Spring Growth!

We have lots "on the grow" at Pine Grove P.S.  Take a look at the various plantings and gardens we have!

Raised box vegetable garden

Venus Fly Trap (Grade 7 class)

Eco System Project (Grade 7 class)

Vegetables (Kindergarten)

 Beans (Grade 3 class)

Wild flowers, corn, beans, and potatoes (Grade 3/4)

Guided reading session learning about seeds and plants

10 Tips to help your child with math Tips for kindergarten to grade 3

10 Tips to help your child with math

Tips for kindergarten to grade 3- 

From the Ministry of Education Website

1. Counting can be fun and entertaining. Sing counting songs such as "One, Two Buckle My Shoe". Your local librarian can recommend fun counting books. Play Hopscotch – it's a counting game! There are lots of games where you count, such as Snakes and Ladders, Dominoes, Crazy Eights and Candyland®.
2. Computers + math = fun. There are great computer games available for math – ask your librarian or check out your local computer store. Make sure they are "parent approved". There are also super websites that have fun math games, such as TVOKids, or do an Internet search for other sites.
3. Start Easy and Work Up! Once they have got the hang of counting by 1s, introduce skip counting, such as counting by 2s and 5s.
4. Use household items for counting practice. Practise adding and subtracting with objects found around your house like spoons or pots and pans. When they've become good at these skills, move on to simple multiplication.
5. Tap into your child's curiosity. Go on a number hunt together and discover places where numbers are used such as a clock, TV, computer keyboard, calendar, telephones and licence plates.
6. Use everyday activities. Your child's world is filled with everyday math problems that can be solved. For example, "There are four people in our family and we each need a knife and a fork to eat dinner. How many knives and forks do we need to set the table?"
7. Kitchens can be math zones. Bake some muffins or cookies and ask your child to help you measure out the ingredients. It may be a bit messy but it's fun family time and there's nothing like a fresh cookie as a reward. Have math fridge magnets available so children can start making number patterns and doing simple math problems.
8. Predict and compare. Start to measure and estimate things like how far it is from the driveway to the house or how long a trip will take and then measure and compare the actual time it takes.
9. Talk about time. The concept of time can be hard to grasp. Talk to your kids about minutes and hours. Then get them to try counting days and weeks – for example how many "sleeps" until the weekend or a visit to a friend or relative.
10. Identify geometric shapes and sizes. Play "I Spy". Instead of looking for words beginning with a letter, look for different colours or shapes and count the number you find in the room.

from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/tips/mathkto3.html

End of Year Picnic and Celebration!

To celebrate the end of the school year, parent council is proud to host Pine Grove's first ever "BYOB" (Bring Your Own Blanket) picnic.  

The picnic will be held on Wednesday, June 17th from 6 to 8 pm (rain date,if needed, is Thursday, June 18th).  Lots of fun activities for all ages are planned including games, music, and a fire truck visit!  

Forms for food ordering will be sent out soon with the students or alternatively you can choose to bring your own NUT FREE picnic basket on the day of the event. 

So Pine Grove, mark June 17th on your calendars and don't forget to bring your picnic blanket!  We look forward to seeing you all.

Track and Field Postponed!

Hello Families,

Due to an unsettled weather forecast and a very wet field,  the track and field day will be cancelled for tomorrow and instead will be held on Tuesday May 19th.  Thank you for your understanding.  

Track and Field

JUNIOR and INTERMEDIATE TRACK AND FIELD MEET

 

This Tuesday, May 12^th, the Junior and Intermediate students (grades 4-8) at Pine Grove Public School will be participating in a school Track and Field meet.  All students have signed up for 2 running and 2 field events. Please ensure that your child comes prepared to participate and be outside for the day. This includes wearing appropriate gym clothes and running shoes, bringing a labeled water bottle, sunscreen and a hat.

Teachers will accompany their students outside at the beginning of the school day and we will start right away. If the weather does not cooperate on Tuesday, our rain date is Tuesday, May 19^th.

We are looking forward to an exciting day.  

Sincerely,

Junior and Intermediate Staff

 

YRDSB Student Survey Information

Dear Parents/Guardians:

YRDSB Student Survey 2015

Student input is important to us.  In order to support improvement planning, York Region District School Board will be conducting a survey to receive feedback from students across the system.  The administration of the survey this school year will occur between April 7 and May 15, 2015.  The student survey will address such topics as learning environment, equity and inclusivity, school safety, student well-being and other system priorities.

All students in Grades 5 to 12 are invited to participate in this online survey at their school.  The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The confidentiality of data will be respected throughout this process and school and board reports will not contain any information that could identify individual students.

For your reference, a copy of the student questionnaire is available in the school office and on the school website.

Completion of this survey by students is in compliance with the Ontario Education Act and fulfills the Ontario Ministry of Education’s mandate to conduct student surveys.  If you do not wish your child(ren) in Grades 5 to 12 to complete the questionnaire, please advise the school in writing by the end of the school day on Monday May 11th.  If you have any questions about this survey, please contact the school office.
This important initiative will help further our vision as we work together to listen to student voices and inspire learning.  Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

 Athena Loopstra

Vice Principal 

Pine Grove P.S.

Letter From Director Re: ETFO update

Boomerang Lunches

The Eco Club is launching a Boomerang Lunch program every Thursday until the end of this school year. There will be a morning announcement to remind students about this Eco Schools initiative.

A boomerang lunch is a lunch that has every piece of it return to its source. This minimizes the waste we produce within our school.

Many schools in York Region participate in the Boomerang Lunch program; everything in the lunch goes back home at the end of the day. No matter if it is leftover food, containers, recyclables or garbage, it all goes back. Yes, even the garbage.

The purpose of the program is to:

•       To increase awareness of the amount of waste created in lunch
•       To encourage the use of reusable containers
•       To discourage the use of disposable containers

Pine Grove plans to implement this program every Thursday, from February to June. Our first Boomerang Lunch Day will be on Thursday, May 7th, 2015. Our students will be reminded about the Boomerang lunch program every Wednesday prior to the event date.

Here are a few Boomerang tips for parents and children while packing lunches at home:

•       Pack  food in reusable containers not disposable containers avoid using plastic wrap or aluminum foil

•       Only pack enough food that your child will eat.

•       Encourage your child to place unfinished food, apple cores and peels in empty reusable containers after every meal.

•       All uneaten food goes back in the lunch bag and sent home on the same day.

Pine Grove looks forward to this exciting initiative.The Eco club would like to circulate during the lunch hour on Wednesday to help educate the students about what a Boomerang lunch looks like. You may share the above with your class to help support the program. Feel free to ask me any questions or voice any concerns you may have regarding this program. Also, if parents have questions regarding our Boomerang lunch program, once it has been launched, they may contact the office.

On behalf of the Eco Club, Pine Grove would like to thank everyone for your continued support.

Thank you,

Gisella Avsec

Pine Grove Public School

Eco Schools Lead/Intermediate Teacher

Class placement for 2015-2016

Class Organizations 2015-2016 

As a staff we will be starting our preliminary discussions regarding the placements of our students for next year. We meet as grade teams to discuss the creation of the most positive learning environment possible for each child. We plan according to each child’s learning styles, skills, knowledge, attitude social and work habits. We also make sure that we are consistent with the Ministry’s and York Region’s guidelines, range of performance levels, as well as a balance between boys and girls. Teaching assignments and school organization for next year will be finalized in August based on student enrollment during the summer. As staff assignments have not been established at this time, requests for specific teachers cannot be accommodated. However, if you have information about your child’s learning needs that we may not be aware of, please send a letter to Mr. Fisher by May 30, 2015 so it can be included in the discussion.