Gardiner Gazette

Gardiner Gazette - Ethel Gardiner P.S weekly newsletter. Distributed on Sundays by School Messenger.

Gardiner Gazette Week of October 25th, 2021

School Updates

Photo Retake Day - November 17th.

Parents please send an email to your child's homeroom teacher if you would like them to have their photo retaken. Please find the teacher email addresses on our Staff Listing.

Code of Conduct and Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol

The HDSB has two important tools that are used to help set the expectations for staff, students, and families. The first is the Code of Conduct and the second is the Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol.

The Code of Conduct outlines the Standards of Behaviour, and outlines the Shared Responsibilities of Students, Staff, and Parents/Guardians, as well as outlining the Progressive Discipline Approach that is used when investigating and following up on issues that arise at or affect students at school.

The Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol outlines, step by step, how students and staff are expected to address incidents where the language used is discriminatory and harmful.

These two documents have been shared with students, in age- and stage-appropriate ways. There is signage in each classroom reviewing these expectations, as a visual reminder within our classroom environments, so that educators can refer to the expectations as needed. We wanted to highlight them both here with families so that they can be reviewed and discussed with children as needed. We know that reviewing expectations, explicitly, with children, is important, as it reminds them that families are aware of the expectations that the school has reviewed.

As a school, we are always in a process of reviewing our current practices and reviewing what needs to be adapted or changed. In the coming weeks, we will be working on two additional pieces of information for families: our Student Dress Code and our Bullying Prevention and Intervention Action Plan. Once these have been reviewed for the 2021-2022 school year, they will be shared with families here in the Gazette, on the school website, and discussed at School Council.

We know that sometimes families aren’t sure how to engage in conversations with their children around the topic of discriminatory and harmful language. Below are some links that provide some suggestions for how to help students with this learning, as well as suggestions for book titles that can serve to affirm identities and provide a starting point for further discussion.

Halloween 2021 (clarification from last week’s messaging )

We wanted to clarify with families that students are more than welcome to bring Halloween candy/snacks in their own lunches so long as they are nut-free (e.g., smarties, kit kat, coffee crisp, aero, lollipops, chips, etc) but not for sharing with classmates.

As was shared in last week’s messaging, we wanted to share the expectations around the kinds of costumes that are appropriate for school:

Costumes that mimic the traditional attire of an ethnic, religious, racial or gender group/identity are inappropriate and unacceptable for Halloween at our school. This includes dressing in clothing of the opposite gender that is demeaning.’ Pretending to be a member of a group for ‘fun’ is evidence of cultural appropriation and sends the message that cultural attire is a ‘costume’ to be donned for entertainment purposes. Additionally, do not wear costumes that require you to assume a racialized minority or other marginalized identities. Assuming such an identity for entertainment purposes trivializes and disrespects the oppression of the group. Examples of costumes that mimic ethnic, religious, racial or gender group/identity include:

a caricature or representation of an Indigenous person by a person who does not have Indigenous Identity (e.g. Pocahontas)
a person who is Transgender
a person who is a Khalsa Sikh
a person who is a Hasidic Jewish person

If students choose to dress up in a costume for Halloween, please ensure that they are contributing to the positive and prosocial climate that our school is cultivating around recognizing Halloween. Costumes that are intended to, or have the impact of, inciting fear and anxiety for others are not acceptable costumes and special sensitivity needs to be exercised around current socially trending incidents such as people dressing up as characters from popular media and approaching youth to frighten them at random. In the past, this has included scary clowns. Please remind students that Halloween costumes should not incite fear and anxiety. As such, please refrain from bringing replica weapons or wearing costume masks to school.

Thank you for your support of students and families in Halton.

Join the HDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)

Dear HDSB parents/guardians,

The HDSB is looking for parents/guardians to join the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). PIC supports, encourages, and enhances parental engagement at the Board level to improve student achievement and well-being. In the past, PIC has focused on a well-attended parent conference covering a wide range of subjects, as well as parent information evenings. This year, much of our work will be undertaken virtually.

Although this year will look different from years past, we still plan to achieve our purpose by communicating with and supporting school councils, undertaking activities to help parents/guardians support their children’s learning, and providing information and advice on parent engagement to the Board.

PIC consists of 12 parents/guardians, serving one or two-year terms, representing all regions of the HDSB.
PIC members commit to participating in four public meetings per year, some planning meetings and possibly committee work.
PIC representatives are appointed by the Superintendent of Education responsible for Parent Community Engagement, PIC co-chairs, a parent/guardian member and a Trustee.
While we currently have previously elected parents that will continue to be members, no school should have more than 1 representative in any category.
PIC members are chosen based on their interest in working with parents/guardians and staff to support school councils and parent engagement as well as prior volunteer experience and geographical need.
This year, we need to appoint 4 new members from the following areas:
- 1 elementary parent rep from Oakville
- 1 secondary parent rep from Halton Hills
- 1 elementary parent rep from Milton
- 1 secondary parent rep from Milton
- Burlington parent reps are not required this year.

If you are interested in becoming a member of PIC, please complete this form by October 29, 2021.

Please join PIC for our first Public meeting on November 18 (live stream details to follow).

To learn more, please visit the PIC page on the HDSB website or reach out to your school principal.

Thank you,

Aiman Flahat

Superintendent of Education

Halton District School Board

Halton Bus - How do I stay informed about bus delays?

ONLINE: Check the Halton Bus home page for transportation cancellation messages.
EMAIL: Create a Parent Portal account and link to your child’s record to receive email notifications (Instructions).
TWITTER: @haltonschoolbus.

Mental Health and Well-Being Information Sessions and Resources

The Halton District School Board is hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians this Fall. Covering specific topics based on feedback from parents/guardians, each session will be led by a mental health expert in that area who will share their knowledge and provide helpful information and resources.

Fall 2021 Sessions:

Building Executive Function Skills in Teenagers: How Can Parents Help? - Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Diving Deeper into Anxiety - Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Stress, Coping and Resilience - Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Learn more about the sessions available and view event details on the Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions webpage.

How to register: Registration is required for these sessions as limited spots are available. Parents/guardians can register by completing the Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions Registration Form. Sessions will be held on Google Meet and registrants will be emailed a link to access the session. Sessions will not be recorded.

You will have the opportunity to submit questions when completing the registration form or during the session.

Additional sessions will be available in Winter 2022.

Mental Health & Well-Being Resources

The mental health and well-being of our students and families is important. We encourage all families to view the HDSB’s new Mental Health & Well-Being webpage which has information for parents/guardians and students on mental health, ways to support positive mental health and well-being and how to get additional support at school and in the community.

Community Webinars/Workshops for Parents/Guardians

The Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) is offering virtual psychoeducational webinars and workshops for parents/guardians. For information on what sessions are available, and to register, please visit: https://rockevents.ca/event/webinars-and-workshops/. These sessions are held throughout the year. Please check the ROCK website often to learn about available sessions.

Construction Update

We have received an update from the city that the construction planned that was going to affect a route to school has been postponed until the spring. We will update families once we have more details.

Important Dates:

Nov 15 Progress Reports (Gr. 1-8) and Initial Observations (FDK) sent home

Nov 17 Photo Retake Day

Nov 26 PA Day for students for Student-Led Conferences

Stay in touch!

Our school website and calendar at www.gps.hdsb.ca
your child(ren)’s Google Classroom
www.hdsb.ca
Twitter: @EthelGardinerPS Instagram: egpssocial
School Council Facebook - Ethel Gardiner Public School Council Page

Contact: ethelgardinerparentcouncil@gmail.com

Community Updates

Halton Hills Pop-Ups

Neighbourhood Pop-Ups are an initiative delivered by Town staff that bring fun and physical activity to our local parks, by organizing FREE games and activities for anyone who wants to join. Neighbourhood Pop-Ups will be offered throughout the community this fall, in various Halton Hills parks. Come for FREE play and fun!

Additionally, the Town has partnered with local agencies to bring supplementary elements to their pop-ups including crafts, story walks, art and STEAM programming. Neighbourhood Pop-Ups will only run when the weather is “cooperative” (i.e. no rain, thunderstorms, etc.).

Coming to a park near you!

DATE LOCATION AND TIME PARTNERS / NOTES

Monday, Oct. 25

Danby Road Park (Ethel Gardiner Public School) - 3:30-4:30 pm

Links 2 Care

Thursday, Oct. 28

Glen Williams Park (Glen Williams Public School) - 2:45-3:45 pm

n/a

For more information on the Town’s ‘Hey Neighbour’ initiatives and programs, please check it out at www.haltonhills.ca/heyneighbour

Erin Burger (she/her)

Community Development Supervisor - Event and Neighbourhood Support

Recreation and Parks