Making connections to Haiti

Making connections to Haiti. Clemens Mill Public School teacher Dana Papalia and students (from left) Marley Abraham, Alex Whitman and Kimberly Evans donned IPods and hats Friday to raise funds to help Haiti. Lisa Rutledge, Times photo

When Clemens Mill Public School teacher Dana Papalia talks to her students about life in Haiti, she doesn’t have to look at the pages of any textbook.

After spending a year teaching in a small suburb outside of Port-au-Prince about 13 years ago, the Grade 7/8 teacher can teach lessons about world poverty straight from the heart.

“It’s such a poor country,” she said of Haiti. “Going there is like stepping back in time.”

Yet somewhere in the chaos that reigned in the country during her year there, she remembers how children felt happy and lucky just to have a plastic bottle for a game of soccer.

Those somehow seem like the good times now. Papalia can’t imagine the tragic scenes now playing out in the country in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that has seen more than 150,000 Haitians buried in government graves. She can’t tear herself away from news coverage about Haiti and relief efforts being co-ordinated worldwide.

That personal connection to Haiti helped fuel a school fundraising campaign at Clemens Mill. She put out a call to students, staff and parents for support.

“Having taught there for a year, I really felt compelled that we do something as a school,” she said.

That call hasn’t gone unanswered. In a matter of days, the school raised $4,000 through ticket raffle sales, cash donations and various fundraising events. On Friday, students paid $1 to wear a hat, $1 to chew gum and $1 to listen to an IPod, – at appropriate times – during the school day. Kids lined up for a chance to buy raffle tickets during their lunch breaks.

The individual efforts, many led by a group of students, have helped fundraising totals skyrocket by hundreds of dollars each day. And donations are still coming in. The school hopes to reach $5,000 before the end of the week.

While Papalia is overwhelmed with pride at how quickly donations have been raised by the school, she’s also energized by students’ genuine interest in learning about Haiti and how they can make a difference. It’s global issues playing out in real time.

“This is not a textbook,” she said. “This is not a documentary. This is part of real life.”

Donations raised by public schools in the district will benefit a number of charities offering aid to Haiti including the Canadian Red Cross and the Mennonite Central Committee.

CambridgeTimes.ca

French Immersion and Extended French Programs

For parents wanting more information about French Immersion and Extended French Programs in high school, see the Galt Collegiate Institute (GCI) website for more information. We will also be holding a session at Clemens Mill PS for parents wanting to learn more about French Immersion in general. Stay tuned for more.

January Council Meeting Agenda

This provides a preliminary agenda for this Wednesday's meeting, 7:00PM, in the Art Room:

• Update on budgets (Ozzie)
• Update on spending (Roger, Alison)
• Update on fundraising (Ozzie)
• Update on special lunch programs - learning (Kathy)
• Second half planning and programs (Richard)
• Parent seminar selection (Richard)
• French Immersion information session (all)
• People for Education school council survey (all)
• Other (all)

All are welcomed!

SAVE BIG, parents - Last call for Treasures Coupon Books!

What You Need to Know …

1. Each book sells for $32. As a bonus, Clemens Mill Public School will also benefit from the sale of the 2010 Treasures® Coupon Book. But that’s not the goal of the program. It’s to help you save your money!
2. To get your 2010 Treasures® Coupon Book(s), just return the attached order form and envelope with cash or cheques payable to Clemens Mill PS Council.
3. Savings can really add up and the book quickly pays for itself with as little as 1 or 2 coupons. Tell neighbours, tell family and tell friends! And the more books your child can sell, the greater the prizes!
4. Everyone who purchases a Treasures® Coupon Book can also sign up for additional online offers at www.TreasuresBook.ca. More savings, no hassles!
5. There a lots of fun prizes for students

Thanks in advance for your support of Clemens Mill PS.

Q & A About the New Kindergarten Early Learning Program

On October 27, 2009, the Ministry of Education announced phased in implementation of an all day, every day Early Learning Program in elementary schools for children ages 4 and 5. Implementation will begin in September 2010 in selected schools and more schools will be added over the next five years.

Q -Will the school my child is to attend have all day, every day Kindergarten classes?
A - We understand that parents and community members are very interested and excited about this new Kindergarten program, as are we. We have not yet received information from the Ministry of Education confirming any sites as all day, every day sites for September 2010.
We advise parents when planning for next year to assume that the model of Kindergarten currently available in their school will remain the model for 2010. If there is any change, you will be notified as soon as possible once the Ministry of Education confirms the school sites.

Q – How many schools will offer all day, every day Kindergarten?
A - An early, unconfirmed estimate is that for phase one in September 2010, there will be approximately 11 school sites offering all day, every day Kindergarten. So for most schools, the model of Kindergarten delivery will remain the same as in September 2009.

Q – When will the schools chosen for all day, every day Kindergarten be announced?
A - It is anticipated that confirmation by the Ministry of Education of school sites chosen for the new Early Learning Program will occur in late December or early January, and those school sites will be notified as soon as possible.

Q – If our school isn’t chosen, can we change schools?
A - We do not anticipate granting permission for students to change schools to access the all day, every day Kindergarten program at this time.

Q – What about child care and before and after school programs?
A - We are working to coordinate our efforts with those of our Catholic school partners, and with the community partners who have delivered child care programs to encourage a seamless and transparent transition to this new program.

2008-2009 EQAO Assessment Results

In September, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released full reports on its assessments of Ontario schools and school boards. Parents and guardians can view the Clemens Mill PS reports at the EQAO’s Web site.

This is an important report as it shows the performance of CMPS students in reading, writing and mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1–3) and Junior Division (Grades 4–6), relative to other Board schools and relative to the provincial standard. Results will be reviewed at the October council meeting.

Key considerations for parents include:
1. What percentage of CPMS students have met the provincial standard in reading, writing and/or math?
2. What has the school’s trend been in each of these subjects over the past five years?
3. How do the trends and current results of my school compare to those of my school board and the province?
4. How do CMPS demographics compare to those of the school board or the province?
5. What is my school’s improvement plan for reading, writing and math?

2009-2010 CCRP Magazine Fundraiser

The annual CCRP Magazine Fundraiser was launched last week and will run until Tuesday, October 13th. Beyond the obvious reading benefits, this is an important fundraiser for Clemens Mill PS as close to 40% of each order goes directly to the school. Check out the CCRP selection booklet or go to www.ccrp.ca , order many magazines and save big $$$!
Thanks for your support!

Your 2009-2010 School Council

Thanks to all the parents who attended the first council meeting of the year. Most of the September meeting was spent electing the 2009-2010 council, who will spearhead the development of programs, their delivery and fundraising efforts:

• Richard Marcil, Co-Chair
• Tabatha Dominguez, Co-Chair
• Ozzie Ahmed, Treasurer
• Kimberly Namespetra-Sullivan, Secretary
• Kathy Long, Volunteer coordinator
• Roger Boettcher, Principal
• Alison Wardrop, Vice Principal
• Barb McLeod, Teacher
• Sahab Batth
• Rani Brar
• Julie Croteau
• Lisa McDonald
• Elizabeth Ney
• Carren Thompson
• Angela Vassell-Rowe

If you have any questions about school council or want to get in touch us, attend any of the meetings (held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month), ask Mr. Boettcher at the school office, email us at clemensmillcouncil@gmail.com or see us at clemensmillcouncil.blogspot.com. Get involved, have fun and make a difference!

September 23rd Council Elections

When: Wednesday September 23rd
Where: Library
Time: 7:00-8:30 PM


Agenda:
(1) Elections (45 minutes)
. Introduction to Council process – Richard
. 2008/2009 Council dissolution – Richard
. 2009/2010 Council elections – All
(2) School welcome (15 minutes) – Roger, Alison
(3) 2008/2009 planning (20 minutes) – All
. Financial status – Ozzie
. Preliminary plans – All
. School “wish list” – Roger, Alison
. Next steps - All


All parents are welcomed. Come make a difference!

Join Us, Get Involved, Make A Difference

As school activity ramps up, so does the Clemens Mill Public School Council. On Wednesday September 23rd, we will kick off School Council meetings for the 2009-2010 school year by electing a new council. Nominations are sought for:
(20) Parent Representatives
(1) Chair
(1) Co-Chair
(1) Volunteer Coordinator
(1) Treasurer
(1) Secretary

The primary roles of the School Council are to facilitate student achievement and to support school priority setting. We do this by working closely with school administration and staff, and supporting and delivering value-added activities and programs aimed at students and parents. School Council is truly a rewarding process, one that all parents are encouraged to participate in. New to Clemens Mill? It’s a great way to get to know your kids’ school!

2008-2009 – A Year of Many Accomplishments
At CMPS, we have an active school council, focused on delivering value-added programs for students and parents, and helping with the purchase of materials. For 2008-2009, school council parents helped organize and/or fund all of the following:

• Five Alpha Smart Neo computers
• Climate Committee guests and speakers
• Turn off TV week
• Literacy picture book kits
• Dictionaries
• Two alphabet sounds teaching tubs
• School teams’ uniforms
• Two conference/reading tables
• Speed stacking cups for intramurals and QDPA
• Main office safety equipment
• Music metronome and stereo
• Grade 8 yearbookParent seminars
• Family BBQ
• Wireless microphone for presentations/speakers
• Play structure maintenance
• and more!

2009-2010 – An Even Bigger Year Ahead
2009-2010 is expected to be equally busy year for School Council – if not more. We will build on last year’s successes (Family BBQ), continue to deliver many of the “old favourites” (Magazine Campaign, Treasures Book™, Seminars for parents) and launch exciting new programs. But remember - the more parents that participate in School Council, the more programs we can develop and deliver for both students and parents.

Thanks For Your Continued Support!
Again, we wish to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the many individuals who contributed to the success of School Council in 2008-2009. We hope many of you will attend the school council elections on September 23rd, and participate in School Council this year. All told, School Council provides a terrific means of getting involved in your children’s school life, getting to know people in and out of the school, and having fun while doing it!


Your 2008-2009 School Council.