Revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum
Please go to the following sites to read the Parent's Guides:
Message About Technology
Mobile Device Privacy Security Worksheet-2016
Where would we be without technology?
Technological advances made within the last decade are simply amazing! Perhaps even more astonishing is the speed and pace at which these changes are occurring. This rapid change often puts parents at a disadvantage in terms of their technological knowhow in relation to their children. Although computers are indispensable and the internet has become an essential tool for the acquisition of information, it can also be very dangerous and needs to be monitored.
Cyber bullying is using electronic communication tools to antagonize and intimidate others. Many students have their own email addresses and participate in Instant Messaging or visit chat rooms. These internet sites may provide the opportunity for cyber bullying. The York Region District School Board has all students sign a contract for computer use at school. It is equally important that your children are monitored at home.
Signs to watch for…
Signs of cyber bullying victims are often similar to signs of other forms of bullying, in addition to the following:
A child may:
* Spend long hours on the computer
* Close programs on their computer when you enter the room
* Be secretive about Internet activities
* Exhibit behavioural changes such as sudden disinterest in computer or cell phone
* Always be doing homework on the Internet, but actually in chat groups and getting behind with school work
* Be secretive about who they are talking to and may have unexplained pictures on the computer
Prevention and Control for Parents
* Have clear household rules guiding Internet use (i.e. not to be used unless parent is present to supervise)
* Keep the computer in a supervised area (i.e. not in the child’s bedroom)
* Know what kids are doing on-line through discussion or checking Internet history
* Talk to your child about using good manners when communicating electronically and cyber bullying
* Encourage children to come to you if they suspect they are being cyber bullied
* Report incidents of bullying to Internet Service Providers (ISP), school officials (if applicable), or police if harassment persists
* Investigate purchasing an Internet Filtering program
* Learn how to access the history of used sites on your computer. Ask your children if they know what to do if they come across something inappropriate or disturbing while on the computer? The safety of our students is a responsibility we share together as a community
Helpful websites:
http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca – click on the Cyber Safety
Report Cards
Report cards will be sent home on February 18th. Regular communication between the home and school is necessary to improve student achievement and Report Cards provide us with the opportunity to communicate information about your children’s learning. When reviewing your child’s report card, pay close attention to the front page which reports on Learning Skills and Work Habits. Learning Skills and Work Habits are extremely important for success in and out of school. Although they are assessed on an ongoing basis and reported on at each reporting period, they are not used in determining the grades for the various subject areas. We do, however, know that there is a strong correlation between how well developed a student’s learning skills are and how well he/she does in class. Thus, our teachers explicitly teach the learning skills to their students. The six skills/habits are briefly summarized below.
· Responsibility is shown when students fulfill commitments, complete and submit assignments and manage their own behaviour.
· Organization involves devising and following a coherent plan for completing work, prioritizing tasks, managing time, and effectively choosing and using resources.
· Independent Work involves completing a task with minimal teacher direction and/or peer support, following instructions, and revising work as necessary.
· Collaboration involves skills such as active listening, helping others to build and consolidate learning, giving and receiving quality feedback, and managing disagreements.
· Initiative is acting on new ideas and opportunities for learning with a sense of curiosity and the willingness to take risks.
· Self-Regulation involves students monitoring their behaviour and learning, such as attention skills, working memory, and thinking strategies.
As always, we encourage you to discuss concerns and questions related to your children’s academic progress, the development of their learning skills, and their social/emotional well-being with the teacher at any time.
More On Report Cards - A Parent Guide to Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Elementary Students
ELEMENTARY REPORT CARDS
The Elementary Provincial Report Card in February and June will contain letter grades/percentage marks. For students in Grades 1 to 6, student achievement will be reported as a letter grade (A, B, C, etc.) with a plus or minus sign as required and comments will indicate what the students have learned, strengths and next steps. For all students in Grades 7 and 8, student achievement will be reported as a percentage mark, along with descriptive comments about what the students have learned, their strengths and next steps. All students from Gr 1-8 will have comments related to how they are doing with regards to the development of their Learning Skills. This information will be on the front page of the report card.
HOW IS MY CHILD GRADED?
Your child is assessed on demonstrated achievement in relation to Ontario Curriculum Expectations. The expectations for each grade can be found on the Ministry’s website. Teachers use assessment and evaluation strategies that address both what students learn and how well they learn.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
When a student’s achievement is based on expectations modified (i.e. changed) from the grade level curriculum expectations to support English language learning needs, teachers will indicate this by checking the “ESL/ELD” boxes on the provincial report cards for the appropriate subject(s)/strand(s).
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Reporting depends on the contents of each student’s Individual Education Plan (e.g. alternative, modified or accommodations only). If the program is modified i.e. expectations have been changed, the IEP box will be checked. Additional information detailing the reporting requirements is available from the school.
ACHIEVEMENT CHART:
The curriculum expectations are assessed using the categories identified on the Achievement Chart: Knowledge and Understanding, Communication, Organization, Application. Student work is evaluated using the following Levels of Achievement:
|
Level 4
|
80% - 100%
|
A
|
Student work exceeds the provincial standards, while still at grade level. Student has demonstrated a thorough and complete understanding of the required knowledge and skills.
|
|
Level 3
|
70% - 79%
|
B
|
Student work has met the provincial standards. Student has demonstrated an understanding of most of the required knowledge and skills.
|
|
Level 2
|
60% - 69%
|
C
|
Student work is approaching the provincial standards. Student has demonstrated an understanding of some of the required knowledge and skills.
|
|
Level 1
|
50% - 59%
|
D
|
Student work falls below the provincial standards. Student has demonstrated an understanding of few of the required skills and knowledge.
|
|
R
|
Below 50%
|
R
|
Student has not demonstrated an understanding of the required skills and knowledge. Student will require
remediation to improve.
|