2014
ST DAVIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL
1344 York Rd, St. Davids, ON, L0S 1P0
905-262-4533
October
2014
Principal: Tammy Chilcott
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL...
Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah,
Kwanzaa, Eid Al-Adha or another special event this holiday
season, the staff at St Davids wishes you a safe and joyous
time with your family. We are very grateful that you have
entrusted your children to our care. At St Davids, we
believe that every child can achieve to a high standard. We
believe that good character and good citizenship are
integral components of academic achievement and success
in life. We believe that parents and teachers, working
together, can achieve great things for children. We are very
proud of the positive climate in our school and are committed
to working together for even greater student success.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
We are thrilled to announce the purchase of new technology for
learning at St Davids. This has been made possible through the
collaborative fundraising efforts of the Parent Council, Magazine Sales
and St Davids Lions. The following will be arriving at our school within
the next few months: 10 net books, 20 chrome books and a tech cart.
RAFIKI BRACELET SALE
In Swahili, the word for friend is "rafiki". And to the mamas in Kenya
creating a better life by handcrafting Rafiki Friend Chains, the word
means even more. Every Rafiki an artisan makes helps earn a living,
send her children to school and show the world the power of her skills
and traditions.
The Me to We Club is selling Rafiki bracelets for $10 at nutrition breaks
to unlock a lifetime of opportunity for a mama, her family and her whole
community!
Superintendent: Marian Friesen
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
01 Gr 8 intention sheets due
03 Grade 2&3s to Wizard of
Oz @ Scotia Centre
05 Winter Holiday Door
Decorating - 1:35pm
13 NOTL Santa Claus Parade
15 Raffle Basket Tickets on
sale starting today
17 Bake Sale
17 2:00 pm Day Christmas
Concert
17 6:30pm Christmas Concert
& Bake Sale
19 Last day before holidays
05 Welcome back!
07 Mid-Year EQAO Practice
Test - tentative
09 PJ Day!
13 St Davids Lions Pizza
Day!
16 PD Day - No School
23 Retro Spirit Day!
27 Family Literacy Day
27 Parent Council Mtg @
6pm
PRIMARY CHRISTMAS CONCERT ON DECEMBER 17th
Our annual Christmas Concert is always well-attended and, with the increased enrolment at St Davids over
the past few years, we have dealt with over-crowding in the gym and in the parking lot. This year, we are
trying something new that will showcase the talent of all students but at different times of the year. Our
December event will be a Primary Christmas Concert for students from Kindergarten to grade 3. We will hold
a springtime event that will showcase the junior and intermediate students. We are hoping that this
arrangement will provide two valuable community experiences and remedy our issues of over- crowding. Our
th
Primary Christmas Concert will be on Wednesday, December 17 . There will be day and evening performances
at 2:00pm and 6:30pm. We will be highlighting other December traditions at our Dragons Den assemblies
throughout the month.
HOLIDAY BAKE SALE ON DECEMBER 17th
Baked goods will be sold in the am and pm on the day of the concert. This Holiday Bake Sale has traditionally
been a time when you can purchase some goodies for holiday get-togethers! St. Davids parents are
wonderful bakers. The show of care and creativity at each bake sale is absolutely show-stopping! Don’t
miss out. Come in and shop at the bake sale before the 2:00pm and 6:30pm concerts.
HOLIDAY BASKET RAFFLE
st
This year Parent Council is fundraising for additional technology for effective instruction in the 21
century, net books and chrome books specifically. We are collecting items for our holiday raffle baskets
and need your help! Please donate primary and junior/intermediate age-appropriate items like games,
toys, candy, or whatever you can think of, to place in baskets. You may send these into the office. Thanks
so much! Raffle tickets can be purchased through the office starting December 15th and at the bake
sale. The cost for tickets is $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.
NOTL CHRISTMAS PARADE FLOAT on DECEMBER 13th
St Davids is entering a float into the Santa Claus Parade in Niagara-On-The-Lake on December 13th. If you are
interested in helping out with this, or riding the float, please send the slip below to the school office. We look
forward to this community event! Volunteers will receive an update letter shortly.
th
Canadian Tire Money Drive – Beginning on November 18 , we will be collecting Canadian Tire money in
support of purchases that will be donated to Newark Neighbours.
Walmart Will Match Cash Donations - This year, we have a partnership with Walmart in which they will match
our cash donations, doubling the impact we can have in shopping for those less fortunate than us this season.
Mitten Tree - Share a little warmth this season! The holiday tree in our school foyer will remain empty this
year so that students have room to place new mittens, hats and scarves on it! These will help keep children
who'd otherwise go without, warm and cozy this winter. Items placed on the tree will be donated to Newark
Neighbours.
DECEMBER EVENTS
Student: ___________________________________ Gr: ______ Family: __________________________
 RAFFLE BASKET ITEMS - We would like to send in items for a raffle basket.
 CHRISTMAS FLOAT - We would like to help build and decorate the float on the week of December 8th.
 PARADE - We would like to be in the NOTL Parade and ride the float on December 13th. Please send
more information.
o BAKE SALE - We are able to send in nut-free items for the bake sale (packages or singles)
The French Immersion program (offered at French Immersion sites) is open to all students in Senior
Kindergarten. If you want your child to develop a high proficiency and fluency in Canada’s two
official languages, French Immersion has a great deal to offer.
FEATURES OF THE FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM:
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Development of French language skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing from
grades one to twelve;
Designed to be a second language program for children whose first language is NOT
French;
Current enrolment of over 2,000 elementary students;
Certificate of French Immersion Studies awarded upon successful completion of the
elementary and secondary Immersion program;
Promoting understanding of different cultures;
Providing additional opportunities for employment using French as the working
language;
An increased ability to communicate and interact with confidence in French.
Registration will open January 5th, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. and will close February 17th, 2015
at 9:00 a.m.
For more information about French Immersion in the District School Board of Niagara visit or speak to
your school principal. Parent Information evening sessions will be held in January. Parent Visitations
to the Grade 1 French Immersion classrooms will occur during designated daytime hours if desired.
*N.B. – With recent revisions to the French Immersion program at the DSBN, McKay Public School in
Port Colborne, is the only site accepting Grade 4 entry registrations. Please note, beginning
September 2016, the DSBN will be a single entry program with French Immersion starting only in
Grade 1.
Niagara Falls -John Marshall Public School (Grade 1 entry)
1) Parent Information Night: Thursday, January 8, 2015
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
2) Grade 1 French Immersion Classroom Visits (if desired):
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
9:25 a.m. -10:15 a.m. & 1:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.
CALLING HOME
Students are required to get permission from school staff every time a call home needs to be made. If
parents are granting permissions for students over the phone, they must speak directly to school staff. It is
not appropriate to “pass on” messages to staff through students. As a general rule,
written notes by parents are required for permissions. Calling home should be the
exception. Cell phones should never be used to contact home through the school
day. Please review this procedure with your children at home.
Snow Safety
Students at St Davids School are not allowed to throw or kick snow while on school property. Cold, frozen
snow presents a threat to student safety especially when thrown. Parents/Guardians are asked to please
review this policy at home and we will continue to remind students here at school. Consequences for
throwing snow are as follows:
1st time: Letter home with a detention
2nd time: Letter home and Loss of Privileges/Detention
3rd time: Formal at-home suspension
We all thank you for your support in helping to keep the school yard safe!
RESPECT
TEACHER
STUDENT OF THE
MONTH
CHARACTER
TRAIT
K Fallowfield
Will Nicholson
Will Nicholson
K Black
Lincoln O’Brien
Charlie Lidstone
Ariana Rempel
Marcus Hannon
Tya Riddick
Mariska Colcuc
Dylan Kroeker
David Nickel
K Parravicino
Gr. 1 King
Koabel
Gr. 1/2 Dick
Gr. 2 Furtney
Gr. 2/ 3 Sawicki
Gr. 3/4 Cook
Gr. 4/5
Climenhage
Gr.6 Hall
Gr. 6/7 Candler
Gr. 8 McNamara
Mme. Borrowman
Mitchell Olsen
Sierra Kelly
Lucy Hopkins
Noah Whyte
Siddhi
Upadhyaya
Shayden O’Brien
Jocelyne Warren
Austin Dill
Tyler Carmichael
Sanna Ghai
Daniel Penner
Maxwell Bredin
Ethan Nesbitt
Christian
Maniatis
Ewan Fenwick
Quinn Cullen
Yi Qiu
Ashleigh
Rougoor
Nadia
Gorobtchouk
Tyleenah SuonApro
Matteo Zumpano
Ryan Si
BAKE SALE UPDATE
Bake sale proceeds will support the math
resources and athletics throughout the
year. Thank you for your support. We
made $336.35 for November!
CLOTHING
PLEASE put your child’s name in his/her
coat and winter boots. We continue to have
several articles of clothing sent to the lost
and found and very few of them get
claimed. We try to keep them as long as
Kennedy
Horbach
possible, but the pile becomes unruly. We
Sawyer Neal
after December 12th. Please encourage
Mallory
Doppenberg
Carter Svacina
your child to check Lost and Found.
Umar
Muhammad
Tristan Bale
will be packaging up this latest collection
The character trait for
December is Responsibility.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES
There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could
cause transportation cancellations or school closures.
At times when student transportation has been cancelled and schools remain open, the decision
of whether or not to have children in school on that day rests with the parent or guardian.
Should you decide not to send your child to school in the event that transportation is
cancelled but schools remain open, or if your child is ill or late, please ensure that you
call your child’s school to inform them of your child’s absence.
A key resource in any emergency is the DSBN Emergency Information form that you filled out at
the beginning of the school year. Please let the school know of any changes in contact
information or procedures you wish to be followed throughout the school year.
For secondary schools it may become necessary to cancel late buses. Notice will be provided
via school announcements and on the websites and subscription features by 11:30 a.m.
Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will be available as soon as it
is available through the following channels:
Websites: www.dsbn.org
www.nsts.ca
Subscription Features: DSBN Facebook or Twitter, NSTS Transportation Delay or
Cancellation Alerts
Phone: Niagara Student Transportation Services 905-346-0290 Voice Auto Attendant
Radio Stations:
CKTB (610 AM) St. Catharines
WAVE (94.7 FM) Hamilton
CKOC (1150 AM) Hamilton
CHML (900 AM) Hamilton
CHAM (820 AM) Hamilton
Y-108(107.9) Hamilton
CHRE (105.7 FM) St. Catharines
CHTZ-FM (97.7 FM) St. Catharines
CKEY (105.1 FM) Niagara Falls/Fort Erie
K-LITE-FM (102.9 FM) Hamilton
GIANT FM (91.7 FM) Welland
Television Stations:
CHCH - Hamilton
CTV Toronto City TV Breakfast Television Cogeco Channel 10