It gives me great pleasure, as Principal of Edith Monture Elementary School, to welcome you to the official Edith Monture school website. This website has been prepared in the hope that it will become for parents, students, staff and visitors to the site, a valuable source of school news and timely information.
Our entire staff is committed to establishing a school environment that allows our students to flourish and grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially. We take great pride in being awarded our Lighthouse Leadership status.
It is my hope that this website is valuable to your needs.
Enjoy your visit!
Principal D. Ouellette
What is the Leader in Me?
Leader in Me is FranklinCovey’s whole-school improvement process based on the idea that everyone can be a leader. This evidence-based approach empowers students with the leadership and life-skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Visit the Leader in Me Blog for inspiration and resources.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of the key frameworks of the Leader in Me process. The 7 Habits help students learn and apply social-emotional skills. Additionally, the 7 Habits give students and staff members a common language and are essential in building a strong leadership culture.
The Seven Habits
Habit 1 – Be Proactive!
You're in Charge!
I'm a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind
Have a Plan
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school's mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Habit 3 – Put First Things First
Work First, Then Play
I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
Habit 4 – Think Win-Win
Everyone Can Win!
I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others' Emotional Bank Accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.
Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Listen Before you Talk
I listen to other people's ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interruption. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.
Habit 6 – Synergize
Together is Better
I value other poeple's strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people's ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming up with others we can create better solutions than any one of us can alone. I am humble.
Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw
Balance Feels Best
I take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lot of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I find meaningful ways to help others.
Boomerang Lunches
At Edith Monture we have adopted a Boomerang Lunch policy to help make a difference to our environment. We hope to reduce waste and encourage students and their families to review and think about the way they prepare and package lunch and snack foods.
How it Works
All waste from your child’s snacks/lunches will be returned home. This includes all packaging, uneaten food and leftovers.
Why we need this program
Most lunch trash comes from disposable packaging of single serving food items, plastic bags and foil. It’s estimated that the average school age child using a disposable lunch produces 67 pounds of lunch waste per school year!
At Edith Monture that translates into nearly 3,000 large bags of garbage a year. This is a huge cost to the environment and to the school and through the Boomerang Program children will become aware of how disposable lunches impact our environment in a positive way. Using re-usable containers, Thermos bottles and bringing the right amount of food will let children know they can be part of the solution to our waste problems.
Benefits
A Boomerang lunch provides you with the first hand knowledge of the eating habits and preferences of your child. By carrying home the leftovers you can see what your child has eaten or not. Teachers see a huge amount of uneaten food go into the garbage day after day. This is not only wasteful but expensive.
We know this is asking families to re-think food preparations and student actions but our hope is that informative discussions will take place and habits will change. Packing a waste free lunch not only helps the environment it can also result in healthier more nutritious snack/lunches.
Many pre-packaged foods contain significant amounts of salt, preservatives, sugar and fat. There is also a cost savings as lunches made of pre-packaged items can cost $4.50 or more while a waste-free lunch costs around $2.50.
Waste-free Lunch/Snack Tips
Use reusable lunch carriers. Remember to buy a large enough lunch bag to fit all the re-usable containers in.
Use reusable containers. Please avoid plastic wrap, foil, wax paper and styrofoam. Remember to show your child how to put all uneaten food back into these containers and seal it carefully to avoid a yucky mess arriving home in the lunch bag.
Use reusable drink bottles or thermos. Please avoid single-use juice boxes, pouches, cans and water bottles.
Use a cloth napkin and wash and reuse. Please avoid paper napkins.
Use silverware and wash and re-use. Please avoid plastic forks/knives.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables and cut them up so you can send the right amount and it’s quicker and easier for your child to eat.
Get your children to help pack their snacks/lunches with healthy foods.
Only pack as much food as your child will eat.
Label all containers with an initial or special symbol so they have a better chance of coming home.
Parents in the pilot program found that initially a little more time was needed to clean up the lunch bag each night but once students got used to packing the waste better and there was less waste because the right amount of food was sent it was not a big problem.
Try to involve your child in this process so they become more aware of the healthy benefits to the environment and themselves!
Many thanks for your support of this important and exciting initiative! Together we can all make a difference.
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