The March News from the Peel District School Board Includes

Transcription

1 The March News from the Peel District School Board Includes March 7, unpaid day for all permanent teaching staff No School for Student Closing schools due to bad weather Conference helps parents 'make a difference in literacy and beyond' 2014 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre Neighbourhood police officers inspire students during regular school visits Peel board receives donation for 250 defibrillators Our Report to the Community

2 March 7, 2014, is an unpaid day for all permanent teaching staff there is no school on this day As you know from our school year calendar, March 7, 2014, is a Ministry Designated Day. Students will not be at school on this day. Traditionally, school staff participate in professional learning activities on these days. However, the Ministry of Education has designated March 7 as an unpaid day for some staff and a professional development day for others. Based on new provincial legislation, permanent teachers, both elementary and secondary, will take March 7 as an unpaid day and are not required to be at work on that day. March 7 is a regular, paid work day for all other Peel board staff members and many will participate in professional learning offered through the board on this day. In some cases, principals and vice-principals will choose to take this day as an unpaid day and will also not be present in their schools. In other cases, administrators will choose to take an unpaid day at another time and will be at school on March 7.

3 Closing schools due to bad weather During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather. Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations listed below and posted at and Information will also be available on Facebook at or by calling or VIRGIN RADIO FM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680 CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1 CFRB AM1010 EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860 FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107 CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSE GLOBAL NEWS CTV One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only): Peel District School Board buses are cancelled. This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require bussing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual. All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed. This means that all schools and Board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits. All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed. All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

4 Conference helps parents 'make a difference in literacy and beyond' Make a difference in literacy and beyond practical ways parents can boost learning is on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Mississauga Secondary School in Mississauga. This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade levels. choose from more than 40 practical workshops designed to help you help your child succeed in school purchase educational materials from exhibitors receive a free lunch, giveaways and more Registration closes March 7, 2014 Stay up-to-date! Conference and registration information is available in the "Parents"" section of Event sponsors include:

5 2014 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre Open House March a.m. 3 p.m. Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as Spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to its Maple Syrup Bush. Join in on an authentic Canadian tradition. For a number of years the Peel Field Centres have invited the public for an awe-inspiring visit to our outstanding Maple Sugar Bush during the March Break. Individuals and families are invited to get involved as Spring comes to life. Help empty sap buckets, tap trees or sample some freshly made maple syrup as we celebrate the new syrup season. Take a hike along our tranquil trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand. A teepee and early settler site will also be set up to show how syrup was collected and produced in centuries past. Use pioneer tools or listen to an Aboriginal tale around the campfires. No visit would be complete without a trip to the sugar shack where the sap is boiling and clouds of sweet smelling steam billow out of the chimney. Learn how modern day syrup operations are conducted with an industrial evaporator and tap line system. Have a taste of the freshly made syrup. It's going to be sweet! The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under. Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. Please note that all payments are cash only. For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta: North on Mississauga Rd, Left on King Street (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left), Right on Winston Churchill Blvd (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to the top of the hill and left into the Jack Smythe site.

6 Neigbourhood police officers inspire students during regular school visits From time to time, you may see a police car parked outside our school or police officers walking through our hallways. You may wonder why they are there and feel uncertain or intimidated, but do not be alarmed. Our Neighbourhood Police Officers (NPOs) help to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff during regular school visits. Through a positive partnership with our school, our NPOs: act as a police liaison officer between school officials and our local police service investigate incidents and conduct follow-ups at schools help to organize community events, e.g. charity sport events held at the school deliver presentations on topics including: fraud, drugs, gangs, cyber-bullying and personal safety implement Problem Orienting Policing (POP) projects that are aimed at identifying and resolving problems within a school and community that interfere with the safe school learning environment Our NPOs play an important part in, not only ensuring the safety of our staff and students, but also in fostering meaningful partnerships between parents, staff, students and the wider community.

7 Peel board receives donation of 250 defibrillators to place in all schools, worksites Thanks to a gracious donation from The Mikey Network, all Peel board schools and worksites will soon be equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) a medical device used to treat individuals experiencing cardiac arrest. The initiative began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed by December Approximately seven defibrillators will be placed in Peel board buildings each month, for a total of 250 new defibrillators.

8 Our Report to the Community Everything we do is designed to help students learn and do well in school. To support this, our school has developed a school success plan to help students achieve to the best of their ability. This Report to the Community communicates our progress and helps us celebrate our many successes with our learning community. The report, including EQAO and report card data, is available under the About Us section of our school website. You can also visit to learn about the strategic plan for the Peel board as a whole.

9 Celebrating Faith and Culture Backgrounder March 2014 The Peel District School Board is a mosaic of many cultures and faiths from all over the world. To commemorate this diversity, the board recognises special faith and culture days of our communities. March 2014 has several special faith and culture days to celebrate and remember: March - Xsaak in Aboriginal Spirituality Xsaak is celebrated by Nisga'a people of the Nass Valley in Northwest British Columbia. It is the season when they fish for swarming Oolichan also known as candle fish (dried fish burnt and used for light). The fish is dried, smoked and rendered into oil for trade and use in winter. March 1 - Intercalary Day in Bahá'í For Bahá'í s, the Intercalary Days are days of feasting, hospitality, rejoicing, charity and giving of presents, as well as ministering to the poor and ill, as they prepare for the Fast. The Intercalary Days are also used to complete the 365 days solar year as the 19 month Bahá'í calendar falls short. Sunset March 1 to 20 - Alá (Fasting month) in Bahá'í In the Bahá'í calendar, there are 19 months of 19 days each. The Bahá'í day starts and ends at sunset. Alá signifying loftiness is the nineteenth month of the Bahá'í year, and it is a month of fasting. Members of the Bahá'í faith who are over the age of 15 abstain from food and drink each day from sunrise to sunset. March 3 - Clean Monday (J) in Christianity Clean Monday also known as the Great Fast or Pure or Ash Monday is the first day of Lent for adherents of the orthodox faith.

10 March 5 - Ash Wednesday in Christianity Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent in the Western Christian liturgical year. Lent is a season of spiritual discipline, cleansing and fasting which occurs in the 40 days before Good Friday. The name Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient practice of putting ashes on one's head as a symbol of mourning and penitence. March 7 - World Day of Prayer in Christianity World Day of Prayer is observed on the first Friday in March by Christian women of diverse traditions and countries. They come together in prayer on this day to affirm their faith. March 14 - New Year in Sikhism March 14 is the Sikh New Calendar Year, the first day of the year 545 in the Sikh Nanakshahi calendar. The years in the Sikh calendar start with the birth of Guru Nanak Dev in March 15 - Sakyamnuni Buddha's Nirvana Day in Buddhism Nirvana Day, also known as Parinirvana, is an annual Buddhist festival celebrating the death of Buddha after achieving Nirvana (liberation from cycle of rebirth and suffering) at the age of 80. Followers of the faith visit temples, offer prayers, meditate and read scriptures describing the last days of Gautama Buddha. March 16 - Holi in Hinduism Holi is the Hindu festival that welcomes spring and celebrates new life and energy of the season. It has religious roots (burning of Prahalaad by Hiranyakashyap), but the festival is also filled with fun and good humour. On the evening of Holi, large fires are lit and prayers and offerings are made. The next day is celebrated with colours, so Holi is also called the "Festival of Colours." People celebrate the festival by daubing each other with paint and throwing coloured powder (gulaal) around in an atmosphere of fun and frolic. The religious significance of the festival of Holi is to mark the burning of self-conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, in fact all the undesirable tendencies, thoughts and behaviours.

11 Eve of March 15 to 16 - Purim in Judaism Purim is one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates the story of Esther and how she saved the Jewish people who were living in Persia from extermination at the hands of an oppressive ruler and his advisor. This festival is celebrated through feasting, carnivals and group celebrations. Followers of the faith send food to friends and neighbours. Like all Jewish holidays, it begins at sundown and ends the next night. March 16 to 20 - Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem in Zoroastrianism Zoroastrian followers celebrate six seasonal festivals, known as the Gahambars. These are associated with agricultural seasons, and each Gahambar is celebrated by performing a Jashan (festivity) and thanking Ahura Mazda (the omniscient and omnipresent creator) for the seasons and the beautiful creations. Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem is also known as "All Souls" feast where departed relatives are remembered. March 17 - St. Patrick's Day in Christianity This feast day commemorates the anniversary of St. Patrick's death in the 5 th century CE. The Irish observe this day as a religious holiday. Multi-day celebrations feature parades, concerts, outdoor theatre productions and fireworks shows. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. March 17 - Hola Mohalla in Sikhism Hola Mohalla is a festival of mock battles where followers practice martial arts known as gatka. The festival is celebrated on the day following Holi. Guru Gobind Singh started it as a gathering of Sikhs for military preparedness against the ruling Moguls in Anandpur Sahib (in Punjab, India). Today it is a celebrated by holding competitions and display of martial skills.

12 March 19 - Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's Birthday in Buddhism This day is celebrated by followers of Mahayana Buddhism as the birthday of the enlightened one who is most compassionate like Buddha and is known as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The celebrations include visiting the temples and offering prayers. March 20 - Shunki-sorei-sai in Shinto On this day, ancestors are given reverence on home alters, as kami (god), and are considered active members of the living family. Grave sites are cleaned and purified. March 20 - Lady Day (Ostara) in Wicca The spring equinox is "Lady Day." To followers of Wicca, it is a time of conception and new growth. It is celebrated by undertaking activities like planting seeds in the garden, collecting wild flowers, decorating and eating eggs, and cleaning the home that lead to prosperity. Green and yellow are colours specific to this feast. March 21 - Eid e-navroz in Islam Shia followers of Islam observe this Eid. The day is associated with significant religious milestones for observers of the faith. Adherents believe that on this day the Prophet received his first revelation and also named his successor. This feast is an important celebration for Ismaili Muslims. March 21 - Naw Ruz in Zoroastrianism and Bahá'í The spring equinox marks the New Year for members of the Zoroastrian community (following Fasli Calendar). People from Persia or Iran also celebrate Naw Ruz (Noruz) on this day. The traditional Naw Ruz table called "Sofreh haft-seen" consists of seven kinds of food each beginning with the letter "s" or "sin" in Farsi symbolising life, health, wealth, abundance, love, patience and purity. sabzeh, wheat or lentil sprouts, symbolizes rebirth samanu, a creamy pudding made from wheat germ, represents holiness seeb, an apple, stands for health and beauty senjid, the dried fruit of lotus tree, signifies love

13 sir, garlic (which is considered medicinal), represents health somagh, sumac berries, stands for the colour of sun and the victory of good over evil serkeh, vinegar, indicates old age and patience Other things associated with this celebration: a book symbolizing wisdom (holy texts or books of Iranian poetry) sekeh, coins, representing wealth sonbol and laleh, hyacinth and tulips, symbolizing spring painted eggs to reflect the fertility of the people and the land a mirror to symbolize reflection of life candles, indicating happiness goldfish to represent life From the first to the 12th day of the New Year, people visit each other. On the 13th day, called Sizdeh bedar, everyone goes on picnics, as it is considered unlucky to stay indoors on the 13th day. The Bahá'í people have adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunset rather than midnight, and the New Year celebrations are held during the evening of March 21 st. It is one of the nine Bahá'í holy days on which work is suspended. It is generally observed with a meeting for prayer and celebration. March 26 - Khordad Saal in Zoroastrianism Zarathushtra (Zoroaster in Greek; Zarthosht in India and Persia) is the founder of Zoroastrianism. Historians and religious scholars generally date his life sometime between 1500 and 1200 BCE. This day is recognised by members of the Zoroastrian faith following the Fasli calendar as Zarathushtra s birth anniversary. March 31 - Vasant Navratri and New Year s Day in Hinduism Chaitra Navratri (March 31 to April 8) begins from this day. This festival is observed twice a year, in the month of Chaitra and then in Aswayuja (September/October). It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine manifestations of goddess Durga. During Navratri (the word literally means "nine nights"), devotees of Hinduism observe a fast and undertake religious activities like puja. This day is also the beginning of a New Year 2071 for Hindu followers of Vikram Samvat Calendar.

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