Cameron Cares about Giving

The holidays are coming.  In anticipation, we have many special events planned for the month of December.  Today, Ian Adams from the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin came to take a picture of a few of our students as we prepare to accept donations in our "Tis the Season for Giving Food Drive - December 1 to December 17".  Items collected will be donated to the Salvation Army Food Bank and to the Heritage Church, Collingwood.  We have issued a challenge to other schools in our area. 

Cameron's Christmas Surprise will take place next Saturday December 4, 9 to noon at the school.  Special guest servers will include Mayor Carrier and members of the council elect.  Collingwood Fire Fighters will also be flipping pancakes and serving our customers.  We welcome Drew Wright and Matt MacLean from 95.1 THE PEAK FM, not to mention Santa and some of his reindeer.  Come and visit the Christmas Marketplace and get some shopping done after breakfast.  Thank you for your contributions to our classroom Christmas Theme Baskets that will be created and available at the Surprise.  Listen to 95.1 THE PEAK FM this Friday morning as we are guests on the CHATS program.  We will also keep you posted on Saturday morning as we go live to air on 95.1 THE PEAK FM with Matt and other guests from the school.

Then, Sunday afternoon, December 5, watch for members of our Builders' Club, in partnership with Kiwanis, in the annual Town of Collingwood Santa Claus Parade.

Wednesday December 15, our Primary students (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3) will celebrate the season with story and song.  There is an open house that afternoon in the Kindergarten classes and a special performance after school with students in Grades 1 to 3.

We look forward to seeing you at one or more of our special events this holiday season.

This morning, we welcomed cast members from Big Kid Entertainment Inc. Toronto who presented the story of Cinderella's Frog Prince.  This unique blend of fractured fairy tales included a very interesting and entertaining message about the fact that each one of us is different and that is what makes us special.  I had the opportunity to participate as the story teller, Mrs. Hare had a speaking part as well as one of our students from Grade 5. 

We learned that respect, acceptance, individuality, equality and friendship, patience and understading are important words to live and play by.  Also, we learned that it is important to accept and respect differences.  It is important to work together to make our school, our community and our world a better place.

Today, I visited Mrs. McFarlane's class and students shared their messages with me.

"In the story Cinderella's Frog Prince, I learned about respect.  Respect is when you include someone in your games."

"In the story Cinderella's Frog Prince, I learned about respect.  You treat others with the way you want to be treated."

"In the story Cinderella's Frog Prince, I learned when they got to be friends even if they are different."

"In the story Cinderella's Frog Prince, I learned you should include others."

I enjoyed it when the students read their messages to me and allowed me to include them in this blog.

Cameron Street is on the Path to Rogers Television

This year Kathi Wallace, our SCDSB Director of Education, introduced the Simcoe Path, Your Future...Our Priority.  The Simcoe Path sets out priorities for the next 3 to 4 school years.  Developed with input from trustees, staff, parents, community members and students, the goals and directions reflect key areas related to increased student achievement, increased parent and community engagement and ways to ensure exceptional services and opportunities to support learning.

The Simcoe Path includes 4 overall goals:

Relevant, purposeful learning supporting high achievement, well being and learning for life

Inclusive, equitable and safe learning and working environments

Confidence in public education

Responsible stewardship of resources

In our Cameron Street Public School Improvement Plan for student achievement, one particular area relates to our program and pathway.  Our overall school goal is:

Students will develop and maintain positive relationships with others.  Students will learn and practice mediation, negotiation, conflict resolution. We expect our students to be kind and considerate, respectful and responsible, peaceful and polite.  A positive attitude is power!

One specific school goal relates to Confidence in public education

CSPS will promote public education through the work and achievements of students and staff.  Specifically, a Media Club, consisting of staff and students will meet twice per month to link literacy and learning goals, make authentic connections to the community and celebrate success.  Media releases will be prepared and delivered to various local outlets.  Opportunities for purposeful partnerships such as a connection to 95.1 THE PEAK FM and Rogers Community Television will be made in October, 2010 to allow for student voice to be heard, and to ensure integrated, timely and strategic information to be shared with the greater community.

I am happy to report that our Media Club has visited 95.1 THE PEAK FM studios downtown and works to create media releases to promote special school events.  Our School Council also has a very active role in organizing and promoting special events.

This afternoon, some Cameron Street students will travel to Rogers Television to tape a Christmas choir special that will air on local television throughout the month of December.  To date, we are proud of our efforts and our connections to our community through media.  We are working to achieve our school goals!

We hope you enjoy the show!

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Cameron Street Public School Family Handbook

I hope you have received your copy of the Cameron Street Public School Family Handbook.  It has been created for you by our School and our School Council.  Our Family Handbook proves to be a very informative one!  Thanks to a Parents Reaching Out Grant, we are able to have this printed and copied for you.  To the members of the School Council who worked on this project, especially Patricia Wark and Marsha Cann, I thank you very much for your time and your assistance.  Enjoy your copy!

A Time to Remember and Reflect

This week is Veterans' Week.  It is a time to remember, to reflect and to give thanks to those men and women who have served or who currently serve our country throughout the world to make it a better place.  Challenges and risks faced and courage demonstrated by Canadian service men and women on land, in the air or on sea have brought and can bring positive change, as our history has taught us and continues to teach us.  This year, we honour Remembrance Day with a special ceremony of song, story and reflection this November 11th at Cameron Street Public School.  Our Remembrance Day Assembly will begin shortly after 9 o'clock this Thursday morning.  Members of our school community are more than welcome to attend. 

Thank You School Council

Thank you to our School Council for the wonderful coffee and home made muffins this morning.  The Meet and Greet before class today in the staff room was a welcome start to our day.  Our CSPS staff appreciates this very much.  Have a good weekend everyone and thank you for checking our school blogs on a regular basis.  This is such a great way to communicate with you.  Should you wish to contact me by email, please do so mgiffen@scdsb.on.ca or come to the school.  My door is always open unless it is shut!