Education Week is May 6th to 10th and we have some exciting events planned at Brant Ave. Public School!

• On Monday May 6th and Tuesday morning May 7th each class from Kindergarten to Grade Six will participate in Dance workshops with Dance Instructor Janet Johnson.
• On the afternoon of May 7th the school will be viewing a French presentation in the gym called French Voyageur.
• On Wednesday May 8th the Primary Book Bonanza Vote will take place. Our Primary students will be voting on their favourite choice for new books to add to our library, and on May 9th our Junior students will do the same voting process.
• On May 9th from 2:35 pm to 3:15 pm parents are invited to wear their pajamas and come to the school to snuggle up and read with their children. The students will be able to wear their pajamas the whole day on May 9th.
• Finally, on Friday, May 10th we will have a whole school Book Bonanza Awards Ceremony to celebrate the winning books as chosen by our students! Phew! What a busy and exciting week!

I want to give a special thank you to our staff for planning such exciting events to celebrate Education Week.

Sincerely,
Mair Ann Gault
Principal

[ View the May 2013 Newsletter (PDF) ]

What a lovely time of year… even though it is hard to believe as I look out my window today, spring weather is definitely around the corner. If you remember way back to September, you will recall I surveyed the staff, parents, guardians and students about Brant Avenue Public School. Amongst all the wonderful positive feedback that was provided, the school community consistently requested more equipment on the school ground. Our School Council has been working diligently on this goal for several years and this year has made some giant leaps toward achieving this goal. As noted in our last newsletter, The Ladies Auxiliary of the Guelph Legion made an extremely generous donation of $3,000 toward our school yard improvement fund. Skyjack has also recently made a donation of $100. We ran a very successful Fudge Fund-Raiser just prior to Christmas and this spring will be doing a final fund-raiser in the hopes of being able to make a purchase over the summer or early fall of some new playground equipment. Please stay tuned for details.

In the meantime, please continue to support the School Council’s efforts on behalf of our students. Our next meeting is April 4th at 6:30 pm right here at the school and all are welcome, even if you have never attended before.

Have a wonderful long weekend with your children. Enjoy the time together.

Sincerely,
Mair Ann Gault
Principal

[ View the April 2013 Newsletter ( PDF ) ]

Hello Parents and Guardians: Last month I reviewed tips for parents with children in grades one to three to support their children’s reading. As promised, this month I have provided a list of tips from the Ministry of Education Website for parents of children in grades four to six. If you would like more details you can go to the link below.

www.edu.gov.on.ca

[ View the March 2013 Newsletter (PDF) ]

It’s cold outside! Time to cuddle up and read! Last month I sent some tips for helping your child with learning Mathematics, this month I am focusing on helping your child in Kindergarten to Grade Three with reading. Next month we will focus on the Grade Four to Six group. To learn more go to the Ministry of Education Website at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/tips/readkto3.html 

Happy February!
Mair Ann Gault
Principal

[ View the February 2013 Newsletter ( PDF ) ]

Welcome Back! I hope you all had a restful and happy holiday!

As part of our school improvement plan this year we will be continuing to be teaching our Brant students conceptual understanding of mathematics through problem solving. Below are some tips from the Ministry of Education website of what you, as parents, can do to support your child’s understanding of mathematics:

“At school, children learn the concepts and skills identified for each grade in the Ontario mathematics curriculum in five major areas, or strands, of mathematics. The names of the five strands are: Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra, and Data Management and Probability. The activities in this guide are connected with the different strands of the curriculum.

What tips can I use to help my child? 

• Be positive about math!
• Let your child know that everyone can learn math.
• Let your child know that you think math is important and fun.
• Point out the ways in which different family members use math in their jobs.
• Be positive about your own math abilities. Try to avoid saying "I was never good at math" or "I never liked math".
• Encourage your child to be persistent if a problem seems difficult.
• Praise your child when he or she makes an effort, and share in the excitement when he or she solves a problem or understands something for the first time.

Make math part of your child's day. 

• Point out to your child the many ways in which math is used in everyday activities.
• Encourage your child to tell or show you how he or she uses math in everyday life.
• Include your child in everyday activities that involve math – making purchases, measuring ingredients, counting out plates and utensils for dinner.
• Play games and do puzzles with your child that involve math. They may focus on direction or time, logic and reasoning, sorting, or estimating.
• Do math problems with your child for fun.
• In addition to math tools, such as a ruler and a calculator, use handy household objects, such as a measuring cup and containers of various shapes and sizes, when doing math with your child.

Encourage your child to give explanations. 

• When your child is trying to solve a problem, ask what he or she is thinking. If your child seems puzzled, ask him or her to tell you what doesn't make sense. (Talking about their ideas and how they reach solutions helps children learn to reason mathematically.)
• Suggest that your child act out a problem to solve it. Have your child show how he or she reached a conclusion by drawing pictures and moving objects as well as by using words.
• Treat errors as opportunities to help your child learn something new.

To learn more go to: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlymath/index.html#tips 

Yours in Education,
Mair Ann Gault

[ View the January 2013 Newsletter (pdf) ]

I know that sometimes life can be very challenging epecially as we parent our children, so as the year draws to a close, I want to take a moment again to thank you for all the times you overcome those challenges and support your child’s learning. Thank you for making sure your child has eaten before they come to school, and that he/she is getting enough sleep at night. Thank you for reading newsletters, checking homework is complete, and signing agendas. Thank you for teaching your child right from wrong, for teaching him/her to be respectful and compassionate toward others. Thank you for teaching your child to take responsibility and be honest about his/her mistakes. Finally, I want to thank you for supporting your child’s learning by being part of our school’s team. Every time you work with us to support your child, every time you agree to meet with your child’s teacher, every time you write an encouraging note or speak a word of appreciation, every time you attend a school activity, the school becomes an even better place for your child to be. Thank you for helping us help your child. Have a wonderful vacation. Enjoy time with family. Go for a walk, play in the snow, visit the park and breathe.

Sincerely,
Mair Ann Gault

[ View the December 2012 Newsletter (pdf) ]

You might recall in our September newsletter that I asked all parents and guardians to respond to a survey about Brant Avenue Public School. We had 40 families respond to the survey. I was very happy to hear from so many of you. Also during September I had opportunity to survey many of our students. I asked them the about the things they love about Brant Avenue Public School and to list one thing they would like to see happen.

The responses to the survey were overwhelmingly positive and upbeat. The information provided for improving the school will be useful in deciding our next steps as a school community.

In response to our students and parents’ input the School Council has had two meetings so far this year with the main agenda item being how to spend the money that has been raised over the last three years for the playground ($4000) and how to fundraise or apply for grants in order to have the funds to further improve our yard. Playground equipment is not covered by the Ministry of Education funding and the money needs to be fundraised or provided through grants. A simple play-structure can cost $40,000 installed. If you are interested in seeing what the School Council has done so far, and you are willing to help with fundraising and with completing grant proposals, please attend our next School Council meeting on November 8th at 6:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you there

[ View the November 2012 Newsletter (pdf) ]