Greetings and welcome to the 2016-2017 school year at Parkview Public School!

Our teachers have been working hard over the summer to prepare for a new school year. We are all excited about the promise that the new year brings. A huge thank you to our staff, teachers, caretakers, office staff and volunteers (many of our family members) for their unflagging support and diligent work to get our school year off to an amazing start!

Changes in our Parkview Staff;

Welcome to:

• Mr. Walters (our new half time VP)
• Mme. Rinaldi- French and Music
• Mme. Bolhuis – French and other subjects
• Ms. Nadarajah- Grade ½
• Mr Gulab-Grade ⅚
• Ms. Chung- Grade ½ for Ms. Yeung
• Ms. Andrews – Primary Junior Special Education Teacher
• Ms. Waye and Ms. Omofaye- Our new ADHs and members of our support staff

 

Bus Students:

Please remember that students are only allowed on busses if they are regular bus students. Due to issues with insurance, friends who are non-bussed students are not able to take the bus.

Also students who are in grade 4 or older and who live closer than 1.6 km from the school are not eligible to be on the bus. This includes students who have younger siblings who are entitled to ride the bus. Please make arrangements for someone to meet younger siblings who are on the bus. The bus driver will not allow young children off the bus unless they see an adult waiting for them.

Do not assume that your bus times are the same as last year, please check the School Bus City website at:  https://www.schoolbuscity.com/

JK students come only until 11:30 on the first day. There is no bussing for our JKs that day.

 

School Council Meeting:

Our first school council meeting will be on Tuesday September 13 at 7PM in the library. This is a very important meeting, as we will be voting to elect a new council. Voting nomination forms and more information will be sent home the first week of school.

We are always looking for new members so please join us on September 13nd.

 

How to find out what is going on at Parkview….

You can check our website at: http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/parkview.ps/Pages/default.aspx

You can subscribe to our twitter feed at: @parkviewPS1

Many teachers have websites: Our teachers will provide you with links.

You can also access information about what happens at Parkview through our weekly newsletter the Parkview Pulse.

Weekly calendars are provided and include the 1 to 5 schedule, PA days and holidays, assembly dates and once our hot lunch program starts, the hot lunch dates will be on this calendar. Also ongoing events (that are more subject to change), will be listed on the Parkview Pulse weekly calendar. If you cannot access this electronically we will provide paper calendars upon request.

Please subscribe to The Parkview Pulse at https://parkviewpulse.org/

 

Communication Between Teachers and Families at Parkview:

Parent communication is important to the teachers at Parkview however due to issues of equity, agendas are no longer mandatory at Parkview PS. Families who chose to pre order agendas last spring will be provided with these when they arrive at school (usually the first week back). If you did not order an agenda, you may provide your own (you can purchase them from the dollar store) or you can encourage your older child (grade 7 and 8)  to utilize their electronic organizer or wait to see what system your child’s teacher will suggest or implement in their class.

Students in grades seven and eight will be encouraged to bring an electronic device to school so that they can learn to utilize the electronic calendar feature of the device to be used as their agenda. These students will be able to use their devices in class as long as they adhere to (and sign and return) the acceptable use policy that will be sent home in their Parkview information package. Students who bring devices to school will be expected to use them in a manner that supports teaching and learning. Staff may ask students to put their electronics away at any time if they deem their use inappropriate (i.e. texting during a lesson, taking pictures of students and uploading them to Facebook or twitter etc.). If students do not comply with this request, parents will be called and asked to take the electronic device home. Recommended electronics include, netbooks, laptops, iPads, tablets, smartphones, iPod Nanos etc.

Teachers will continue to communicate with parents in writing and electronically using teacher provided communication methods such as notes, communication books, bags or via electronic solutions such as the app “Remind”, class websites or Google Classroom. You may also reach your child’s teacher via the telephone or in person with pre arranged appointments. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they have any questions or concerns.

 

Bus Loop:

In the spirit of being a green school, we always encourage students to take the bus (if they are eligible) or walk if they are walking distance from our school. If you must drive your child please observe the following rules to make everyone’s drop off safe and efficient.

1. Pull into the bus loop as far up as you can towards the far end of the loop.
2. Have your children quickly exit the car from the curb side (not into the bus loop).
3. If possible stay in your vehicle
4. Exit the bus loop as soon as possible when the line of cars move forward

DO NOT PASS CARS OR BUSSES IN THE BUS LOOP- this is extremely dangerous and could result in a child getting hit by a car.

Alternative: Park your car on a side street (where permitted by the parking signage) and walk in with your child.

Do not let your child out in the no parking zones adjacent to the school or attempt to make U turns near the school. Both of these practices are extremely dangerous and could result in a student or parent getting hit by a car.

 

First Day Arrival:

Students will arrive on the first day and will move to the rear of the school where teachers will be present as of 8:15 with clipboards to help sort students into their new classes.  Please look for the pylon with the grade on it that matches your child and ask the teacher to let you know what teacher’s class they are in. Please be patient as this process takes time. Rest assured that we will be outside as long as it takes to ensure that everyone has a spot.

Kindergarten students will find their teachers in the Kindergarten Play area on the west side of our school.

Primary Students in grades 1, and 2 will locate their teachers at the north end of the primary wing.

Our grades 3, 4 and 5 students will find their teachers in the junior area by the junior doors.

Students in grade 6 will find their teachers outside of portable 1 and 2.

Grade 7 and 8 students will be located at the intermediate door location.

 

If you are not sure where to go, simply locate a staff member by a pylon with a clipboard and they will direct you to the correct class one you have told them your name.

In all cases: please say goodbye to your child outside the school. For the safety of our students and to ease in their transition, parents/guardians are not permitted in the classrooms or the school hallways.

In case of heavy rain:

• Students in JK/SK will be brought to the entrance to their classrooms on the West side of the building. Your child will be brought directly into their designated classroom by a staff member.

To make the transition easier please wave goodbye outside and do not enter the classroom.

• Primary students (up to grade 3) will meet in the library (Look for the grade appropriate sign and ask for help from staff with a clipboard)

• Junior Students (Grades 3 to 8) will meet in the gym. (Look for the grade appropriate sign and ask for help from staff with a clipboard).

Although we work very hard to strive for success in all of our student placements, not all students come home after the first day, happy with their new class. Sometimes they express concern over their class placement. If your child is not happy with their class placement, please remember that teachers who have thought hard and have their best interests at heart made the placement.

We all want our students to learn and grow in a supportive environment. Encourage your child to talk to you about their concerns and reassure them that their placement was decided upon by teachers who care for them and who selected the best class for them to learn. Ask them to try it for a while and in most cases students will grow into their new placement. Most students will make new friends, get used to their new teachers expectations and eventually love their new class.

Adjusting to changes in life is an important life skill that we need to teach and model for our children. They will undergo a lot of change over the course of their lifetimes and they need to know that they have the skills and confidence to deal with all changes.

We are looking forward to working with our amazing Parkview families over the next 10 months to support our students to learn and grow and be the best they can be. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns over the school year.

Ms. Dilworth and Mr. Walters

 

An important Message from our Trustee Billy Pang:

As we start another school year, we are very pleased to welcome all of our new and returning families. I hope you all enjoyed the hot summer months and are looking forward to the start of school.

There is a lot to look forward to in the months ahead and many ways for families to engage with their child’s learning.  There is a strong connection between parent and family engagement and student achievement and well-being, and I hope that you will find opportunities to get involved.

In the coming year, trustees will continue to focus on the priorities that we set out in our Multi-Year Plan: student achievement and well-being; the delivery of effective and sustainable educational programs; and the responsible stewardship of Board resources.

 

We know that partnerships with parents and families are essential to achieving these goals. However you choose to get involved, know that you are making a difference to your child’s learning.

 

I wish you all the best for the upcoming school year.

 

Billy Pang