Spring is here at last! It has been a long winter, with lots of snow, so we welcome the warmer weather here at Dufferin! A sure sign of Spring is when practices begin for the Brantford Classic, and planning begins for Education Week and Track and Field.

We have three very jam-packed months of programs, learning, and activities left in our school year. Keep watching our website and newsletters for important details about these events. We continue to appreciate the involvement of so many volunteers at Dufferin. You make such a difference at our school!

New milk orders will go to all students of the school some time during the week of April 7th to 11th. The new milk period will begin Monday, April 21st for all students (JK/SK to Grade 8). Thank you to Brittany, Emma and Michael who are doing a great job during the current milk period. From M. Yelle and the Grade 8 Class

Best Start Parent Information Fair is an opportunity for parents and caregivers of children from birth to age 12 to gain information about resources, programs and services available in the community. This event will be held at Branlyn School on April 26^th from 10AM to 3PM. For more information, refer to the flyer sent home with your child, or call 519-756-3150.

You may wish to mark Saturday May 10^th on your calendar. A student safety conference is being offered at North Park Collegiate from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt. Parent breakout workshops, a Power of One presentation, and community agency kiosks will be available. All are welcome, and there is no admission charge.

The annual Turn Off the T.V. Week Challenge runs from April 21^st -27^th this year. Participation is voluntary, but we hope that all families who are able will seriously consider entering this challenge to turn of the T.V., video games, and computers (except for work related reasons) for the week, and do something active. Classes will be discussing various activities that can help to replace time normally spent watching TV and playing computer games. For more information, go to the Brant county Health unit website at www.bchu.org.

North Park Collegiate School Council is holding a Speaker Series at the NPC Mini-Theatre. All are welcome, and there is no admission charge.

Wed., April 2, 2008, Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt

Once again, Dufferin School will be selling vouchers for bedding plants, window boxes, hanging baskets, planters and pots from Mountain Garden Centre (formerly Bekendam’s Greenhouses). Each student will be provided with a form to collect orders from family members and neighbours during the last two weeks of April. Final submission of orders and payment will be Fri. April 25^th.

Since the vouchers are equivalent to cash, they will not be sent home with students except at parents’ request. Vouchers will be ready for pick-up at the school during the first week of May and during the Education Week Open House on Thursday May 1^st. Typically, customers can get their best selection at the garden centre between May 10 to May 30th . Profits from this fund raiser will be used to expand our computer lab.

University student volunteers are available at the Brantford Public Library to help students in grades 3 to 8 with their homework - including math and science. All it takes is a trip to the Homework Help Centre at the Main Library located at 173 Colborne Street. It’s fully equipped with computers, a collection of textbooks, school supplies, study space and some great one-on-one support from Laurier Brantford Students for Literacy volunteers. Best of all - it’s free!

Congratulations to the Junior Coed Basketball team! They won the silver medal in the Brant County Elementary School Basketball Tournament with a narrow loss to Brier Park in the final game. Well done! Thanks to Mme Howey for her dedication and hard work with this team!

Mme Peters and Mme Gasparotto would like to thank the members of Dufferin's intermediate girls' basketball team for their dedication and efforts this year. Congratulations to Megan Melling, Camille DiFrancesco, Lizzy Mikulich, Joelle Renton, Emma Henry, Nora Dorogi, Rachel Adkins, and Stephanie Rasic. Special thanks go to BCI (and former Dufferin) students, Claudia DiFrancesco and Mia Vamos-Yuhasz who did an excellent job of running practices and drills, coaching, and refereeing our game at Fairview. The girls on the team had fun while practicing their basketball skills and playing together.

So far, we have 45 students who have signed up to participate in the Brantford Classic Run. Practices for runners in Gr.3 to Gr.8 will take place after school according to the schedule they have received. In order to be officially registered as part of Dufferin's school team, participants must return the official yellow entry form to the school before Thursday April 10th. Ms. Howey and Mme Gorecki will register the team and collect the race kits. Parents are responsible for submitting pledge forms and walking with younger participants.

We're on our way to another fit and fun Brantford Classic!

March is such an exciting month at École Dufferin! We welcome a new season with the arrival of Spring, and the warmer weather that accompanies it. March Break gives all of us a chance to refresh and relax before launching into Term Three. This year, many of our families will also celebrate an early Easter during this month.

I am very proud of the hard work demonstrated by students and teachers throughout Term Two! I am equally impressed by the good citizenship exhibited by so many of our students. We have many examples of each monthly characteristic, as indicated in our Character Education program, in action throughout our school. Dufferin School students truly have character!

Our efforts to bring an anti-bullying presentation to Dufferin in February hit a snag with the non-appearance of the Half-Pints Basketball presentation. This event, sponsored by the Dufferin Parent Council, will be replaced by another presentation as soon as possible.

We wish all Dufferin families a safe and fun March Break and a Happy Easter as well!

D. McArthur,

Principal

Due to unexpected problems with our report card program, it may not be possible to send Term Two report cards home on March 20^th, as planned. If a delay is made necessary, the report cards will go home on March 27^th. A separate communication will be sent home only if reports are not being sent home on the planned date of March 20^th.

The week of May 26-30 has been set aside for the EQAO Grade Three and Grade Six Assessments. More information will be sent to the families of students participating in the assessment at a later date. Please mark this date on your calendars. Parents are encouraged to avoid medical/dental appointments for grades three and six students during that week, if possible.

As the result of numerous changes to Safe Schools legislation in 2007, which came into effect February 1, 2008, schools are now mandated to include a Bullying Prevention and Intervention plan in their annual school improvement plans. To address the communication aspect of the Dufferin plan, a section of the monthly school newsletter will now be devoted to keeping our school community informed of Safe School initiatives and activities as well as current information about bullying.

To launch this section of the newsletter, the Ministry of Education ‘s definition of bullying is being provided:

Future newsletters will include information about assisting a child who is bullied or is a bully, cyber-bullying, bullying prevention, etc. At Dufferin, our initial focus will be on prevention and reporting through classroom discussions, using guest speakers and presentations.

The Grade Three classes have started a delicious fundraiser throughout the school to help offset the cost of an upcoming field trip. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, flavoured (Kernels) popcorn will be sold to all classes during the first Nutrition Break and delivered at the second Nutrition Break. The cost of a bag of popcorn is $1.50/bag, and the product is nut-free. Each week’s flavour will be announced on Mondays. We ask that you send the exact amount as change will not be provided.

This project, which will continue for the next few months, will provide the added benefit of improving counting skills and give the Gr. 3 students an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and responsibility. Merci to Mme Gasparotto who thought of this fundraiser and worked hard to bring it to Dufferin!

Due to the closure of Lion’s Park for repairs this year, schools have been required to look elsewhere for a facility for Track and Field. We are fortunate to have obtained the track at

W. Ross McDonald School for the Blind on Friday May 23^rd, with a rain date of Friday May 30^th. Further information about this will be sent home closer to the date.

The Dufferin Junior Coed Basketball Team has enjoyed a terrific season. They started with solid victories over Princess Elizabeth 48 - 3, over Ryerson Heights 26 - 10, over Oakland-Scotland 36 - 12, and over Coronation 35 -17. In the county tournament, they showed determination and confidence with a 27 - 23 win over a strong team from St.George-German School. At the county semi-finals, they defeated Branlyn to earn a place in the County Finals versus Brier Park. That game will be held at Pauline Johnson on Wednesday March 5^th at 5:30. Spectators are welcome. Regardless of the outcome, Dufferin has had a fabulous basketball season.

Their victories can be attributed to their great team attitude! They were organized, encouraged each other, communicated well to improve both offensive and defensive strategies; and made use of the skills that many of them have developed in their community basketball leagues.

Thanks to Mrs. Deboer, Mrs. Kushner and Mrs. Tinevez for driving us to games. Thanks to all of the parents for their support and encouragement.

Team members are: Cierra H., Paul-Mark, Sam, Maddie, Michael, Kaniya, Bailey, Ethan, Alex, Jamaal, Bryan, Rachel, Nathan, Everett, Destiny, and Tess.

Thanks to Mlle VanKlink for coaching our small but mighty intermediate boys basketball team this year! Although the team was not successful in moving on to semi-finals, they demonstrated excellent team spirit and sportsmanship. Team members were Jeremy, Eric, John, Ben, Cordell and Silas. Thanks also to Mme Peters for assisting with transportation.

Students will continue to display the virtues of Respect, Thankfulness, Tolerance, Compassion, and Justice as we turn our attention to Self-Discipline during the short month of March. Students will be asked to consider what Self-Discipline looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students will also be recognized at assemblies for demonstrating acts of Self-Discipline.

Dufferin staff would like to thank the Dufferin Parent Council for the lovely snacks and delicious lunch during Teacher Appreciation Week in February. What a nice way to be recognized!

Please note that we cannot accept bus change instructions given verbally by students. If we have not heard from parents about a change, students are placed on their regular buses. Parents are reminded to inform the school no later than 2:00 PM if bus arrangements are being changed. After 2:00, due to the high volume of calls, it is impossible to guarantee the information will reach your child and his/her teacher in time.

February will be a short, but very busy month at École Dufferin! This month brings our grade 7 and 8 trip to St. Donat Québec. Our young students in grades 1-3 will be celebrating the 100^th day of school (February 11^th if there are no snow days before then) with numerous Math and Reading activities. Also on February 11^th, we will welcome the Half-Pints Basketball team to Dufferin. Two presentations, with an anti-bullying theme, have been made possible by the Dufferin Parent Council.

Our annual Kindergarten Information Evening will be held February 7^th at 6:30 PM. Also in February, we will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week from the 11^th to the 15^th. The Parent Council has also sent home a notice regarding an evening of family fun at the Putt Hutt.

As well, we are gearing up for Term Two reports, which go home on March 20^th. Teachers will be completing units and assessments and gathering data for the reports throughout February.

We look forward to our continued partnership with parents and guardians as we promote student success at École Dufferin!

Last Fall, the provincial government proclaimed Family Day as a statutory holiday in the province of Ontario. Family Day is to be observed each year on the third Monday of February.

In 2008, Family Day will be celebrated on Monday February 18^th. There will be no school that day. To avoid confusion, please note that the school year calendar will not be adjusted for this year. February 18^th was originally scheduled to be a Day 5. When students return to school on the 19^th, it will be Day 1, as per the calendar.

In January, we said good-bye to two staff members, and welcomed two new staff to Dufferin School. Mme Soules has been temporarily reassigned to École Fairview, to cover a medical leave of absence at that school. She will return to Dufferin in September. As well, Mlle Smallwood took a leave of absence from her teaching duties in order to concentrate her time on her work with disadvantaged youth in downtown Brantford.

We welcomed Mrs. Paul, who has taken over Mlle Smallwood’s English program in the grade two class, and Mr. Rypma, who is teaching the grade 7 and 8 English program. M. Yelle is covering all French subjects in both grades 7 and 8. Welcome to Dufferin, Mr. Rypma and Mrs. Paul!

During the week of February 25-29, grade three students will complete the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test. The C-CAT Test measures general thinking and problem-solving skills and will indicate how well students can use these skills to solve verbal, quantitative and non-verbal problems. Each of three tests takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Test scores will be used along with regular classroom assessment to assist staff in planning programs that best meet the needs of students. It is also excellent practice for the upcoming EQAO assessments in May. Further information, along with consent forms, will be sent home shortly to parents of all grade three students.

This flu season has hit Dufferin School quite hard! We are encouraging students to wash hands frequently with soap: before eating, as well as after washroom use, sneezing or coughing. You can assist by reinforcing these expectations at home. As well, we highly recommend that students remain at home if they do not feel well in the morning, so that healthy students and staff are not unnecessarily exposed to flu and cold germs. Thanks for your help with this!

At École Dufferin, we will continue to display acts of Respect, Thankfulness, Tolerance, Compassion, and Justice as we move our character education focus to Loyalty in February. Loyalty means standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals – when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, we build friendships that last forever. Students will be asked to consider what loyalty looks like, sounds like, and feels like.

The annual Provincial EQAO grade 3 and 6 assessment will be administered between May 25^th and June 5^th. The actual dates will be announced in the March newsletter. Parents are encouraged to avoid medical appointments for their grade 3 and 6 child during this assessment.

This year, our grade 3 students will complete the reading and writing components of the assessment in English, and the math assessment in French. Grade six students write all three components of the assessment in English.

The Dufferin Parent Council will hold its next meeting on February 20^th at 6:30 PM in the school library. DPC meeting minutes can be found by clicking on the parent council link on the Dufferin School website or by checking out the DPC bulletin board in the school near the gym doors. The DPC supports the school in many ways, and their hard work is appreciated by Dufferin staff and students!

Under the Education Act, Ontario school boards are empowered to:
"provide, by contract with an insurer under the Insurance Act, accident and life insurance for pupils, the cost of which is to be paid on a voluntary basis by the parents or guardians."
R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2, s. 176, par. 4.

The Grand Erie District School Board regularly reviews student accident insurance policies provided by various companies and every September makes available a package with comprehensive, low-cost options for student insurance. For example, basic coverage for school days only, can be purchased annually for $2.00 per child and includes a 10-year dental benefit feature. More complete packages include 365 day per year coverage and the Super Plan Plus also has a travel policy.

Email: insuremykids@reliablelifeinsurance.com

Web: www.insuremykids.com

Email cpf-brantford@sympatico.ca to register your child today or for more information.

Happy New Year to all, and welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their time off with family and friends.

It was wonderful to see so many families at our Christmas Open House in December! We hope you enjoyed the variety of activities and displays. After a very busy December at Dufferin School, we will now have the opportunity to re-focus on our academic work, character education, and physical activity in January and February.

We hope everyone is now accessing this newsletter in the manner selected at the beginning of the school year: website or hard copy. If your preference changes, please let us know. Thanks to the many families now accessing this newsletter online, we have been able to significantly reduce photocopying costs. This is also a small, but important effort for the environment.

If you have any questions about newsletter items or school programs, do not hesitate to call us!

The section of Chestnut Avenue on the same side as the school has been bylawed for 'no parking 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday'. This restriction allows the motorist (or parent) to stop their vehicle within this zone and load/unload a person or object. What the motorist cannot do is remain in the location for an extended period of time or leave the vehicle unattended.

After the recent snow storm that hit our communities, some parents were unclear of the Board’s cancellation policy and weather zones. The Board has provided the following clarification:

The Board bases its decision on whether or not to run school buses by reviewing the safety of the routes on which our school buses travel. In consultation with our bus operators and transportation staff, we decide as early as possible, and no later than 6:30 a.m., if buses will run. If buses are not running in a zone, then schools in that same zone are closed. The board notifies all local media outlets and posts a message on our transportation website (http://www.cooperativetransportation.ca).

People in Zone 1 live in Norfolk, Zone 2 is Haldimand, Zone 3 is Brant (County) and Zone 4 is Brantford (City). If buses are cancelled in a zone, then the schools in that zone are closed. If buses are cancelled only for specific zones, as was the recent case when buses were cancelled for Zones 1 and 3, that means anyone living in one of the zones would not have Board-provided bus transportation, even if the school they attend is in a different zone and is open. In other words, if a school in a different zone is open, students may attend if they can get there, but that is a parental decision.

In summary, in a zone where transportation has been cancelled school buses shall not enter or leave the zone, and transportation shall not be supplied for students attending schools outside the zone. Students living in a zone where transportation has not been cancelled will not be transported into a zone where transportation has been cancelled.

There are five raffle prizes left unclaimed from our Christmas Open House. They are:

Please bring your winning ticket stub to the office in January to claim your prize.

The Builder's Club was very busy in December. Thanks to everyone who purchased a Candy Cane Gram, we were able to donate $108.00 to World Teacher's Aid. Dufferin families were also very generous again this year with their donations to the Fill-a-bus Christmas Baskets campaign. For the first time, we invited Fairview students in Gr. 6-8 to join us at our Christmas Candy Cane Lane dance, which was held on Friday, December 21/07. It was a great success, thanks to the hard work of Builder's Club members, and the support of teachers and students from both schools. Thanks to all the Dufferin students who participated and welcomed Fairview students. You were great hosts!

The Ministry of Education has announced the Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary and Junior Divisions, will occur between May 26 and June 6, 2008. Parents of students in grades three and six are advised to note these dates on their calendars, and to avoid vacations and/or medical/dental appointments during this time. The actual assessment dates will be announced by March.

The Dufferin School Junior Coed Volleyball Team had an exciting and successful season! After playing several fun intramural games and practicing together as a team, Dufferin challenged Lansdowne to a friendly match held at Tollgate Technical Institute. Dufferin was able to win all

of their games handily. On the morning of Wednesday December 5^th, Dufferin played in the city-wide qualifying tournament which was held at the Eagle Place Community Centre. The team played each of the four other teams in their pool. Tournament organizers stated that this was the strongest junior volleyball they had seen out of the 5 pools they had watched. Dufferin was able to defeat 3 of the 4 other teams they played. This record was equalled by Coronation, but unfortunately they had defeated us so they moved on to semi-final play. Most exciting was

the game against Agnes Hodge where the lead kept alternating and when we had the serve with two points to go, the lights went off! After a delay and a switch of courts, Sam Tinevez served two successful points to give Dufferin the win!

Ms. Howey enjoyed working with all of the players and admired their skill and team spirit!

Tournament Team players were: Danielle, Tess, Nathan, Paul-Mark, Krysten, Ethan, Kaniya, Sam, Bailey, Bryan, Maddie, Caitlyn, and Alex. Many thanks to practice team players: Sharelle, Charlotte, Walsham, Cierra, Gabby, Noah and Rachel. Many thanks also to parent drivers and supporters: Kaniya's mom, Sam and Noah's mom, Bryan's mom, Danielle and Caitlyn's grandpa.

Many of our students demonstrated Compassion during the month of December by contributing to Christmas Baskets and our Kenya clothing collection. Bravo! We will continue to display acts of Respect, Thankfulness, Tolerance as well as Compassion, the four characteristics we have learned about so far this year. In January, our focus will turn to Justice. Practicing Justice is being fair in everything we do. Students will be asked to consider what Justice looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students will also be recognized at assemblies for demonstrating acts of Justice.

Our Book Fair was very successful again this year. We raised $1938.21. This money was used to place several hundred books in classroom libraries and also in the school library. As well, over 30 French/English dictionaries were purchased for student use. The winner of the draw was Emilee V. from Mr. Burton’s class. Emilee won $25 worth of books for her family, and another $25 of books for her classroom.

I would like to thank the following volunteers for helping out at the Book Fair: Tanya Aniol, Mara Dickson, Terry Adkins and Katherine Miles. Your time and effort were greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank staff members Mme Samborski and especially Mme Martisius for their help as well. -submitted by Mr. Maxted

The Brant County Health Unit is providing the following information about immunizations:

What parents need to know and do to avoid suspension:

Each year, the Brant County Health Unit assesses the immunization status of every elementary school student in Brant County. Notices are sent home to request information from parents or guardians. If the requested information is not received, the child may be suspended for up to 20 school days.

Suspensions can easily be avoided by following these basic steps:

• When registering your child for school for the first time in Brant County, the school will provide you with an immunization questionnaire. Complete this form and return it directly to the Brant County Health Unit
• Each time your child receives a needle, call the Health Unit with an update. Your family doctor does not do this for you. Children need two booster shots between 4 and 6 years of age. If you do not have a family doctor, the brant County health Unit offers an immunization clinic, by appointment.
• Contact the Brant County Health Unit if you have difficulty obtaining immunization records for your child - we may be able to help
• If you decide not to immunize your child, contact the Health unit for an exemption form
• For more information about immunization, call the Brant County Health Unit at (519) 753-4937 Ext 451 or visit our web site at www.bchu.org

Registration at Dufferin School for new students born in 2003 or 2004 will occur throughout the month of January. Please contact the school to make an appointment with the secretary for registration. If you know of anyone interested in registering a child at Dufferin, please direct them to call the school for an appointment.

A Kindergarten Information/Orientation Session will be held at Dufferin School on Thursday February 7^th at 6:30 PM. Please note that Fair Start, a gathering of agencies and resources to support early learning, will not be held at Dufferin School this year. A joint Fair Start will be offered in April elsewhere in Brantford for all city JK students and parents. Further information about this session will be provided in future newsletters.

Can you imagine that in three short weeks, we will be starting our Christmas vacation? It seems impossible that our year is going this quickly!

Congratulations to our students for their hard work in Term One! You can be very proud of your achievements and your progress! We hope that you will continue your efforts in Term Two and Term Three. Bravo and well done!

As always, it is our aim at Dufferin to work together with parents to resolve issues and concerns as quickly as possible. Please contact your child’s teacher any time you have concerns or questions about programs and activities in the classroom. If you have a more general question or concern, about a school-wide activity, issue or event, please contact me by telephone or email. It is our aim to resolve any issues or questions at the school level, but in some cases, you may wish to contact the superintendent at the board office after speaking with school staff. We would be happy to direct your call or provide the necessary contact information.

I wish all our students and their families the very best for the holidays! Play safely and have fun!

D. McArthur,

Principal

In the interest of student safety and security, and as a result of the recent stranger incident on our playground, we regret that parents may no longer be present on the playground before and after school, except in the designated area near the Spring St. chain gate.

Please remember that, according to current stranger-safety education, parents of other children who are unknown to some staff or students, would meet the criteria to be considered a ‘stranger’, and may cause worry or concern for our students. We respectfully ask you to drop your child off at one of our gates or wait/meet with your child in the designated ‘Parents’ area near the Spring St. chain gate. This way, we can be assured of our students’ safety and they will feel more secure.

Our registrations for new kindergarten students will commence in January 2008. This is earlier than in the past. If you know of anyone who is considering French Immersion education for their JK or SK aged child, please have them contact the school office to set up a registration appointment during the month of January.

Many of our students displayed Tolerance throughout the month of November. Bravo! Although it is now December, we haven’t forgotten about showing Respect, Thankfulness and Tolerance. The month of December brings a focus on Compassion. Students will be asked to consider what Compassion looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students will also be recognized at assemblies for demonstrating Compassion.

Our school has a unique opportunity to demonstrate compassion on a more global level. Tiffanie Stewart, a recent University of South Alabama graduate and the relative of a Dufferin family, is volunteering in Kenya with the U.S. Center for Disease Control.

• Monitored - Computers with online access should be situated in an open, monitored area of the home

• Open - Have open conversations regarding online experiences, encourage reporting of inappropriate activities and experiences online

• Rules - Set household rules regarding appropriate online activities and safety guidelines

• Frequency - Check computer's Internet history regularly

• Review - Ensure content on social networking sites and profiles does not reveal personal information, including name, age, geographic location (address, school or sports team names) or other contact information

• Check - Instant Messaging buddy lists, only people known to the young person in real life should be members of their list

• Security - Activate parental controls on Internet browsers, ensure security updates are maintained current and utilize antivirus, antispyware and a firewall for security

• Seek - Many parents are not familiar with many aspects of computer use. Research and access materials to educate yourself and youth about online safety and proper Internet use - OPP Detachments may provide parent and youth cyber risk safety information. Contact your local detachment or www.opp.ca, Crime Prevention Section

• Report - Internet Service Providers (ISP) have many resources available to parents. If your child is experiencing cyber bullying the ISP can assist with security features to protect your child and pursuing inappropriate use standards. If your child is approached online by an individual expressing sexual or inappropriate content a report can be made on line at www.Cybertip.ca. It is a centralized web portal for receiving and addressing reports relating to the online sexual exploitation of children.

Amazing things have been happening at Dufferin during the past month! Our students have achieved excellent results in several sporting events, and we are most proud of them! Most students have also participated in a Fall diagnostic reading assessment. Our kindergarten students have settled in to their school routines, and many class outings have already taken place. Balanced Day is also going extremely well.

As part of our ongoing focus on Character Education, we will be emphasizing Tolerance for the month of November. Remembrance Day reminds us of times when intolerance affected the whole world. Students will be asked to think about ways they can demonstrate tolerance to others every day, both at home and at school.

You will soon be receiving a form to complete for student-led conferences, which will be held on the evening of Dec 7^th and the morning of Dec 8^th. Please complete these and return them to the school as quickly as possible.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to give us a call.

Each year, principals are required to publish the following statement from the Board’s Harassment Policy in a school newsletter: "The Grand Erie District School Board expects visitors to behave in a respectful, courteous and appropriate manner at all times. The Board will respond to all forms of unacceptable behaviour in a manner consistent with the Board Policy/Procedure on Harassment". To view the entire Harassment Policy, please visit the Board’s website at http://www.gedsb.on.ca and select the drop-down menu titled "Board".

Dufferin School is in need of an additional paid supervisor. This is a part-time position, and training is provided. If you are interested, please submit a cover letter and resume containing two references to the principal no later than November 9^th.

It’s so hard to believe that our first month of school is behind us! Plans are already underway for October events, such as our annual Hallowe’en parade. We have also experienced our first taste of Fall weather, with several days of rain.

It was so nice to see all the Dufferin families who came out to our Meet the Teacher night on September 20^th. We are grateful to the Dufferin Parent Council for organizing the food for this event.

Dufferin School has made a very smooth transition to the Balanced Day schedule. A reduction in playground incidents has been noted, and the fewer number of transitions has resulted in more focussed time on task for our students.

Thank you to those parents who have already signed up to volunteer at Dufferin this year. Your efforts make a big difference at École Dufferin!

D. McArthur,

Principal

Dufferin School’s EQAO results for the Spring 2007 assessment have now been released and will be shared with our community in the coming days. These results can also be viewed at www.eqao.com. Individual student results for participants in the 2007 assessment have been sent home to parents.

Tuesday October 30^th is a Professional Activity Day for teachers. There will be no classes for students that day. Teachers will attend meetings and workshops to enhance their professional development.

At times, weather conditions are not conducive to outdoor recesses. This may occur during rain, lightning, or extreme wind or cold. Guidelines used for extreme cold are temperatures or a wind-chill factor of -20 Celsius or colder. We suggest that students and parents check the daily weather forecast, and for students to dress appropriately.

When inclement weather occurs, students will be kept inside for recess. When these conditions exist before school, the students will be met and brought into the gym at 8:30 AM for supervision until the entry bell rings. Due to capacity restrictions, we respectfully ask parents to refrain from entering the gym at these times.

As well, when the playground is considered unsafe for children, (ie during construction), they will be kept indoors.

Parents and students who may have missed out on our Dufferin T-Shirt sales at Meet the Teacher night, have the option to place an order throughout the year. We currently have navy shirts in Youth Small and Youth Large. T-Shirts are also available in most sizes in white. All shirts are $10.00. If interested, please use the form at the back of this newsletter to send in your request and payment. You may wish to view the samples on display in the school office.

Many of our students displayed Respect throughout our first month of school. Bravo! Although September is over, we will continue to focus on the virtue of Respect throughout the school year. In addition, October brings a focus on Thankfulness. Students will be asked to consider what Thankfulness looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students will also be recognized at assemblies for demonstrating Thankfulness.

CPF information can now be accessed through the school website. A link, titled "Canadian Parents for French" can be found underneath the Dufferin banner on the website’s main page. Updates will be posted here as they become available.

Many students have ordered milk during the first milk period. New order forms will go home near the end of October for students in Grades 1-8. JK/SK students who ordered will continue to receive milk until the December holiday. Any milk inquiries should be directed to M. Yelle. Thank you to Camille, Nora, Katie and Emma from the Grade 8 class for their assistance with orders and deliveries during this first milk period. --M. Yelle and the Grade 8 class

As previously announced, anyone volunteering at a school is now required to provide a current (within 6 months) original Police Check that contains a Vulnerable Sector Screening before they are allowed to assist with school events such as class trips, helping in the classroom etc. The Dufferin Parent Council has set aside funds for any parents (or primary caregivers) who wish to be reimbursed for fees paid to the police for this service.  If you require reimbursement, please submit the receipt along with your original clearance certificate to the school. Reimbursement will be provided once both documents are received. We suggest you keep a copy of both for your own records. When attending the Police station, please ensure you provide a letter from the school indicating the check is for volunteer work, to ensure you pay the scheduled price (if any). Thank you in advance for volunteering at Dufferin!

The first meeting of the Dufferin Parent Council was held on September 26^th in the school library. This group was combined from the former Parent Association and School Council. The DPC supports the school in many ways, through fund-raising, Pizza Days, providing input on Board policies and procedures, and organizing special events. Parents are always welcome to attend monthly meetings to observe. Participation in one of the Council’s sub-committees (Curriculum, Policy, Fund-raising, Revitalization) is also available. The next Council meeting will be held Wednesday October 24 at 6:30 in the library.

As in the past, Dufferin School will be used as a polling station for the upcoming provincial election on October 10^th. Parking and building access will be a challenge that day. Please avoid parking in our parking lots that day, so that elderly and handicapped voters may access our gym.

With our bus zones now moved to Edwin St., parents are reminded that the Edwin side of our playground is now designated ‘No Parking". Parents may stop their cars on Chestnut St., on the school side of the street, to pick up or drop off children. However, drivers must remain in their vehicles in this area.

Parents wishing to meet their children on our playground after school, are encouraged to wait in the meeting area, near the Spring St. chain gate. Our office is very busy at dismissal time, so we ask that you refrain from coming inside the school to pick up children after 3PM. Thank you!

Thank you to those families who are able to assist us in reducing photocopy costs, by choosing to access newsletters on our website. If you are on our list for a hard copy of the newsletter, and internet access becomes available to you, please call the school office to have your name removed from the ‘hard copy’ list. By the same token, extra copies of the newsletter can be printed at the office, upon request, if you temporarily cannot access the internet.

Any student who missed our recent Picture Day may have his/her photo taken when Retake Day is announced. This day is also used to retake photos that are unacceptable (ie: eyes closed etc.). Please watch for the announcement of Retake Day in the near future.

Welcome back to school, everyone! We are so excited to see our new and returning students after a long, hot summer! I hope everyone enjoyed their time with families and friends.

Our monthly school newsletters contain very important information about school activities and upcoming events. Newsletters are sent home on the first school day of each month, and are posted to our website at the same time. In order to reduce copying costs, we ask you to consider online access of this newsletter from now on. Please see the note attached for more information.

Class placements are being firmed up as soon as possible, however it is important to note that classes may be reorganized by the Board up to September 14^th. This is the result of the new Ministry class-size cap. We are endeavouring to minimize the chance of such changes by using care and caution in organizing our classes on the first day. Your patience with this process is greatly appreciated!

The Dufferin Parent Council has once again organized Meet the Teacher Night. We look forward to seeing all of you at this event on September 20th!

Dufferin School has several students with severe nut allergies. We also have a staff member with a severe allergy to shellfish. These individuals are in danger of a life threatening reaction in seconds. In some cases just the residue of a nut product left on a chair, doorknob or desk could trigger a reaction. We appreciate the cooperation of all families in carefully checking labels and keeping all nut products out of the school.

We expect our students to dress appropriately for school. This includes: no hats inside the school, no T-shirts with inappropriate slogans, no bare midriffs etc. The staff reserve the right to ask a student to change clothing which is deemed inappropriate.

Physical education or Daily Physical activities will require students to have indoor running shoes, (shorts and a change of t-shirt for older students) available on a daily basis.

Once again, M. Yelle and his Grade 8 class will offer white and chocolate milk in 250mL cartons to all students in the school. Please see the order form sent home for more details. The first milk period begins September 10th for students in Grades 1-8 and September 17th for JK/SK students.

We welcome four new staff members to our school: Mme V. Gasparotto (Gr 2/3), Mme M. Samborski (JK/SK), Mme Gibbon (JK/SK) and Mme Atkins (secretary). We also welcome back Mr. Maxted, who will be our half-time librarian and prep teacher. Bienvenue!

Friday September 14th is a P.A. Day for our school. There will be no classes that day. Teachers will be participating in professional development activities and meetings.

We anticipate few problems in our conversion to a Balanced Day Schedule. Balanced Day has been in successful operation in various schools throughout the Grand Erie District for four years. Students are encouraged to bring two separate large snacks (or a lunch divided into two parts) so they will have enough to eat at both Nutrition Breaks.

Board and Ministry policy requires us to keep a current information sheet on file, which has been completed and signed by parents. These forms provide us with emergency information, should the need arise. Please complete these forms (to be sent home in the first week) as soon as possible and return them to the school.

The Grand Erie District School Board has a new Volunteer Policy. It is important to note that it is now mandatory for all volunteers to provide a current (within 6 months) Police Record Check that includes a Vulnerable Sector Screening. This can be obtained from your local police agency if you provide a letter from the school. In addition, all volunteers must complete a School Volunteer Agreement Form, and provide two character references. This procedure is mandatory for volunteer drivers, as well as in-school volunteers, even on a one-time basis. If you plan to offer your services as a volunteer this year, you may wish to obtain your police check soon. A member of the Brantford police will be available at Meet the Teacher Night to accept police check requests.

We encourage parents who choose to pick up their children to wait in areas other that the west side (residential side) of Chestnut Avenue. The current parking bylaw does not prohibit parents from parking in that location, but this request is a courtesy for our neighbours without driveways. Please note that the City has hired additonal parking bylaw enforcement officers, and the following message has been forwarded by the city engineers:

The section of Chestnut Avenue adjacent the school has been bylawed for 'no parking 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday'. This restriction allows the motorist (or parent) to stop a vehicle within the zone and load/unload a passenger. What the motorist (parent) cannot do is remain in the location for an extended period of time or leave the vehicle unattended. The entire length of the school grounds along Edwin Street has now been designated "No Parking-Bus Zone" and all bused students will meet their buses on that side of the playground.

All students in grades JK-4 will be bringing home a confirmation of their bus information in the next few days. We would ask parents to review this form, make any corrections, and return the page to the school promptly. Students in grades 5-8 will review their own bus information. If you would like to clarify your grade 5-8 child’s information, please contact the school. A bus safety demonstration is being planned for all students in the near future.

Parents are reminded to call both the school and the bus company every time there is a change to a child’s arrival or departure bus arrangements. Calls of this nature must be received by the school prior to 2:00 PM in order to ensure that the information is passed along to the teacher. The end of the day is very busy in our office, so we appreciate your assistance with this.

We also ask parents to refrain from the ‘surprise’ pick up of their bused children after school. Many of our staff are new, and do not recognize all parents. For the safety and security of your child, and all of our students, please call the school in advance if your child will be picked up at the school rather than taking the bus. If we have not heard from you, our bus attendance list will reflect that your child is taking the bus home, and we will expect the child to be on the bus.

Once again, our school will be focusing on character education with students this year, as part of our anti-bullying efforts. Students are asked to think about what the virtue of the month looks like, sounds like, and feels like. For September, we will focus on the virtue of ‘Respect’.

As usual, our Junior and Senior Kindergarten students will follow a ‘staggered-entry’ process. JK students and new SK students will attend a parent-teacher conference with their parents during the first week of school, at a pre-assigned time. From September 10-13, all JK/SK students will attend class for one full day with some of their classmates. Regular full classes begin on Monday September 17 or Tuesday September 18. Letters were mailed during the first week of July with information about conference times, staggered-entry dates, and final start-up dates. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

All students in grades one to eight will receive a student agenda on the first day of school. Agendas are important tools for communication between home and school, and they also promote organizational and time-management skills. The