Greenbriar

Middle School SPECIAL EDITION

NEWSLETTER

December 2016

Holiday Message To all the Greenbriar community Our Director of Education, Tony Pontes has noted that, “During this holiday season, it’s important that we recognize and celebrate all holy days, including Christmas. So yes, you can say Merry Christmas and have a Christmas tree—just as you can also say Happy Chanukah, Blessed Bodhi Day, Happy Yule or Happy Kwanza!” On behalf of all the staff at Greenbriar Middle school, we wish you and your families a Happy Holiday and much success in 2017. Winter Break: Monday, December 26th, 2016 to Friday, January 6th, 2017

Superintendent: Ms N. Jaiswal

School Trustee: Ms C. Andrews

Principal: Ms M. Mulhern Vice-Principal: Mrs. C. Sciamanna

Office Manager: Mrs. P. Baird

Office Assistant: Mrs. L. MacKenzie

Trustee message for December Carrie Andrews It’s hard to believe that winter break is almost here! Time certainly flies and it’s hard to believe that we are already in the month of December. As we wind down for the winter holidays, it’s important to reflect on how much has been accomplished so far in the 2016-17 school year. In my role as board trustee, I have had the pleasure of visiting schools and seeing how staff and students inspire hope. From fundraising for the Terry Fox Run, United Way Giving Day and Hurricane Matthew to coming together to share how we #ChooseAction, we all have the ability to unite for common cause and help others in need. I am proud to see how many students and staff working together to inspire success, confidence and hope, each and every day. This holiday season, I encourage you to lend a helping hand, whether it is a kind gesture, a simple hello or a random act of kindness. These small actions can make a huge impact on those around us. Thank you to students, staff and community members for your hard work during the first few months of school. Have a safe, fun-filled and relaxing winter break! Carrie Andrews Wards 7/8 Trustee

Friendly Reminder:

Winter Break: Monday, December 26th, 2016 to Friday, January 6th, 2017 See you back to school on Monday, January 9th!

School Life and Student Reminders

BREAKFAST CLUB We are pleased to announce that the Breakfast Club has been extremely

successful since the beginning of November.

This month, with the support of our Community Partner YMCA, we

have served breakfast to 600 students. So, beginning Monday

December 5th/2016 the Breakfast Club was made available to all

students Monday- Friday from 7:45am-8:10am.

Breakfast Club is offered at no cost to students, so we hope that during this

Holiday Season you can support this initiative by making a donation to our

Greenbriar Breakfast Club.

Acceptable Donations (Following The Nutrition Guidelines)

Plastic Cutlery, napkins, small zip-lock bags

Cereal Boxes, Muffin Mixes, Granola Bars

Monetary Donations (please, contact Main Office)

To ensure a balanced and nutritious breakfast, we will be following the

Canadian Nutrition Guidelines. Some of the items that we will be

providing students are bagels, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and yogurt.

Fruits & Vegetables: We will be serving whole

fruits and vegetables as much as possible.

Grain Products: We will be serving whole grain

or whole wheat items. As well, our aim is to have

a limit of no more than 8 grams of sugar per

serving (e.g., granola bars, cereals, and baked

goods).

Dairy Products: We will be serving yogur ts

with reduced sugar.

Meat & Alternatives: We will not be serving

deli meats or cured meats.

*When considering donations, please note that

Greenbriar is a peanut free school.*

Pizza Days are Wednesdays for

those who have pre-ordered and pre-paid:

December 7

December 14

December 21

Order Forms for January were sent home

December 8th.

For GRADE 8 Students

My Blueprint Course Verification Form will be sent

home for Parents/Guardians to review and sign.

All Verification Forms MUST be returned back to your

child’s teacher by Friday, December 16, 2016.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact

your child’s Home Room Teacher, their Support

Teacher or the Guidance Counsellor.

JOB OPENING Applications are being accepted for

Lunchroom Supervisor positions at

Greenbriar for the 2016-2017 school year.

Lunchroom Supervisor duties include the

supervision of students both indoors and

outdoors for 1 hour each day. This is a paid

position with the requirement of a daily

commitment from 10:56 am – 11:56 am.

If you are interested in this position, you are

invited to attend the school to pick up an

application. Successful candidates will

require a Criminal Record Check and 3

references.

During the Month of December, Greenbriar will show “Caring” for people and our Community by running the Me to We

Fundraiser. Please, participate!

Food Drive for the Peel Region Outreach Program · Students are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items from December 1 – December 14 (the food items will be

picked up on December 14)

· Food items can be brought to the front foyer each morning right after announcements where they will be stored in boxes

under the Christmas tree; members of Me to We will tally the number of items brought in by each homeroom

· The class with the highest average number of donations per student will be rewarded with a pizza party the last week before

the break

Candy Gram Sales (proceeds will go to the Peel Region Outreach Program) · Candy gram sales (50 cents/candy cane) will take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from November 30 until

December 21 · students can buy Candy Grams (for their friends) at 11:20 am, on their way out for recess

· Candy grams will be delivered to homerooms the day after purchase

Extracurriculars

Prevent the flu.

It’s in your hands

Hand washing is the most important way to prevent the spread of infection. Always wash your hands with soap

and water when they are dirty.

Clean your hands before touching your eyes, nose or mouth, touching/prepar ing food or dr inks, eating

or drinking, caring for someone in your home who can easily get sick (baby, elderly or someone who has an

unhealthy immune system) or first aid.

Clean your hands after touching pets or other animals, touching raw meat, par ticular ly chicken, touch-

ing surfaces such as a railing or grocery cart, touching money, touching objects sick people have touched,

touching blood or body fluids such as urine, vomit or feces, contact with those who have a cold, the flu, diar-

rhea or virus of any kind, changing diapers, wiping your own or a child’s nose, sneezing or coughing, using a

facial tissue, using the washroom, removing gloves, cleaning or gardening.

What to do when you cough or sneeze cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve, put used

tissues in the wastebasket, clean your hands with soap and water or a hand sanitizer.

For more information call Peel Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

Student Safety Safe Arrival System To report your child’s absence, call, visit or download:

CALL: 1-855-209-6155

VISIT: pdsb.schoolconnects.com

DOWNLOAD the SafeArrival mobile app for Apple and

Android users. Planned absences should be reported in

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH (October)

Gr 6 Girls: Angelina 601; Kylie 601

Gr 6 Boys: Gurwattan 604; Aavi 604

Gr 7 Girls: Keisha Nova 704; Arya 902

Gr 7 Boys: Shivam 701; Jaskirat 703

Gr 8 Girls: Mevini 803; Nyawa 801

Gr 8 Boys: Jatan 801; Justin 806

Many congratulations to both the Senior Boys and

Girls teams for making it to the NPPHEA quarter final

stage. Coaches Barth, Rambo, Palka and Todd are truly

appreciative of your progress and effort. The Junior

Volleyball teams host the upcoming Division Three

tourney. Lunchtime volleyball intramurals continue.

Tryouts for the Senior Basketball teams and the

Badminton team are approaching. All players are

reminded to check the Phys-Ed bulletin board for

tryouts and practice schedules.

Greenbriar’s DANCE CLUB meets every Monday at lunch time.

Parking Lot safety

At Greenbriar, we take student safety very seriously. In that

respect, we have noticed an increasing volume of vehicles in

the parking lot of the Greenbriar Recreation Centre during the

morning entry and afternoon dismissal routines. We urge

parents and guardians avoiding using the parking lot and drop

students off at Greenbriar Recreation Centre.

Thank you for cooperation.

Free Volleyball Clinics

We wanted to invite your children to a

four-day volleyball skills development

clinic that is running at Chinguacousy

S.S. during the second week of winter

holidays. This clinic is for boys and girls

in grades 6 through 9. Please register at

http://www.tinyurl.com/chingvballclinic

Help your teen plan for grade 9 course selections for 2017-18 Soon, current grade 8 students will select their courses for grade 9. Before they do, we want to ensure that they have the opportunity to consult with their teachers, guidance counsellor, if applicable, and their parents. As our partners, families are encouraged to help prepare their teens for course selection. We encourage you to become familiar with the process by creating a myBlueprint account. Every parent and student (grades 7-12) can have access to myBlueprint features such as:

High School – plan courses, track progress toward graduation, and instantly identify post-secondary eligibility for opportunities in every pathway

Post-Secondary– compare detailed information on apprenticeships, college programs, university programs and workplace sectors

Who Am I – complete surveys (including Learning Styles, Myers-Briggs Personality, Holland Interests, Knowledge, Motivations, and Compatibility)

Portfolios – create several portfolios (e.g. Career Portfolio) and share them with parents, teachers, or future employers. It’s simple to add work you have completed in myBlueprint or add pictures and videos

Job Search – find real-world job and volunteering postings that relate to occupations of interest

Goals – add interactive SMART goals and action plans

Resumes & Cover Letters – record experiences, build a resume, write a cover letter

Occupations – compare comprehensive information on occupations

Money – build a budget to track income and expenses Additionally, parents/guardians and students can review the Chart Your Course document , Peel District School Board’s common course calendar (found at www.makingmyway.ca). This guide will help you understand the course selection process and provide infor-mation on the courses and programs offered in Peel secondary schools. The grade 9 course selection process will be open from Nov. 14 to Dec.2, 2016. If you have questions or are looking for course sugges-tions, please contact your teen’s teachers or guidance counsellor.

Peel Board News

*NEW* Community Corner

Stay up-to-date with community-based opportunities

The Peel District School Board is pleased to introduce an electronic resource page on www.peelschools.org

called, Community Corner, which contains links to information and resources in the community that may be

of interest to students and their families.

How you can access Community Corner:

Visit www.peelschools.org/parents/communitycorner

Click on the “Community Corner” button, found on the main page of school websites, as well as on

www.peelschools.org.

A Parent's Guide to High School

Get ready for what could be the most exciting and important years your teen spends in school. For the first

time, teens will have to make choices about what they will study and what career pathway to choose.

Whatever path your teen chooses, we want to make sure your entire family is ready to meet the challenges

and embrace the many opportunities that await your teen upon graduation. Our Parent’s Guide to High

School will provide you with a snapshot of what you need to know to help your teen be successful. To view

the online booklet, visit www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild/parentguide.

It's time to register children born in 2013 for kindergarten We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2013, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2017. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register during Feb. 6 to 9, 2016. Visit Eastbourne, Goldcrest, Grenoble or Jefferson Public Schools from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 6, 7, 8 and 9 and from 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 9.

A number of other specialized programs that extend beyond the regular curriculum are available to Peel high school students. Learn more: Co-operative Education Program Dual Credit Programs Explore High Skills Extended French/French Immersion For more information about program information nights, busing, fees and the application process/dates, contact the school or visit www.peelschools.org/RegionalPrograms.

Regional Learning Choices Programs offered by the Peel District School Board empower students by providing them with opportunities to develop and explore skills in a particular area of interest. Regional programs are open to all students who meet the criteria for acceptance. Students and their families are encouraged to attend the information night for the program of their choice to receive more information about the program and application details. Transportation is not provided for students in regional programs. If students have been accepted into a regional program and they live within the school boundary, they are eligible for busing only if they meet the distance criteria outlined in the board’s Transportation Policy #39. All regional programs include annual fees, including an $40 application fee for all regional programs. The application process for secondary regional programs opens Nov. 9, 2016. Application dates for mid-dle school programs vary from school to school.

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Peel Region High Performers Program Regional Co-operative Education Programs Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Programs

Programs Starts in grade: 6 7 9

Actively in Motion (AIM) – Royal Orchard MS

Advanced Placement – Central Peel SS, John Fraser SS

Arts – Earnscliffe Sr. PS (starts in grade 6), Queen Elizabeth Sr. PS (starts in grade 7), Cawthra Park SS, Mayfield SS

Arts and Technology – Morning Star MS

Graphic Design Management – Gordon Graydon Memorial SS

International Baccalaureate – Bristol Rd. MS, WG Davis Sr. PS, Erindale SS, Glenforest SS, Harold M. Brathwaite SS, Turner Fenton SS

International Business and Technology – Allan A. Martin Sr. PS, Lisgar MS, Williams Pkwy Sr. PS, Gordon Graydon Memorial SS, Meadowvale SS, North Park SS

International and Executive Leadership Academy – TL Kennedy SS

SciTech – Centennial Sr. PS, Macville PS, Tomken Rd. MS, Chinguacousy SS, Port Credit SS

Sports – Applewood Heights SS

Strings – Central Peel SS, Port Credit SS

Truck and Coach Engineering and Technology – Bramalea Secondary School

Immunization for Gr. 7’s + 8’s — JAN 13, 2017 Peel Public Health has begun its annual immunization record review process. Letters will be sent directly to students who have incomplete records. Updated lists of affected students will be sent periodically to schools. Schools will be contacted directly by Peel Public Health with instructions and support materials. Suspensions will begin in February/March 2017. Please update your child’s immunization records to avoid inconveniences. Next clinic date is January 13, 2017.

Your Voice Counts The Your Voice Counts (YVC) survey will be open to staff, students (grades 4 to 12), and parents/guardians in March of 2017. The purpose of the survey is to help inform school success planning by answering the ques-tion, What do staff,students, and parents/guardians think about their school? The survey consists of 47 ques-tions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete online. The YVC survey will be open from March 1, 2017 – April 30, 2017, so please mark your calendars!

As you know, how instructional time is used is extremely important to students' success. Of late, we have had frequent requests to interrupt classrooms for a variety of reasons. These distractions negatively impact the quality of instruction. I would respectfully request that where possible, you make every effort to arrange appointments for students after school hours (8:20 am to 2:20 pm), so that students do not need to be called down to the office. Alternatively, please send a note to the homeroom teacher, requesting that the student be dismissed at a particular time. In this case, students can make their way to the office at the pre-arranged time. As well, I ask that parents/guardians do not call the school to request to speak with students unless there is an emergency. If a message needs to be relayed to a student, it will be passed along during a lunch break or after school. Fewer interruptions to classes during instruction will support all students and their learning. I very much appreciate your attention to this matter. Thank you.

Friendly reminder from the Principal...

From the Library… The Forest of Reading program will begin this month. Greenbriar students will have the opportunity to participate in this Canada-wide reading program. We have lots of titles available. Something for every reader and every interest. Students will read the books and then vote on their favourites. The program culminates in a huge event at the PowerAde Center in the spring.

Classes will be visiting the library during the early part of December to learn about how the program works. Then sign out of Forest of Reading material will begin in the last week before Winter Break. Encourage kids to participate!!!

Dental Screening for Gr. 8’s — JAN 12, 2017 A dental screening is a quick assessment by a Registered Dental Hygienist who will take a look inside the child’s mouth . If a child is identified, a form will be sent home and the parent may be contacted by a dental staff member. A re-screening may be required. If you DO NOT want your child to be screened, please visit http://www.peelregion.ca/dental/schoolscreening/ or call 905-799-7700 extension 5622 by January 11, 2017.

School Life

School Success

This month the Greenbriar staff was represented at the launch of the Peel school board’s math professional learning network by Ms.

Mulhern, Mr. Green, Ms. Ma, Ms. Maharaj and Ms. Stecko. Concepts covered that day were shared with each grade level during two

days of professional development back at Greenbriar. We explored learning goals that reflect the Ontario curriculum expectations.

When success criteria are based on those learning goals and the students are familiar with these criteria, then our students will be

aware of what the target is and have a better chance to succeed. For example:

Learning goal (from the Ontar io Mathematics Curr iculum, Grade 7 Number Sense and Numeration): W e are learning to

represent, compare, and order numbers, including integers.

Thinking

Use of:

Planning skills

Processing skills

Critical/creative thinking processes

I can come up with a series of steps to solve

the problem

I can pick an appropriate method to solve

the problem

I can find more than one way to solve the

problem, if possible

I can restate the problem in my own words

I checked and my answer makes sense

School Council

Join our school council

Share your ideas

Our next School Council meeting is Monday, December 19th. All parents/guardians are welcome. Please note: at our De-

cember 19th School Council meeting, there will be an opportunity for parents to give feedback on the revised Greenbriar

Student Awards Criteria. Please, plan to attend and provide feedback in this process.

Our School Council Chair for the 2016-2017 School Year is Mrs. E. Hutchison. If you would like to know more or are

interested in joining our council, or to connect with our School Council please

e-mail Mrs. Hutchison at greenbriarsnrps.council@peelsb.com

Future Meeting Dates (at 6:00 pm) December 19th February 13th May 15th

Greenbriar Awards As you know, Greenbriar has a long standing tradition of providing deserving students with awards. My

understanding is that the current awards program was initiated in 2002. As reflective practitioners we examine

existing practices with a view to continually improve and enhance them. Our climate committee has been

working on revisiting the existing awards, articulating some clear criteria for each of the awards, potentially

retiring some awards, re-naming some and also possibly adding others to the mix.

Our goal is to increase our own understanding of who qualifies for the award; be transparent with all

stakeholders; and increase all students' access to the awards which will increase inclusion and equity. It is

important for all students in our learning community to have access to awards that are given.

As you know, thoughtfully establishing criteria takes time. The climate committee has been involved in several

meetings to do this work. At a later date we will be inviting students' contributions and share the updated

information with parents and other members of our School Community.

Success

Criteria:

Acknowledgements / Student Leadership

WEB Leaders are currently preparing for our annual Funapalooza Event for Friday December 23rd. They

are helping teachers organize a variety of fun activities to promote school spirit and to start the Winter

Break on a high note.

For Anti-Bullying Awareness Week, WEB leaders worked with staff to prepare anti-bullying announce-

ments and shared them during morning announcements. Two of our WEB leaders did a fantastic job read-

ing the announcements!

WEB Leaders and students from 802 have also helped deliver pizza and milk orders this month. They have

been a huge assistance to the school community.

Thank you to all the Greenbriar staff, students, parents and volunteers who helped make each pizza day run

smoothly!

FINLAYSON FIELD TRIP for the Grade 7’s

STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF PEEL REGION (STOPR) BUS CANCELLATIONS/SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO BAD WEATHER 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL YEAR

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather. Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio and television stations listed below and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org and www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146. VIRGIN RADIOFM99.9 CHUM AM1050 CFTR AM680 CFNY FM102.1/AM640 CJCL AM590 CHFI FM98.1 NEWSTALK1010 AM EZ ROCK FM97.3 CJBC (FR) AM860 FM Z103.5 FM93.1 FM Q107 CHIN FM100.7/AM1540 CBC99.1 CITYPULSE GLOBAL NEWS CTV BREAKFAST TELEVISION One of the following messages will be announced (highlighted text only): Peel District School Board buses are cancelled. This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual. All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed. This means that all schools and Board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits. All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed. All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. This means that all activities in schools and Board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

Useful Info

Greenbriar Middle School

1140 Central Park Drive

Brampton ON L6S 2C9

905-791-2332

Coming up in January

Jan. 9: Return to School

Jan. 12: Gr 8 Dental Screening

Jan. 13: Immunization Clinic

Jan. 23: PD Day (report card writing)

December 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

7pm: Gr 8 Band and Choir performing at Chinguacousy SS

2 3

4 5 6 7

Pizza Day

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

Pizza Day

15 16 17

18 19

6pm School Council mtg

20 21

Pizza Day

22

8:45am Winter Arts Showcase and “Caring” Assembly

23

PM: Funapalooza

24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Winter Christmas Break — Return to school on January 9th

Our Christmas Assembly (Winter Arts Showcase + “Caring”

Assembly) will be held on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22nd at

8:45 am (NOT Friday, Dec 23rd as originally announced).