December

2009 From the Principal’s Desk

1. Report Cards
Our plan is to send home report cards on Tuesday December 1 /09. Please review your
child’s report card with them. It’s important to set goals for the second term. Some
students may require your assistance with their organizational skills. You should be aware
that every teacher has a homework board so your child’s agenda should be filled out
(each day and month at a glance pages). Other students have hastily completed work
which is usually a result of time management problems or inconsistent work habits. We
recommended that parents review their child’s work to be submitted. We don’t want you
to complete it, but you too can provide suggestions, teach, and provide revision
suggestions. Other students may require support with academic concepts or skills. Your
child’s success is dependant upon the efforts of the student, teacher and parents.
2. Interviews
Teachers will be arranging interviews with parents/guardians pertaining to their child’s
progress. On the afternoon and early evening of Thurs. Dec. 3rd and the morning of Fri.
Education is “Central”

Dec. 4th, teachers will be available for personal interviews. Please contact the teachers to
. George, Vice-Principal

arrange times. If these times are inconvenient, please contact the particular teacher to
B. Morlog, Principal

arrange a personal or telephone interview earlier in the week or at a future date. It is

extremely important to us to have an open line of
communication between home and school. It requires a
“team approach” for your child to have a successful year in
all aspects of their “school life.”
www.hwdsb.on.ca/centraldundas

Please see inside article “Tips for a Good Parent Teacher

Interview”
3. Joint School Council / Home & School
Meetings
Phone (905) 627-3521 Fax (905) 627-3522

On Tuesday Nov. 3rd we held our first joint meeting of the

two groups. It proved to be highly successful with good
attendance. At that meeting the Principal’s Report is given
to both groups together. The following topics were
discussed:
“Outbreak” Status, Remembrance Day – school assembly, Students and Members of Home and school
attended the Dundas Cenotaph wreath laying
Student Council, staff & Home & School at the Cenotaph,
Dundas Central School News

Dundas, Ontario L9H 2A2

Inside this issue:

Student Council Christmas Food and From the Principal’s Desk 1-2
73 Melville Street

Toy Drive
Athletics at Dundas Central 2
In the next three weeks, student
council representatives will Special Events Schedule ~ 2
be promoting donations of Christmas Concerts & Plays

food and new toy items to The Parent-Teacher Interview: Make the Most 2-3
of Your Time with your Child’s Teacher
support the Salvation Army’s
annual Christmas drive. What, no More Pepperoni? 3

There will be boxes for Wanted! LEGO 3

donations in every classroom until December 17th.
Celebrating Dundas Central Staff 3
Last year the Salvation Army supported about 270
families, including 375 children in our community. The Home and School News 4
Salvation Army has told us that they expect a large
How do you want to hear from us? 4
jump in the number of people needing help this year. (Cut and Return)
Thank you in advance for your generous support.
 Volleyball
From the Principal’s Desk continued...
All of our volleyball teams have
report cards and interviews, student teachers, active recess, staffing, had a successful season!
school trips, question period.

Athletics at Dundas Central

Three of our teams are going to
4. Active Recess the finals for our area: the Junior
Girls, team coached by Mr.
With the help of Mr. Verschoor, our senior students have been organizing Verschoor, the Senior Girls team
physical education activities for each division. The program is run during coached by Mr. Dean; and the
the second nutrition break on Fridays. The events utilize the field, Senior Boys team coached by
apparatus on the playground and the gym. It’s great to see our senior Mr. Swackhammer.
students demonstrate their leadership skills planning and running the Congratulations to the Junior
activities. Students of all ages are enjoying the sessions. Boys team who finished with a
This past week, Mr. Verschoor has provided each class with a couple of 3:3 season. Thank
balls so that the students can be “actively” involved during their break you to their coach
time. It’s nice to see pupils involved in “pick up” games. We are also Mr. Carpino.
working with students on cooperative participation in these games.

Basketball’s
Umbrella Family and Child Centres of Coming
Basketball season
Hamilton will be starting
Good care educates. Good education cares. soon at Dundas
Central. Listen for
The Umbrella daycare still has spaces! Junior team try-
For more information please call out information on
December
Linda 905.973.7472 announcements!

The Parent-Teacher Interview: Make

the Most of Your Time with Your
Special Events Schedule ~ Christmas Child's Teacher
Concerts & Plays Want some insight into your child from the adult
who spends most weekdays with him? They’re a
We are pleased to invite parents/guardians to attend the many fabulous opportunity to learn about your child’s
Christmas presentations that will be taking place at the school life at school, how he’s faring, where he needs to
this month. To assist in planning we’re providing a list of the improve, how you can help — but that’s a lot of
dates, times and the classes involved in the presentations on material to cover in the few minutes parents are
typically allotted. You need to come prepared.
Tues. Dec 15th Wed. Dec 16th Thurs. Dec 17th Here are some tips on how to do just that.
Start time 1:45 pm 9:00 am 1:45 pm
Before
Classes Primary / Junior Primary / Junior Concert
Make a list of questions. For example:
Involved Concert Concert Choir
Mrs. DiDonato / Mrs. Mrs. DiDonato / Mrs. Band • Do you have any concerns about my child’s
Gillis Lawson skill level?
Mrs. Groves Mrs. Bloom • Does my child have difficulty listening to or
Mrs. Pierce Mrs. Graves/ Miss following instructions?
Mr. Gardner Dolson
Mr. Bell Mrs. Dunford / Mr.
• Does my child find it challenging to stay on
Mrs. Bennett Gardner task?
Mr. Bennett 5/6 Mr. Varady • Does my child have difficulty organizing his
Mr. J. Bennett notes, class work, stories and so on?
• Does my child have friends and get along
Classes Play Play Play with his classmates?
Involved Class 71 Play Class 72 Play Class 82 Play
Class 81 Play Class 83 Play

Page 2 73 MELVILLE STREET

What, No More Pepperoni??
True!
As of November 26, we will no longer be providing pepperoni pizza on
Thursdays. Don't worry, we will still be providing hot and delicious cheese
slices for our students! This move represents Dundas Central's first step
towards encouraging the healthy lifestyle reflected in the HWDSB draft
Nutrition Policy.
“Modelling proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle,” says Krys
Croxall, Superintendent of Program. “The more we encourage healthy
nutrition in our schools, the greater the opportunity we have to ensure that
LEGO
our students are nutritionally well prepared for learning
so that they can achieve their full potential.”
for classroom science
kits.

Read more at the HWDSB Media Desk:

We will make up the kits from
www.hwdsb.on.ca/media/releases/details.aspx?id=998 the donated LEGO. Please
bring any donations to Mr. Bell
in rm 205 or to Ms. George in
the office.
Thank you.
The Parent-Teacher Interview (cont.’)
Talk to your child. Figure out your focus by finding out what your
child most enjoys — and dislikes — about going to school.
Consider your concerns Does your child seem to have a lot of
homework? Welcome to new staff
Does she avoid reading or get
Celebrating Dundas Central Staff

frustrated with science? Be prepared ind - Welcome to Mrs. Lawson starting in the SK LTO
lw ay s k eep in m ing position and Mrs. Zinkewich our new 0.5 office
to share. A ork
ou are w
Is your family dealing with a stressful both of y am e goals. assistant. Congratulations to Mrs. McGuire who
es
situation, such as a divorce, a serious toward th has joined the staff to Earl Kitchener School full
illness or a death? That stress may be time for this year.
having an impact on your child’s Welcome to new family members
learning and behaviour at school — something her teacher should
know about. Mrs. Pipe and her family welcomed
their new addition Kaedan Andrew
During Pipe on Tuesday Nov. 17th.
State your purpose at the beginning of the interview, let the teacher Celebrating Best Practice in our classrooms!
know what it is you really want to find out, for example, “I would like
to discuss how my son is progressing in reading.” Mr. Varady, Mrs. Hensen and Mr. Bell have
Always keep in mind - both of you are working toward the same recently attended a conference where they
goals. presented the findings of their research project
involving mp3 players to improve reading fluency
After and comprehension in the grade four classes.
Keep it friendly and end on a positive note. Plan to keep in touch and They have seen some real success with their
follow up. students' reading levels using mp3 technology..
Talk to your child let him know what you discussed and what plans Mrs. Waller recently presented at the Ontario
you and the teacher made to support and enhance his learning. Music Educator’s Association (OEMA) conference
Follow through stay involved with your child’s learning and use your to primary and junior teachers on how to help
child’s agenda to keep in touch with his teacher. students develop skills in singing, using of body
percussion, pitch to non pitch percussion
Adapted from The Parent-Teacher Interview published in Today's instruments, dancing movement and games.
Parent, October 2009 by Jacqueline Kovacs

DECEMBER Page 3

Home & School News
www.hwdsb.on.ca/centraldundas click on Home and School link
This week the following
initiatives commence:
1. The Holiday Baskets Event
proceeds of the draw will go towards
‘Food for Thought’ funding.
2. Our Food and Toy Drive
for donation to the Salvation Army.
The next Home and School Meeting
will be held: Wednesday 2nd
December in the staff room. 7pm to
8:30pm. Everyone welcome, See you
there!
Helen ☺
Announcing the New Home &
School Executive!
The annual Fall H&S Executive Elections
were completed at the last H&S meeting
on November 3rd. The executive from
last year stepped down for various
reasons, and we wish to sincerely thank
Michelle Chin, Helen Bartley, Heidi
Branton, Jane Lindsay, Nicole Ferris and
Denise Montgomery for their support and
dedication to the school over the years.
The new executive for this school year
are:
President: Helen Bartley, Past President:
Return by D
ecember 4
for a chanc th
e to win a T
Horton’s g im
ift card!
Michelle Chin, Treasurer: Jenny Pepper,
Communications Secretaries: Nicole
Ferris & Michelle Chin, Teacher
Representative: Mary Gillis
We wish them well in their new roles.
Clothes Closet Success!
Thanks to everyone for all of your
help in the 2nd Annual Winter
Clothes Closet! Lots of families
went home with "new" clothes and We appreciate everyone’s
that is always an exciting feeling. It contributions of money,
couldn't have happened without
your time, effort and support.
A special thank you to Dorothy for
her countless hours of effort and
just being there! You are a gem at
our school and we're lucky to have
you.
Thanks again, and see you all on
the playground.
Denise Montgomery & Mary Gillis
Clothes Closet Event Leaders
Terry Fox Foundation Contribution
Thank you for your tremendous support for
our Terry Fox Walk/Run this fall. Our school
raised $1345.00 to support Cancer research.
As you may know, Mr. Morlog agreed to
“face” a cream pie at an assembly should
our school exceed last year’s contribution of
$1250.00. So, on November 30th, Mr.
Morlog will honour his personal
commitment to
supporting Terry Fox’s
cause by having a taste of
pie as tossed by Abi Lewis.
time to help supervise the
event, participation in the walk/run, or in
being pie in the sky(?) motivational.
Wreaths and
Poinsettia Pick Up
Ordering is now
complete! Thank you to
everyone for taking part.
Remember, remember,
collection will take place
between 3 pm and 7:30 pm
on the Dec 3rd .
(Parents Evening)
Please collect your orders from
the stage.

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