The Parent Voice

Earlier this month the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) made a special presentation to the principal, staff, parents and students of Shakespeare Public School. The Shakespeare school community received the Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement. EQAO wishes to recognize the community’s dedication to student achievement and use of provincial assessment results to improve student learning. EQAO was pleased to acknowledge the school’s leadership, positive attitude and sincere effort to help every child succeed.

To appreciate the success story of Shakespeare School, it is necessary to understand the culture of the school. It has always been a place with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, where everyone values the dignity of all the students. The staff, although small in number, take pride in knowing each child and meet frequently to discuss students, their needs, their difficulties and their progress. Teachers are constantly refining and changing curriculum methodology and teaching strategies to be more effective.

Principal David Allely says: “This is typical of what we try and do here—get down to the nitty gritty and do something about it. In this school, no one works in isolation.”

One of the strategies employed that staff credit with positively affecting student achievement is the creation and use of T-charts. Staff select a component from the School Effectiveness Framework as an indicator of effectiveness. They then devise checklists of observable growth in the class and evidence that indicates student accomplishment. This model allows students to become more actively involved in their learning because they understand what they need to do to be successful.

TVO’s Independent Learning Centre is pleased to partner with the Ontario Ministry of Education to bring Homework Help to students. This site focuses on math help for students in Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10. Key areas of the site include Tutor Chat Rooms, Listen & Learn presentations with certified teachers, Interactive Tutorials, and Best Sessions. Students have access to both guided and independent learning in a unique environment that combines technology and personal interaction.

Special News Event – Thursday, November 24, 2011, 10:30 – 11:00 AM

Nexus/COPE Headquarters: 280 Wallace Avenue South, Listowel, ON

Distinguished guest Betty Penny of Toronto’s Appsmaker Store Canada Ltd. joins the Nexus team & students for this special unveiling.

The Listowel District Secondary School NEXUS program is an alternative education program which helps students discover their potential and build a bright future. Nexus students work towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) in an alternative education environment. Many have graduated over the years, and some have pursued post-secondary educational pathways.

The Nexus Team has been  exploring ways of improving connections with the students who take advantage of this program and began thinking that given almost every student was using a smart phone, why not look into creating a special Nexus App that could be accessed by the students in all major platforms, iOS, Android and Blackberry.  They discovered Appsmaker Store and Owner Betty Penny and a partnership was born. This event will feature a the official launch and full demonstration of the new Nexus App and how it is already making connections with students.

Read more…

Although media can positively inform and entertain, it also has the power to persuade. Violent messages are frequently presented through the Internet, video games, television, film, and music. Over 40 years of research indicates that violent television, films, video games and music increase the likelihood of aggressive violent behaviour. Furthermore, recent large-scale longitudinal studies provide converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent media in childhood with aggression later in life. Some effects of media violence in children and youth include:

1. An increase in anti-social and aggressive behaviour

2. Can become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence

3. May view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of being a victim of violence

4. An increased desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life

5. May view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflict

Did you know?

1. The average student spends 7.5 hours per day using media

2. Multitasking (using multiple forms of media at the same time) accounts for approximately 1.5 hours. Therefore, when each media is calculated separately, youth would be receiving 11 hours of media daily if they were not multitasking. These figures do not take into account texting!

3. The average child who watches 2 hours of cartoons a day may see nearly 10,000 violent incidents each year

4. Of youth age 8-18, 66% have their own cell phone, 76% have an iPod or MP3 player, 71% have a TV in their bedroom, and 50% have a gaming console in their bedroom

5. 70% of youth are visiting chat rooms of which 54% are “adult-oriented” or private chat rooms

6. At-risk teenage boys spend 60% more time playing games and they prefer to play violent games

7. Teens who prefer violent games are more likely to get into arguments and even physical fights with authority figures, adults, and their peers

  Read more…

The grade 5/6 class at Zurich Public School is taking a stand against bullying. The students created a Be A Verb: Bullying Awareness assembly for their school and through the use of videos, words and actions, they explained what being a ‘verb’ is all about and how everyone can do something about bullying! This assembly is the kick-off to an entire week, month, and year devoted to bullying prevention across Avon Maitland schools. Watch their Video here:

November 13 – 19 is National Bullying Awareness Week in Canada and Avon Maitland Schools are planning special events and activities throughout the week and month to focus on how to prevent bullying and the damage it does to our young people.

To help the Board get ready for this important week three grade 7 students from Northwestern Public School and their teacher travelled to Seaforth to talk about their special bullying prevention project. Teacher Sherry Key and students Robin Jones, Julia Lupton and Ellen Chartrand spoke with Trustees about the “Stand up to Bullying” project and shared their story on video.

Drug Facts for Young People is an animated website for parents, children and educators about drugs.  Not only does it include facts about drugs and the signs of drug abuse, there is a parent’s forum, games for children to play, videos and there’s even an iPad app! This website is full of resources and the message about drugs is delivered in a smart and fun way…guaranteed to help families with talking about drugs.

It’s Just Smart Not To Start

The Rotary Club of Mitchell, through the leadership of Rotarian Doug Bielek, began implementation of the “Don’t Meth with Us” program in Ontario in 2011. The “Don’t Meth With Us” program will be delivered to 1400 grade five students in the Avon Maitland District School Board and the Huron-Perth Catholic School Board during the 2011-12 school year. The presentations will be delivered by Rotarians and their friends at approximately 60 schools in this inaugural year and will be delivered each year to every grade 5 class in Huron and Perth counties. For more information and resources for parents, check out their website here: www.dontmethwithus.ca