Celebrating Lunar New Year in Kindergarten

Happy Lunar New Year!

Dear Families:



To all those who celebrate Lunar New Year, we would like to wish you and your families a very happy celebration.


February 16, marks the Lunar New Year for members of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities.
To celebrate, people may light firecrackers, hang poetry, enjoy a family feast (oranges and apples are considered lucky fruits), exchange gifts (adults may give children laisee, red envelopes filled with money), and buy new clothes or new shoes. Fossil Hill PS will acknowledge this occasion through various activities that promote sharing and understanding.
We wish all staff, students and Fossil Hill community members celebrating Lunar New Year a happy and joyful celebration in the company of family and friends.
Carolyn Lamy and Joanne Lomanno-Aprile

Lunar New Year is a cultural and religious celebration for many Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese. This is the year of the Dog. People born in 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 and 2006 were also born in the year of the “Dog”. Many rituals are associated with this festive occasion. They include cleaning house, paying off debts, settling old arguments, and other means of making a "fresh start."

Flu Activity in York Region

Increased Absenteeism Due to Illness in York Region Schools

York Region Public Health has noticed an increase in school absenteeism due to illness. When York Region Public Health receives reports of increased absenteeism, we support the affected schools by providing infection prevention and control measures as well as monitoring of absences in collaboration with the school.

Many viruses are active at this time of year in the community, including enteric viruses (like norovirus) and respiratory viruses (like influenza, commonly known as the flu.) Preventative measures can help reduce the spread of illness in the community.

Norovirus

The most common symptoms of norovirus illness are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. The illness often begins suddenly, about 24 to 48 hours after exposure, and the infected person may become very sick with frequent vomiting and/or diarrhea. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults.

To lower the spread of norovirus within our communities:

·       Anyone experiencing symptoms should continue to stay home for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop

·       Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water, especially after using the toilet or changing diapers and before preparing, handling and eating food

·       Remove and wash clothes and linens that may be contaminated with vomit or feces

·       Keep sick individuals out of areas where food is being handled or prepared

·       Anyone who is sick should not handle or prepare food for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop

·       Take precautions to protect yourself when cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, refer to: Information for Parents

Influenza

Norovirus is not related to influenza, or “the flu”. The flu is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus which commonly starts circulating during the late fall and continues into spring.

Symptoms of the flu may include:

•        sudden onset of headache

•        chills

•        cough

•        sore throat

•        runny nose

•        fever

•        loss of appetite

•        muscle aches

•        fatigue

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur in children. Most people recover from the flu within a week to 10 days. People aged 65 years or older, pregnant women and individuals with chronic health conditions may be at greater risk of becoming ill and developing severe health problems such as pneumonia.

Young children and influenza

Children under five years of age, especially those younger than two years of age, are at high risk of flu‐related complications. These complications include pneumonia, encephalopathy (inflammation of the brain), ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of medical problems like asthma or heart disease. In rare cases, flu complications can lead to death.

How to protect against the flu

1. Get vaccinated – The flu vaccine is the best way to protect against flu. Studies show the flu vaccine can prevent 70 to 90 per cent of illness in healthy adults and children. York Region Public Health recommends everyone six months and older get the flu shot. It’s not too late to get vaccinated.

Flu shots are available at:

•        Physicians’ offices, for people six months of age and older

•        Pharmacies, for people five years of age and older

•        York Region Public Health clinics, for people three years of age and older

Visit ontario.ca/flu to find where you can get the flu shot. For more information about flu vaccines contact York Region Health Connection at 1‐800‐361‐5653.

2. How can you reduce the chances of getting the flu?

•        Keep sick children home from school or child care

•        Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and warm water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol‐based hand sanitizer. Choose an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains between 60% and 90% alcohol

•       Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue out immediately

•        Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

•        Avoid people who are ill and stay home when you are sick

•        Keep common surfaces and items clean and disinfected.   To learn more about preventing spread of illness in school and home, visit york.ca/infectionprevention

How does the flu spread?

The flu spreads through the air from coughing and sneezing. It also spreads through direct contact with surfaces, door knobs, unwashed hands, or objects such as toys and eating utensils that have been contaminated by the influenza virus.  A person with flu may be able to infect other people one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming sick.

For more information, visit york.ca/flu

Spirit Days

Fossil Hill's Spirit Committee is chasing away the Winter Blah's
with lots of spirit activities coming up.

To get us into the Olympic Spirit, Friday, February 9th we'll be weaingr red and white and maple leafs to show our Canadian pride.

On Wednesday, February 14th, we'll celebrate Valentine's Day with red, white and hearts.        

And the next day, is the 15th of the month, so it's Pajama Day again.

Pajama Day - the 15th of every month

Keep following this blog for more information about future Spirit Days at Fossil Hill Public School.

Message From Our Trustee

With report cards coming home, this is a good time of year to review your child’s progress and to set goals for the rest of the school year.

As trustees, our goals are set out in the Board Multi-Year Plan. In the coming months, trustees will be reviewing and updating this plan. This process will include opportunities for public input, and trustees will be out in the communities talking about this. More information will be shared about this in the spring.  

Developing and reviewing the Multi-Year Plan is just one of our responsibilities as publicly elected officials. Trustee responsibilities also include hiring the Director of Education, setting Board policies and the annual budget, and communicating with the public.

This is a good time to learn more about the role of trustees with the next municipal election taking place later this year on October 22, 2018. York Region District School Board has 12 trustees, elected by ratepayers. As a trustee, listening and communicating with families is an important part of my role. Students, families and members of the public are welcome to attend and observe any public Board, Advisory or Board Committee meetings and to share their views with us on policy and Board governance.  

As we move into the second half of the year, I hope that you are seeing evidence of your child’s learning and progress, and finding opportunities to get involved in their learning and the life of the school.

I wish you all the best for a successful second term. 


Linda Aversa - Vaughan Wards 3, 4

PA Day - Friday, February 2

A reminder to all our Families that Friday, February 2 is a PA Day!  

We wish you a safe and fun long weekend!

Experience Music in a New Way!

The York Region Elementary Enrichment Band is an overnight camp program where talented musicians from Grades 6 to 8 rehearse under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. The camp runs June 4 – June 7th, 2018 at the Cedar Glen Outdoor Education. Application will open in January 8, 2018. To apply, please complete this online form. The application deadline is February 5, 2018.