1. Healthcare

Little Falls Public School
Heron Happenings February 2015
Helen Brockman - Principal
Kerry Carlyle - Vice-Principal
25 Lindsay Atkinson Drive
P.O. Box 1300 St. Marys, Ontario N4X 1B6
Telephone 519-284-3615 Fax 519-284-2193
Web: littlefalls.amdsb.ca
Principal’s Message
One Act of Kindness Can Warm Three Winter Months
February is a month dedicated to kindness and caring. This month we are going to focus on
random acts of kindness. All through the year we have volunteers who are involved with
reading, fundraising, chaperoning, coaching, snack programs, driving and lunch orders. If you
want to become involved in any of the events at school, please call us.
It certainly does take a whole village to raise a child and we are so
lucky to have such a kind and caring community. Imagine what a
harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old,
shared a little of what he or she is good at doing.
Love Mrs. Brockman and Ms. Carlyle
Monthly Character Attribute: Perseverance
Perseverance is staying purposeful and committed. It means sticking to a task no matter how
long it takes, or what obstacles may appear.
Our Mission
Learners Today Leaders Tomorrow
We strive to ensure that all students achieve their potential, academically and socially.
School Safety
In response to the Ministry of Education’s Safe Schools initiative, Little Falls has been outfitted
with an intercom/monitor. All school doors will be locked at all times. If you wish to enter the
school, please come to the front doors, use the intercom and we will buzz you in. Upon entry
please report to the office. Thank you for making our school a safer place to learn.
Staffing
Ms. Kendra Bain is filling in for Ms. Thurston.
Helmets
We are fortunate to have access to a fabulous skating facility at the Pyramid Recreation
Centre. Our Community Partners at the Rec Centre mandate the wearing of helmets at all
times on the ice; strongly recommending the use of CSA approved hockey helmets.
Social Media
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool. It's a free media channel where we can promote,
share, and celebrate just some of the many happenings that take place at Little Falls P.S..
We can showcase our learning, initiatives and amazing students and staff. We can share links
to interesting and thought provoking articles in order to challenge ourselves to continually ask
questions. We can communicate important messages in an instant and model positive social
media use to our students.
Please be sure to follow Little Falls PS Twitter Account - @LittleFallsPS, for regular postings
and updates about our amazing school community. Little Falls also has a Facebook Page so
be sure to ‘Like’ us to see what is happening!
Thank You
Thank you to the Stratford Community Foundation for their grant to our Forest School Program
in the amount of $4,500.00. This grant came from the Isabell and Annie Chesterfield Trust
Fund. Your support is greatly appreciated. Also, a thank you to The Ford Drive for Education
Program which raised $3,000.00 for our Forest School. Thanks to the community for
participating and a special thanks to St. Mary’s Ford Mercury for organizing this fundraising
event to benefit our program.
Reminders
Little Falls Allergy Reduced Policy
Little Falls School makes every attempt to be a nut-safe school (hazelnuts, almonds,
walnuts, peanuts, etc.) to protect the health of students who have severe allergies.
Students must not bring any food products to school for snacks, lunches or group
treats that contain nuts or have been exposed to nut oil. Because of asthma and other
related respiratory problems, all of our education buildings are fragrance safe.
Please check all labels of food that you send to school!
Kindergarten Registration Round Up
Spring is coming and so is another chance to register your 3 or 4 year
old child for Kindergarten in September. Our Kindergarten
Registration Round Up is coming to your region in early March. If you
missed our registration in November you are invited to come in! It will
be a great opportunity for your child to get first-hand experience in a
real play based learning kindergarten classroom, while you complete
the registration. We are holding the Kindergarten Registration Round
Up at five locations beginning on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at Listowel
Eastdale Public School. All five Open House Drop-in events will begin 4:30 in the afternoon
and wrap at 7:30 p.m. so drop by whenever you can. The second session will be held on
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at Bluewater Coast Elementary School in Hensall, then Upper
Thames Elementary on Thursday, March 5, 2015. The fourth session will be at Clinton Public
School on Monday, March 9, 2015 and the final Open House will be at Hamlet Public School in
Stratford on Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
These are regional events where children and families can see and feel what a real
kindergarten class is like. Everyone is welcome to attend any of the five Open House Drop-in
events and no pre-registration is required. However, if you are unable to bring your child to one
of these fun filled round up sessions, you can still register them for September by contacting us
at Little Falls Public School @ 519-284-3615.
To see more about Avon Maitland's Full Day Kindergarten program we invite you to check out
this YouTube video: http://youtu.be/3MXyCrWPgBs
Wintery Weather - Is Little Falls Closed
Get the Latest on School or School Bus Delays or Cancellations:
- Visit the school website (littlefalls.amdsb.ca)
- Visit www.ourschoolbuses.ca
- Listen to CJCS 1240am radio station
- Visit www.cjcsradio.com
- Follow LittleFallsPS Twitter account
- Receive RSS feeds on your home computer, email program, or smart phone
(visit www.ourschoolbuses.ca to set up, or email [email protected] for
more information)
Please note: If buses are cancelled, but the school is still open, you must advise the school if
your child will be absent if they are not a bus student! As part of our Safe Arrival Program,
we must confirm the whereabouts of all children if the school is open.
If They’re Sick, Keep Them Home!
If your child has vomited, or had diarrhea, they must remain home for 24 hours from the time
of the last incident! This helps prevent other children in the school from becoming ill. If your
child is unable to go outside at recess due to illness, please do not send them to school with a
request to stay indoors during recess. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate these
requests.
Brrr.... It’s cold outside....
Congratulations to the students at Little Falls who have been dressing well for
the weather! Decisions regarding outdoor play time are made with a number
of factors in mind. The most important factor is student safety. If the
temperature outside is below -25C, whether this includes wind chill or not, the
students will not be playing outside. If the temperature is approaching this
threshold, we may offer a shortened recess. Feel free to give us a call if you
have any questions regarding these decisions.
Equity and Inclusion Events
Little Falls ‘Me to We’ – Big Dreams School Building Campaign
The Me to We group has been very busy this year as we continue fundraising money to build a
school in a developing country. Through the used book sale, Change for Change Carnival,
and Anti-Bullying bracelet sales, we have raised $3,840.00 toward our $10,000 goal. Our next
fundraising effort is our Show the Love event. Brave staff members have volunteered to get a
pie in the face, wear silly costumes, receive makeovers by students, eat chocolate covered
crickets, get taped to a wall, or take a polar dip if enough money is collected in their individual
jars. Starting on Monday, February 2, students have two weeks to fill jars with change. A
school-wide assembly on Thursday, February 12 will give students the opportunity to “Show
the Love” to teachers and school staff.
Also, during the week of February 9-13, the Me to We group will be selling We Are Love
buttons for $2 each.
All the money from both events goes to the Little Falls – Big Dreams School Building
Campaign. Thanks so much all the Little Falls families for your continued support of the
project!
Extracurricular
Lots of activities are happening this month! Students are involved in Reading Clubs, Friday
Sports Club, Knitting Club, Bridge Club, Chess Club, Lunch Bunch, Literacy Network,
Mindfulness Club, Brian’s Tuesday Sports, Floor Hockey, and Drumming.
Bridge Club
Congratulations to Ethan Brine, Justin Dill, Sarah Dyet, Alexis Fares & Emma Luyten for
coming in 1st, 2nd & 3rd at the Bridge Club Tournament at Holy Name of Mary School, St.
Marys. Thanks to the volunteer drivers and a special thanks to Bruce Symons and Hazel
Hewitt for mentoring our bridge students.
Forest of Reading
Once again, students at Little Falls are invited to participate in the Blue Spruce, and Silver
Birch reading programs. These programs, organized by the Ontario Library Association,
encourage children to read Canadian fiction and non-fiction titles. Copies of each book
selection are available in our school library. Students reading at least 5 of the 10 books, by the
middle of April, are eligible to vote for their favourite title. Each student will also earn a
participation certificate. To see which books made the list, check out the web site at:
http://www.accessola.org and follow the links. These books are also available at the public
library.
Up and Coming Events
School Council/PIA
The next School Council/ PIA meeting will be held on Monday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Little Falls library. Once again School Council/PIA will be flipping up pancakes for all of our
students on Tuesday, February 17th. Bon appetite!
Open House for Grade 6 Students
St. Marys DVCI is having an Open House for our Grade 6 students going into Grade 7 in
September 2015. Please plan to attend on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, 6:15 – 8:15 p.m.
Forest School Parent Council
Forest School Parent Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 10th at 7:00 p.m. in
Room 130 at Little Falls Public School. All parents are welcome.
Family Day
Monday, February 16th is Family Day. The school will be closed.
Enjoy the day!
Report Cards
Report cards for Grades 1 to 6 will be coming home on February 19, 2015.
Community News
Sno-Pitch 2015 Tournament
On Saturday, February 28th the Sno-Pitch 2015 Tournament and Dance will take place in St.
Marys. This year the St. James Club and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
are partnering up to run this great long running event.
The Sno-Pitch tournament will consist of 30 teams playing games all day starting at about
9am. The cost of a team is $175 and a team is guaranteed 2 games and will receive 10 dance
tickets. Each time your team wins a game you will also receive a cash prize. Deadline for
teams is Friday, February 20th. Forms can be picked up at Stacey’s pizza in St. Marys or
contact Mike Richardson – [email protected] or 519-282-8995 or Barry Cookson –
[email protected] or 519-276-7029 for forms or more information.
The Sno-pitch dance will start at 9:00 p.m. The dance is open to non-tournament participants
as well and tickets are $8 in advance at the PRC or the Hall of Fame office and $10 at the
door. Remember, each team in the tournament receives 10 FREE dance tickets! You must be
at least 19 years old to attend the dance. For dance information contact Scott Crawford –
[email protected] or 519-284-1838.
http://www.baseballhalloffame.ca/email/link.php?M=11945&N=628&L=791&F=HBoth
events
take place at the Pyramid Recreation Centre in St. Marys at 317 James St. S.
http://www.baseballhalloffame.ca/email/link.php?M=11945&N=628&L=791&F=H
Do one event or do both events @. Just don’t miss it!
Family Activity Calendar
Attached is the February Family Activity Calendar. After this month Little Falls will not be
providing a copy with our newsletter but you will be able to find the information on the St.
Mary’s Public Library, the Museum and the Pyramid Recreation Centre (PRC) on the St.
Mary’s website http://stmarysmuseum.ca/calendars
Health Unit News
Below are the recommendations from public health for some common illnesses among schoolaged children and whether or not they can attend school.
Colds, Ear Infections, Fifth Disease, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
Your child can go to school unless they are not feeling well enough to take part in all school
activities.
Vomiting and Diarrhea
There are many causes for vomiting and diarrhea. Some can be easily passed on to others, so
your child should remain off school for 24 hours after the last vomiting or diarrhea incident.
Rash with a Fever
Keep them home from school until the fever and rash are gone, unless a doctor has stated that
the illness is not contagious.
Chickenpox
Your child will need to stay off school until all lesions (spots) are crusted over, which is usually
about five days. Chickenpox vaccine is recommended as part of the routine immunization
schedule.
Strep Throat and Impetigo
Keep your child home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.
Influenza
The flu is a serious respiratory infection and will require your child to stay home from school
until they are symptom-free or until 7 days after onset of symptoms if still symptomatic. A flu
shot is recommended every fall.
These are only a few illnesses that your child may get. If your child is ill and you are not sure if
they need to be off school or not, you can contact the school and ask them to refer you to the
Guide to Communicable Diseases for Schools about illness and the exclusion requirement.
Remember - Teach your Children to Wash their Hands!
Parenting Tips!
Build Independence:
• Give your child choices
• Encourage your child to solve their own problems
• Acknowledge your child’s efforts
• Encourage your child to seek resources outside the home
Build Self Esteem:
• Talk positively about your child
• Talk about your strengths and weaknesses
• Practice using encouraging “you can do it” phrases
• Look for opportunities for your child to shine
• Share memories of your child’s accomplishments (I remember when youR)
• Give your child your full attention in order to show they are worth it
• Play with your child and have fun together
• Show your child you enjoy spending time with them
• Find things you enjoy and do them together
Build Cooperation
Don’t break the rules
Do demonstrate the expectations
Expectations apply to everyone-when you need to make an exception, explain why.
Don’t be distracted
Do be consistent
House rules apply outside the home as well
Don’t yell
Do act
If a rule has a consequence, deliver it even if it inconveniences you.
Don’t own every problem
Do share the problem-solving
Encourage your child to take the lead in solving their problems.
Source: Psychology Foundation of Canada Parenting for Life program, 2008
Family
Activity
Calendar
St. Marys Public Library
Pyramid Recreation Centre (PRC):
Family Movie Night
Youth Dances
Grades 4 to 6—February 13 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
(Valentine’s—Wear Red & White)
Grades 6 to 8—February 27 from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
(No Theme)
Cost: $5.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door
February 23rd, 2015
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Join us for “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Day.” FREE POPCORN!
Tales for Tots
Tots in Motion
Mondays from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
$2/family if skating or swimming after (swim fees apply)
$4/family if not swimming or skating
Thursdays and Fridays
10:35-11:10 a.m.
Ages 0-3years
Join us for a free program full of songs and rhymes that will
delight young hearts and minds.
Keep a look-out for our March Break
programming!
Splash ‘n’ Kick, Catch A Flick
Ages 8 to 12
Fridays from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Cost: $10.00
St. Marys Museum
Youth Centre Hang Time - Grades 4 and up
Monday-Friday 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Monday-Thursday 6:00-8:30 p.m.
St. Marys Heritage Fair
Friday, February 20, 2015
7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.
Free Admission!
Exhibitors will include individuals, groups and
organizations with an interest in the rich history of this area.
This year’s theme is “Play. Endure. Inspire.” in honour of
the rich history of sports and leisure in St. Marys
FOLLOW US
for updates and more
Swim Lessons
Next round of lessons begin the first week of
February. Call Guest Services for schedule and
registration.
Save the date! Mass registration for spring lessons is
Saturday March 28 from 9-11 a.m.
Lessons begin the week of April 13.
February 2015
Contact Information:
St. Marys Public Library
15 Church St. N. Tel: 519-284-3346
[email protected]
www.stmaryspubliclibrary.ca
St. Marys Pyramid Recreation Centre
317 James St. S. Tel: 519-284-2160
[email protected]
www.townofstmarys.com
St. Marys Museum
177 Church St. S. Tel: 519-284-3556
[email protected]
www.stmarysmuseum.ca