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Holiday Initiatives at Castle Oaks Public School The holiday season is quickly ap-proaching and Castle Oaks will be participating in holiday initiatives to help those in need. Cram the Cruiser This month , we will be fighting hunger by participating in the Cram the Cruiser Food Drive. Last year was a huge success as the stu-dents of Castle Oaks were able to fill two police cruisers with food items. Students are asked to do-nate non-perishable food items for this years Food Drive. A police cruiser will be coming to the school and students will have the oppor-tunity to fill up the police cruiser with as much food items that will fit. Students are asked to bring in their non-perishable food item by De-cember 18th, 2017. Share the Joy Castle Oaks will be sponsoring a family in need of extra support this holiday season. A letter was sent home last week explaining Share the Joy. If your family would like to assist this family in need this holi-day season, then please select three items from this list that you are interested in purchasing and have your child return the form to school. Your child will bring home a paper ornament with an item listed that you need to purchase and bring to school by December 8th 2017. Thanks so much to all our Castle Oaks families for your generosity this holiday season.

Castle Oaks Office

905-796-4450 (p)

905-796-4449 (f)

Office Hours:

7:45 am to 3:45 pm

Tim Pedersen Principal

Farrah Abdulla Vice Principal

Evelyn Di Lorenzo Office Manager

Gina Issa Office Assistant

Meri Vaiano

Office Assistant

Patrika Daws Superintendent 905-451-2862

Harkirat Singh Trustee 905-890-1010

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@castleoaksps

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December 2017 http://schools.peelschools.org/1496

School Council Meetings All parents are invited to attend our School Council Meetings. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the school community and take on leadership roles if you are interested. The School Council Meetings take place on the following dates from 6pm to 7pm at Castle Oaks Public School: Monday January 29, 2018 Monday February 26, 2018 Monday March 26, 2018 Monday May 28, 2018 We are pleased to introduce the 2017/2018 School Council Executive Committee members: Co– Chair: Kamran Khalid Co-Chair: Annu Sharma Secretary: Maria Bharat Treasurer: Neelam Gupta Executive: Mitesh Shah Principal: Tim Pedersen Vice Principal: Farrah Abdulla Important Dates Dec 6:- Sr. Girls Volleyball Tourna-ment Dec 7– Sr. Boys Volleyball Tourna-ment Dec 13– Primary Arts Night Dec 14– Junior/Intermediate Arts Night December 19th: DZ freeze comic presentation: grade 2, 3, 4, 5 Dec 22-Last day before winter break Jan8– First day back to school

Move and Groove Fundraiser at Castle Oaks

On Friday November 24th, 2017 the students of Castle Oaks had the op-portunity to show off their skipping skills at the Move and Groove Fund-raiser event. Students were doing tricks with hula hoops and basketballs while skipping and some were even able to skip double dutch (2 ropes at once). Students as well as teachers had a blast as they were being active and having loads of fun. As a result of your generosity, the stu-dents were able to raise over $4000! Thank you so much for you ongo-ing support, it is greatly appreciated. The money raised from the Move and Groove fundraiser will be used to support extra curricular activities at Castle Oaks such as sports, sports teams, outdoor education activities, musicals, robotics club, math club, the arts and more.

PRIMARY ARTS NIGHT

On Wednesday December 13th, 2017, the Kindergarten clas-ses, Grade One, Grade Two and Grade Three classes will be performing and displaying their wonderful art at our Primary Arts Night. The Kindergarten classrooms will be open for families to tour and explore from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The Grade One, Grade Two and Grade Three performance will take place from 7:00pm to 8:00pm in the Gym. We kindly ask if you could bring a non-perishable food item for our Holiday Food Drive.

JUNIOR/INTERMEDIATE ARTS NIGHT On Thursday December 14th, 2017, the Junior/Intermediate classes will be performing in our Arts Night from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. We kindly ask if you could bring a non-perishable food item for our Holiday Food Drive.

____________________________________ Grade Six R.A.I.D PROGRAM at

Castle Oaks

Our Grade six students have been involved in a presentation called R.A.I.D– Reduce Abuse in Drugs. This program is a drug aware-ness program that is in collaboration with the Peel Regional Police, Region of Peel Health and the Peel District School Board.

Pay school fees online—register today!

Castle Oaks Public School is excited to announce that we now offer a new, preferred method of payment for all school fees. School Cash Online is a safe and secure form of online pay-ment that allows you to pay for your child’s school items, like field trips and pizza days, from your computer or smartphone using eCheck, Visa or MasterCard. Register now By registering, you’ll have the ability to:

Keep track of your children’s school item and activity fees Check account history Print or view receipts Make donations to school fundraisers online and instantly re-

ceive a tax receipt Pay for school fees with the click of a button

For more information and to register, visit https://peelschools.schoolcashonline.com. If you have any questions, please contact the school directly.

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Winter bus safety The following winter school bus safety tips will help to keep your child safe throughout the winter months.

Allow extra time to get to your bus stop.

Wear bright clothing so the bus can see you in the early morning and late evening.

Stand away from where the bus stops. Buses need extra room to stop when there is snow and ice.

Use the handrail when boarding or exiting the bus to prevent slipping on wet or icy steps or road surfaces.

Dress properly—winter clothing, hats, and boots will keep you warm.

Don't throw snowballs at the bus or other children waiting for the bus.

Don't slide on the snow or ice patches in driveways or on the street.

Don't push or shove around the bus. Someone could fall down on the ice and get hurt. On very rare occasions, buses are late because of weather conditions or mechanical problems. Talk to your child about what to do if the bus is late. Here are some suggestions: When possible, wait with your child for the bus. Make sure your child knows a phone number where he can reach you or another trusted adult. Teach your child how and where to get help. Talk to your child about what a "safe" stranger is. Help your child set up a bus stop buddy system so your child has someone to wait with for the bus.

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather 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, television sta-tions 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. One of the following messages will be announced (the bolded text only) Peel District School Board buses are cancelled This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancella-tions 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 activi-ties in schools will operate as usual. All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed This means that all schools and Peel 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 Peel 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

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Apply for Extended French by Jan. 26, 2018 If your child will be starting grade 7 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to consider Extended French (EF). To find out more about the program, visit www.peelschools.org/French The EF school for our area is Sir John A Macdonald Senior Public School. The phone number is 905-457-5535. Online application The application form for Grade 7 EF for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. A computerized random selection process assigns a rank to each application received by the deadline. Students are offered available space in Extended French in this order. Students who are not selected will be placed in rank order on a waitlist. Each school has its own wait-list. Parents will be notified if a space becomes available. Applications received after that date will be put on a waiting list. For more information visit www.peelschools.org/French call your nearest Extended French school- Sir John A Macdonald Senior Public School. 905-457-5535. talk with parents who have children in the Extended French program visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca

. Apply for French Immersion by Jan. 26, 2018 If your child will be starting grade 1 in September 2018, one of the important choices you will make is whether you want to consider grade 1 French Immersion (FI). To find out more about the program, visit www.peelschools.org/French The application form for grade 1 FI for the 2018-19 school year will be available online at www.peelschools.org/French as of Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at 1 p.m. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 4 p.m. Applications received after the deadline will not be included in the random selection process and will be placed on the school’s waitlist. You will need your child’s Peel Student Number for the application. Please contact the school if you require it at (905) 796-4450. The FI school for our area is Castle Oaks Public School. The phone number is (905) 796-4450 Enrolment cap and random selection process The Peel board has a limited number of spaces available for students interested in grade 1 French Immer-sion. At this time, the grade 1 FI enrolment cap is set at 25 per cent of all Peel students enrolled in grade 1. A random selection process is used to determine which students will be offered spaces in the grade 1 FI pro-gram. It is important to note that applicants are not offered space in grade 1 FI on a first come, first serve basis. A computerized random selection process will randomly assign a rank to each application that is received by the deadline. Once students have been assigned to all available spaces, remaining students will be placed, again in rank order, on the school's waitlist. Each school has its own waitlist. How to get more information Visit the Peel board website—www.peelschools.org/French. Call Castle Oaks Public School at (905) 796-4550. Visit the Canadian Parents for French website at http://on.cpf.ca/.

Volunteer Criminal Record Checks to cost $33 as of January 1, 2018

Peel Regional Police have advised us that, as of January 1, 2018, Criminal Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Check for adults, including those for volunteers, will cost $33; students and seniors will remain at the current cost of $25. Processing of CRCs for volunteers is free until the end of December 2017, with Form A provided by the school.

CRC application forms are available in the lobby of Peel Regional Police Headquar-ters, and at the Square One Community Station, or online by accessing the link on the Peel Regional Police website: https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/services/

vulnerablesectorcheck.asp.

It's time to register children born in 2014 for kindergarten We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2014, he or she can start kindergarten in September 2018. You can register your child at any time during regular school hours—just visit the school he/she will be attending to register. Peel schools will also hold a Kindergarten Registration Week with special registration activities during Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2018. Visit Castle Oaks Public School from:

Jan. 29 to 31, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 1, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 2, 2018 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What you will need to bring to registration Proof of child's age (one of the following)

Canadian birth certificate Canadian passport citizenship card/certificate Permanent Resident Card confirmation of permanent residence work permit refugee permit

Proof of address (one of the following)

Ontario driver's license utility bill bank statement/client slip (directly from financial institution) credit card statement federal government forms (e.g. Social Insurance Number, Service Canada documents) purchase agreement

Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated

Train More. Rehearse More. Learn More. Peel District School Board program offers flexible school options for student athletes, artists Does your child/teen have an intense sports or arts training and competition schedule that makes it difficult to attend school regularly? The Peel District School Board’s Peel Region High Performers Pro-gram will offer flexible timetabling to accommodate student athletes and artists with demanding prac-tice, competition, rehearsal and/or performance schedules. The Peel Region High Performers Program is available to students in grades 4 to 12 at Britannia Pub-lic School, Dolphin Senior Public School and Mississauga Secondary School.

Applications close Jan. 12, 2018 For more information and applications, visit www.peelschools.org/HighPerformers.

Time for school - A parent’s guide to reporting school absences All parents/guardians of elementary students need to report their children's absences or late arrivals from school via our automated SafeArrival system. Whether it is an illness or another absence and you decide to keep your child home, please report your child’s absence via the SafeArrival system quickly and conveniently in one of the three ways:

Call an automated, interactive toll free number – 1-855-209-6155 (Please note – You must wait for confirmation)

Report absences online by accessing the SafeArrival parent portal on pdsb.schoolconnects.com

Download the SafeArrival mobile application for Apple and Android devices

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If you have not yet ordered your child’s fall school photos from Edge Im-aging, you still time to get your order in before the holidays! Fall photo orders placed by phone at 1-88-8-416-3343 by Friday December 8th or online at edgeimaging.ca by Sunday December 10th will have guar-anteed delivery to home before the holidays.

Celebrating Faith and Culture December 2017

December Luut’aa and Little Spirit Moon Aboriginal Spirituality

December 3 Sanghamitta Day Buddhism

December 3 First Sunday of Advent Christianity

December 8 Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) Buddhism

Sunset of December 10 to 29 the month of Masa'il Bahá’í

Sunset of December 12 to December 20

Chanukah Judaism

December 13 Birthday of Imam Aga Khan Islam

December 21 or 22 Yule/Winter Solstice Wicca

December 21 Tohji-taisai Shinto

December 25 Christmas Christianity and Canada

December 26 to January 1 Kwanzaa African-Canadian com-munities

December 26 Boxing Day Canada

December 26 Zarathosht-no-diso Zoroastrianism

December 30 to January 17 the month of Sharaf Bahá’í

December 31 to January 4 Ghambar Maidyarem Zoroastrianism