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Members with Portfolio
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Class Rep Coordinators
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COUNCIL WEBSITE
| | Check out our Council website for up to date info on school events, news, calendars, fundraising, forms, parent resources and much much more! www.castorvalley.ca |
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CLASS REPS
| Thanks to everyone who volunteered to be a class rep this year! A complete list of class reps and their emails can be found on our Council website here.
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NUT FREE SCHOOL!
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Due to the large number of students that have nut allergies, Castor Valley continues to be a nut free school. We ask families not to include nut items in snacks - this is for the safety of our anaphylactic children. Should you be unsure as to the contents of a food item, please do not send it. If you'd like more information on the government of Ontario's anaphylaxis policy, please click here and you can read about our new request regarding soy-based *nut* butters here.
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NEW NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
| The Ontario Ministry of Education's new School Food and Beverage Policy came into effect on September 1st, 2011. For information on this new policy, please visit www.ontario.ca/healthyschools and for a great resource for nutritious lunches and snacks, visit www.eatrightontario.ca.
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POP TABS
| We are collecting pop tabs again this year. The tabs are recycled for cash and the proceeds sent to Ontario March of Dimes to provide a wheel chair for someone in need. Please send your tabs in with your child. There is a collection can in each homeroom class. To date, Mme LaCharity's class has collected the most, followed by Ms. Reeb's class and Mme Beaupré's class. Keep collecting!
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TALENTFEST!
| Mark your calendars for May 9th and 10th because
is back!
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their talents to the Castor Valley
community. We are open to any type of talent - singing, dancing, playing an instrument, telling
jokes, juggling - whatever talent your child wishes to perform!
For more information, please read our Talentfest flyer, and our Audition Form. The audition form must be returned to the school by Friday, February 24th. Auditions will be held after school on Monday, March 26th and
Thursday, March 29th. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please email Karen Warren!
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* LITERACY AT HOME * - A PARENT INFORMATION EVENING
| As part of our *Castor Connections* series, CVESC is holding a parent information evening entitled *Literacy at Home* on Monday, February 27th. This session is for parents of children in Junior Kindergarten through grade 3 and offers information on French and English reading comprehension, as well as a variety of strategies to support building literacy at home.
This is the 4th year we've held this particular information evening as parents who have attended in past years have found it very useful, especially because our kids are learning to read in both English and French, and this can present a few challenges helping out at home, especially if parents are not bilingual!
The evening begins at 6:30pm with registration opening at 6:15pm, and childcare will be provided in the gym by students with their babysitting course (and adult supervisors).
To register for this information evening, please email castorvalleycouncil@gmail.com and indicate the number of adults attending, as well as the number and ages of kids who require child care.
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OCDSB - Parent Involvement Committee
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The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is currently seeking 8 Parent Members and 3 Community Representatives to serve on its Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) for one year or two year terms, effective June 1st, 2012. The PIC works with parents, school councils and community partners to foster parent involvement and community engagement in support of student success.
Please visit their website for more information and for submission guidelines.
Applications will be accepted up to February 28th to pic@ocdsb.ca
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A SPECIAL DONATION!
| A special thanks to Jamie Robinson, owner of Robinson's Independent Grocer in Manotick, for his continued support of our school.
Jamie has generously donated all 30 of the gingerbread house kits that were used by the grade 7 & 8 students for the Gingerbread House Contest in December.
Over the past few years, Jamie has been a continuous supporter not only of Castor Valley, but of many local schools, businesses and charities.
Once again, CVES Council would like to extend a heart-felt thank you. The many contributions are greatly appreciated!
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LOST & FOUND ON DISPLAY
| The contents of our Lost & Found bin are on display in the school foyer until February 28th. Any unclaimed items in good condition will be washed and sent for consignment, with proceeds going toward School Council initiatives or donated to charity.
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FEBRUARY COUNCIL MEETING
| Thanks to everyone who came out to our Council meeting on February 9th. We were lucky to have our school Trustee, Mark Fisher, join us, and he had tons of information to share about what's going on at the School Board level, including the Board budget, plans for a harmonized transportation policy, full-day kindergarten and before/after care.
If you're interested in what goes on at our meetings and what is discussed, please read our meeting minutes, and please feel free to join us at our next meeting on April 12th - it's a wonderful way to feel connected to the school and everything that's happening!
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USED BOOK SALE
| CVESC will be putting on our used book sale again this year! The sale will be held on Friday, April 13th for one day; and only during the day.
We will be looking for volunteers to help out - both to set up on Thursday, April 12th and for the actual sale on the 13th.
As we get closer to the date, we will also be asking for donations of used books - kids books and adult fiction (no adult non-fiction!)
Stay tuned!
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FUN NIGHT - we have new coordinators!
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In last month's newsletter, we asked for for parent volunteers to help plan and organize our long-standing CVES tradition, FUN NIGHT! We are so thankful to parents, Jodie Wallace and Alison Quesnel, for volunteering to take on this fun and exciting event!
The date has been set for Tuesday, June 12th and Jodie and Alison will be looking for individuals to help coordinate various aspects of the evening such as:
Primary Games (JK to grade 3)
Junior Games (grades 4 and up)
Set-up and/or Clean-up
Student and Adult Volunteer Coordination
Refreshments
Bake Sale
Face Painting
Basket Draw or Silent Auction
Marketing the Event
If you have any questions, suggestions, are interested in helping out, or taking the lead on one of the various aspects of Fun Night suggested above, please contact Jodie Wallace or Alison Quesnel.
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BABYSITTERS NEEDED
| School Council is always looking for student volunteers who have completed their babysitting course to help with childcare at our upcoming Castor Connections' and Council events. Duties will include supervising and playing games with children in the school gym, with at least 2 parents helping out. If interested, please contact Jen Danby McDonald. Permission forms will be required and will be made available in the office prior to each event or can also be emailed.
Thanks!
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ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
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- We continue to offer on-line discounts through our website on QSP magazines - they make great gifts! When you order your QSP magazines, please make sure you use our code: 10727. So far we have raised ~$411 through this program.
- Don't forget you can order discounted Ottawa Senators tickets on our Council website! Click here for more information.
- Need labels? Don't forget you can order Mabel's Labels directly through school council. By clicking on the Mabel's Labels widget on our website (in the right column), we automatically receive a portion of your purchase. Thanks!
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The OCDSB's Arts Advisory Committee is looking for suggestions and recommendations for improving and enhancing all aspects of the arts (dance, drama, music, visual arts, media arts) in schools of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. For more information, you can go to their page on the OCDSB website and you can watch the video below!  They are welcoming any feedback through email. On their webpage they also have a link to a survey, however it looks like it may already be closed.
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UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS FOR OTTAWA PARENTS
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Presented by Lamar Mason (OCASC)
With Q&A afterwards 815 St. Laurent Blvd.
Thursday, April 5th 2012 7 - 9:30 pm
at Rideau High School Library
ALL PARENTS WELCOME Elementary or High School An IPRC document that accurately identifies your child's strengths and needs is an invaluable aid in determining what measures should be put in place for your child's education.
If you have a child with Special Education needs and want to better understand your role in helping your child to reach his/her potential, come to this session
Questions? Contact: ocasc.seac@ocasc.ca
*IPRC - Identification and Placement Review Committee
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CHEO Connects in partnership with OCDSB (Session Five):
Monday April 16th 2012 - 7pm Adult High School - 300 Rochester St @ Gladstone
Questions about what to expect from puberty? Wondering how to connect with your child during this important transitional period? These are just some of the topics that will be explored during this informative session for parents of children 9 - 13 years old. The session will include discussion of potential issues of mental health and the different aspects of a child's life that are affected at this age, such as anxiety, self-esteem and bullying. As well as, there will be a general discussion on emotional intelligence.
Parents will also learn about healthy living - a problem that is facing many pre-teens - from lack of physical activity, nutrition and personal hygiene to body image issues.
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IMPORTANT PARENT RESOURCES
| Ever wonder how and where Council receives all our information?! We are regularly updated on information, events and initiatives put forth by various education-related associations, as well as by our school board, and we think it's important that these resources are shared with you! In each monthly newsletter we are highlighting one of these associations, explaining what they do and how they support parents. All the information shared here will also be available on our website under the *resources* tab. This month, we are highlighting:
People for Education has been working to ensure our schools are the best they can be since 1996! They do this by providing the following:
- they have a toll-free parent-support line to answer questions about education or provide links to the information and resources you might need to help you and your child navigate the education system. To reach us, call 1-888-534-3944.
- they hold an annual conference every November, bringing together parents, trustees, experts, educators and community members to learn, make connections, participate in hands-on training sessions and hear about the latest and best education research.
- they provide speakers and workshops across Ontario and across the country, providing training to parent groups, community agencies and educators, and making keynote speeches at conferences about education issues.
- they conduct an annual survey of Ontario schools. The People for Education Annual School Surveys keep track of everything from music teachers to special education programs in Ontario schools. Every year they publish the results in the People for Education Annual Report on Ontario's Publicly Funded Schools.
- they maintain a network of parents and community organizations, providing a place to share ideas, updates and information about great programs and practices.
- they work with policy-makers and sit at a number of government policy tables, participate in consultations on education policy, and make policy recommendations in the Annual Report on Ontario's Publicly Funded Schools.
- they work with the media to encourage ongoing public dialogue about education issues, and to publicize education stories, education issues and exciting new research.
- they publish multi-lingual tip sheets for parents.
For more information, please visit their website!
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Other organizations we like are:
Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils
Canadian Parents for French (highlighted in our October newsletter)
Ottawa Carleton District School Board (highlighted in our January newsletter)
OCDSB - Parental Involvement Committee (highlighted in our November newsletter)
If you know of an organization that has helped you support your child's learning, please let us know!
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CVESC BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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Thank you to the CVES family businesses who have supported CVESC by being part of our Business Directory. You can find the complete Business Directory here (with a new design!) with contact information and links to their websites. Please support our community!
Avon - Heather Wyche
Emerald Home Improvements - John Dagenais
Millenium Roofing Inc - Earl & Christina Brazeau
Mortgage Alliance - Windy McCarty
Oriana Financial - Susanna Penning
Produce Depot - Danny Docksteader
Shaklee - Melanie Bennett
VSP Printing - Jane Desrosiers
Wilson Law Partners LLP - Andrew Wilson
If you own a family or home-based business and would like to be included in our directory ($25 per year), please contact Jen Danby-McDonald (or phone 613-821-7967). Funds raised go towards supporting School Council initiatives.
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The CVES Council newsletter is sent out mid-month from September to June. If you have any items you would like to have included in our next newsletter, please send them by March 15th to castorvalleycouncil@gmail.com.
THANKS!
We hope you found this newsletter helpful and relevant :)
Sincerely, Communication Coordinators
Castor Valley Elementary School Council |
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