"Learning For Tomorrow - L'apprentissage pour l'avenir" is the theme of this year's Upper Grand District School Board's Education Week. These words of optimism capture our commitment to teach and prepare our children of today for their future.

Education Week will run from May 6 to 10. Although every week is a time of instruction and learning at Victory, many schools in Wellington and Dufferin Counties have targeted April and May for a wide variety of school activities. Within classrooms students are learning Math concepts through working in groups to solve practical problems, experimenting with Science concepts, expressing ideas through drama, reading and writing articles, reports, stories and poems.

Special events at Victory include the Art Crawl, Réveillons concert, Dessert Party, Floor Hockey Tournament, Drama Club, Family Movie Night, Knitting/Crochet Club and Victory Day with the Guelph Royals.

We are very proud of our Victory traditions and community partnerships. If you have ideas, suggestions or questions, please feel welcome to contact me at any time. My door is open.
Ann Charles

[ View the May 2013 Newsletter ( PDF )]

As we welcome the milder weather and sunshine, thoughts turn to outdoor learning and activities. Spring is always a time of new growth and fresh beginnings, and we can feel this optimism in the air as we welcome this new season.

I take great pride in the many ways that members of our school community support each other and extend their kindness to others. This month we’ll be collecting donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries for the Guelph Food Bank, celebrating International Day Against Bullying, and cleaning our yard in recognition of Earth Day.

In classrooms we are looking at ways to help children develop responsibility and accountability for their own learning. The more engaged students are in learning activities, the more they remember and apply to other situartions. Teachers support this engagement by creating interactions among students. As they share ideas with their partners or groups, children are also learning to listen and respond respectfully to others’ ideas.

We always appreciate the vital role that parents play in supporting your children at home. Thank you for listening to and answering their questions, reading to and with them, and asking them about school activities. This teamwork between home and school is vital to the academic and social successes of our children.

Please feel fee to contact me at any time to share ideas, questions or concerns about your child’s education and school experiences. My door is open.

Ann Charles
Principal

[ View the April 2013 Newsletter ( PDF ) ]

February has quickly slipped away and March is on the horizon. We have beenfortunate to have some snowy recesses and our students have made great use of the natural hill around the school as well as the snowbanks that have been created around the perimeter of our yard.

Term 2 is well underway and students are learning in and out of their classrooms by experimenting, writing, creating, acting, speaking, building and discussing. We are grateful to our School Council for supporting programs such as Scientists in Schools author visits and music programs to enhance our children's opportunities to learn through hands-on experiences

Later this month staff and students will enjoy a well-deserved holiday from school. We wish you a very happy March Break!

[ View the March 2013 Newsletter ( PDF ) ]

We are at the mid-point of this school year, and Term 1 report cards will be coming home with children in grades 1 to 6 on Thursday, February 7. They contain information on your child's progress from the beginning of the year to the end of January. Here are some suggestions to help you read, understand and celebrate your child's report card.

• Read the Learning Skills and Work Habits comments on page 1 first. These skills hugely affect your child's success at school! Acknowledge and celebrate your child's efforts and improvements, and who they are as a person.
• Talk about the report card together and seek your child's opinion about his or her accomplishments. Look at the grades your child is getting in specific areas; this could suggest some new areas of interest and talents of your child. Pay special attention to the number of times your child has been late or absent, remembering that five days equals a whole week of school.
• Set goals with your child in areas that you both agree would benefit from improvement. Look for key phrases like "organizational skills", "focusing", or "prepared with materials" to identify specific strengths or weaknesses that might be affecting academic progress. Make a plan on how to meet these goals, and share in the responsibility of helping to support your child achieve these next steps.
• Contact your child's teacher if you need clarification, want more information or need ideas to support your child's learning.

Please complete and return the 'cut-off' section to the school by Tuesday, February 12.

Remember that the Term 1 report card is a check-point –– half-way through the year. There are five more months of work ahead and a lot can change during that time. Hard work and persistence do pay off!

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions, concerns or ideas about how we can work together to support your child's learning.

Ann Charles,
Principal

[ View the February 2013 Newsletter (PDF) ]

Victory P.S. Library
Thursday, January 31, 2013
6:30 P.M. 

We invite parents of children who were born in 2008 or 2009 and will be starting JK or SK in September to a Kindergarten Information evening. We'll address questions such as what parents can do to help children prepare for school, what the English and French Immersion programs look like, etc.

Registration for kindergarten takes place during the week of February 4.

There will also be an orientation on June 7 for parents and children.

The French Immersion attendance areas for King George Public School in Guelph have been set for September 2014. At the board meeting on December 18 trustees voted to adopt Scenario 1 of the King George JK-8 FI Boundary Review, exercising an implementation option that will allow Grade 4 FI to remain at Victory PS subject an annual review of that school’s capacity.

Letter to parents - December 20, 2012 (PDF)

King George JK-8 FI Boundary Review 

This fall I have learned that the community of Victory Public School is vibrant and strong, caring and committed. I can see that you care for and support each other within the school walls and in our neighbourhood.

As 2012 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to thank students, staff, parents, volunteers, extended family and community members for the hard work and dedication you bring to our school every day. I wish all Victory families a holiday filled with joy and laughter, friends and family.

I look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday, January 7, 2013.

Ann Charles,

Principal

[ View the January 2013 Newsletter (pdf) ]