Kindergarten in September, 2018. Children born in 2013 and not currently

attending public school, are eligible for Senior Kindergarten in September. Documents required for registration include:

Proof of child’s age (birth certificate/passport)

Proof of residency (for child and parent/guardian)

Citizenship and immigration status (where applicable)

Direction of school support form

Registrations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. If you require further details,

please telephone the school.

Reporting Child’s Absences/Planned Absences/Late Arrival through Edsby On-Line

Maple Creek Public School is pleased to announce that we will be using an online process through Edsby

for Attendance starting on Tuesday March 27, 2018. Regular and punctual attendance affects school success

and is expected of all students. However, if your child is going to be absent, it is important to let the school

know as soon as possible for the safety and security of your child.

Many of you have already created accounts earlier this year for our Student-Led Conferences/Interviews. If you have not

created an account please contact the office to assist you in creating an account.

Families that have created an Edsby account to access the online attendance platform please log into your account and

follow the instructions to report you child’s absence, planned absence, vacation or late arrival. For assistance please visit

online video tutorial to learn more (bit.ly/edsbyabsence) to access videos of how to use the attendance platform.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact our main office.

Important Timelines

Fri. March 23, 2018 Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s) to create Edsby accounts

Tues. March 27, 2018 Attendance Platform for reporting absences/late arrivals opens

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PINK

April 11, 2018 is the International Day of Pink. It is a day when communities across Canada and across the world unite

to celebrate diversity and raise awareness about the need to stop homophobia, transphobia, discrimination and all

forms of bullying.

On this annual day in April, individuals wear pink to show respect for diversity and to demonstrate support for learning

and working environments which are safe and inclusive of people from all different backgrounds.

Page 3 Maple Creek Public School

Are You Moving?

Please let us know if you are planning a move. This information helps us immensely when

planning for next year. Please notify the school office, or send a note in with your child as soon

as possible.

Holidays and Observances Passover (March 30) is the Festival of Freedom that commemorates the exodus of Jews from slavery from

Egypt. Symbolic food such as matzo are eaten and leavened product are prohibited. The First Seder is on

the evening of March 30.

Vaisakhi (April 13) This day celebrates the founding of the Khalsa order (Sikh religion) in 1699 C.E. by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Many Sikhs choose to be baptized in the Khalsa Panth (Brotherhood of the Pure) on this day. Also, on this day, male Khalsa

Sikhs are named Singh (lion), female Khalsa Sikhs are named Kaur (princess). It is the most important holy day of the year for

Sikhs.

Good Friday (March 30) commemorates Jesus’ death by crucifixion (Western Calendar).

Holy Friday (April 6) (Eastern) commemorates the passion of Jesus Christ, i.e. his submission to death by crucifixion. The

Eastern churches focus on his burial.

Ridvan (April 21) Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, declared his mission as the most recent messenger of

God. Baha’is observe the first, ninth and twelfth days of this period. The actual event occurred in a garden, called

Ridvan (Paradise) in Baghdad, Iraq in 183 C.E. Work and academic studies are suspended on this day.

Board Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures govern the operation of the Board and our school. To ensure they remain current, the Board reviews policies and

procedures on a regular cycle. Seeking feedback from staff and community members, including parents/guardians, is an important part of the

review process.

All policies available for comment are sent to school council chairs, and are posted on the Board website along with information about how to

provide feedback. The policies currently available for comment include:

Student Accommodation Review (comments due by April 25)

Anaphylactic Reactions (comments due by August 25)

Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment (comments due by August 25)

Environmental Responsibility (comments due by January 2, 2017)

Appointment of Community Members to Board Committees (comments due by January 2, 2017)

To learn more, visit www.yrdsb.ca/aboutus/policy/.

CAR SEAT SAFETY

Is your child in a booster seat? Since September 1, 2005, booster seats have been required by law for children under the age

of eight who weigh between 18-56 kg (40-80 lbs) and who are under 145 cm (4’9”) tall. Many parents believe that once their

child outgrows a forward facing car seat, they are ready for a seat belt; however, adult seat belts are not designed to fit a child.

The lap belt can ride up on a child’s stomach and this can cause serious injuries in a crash. A booster seat raises the child so

that the seat belt fits properly across the shoulder, chest and hip bones.

Your child is ready for an adult seat belt if you answer “yes” to the questions below. With your child sitting up straight, measure

him/her from the tailbone to the top of the head:

• Is your child’s sitting height at least 74 cm (29 inches)?

• Do your child’s knees bend comfortably over the edge of the car seat?

• Does the shoulder belt go over the shoulder and across the middle of the chest?

• Does the lap belt fit low over the hip bones and under the abdomen?

Always read the manuals for your booster seat and your vehicle to ensure you use your booster seat correctly. Boost your child

up and keep them safe!

For health-related information call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or visit www.york.ca

News from our We Reach Team

It is that time of year again! The Used Book Sale will take place in the Library during the week of April 23-27th. Listen to announcements for your book browsing time. Books will be for sale from 50 cents to $3.00. All proceeds will go to purchasing of outdoor sports equipment for use during recess. Parents/Guardians, please note that we will be accepting book donations in the various book boxes places around the school. Any donation is appreciated. We look forward to seeing you at the Used Book Sale!

Maple Creek Public School Page 4

It’s time to remind children about

being safe in our community.

It’s a good time for parents to remind children about personal safety.

Here's what children need to know:

Their name, age, telephone number, address, city and province. This can be done through rhyme or

song.

How to contact their parents at any time, by memorizing cell or work numbers.

How and under what circumstances to call 911.

To never approach or enter a stranger's vehicle. A responsible adult would never ask a child for direc-

tions or any other question for that matter.

Make sure they know they have a right to say "no" to an adult, especially when the adult is asking them to

do something they have been taught is wrong or feels uncomfortable. Reminding children of this right is im-portant because children are taught from a young age to respect adults.

To always tell parents where they will be and to never enter someone's home without their parent's per-

mission.

If home alone, never admit it when answering the phone. Never answer a knock at the door or speak

through it. Adults can be very persuasive. Teach your child to call you if there is a knock at the door and if they fear for their safety, teach them to call 911. Make sure they know that police officers are there to help them and would not get mad if it were a false alarm.

If they think they are being followed or are in danger they should run home or to a public place. If some-

one grabs them, they should try to get away, yelling and screaming while doing so.

It is important to play in safe areas, never take shortcuts and stick with a buddy whenever possible.

It is never too early or too late to teach children the importance of personal safety. Common sense, commu-nication and consistency are the keys. Remind children to alert a responsible adult if something strange hap-pens that makes them feel uncomfortable. Remember, crime prevention is everyone's responsibility.

For more information on this subject, visit www.yrp.ca.

Maple Creek Public School Page 5

Summer Institute Registration is now open. We are pleased to offer online registration this year. Families can continue to register in person or

by mail.

The York Region District School Board’s Summer Institute offers academic, recreational and athletic programs

and activities with intentional links to the Ontario Curriculum for children and youth entering Senior Kindergar-

ten to Grade 8.

Weekly Sessions run July 3, 2018 to August 10, 2018

Week A - July 3 to July 6 (4-day week) Week D - July 23 to 27

Week B - July 9 to 13 Week E - July 30 to August 3

Week C - July 16 to 20 Week F - August 7 to 10 (4-day week)

Weekly Fees

York Region District School Board fees $105 (4-day week), $120 (5-day week)

Non-York Region District School Board fees $130 (4-day week), $155 (5-day week)

Before and after care is offered by the YMCA for an additional cost.

Locations

Programs are offered at locations in Richmond Hill, Markham, Stouffville, Newmarket, Woodbridge, Vaughan and Geor-

gina from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm with extended YMCA before and aftercare programs available at all locations.

Please note that due to construction and renovation work at some school sites, some programs will be offered at different

locations this year. Please review program locations prior to registering.

The Summer Institute is being offered to community members as a component of the Performance Plus (P+) Family of Schools.

The “Performance” in the program’s name refers to student achievement and well-being.

The “Plus” in the program’s name refers to the additional resources and leadership that can enhance learning in elemen-

tary schools in neighbourhoods affected by poverty.

Additional resources and leadership bring school staff members, families and communities together to ensure that

every child is prepared to learn.