The end of September
marked a busy time here at Pine Grove P.S. with a reorganization that included
students from grades 1 to 8. Since then, our teachers have been focussing on
and working hard with their existing and new students to get them into routines
of the classroom. Teachers have used diagnostic data to identify student
learning needs in both Literacy and Mathematics. Regular curricula programming
is continuing in our classrooms.
Now that a
tentative agreement is in place for both ETFO and CUPE we look forward to
continue our professional learning and work together taking the necessary steps
to work on our School Improvement Plan (SIP). We also look forward to seeing
extracurricular activities resume as they typically do in our school.
With access to the
Internet and social media there appears to be a rising need for students to
understand boundaries around Internet use. If you haven't had the opportunity to
sit with your children and discuss appropriate internet use, including social
media like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, to name a few, we recommend that
you check out the website www.snstips.com for information and resources for parents
around safe chatting, privacy of posting digital media online or how to lock
down your cell phone.
This year we are
continuing to work on developing Positive Climates 4 Learning (PC4L) and our
grade 8 students are involved in a Leadership team. As part of our focus on equity and
inclusivity, our grade 8 students have had the opportunity to show leadership
around the school through various activities such as: organizing a Terry Fox
run assembly to create awareness about cancer fundraising and are currently
working on the upcoming Remembrance Day assembly to celebrate those that made
the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom we hold so dear today. They will
also be arranging and participating in building Pine Grove school spirit through
school wide activities, i.e., school spirit days, anti-bullying awareness week
activities, to make each and every one of our students feel welcome and safe
each and every day.
Did you know that lates and absences are a major contributor to poor student
achievement and poor behaviour? Our
Board data is telling us that when a child misses 10 days they fall behind
other students in the class. If we hope to achieve high academic standards
parents need to make sure that ALL students are at school regularly and on
time.
Just a friendly reminder to those parents and
community members that wish to join us, School Council will be meeting on Tuesday
November 17 at 7 pm in the library. See you there!
Greg Brown
Principal
