The Howitt Herald - Charles Howitt Public School

Y O R K R E G I O N
D I S T R I C T
S C H O O L B O A R D
School Email:
charles.howitt.ps@yrdsb.
edu.on.ca
School Web Site:
www.charleshowitt.ps.
yrdsb.edu.on.ca
School Telephone #:
905-889-2522
Mr. Matthew Biemiller,
Principal
Mrs. Mary Lucas,
School Office Admin
Assistant,
Mrs. Karen Friedman
Superintendent of
Schools (905) 884-4477
Ms Carol Chan,
Trustee (416)953-2728
Inside this issue:
Principal Message
Kindergarten
Registration
School Council
News
Upcoming
P.A. Days
Bus Transportation
Message
French Immersion
Info Session
French Immersion
Online Survey
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Search & Seizure 2
Healthy Schools
Litterless Lunches
January, 2012 School
Calendar
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The Howitt Herald
Volume 1, Issue 5
New Years Quote:
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We
are going to put words on them ourselves. The
book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is
New Year's Day.” - Edith Lovejoy Pierce
It has been our pleasure to welcome the students
back this week. The New Year has
brought a great deal of excitement to the halls
of our school. It is so nice to see the children’s
smiling faces and to hear the wonderful stories
they have to tell of their holidays.
We would like to extend our thanks to all
those who came out to support our students
Kindergarten Registration for
2012-2013
Registration for new Junior and Senior Kindergarten
students for September 2012 will
begin at Charles Howitt on Friday February
3, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.
This is a PA Day for students.
Children born in
2008 are eligible for Junior
Kindergarten; children
born in 2007 are eligible
for Senior Kindergarten.
Upcoming P.A. Days
Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
There is no school for students on
these days.
January, 2012
Principal’s Message
and enjoy the Celebration of Dance. It was truly
amazing to see the energy and excitement through
their performances. Our thanks, once again, to
Micaila Murray and all the staff who facilitated this
event on behalf of our students!
January is a great time to reflect on our goals,
and celebrate our successes over the past year,
as well as to set new goals for 2012. On behalf
of the school staff, we wish you a very happy
New Year and we look forward to continuing
to work and learn together.
Matthew Biemiller
Principal
School Council News
On behalf of the council we would like to
wish all of our community a wonderful new
year!
Please see the list below of upcoming dates:
Tuesdays: Pizza Lunch
Thursdays: Sub Lunch
Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays:
Wholicious Lunch Program
(order online at www.wholicious.ca)
Mon. Jan. 16 School Council Meeting 7:00
p.m.
Mon. Jan. 30 Cultural Evening (more info to
follow)
Character Calendar
Respect, Responsibility, Honesty,
Empathy, Fairness, Initiative,
Perseverance, Integrity, Courage,
Optimism
“Fairness is what justice really is.”
Potter Stewart

Page 2 The Howitt Herald
Important Bus Transportation Message
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Re: Student Bussing Eligibility
Did you know that students’
bussing eligibility changes
throughout their school career?
Your son/daughter’s eligibility to
ride the school bus may change
according to their grade and
distance from home to school.
Below are the provisions for
eligibility identified in the Board’s
Transportation Policy #680:
• All YRDSB students in Grades
JK-3 who live within 1.2 km of
their school are not eligible for
transportation
• All YRDSB students in Grades
4-8 who live within 1.6 km of
The York Region District School Board is
conducting a comprehensive review of its
French as a Second Language (FSL) Program.
The goal of the review is to ensure
that the Board can continue to provide
high quality and sustainable FSL instruction.
York Region offers French as a Second
Language instruction through two
delivery models, Core and Immersion.
Core French is what most students experience.
It begins in Grade 4 and is offered as a
Search and Seizure
As per the protocol between the York
Region District School Board and the
York Regional Police, please be aware
of the right of school administration to
search school property, such as lockers,
desks and backpacks, without notice
to or permission of any person.
Also, from time to time, police
may be invited onto any school premises
to conduct their own searches
without notice to or permission of any
member of the school community
other than the school principal.
their school are not eligible for
transportation
• All YRDSB students in Grades
9-12 who live within a transit
served area are not eligible for
transportation.
To view Board Policy #680
Student Transportation, please
visit www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. For
more information about bus
transportation and to determine
your son/daughter’s eligibility
please visit
www.schoolbuscity.com.
*Please note: As Yonge Street
is a major roadway, all students
living east of Yonge Street are
eligible for bussing regardless of
age.
French As a Second Language Program Review-Online
Survey- We want to hear from you!
subject, as part of the regular Ontario
Curriculum. French Immersion is a specialized
optional program which begins in
Grade 1. In French Immersion subjects in
the Ontario Curriculum are predominantly
taught in French.
As part of this review, the Board has
engaged Ipsos Reid to assist with gathering
public input. We are asking all parents to
fill out an online survey to tell us what
they think about FSL.
French Immersion Info Session
Parents considering registering
their children for the French
Immersion program are encouraged
to attend the information
session being held at
Adrienne Clarkson P.S. on
January 25, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m.
Online registration will take
place from February 1 st , 2012
until February 15 th , 2012. Registrations
will be accepted online
only, if you require assistance
or do not have access to the
internet, please contact your
child’s current school. Staff
members at any York Region
District School Board site can
assist you with the online registration
process.
Please note that where demand
exceeds capacity, students for
the designated attendance area
school will be selected using a
computerized random ranking
process. French Immersion may
take place in a single track
(French only) or dual track
school environment. Students
may begin the French Immersion
program in one location/
track, but may be required to
continue in a different location/
track as the program evolves.
Parents looking for more information
can visit the Board’s
website at
www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
The survey will be available on the
Board’s website:
www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca, starting Friday,
December 16, 2011 at 9:00 a.m., and
will close on Monday, January 16,
2011 at 5:00 p.m. All answers to the
survey will be kept strictly confidential;
survey answers will be limited to one per
household. The review includes a public
input process and an examination of best
practices from other public education jurisdictions.
Healthy Schools: Litterless Lunches
A Litterless/Waste-Free lunch contains no
throwaway packaging or food leftovers.
Lunches are packed in servings that will be
completely eaten. To avoid any packaging,
all food and drinks are packed in reusable
containers with a reusable lunch bag or
box. With this type of lunch, food items
can be brought in larger quantities. The
packaging can be left at home for reuse or
recycling. Waste-free lunches are not only
a wise environmental choice; they are less
expensive as well.
With Boomerang Lunch programs, whatever
comes to school/office for lunch and
snacks and is not consumed, will go back
home.
These tips are useful for parents and individuals
interested in joining the
challenge to reduce waste.
Courtesy of: Monthly
Eco Theme, Energy
and Environmental
Services Team, YRDSB

Page 3 The Howitt Herald
January 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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Pizza Lunch
15 16
22 23
School Council
Meeting-7:00
p.m.
Lunar New Year
29 30
Gr. 7 & 8
Skill Canada
Presentation
Grade 6 VIP
Program
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Lake St. George Trip
Pizza Lunch
24
Pizza Lunch
Prologue Arts
Figura Theatre
JK-Gr. 8
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Pizza Lunch
30 Pearson Avenue, Richmond Hill, L4C 6T7
Email Address: Charles.howitt.ps@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
11 12
Langstaff Open
House –7:00
p.m.-8:30 p.m.
18
Today is a Friday
Schedule
Primary
Skating-a.m.
25
Area Jr.
Volleyball
York Region District School Board
Sub Lunch
19
Sub Lunch
26
Sub Lunch
Intermediate
Skating –a.m.
1 2
Sub Lunch
Today is a
Friday Schedule
13 14
20
PA Day
No school for
students
27
Jr. Skating-a.m.
3
PA Day-no
school for
students
Kindergarten
Registration for
Sept., 2012
Telephone: 905-889-2522 Fax: 905-889-9694
Website: www.charleshowitt.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
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