Boxwood Public School

30 Boxwood Crescent, Markham, Ontario L3S 3P7

(905) 294-5563 fax (905) 294-1452

www.boxwood.ps@yrdsb.ca

Principal: Dane Prince

Superintendent: Becky Green

Trustee: Juanita Nathan (416) 885-3479

Principal’s Message

Our Boxwood Touchstone

At Boxwood, we are active participants in our own learning and we persevere to reach our goals. We

recognize our own success and the successes of those around us. We are responsible for what we say

and how we act. We treat others the way we want to be treated. We celebrate the diversity of our

community.

Boxwood Update As you all know, like all areas of life, schools have been significantly affected by Covid-19. To name a few changes,

we have slightly more than half our population at school, staff and students are wearing masks, students play in

specific zones in smaller cohort groups, desks are spaced out, and we are sanitizing our hands, surfaces (e.g., door

handles) and equipment on a frequent basis. We have also had to shut down two classes for a short period of time

due to positive Covid-19 cases. In both of these cases, there was no transmission of the virus at school, and the

few individuals that tested positive were exposed outside of school.

While we have had these uncomfortable changes, there have also been more positive aspects to students attending

school in the face-to-face model. Students get to learn directly from their teacher, students are able to socialize

with each other in person, they have the opportunity to learn with each other, they get exercise at recess within

their cohort groups. Overall, students have maintained some normalcy in their daily lives.

That being said, we fully understand that online learning is simply a much needed option for some families. These

students have been assigned a teacher, and they are conducting their studies online with a group of students from

various schools. They are learning innovative ways to learn and collaborate with each other (e.g., Google Meet).

They are following a schedule that is similar to what they would be following at school, and from my conversations

with some EVS parents, they are engaging students in activities to keep them active. EVS parents and students are

continually adjusting to this new way of learning

My reason for discussing this is that as shared with you in a recent email from the board, in January 2021, they will

share a School Model Change Request Form for families requesting a change. Only families requesting a school model change will need to complete this form. The deadline to submit your school model

change request will be communicated in January. Staff will continue to work diligently to provide the best

program for each child and to maintain the reduced cohort class size in face-to-face classrooms. There is no

correct answer for this decision. Families need to consider all of the factors and determine the best option for

their child and family. Families have different circumstances (e.g., older relatives living with them) they need to

consider. All that I can say is that whichever option you choose, the staff will work to provide meaningful learning

experiences for our students.

December 2020 &

January, 2021

Message from Our Trustee

Message from Our Trustee Dear families, I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and well. 2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways, and the global pandemic has affected individuals and families in different ways. I want to reassure you that we continue to work closely with York Region Public Health and to prioritize the health and well-being of our students, staff members and families. It continues to be important that we adhere to the health and safety measures in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. You can learn more about what schools are doing at www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening. While we have seen cases in some of our schools, we continue to work with public health to respond quickly, identify cohorts that need to self-isolate as a precautionary measure and take all appropriate measures. I want to thank all of our students, families and staff members for their diligence in adhering to the public health recommendations and health and safety measures in place in our schools. One of our priorities in our Multi-Year Strategic Plan is to foster well-being and mental health. As a result of the pandemic, many of us are facing changes and new challenges that can take a toll on our mental health. It is more important than ever that we check in on one another and practice self-care. There are mental health resources for students and families on our Board website that address the unique nature of our current situation. You can also find information about our Mental Health and Addiction Strategy and the work we are doing in schools to pro-mote positive mental health and provide support for students.

While there are challenges, we also continue to have so many reasons to feel positive. Our stu-dents continue to impress us with their kindness, creativity, innovation, resilience, courage and perseverance. Visit us on YouTube at YRDSBMedia to see just some of these stories. In the coming weeks and months, many of our students and families will be celebrating days of significance and holidays, and I wish you all the very best for the season. While we may be cel-ebrating a little differently this year, I hope everyone has a safe and happy winter break and we look forward to welcoming students back into our in-person and virtual schools in January. Juanita Nathan Trustee, Markham, Wards 7 and 8

Learning @ Boxwood At Boxwood, we have been learning and using learning goals and success criteria to support our

students’ learning. Learning goals are statements that communicate what students are learning.

Success criteria are statements that tell students what they need to be able to do to be successful.

One the next few pages, please see some examples of this and other work that students are doing

here.

Join us for

Boxwood P.S’ Winter Break

Family Fitness Challenge

Complete the following activities during the winter break as a family.

Go on a walk Have a games night (board games or cards) or play one of these at this link

Build a snowman (get

creative if there is no snow)

Go tobogganing (or a

bike ride if there is no snow)

Build a snow fort Choose one of these

workouts to do together Complete this Outdoor

Scavenger Hunt Watch a TV show and

do jumping jacks during every commercial break

Family Workout

Try one of these workouts together!!!

Would you Rather?

(CTRL + CLICK)

(CTRL + CLICK)

Family Games Night!

Play one (or some) of these games together as a family! Everything you need is on the game link! Have fun!!! (CTRL + CLICK on the images)

Family Games Night Cont’d!

Here are some more games that your family can play together. (CTRL + CLICK on the images

Student Safety!

Our most important, collective responsibility is student safety. It is tremendously

important for us to follow safe practices when students are being dropped off and

picked up. I understand that we all lead busy lives, but we can’t be too busy to

follow safe practices to keep our students safe in our community. Here are some

reminders of practices that are expected in our Boxwood community:

Follow the directions of the crossing guard at all times

Please do not drop your kids off in the parking lot unless you

are escorting them in the building. We have had some close

calls with students running across the lane as we send cars

along! Students need to go to the crossing guard before

crossing

Make sure students exit the car fully before attempting to drive off

In the Kiss and Ride area, stay in the line.-up We have had many

close calls with parents attempting to drive around cars in the lane

Drive up as far as possible in the Kiss and Ride. This allows more

people to enter this area.

As long as you are in the Kiss and Ride drop-off lane, you can let your children

out (they don’t need to be at the front).

Please be mindful of your speed when entering and exiting the kiss and ride

Only park in the accessible parking area if you have a disabled parking

permit.

Winter Weather

With winter weather already here, we want to share a few important reminders.

Dress for the weather

Students should come dressed appropriately for the weather and for outdoor play. Students can stay

warm by wearing layers of loose-fitting clothing, a hat, scarf, jackets, snow pants and mittens or gloves.

Students may also want to bring extra pants and socks in case they get wet. Please be advised that snow

is not a reason for students to stay inside during recess or to come inside early in the morning.

Recess

If students are well enough to come to school, they are expected to go outside for recess. Our students

benefit from spending time outside and being active. We monitor weather conditions throughout the

day. If there are extreme weather conditions (e.g., colder than –15 degrees), we may consider a

shortened or indoor recess.

Bus or School Cancellations

When an extreme cold or inclement weather day is declared, school transportation (including bus-

es and taxis) is cancelled in the morning and afternoon. Our policy has changed so that on these days,

our school will be closed to students. Teachers will post work on their Google Classroom for your

child to do on inclement weather days.

There may be rare instances when emergency weather events occur and we need to close all

schools and Board locations. Please take the time to make plans in the event of an emergency school

closure. Information about transportation cancellations and Board closures will be shared through local

media, Board and school website and on twitter @YRDSB.

Our process for extreme cold, inclement weather and emergency weather days are outlined in the

Board’s policy (ctrl + click) which has been recently updated and is available for public comment. Seek-

ing feedback from staff and community members, including parents/guardians, is an important part of the

review process. All policies available for comment are sent to school council chairs and are posted on

the Board website, along with information about how to provide feedback.

Parents, students and school staff are asked to access local radio and

television stations after 6:00 a.m. to receive bus cancellation

information. A bus cancellation message will also be available at

School Bus City and 1-877-330-3001 or by following the

YRDSB on Twitter.

Holiday Break

The staff at Boxwood P.S. would like to wish all of our families a wonderful winter

break. During this holiday season, some families have and will observe different

celebrations like Christmas, Chanukah, Mawlid al-Nabi, and Kwanzaa. Although this

holiday season will be different from other years, we wish all our families a

wonderful winter break and a fantastic New Year! We hope that it will be filled with

good times, relaxation, laughter, and cheer with family. Our last day of school before

the break is Friday, December 18th. We look forward to seeing

our students again on Monday, January 4th, 2021. Be safe!

The Importance of Eating a Healthy Lunch

A good lunch benefits a student by giving them the energy to remain alert during class time. This is true whether the student is in elementary

school, high school, college, or university. As long as the student avoids a heavy midday meal, which can cause lethargy and sleepiness, a healthy

lunch helps maintain peak academic performance. Make lunch even more beneficial by choosing foods based on their nutritional benefits

Good choices for a student's lunch include raw vegetables, whole grains and lean meat or other protein sources. Include a light ranch dressing for vegetable dipping, and fill whole grain breads

packed with protein. Students should avoid empty calories found in junk foods and snacks with high sugar or fat content. Also, stay away from fat- and sodium-laden fast foods, and drink plenty

of water with lunch.

While I see some very healthy lunches, there are still some lunches that are can be more healthy. This includes cake and chips serving

as a lunch. I am looking forward to more healthy lunches. If you

are interested, see some ideas for lunch using the URL below:

https://www.modernhoney.com/back-to-school-kids-

lunch-ideas/

*It is also important to know that we are not running our snack program this year due

to Covid-19 so it is very important that you pack your child a good snack and lunch!

Monday Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1 2

3

4

7

8

9 OUTDOOR EDUCATION

CENTRE VISITING

BOXWOOD—

MS. FORTH ‘S CLASS

10 OUTDOOR

EDUCATION CENTRE

VISITING

BOXWOOD—

MS. SEN ‘S CLASS

11 OUTDOOR

EDUCATION

CENTRE VISITING

BOWOOD—

MR. ROMANESE &

MS. RILEY’S CLASS

14 OUTDOOR

EDUCATION CENTRE

VISITING

BOXWOOD—

MS. BEECH’S CLASS

Wear your best

holiday character

day

15 VIRTUAL PARENT

COUNCIL MEETING @

7PM

Wear your best

holiday socks day!

16

Dress like a snowman

or ugly holiday

sweater day

17

Wear your

favourite holiday-

colour day

18

LAST DAY OF

SCHOOL

Voluntary Pyjama

Day

21

22 23 24 25

28

29 30 31

Upcoming Dates:

January 4th—Back to School!

January 15th—P.A. Day

December 2020

Winter Break

Monday Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1

4

5

6

7

8

11 12 13 14 15

NO SCHOOL

18

19 20

21

22

25

26 27

28

29

Upcoming Dates:

February 1st - P.A. Day — (No School)

February 12th — Lunar New Year February15th — Family Day (No School)

January 2021

Winter Break