Co m e Gr ow W it h U s !
A PR IL 2 01 7
V A L L E Y F A R M P. S . N E W S
P RIN C IPA L’ S CORN ER
Happy Spring – waiting for warm temperatures, sunshine and May flowers….
It is hard to believe that only a few months are left for this school year. Our staff and students continue to work hard on the
drive towards teaching and learning. We do hope and encourage our parents and guardians to work in partnership with their
child`s teacher in helping to support their child to achieve their full potential.
A reminder to our parents that our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will be writing the EQAO assessment scheduled for May
2017 and we remind our parents not to schedule any appointments or vacation during these periods so the children can
write the assessments. Visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com for more information.
We will soon be in the process of organizing staffing /class placements for the new school year, 2017-18. A variety of factors
are taken into consideration when teachers meet to discuss student class placements. Specific considerations related to
individual student’s academic and emotional needs, social skills, peer interaction and from learning needs as well as Ministry and Board criteria. Requests for specific teaches and straight grades will not be accepted. Parental input may be considered about their child(ren)’s, specific needs or programming. Final decisions on student placement rest with administration
and staff as a whole. Our goal is always to meet the needs of the student. Parents wishing to have input into the placement
process are to write to Mrs. Gurdin in confidence, explaining their request. Requests must be received by May 23rd.
With the warmer weather, we encourage your child to walk to school with siblings or friends to arrive on time. Walking is a
form of healthy exercise. Our school teams and clubs continue with opportunities for enrichment in academics, athletics
etc. Do not forget to follow us on Twitter. Check our school website for updates and to sign up
for an electronic copy of our monthly newsletter.
Happy Easter to all, enjoy the break!!
Contact Us!
Valley Farm Public School
1615 Pepperwood Gate
Pickering, Ontario
L1X 2K5
Phone: 905-428-6337
Fax: 905-686-9254
[email protected]
Mrs. F. Gurdin,
Principal
Mrs. E. Ferris,
Vice-Principal
Mrs. R. Martin,
Office Administrator
Mrs. K. Shehan,
Admin Assistant
F RO M T H E O F F I C E
We encourage parents to get in touch with the school secretary regarding school related concerns.
Please do not hesitate to telephone or make an appointment to visit the school. The following is a
list of school personnel who can assist you:
Classroom Teacher: Anything related to a subject or classroom question can be resolved by
contacting the homeroom teacher.
School Secretary: Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Shehan will answer general school questions or direct
you to the appropriate or respective person. Telephone 905- 428 - 6337.
Principal and Vice-Principal: Mrs. Gurdin or Mrs. Ferris can assist you with any questions
which relate to the school. Please speak to the classroom teacher first if your question is classroom related.
Administrative Officer: Ms. Eleanor McIntosh can be contacted to clarify/answer any regional
questions or questions that were not answered at the school 905-666-5500.
MOVING
If you are planning to move or move your child to another school (e.g. French Immersion) please
notify our secretary, Mrs. Martin @ 905-428-6337. This will assist us with enrollment projections and school organization for the new school year. If you have new neighbours with school
age children kindly let them know that they can pre-register in September.
Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
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AL LE RGI ES
Homemade Baked Treats:
A reminder that Valley Farm P.S. is a peanut/nut-free school. We continue with our efforts to maintain a
safe and accepting school environment for all. There are several students in the school who have lifethreatening food allergies. We will be implementing some changes to our school/classroom celebration
and/or special event days such as birthdays, classroom parties, etc. It is imperative that parents also
check with the classroom teacher, in advance, to ensure the safety of all students.
We request that students and parents/guardians DO NOT bring in any homemade baked goods for these
special occasions. If you wish your child to bring in an item to celebrate a special event, we will allow any
store-purchased, pre-packaged food item, with the ingredient label(s) clearly visible, indicating that it is a
peanut/nut-free item. As an alternative, we encourage any students, wishing to bring a celebratory item to
share with his/her classmates, to consider non-food items, i.e., pencils, stickers, and other school-related
educational materials.
We thank you, in advance, for your cooperation and support in keeping all of our students safe and
healthy. Please continue to check food labels to ensure that food items, entering the school/classroom,
DO NOT contain any peanut or nut ingredients, including Nutella or WOW butter (peanut butter alternatives, soya butter, etc.).
ME TO W E
On behalf of the schools Me to We group we would like to kick-off our “We Walk for
Water Coin Drive”
We are asking everyone to bring in any coins they can donate to this amazing cause.
Toonie, Loonie, quarters, dimes or nickels are acceptable – No pennies pleaseJ
So why are we asking you to dig deep and donate?
Did you know - Kids just like you and me have to walk about 45 mins 5 times every
day just to get water for their families. Most of the time the water is not even drinkable
water.
All coins collected will be sent to Kenya to build wells for clean and refreshing water.
This will also help girls that are not able to go to school because they will not be going
back and forth just to get water.
Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
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EQAO TESTING
Primary Grade 3 - Wednesday May 24-26, 2017
Junior Grade 6 - Monday May 29 –31, 2017
GRADE 3 EQAO SAMPLE QUESTION
Deepak reads for 30 minutes each night before bed. After 2 weeks, has Deepak read for more than 6
hours?
Circle one: Yes /No
Justify your answer.
GRADE 6 EQAO SAMPLE QUESTION
FRENCH PROGRAM-CONGRATULATIONS!!
A Rare French Opportunity Comes To A Valley Farm Student!
This year, the opportunity to send 46 students on an all-expense paid vacation to Quebec became available. Close to 200 applicants in the Durham District School Board applied! We are pleased to report that Sarah
S. in Grade 7 was selected to take part in this fabulous excursion. She will have the opportunity to communicate
solely in French for the duration of the 5 day trip and experience the French culture! We wish her well and we
know that she will be a positive role model and represent Valley Farm PS well.
Mr. Benrubi and Ms. Armstrong
Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
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EPIPEN RECALL
A recall of the emergency anti-allergy medicine EpiPen has been expanded to include Canada, the U.S., Europe,
Asia and South America because some of the devices administrating the allergy shots may not work.
Pfizer Canada issued a statement late Friday night saying it has decided to voluntarily recall two types of the
epinephrine injection.
"In Canada, the recall impacts one lot (5GU763) of the 0.3 mg strength of EpiPen Auto-Injector expiring in May
2017 and one lot (5GR765) of the 0.15 mg strength of EpiPen Jr Auto-Injector expiring in March 2017," said the
company, which distributes the product, manufactured by Meridian Medical Technologies in the U.S.
The products in lot 5GU763 were distributed by Pfizer Canada from January to March 2016. Those in lot
5GR765 were distributed from November 2015 to February 2016.
Pfizer said it's committed to replacing the recalled devices at no
cost and has advised consumers who have them to contact its
information line at 1-800-463-6001.
JK ORIENTATION
On May 18th, we will host our Kindergarten Orientation from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in our gymnasium. The evening will
include a brief presentation of the Kindergarten program. Parents and child will participate in several exploratory
activities. We encourage you to bring your child on this evening.
On behalf of the staff, we welcome our new Junior Kindergarten students and their families. We are proud of our
community school and the many programs that are offered.
Schoolhouse Playcare will be at the orientation to answer questions and accept applications for before and after
school care.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT
Come and join us on May 4th from 6:30-8pm for our family game night event! A variety of board games and
hands-on activities will be set-up for you and your family to enjoy.
Students are encouraged to dress up in their favourite Star Wars themed gear
(please no masks or swords).
May the 4th be with you!
Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
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April 14th – Baisakhi/Vaisakhi (Sikhism)
This date is the most important date in the Sikh calendar and commemorates the date in 1699 when Guru
Goind Singh Ji, the 10th Guru removed the clerical system and founded the Khalsa Panth. (The Fellowship of
the Pure). He ins tuted the dis nc ve Sikh clothing and headdress and ins tuted the 5 Ks that Khalsa Sikhs
must wear--Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the
sword; and Kachera, the special undergarment. He also gave the name Singh (Lion) to all male Sikhs and Kaur
(Princess or Lioness) to all female Sikhs.
April 16th – Easter Sunday (All Christianity)
This day commemorates the resurrec on of Jesus Christ which occurred 3 days a er his crucifixion. It is the
most important day in the Chris an calendar celebra ng the most important event in the Chris an faith.
Chris ans believe that through the resurrec on, Jesus conquered death on behalf of all humankind and
made a way for all those who believe in him to experience eternal life a er death with him. The faithful will
o en declare “He is risen,” to which the response is “He is risen indeed.” This day also begins the fi y day
period culmina ng at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given.
April 20th – First Day of Ridvan (Bahá'í)
Ridvan commemorates the 12 days that Baha’u’llah spent in the garden of Ridvan when he first declared
himself to be the one announced by the Bab. On the first (April 20th), ninth (April 28th) and twel h (May
1st) days of Ridvan, work should not be done. These days are usually observed with community gatherings
for prayer and celebra on
April 22nd – International Earth Day
Since its incep on, Earth Day has been a rallying call for environmental stewards around the world to ac vely promote and educate their fellow ci zens on the environment, all the while impac ng their communi es
and contribu ng to global sustainability. Looking back on 40 successful years, we see how its various phases
developed into the hugely interna onal commemora on that we know today as Earth Day.
April 28th – International Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job
The Annual Day of Mourning is an interna onal event observed in more than 100 countries that raises
awareness of the tragic consequences of workplace accidents. This day of remembrance was founded in
1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress. The aim of the day is to publicly renew commitment and poli cal solidarity to avoid these deaths that are usually preventable through appropriate a en on to safe working condi ons.
Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
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SPORTS CORNER
Coed Jr and int lacrosse tryouts are starting. Stay tuned…..
 Ms. Wuthrich and Mr. Foley
Jr boys and girls basketball teams are doing very well and working towards
their playoffs at the beginning of next month.
 Ms. Wuthrich, Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Holt & Mr. Silverwood
From The Chess Corner!
From January until April, students in grades 4-8 were given the opportunity to learn and play recreational
chess during lunchtime. We had quite a few beginners this year and many were able to understand the
basics of Chess. Students enjoyed the experience and had competitive fun. The Chess Club season is
coming to an end and we hope the students will continue to play and learn during the summer. We
would encourage the students to play against a computer to increase their skills. A big thank you to all
students who participated!
Next year, we hope to start a Chess Ladder to see who the “Best” chess player really is.
Until next year,
Checkmate,
Mr. Benrubi and Mr. Orr
SOCCER:
Look out Messi and Ronaldo!
Last October to December, the grade 4 students had the opportunity to play indoor recreational soccer
at lunchtime. In January the grade 5 to 6 students took over. Overall, the students had a lot of fun and
embraced the opportunity to improve their fitness level while enjoying cooperative teamwork. I had the
occasion to play with some of these talented students and I wonder if talent scouts were nearby. I realized that I need to improve my fitness level! Thank you to all students for your enthusiastic participation.
See you next year,
Mr. Benrubi
OUT OF AREA FORMS
Just a reminder that parents will be contacted if your child will not be at the school next year. Depending on our enrolment/numbers for the classes, you may have to register at your home school to make sure your child is placed in a
class for next year.
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Val l ey Far m P. S. Ne w s
DURHAM FOREST SUMMER CAMP
DURHAM
DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD
Success in learning to
meet the challenges of
the future.
CROCHET/KNITTING CLUB
Valley Farm has started a crochet and knitting club! If you have any yarn lying
around that you would like to donate, the kids would appreciate it.
Thank you!
Ms. Goldmintz
April 6
April 6 & 7
April 7
April 10-11
April 11
April 14
April 17
April 6,13, 20, 27
April 5, 12, 19, 26
April 18
April 25
May 4
Dates to Remember:
EQAO Parent Night—6:30 pm
Choir to Kiwanis Festival
Learn Not to Burn—Grade 3
Le Chef a l’ecole
SCC Meeting, 6:30 pm in the Library
Good Friday—No School
Easter Monday—No School
Pizza Day
Milkshake Day
Grade 8 & SK Grad pictures
Grade 7 & 8 immunizations
Family Game Night—Star Wars theme
Superintendent of Education
Anne Marie Laginski
905-666-6486
[email protected]
Administrative Officer,
Eleanor McIntosh
905-666-6366
[email protected]
Trustee Chris Braney
905-509-2426
[email protected]
Trustee Paul Crawford
905-852-0575
[email protected]