Cougar Tracks. Colonel J.E. Farewell PS. Welcome! S E P T E M B E R 1 2,

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1 Colonel J.E. Farewell PS F O L L O W U S ON ON THE WEB colfarewell.ddsbschools.ca C O N T A C T U S 810 McQuay Blvd Whitby, ON L1P 1J1 PHONE FAX PRINCIPAL Tracey Cant VICE PRINCIPAL Frank Mauceri OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS Lynn Locke Jillian Zinner (Wed and Thurs) S U P E R I N T E N D E N T Martine Robinson T R U S T E E S Christine Winters ( ) Kim Zeppieri Kimberly.zeppieri@ ddsb.ca ( ) Cougar Tracks Welcome! S E P T E M B E R 1 2, We are off to a great start at Colonel J.E. Farewell P.S.! It has been a pleasure to see returning families and welcome the many new families to the Farewell community of learners. All of the staff are looking forward to working in partnership with parents, staff and students in order to provide quality educational programs for a successful school year. We trust that you have all had a relaxing and safe summer and enjoyed quality time with family and friends. It is now time to get back to the routines of the school year and the staff at Farewell are eager to work in collaboration with families to re-establish these routines and expectations. Staff have been diligently preparing for the start of another successful school year and are looking forward to working with you and your child in their learning journey. We look forward to seeing all family and friends of Farewell at our Welcome Back BBQ (5:30 to 7pm) and classroom visits (7 to 8pm) on September 12. It is at this time that staff will be sharing their focus for the year, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy as well as assessment practices, to ensure you are well informed in order to support your child. The school looks great and we would like to especially thank our custodial staff for their efforts in preparing the school for the school start-up. Make sure you drop by our newly renovated Learning Commons on the evening of September 12. The flexible learning space will help ignite learning for all students throughout the school! These enhancements continue to make Farewell an amazing place to grow and learn! Keeping informed of all of that is happening at Farewell is vitally important for student success. We encourage you to follow us on our school social media for regular information and updates (Twitter@FarewellPS), as well as consistently checking the school website. School agendas are available for $6 each for grades one to six and are a vital organizational and student time management tool, as well as an important communication tool between parents and teachers. Agendas are available from your child's classroom teacher. Our school focus continues to be in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy as well as Equity & Inclusion, Well-Being and Leveraging Digital. We are excited about all of the technology that we have in our school this year with Ipads in our Kindergarten to Grade 1 classes and Chrome Books in our grade 2 to 8 classes as well as in our Learning Commons. Such an exciting time for our students and staff to be learning! On behalf of all of the staff at Colonel J.E. Farewell P.S., we are looking forward to a great year of growing and learning with your child. -T. Cant -F. Mauceri

2 FRIDAY FUN LUNCHES September 12: Public Health Nurse Visit for Gr 7 classes 12: Durham Regional Police presentation on Digital Citizenship - gr 7 and 8 classes 12: Welcome BBQ (5:30 to 7pm) + Class Visits (7 to 8pm) 13: Gr 3 to 5 field trip to UOIT for author visit 16: Online orders due for Sept 21 Fun Lunch Pizza 17: Gr 7 Immunization forms due 21: Friday Fun Lunch Program begins Pizza 23: Online orders due for Sept 28 Fun Lunch Pizza 24: Gr 7 Immunization Clinic in library 28: Orange Shirt Day 28: Friday Fun Lunch Pizza 28: Terry Fox Run during PM 28: PLP class to Special Olympics Sports Festival Do you want a break from making lunch for your child(ren)? Friday FUN Lunches are a SCC fundraising initiative. Profits from the lunches are spent on improving the school for our children through the School Community Council (SCC). Order & pay for as many lunches as you want in advance from this month until the end of the year. This lunch program is a completely online setup. Go to: to register your child(ren). Payment is by credit card or Debit Interac. Deadline to order is Sunday at midnight for the upcoming Friday. Lunches are nut aware & meet DDSB nutrition guidelines. FRIDAY FUN LUNCHES - Upcoming: Sunday Sept 16: Online order deadline for Sept 21 Friday Sept 21: Friday Fun Lunch - Little Caesar s Pizza Providing safe learning environments is a strong and constant focus at the Durham District School Board. Families should however recognize that there is always a potential risk of injury with field trips, sports and other student activities both on and off school grounds. Accidents can happen, despite precautions to prevent them. Accidental injuries may involve medical, dental or other expenses not covered by provincial health care or employer group plans. Please be aware that the Durham District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries. For your convenience, we do make available a Student Accident Insurance program through Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada. This program offers a variety of plans and benefits at affordable prices. All rates are one-time annual premiums. The insurance agreement is between you and Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada. For complete details please refer to the insuremykids Protection Plan information/ application form or visit their website at: Sunday Sept 23: Online order deadline for Sept 28 Friday Sept 28: Friday Fun Lunch - Little Caesar s Pizza Sunday Sept 30: Online order deadline for Oct 5 Friday Oct 5: Friday Fun Lunch - Subway Subs MENU: Subway Sub $4.50 Little Caesar s Pizza slice $1.75 Milkshakes $2.50 Booster Juice Smoothies $4.50 Drinks $1 / Chips $1 Character Trait for September: Teamwork I work cooperatively, valuing the opinion of others towards a common goal. I encourage others to participate.

3 Colonel J.E. Farewell School Community Council (SCC) Connecting Families and Schools Hello Colonel Farewell Families and welcome to the school year! We hope that you had an awesome summer and are ready for the many fantastic events the Colonel Farewell SCC has planned. The SCC strives to provide educational opportunities and memorable events for your family to enjoy. The SCC sponsors a variety of school events including; Friday Fun Lunches, Holiday Concert raffles, Dance-A-Thon, Movie nights, Mathletics, Mathletes, Raz Kids and other various fundraising events. Our goal is to offer families an opportunity to help make Colonel Farewell the best school for our children and to promote parent involvement in the school. Any family member can join the SCC and all are welcome to attend the meetings. These meetings are informative and outline what the SCC has planned. We rely on volunteers to make these events possible. If you are able to help in any way, please come out to our next meeting on Wednesday, September 26 th or let the school office know. Follow us on Facebook at Colonel J.E. Farewell SCC! WE NEED YOU, YES YOU! Why getting involved in SCC is important? Connect with other Parents Be the first to hear about news and upcoming events at school Have a voice in the activities and programs the SCC supports Learn how the students and teachers benefit from the work of the SCC Volunteer your time to make a difference in our school Should you wish to declare your candidacy for an elected position as a parent representative on the School Community Council, nomination forms are included in this newsletter and are to be filed with the Principal by Friday September 21 st, Nominations will occur at our first meeting on: Wednesday September 26 th, 7pm in the School Library.

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7 Gifted Screening Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT) Parents/Guardians of current DDSB Students in Grades 3 and higher are invited to CCAT Testing (also Gifted Screening) Information Night at the following locations: Please choose ONE of the following sessions. Note: No RSVP or Registration is required for these sessions. DATE TIME LOCATION ADDRESS Tuesday September 18th 6:30 p.m. R.H. Cornish P.S. Library 494 Queen St. Port Perry, L9L 1K2 Tuesday September 11 th 6:30 p.m. William Dunbar P.S Glenanna Rd, Gym Pickering, L1V 5E5 Wednesday September 19 th 6:30 p.m. DDSB Education Centre Boardroom 400 Taunton Road E., Whitby, L1R 2K6 Our DDSB Special Education Facilitator for Gifted Programming will be on hand to: Describe the testing procedures, timelines, considerations and requirements for gifted identification with the DDSB Provide a copy of nomination form if guardian did not receive one from home school Briefly describe programming options available for gifted learners Nomination forms will be available at the information session and distributed through all schools. Nomination forms should be returned to your child s current DDSB school to the attention of the SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher). For further information, please michelle.doiron@ddsb.ca

8 Dear Parents/Guardians of DDSB students eligible to receive a Chromebook, Throughout the school year, we will continue to rollout our Chromebook 1:1 Initiative to all grade 7, 8, 10 and 11 students. This means that your student will have the opportunity to receive (or retain) a Chromebook for use at school and at home over the upcoming school year. What is a Chromebook? A Chromebook is a mobile computer that runs on Google's Chrome Operating System. These machines are designed to be used primarily while connected to the internet. Before a Chromebook is issued for use at home: students and parents or guardians must have acknowledged the Acceptable and Safe Use Policy and User Agreement parents must sign the Chromebook Informed Consent (part of the Returning Student Registration Form on the PowerSchool Parent Portal) Students are expected to abide by the following rules and behavioral expectations both at home and within the school: USE OF EQUIPMENT (Hardware and Software) Students must have the Chromebook permission verified by a parent/guardian through the on-line student verification through the Power Parent Portal School Chromebooks are to be used or research, educational and school related business only. The use of the Chromebook must not violate the existing Safe and Acceptable Use Policy. Students may not destroy, deface, or alter Chromebook equipment or files not belonging to the student. THE NETWORK The DDSB Ignite Mobile Network has filtering in place to block inappropriate websites and content. All devices are filtered, including the Chromebooks, when connected to it on campus. Chromebooks connected to the internet outside of the DDSB Network (off campus), such as at home or in public places, are not filtered by DDSB. In these instances, it is the parent/guardian s responsibility to ensure their student is using the device appropriately. PRIVACY It is a violation to share your Chromebook or your password with anyone else, or to access any account belonging to other students, faculty, or staff. RESPONSIBILITIES By agreeing, students and parents or guardians agree to: Submit their Chromebook to school authorities upon request. Such a request may be made in order to check browser histories and caches, as well as to ensure Chromebooks do not contain any unapproved software or files. Accept monitoring of student usage of the Chromebooks at any time, when requested by school Personnel (teachers or administration). Students and parents need to be aware that files created using the Chromebook or stored on school servers are not private.

9 RESPONSIBILITIES (continued ) Charge their Chromebook overnight each night to ensure that they are fully charged for classes the next day. Just as students are expected to be prepared for class by having all required materials, students will have a charged Chromebook available to them at the start of each day. Protect the Chromebook from damage and theft. If the Chromebook is lost or stolen when outside of school grounds, it should be reported to the school immediately. If the damage is intentional, willful or purposeful, the parents or guardians will pay the full replacement cost of the Chromebook and/or AC power adaptor. Estimated replacement cost for a Chromebook are listed below. Return the Chromebook and all DDSB supplied accessories to the school if the student is transferring to a school outside of the DDSB. STUDENT EXPECTATIONS As a learner I will: 1. Never leave my Chromebook unattended. 2. Make sure the Chromebook is not subject to careless or intentional damage. 3. Ensure that my Chromebook is charged every evening and ready for use the next day. 4. Not decorate the Chromebook with permanent markings and not allow it to be subject to graffiti/ defacing. 5. Not install or download software not approved by administration or teachers. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS/HINTS & TIPS FOR PARENTS 1. What are my responsibilities as a parent/guardian in terms of replacement of the Chromebook if it is damaged, lost or stolen? If the Chromebook is lost or damaged due to willful behaviour or negligence, the student/parent/guardian will be responsible for the replacement cost as estimated below. The School regards the Chromebook as all other materials that are checked out to a student (e.g. library materials, sports equipment, etc.). If the Chromebook is stolen a formal police report may be required and a copy presented to the school to determine if the costs will be covered by insurance. 2. What are the estimated replacement costs of the Chromebook and accessories? Charges are based on a cost recovery model and will be determined once repairs or replacement requirements are determined. The current cost for a full replacement is $ What if we don't have Wi-Fi at home? A Chromebook's use is maximized with Wi-Fi, but it can be used in an offline mode should Wi-Fi not be available. It will automatically connect to Wi-Fi and upload work upon entering a DDSB campus. The DDSB is exploring options to notify students of available free wifi location in some areas of the district. At some schools, students may have the ability to borrow a mobile hot spot through the school library - check with your school s teacher librarian.

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13 Making School Zones Safer Follow these simple suggestions to make school zones safer for everyone: - Look for traffic at every driveway and intersection. Be aware of drivers in parked cars who may be getting ready to move. - Children can be unpredictable. Don t speed so you have time to react. - Traffic congestion may increase the risk of collision and prevents the free flow of cars. Park away from the school and walk with your child to avoid contributing to the congestion. - Never use a cell phone while driving. The penalty for texting or talking while driving is $490 and 3 demerit points. Choose Safety over Convenience School times can be very busy. To help things move smoothly, park only where it is legal and safe to do so. Drivers are not permitted to park: - Within 10 m of a crosswalk; - Within 10 m of an intersection; - Within 1 m of either side of a driveway; - Within 3 m of a fire hydrant; - In a position which leaves less than 3 m of road width to drive on or unduly restricts the flow of traffic. These by-laws are always enforceable, even if there is not a sign posted. No Parking Zones Parking means the stopping of a vehicle for more than a very short period of time, whether it is occupied or not. For example, if you see this sign, you may stop temporarily to quickly drop someone off or pick someone up (if it is safe!), but you may not park your car in order to walk to the school yourself. The penalty for parking in a No Parking zone is $40. Sometimes, these signs are only in effect during certain school hours, so check the sign. If there are times listed, that is when the sign applies. No Stopping Zones Stopping means that the vehicle, whether occupied or not, is not moving for a reason other than to avoid a collision, to make way for an emergency vehicle or to obey a stop sign or traffic light. Students cannot be dropped off within a No Stopping zone. The penalty for stopping in a No Stopping zone is $60. Active Transportation Walking or cycling to and from school is an excellent way to get exercise, avoid vehicle congestion and reduce pollution. It is a fun and healthy way for parents and children to spend time together. Be a walking role model!

14 School Zones The school zone signs warn motorists that they are approaching a school area where children may be near to or crossing the road. Traffic congestion in a school zone can be a significant safety hazard for school children. It occurs during arrival and dismissal times, when parents are dropping off or picking up their children. As congestion increases, it becomes more difficult for drivers and school children to see one another. If you are a pedestrian crossing the road, always cross at an intersection and make eye contact with the approaching driver so you know that they have seen you. Walk to the nearest traffic signal or stop controlled intersection, if possible. Speed Limit Within School Zone Flashing 40 km/h signs are used to designate a day and timespecific reduced speed limit. When the lights are flashing, the speed limit is reduced to 40 km/h. When they are not flashing, the speed limit returns to the regular speed limit of 50 km/h. Elementary schools in Whitby have a speed reduction to 40 km/h. Depending on the road, this may be by time of day and day of week only. Stop for the Bus Passing a stopped school bus with its upper lights flashing is both dangerous and against the law. When the overhead red lights are flashing on a stopped school bus, all traffic travelling in both directions must stop. There may be children crossing the road to or from the school bus. The bus will not start to move until students finish crossing safely. When the red lights have stopped flashing and the bus has started moving again, drivers are free to continue. The penalties for passing a stopped school bus with the red flashing lights include a fine of up to $2,000 and six demerit points. School Crossings These signs let you know where there is a school crosswalk. During school arrival and dismissal times, a Crossing Guard will stop traffic to allow pedestrians to cross the road. Crossing Guards need to be able to see traffic and use the crosswalk at all times. Drivers who stop within a school crossing create a serious hazard for children and the Crossing Guard. You cannot stop or park within 10 m of a crosswalk. Crossing Guards Crossing Guards are Town of Whitby staff who are responsible for safely assisting elementary school aged children cross the road. When a Crossing Guard is not on duty a school crossing is the same as any other intersection. Pedestrians must wait for a safe gap in traffic to complete their crossing. Understanding the Crossing Guard Three-Whistle System Please understand and discuss the three-whistle system with your children: 1. The Crossing Guard blows the first whistle to enter the roadway. All traffic must stop and wait outside the crosswalk. 2. The Guard blows the second whistle once all vehicles have stopped. It is now safe for school children and parents to cross with caution. 3. The Guard blows the third whistle once the school children have crossed safely, and the Guard has returned to the sidewalk. Drivers may now continue on their way.