MISSION Captain Michael VandenBos P.S.

STATEMENT
OUR SCHOOL
Flying High for Excellence
COMMUNITY
WILL CREATE A
SAFE AND
MOTIVATING
LEARNING
NEWSLETTER MAY 2010
ENVIRONMENT
THAT EMPOWERS
STUDENTS TO
BECOME
SUCCESSFUL It is difficult to believe that we are in the last two months of the 2009/2010 school year!
LEARNERS AND The days at school continue to be filled with wonder and excitement. The students and
TO ACQUIRE THE the staff are now concentrating on all that needs to be completed before the end of June
SKILLS NEEDED while the monthly calendar on the wall is starting to look quite full with all of the planned
TO BECOME activities. We want to give many thanks to the dedication of our teachers, on-going sup-
RESPONSIBLE port by our parents and daily participation by our students in all the programs and initia-
CITIZENS OF
tives happening here at school. Truly time does not stand still! At the moment, prepara-
TOMORROW
tions are underway for our upcoming musical, with a large number of talented Junior and
3121 Country Lane Intermediate students rehearsing during the lunch hour recesses as well as after school.
Whitby, Ontario This year’s theme is Beauty and the Beast, and this musical will be presented on two dif-
L1P 1N3 ferent nights, Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20. Don’t forget to order your tick-
Safe Arrival Line ets. It should be an exciting show. You may have noticed that we have a new flat screen
4pm to 8am monitor in our foyer. It will display pictures of students, teachers and parents involved in
905-665-2001 activities at our school. Thanks to the SCC for their generous donation that made this pur-
chase possible.
Monique de Villers
Principal

Chris VanderMeer STUDENT

Vice Principal
ARRIVAL IN
Voula Phillips THE
Carolyn Copithorne
Admin. Assistants
MORNING
Please remember that stu-
John Bowyer We all know that students perform at their best without dents should not arrive at school
Superintendent interruptions to their instructional time. With that in mind, earlier than 8:05 am unless re-
905-666-5500 quired to do so for a practice. We
we are asking parents to keep interruptions into the
do not have outside supervisors
Anne-Marie Laginski classroom to a minimum. We understand that emer- in the morning and students are
Admin Officer gencies do arise and we will always page the student for not typically allowed inside until
905-666-5500 the 8:15 am bell rings. Thank you
any emergency. Preplanning after-school activities at
for your cooperation.
John Dolstra home with your child also helps to keep the phone lines
As well, we have noticed that
905-668-9595 free at the end of the day and to eliminate crowding in some students are habitually
Christine Winters the office. The agenda is a great communication tool for late. It would be appreciated if
905-430-6050
your child’s teacher. Thank you for your co-operation. students could be on time for
Trustees
school on a regular basis.
MAY 2010 Page 2

SeeHear screening now running clinics in the

D.D.S.B.

We are happy to announce that “SeeHear” will be running a hearing and vision
screening clinic at (Captain Michael VandenBos) on (June 15, 16 & 17, 2010).
This is an excellent opportunity for your child to have his/her hearing and vi-
sion tested in a convenient and cost effective manner.

Some points to remember

 Your child’s hearing and vision should be screened every year.
 Growing children are very susceptible to middle ear problems and one of
the best ways to prevent hearing loss is early detection of middle ear function issues.
 A visit to an audiologist in a private clinic costs upwards of $35.00 and is not covered by O.H.I.P. If your child
is referred to a hospital clinic by your family doctor, the cost is covered by O.H.I.P.
Your child’s hearing is not being monitored unless they are seeing an audiologist or an E.N.T.
The permission forms will come home approximately two weeks before the clinic. Please fill them out and return to
the school with the $10.00 screening fee prior to the clinic date.

This screening is not intended to replace a regular visit to an audiologist or optometrist.

If you are planning to move out of the Captain Michael
VandenBos school area over the summer, please in-
form the school (665-2001). If you know someone who
is moving into the area and will be attending CMV,
please have them call the school. This information is
important in planning for September.
Thank you.
Dress Code:
As the warm weather approaches, we would like
to remind students and parents to review CMV’s
acceptable dress code policy found in our school
agenda. As in any elementary school, appropriate
dress is necessary for everyone’s comfort and
sensibility. We remind students that shirts with
questionable words, pictures that are inappropri-
ate, crop tops and spaghetti straps on tops should
not be worn to school. Undergarments need to be
properly covered. Hats are not to be worn inside
the school either. Thank you for your cooperation
in this matter.

Gr. 5 Racing Against

Drugs (R.A.D.)
Our grade 5 students will participate in R.A.D. on Fri-
day, May 7 at Iroquois Park Complex. This sympo-
sium of pit stops teaches students about the hazards
of alcohol and drugs and the benefits of healthy life- Just a reminder that there are no
styles. The event is designed to combine the excite- dogs allowed in the school or on
ment of racing with a drug-free message at each of the
school property. Thank you for your
30 pit stops which are set up on two of the arena’s
rinks.
understanding.
MAY 2010 Page 3

Earth Day Eco-Challenge

Congratulations to this year’s Intermediate Eco-Challenge team who won GOLD! Chris Anderson-Lundy,
Sean Soliman, Michaela van Beinum, Hayleah Sytnyk, and Zahra Akram traveled to Durham Forest on
Tuesday, April 20th prepared to compete. They had read up on the Boreal Forest, calculated their ecological
footprints, and packed litterless lunches.

When the team arrived at the Forest, they were separated into dif-
ferent skill groups to prepare for the afternoon Eco-Challenge. Each
team member became an expert in three of the many events. After
lunch, the team rejoined and ran through the forest (with Mrs. Hewitt
and baby-on-board) for two hours. They had to build a fire, climb
a wall, build a shelter, put up and re-pack a tent, identify wildlife, help
someone with first aid, carry a canoe (portaging), and find 10 orien-
teering markers all hidden in the Forest. Our map expert led us to
each station using a map and compass.

The team did an excellent job working together and communicating throughout the day. They accomplished
the near-impossible task of earning GOLD! If you see them in the halls, be sure to congratulate them. They
worked extremely hard to represent VandenBos with an adventurous, fun-loving spirit.

Earth Week Anti-Idling Campaign

The students in 8S would like to thank all those staff, students, and parents who helped to get the message
across that idling is not okay! As part of our “Who is Green” project we chose to teach the school community
about the problems with idling.
Did You Know:
• Idling in the GTA wastes 90,686,277 litres of fuel per year.
• Idling in the GTA costs $72,893,715 in wasted fuel.
• If every motorist in the GTA reduced their idling time by 5 minutes per day, it would be equivalent to
taking 36,900 cars off the road every year.
• Vehicle exhaust contains harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulate matter (PM), nitro-
gen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases,
which contribute to urban smog, acid rain, poor air quality and a variety of health problems, such as
asthma and heart disease.
• Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to disease and health complications due to smog
and poor air-quality
Do your part–Don’t idle!
Hanna Gianatselis & Laken Delorme

THANK YOU!! Volunteer Café

The students and staff would like to
say a big “THANK YOU” to Stephen
Monaghan, a parent at our school, for his wonderful
gift of a framed and signed photograph of our Snow-
birds. Mr. Monaghan not only photographed the
Snowbird jets in action, he also sent the picture to
Saskatchewan to their home base for autographing
and then framed it for display in our school.
The Volunteer Café will be held
on Friday, May 21, 2010 at
1:00pm in the school gymnasium. Everyone
who has volunteered their time to help at our
school is invited to attend. Entertainment will
be provided by some of our students. Come
and join us for coffee and cookies so we can
say “Thank you” for all your efforts on behalf
of the students and staff.
MAY 2010 Page 4

Beauty and the Beast

Our production of Beauty and the Beast, presented through

special arrangement with MTI, is quickly approaching. Our cast members
have been working very hard to learn lines, choreography and songs. Order
forms will soon be out for you to buy your tickets to this wonderful
presentation. Our dates are May 19th and 20th.

We still need your help. We are looking for some props for our spectacular
show. If you have any of the following items, they would be greatly appreciated.
Please forward any items labeled to Mme Rioux’s portable.
Thanks for your support.
• High bell platter for the rose
• Magic Mirror (large hand mirror)
• Baguettes (fake), books, Milk bottles, Shepherd’s crook, candles,
cane, hats
• Ornate book for Belle
• Invention for Maurice (odd looking contraption with moving parts and
possibly noises)
• Funny looking tool
• Funny goggles for Maurice
• Mugs (old looking, unbreakable tavern type)
MAY 2010 Page 5

On Tuesday, April, 20th, the grade 7 and 8 bands, including the jazz band, put on a rousing
show for parents and teachers. The bands worked endlessly on songs that included Star-
wars, Hogan’s Heroes March, and many more. Early mornings and hard work definitely paid
off, since the concert was a huge success. Thanks to Mme Nadin, the intermediate choir was
also able to perform. There was much applause after the choir performed “Tonight’s Gonna
be a Good Night” and “Don’t Stop Believing”. There were also many solos and duets in the
concert that were amazing. Thank you to the MC’s and everyone who helped set up the gym
for the concert.
That same week, the grade 7 and 8 bands went to Kingsway College to perform their songs.
Both bands achieved silver and played perfectly. The bands continue to make our school
proud and everyone is wishing them luck when they perform at Wonderland. Special thanks
to Mrs. Skirving for all the band practices and her hard work to make the bands sound great!
Thanks from Samantha Horrocks

Thank you parent Spring Reminders

volunteers!!!

We are so fortunate at Captain Michael Van-

denBos P.S. to have such wonderful parent
volunteers who do so much in the school to
support our teachers and their programs. To
all who give so much of their time to our
school, thank you!!!!
As the warm spring weather arrives, we remind the students of
the following procedures at Captain Michael VandenBos Public
School:
• Students who eat lunch at school are to remain on school
property for the duration of the noon hour.

• Students who ride bikes to school are to lock them in the bike

Félicitations Alissa!
racks. The school does not assume responsibility for lost or
damaged bicycles. Bicycles must not be ridden on school
property during school hours and at entry or dismissal times.

• Skate boards, roller blades, wheelie shoes and scooters

should not be brought to school.

Alissa Sallans who is a Grade 6 stu- • Hard balls and rubber balls can be dangerous and must not
dents at CMV has conquered the Nog- be brought to school.
gin Hoggin’ Challenge (mind-bending puzzles) that ran
from March 8-14, 2010. She actually outsmarted hun-
dreds of students to officially place 38th in the online
treasure hunt! This is an incredible feat, and, as a one of
the 50 top competitors, she was awarded a prize and a
certificate of achievement! Way to go Alissa!
MAY 2010 Page 6

Classroom Requests for 2010-2011

In the very near future the teachers and the administrators will begin the process of
placing students in next year’s classes. Many factors are involved in student and class placement,
including the balance of boys and girls and academic strengths of the students. In all cases we en-
deavour to reach the best educational decision in placing children in classes. While we know a
substantial amount about each student, there may be information or considerations that you, as
parents, are aware of that we are not familiar with and might overlook. We would prefer that you
refrain from making direct teacher requests but rather describe your child’s learning style and the
corresponding teaching style or traits that would best meet your child’s needs. Please send your
correspondence in a letter addressed to the principal in confidence. This letter must be received by
Friday, May 14th. Please note that no final staffing decisions have been reached. It is often late in
June before details become finalized in terms of staffing. Parents should also keep in mind that
changes to classes and teaching assignments can happen right up to the end of September if en-
rolment figures change over the summer. We do ask that parents continue to be supportive of the
decisions made by classroom teachers in regards to the placement of children, as in the past. The
school will make all final decisions on classroom placements. Thank you.

OAmbassador News
Thank you to all the students, staff and parents who purchased chocolate bars during our World's Finest Chocolate Bar
Fund Raiser . Our profit was $2,677.
I'd like to recognize and thank Madison Jenkins in 5S who held an O Ambassador fund raiser for her birthday party.
She asked for donations instead of gifts. Madison raisied $150 to go towards buiding our fresh water tank in our adopted
village.
Edna Bourrie an educational assistant at VandenBos asked if she could buy a drop of water to go towards our fresh
water tank. The drops are $100 and are displayed in the hallway of our school.
We started with the goal of $5000 to build this water tank, which will change lives in our adopted village. Not only will
the villagers be able to receive fresh water daily, but now girls who previously spent up to 6 hours walking to and from
their water supply of unclean, diseased-ridden water will attend school! Our new total is silent auction- $2,808,
Chocolate profits- $2,677, Madison's party- $150, Edna Bourrie's generous purchase of a
$100 drop of water totaling $5735.
The generosity of our students, staff and community continue to amaze me. We have
reached our goal. We will be able to build the water tank. Congratulations VandenBos!
What's next? We'll start fund raising for a health clinic, where the villagers can receive
needles to prevent diseases.
Thank you again, walk proudly, remember We Are The Change!
Gratefully Yours,
Julie Sinclair and all the students in 5S and 5G

Phone Numbers Sun Protection

Parents, if your home or work phone
numbers have changed, please let the office know im-
mediately. Correct contact numbers are very impor-
tant when we need to reach parents in case of emer-
gencies.
Parents, please remember to apply sunscreen to
your children, or send sunscreen to school with
them. Up to 80% of skin damage occurs before the age
of 18. Because children’s skin is more vulnerable to sun
radiation, it is essential that we teach safe sun-protection
habits early on to ensure that they apply it throughout
their lives.
MAY 2010 Page 7

Building Character Education

This month’s feature…

respect and understand the feelings of others.

act with kindness and compassion.

Seneca Quote: Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

Publilius Syrus Quote: You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.

Meryl Streep Quote: The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.

The updated character development web page on the Ministry website is now available for viewing at

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/character.html

Tips for Parents: Read Aloud Preparation for EQAO

By far the most effective way to encourage your children to
love books and reading is to read aloud to them. Make this
time together a special time when you hold your kids and
share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or
telephones. You may be surprised to find that a well-written
children's book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the
kids.
And don't stop taking the time to read aloud once your chil-
dren have learned to read for themselves. At this stage, en-
courage them to read to you some of the time. This shared
enjoyment will continue to strengthen your children's interest
and appreciation.
Annually Grade 3 and 6 students receive assessment in
Reading, Writing and Mathematics. This is a provincial
requirement. This year’s Primary assessment will be held
from June 8 to 10 and the Junior assessment will be held
from June 1 to 3. Parents with students in these grades
are requested to avoid scheduling doctor or dentist ap-
pointments during this time. Teachers are preparing for
the assessment through training and practice. Student
preparation continues to be a year long focus. One of the
best ways that parents can help prepare students for the
assessment is to help them understand it is based on a
very short period of time and is not used as part of their
regular reporting for progress. The information gathered
through the assessment unit is valuable for our continued
growth as a school. We encourage our students to relax
and try to do their best.

Safety Tips
With the warm weather upon us, we all like to spend more time outside. Children especially enjoy exploring their
neighbourhood, riding their bicycles, and having fun with their friends. It is therefore a good time to review some
safety guidelines. Please take a moment to review the following tips.

Safety Tips:
Always walk with a buddy to and from school.
Do not talk to strangers.
Inform your parents and the school if a stranger approaches you.
Remember, adults do not ask for directions from children.
Always let your parents know if there has been a change in your plans.
Avoid taking short cuts through fields and parks.
Never walk alone, especially at night.
Be aware of your surroundings when wearing earphones.
MAY 2010 Page 8

Spring Fling
Camps Loisirs La Colombe, which is sponsored by
the Canadian Parents for French (Ontario), provides excellent sum-
Mark this date on your calendar…Wednesday,
mer programs in French for children ages 5 to12. Our campers June 2nd. It begins at 5:30 p.m. and runs until 8:00
come to us from French Immersion and French First-Language p.m. There will be lots of fun and games!
schools across the Greater Toronto Area. Our caring staff will en-
sure your children have a safe and memorable camp experience!
You need to be a member of CPF Ontario
for your child to attend our camps. Visit
www.cpfont.on.ca to join CPF today. Infor-
mation is available in the main office.

The showcase was held in the library on April 14th, 2010. The
following students were invited:

1. Maria Wall 10. Amelia Panjwany

2. Michael Brassor 11. Calleigh Barton
3. Tanner Gustavsen-Walker 12. Zaid Dawood
4. Ariana Sohrabi 13. Tori Mawby School Spirit Day Dates for 2009-2010
5. Tara Carson 14. Evan Turpin
6. Jada Croasdale 15. Melissa Koubridis
7. Rachel Rockbrune
8. Isabelle Koerber
9. Sarah Lindblad
May 7 Beach/Hawaiian Shirt
May 28 Squadron Colour Day
June 18 Sunglasses Day

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons! Thank you to everyone for another successful button making fundraiser. The PROPS program uses funds raised to support our intramural
activities.

Olympic Adopt-an-Athlete Program: Welcome to Catherine Vipond a local Durham athlete now training in B.C. for cross country mountain biking. Catherine has been
paired with our school and we will be supporting her as she works her way towards the next summer Olympics in 2012. On May 31st Catherine will be visiting our school
to speak to the students about her goals. Eh! Oh! Canada Go!

More Olympic Fever! Silver Medalist Shelley-Ann Brown of Pickering visited our school on April 13th to speak to students about her recent silver medal performance in
bobsleigh at the Vancouver 2010 games. Drop by our foyer to see some great photos of her visit. It was truly an inspirational experience.

Upcoming events:

May 31st visit from Catherine Vipond

June 24th Primary Playday (rain date June 25)
MAY 2010
Five Captain Michael Vandenbos students earned the
title ”Provincial Champions” this past weekend, as Dur-
ham Attack’s 14 and under, Girls and Boys teams took
first place in a 3 day volleyball tournament, the Ontario
Championships.
Congratulation to Emily Ryan and Meghan Cook whose
girls’ team placed first against 65 other teams to become
Provincial Champions. Emily served up the last 5 points
of a nail-biting tie-breaker to win the Provincial Champi-
onship. On the boys’ side, congratulations go out to Nick
Pye, Luke Amos and Jarred Harris for bringing home
Provincial Gold in another grueling tiebreaker. These
five students represented Captain Michael Vandenbos
well as they are five of twenty four students in the prov-
ince who have earned the title Provincial Champions!
Congratulations Jarred, Luke, Megan and Emily.
May 6th - Gr. 1 Orientation
May 9th - Mother’s Day The Month of May is Asian
Heritage Month
May 10th - Track and Field (all day)
May 14th - Gr. 7 & 8 Victory Ball p.m.
May 15th - International Day of Families
May 18th - Pizza Lunch, Hep B. Vaccine
May 19th - Pizza Lunch Kindergarten
May 19th - Musical Performance
May 20th - Musical Performance
May 21st - Volunteer Café p.m.
Page 9
Grade 8 Graduation
Plans are well underway for our Grade 8 Graduation
which will take place on Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:00pm
in our school gymnasium. This will be followed by a
dance for the graduates. Due to fire regulations concern-
ing the number of people allowed in our gym, it is essen-
tial that each graduate invite only three guests each to
attend the ceremony. Three tickets per graduate will be
sent home shortly before the graduation date. Rehearsal
for graduation will take place on Friday, June 18 during
the school day.
On Tuesday, June 29 the graduates will return for the
traditional “Clap Out” at 2:00. Parents are invited to at-
tend the clap-out.
Grade 8 Trip to Ottawa
The grade 8 students are eagerly looking
forward to their trip to Ottawa. They leave Monday,
June 21 and return Wednesday, June 23.
May 24th - Victoria Day
May 25th - Gr 7 & 8 Band to Canada's
Wonderland - (all day)
May 25th - Author’s Visit, Michael Wade
May 31st - Popcorn Day