Incredibly, this year is coming to an end.  In a building which is as busy as ours, the end of the year has snuck up and is here.  This has been an amazing year, with many incredible learning opportunities, new experiences, and many successes.

Williamsburg has a very dedicated and talented community of teachers, office staff, E.A.’s, custodians, volunteers, parents and school community council members. Thank you for your continued support.  Together have made, and we will continue to make Williamsburg the vibrant centre of our community.

Most importantly, our students have once again shown that they continue to grow in all of our 4A’s; academics, athletics, the arts, and their attitude. 

This is also a time of change.  Our Grade 8’s are now readying themselves for high school and several families will be leaving over the summer.  We will miss you and wish you well in the future.

It is now time to rest and to spend time with our families. I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday.  I have heard many exciting plans for the summer and know that everyone will be fully charged and ready to return on September 7th.

Enjoy every moment.

Mr. Creer

Click on the link below to view the SCC Constitution:

SCC Constitution - Bylaws

At Williamsburg, we believe in "giving back" to the community. Our students have been and will be participating in a number of outreach projects:

• Williamsburg raised $4000.00 for Erin McLean, one of Canada's Olympic Athletes - read article from the newspaper Whitby This Week
• Williamsburg raised $3600.00 in support of the Terry Fox Foundation 
  

Click on the link below to view the Provincal Guide for Grading:

Provincial Guide for Grading  

At Williamsburg, in order to maintain the safety of our staff and students we have established specific procedures in the event of an emergency evacuation.  Staff review evacuation procedures with students on a regular basis.  Practice fire drills are conducted routinely in order to ensure the safe and orderly evacuation of our staff and students in the event of a fire. 

Durham District School Board computing technology is made available to students to support their learning, research requirements, and career preparation. Computing technology includes computers and associated peripherals, the communication infrastructure and related equipment including local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), facsimile machines, scanners, copiers, telephone, video, and other multimedia devices and forms of software.

DDSB technologies allow all schools to offer Internet access to their students. The Internet is a vehicle for accessing a global network of information resources. Students may use the Internet to locate and retrieve information and communicate learning with others.

Students are encouraged to report Cyber-bullying to parents/guardians, teachers, and principals. Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. Cyber-bullying can happen through the use of e-mail, cell phone text, multi media messages, instant messaging, defamatory Web logs (Blogs), personal Web Sites, and on-line personal polling sites.

Internet resources may contain material that may be questionable, objectionable, or illegal, and may enable contact with persons who may exhibit unacceptable behaviour. Students re-visiting unacceptable sites will be subject to discipline according to the Schools Code of Behaviour.

The DDSB utilizes Internet filtering software. This software blocks access to specific unacceptable sites known to contain violence, sexually explicit acts, intolerant, racist and other extreme viewpoints, cults, etc. No software is capable of blocking all unacceptable Internet sites. However, the Internet is a leading technology in the delivery of information in today's society and therefore, an integral part of our students' education.

Teachers and students are instructed on the safe and acceptable use of the Internet and other DDSB computing technology. Teachers will supervise student use of the Internet as they supervise student use of all other school resources.

All students are expected to abide by the DDSB Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure.  Misuse and/or abuse of the facilities and resources are subject to consequences as defined and explained in their school's Student Code of Behaviour. Use of the Internet is governed by the Regulation 5500, the Student Code of Conduct, which states that "a student may be suspended or expelled from his or her school, expelled from attending any school in Ontario, and/or prohibited from engaging in school-related activities if the student commits an infraction of the Code of Conduct while he or she is at school, engaged in a school-related activity, or engaged in conduct that has a relationship to the school, school community, the reputation of the school or Board." In addition, use is governed by all relevant federal (e.g. Copyright Act, Freedom of Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act, the Criminal Code), provincial (e.g. Education Act, Child and Family Services Act, Safe School Act, Human Rights Code), DDSB (e.g. Policies and Procedures, Central File 06/07-28), and local school (eg. School Code of Behaviour) laws and regulations. Use of DDSB computing technology for unacceptable, illegal, political, or private commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The onus is on the user to know and to comply with these laws and regulations.

We look forward to providing students with the opportunity to use the school's computing technology facilities and resources in a safe and meaningful way.

The Durham District School Board has created Regulation 5500, which is the Durham District School Board Code of Conduct and Safe School Regulation.  The Board is committed to providing a safe and secure school environment, in terms of behaviour, discipline and safety.  The Safe Schools Act, 2000 required each Board and each school to develop a Code of Conduct that is consistent with the legislation and Board policy.  To view Williamsburg's Code of Conduct, please click on the link within the Code of Conduct section.

Each year, Williamsburg completes a "Self-Test Health and Safety Checklist".  There are eight critical safety items in place at our school:

1.  Policy

2.  Health and Safety Bulletin Boards

3.  Step Ladders

4.  First Aid

5.  Slips, Trips and Falls

6.  WHMIS

7.  Health and Safety at Staff Meetings

8.  Emergency Procedures 

Creating safe and caring learning communities has been an ongoing focus of Durham Board schools.  The perception of feeling safe at school is a key factor in students' achievement.  Numerous excellent programs and initiatives are in place to promote positive values and decisions and prevent bullying behaviour.  The goals of a Bully-Free School are to:

• provide a safe and secure learning and work environment
• ensure a welcoming environment
• communicate openly and pro-actively with the public
• strive to provide equitable services, programs and facilities
• support diversity through anti-racism and equity education
• encourage co-operation, acceptance and respect in the school community
• provide opportunities for students to exercise personal responsibility and civic duty
• promote critical and creative thinking to prepare students to face challenges and changes.

Volunteers are a huge asset to the school.  They help build a community where everyone works together to enhance learning experiences for children.  The old African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" is a profound statement that recognizes that only together can we create a safe, welcoming and nurturing school environment.  There are many areas where volunteers can help, such as:

• getting involved in the SCC
• helping out on pizza days
• sharing cultural celebrations
• volunteering in the classroom
• serving on the Lice Committee
• helping out in the library
• driving to sporting events
• helping with special event days
• helping teachers prepare for lessons (ie. laminating, photocopying, cutting)

Volunteers do make a difference!  Please contact Mrs. Lavender in the office if you are interested in being a volunteer at Williamsburg Public School.

All visitors must make their first stop at the office.  If a visitor is staying in the building, then he/she is required to sign in and wear a visitor tag. 

 If you would like to help with the Kiss and Ride please see Mr. Creer or Mr. Schoonderbeek!

The Kiss and Ride lane (the lane directly beside the sidewalk outside the penned off kindergarten area and at the front of the school) is solely to be used by parents/caregivers who are dropping-off/picking-up students in a timely fashion (one or two minutes). 

It is not a parking lane, nor is it to be used if parents are going to linger and/or wait for their children to enter/exit the school.  Cars stopped for longer than one minute should not be left idling as the fumes are harmful to our staff, students and other parents.  Parents are also reminded that the middle lane of the pick-up loop at the front of the school is an "open lane" where vehicles are not permitted to stop and/or pick-up students.

Parents who are wishing to wait to see their children enter or who have to enter the school must park in the parking lot and walk to the school.  We would like to thank you in advance for your co-operation and support in this matter as it will really help to alleviate traffic and congestion in the Kiss and Ride lane and will ultimately help to promote a safe arrival/departure program for all of our students.  Parking on either Medland or Kirkland Place is a good option if the lot is full.

Kiss and Ride Information Guide

Progressive discipline is a whole school approach that utilizes a continuum of interventions, supports and consequences that include opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviour while helping students make good choices.  Staff are brought together as a collaborative team to identify and determine minor and major discipline issues and concerns.  This step-by-step process involves staff taking proactive and progressive measures for handling discipline.  This process is a partnership with administration, staff and parents.  The goals of the partnership are to assist students in changing their behaviours.

Click on the link below to view the Elementary Progressive Discipline chart:

Elementary Progressive Discipline 

Click on the link below to view Williamsburg's Code of Conduct:

Code of Conduct

Effective January 1, 2006, new provincial legislation known as "Sabrina's Law" came into effect. This legislation established standards for schools in Ontario on how to recognize anaphylactic shock and symptoms. At Williamsburg Public School, we have established an Anaphylaxis Committee that takes a proactive approach to ensure that policies and procedures are in place to ensure our students' safety. The committee has also developed education kits that have been linked to the Health Curriculum.  For more information on "Sabrina's Law", please visit the following Web Site:

Anaphylaxis Emergencies and Sabrina's Law 

 We have a nut sensitive policy where we ask students and parents to please make sure that they do not send lunch or food items that contain nuts or nut traces. Please make sure that you read all labels to check for nut traces. Even nut trace amounts could result in death. If you have any questions regarding if certain foods are appropriate to send to school, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Cross Contamination: Please be aware of the cross contamination of foods. Please be careful of foods sent from home that may have come into contact with food items with nuts in them or bowls/utensils that have been used to make products with nuts in them.

Possible Symptoms of Anaphylaxis:

• tingling of mouth
• feeling of foreboding, fear, apprehension
• flushed face, body
• swelling - eyes, lips, face, tongue
• tightness in throat, mouth, chest
• difficulty breathing, swallowing
• wheezing
• coughing, choking
• vomiting, stomach upset
• dizziness, unsteadiness
• loss of consciousness
• coma and death

 For more information, visit the following Canadian Web Site:

Anaphylaxis Canada Web Site

In order to maintain the safe arrival of all of our Williamsburg students, we ask that parents call our safe arrival line at 905-668-6613 if your child will absent from or late for school.  An automated answering machine will record your child's absence.  Please leave your child's name, grade, teacher and reason for absence. 

We also ask that parents sign their child in if they are late for school or out if your child is leaving early from school in our main office.

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• Planning for the Fall Fair on September 24, 2010 is already underway!!!
  It may seem so far away, but planning is already underway to make this year's fair even more of a success than previous years!  This is a fantastic community event, and your support and involvement makes it even better.
  Join the team to help out leading up to the event, setting up or taking down, or even for an hour during the evening.
  Please speak to any SCC member, or in the main office.
  
  
• Bring your Boston Pizza receipts to school from North Whitby location
  http://www.bostonpizza.com/en/locations/whitby_north0458
  A portion of your bill is donated back to Williamsburg!
  
  
• Car repairs at Doug's Auto Care on Brock Street
  Mention Williamsburg, and Doug & his team will donate $5 from every Lube Oil & FIlter change back to WPS.  And 5% of all other repairs are donated back to our school.
  http://www.dougsautocare.com/
  

• Creative Parteez: A Creative way to celebrate!
  We do: Birthdays, schools, day camps, fairs, family reunions,
  team building, baptisms, festivals, preschools
  10% of sales go to Williamsburg PS
  http://www.creativeparteez.com/
  
  
• QSP Magazine Sales
  Thank you to everyone who placed orders.  Your support is greatly appreciated!
  A full campaign will be available in the fall of 2010.
  In the meantime, orders can continue to be placed online all year long for Magazine subscriptions.
  Visit https://www.qsp.ca/store/Lightreg.aspx, and Williamsburg is group # 30034.
  A portion of each magazine subscription ordered is donated back to the school...
  The average works out to be about $10 per subscription donated back to our school

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• Planning for the Fall Fair on September 24, 2010 is already underway!!!
  It may seem so far away, but planning is already underway to make this year's fair even more of a success than previous years!  This is a fantastic community event, and your support and involvement makes it even better.
  Join the team to help out leading up to the event, setting up or taking down, or even for an hour during the evening.
  Please speak to any SCC member, or in the main office.
  
  
• Family Sports Nights
  A great opportunity for families in our community to come and have some fun and exercise!
  Time: 7 - 8 p.m.
  Who:  All Families (Students must be accompanied by a parent!)
  Dates: Watch for confirmation of dates for 2010-2011 in September!
  Have a safe and active summer!
  

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Communication (Newsletter, Website, Whitby This Week, Welcome Kits)
Roshan Coy
Dinesh Khera
Jeff Kosciejew
Leilah McBride

Fundraising (Hot Dog & Pizza Lunches, QSP, Dance-A-Thon)
Val Bews
Marilyn Campbell
Allison Lemmings
Crystal MacInnis
Christina Saltouros

Special Events (Family Sport Nights, Cultural Board Games Night)
Michelle Boyd
Marilyn Campbell
Jeff Kosciejew
Allison Lemmings

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please speak with any of these parents, contact the school main office, email us at williamsburg_ps@rogers.com.  Or better yet, join us at an SCC meeting...
You're always welcome!

So who exactly is a part of the SCC?
This is the place with all the answers, or at least the answer to that one question.

These are the people you can speak to if you have any questions about anything going on at the school - the parent's below represent all the parents of the WPS community, so please don't be shy in sharing your comments or suggestions.
Listed beside each voting member's name is the name of their child's (or children's) teacher.

You're also welcome to email the SCC.  But the best suggestion is to join us at any meeting to provide your thoughts and ideas - you're always welcome!

WPS Administration Team

• Peter Creer, Principal
• Lena Glaes-Coutts, Vice Principal
• Asa Schoonderbeek, Teacher Representative

• Lola Adedigba
• Carol Brown

• Val Bews, Chair (Mrs. Rayner / Mrs. Whittaker / Mr. Schoonderbeek)
• Crystal MacInnis, Vice-Chair (Mr. Schoonderbeek / Mr. Anderson)
• Marilyn Campbell, Treasurer (Mr. Roberts)
• Jeff Kosciejew, Secretary (Mrs. Vale)

• Allison Lemmings (Mrs. Sertsis / Mr. Anderson)
• Jennifer McLean (Mrs. Hawn / Mr. Anderson)
• Lynne Gauthier (Mrs. Hawn)
• Michelle Boyd (Ms. Phagoo / Mr. Anderson)
• Nancy Hodder (Mr. Roberts / Mr. Harlock)
• Roshan Coy (Mrs. Cook / Mrs. Sertsis)
• Dinesh Khera (Mrs. Saunders)
• Christina Saltouros (Mr. Schoonderbeek)
• Leilah McBride (Mrs. Cook)
• Jackie Salmon

Click on the links below to view the minutes from our SCC meetings:

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2009 Annual Report

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October

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September

October

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Upcoming SCC meeting dates will be listed below for 2010-2011.
Our meetings start at 6:30 pm in the Williamsburg Public School Library.
All parents are welcome and encouraged to join us at any (or all) meetings to share ideas or suggestions.
Babysitting is provided for your school-aged child(ren).

Williamsburg Staff List for 2009/2010:

There are numerous activities in which Williamsburg students can be involved:

• volleyball
• basketball
• cross country
• gymnastics
• intramurals
• primary literacy club
• seasonal concert
• spring musical
• Terry Fox run
• Jump Rope for Heart
• track and field
• hurdles
• three-pitch
• ski/snowboard club
• soccer
• choir
• band
• folk dance
• science club
• S.T.A.R. camp and club
• Family Literacy Night
• Fun Fair

• Common leveled guided reading time for all primary students (Mon/Wed)
• Intermediate student leadership teams
• School-wide Friday assemblies (leadership opportunities)
• Tribes
• Focus on problem-solving in mathematics (using specific templates)
• Literacy/Numeracy data collection and analysis
• Staff part of Literacy or Numeracy Professional Learning Committees, with sub-committees:  Technology, Assessment and Resources
• School-wide 4A Days (Athletics, Attitude, Academic, Arts)

At Williamsburg Public School, our mission as a diverse learning community is to support the development of the whole child in a safe, inviting and inclusive learning environment.  We achieve this through a shared, collaborative commitment to high expectations for academic achievement and a balanced learning environment that empowers our students to be successful, productive and contributing citizens of the global community.

Character Education contributes to safe, healthy and orderly school environments, which are essential to learning. Character development goes hand in hand with a strong academic program. By nurturing the qualities of good citizenship, Williamsburg staff creates an environment where student engagement, civic responsibility and academic achievement thrive. The goal of Character Education is to develop a school in which everyone nurtures attribitues such as: courage, honesty, kindness, perseverance, responsibility, empathy, integrity, optimism, respect, and teamwork.

Why Teach Character Education?

• citizen development is and has been on of the key purposes of schooling
• citizenship can be nurtured within a public education system that does not simply reflect but also attempts to shape the future society
• our classrooms represent a microcosm of our diverse society
• the development of character education attributes and the dispositions necessary for responsible, productive citizenship are a partnership that begins at home and is reinforced in our schools (Adapted from YRDSB)

How does Williamsburg Implement Character Education?

• Teaching and focusing on one character attribute each month
• Role modeling
• Infusing character attributes into the curriculum
• Everyday practices and language
• Showcasing the excellence of our students
• Recognizing two students from each class at our monthly assemblies
• Daily announcements
• Guest speakers
• Clubs
• Teaching above-below the line
• Social Outreach Projects

The TRIBES process develops "Good Character". Williamsburg teachers who implement the TRIBES process:

• build community and inclusion for all
• uses cooperative learning
• transfers responsibility to individuals and groups
• promotes caring and sharing
• celebrates community learning
• reaches all students through meaningful participation
• uses interactive strategies
• encourages peer leadership
• uses positive agreements to assure a caring culture
• reaches students of multiple intelligences, abilities and cultures

A monthly approach to teaching Character Education:

September - Respect

October - Responsibility

November - Honesty

December - Integrity

January - Empathy

February - Kindness

March - Teamwork

April - Perseverance

May - Courage

June - Optimism

About Our School/Community

Our School Community Council takes an active involvement in planning and organizing many activities for our school.  The committees we have are as follows:

• Communication & Welcoming
• Fundraising
• Special Events

If you are interested in being part of any of the above committees, have any questions or suggestions for your SCC Committees, please call the school at 905-668-6613 or email us at:  williamsburg_ps@rogers.com.

 To view page click on the newsletter thumbnail and then press esc to return to view all pages.

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  Pizza Order Form

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The Durham District School Board has two monthly documents:  Durham Directions and Durham Health.  Click on the links below to view them:

Durham Directions

Durham Health

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If you are having trouble accessing our newsletter please click here to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat:  Get Adobe Acrobat

Students need to grow and learn in a safe learning environment.  A safe school is a shared responsibility between the school, home and community.   At Williamsburg, our goal is for our students to learn in a caring, tolerant and safe environment.  Through various programs and initiatives, we, at Williamsburg, will try to empower our students to behave responsibly and respect others.  In an attempt to keep our students safe, Williamsburg focuses on:  Sabrina's Law / Nut-Sensitive Policy, a Code of Conduct, Progressive Discipline, Emergency Evacuation Procedures, Bully-Free Schools, a Safe Computer Use Policy, Kiss and Ride Procedures, a Safe Arrival Line, Procedures for Visitors and Volunteers and a School Safety Audit.

Students began attending Williamsburg Public School in September of 2005; however, we were housed at two campuses.  Our primary students were located at Captain Michael VandenBos P.S., while our junior and intermediate students were housed at Leslie McFarlane P.S, while we awaited the construction of our new building. 

Williamsburg P.S. officially open the doors in the new building on January 22, 2007.

Williamsburg P.S. is located in north Whitby with the northern border being Taunton Road and the southern border being the north side of Twin Streams Road.

Our school has a diverse multi-cultural population which adds to the richness of our school community. As well as a growing special education population which allows the staff to focus on inclusiveness, differentiated instruction and equity of all. Our parent community is involved and very supportive of the school.

Williamsburg enrolment started with 396 students. As of September 2007, we have grown to 553 students.

At Williamsburg, we aim to achieve:  "LEARNING FOR ALL". 

We believe that:

• all children can learn and come to school motivated to do so
• Williamsburg controls enough of the variables to assure that virtually all students do learn
• we are the most qualified and capable people to plan and implement the changes necessary for the school to make progress toward the "Learning for All" mission
• it's all about relationships and student achievement