MISSION Captain Michael VandenBos P.S.

STATEMENT
OUR SCHOOL Flying High for Excellence
COMMUNITY
WILL CREATE A
SAFE AND
MOTIVATING
LEARNING
NEWSLETTER APRIL 2011
ENVIRONMENT
THAT EMPOWERS
STUDENTS TO
BECOME
SUCCESSFUL As we begin another new month at school, it is hard to believe that the snow has melted
LEARNERS AND and that the April rain showers have begun. We hope that you enjoyed March Break with
TO ACQUIRE THE your children.
SKILLS NEEDED
We are now starting to enjoy the “nicer spring weather” and would like to remind all stu-
dents to dress warmly for the spring weather. Dry clothing in your child’s
TO BECOME
school bag is always a great alternative to us having to call parents to bring
RESPONSIBLE in clothing should a child fall into a puddle (or should I say a “mud puddle”!).
CITIZENS OF
TOMORROW

3121 Country Lane

Whitby, Ontario
L1P 1N3
Safe Arrival Line
4pm to 8am
905-665-2001

Monique de Villers
Principal
Administrative
Jayne Krattiger
Vice Principal
Assistants’
Time is a precious commodity that should be appre-
ciated by all as it passes by so very quickly. The time
Day
Voula Phillips Wednesday, April 27 is dedicated
Carolyn Copithorne
is fast approaching for me to transition from principal
of Captain Michael VandenBos P.S. to principal of to our school secretaries. This is
Admin. Assistants a wonderful time to recognize the
Julie Payette P.S. I find it difficult to believe that it
has been four years since I was appointed as the important contributions of our sec-
John Bowyer retaries to the lives of our stu-
principal of Captain Michael VandenBos P.S….it truly
Superintendent dents. Our secretaries are out-
seems like it was just yesterday that I joined the CMV
905-666-5500 standing pillars of our school.
family, but now it is time to bid all of you farewell.
Without question, although I am looking forward to They are involved in everything
Anne-Marie Laginski that takes place and do every-
the challenges that lay ahead, I am sad to be leaving.
Admin Officer thing with care and passion. Merci
I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my time serv-
905-666-5500 Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Copithorne and
ing the community of Captain Michael VandenBos
P.S. This is an incredible school with skilled, caring Mrs. Heaps for doing an out-
Kimberly Zeppieri staff members, amazing students and highly suppor- standing job! MERCI!
905-668-7782 tive parents. I would like to thank all of you for your
Christine Winters support, encouragement, and best wishes during my
905-430-6050 tenure as principal. My life has certainly been en-
Trustees riched by this experience, and I leave with many fond
and precious memories of my time at the school.
APRIL
APRIL 2011
2011 Page 2

Students and staff have quickly adapted to the new entry procedures affected by the
location of the new primary door and changes in the play area on the pavement.
With Spring upon us bringing rain…and of course mud, we have been restricted for the most part to
the pavement area and students have been able to run around and have fun with their friends while
staying away from the construction zone. With the exception of a few balls making their way to the
other side of the fence, everything has been back to “normal”. A big thank you to all Mme Monique’s
assistants for helping and assisting with the entry procedure as well as lining the play areas with py-
lons…rain or shine they are hard at work! What a group of students!!! …I will miss you!

GRADE 1 FRENCH

Now that the weather is warming up, we IMMERSION PROGRAM

would strongly recommend that families label
all jackets / clothing with their child’s name.
Often, students may take off their jackets or
sweaters during the morning/afternoon recess
when the temperature has increased and for-
get to bring them back into the school. If cloth-
ing is labeled it is far easier to return them to
the rightful owner. A big thank you once again
to Mrs. Carson who continues to sort, organ-
ize and display our lost and found items. This
is an enormous task (and yes…it can also be
a smelly and dirty one as well!).
There will be a French Immersion Parent Informa-
tion Night held on Thursday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. at
the Durham District School Board, located at 400 Taun-
ton Rd. in Whitby. This information meeting is held for
parents who have children in SK and are interested in
the French Immersion Program.
French Immersion begins in grade one and is in-
tended for students whose parents do not have a
French background but would like their children to be-
come fluent in French. Although the curriculum is the
same as in the English language program, the lan-
guage of instruction is French.
Our School boundaries are Whitby south of Taunton
and north of Rossland. See you there.

At the March 21st, 2011 Board Meeting it was announced that Julie Payette P.S. was the name
selected for the new Whitby school. School hours will be 8:05 to 2:35. Julie Payette is a multi tal-
ented Canadian. She is an astronaut who participated in two space missions. Julie
speaks Russian, German, Italian and Spanish as well as being fluent in English and
French. In addition to being an engineer and pilot, she is also a musician, a singer, an
athlete and…a mother as well! What a woman!
APRIL 2011 Page 3

Mathematics in the early years

Children learn mathematics best when they are able to connect it with personal experiences and learn how
to solve problems. Through trial and error, children learn that the process and the end result can vary, and
that they need to be able to clearly articulate how they arrived at their solution. Asking your children how
they solved a problem helps them build mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills. Here are
three tips that you can use at home:

First: be positive about mathematics. Point out how different family members use math at home and at
work; encourage your child to be persistent when a problem seems difficult.

Second: make math part of your child’s day. Include them in measuring ingredients, counting plates/cutlery
when setting the table, measuring/calculating the area of a room you are going to paint.

Third: encourage your child to give explanations. Have them share their thinking/reasoning aloud. Treat
errors or confusion as an opportunity to develop reasoning skills, and prompt them to think of another way to
solve the problem.

The focus for the month of March has been respect: respect of self, of others and of the
environment. Early in the month, our JK to grade 5 students attended a presentation from Big Kid
Entertainment. The presentation focused on the character education traits in play format and had
two components: the first was a play for all students in the gym and the second was a 15 to 20
minute class visit by the actors whereby students could ask questions and the actors could review
the character traits that were presented. Students from Palmerston attended the morning
presentation with the students enrolled in the English stream here at VandenBos. For the second
part of the presentation, students were grouped according to like grades. This gave them the
opportunity to meet each other informally (there were many students who recognized each other
from scouts, karate, summer camp, etc) and for the Palmerston students to see the school that
they will be attending in September. All in all, a successful morning.

Next month we will be focusing on kindness: being sensitive to other’s feelings, being careful not
to use hurtful words and actions and helping when needed.
APRIL 2011
For many years now the Durham Forest Environ-
mental Education Centre has been operating a
Summer Day Camp program for Durham children
seven through twelve years of age. Once again
this coming summer there will be lots of fun and
learning in the Forest as six, one-week sessions
of Camp will be offered in July and August . Lo-
cated just south of Uxbridge, the Durham Forest
Environmental Education Centre provides a won-
derful facility and enthusiastic staff for this unique
summer experience.
Information brochures and registration forms are
available through the school, by calling the Forest,
or by accessing our web site:
www.ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca - choose Programs
then Outdoor Education.
There will be an informal open house at the Dur-
ham Forest facility on Tuesday May 17, 2011 from
7:00 -8:00 p.m.. Please join the Durham Forest
staff for a tour of our facilities and to learn more
about this summer program.
For questions or further info call us at the Forest :
905-852-3030http://www.ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca
The Volunteer Café will be held on Friday, May
13, 2011 at 1:00pm in the school gymnasium.
Everyone who has volunteered their time to
help at our school is invited to attend. Enter-
tainment will be provided by some of our stu-
dents. Come and join us for coffee and cook-
ies so we can say “Thank you”
for all your efforts on behalf of
the students and staff.
Page 4
Grade 8
graduates &
parents
As the end of the school year is fast approaching,
we encourage students and parents of graduating
students to log on to their high school website.
You will find valuable information on clubs, sports,
meetings, courses, etc. It’s a good way to connect
before the first day of school. The high school
years will go by very quickly and there are
significant decisions regarding course selections to
be made. As a helpful hint, you are encouraged to
look at the courses being offered in grade 12,
check their prerequisites and plan backwards.
This will give you direction and pre-planning will
simplify course selection. You have already made
a decision on 25% of your high school years and
you have not yet stepped a foot in the door!!
The grade 8 graduation trip to Ottawa will be
June 22, 23 & 24, 2011. The total cost of the trip
is $450. Two payments of $100 should have al-
ready been submitted. Permission forms and the
amount of each student’s final payment will be
coming home Monday. Please return these to
the school as soon as possible.
Graduation will be at 7:00pm on June 27, 2011 in
the school gymnasium. Each graduate will be
able to have 3 invited guests. Tickets and more
information will be sent home in June.
Following the ceremony, there will be a brief re-
ception and a “parent-graduate first dance”. The
dance for the graduating students only will con-
tinue until 10:30pm.
APRIL 2011
Safety and Security:
Just a reminder to all visitors to the school,
including family members that you MUST
report to the office when arriving at the
school. This ensures a safe environment for
students and staff. We ask that all visitors
use the front door of the building and sign
our book in the office when picking up a child
or volunteering. . Thank you!
Updating Student
Information
If you have recently changed work numbers,
cell phone numbers, babysitter or emergency
contact, please let us know at the office. We
need this information so we can reach you in
the event of an emergency. Also, please dis-
cuss lunch time and pick up arrangements
with your child before he/she is sent to
school.
Teachers continue to be on duty at 8:05 be-
fore school starts. Buses deliver students at
this time and we remind students who walk
to school should arrive between 8:05 and
8:15. At the end of the day, students are
asked to leave the building and school prop-
erty promptly after dismissal at 2:50 p.m. We
are asking students to go home
and not play on school property
unsupervised.
Page 5
Bicycles
It’s that time of year again! With spring upon
us, more children will be out on their bicycles,
so now is a good time for some reminders.
Please remind your child/ren that cyclists are
governed by the same rules as drivers, and
review safe cycling procedures at home.
BICYCLE HELMETS ARE MANDATORY AND
STUDENTS MUST WEAR A HELMET THAT
FITS PROPERLY FOR THEIR SAFETY!!!!
Students wishing to ride a bicycle to school
need to remember the following:
Have parental permission;
Know the safety rules and be able to
follow them;
Students must walk their bikes on
school property and when crossing the
streets;
Have a bicycle lock and use it while parked
at the school;
Leave the bicycle area upon arriving at
school;
Wear a HELMET at all times.
Please note that the school is not responsi-
ble for lost or damaged bi-
cycles.
Skateboards/ In-line
Skates
The use of skateboards and in-line skates is
strictly prohibited on school property! However,
as long as the students are cautious and con-
siderate they may ride them to school. If this
becomes a problem, then they will no longer be
permitted to do so.
APRIL 2011 Page 6

EARTH HOUR
On Friday, March 25, the students and staff at CMV celebrated Earth Hour early by turning off the
lights and computers from 10 - 11 am. Some classes left them off for even longer to better enjoy
the natural sunlight that day! Thank you so much to everyone who participated and remember to-
gether we can make a difference!

We hope that our CMV families also enjoyed supporting the World Wildlife Fund’s official Earth
Hour initiative from 8:30 - 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 26. But now what? Earth Hour doesn’t
have to be limited to just one day a year. What other energy-saving actions could you and your
family make a commitment to on a regular basis, for the benefit of all?

This month, CMV students will participate in a school wide Eco-challenge. All students will partici-
pate by creating a three-dimensional sculpture by reusing two pages of newsprint and 10cm of
tape. Each classroom will then nominate the sculpture that they feel best resolved the challenge.
These sculptures will be sent on to the Library to be reviewed and voted on by all classes in the
school during Earth Week. The first, second and third place winners overall will receive a special
Eco-prize!

EARTH WEEK 2011 - Operation Clean Sweep

Every spring, CMV staff and students participate enthusiastically in the spring-
cleaning of our school grounds during Earth Week. This year, Operation Clean
Sweep will take place during the week of April 18th - 21st. Teachers will register
their class to clean up a designated area, supervising them as they separate the
recyclable materials from the trash. Students are strongly encouraged to bring
gardening gloves from home in order to participate in a clean and safe manner. Students with-
out gloves may find a friend to share with, or can help by holding the bags. If you
have extra gloves at home, please feel free to send them in on the day designated
for clean-up by your child’s teacher!
Thanks for your support!
APRIL 2011 Page 7

We are urgently looking for people to take on

the role of lunch supervisors. This job is a one
hour paid position which includes monitoring
students while they have lunch in their class-
rooms and to monitor the schoolyard at noon.
If you can spare even one day a week it would
be most welcome. A tuberculin test and a po-
lice check are required. Applications may be
picked up in the school office.

April 6th Author’s Showcase April 22nd Good Friday—No School

April 13th Grade 1 French Immersion Orientation 12:30
Captain Michael VandenBos
April 13th Wacky Hair/Hat Day
April 14th Dental Screening JK, SK, & Gr. 2
April 15th Dental Screening JK, SK, & Gr. 2
April 25th Easter Monday—No School
April 27th Kindergarten Spring Concert 6:15—7:15 in gym
April 27th Popcorn Day
April 28th at 7:00pm - FI Parent Information Evening at
the Education Centre, 400 Taunton Road

April 15th Grade 1 French Immersion Orientation for Julie April 29th Dance-a-thon
Payette students to be held at CMV 12:30
May 4th Hawaiian Beach Bash Day
April 19th Pizza Lunch
May 5th SCC Meeting
April 21st Mme Monique’s last day