FINAL Gibson Newsletter - December, 2018

Please click the following for J. A. Gibson's Final Newsletter - December, 2018.


Thank you to everyone who has supported the Gibson Blog and visited over the past few years.  Starting in January, we are moving towards a more timely form of communication through the Edsby Newsfeed with weekly or biweekly updates.  Read more about it in this month's newsletter.

Happy holidays, everyone, and thank you for your ongoing support.

See you in Edsby!

Sincerely,

C. Fischer

Gibson Weekly Update for week of Nov. 26th

November is a very busy month and I wanted to highlight some school-based items in place over the next few weeks.

Student Led Conferences

The Student Led Conference schedule is open on Edsby and will remain open until the end of the day on Wednesday, November 21^st.  Please ensure that you have booked your conference time by then.  If you are having difficulty booking a timeslot, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher or the office and we will be happy to assist you.

If you have yet to activated your account on Edsby, please contact the office and they will assist you in setting up your account.

Every Child Counts Survey

All Kindergarten to Grade 6 students received a student specific coded letter inviting families to complete the Every Child Counts Survey on-line.  Families are encouraged to complete the survey at home by November 30^th.  If your child is in Grade 7 or Grade 8, students will be completing the survey on-line at the school.  Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

Dress for the Weather

All our students will be expected to be outside before, during and after school and therefore, need to come to school dressed to play outside during recesses.  Boots (for rain or snow), rain jackets, hats, mitts, scarves and snow pants will help make recess an enjoyable time.  It is advisable for children to keep extra pants and socks at school in case they get wet.   To avoid confusion in the classroom and adding to our clothing collection in the Lost and Found Bin, please be sure to label all articles of clothing with your child’s name.

Bus Cancellations and Inclement Weather Days

To ensure the safety of students, school bus service may be cancelled due to inclement weather, extreme temperatures and/or poor road conditions.  In these cases, parents and students should develop alternate care/transportation arrangements.

• A decision to cancel school bus service will be region-wide meaning all school buses, vans and taxis will not operate.  Both the YRDSB and YCDSB operate many regional educational programs.  Students attending these programs are transported over large attendance areas encompassing several municipal boundaries which prevents the ability to cancel bus service using a municipality or zone methodology.   
• When bus service is cancelled all school tests and/or examinations will be cancelled and rescheduled.
• Student trips involving the use of school buses will also be cancelled.
• Unless otherwise stated, schools will remain open and parents can make arrangements to transport their children to and from school even if school bus service is cancelled.  If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon. Therefore, students transported to school by parents will require the same transportation home.

A bus cancellation message will be available at www.schoolbuscity.com, by calling 1-877-330-3001, or by following @YRDSB and @YCDSB on Twitter.

Parents, students and school staff may also access the following radio and television stations after 6:00 a.m. to receive bus cancellation information:

RADIO

590 AM           640 AM           680 AM           860 AM           1010 AM            1050 AM

1540 AM         1580 AM         88.5 FM           89.9 FM           92.5 FM            93.1 FM

94.9 FM           95.9 FM           97.3 FM           98.1 FM           99.1 FM            99.9 FM          

101.1 FM         102.1 FM         104.5 FM         100.7 FM         105.9               107.1 FM

TELEVISION

CITY TV     CTV Barrie     CTV Toronto     CP24     GLOBAL NEWS

Have a great weekend everyone!

Student Led Conferences - Nov. 22 and Nov. 23

RE:  Student Led Conferences – Nov. 22 and Nov. 23^rd

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Progress Report Cards will be going home on November 20, 2018 and this year, instead of the traditional Parent/Teacher Interviews, our school will be conducting Student-Led Conferences for all students from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8. 

Student-led conferencing is a celebration of the students’ success to date where the student assumes an active role in the planning and conducting of the conference.  During the conference, your son/daughter will share selections of their work, reflections of their learning to date and goals they have set for themselves for the term. Teachers will be available as a resource to answer any questions and observe the sharing of information in the simultaneous conferences between students and their parents. With student-led conferencing, we are empowering the students to take ownership for their own learning progress and to report this progress to their parents/guardians.

Student-Led Conferences will take place on the afternoon/evening of Thursday, November 22, 2018 and the morning of Friday, November 23, 2018.  Families will be invited to book a time with their child’s homeroom teacher through Edsby beginning on Monday, November 12, 2018. All families will receive an email when the schedule is open. If you are having difficulty scheduling your conference, please contact your child’s teacher directly, so that they can co-ordinate a time for you. 

Special Education, French, Music and other subject area teachers will also be available on these dates.  If you need to speak to any of these teachers regarding your child’s progress, please contact them directly.

We look forward to meeting with you and your child on conference night!

Sincerely,

C. Fischer

Principal

November 2018 Newsletter

Click here for the November Newsletter.


Just a reminder to all our Gibson families.....

The last posting on the Gibson Blog will take place on Dec. 21, 2018.  All school updates and newsletters will be posted on EDSBY starting January, 2019.  If you need any assistance setting up your EDSBY account, please contact the office.  

Thank you.

C. Fischer

Halloween Parent Letter

Donation Drive Campaign Begins!

Joseph A. Gibson families—it is that time of year again when School Council runs their Annual Fundraising Campaign.  Like last year, this year’s fundraising campaign is an

INVEST-IN-STUDENTS DONATION DRIVE

This is our ONE major fundraising effort to enrich the experiences of our children!  It will help our school raise funds to support the School Improvement Plan in the areas of Academics, Athletics and the Arts for all students. 

This year’s campaign will start October 1st  and end on October 31st and families are asked to make a one-time voluntary donation that will be used to enhance school programs. School-wide incentives for students such as lollipops, no homework day, extra recess, mini prizes and movie afternoon are outlined on the Donation Drive thermometer in the front lobby during the one month campaign. We have already reached $1600 and donations can be still be made through School Cash On-Line; or can be sent directly to the office. 

Thank you to all those families who have already donated.  Your support is much appreciated!

October 2018 Newsletter

Please click the following for the October Newsletter.

EDSBY School Communication - Coming Soon!

Over the next few months, the Gibson Blog will slowly be phased out as we look to using the Edsby Communication platform a form of school communication.  

What does that mean?

• We will continue to use our school Twitter account @JosephAGibsonPS
• We will continue to use email communication with our families
• We will continue the monthly newsletter until the end of December, 2018.  
• Starting in January, 2019, we will move to updates in Edsby so our families have school information in a more timely manner
• If you already have an Edsby account and are set up for attendance on-line, then you can choose to set up notifications so you don't miss any important news posted on the home page.  Click the following link for how to set up your notification:

How to set up Edsby notifications

I have already begun posting on the Edsby, in addition to our email blasts and monthly newsletters.  I invite you to go in and take a look. 

C. Fischer 

Principal

Letter from Director - Class Re-Organization for September 24, 2018

Meet the Teacher Curriculum Night OPEN HOUSE - Sept. 27th

YRDSB's Safe and Caring Schools - Welcome Assemblies at Gibson 2018

Greetings families of Joseph A. Gibson P. S.

Last week, our students and staff engaged in conversations around caring, safe and inclusive school environments.  In a school assembly, we discussed the elements of a Caring and Safe School that would support the academic achievement and well-being of all students, including:

●     Demonstrating positive character attributes (such as empathy, courage and respect for human rights and inclusivity)

●     School and Board expectations

●     What happens in situations of discipline

●     Standing up for each other in bullying situations, including methods of reporting incidents of bullying:

○   Tell a caring adult

○   Use the YRDSB’s “Report It Button” (located on our school website)

○   Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)

For more details on each of these items, please read the YRDSB Start-Up Guide that will be forwarded to our families as soon as they arrive.

You can also visit the YRDSB’s Caring and Safe Schools website for details and resources for families to continue the conversation.

Thank you for supporting our safe, positive and inclusive school community.

Sincerely,

Claudia Fischer

Principal

September 2018 Newsletter

Please click on the following link for the September newsletter.

Welcome Back Letter from YRDSB Director and Chair

June Final Newsletter - June 27, 2018

Please click on the following link for the Final June Newsletter for 2018.

Vaughan Public Library Summer Fun!

June 2018 Newsletter

Click here for the June Newsletter.

June 28, 2018 - Early Release Day

Dear Parents/Guardians:

RE:  June 28, 2018 - Early Release Day

All schools in the York Region District School Board are committed to improving student achievement and well-being.  On Thursday, June 28, 2018 an early release day will take place to allow elementary teachers and support staff to take part in meetings during the afternoon of that day.  These meetings will allow for school staff to engage in culminating activities regarding the review and revision of the School’s Improvement Plan as well as year-end and transition activities that support student success.   

As has been our practice in the past, students will attend school during the morning of Thursday, June 28, 2018 only.  Students will be dismissed early that day at 11:30 am.  Arrangements will be made to ensure that students who are normally bused to and from school will receive transportation at this time.  Parents/guardians whose children attend after school child care should make appropriate arrangements to address this change in schedule.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

  

Claudia Fischer

Principal

Jr. and Int. Track and Field Day - May 23rd (Raindate May 24th)

Parents and Guardians,

Just a reminder that all students from Grade 4 to Grade 8 will be participating in our all day School Track and Field Meet on Tuesday, May 23rd (raindate Wed. May 24^th) which supplements the Gr. 4-8 Phys. Ed. curriculum expectations.  All students are expected to participate and put forth their best effort in all the events on this day.

Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  Pack extra clothes, water and snacks; and please ensure students have sunscreen since the event is outside all day.  Freezies, cookies and ice cream sandwiches will also be on sale those days, if students are interested.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Thank you.

JR and INT SPRING CONCERT - May 17th at 6:30 pm

May Newsletter for 2018

Please click on the following link for the May Newsletter.

Note the following corrections on the newsletter:

• Gr. 1/2 trip to the Toronto Zoo is for English stream only.
• May 21st is Victoria Day Holiday - no school.
• June 5th is Talent Show/Arts Showcase in the evening.

Thank you.

Spring Fair/BBQ - SAVE THE DATE! June 20th

Grades 3 and 6 EQAO Reminder Parent Letter

New FRIDAY Lunch Option - starting May 4th!

EQAO - Upcoming EQAO Tests for all Grade 3 and 6 Students

April 9, 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Re: Upcoming EQAO Assessments

Between May 22 and June 4, your child will be taking part in the provincial Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1–3) or Junior Division (Grades 4-6). This assessment is administered to all Grade 3 and 6 students in Ontario’s publicly funded school system by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an independent agency of the Government of Ontario.

This assessment consists of two booklets assessing language and a third booklet assessing mathematics. Each booklet is made up of two sections, for a total of six sections. Each section will take about one hour to complete. The administration of the six sections will be spread out across the two-week window.

EQAO assessment questions are directly based on the expectations set out in The Ontario Curriculum, which is what teachers teach in the classroom every day. Therefore, your child does not need to prepare in any special way. Students will write the test in their regular classrooms with their regular teachers and are simply encouraged to do their best and show what they know.

In September, EQAO will send our school a report on your child’s achievement on the assessment, and we will send it home at that time. Your child’s results are private and will give you an indication of his or her achievement in relation to Ontario’s high provincial standard. The standard, or Level 3, represents the range from B– to B+. Meeting the standard means your child has a solid grasp of the required knowledge and skills, which is a good indication that he or she will be ready for the next grade. The results of the assessment do not affect your child’s grades or report card in any way. They do, however, give you information about your child’s progress to add to the overall picture.

You can use the information that EQAO assessment results provide about your child’s strengths and areas needing improvement to celebrate his or her progress. It can help you in discussions with teachers. We can use it as a school community, along with other information, to guide our school improvement initiatives for reading, writing and mathematics. This benefits not only your child but all the students in our school. The results are also used by our school board and the Ministry of Education to direct attention and resources where they are needed.

For more information about EQAO and to view a sample of its assessments, you are encouraged to visit www.eqao.com.

Sincerely,

Claudia Fischer
Principal

April 2018 Newsletter

Please click on the following link for the April Newsletter.

Wear BLUE on April 3rd to support Autism Awareness Month

World Autism Awareness Day 

J. A. Gibson, and all of YRDSB, will be acknowledging and celebrating Autism Awareness Month with a special "Light It Up Blue" day on Tuesday, April 3^rd.  

Please remember to wear BLUE as part of this celebration! 

Super Smoothies - Friday, March 23rd

Just a reminder that.....

March is Nutrition Month and at Joseph A. Gibson, we acknowledge that a healthy body equals a healthy mind!  To support our commitment to nutritious eating, we offer a daily snack program which includes various fruits and grains that is made available to all of our students in their classrooms.

In order to continue with our focus of Nutrition Month, we will be offering a FREE  Super Smoothie during the morning of Friday, March 23, 2018.  Every student in the school will receive a 7-ounce Strawberry Banana Super Smoothie made from fresh or frozen whole fruits with no sugar or concentrates.  Each smoothie is made fresh on that day with non-GMO soy milk, strawberries, bananas, orange juice and ice.  (Super Smoothies exceed the provincial health guidelines).

If you have any concerns, or would prefer that your child not receive a super smoothie, please inform your child’s homeroom teacher prior to March 23, 2018.

March 2018 Newsletter

Click the following link for the March Newsletter.

IMPORTANT - Parking on Netherford Road and Naylon Street

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Local Neighbours and Parking on Netherford Road and Naylon Street

         

School arrival and dismissal is always a busy part of the school day with buses, taxis, and cars dropping off or picking up students and I recognize that parking at Gibson is difficult. 

Having received recent concerns from our neighbours on Netherford Road, Gibson families parking on Netherford Road and Naylon Street are reminded to adhere to the municipality laws and not park in any “No Parking” areas or block driveways or cross walks.  It is also extremely important that we be respectful of our school neighbours and their property at all times.  It appears that parents are parking, or making u-turns, onto our neighbours’ lawns resulting in damage to their property.  When stopping along either side of Netherford Road, please be respectful of our community and avoid pulling over or onto neighbouring lawns.

In order to alleviate some of the parking congestion during these times, I would like to suggest and remind parents to use school bus transportation if your child qualifies; or have your child walk or bike to school. 

Thank you for your support in respecting our school community.

Sincerely,

Claudia Fischer

Principal

Family Potluck Evening - February 15, 2018 - 6:30 pm at Maple High School

REMINDER - Don't forget to send in your RSVP form if you are planning to attend..... 

Joseph A. Gibson's 

Annual
Family Potluck - February 15, 2018

6:30-8:30 p.m. 

at

Maple High School 

We invite students and their immediate families to celebrate our diverse cultural community and to share in the positive spirit with a Family Potluck on Thursday February 15, 2018, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the cafetorium at Maple High School.

Bring in your favourite cultural dish to share, indicating all the ingredients (to inform those with food allergies). Please remember, no nuts or nut products are to be used in preparing the dish.  If you are planning to attend, you must sent in your RSVP form as soon as possible. Copies of the forms can be picked up in the office or in the Parent Information Centre located in the front lobby.

 All children must be accompanied by their parent.

                                     Look forward to seeing you there!

Lice Check on February 14, 2018

        February 9, 2018

  

        Dear Parents/Guardians,

Head lice are common in school-aged children. They are not considered to be a communicable disease and do not cause illness, however they are a nuisance and can spread easily.  Anyone can get them and we encourage parents to regularly check your child’s head for lice.

Next week, we have arranged to have Nurse Shelley (an approved YRDSB Lice Check provider) come to the school to check all our students for lice on Wednesday, February 14^th, 2018.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like more information, please contact the office.

Sincerely,

Claudia Fischer

Principal

Gibson's Annual Family Potluck - Feb. 15th at Maple High School

Joseph A. Gibson's 
Annual
Family Potluck - February 15, 2018

6:30-8:30 p.m. 

at

Maple High School 

We invite students and their immediate families to celebrate our diverse cultural community and to share in the positive spirit with a Family Potluck on Thursday February 15, 2018, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the cafetorium at Maple High School.

Bring in your favourite cultural dish to share, indicating all the ingredients (to inform those with food allergies). Please remember, no nuts or nut products are to be used in preparing the dish.

Paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins and assorted beverages will be provided. All children must be accompanied by their parent.

Forms were sent home this week for families to RSVP with their favourite dish.  Forms are also available in the Parent Information Centre located in the front lobby.

                    Come out for a fun event for all!

February 2018 Newsletter

Please click the following for the February Newsletter.

Parking on Netherford, Naylon and Gram Street - Parent Letter

Collaborative Problem Solving for Home and School - Presentation at Juilliard P. S. - FEB. 8th

Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee - Community Conversations

Cultural Day Presentations - February 15th - Volunteers Needed!

Joseph A. Gibson’s Culture Day Presentations

 – Feb. 15

**Hard copies were sent home with the youngest member of each family**

As part of our board and school initiative of equity and inclusivity, on February 15^th, we are holding our first Culture Day! For Culture Day, we are asking for 16 volunteers from our parents/grandparents/guardians and community members to prepare a 20-25 minute presentation on their culture. We are looking for variety, as we would like to represent as many nations and cultures as possible. Consider it like being an ambassador for your home-country.

In the afternoon of February 15^th, each student will carry a passport and rotate to 3 different classes where our Volunteer Ambassadors will give their presentation. After each presentation, classes will rotate to a different presentation.

In order to ensure that presentations by volunteers are geared to a certain age-level, the primary classes will only rotate within other primary classrooms, and the junior and intermediate classes (Gr. 4-8) will rotate amongst other junior and intermediate classes.

Below are some suggestions of what presentations from our Volunteer Cultural Ambassadors could look like:

• A slide show that you can present and speak to that showcases architecture, art, music, dance, language, geographical features, and demographic features from your homeland.
• Clothing that is worn or shown that represents your culture, or the clothing that would have been worn before globalization of consumer clothing. Ornament the classroom with decorations such as wall-hangings and posters, or beaded door entries, that represent your culture.
• Have a song playing as students enter and exit the classroom that represents your culture.
• Have some simple phrases written on the whiteboard in your home language that you can teach to the students.
• Lead the students through a song or dance that is representative of the culture.
• Offer 5 minutes of question time at the end of your presentation.

If you would like, you can present on your own or pair up with another person to present together. If you are interested in being one of our Volunteer Cultural Ambassadors on that afternoon, please fill out the submission below and return to Mr. Cipollone or Mrs. Fischer by January 30^th

Thank you in advance for your contributions in helping our students appreciate the cultures that make up our community.

Sincerely,

D. Cipollone

I am interested in being one of the Volunteer Cultural Ambassadors during the afternoon of Thursday, February 15^th, 2018.

Name of Presenter(s):_________________________________________________

Student Name:______________________________________________________

Cultural Presentation Proposal:_________________________________________

Signature:            __________________________________________

Contact Information: ___________________________________

"Dance with Justin" Performance Schedule - January 22, 2018

"Dance with Justin" Performance Schedule

“Dance with Justin” performances will take place on Monday, January 22, 2018.  Performances from each homeroom class from kindergarten to grade 8 will take place in the gym according to the schedule below.  Parents are invited to attend the performances.  Families who are attending the afternoon performances are asked to please park on the surrounding streets; or ensure ALL cars are removed from the bus loop by 2:30 pm.

10:40-12:15 pm	1:20 – 2:45pm
Mrs. Au (Gr. 7/8)	Ms. Walia/Mrs. Defulviis (Kindergarten)
Mrs. George/Mrs. Tamburro  (Kindergarten)	Mlle Zadarko (Gr. 1 FI)
Mme Musheerah (Gr. 1 FI)	Ms. Jensen (Gr.  4/5)
Mrs. Bender (Gr. 3/4)	Mme Huang (Gr. 1 FI)
Mrs. David (Gr. 2/3)	Mrs. Esho/Mme Patel-Khan (Gr. 5/6)
Mrs. Abadjian/Mr. Mahoney (Gr. 5/6)	Mrs. Bixcul (Gr. ½)
Mlle Cohen (Gr. 1 FI)	Mme Macdonell (Gr. 1 FI)
Mrs. Kokotsis (Gr. ½)	Ms. Au (Gr. 7/8)
Ms. Pilato/Mr. Mahoney (Gr. 7)