Hello Mustang Families,

Thank you for all the support you have all given to Mount Royal Public School. There are only 4 months left of school and funny how time flies when you’re having fun! Each day I look forward to engaging with our school community and learning about the wonderful things that families are doing with their children. Staff at Mount Royal are so happy to attend to your children and are always ready to engage in conversations with you about the progress of their learning.

There is some exciting news that our School Council Chairs, Chanel Mogent and Anita Roodall have applied for.  The Parent Reaching Out Grant provides funding to schools through the Ministry of Education to support projects for parents and families to engage fully in their children’s learning. As a School Council, we will discuss a wonderful way to bring the community together. Stay tuned!

Next week we are excited to have X Power coming to Mount Royal. They explore Conflict Resolution through an experience inspired by martial arts including Tai-Chi and Karate. Through games and reflection, students are empowered with tools for effective conflict resolution and to stand up for themselves, others, and the world around them. There are two parent nights planned where you can get involved in the fun on April 21^st during Education Week and June 11^th during our Spring Fling Celebration.

On behalf of the Mount Royal Staff, we wish all of you a wonderful March Break. Stay local, find somewhere to go outside of the city, or simply stay home.

At Mount Royal, our students are MAGNIFICENT, UNIQUE, STRONG, TALENTED, AMBITIOUS, NON-JUGMENTAL and I am GRATEFUL that you trust us with your children.

Sincerely,

Mr. Aamer Zuberi

PRINCIPAL

Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2020

Date	Celebration	Faith and Culture
March	Sugar Moon	Indigenous Worldview (First Nations
Sunset of March 1 to 19	Alá (Fasting month)	Bahá’í
March 2	Clean Monday (J)	Christianity
March 6	World Day of Prayer	Christianity
March 8 ●	Sakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day	Buddhism
March 8 or 12	Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Birthday	Buddhism
March 9	Holi	Hinduism
Sunset of March 9 to 10	Purim	Judaism
March 10	Hola Mohalla	Sikhism
March 14	New Year	Sikhism
March 16 to 20	Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem	Zoroastrianism
March 17	St. Patrick’s Day	Christianity
March 20	Shunki-sorei-sai	Shinto
March 20	Lady Day (Ostra)	Wicca
March 20 or 21 ●	Naw Ruz/Navroze (FC)	Bahá’í/Zoroastrianism
March 21	Eid e-Navroz	Islam
Eve of March 20 or 21 to March 21 or 22	Isra and Mi’raj	Islam
March 24 or 25	Vasant Navratri and New Year’s Day	Hinduism
March 26 ●	Khordad Sal (FC)	Zoroastrianism

The expectation is that Peel schools and worksites not schedule events on significant holydays (as marked with a ● or ○ on the calendar) that would exclude observing staff and students from participating.

● = Do not schedule events at any time on these days ○ = Do not schedule events on the evenings of these days

Dates in bold lettering are approved holy days according to the Peel District School Board Leaves of Absence policy #23 and O.P. HRS #42

HEALTH UPDATES

Report your child’s immunizations to the Region of Peel online

When registering for school for the first time, parents and guardians are required to provide up-to-date immunization information for their children. This includes registering for kindergarten.

You can update your child’s immunizations online. The online immunization tool allows you to attach a photo of the immunization record. When reporting online, an Ontario Health Card is required.

Report immunizations online at: www.peelregion.ca/immunize

After you report your immunizations online you will be given a reference number. Keep this number for your records. You will need to give this number to your child’s school when registering.

If you do not have online access or your child does not have an Ontario Health Card, take a copy of the immunization record to the school.  Make sure your child’s name and date of birth are visible on the record. 

Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 if your child does not have an immunization record or if you have any questions about immunization exemptions.

For more information, visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize

Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu

It’s flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible this year! Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it:

• Get your annual flu shot: The flu shot is your best defence against the flu. There are many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shots:
  • Family Doctors’ offices
  • Walk-in clinics
  • Pharmacies
  • Peel flu clinics

• Keep children home when they’re sick: If your child develops flu-like signs and symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue), keep them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe.
  
  
• Practice good hygiene: Help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the trash. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don’t have a tissue. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.
  
  
• Wash your hands: Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze.

For more information, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.

Keep your child’s eyes healthy

Did you know that vision problems in children often go unnoticed because kids don’t know any different? As many as 10 per cent of preschoolers will have vision difficulties that can affect the development of their sight if not treated. However, if caught by the age of 5, treatment will be most effective.

The Region of Peel recommends regular eye exams for your child to help find eye problems early and get the right treatment.

The best way to ensure good eye health is to have your child’s eyes checked by an optometrist. Yearly eye exams for children 19 and under are covered by OHIP.

What to expect at your child’s eye exam

An optometrist will complete:

• General vision testing in both eyes.
• Eye muscle testing.
• Eye coordination testing.
• A general health assessment of the front and back of the eyes.

If needed, the optometrist will write a prescription for glasses for your child.

For information on overall vision health, common signs of a possible eye problem and the programs available to you within Peel, visit www.peelregion.ca/vision-health

Bus cancellation and closing schools due to bad weather

During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because of inclement weather.

Information regarding details of cancellations or closures will be announced on radio, television stations and will also be available on Twitter @Peelschools, Facebook at www.facebook.com/peelschools, www.peelschools.org, Twitter @STOPRinfo and http://www.stopr.ca or by calling 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146.

One of the following messages will be announced:

Peel District School Board buses are cancelled

This means that schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are cancelled. Bus cancellations could occur in all or parts of municipalities. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled. Permits, night school classes, child care and other activities in schools will operate as usual.

All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed

This means that all schools and Peel board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled, including child care, night school and permits.

All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled

This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled

This means that all activities in schools and Peel board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses and events. The buildings will be closed.

2020 March Break Maple Syrup Days at the Jack Smythe Field Centre

Open House

Wednesday, March 18 – Saturday, March 21

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature as spring blossoms. Jack Smythe Field Centre offers an exceptional family experience with a visit to the Maple Syrup Sugar Bush. Join in on an authentic Canadian tradition.

For a number of years, the Peel Field Centres have invited the public for an awe-inspiring visit to our outstanding Maple Sugar Bush during the March break. Individuals and families are invited to get involved as spring comes to life.  Help empty sap buckets, tap trees or sample some freshly made maple syrup as we celebrate the new syrup season. Take a hike along our tranquil trails and feed the friendly chickadees by hand.

Discover the importance of Ontario’s first harvest and witness some of the many ways both sweet water and maple syrup are made in this region. Your visit would not be complete without a trip to the sugar shack where the sap will boil and clouds of sweet smelling steam will billow out of the chimney. Have a taste of the freshly made syrup: it’s going to be sweet!

The cost is $5.00/adult and $4.00/child 12 and under.

Lunch will be available for purchase. It will include: hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs for you to roast over an open fire. Please note that all payments are “cash” only. 

For more information, please contact the Jack Smythe Field Centre at 1-905-877-7771.

Directions to Jack Smythe Field Centre, 14592 Winston Churchill Blvd., Terra Cotta:

• North on Mississauga Rd.
• Left on King St. (You will see Credit View P.S. on your left)
• Right on Winston Churchill Blvd. (You will pass the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on your left) to the top of the hill
•  Left into the Jack Smythe site.

Terry Fox Update

Our 2019 Terry Fox School Run was a great success!
We are proud to announce that Mount Royal Public School has generously donated $4,847.80 for cancer research! The Terry Fox Foundation sends a big thank you to our school community for our generosity and support. 40 years later, Terry’s message of hope lives on and stronger than ever!

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In the Peel District School Board, we #ChooseACTION each and every day to proactively eliminate racism in all forms and be inclusive in our school communities. We use an anti-oppressive stance to support and maintain a safe and positive Climate for Learning and Working for staff, students and community well-being. This important day, which we will recognize as a board on Tuesday, March 24th, will help lead the work we all do in our schools with our students in support of equity and inclusion.

History of the Day:

On March 21st, 1960, Afrikaner police opened fire and killed 69 Indigenous South African people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. They were protesting the apartheid “pass laws” that severely restricted the movement and freedom of Indigenous South Africans. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Peel District School Board Focus:

This year supports and resources focused on Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia have been curated and provided to schools. Educators are encouraged to use this sampling of tools throughout the year in our schools and classrooms. Our goal is to proactively eliminate racial discrimination every day.

For more information and for activities to commemorate the day with your children please access the resources: http://www.peelschools.org/aboutus/equity

USING SOCIAL MEDIA SAFELY

With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets and texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including staying connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks.

Among the most popular social media platforms used are Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and Whatsapp Messenger. Many of these platforms are free and are available on smartphones and other electronic devices. These platforms are easy to navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly, not only with friends, but with strangers. On social media, it is important to remember that the world is watching.

Here are some tips, provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe and help them make smart choices when using social media:

• Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the way they use it or the settings.
• Have a conversation about what is appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation and be harmful to others.
• Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they come across something they find worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.
• Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is subsequently deleted.
• Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection, and that they shouldn’t do anything online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Users should only accept people they know in order to protect themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.
• Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet a stranger in the real world.
• Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your children’s favourite sites, and teach them how to control their privacy.
• Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes, but is not limited to, his or her full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and  parents’ full names.
• Limit the amount of time that your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate use of technology.