Whitney School Council Co-Chairs Marcia Moffat and Meric Koksal

Transcription

1 Issue 2 September Whitney Word Editor Martha McClew whitneyword@gmail.com Whitney School Council Co-Chairs Marcia Moffat and Meric Koksal whitneyschoolcouncil@gmail.com Whitney Public School Principal Debbie Stern deborah.stern@tdsb.on.ca school dates for Wednesday, 4:30pm-7pm Harvest Whitney Schoolyard (Storm Date: October 1) school dates for Sunday, 6pm Lunchtime Activities Registration Closes Monday Lice Check Thursday Photo Day Friday Cross Country Meet Monday (Week of) Lunchtime Activities Begin Wednesday, 6:30pm, Library Whitney PS General Council Meeting Friday, 10:30am SPA Day Monday Thanksgiving No School from the principal On FRIDAY OCTOBER 9th (PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE), immediately following morning 10:30 a.m., Whitney will hold its first SPA day of the year! Each month, as you know, we focus on a different TDSB building character theme where all students come together in an assembly forum to celebrate, show their spirit and recognize one another. This model is based on the belief that positive attention contributes to and reinforces a person s self-esteem. In the month of September, our character theme was RESPECT. So, over the past month, teachers discussed this theme in their classrooms, PA announcements were reflective and teachers were looking out for student actions that demonstrated respect both inside and outside of the classroom. On Friday October 9th, we will recognize those students who demonstrated respect during the month of September. As well, our grade 6 Peer Mentors will introduce our new theme for October RESPONSIBILITY. The dress up theme for this SPA day will be The Blue Jays! Come and support our amazingly talented winning baseball team by sporting your shirts, hats and anything else to show your love for the Blue Jays!! Go team go!!! Parents are always welcome to join in on the fun and attend our assembly. Debbie Stern Want to report a student absence? Want to know when the deadline is? Need a copy of a field trip form? Save yourself a call and program allison.walker@tdsb.on.ca in your smartphone and Allison in the office for any of your Whitney School needs.

2 Morning Session Morning Recess Lunch Afternoon Session Afternoon Recess Dismissal 8:42 am 10:05 10:20 am 11:30 12:32 pm 12:35 pm 1:55 2:10 pm 3:20 pm The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September 8, 2015 to June 30, 2016, incl. First day of classes for all students is September 8, 2015 The last day of class for elementary students is June 29, Holidays & Professional Activity (PA) Days Labour Day September 7, 2015 Thanksgiving October 12, 2015 PA Day November 13, 2015 Christmas Break December 19-Jan 3, 2016, inclusive (last day of school: Dec 18; school resumes Jan 4) PA Day January 22, 2016 PA Day February 12, 2016 Family Day February 15, 2016 Mid-Winter Break March 14 to 18, 2016 inclusive Good Friday March 25, 2016 Easter Monday March 28, 2016 Victoria Day May 23, 2016 PA Day June 10, 2016

3 WHITNEY SCHOOL YEAR DATES & EVENTS First Day of School Tuesday September 8 Welcome Assembly Thursday September 10 P.A. Day Parent/Teacher Interviews Friday February 12 Family Day Monday Feb 16 Terry Fox Run Thursday September 24 March Break March 14 to 18 (incl) Harvest Fest Wednesday September 30 Good Friday Friday March 25 Photo Day Thursday October 1st Easter Monday Monday March 28 Thanksgiving (no school) Monday October 12 Remembrance Day Assembly Wednesday November 11 Progress Reports go home Tuesday November 10 P.A. Day Parent/Teacher Interviews Friday November 13 Holiday Concert Celebration Thursday December 10 The Main Event School Fundraiser* Thursday May 5 Victoria Day Monday May 23 P.A. Day Friday June 10 Play Day* Tuesday June 28 Final Reports go home Monday June 27 Winter Break Holidays December 19 to Jan 5 (incl) Gr. 6 Graduation Day Monday June 27 P.A. Day Friday January 22 First Term Reports go home Tuesday February 9 Last Day of Classes Wednesday June 29 P.A. Day Thursday June 30 *subject to change

4 safe arrivals Please help us ensure that all children arrive safely at school by using the Safe Arrival reporting procedure every time your child is absent or late before 8:45am each school day. There are two ways to report for Safe Arrival: 1. Call our Hotline whitney@tdsb.on.ca For either option, please make sure you provide the following information: child s name child s room number (or teacher name) reason for absence or lateness **NOTE** Please do not call the main school number with Safe Arrival messages. safe arrivals...what happens if you forget? Last year the TDSB implemented a board wide elementary school Automated Call-out system for safe arrival. If you do not let the school office know about your child s absence or lateness, the system will call you for each reporting period (morning AND afternoon attendance). Here s how it works: 1. System will call the student s listed Home number If someone picks up and follows all the prompts, no other calls will be made If no one picks up, or all prompts are not followed, the system cascades 2. Cascade = system calls all numbers for both parents 3 times 3. System generates a report and notifies the school which students had successful call-outs and which students need follow up. **NOTE** Once the system starts the call-out process, it cannot be stopped by the school. anaphylaxis There are students in our school who have a potentially life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) to foods, predominantly peanuts and nuts. Please do not send peanut butter or products with peanuts or ANY nuts to school in your child s lunch or snack. If your child has peanut butter or any peanut product at home, they should wash their hands and brush their teeth before coming to school. The medical form sent home with all students asks about health concerns, but if your child is anaphylactic and you have not informed the school, please do so immediately. Please continue to keep the school updated as medical information and/or needs change and provide the school with two epi pens one will be kept in the office and it is recommended that we have an epi-pen in the classroom if a student is not carrying the pen with them at all times. Epi pens kept in the school need to be replaced by parents when they reach the expiry date. epi pens If your child requires an epi pen please make sure the office and classroom teacher is informed and aware of your child s needs and you have filled out the required paperwork. Students should carry their epi pen with them at all times and provide an extra one to be stored in the office. Please provide one to the office immediately (with your child s name on it). medication School staff cannot administer medication (Tylenol, cough syrup, antibiotics, etc.) unless the proper TDSB forms have been filled out by parents and signed some cases, by a medical doctor, giving permission and listing specific instructions for administering. These forms can be obtained from the office and upon completion will be kept on file in the office with all medication. Please call the office if you have any questions.

5 Whitney School Council General Meeting Wednesday, October 7, :30-7:30pm at the Library We welcome the participation and input of all parents at every WSC meeting. A minimum of 20 parents is required for any vote to pass. As part of the 2015/16 School Council s continuing effort to expand our communication reach, we respectfully request that all Class Parents attend General Meetings. Class Parents serve as a vital a conduit of news and information for so many Whitney parents, new and old. We are confident that the attendance of a representative from every class in the school will benefit the parent community as a whole. Meric Koksal and Marcia Moffat Co-Chairs, Whitney School Council whitneyschoolcouncil@gmail.com your school council WSC June 16, 2015 AGM Minutes WSC Proposed Budget WSC Financials YTD July 2015 DRAFT AGENDA Welcome & Chair s Report Marcia Moffat and Meric Koksal Motions to Approve Agenda & Past Meeting Minutes (June 16, 2015) Marcia Moffat Presentation of Proposed Budget for 2015/16 School Year Motions to Reconfirm & Approve Marcia Moffat and Meric Koksal Treasurer s Report YTD 2015 Income Statement and Financial Position Elizabeth Knox Principal s Report Deborah Stern Other Business Motion to Adjourn & Dates for GCMs Marcia Moffat and Meric Koksal The WSC Executive Slate Co-Chairs: Meric Koksal & Marcia Moffat Vice Chairs: Vicky Reszetnik, Jill Spidle & Jane Vokes Treasurer: Elizabeth Knox Co-Secretaries: Ashley Rutledge & Alexis Wise Whitney Word Editor: Martha McClew Technology Chairs: Andrew Pollock & Paul Pelton General Liaisons: Lisa Clark & Grace Asemota Principal: Deborah Stern

6 We are gearing up for the Fall 2015 session of Lunch Time Activities at Whitney. For those of you new to the school, these are fun and enriching classes offered by qualified instructors in a range of activities such as chess, pottery, glee and painting. All classes run during the lunch hour and are held at the school. The program is organized by Whitney parent volunteers. Classes will begin the week of Oct 5 th and run for 8 weeks. Monday and Friday classes will go an extra week due to Thanksgiving Holiday and the November PA day. Please click through to the attached documents to see the class schedule/ descriptions as well as general information/policies. We ask that you check with the school for scheduling conflicts (such as band and strings), as once the class starts, no refunds can be issued. We re also delighted to let you know that we are going to do a trial class for the kindergarten students this fall. We ve moved to an on-line system this year. All information about the Lunch Time Activities is available on the link below. Registration is also moving on-line, and will run on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is now open and will close at 6pm on Sunday Sept 27 th The link is whitney.primux.com. If you have any issues with registration, please Janice Meredith at Janice_meredith@me.com. Please note that Mooredale House offers a similar program, but with classes running after school. The lunch and after-school programs are managed independently, and registration for Mooredale classes must be done through Mooredale House We hope your children enjoy these activities! Janice Meredith, Susie Sabapathy and Diana Parsons Activities General Information

7 After Four Registration is still open. Please see below for the list of programs available for your child(ren) to enjoy in the comfort of Whitney Public School, during after school hours, run by Mooredale. Tuesdays New Day! School Play for Grades 1-6 This term students will be presenting The Little Mermaid. Auditions for leading roles will be on Tuesday September 22. Class runs from 3:40 5:15 in the gym Wednesdays Karate with James Greer Class runs in the gym from 3:40 4:45 for new students, returning students stay until 5:15. A karate gi (uniform) is required and can be purchased through James. Mooredale membership is required and can be processed as part of your registration. Program details can be found here. Online Registration: Sign up here. Thursdays Lego Engineering (Grades 1-3) and Robotics (Grades 4-6) Class is from 3:40 4:45 Also, starting Monday October 19 th A 5 week Babysitting Course by Junior Training Service. Note: School House Chess on Monday s has been cancelled. If you have any questions about the programs, feel free to contact Eric Musselman at Mooredale: T: ext. 105 or by . Hot lunch for grades 1-6 started this week. On certain days we have over 60 students participating. As some of you may know, last year's caterer retired and we are using a new caterer, The Lunch Mom. I visited their brand new facilities on Wicksteed last week. The owner, Tricia Tait, is running things a little bit differently. Her aim is to make sure the kids can have as many servings as they want. This is going to come in handy for those grade 5 and 6 big eaters. If your child is shy, please encourage him/her to come up for seconds and thirds if they are not full. I was happy to see even the grade 1s come up for extra helpings (mini burgers are always a hit as is the Mac & Cheese). The first few days had its challenges but as the week rolled on, the program is running more smoothly. Last year, the students hardly ever drank milk but this year, the students are chugging it. Tricia will make sure we have enough bags of milk to meet this demand. It is not too late to join. If you have a picky eater and aren't sure if this is right for them, the caterer to ask for a trial period: tricia@thelunchmom. Fall Menu Fall Order Form Carmen Tang

8 Wednesday September 30 NEW EARLY 4:30pm Everyone is welcome - Whitney families, friends, and alumni too! There will be delicious food, from burgers and hot dogs to smoothies and baked goods. Your kids will not want to miss the bouncy castle, fire truck, face painting, wacky hair do s and more! Volunteers Needed! Please help us make Harvest Fest a memorable start to the year. We are looking for parent volunteers from each grade to take on shifts (typically, 30 minutes each) during the Festival. We also welcome your teenage volunteers, and this can count toward their community hours. JK & SK: Castle Bouncer & Whitney Item Sales Grade 1s: Bake Table, Animal Jar and Ticket Sales Grade 2s: Ice Cream, Playground Bouncer Grade 2/3s: Team Challenge Obstacle Course Grade 3/4s: Set Up & Tear Down Grade 4/5s: Popcorn, Drink tables and Sign the Plow Grade 6: Ticket Sales All Grades: Baked Goods Click here to volunteer!

9 We are calling for bakers from all classes to make the evening as yummy as possible! Click here to volunteer! Please keep in mind that individual items will sell for $1 each (please cut into pieces accordingly) and packaged items for $5. All baked goods must be nut and peanut free. Baked goods should be dropped off in the teachers lounge by 1 pm on Wednesday, September 30th. To volunteer a baked item please click on the link above. For questions, you can contact the lead supervisors Vicky Reszetnik (vickyreszetnik@gmail.com) and Ashley Rutledge (aorutledge@gmail.com). Thank you in advance for your contribution! Harvest Fest Poster Winner! Once again, Whitney s annual Harvest Fest Poster Contest was a tight race, with many great designs to chose from across the grades. Congratulations to Robin Y., of Mrs. Robinson s Grade 5 class, for her winning design. Please see the next page for 2nd and 3rd place, along with numerous Honourable Mentions!

10 Artist: Robin Y., Grade 5 WRISTBANDS $10.00 TICKETS $1.00 Provides unlimited access to Castle Bouncer, Module Combo, Ice Cream Playground, Team Challenge Obstacle & Fire Truck. Also, free Wacky Hair & Face Painting and signature on the Whitney snow plow! FOOD: Burger $6.00 Hot Dog $4.00 Vegan Hot Dogs $6.00 Baked Item $1.00 Baked Package $5.00 Popcorn Bag $1.00 Fruit Freezie $2.00 Apples $1.00 DRINKS: Smoothie $2.00 Coffee $1.00 Juice $1.00 Water free Animal Jelly Bean Guessing Jar $1.00 Buttons $1.00 Whitney Hat $5.00 Whitney Mug $2.00 Whitney Pen $1.00 Pumpkins $5.00 Whitney Tattoos $1.00

11

12 Many thanks to all the volunteers, teachers and students for making this 25th annual Terry Fox Run so successful. It was a glorious morning and the perfect temperature for holding this event. Not too hot, not too cold and no rain! There was sea of Terry Fox shirts, old and new, which was an indication of just how much the Whitney community cares about this event and helping to carry on Terry's legacy. We'll be collecting your donations all next week. Please drop your donation pledges to the office in the bin marked Terry Fox. You can also pledge online on Whitney s school page - click here. It is much appreciated. A special thanks to Shelley Moretti who helped to organize and pull the event together and to Jen Sievenpiper, Charlene Klein and Vicky Reszetnik for helping to sell t-shirts. Also, to all staff who helped supervise there were hundreds of flying popsicle sticks and everyone had a lot of fun! The run would not have been possible without everyone pitching in and showing their support. Thanks also to Moore/Bayview Loblaws for donating the apples. A refreshing treat afterwards! Debbie Whitney s Terry Fox Run Page Donate Online Here Terry Fox Pledge Sheet

13 cross country The time has come for the first cross country meet of the year! Students will be competing onfriday October 2nd down at Ashbridge's Bay, in summer-esque temperatures (please cross your fingers and your toes!). There will be a bus leaving Whitney at 8:45 a.m. for any student who requires a ride (please meet Ms. Diniz at 8:30 in the gym). If you would like to drive your child to the event, please me (asher.wittenberg@tdsb.on.ca) to let me know. The first race of the day is grade 1 girls, which will start at 10:00 a.m. This will be followed by grade 1 boys, then grade 2 girls. This pattern will continue throughout the day. Each race is about 15 minutes long. If you are driving your child, please make sure to arrive in plenty of time, as events can run early. Students are asked to wear their Whitney t-shirts (one will be provided if you don't own one) when competing. Also, the bus will NOT be returning in time for hot lunch, so please make sure to pack a lunch, snacks, and quiet activities while waiting for your race! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. boys football The grade 6 boys will be competing in a one day tournament at Deer Park on Tuesday October 6th. Players can meet Mr. Wittenberg at school at 7:00 a.m. or at Deer Park at 7:20. The date for the grade 4/5 team has yet to be determined. whitney walks The Whitney Walkers have gotten off to a fantastic start. Our first journey into the neighbourhood included 59 students, four teachers and one dog! We walked for two kilometres, seeing many beautiful houses, and the kids engrossed in wonderful conversation. Our second walk, had slightly fewer people, but a great time was had by all. After our first week, the Whitney Walkers traveled 208 kms across Canada! Hopefully our numbers will grow as the year goes on.

14 Monday 28 Friday 2 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Boys Football Whitney) Cross Country (1, 2, 3) 7:50 am Girls Slo Pitch (3:30 Whitney) Girls Football Whitney) Cross Country (4, 5, 6) 7:50 am Whitney Walks (12:00 12:25) Boys Slo Pitch (3:30 Whitney) Girls Football (7:30 Whitney) Whitney Walks (12:00 12:25) Boys & Girls Slo Pitch (3:30 Whitney) Cross Country Ashbridges Bay Monday 5 Friday 9 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Boys Football (7:30 Whitney) Whitney Walks (12:00 12:25) Grade 6 Boys Football Deer Park Boys Slo Pitch Practice (3:30 4:30@Whitney) Girls Football Practice (7:30@Whitney) Whitney Walks (12:00 12:25) Grade 4/5 Boys Football Practice Whitney) Girls Slo Pitch (3:30 4:30@Whitney) Boys & Girls Slo Pitch (3:30 4:30@Whitney)