Dear Morton Way Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I would like to thank the Morton Way Community for your outstanding support with our Move-a-thon! Our community support has been outstanding! Thanks to all the efforts we were able to raise over $6500! These funds will allow us to bring

wonderful experiences for our students to enjoy. Thank you!

Your community support was also greatly appreciated at our most recent Open House. Parents had opportunities to see classrooms, visit our book fair and gym. This was followed by our com-munity clean-up of the forest. Thanks to your efforts, we cleaned up bags and bags of garbage from our beautiful wooded park along the pathway. Did you know that some community members and students continued the clean up on the weekend? Amazing care for our community space. We think this will be an annual tradition at Morton Way! During Education Week we also saw

some amazing talent at Morton Way’s first talent show! Morton Way certainly has talent!

On May 10th, we invite parents and students to attend our Spring into Health Event. This is funded by our Parent Reaching Out Grant, and is being facilitated by our Community Health Nurse Sandrina Ntamwemezi and Settlement Worker Neelam Khan along with guest presenter Nutritionist, Melinda Edmonds. The event promises to be great fun, and hopefully helps those

who attend to learn healthy eating and healthy living habits that will last a lifetime.

It’s been a fun month of April for our students! We celebrated Day of Pink at the school to help support our efforts towards creating inclusive environments, our grade 4s and 5s started their swimming programs, and our Ukulele Kids program continues to produce wonderful music. We saw some crazy hairstyles on Wacky Hair and Hat day, and our Girls Squad club started with a

bang. There’s always something going on at Morton Way.

Welcome to Kindergarten Orientation for families will be held on May 17 at 9:00 and at 1:45. It is an exciting time to welcome our newest students to our school community! Remember, our

Parent and Family Literacy Centre is open daily from 9:00 -1:30 for children aged 0-4 years.

Our Spring Fair will be here on May 28th! Mark your calendars as this will be a truly amazing community experience. We will be sending home a letter and flyer as well as a pre-order enve-lope so you can purchase wrist bands for bouncy castles as well as Midway passes for games

and food! Be sure to keep the date free and stay tuned for more information!

With kind regards,

Vinita Mongia

Inside this issue:

Library and Phys. Ed.

News

Climate and Character

2

3

School Council and

Community Supports

Spring Fair

4

5

School Events

Asian Heritage Month

6

7

Peel Key Messages 8-9

Morton Way Reminders

Adult Education

10

11

Upcoming Events 12

Morton Way Public School Peel District School Board

200 Morton Way

Brampton, ON, L6Y 2P8

Tel : (905) 452-6116 Fax : (905) 452-9481

http://schools.peelschools.org/1510/Pages/default.aspx

t: @MortonWayPS

Principal: Vinita Mongia Superintendent: Adrian Graham

Vice Principal: Dan Elias School Trustee : Kathy McDonald

Office Manager: Cathey Spence Office Assistant: Annette Martino

May News 2016 8:30 Supervision Begins

8:40 Entry Bell

8:45 Classes begin

10:25 E Break Snack

10:45 E Break Outside

1:05 E Break Lunch

1:25 E Break Outside

3:05 Dismissal

Page 2 Library & Physical Education News

Book Fair a Smashing Success

We had another successful Scholastic Book Fair. We sold $4800 worth of books and stationary supplies! This overwhelming support has allowed us to choose $1600 worth of books for the library. Thank you to all of the families who supported our Book Fair!

On May 26th, many of our Grade 4 and 5 students will be attending the Forest of Reading Celebration at the Powerade Centre. They have showed a dedication to the Silver Birch reading program and will be there to hear who the winning authors are! It‟s going to be great fun!

Move-a-thon Fantastic! Our Move-a-thon was a big hit! On April 27th, each class got an opportunity to dance in the gym twice; they were dancing, they were smiling, and they raised a huge amount for the school! $6500 is nothing to sneeze at! Top earning students earned some great prizes and get to be Principal, Vice Principal or Gym Teacher for the day! Mrs. Mongia and Mr.

Elias also have some dancing to do—students stay tuned for the big day.

Thank you so much students for your hard work and effort in making the Move-a-thon such a fantastic success. A Morton Way tradition was continued, and it’s getting better

year by year!

Page 3 School Climate and Character

Character Education The Theme of the Month for May is HONESTY

At Morton Way, we teach and recognize character education on a daily basis in our classrooms as well as with a monthly focus on one theme. These themes are shared with you so they can be supported at home!

Respect Caring Cooperation Honesty

Responsible Inclusive

Monthly Assemblies with student character awards, will take place

on May 6th, June 30th at 8:55 AM

Education Week—Community Clean Up

Our community clean-up was a great success! Our school yard and community are now

spotless! On April 20th, parents came out to an open house to see the great work that

students had done; our bulletin boards were filled with student work and teachers had

great chats with the parent community. Afterwards, we all headed outside to do our part

to support Earth Week Initiatives to keep the community clean. Thanks for your help to

everyone who participated in our education week open house clean-up!

Page 4 School Council & Community Supports

School Council Corner:

Spring into Health

We encourage you to be involved in the Morton Way school council. School councils play an important role in student success. They encourage a strong partnership between the school and the family and help parents become actively involved in the education of their children.

Spring into Health

Our School Settlement worker, in cooperation with council is working hard to prepare for our Spring into Health Event! The evening promises to be great fun, with two main activities planned for parents and students who have registered, by sending in their „RSVPs‟ to the office. We have planned for a registered dietician to give a chat on healthy eating; she‟ll have some samples to hand out to show how tasty eating healthy can be. We‟ll also have a Zumba instructor out from South Fletchers Community Center, who will teach us some fancy Zumba moves! In between each of the activities, parents and students can get information from many of our community agencies on how to eat right and stay healthy! The evening is supported by our PRO grant to help address identified community needs!

Settlement Worker in Schools Brampton Multicultural Centre

Settlement Councellor for Morton Way

Contact: Neelam Khan Neelam.khan@bmccentre.org

Settlement services for newcomers:

· A resource for school staff

· I can provide interpretation and translation

· Information about school and community

services

·

Community Sup-ports available

to you...

http://www.kidshelpphone.ca

/Teens/Home.aspx

http://www.inurhead.ca/

Page 5 School Spring Fair—Coming Soon

On Saturday May 28th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Morton Way Public School will be hosting our 1st

Annual Spring Fair! It promises to be an exciting, fun filled family day for the entire Morton Way community! The intention is to provide a wonderful experience to the school community, and is not a fundraiser. All funds will cover the costs of running this event. Should there be any profits, the money will be spent on school wide events for students (performances to support the arts, climate for learning and science and technology initiatives).

You can purchase in advance, a „jump all day wrist band’ for $10. This allows a child to go into the maze, 22 foot avalanche slide and the 2 bouncy castles as much as they like! It does not in-clude playing games or purchasing food or beverages.

In addition you can purchase a 22 Midway pass for $20, or a 11 Midway pass for $10. This can be used to play any of the games including the cake walk, dinosaur dig, hula hoop contest, and fishing game, zoocanical rides, lollipop pull and other games. You can also use this card to purchase food (pizza, samosas, popcorn, drinks).

Some of the events/food you can use your Midway Pass with include:

Special Event: “Zoocanicals” for $1, take a ride on these adorable mechanical animals!

Please consider paying in advance. A form and envelope will be sent home during the 2nd week of May with the oldest child in the school. Please return it to school before Thursday May 26

th.

You can also purchase tickets on Saturday May 28th at our ticket booth (wrist bands will be $12

day of).

For those who pre-order, envelopes with your wristbands and Midway cards will be made available for pick up at the fair. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday May 28

th from 11

a.m. to 3 p.m. at Morton Way Public School! It‟ll be a great day!

Sincerely,

Vinita Mongia Daniel Elias

Principal Vice Principal

Games/Activities Food Items

Cake Walk Pizza

Photo Booth Popcorn

Loot bag surprises Samosas

Face painting Candy bags

Zoocanicals Rides Candy Bags

Dinosaur dig Water/Pop

Lollipop Game

Page 6 School Events

Girls Squad Off to a Great Start

The GIRL Squad has gotten off to a great start. We have already created

and voted on our motto "Our opinion matters, and we are capable of any-

thing!" We have started looking at different types of poetry, and have heard

from poets Maya Angelou and Rupi Kaur. The girls are currently working on

writing their own poems, and sharing other poems that inspire them. Great

work, GIRLS!

Assembly Crew—Hard at Work Putting it All Together Our assembly crew has been working hard at school to create great and lasting memories

at our fun assemblies. From designing signs to welcoming parents, to setting up chairs and

tables, working with our audio visual system to get the sound and lighting just right; the hard

working assembly crew does it all. No one knows technology better than the kids; thanks to

the assembly crew for all that you do!

Spring Walk— What a Great Way to Keep Healthy

Students celebrated 100 days of walking to school by having a great healthy walk. On Friday, April 29th, the celebration happened with some chilly weather, but the students were resilient!. It was amazing to see so many family members and students, walking together on the schoolyard. Way to go Polar Bears!

Page 7 Asian Heritage Month

Morton Way Celebrates Asian Heritage:

In December 2001, the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Then, in May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate the month of May as Asian Heritage Month.

Throughout May, students, staff and parents from across Peel will participate in a number of activities that promote the understanding of the many contributions made by Asian Canadians. Here at Morton Way, we‟re doing many great things to celebrate Asian Heritage.

On Wednesday, May 18th, we‟re going to have Samosas for students!

On Wednesday May 25th, we‟re having our Asian Heritage Concert for students first at 9:05 a.m., and then for the community at 1:45 p.m. Parents and guardians and our community members are welcome to come to this second showing. Samosas will be sold to the community as well!

Page 8 Peel Key Messages

Peel schools honour police officers during Police Appreciation Week

The Peel District School Board will pay tribute to police officers by holding Police Appreciation Week from May 15 to 21, 2016. Peel students and staff will show their appreciation for the tremendous job being done by police to protect schools, homes and communities. Police Appreciation Week coincides with National Police Week. National Police Week pays tribute to the work of police officers across Canada.

"The Peel board appreciates the dedication and commitment of police officers who work to keep our schools and communities safe," says Janet McDougald, Peel board chair. "Police Appreciation Week is our way of thanking officers who dedicate themselves to protecting our community. It's also a way to give these officers the special recognition they deserve."

During this week, students, staff and parents in our schools throughout Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will honour the work of police officers and thank them for enhancing public safety and security.

Emergency Preparedness Week—What is it all About?

The first full week of May of each year is Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week. This year, we will celebrate EP week May 1 to May 7. EP Week is a nation-wide initiative to increase awareness about individual and family preparedness, emphasizing how the public can re-duce the risks and consequences of an emergency by being better prepared. During this week, we promote, educate and bring about awareness concerning emergency manage-ment planning and personal preparedness.

Page 9 Peel Key Messages

The safety of our students is our top priority

Throughout the school year, incidents in our school communities happen. Our staff take precau-tions to emphasize street-proofing skills with your child. However, we feel that it is important that you take an opportunity to review safety procedures with your child.

Peel Police have provided the following safety guidelines if your child encounters a

stranger:

Tell your children to never go anywhere with a stranger, not to talk to strangers and never take thing from them. You also have to teach them what a "safe stranger" is in case they need help. A safe stranger includes a police officer, a cashier, a fire fighter, etc.

Remind your child to never walk alone—always walk with a group.

Develop a "what if" game for the kids to get them thinking of how they would respond if they felt threatened or afraid.

Know who your children play with and where they go. This includes keeping a list of their friend's addresses and phone numbers.

Remind your children not to take short cuts through parks, ravines, or other secluded areas.

Your child's body is private. Tell your child that no one may touch the area their bathing suit co-vers. If someone does or tries to touch them, they should advise you immediately.

Teach your children to talk to you immediately when someone does anything that makes them feel strange or uncomfortable. Listen when your children are trying to tell you about something that bothers them and provide them with support and understanding.

Tips for riding the bus:

Take a seat as quickly as possible, put belongings under the seat and stay seated.

Never stick anything out of the window, including part of your body.

Refrain from eating on the bus. If a choking incident occurs, the driver may not be able to help out right away.

Wait until the school bus stops before standing up to exit the vehicle.

Tips for exiting the bus:

When getting off the bus, take two large steps away from bus. If you have to walk in front of the bus, do so at least three metres (10 giant steps) away from the bus.

The driver must be able to see students exiting the bus and will give a signal when it is safe to cross. If more than one student is crossing in front of the bus at the same time, they should cross in single file.

Children must never reach for something that is under the bus without the driver‟s permission. Let the driver know that something is under the bus or wait until the bus moves out of the way.

Tips for walking to school:

Help your child establish a safe, direct route to school. Avoid potential safety hazards such as train tracks, busy intersections, and reinforce what safety precautions to follow.

Stay on sidewalks whenever possible. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road and walk facing traffic. again before proceeding. the driver will stop for you.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE!

School closed for PA Day on May 13, 2016

Don‟t forget, this Friday, May 13th, schools will be closed to students. Staff will be busy working on Ministry Directed training related to Math, Morton Way School Success Planning and Health and Safety.

Page 10 Morton Way Reminders

School Safety After School—Crossing Guards always available to Help cross Charolais Blvd.

A reminder to the school community that crossing guards are here to help. All students and parents walking to and from school should be crossing busy Charolais Blvd. with the help of our reliable and well trained crossing guards. They are on duty 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after school to help keep students and parents safe! Please remember to only cross the street with the crossing guards to help improve safety, and to keep our Morton Way Kiss & Ride moving smoothly. Thanks for your help

and cooperation. As always, It is greatly appreciated. Let’s keep safe Morton Way!

We’re great, fantastic, terrific, all

day long woo!

Register today for Adult ESL or LINC classes

Do you know an adult that is interested in improving their English language skills for

work, study or daily life?

Through the Continuing & Adult Education department, the Peel District School Board

offers a wide variety of English language classes that help parents experience success

in Canadian English in both listening/speaking and reading/writing. Courses are de-

signed for a range of basic, intermediate and advanced English (Levels 1 to 7) as well as

the more experienced learner needing to prepare for an IELTS exam.

Classes are ongoing - Register anytime.

All learners that complete a session will earn a certificate of learning from the Peel

District School Board.

Classes operate from six locations in Brampton and Mississauga with three specially

designed adult centres at:

Bramalea - Adult Education Centre - 25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3

Brampton - Adult Education Centre - #300 - 7700 Hurontario Street

Mississauga - Adult Education Centre - 100 Elm Drive West, Room 117

To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000

Also visit www.peelschools.org/adulteducation or follow us on Twitter:

@PDSBLearnESL

Page 13 Upcoming School Events

Monday, May 9 Character Assembly

Tuesday, May 10 Pizza Day 1, Grades 1-5

Spring Into Health 6:00—7:30 pm

Thursday May 12 Ukulele Kids

Swimming for the Grade 4s

Friday, May 13 PD Day—No School for Students

Monday, May 16 Grade 2s to Ripley’s Aquariam

Tuesday, May 17 Welcome to Kindergarten Events

Swimming for Grade 5s,

Pizza Day 2, Grades 1-5

Wednesday, May 18 Samosa Day for students

Thursday, May 19 Ukulele Kids

Swimming for Grade 4s

Friday, May 20 Swimming for Grade 5s

Monday, May 23 Victoria Day—No School

Tuesday, May 24 Pizza Day 3, Grades 1-5

Wednesday, May 25 Asian Heritage Assembly

For Kids—9:05 am, For Adults—1:45 pm

Thursday, May 26 Ukulele Kids, Grade 4s Swimming

Forest of Reading Trip

Friday, May 27 Grade 5s Swimming

Saturday, May 28 Spring Fair! 11:00 a.m. —3:00 p.m.

Monday, May 30 Grade 2 to the Living Arts Center for Ceramics

Tuesday, May 31 Grade 5s visit Centennial