News, announcements, and reminders from the council, school, and community.
Mrs. Bell Is starting a lunchtime Lego Club this month for all students in grades 1, 2 and 3. There is only enough room for forty students so it will be on a first come, first serve basis. Mrs. Bell handed out forms on Friday to interested students but if anyone needs a form please come and see Ms. Bell as soon as you can.
Plans for the Lion King are coming along! The performance date has been pushed back to the end of February or early March. Rehearsals continue at lunch on Wednesdays & Thursdays.
We have over ten parents working on costumes and Ms. Lawson has offered her support with set design and painting. She will be working in the gym Wednesdays after school beginning on January 24th. If you are able to help, please let her know!
It has been such a busy and successful first half of the school year. Together as a team; Teachers, Students and Parents we have all worked hard, worked smart and worked together. To one and all, I wish you a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays. May you spend beautiful moments with your friends and loved ones; may you spend beautiful moments with your friends and loved ones; May you find time to rest, relax and rejuvenate for the excitement that 2018 brings!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
We look forward to seeing everyone on January 8 in the New Year 2018.
Ms. Hardy
“We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.” Michelle Obama
With the arrival of winter weather, the Lost & Found is overflowing with galoshes, mukluks, balaclavas and legwarmers. Lost & Found items will be on display on tables in the foyer starting on Tuesday, December 19. Please take a look for things you are missing. All items will be donated at the end of the week.
The Gingerbread Houses are on display in the main hallway. If you haven't already, take the time to check out the amazing creations from the master gingerbread builders of Garden Ave.
Raffle tickets will be on sale until the Holiday Sing-a-long on December 19, when winners will be drawn.
You can buy raffle tickets before and after school on Monday and Tuesday.
Join us in the school gym on Tuesday, December 19 from 6:30-7:30pm for a community sing-along of some classic carols and holiday favourites – everyone is welcome!
We will also draw the winners of the Gingerbread House Raffle.
If you are coming to Garden for the Holiday Sing-a-Long (December 19), we ask that you consider bringing a new, unwrapped toy (for a school-age child 6-12) or a gift card as a donation to a local charity.
Gingerbread houses will be arriving at school on Monday morning and will be on display in school this week and next. Raffle tickets will be on sale until the Holiday Sing-a-long on December 19, when winners will be drawn.
You can buy raffle tickets at the school office or from one of the School Council volunteers at drop off and pick up.
There will be early and late sales of raffle tickets for families who use the daycare - check posters for more details.
Thanks to all the families who have made gingerbread houses - we’re excited to see your creations!
Parents/Guardians:
Please find attached a copy of a dental screening letter from Toronto Public Health. A hard copy will be sent home with your child today.
If you are planning on coming to Garden for the Daycare Holiday Party (December 13), Primary Arts Night (December 14) and/or the Holiday Sing-a-Long (December 19), we ask that you consider bringing a new, unwrapped toy (for a school-age child 6-12) or a gift card as a donation to a local charity.
Thursday, December 14 will be our Primary Arts Night (Grades 1-3) from 6:15-7:30pm. Everyone is welcome to come out and see the amazing art that our primary students have been working on! Please be reminded that there will be no primary choir concert this year as the primaries have been hard at work on "The Lion King" musical. We will be sending out a flyer this week will more information.
Thank you to our fabulous Robotics Coaches (Ms. Umezawa, Ms. Childs, Ms. Hritzun and Ms. Cox) for their hard work supporting our two Robotics teams. I think that this club has inspired so much learning for both students and teachers. The FLL meet will be next Saturday December 9th at Runnymede C.I. Thank you to everyone for your participation in making this club work and special thank you to our School Council!! Go team “Waterbots” “Robaters”!!
Next Tuesday begins our Toronto Public Health (T.P.H.) dental program for all students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. The dental program helps to identify children with oral health problems, a screening program and is offered to students in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Health requirements for mandatory health programs. The dental hygienist will assess the need for topical fluoride, scaling, sealant and any other obvious dental needs.
As a follow up to the screening, only parents whose children are identified as requiring dental services will be notified. A note to that effect will be sent home with your child/ren for your information and action. You may also receive a phone call from T.P.H. dental staff to assist you in accessing care.
If you do not wish your child/ren to be screened, please inform Celia in the office by Tuesday December 5th in the AM. Thanks so much for your support.
Ms. Hardy
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill
We want to share with you about two fabulous new recess initiatives that are happening here at Garden Avenue. The first is the Peaceful Recess Project which is hosted in the library by Ms. Cox and Ms. Schulz. The second is our Impromptu Dance Parties with DJ CC (Ms. Cox) in the school yard.
The Peaceful Recess Project is an initiative that is actually happening in many schools around the city. It is a completely silent space for students who enjoy having a little bit of peace and quiet in their day. Students can read, colour, use our breathing balls or yoga cards, or even just sit and think. It is a time to recharge and refresh before the rest of the school day, and there are so many students who are participating that we will most likely move to having it twice a week instead of just once a week!! Currently it is on Tuesday during afternoon recess.
Our impromptu dance party in the school yard takes place every Monday during morning recess. Dancing together builds a sense of community; boosts our energy; and is simply a lot of fun! We have such a large number of movers and groovers that we may be adding another recess to the party!!
We are grateful for the support of our parent council for funding so many special supplies for both projects. So thank you for our breathing balls, special mindfulness books, chimes, and our new portable bluetooth speakers which are making our students so happy and peaceful, and building such wonderful connections in our school community.
We noticed that every school picture provided by Edge Imaging has the word school spelt incorrectly. We are in the process of rectifying the situation. We have asked the company to provide all new class photos for the school. You have to find some humour in that. :-)
Alana
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill
Come out to Movie Night on Thursday, November 30 and enjoy the holiday classic "The Polar Express".
"The Polar Express" has wonderful messages about the importance of believing, the value of friendship, respect for leadership and courage, and the beauty of being kind to others.
There will be pizza and popcorn for sale, so put on your elf hats and jingle bells and come out for some family fun.
The doors open at 6pm and the movie will start at 6:15pm.
We are looking for parent volunteers to help us sell pizza & popcorn, set up chairs and clean up afterwards.
If you can help, let us know by sending an email to info@gardenschoolcouncil.com
December is a busy month, as always!
Here are a few dates to put in your calendar:
Wednesday, December 13 & Thursday, December 14 - Scholastic Book Fair Browse a selection of books from Scholastic Canada, in the foyer, after school.
Wednesday, December 13 - Daycare Holiday Party - 6-8pm - For daycare families, the annual Holiday Party is an evening of fun, food and festivities for the whole family. If you haven't signed up already, contact Barb by email (barb@sunnysidegardendaycare.com) or telephone tomorrow to let her know that you will be attending.
Thursday, December 14 - Primary Arts Night (Grades 1-3) - 6:15-7:15pm Come and see the amazing art that the primary students (Grades 1-3) have been working on! Please be reminded that there is no primary choir concert this year as the primaries have been hard at work on "The Lion King" musical. There will be performances, beginning at 6:45pm in the gym, from the following classes: Mrs. Schulz (Room 101), Ms. Lawson (Room 102), Mrs. Baigent (Room 203), Mr. McClure (Room 206).
Tuesday, December 19 - Holiday Sing-a-Long & Gingerbread House Raffle - 6:30-7:30pm Join us in the gym for a fun family night of carols and classics. We will hold the draw for the 15 amazing gingerbread creations at the end of the night. Tickets for the Gingerbread House Raffle will be on sale the week of December 11, before and after school.
Garden Spirit Wear is back!
Order your Garden toques, hoodies, tees and sweats by November 26 (online store closes at 11:59pm) and get them in time for the winter break.
The proceeds of our Spirit Wear sale go to support School Council and all of the programs we fund.
https://gardenavefall2017.itemorder.com/sale
Our favourite neighbourhood toy store is giving back to Garden this holiday season.
On Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2, Scooter Girl Toys will return a portion of your purchases to Garden School Council. Just mention your school at checkout and Scooter Girl Toys will do the rest!
Progress Reports will be handed out to students on Tuesday November 15th. Parents will be receiving a letter or communication from each classroom teacher as to what their individual interview schedule will be. If you have more than one child at our school please do not hesitate to talk to your child’s teacher about organizing sibling’s interview in a way that will work for you and your family.
Please remember that regular parent-teacher communication is an important part of your child’s learning. These interviews are your opportunity to ask questions about your child's progress and to discuss any issues. In addition to regular scheduled parent-teacher interviews, you can request a meeting at any time during the school year by contacting our school or your child's teacher directly.
Thank you so much to our grade 5/6 class under the guidance of Ms. Umezawa and Ms. Zamperio for their participation and leadership in our moving Remembrance Day assembly. During the assembly we were provided with a wonderful history of Vimy Ridge as well as the Vimy Oaks repatriation project. A great big thank you to Linda Granfield who visited our school this week to share her wonderful new book Vimy Oaks a Journey to Peace.
Ms. Hardy
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill
On Friday, November 10, students and staff at our school and across the city will mark Remembrance Day, which falls on Saturday, November 11, with classroom activities and school assemblies. During Remembrance Day, our teachers make connections between global events and students' lives by promoting peace within our school community. On this solemn occasion, our staff, students, parents, and the wider community all join together in a call for peace.
This year's Remembrance Day marks the date and time when fighting stopped on November 11th at 11am in 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month) which makes this the 99th anniversary for the end of the First World War. Our Garden Remembrance Day Assembly will be held on Friday from 10:35 AM to 11:05 AM in the gym.
This year we will also be observing the 100th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge. We are excited to be launching this week with renowned author Linda Granfield who will be here on Tuesday AM to talk to RM. 205about her new book Vimy Oaks: A Journey to Peace. We are tremendously pleased to welcome Linda especially as her book is a nominated Silver Birch book. Thank you to Ms. Umezawa for organizing this wonderful event.
Great news!! We are extremely pleased to have a new strings instructor. Her name is Daniela Kepowicz and she has been teaching strings for over 29 years. She is looking forward to bringing her expertise as a cello player and strings instructor to Garden. Her schedule will be as follows: Day 2 and Day 4 from 12:30-1:45 PM. Her first day will be Tuesday this week. Welcome to Garden Ms. Kepowicz.
Ms. Hardy
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill
Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the Garden Variety show. And what a show it was! There were amazing performances by songwriter Dana Sipos, comedian Chris Locke, spoken word artist Paul Thompson, illusionist Shamus MacGregor, ladybear extraordinaire Fay Slift and, of course, our incredible hostess with the mostess, Rachelle Elie.
Your support of this show, and all of our fundraising activities, helps School Council to pay for many programs and activities at Garden. School Council funds field trips (like Andrew's Scenic Acres, Kortright Centre for Conservation and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra), pays for kits to support and enhance the Junior Robotics program, buys new gym equipment like floor hockey sticks and balls, augments STEM learning by paying for Scientists in Schools visits and purchasing new science kits for use in classroom learning.
A big, heartfelt, thank you to all of the volunteers: Dan Phaure, Elaine Clark, Erica Spencer, Geoff Bennett, Jeany Ellis, Ji Yoo, Kam Nagra, Katherine Ball, Kelly Hoey, Margaret Dosanjh, Mary Ng, Matt Miller, Sara Clark, Sarb Nagra, Stephen Wong, Wendy Hammond.
We'd also like to thank our food sponsors, Barque Smokehouse and Yummy Stuff for their generous donations of sandwiches and cupcakes. Thank you, too, to Roncesvalles United Church for letting us invade their kitchen and gymnasium. The next time you have a chance to stop by one of these wonderful local businesses, take a moment to thank them for their continued support of our school and community.
Although we may not have felt so thankful this morning, we are beyond grateful to Christine Hamilton and Labatt Craft Brands, Goose Island, Shock Top and Mill Street, for sponsoring the beer for our event.
Last but not least, HUGE thanks to Eli Klein and Luke Jackson for making the magic happen, year after year!
Halloween is on Tuesday, October 31!
Kindergarten students are invited to wear their costumes to school in the morning. Their Halloween parade will begin at 9:15am, outside of the school on Garden Avenue.
Grade 1-6 students will change in to their costumes after lunch. Their Halloween parade will begin at 1pm, outside of the school, and continue on to the Copernicus Lodge to greet the residents.
Reminder: weapons are not allowed at school as part of costumes (e.g. swords, knives, guns, lightsabers).
Your Class Parent will let you know whether your child's class is having a party. If you'd like to send a treat for your child's class party, please ensure that the snacks are nut-free. Fruits and veggies are always a welcome choice!
The Halloween parade will be at 9:15 AM for the KG and at 1:00 PM for the Grade 1-6 students. Parents are welcome to meet us outside of the school on Garden Avenue if they would like to take pictures. The Grade 1-6 students will be continuing their parading over to Copernicus lodge to greet the residence at 1:15PM.
Pokemon cards and toys are becoming a problem again in school both at lunch and at recess time. Please remind your child that toys and cards of any sort are not allowed in school and should be kept at home. If you have concerns or questions regarding this rule please come and see me in the office.
At the beginning of each school year, our students and staff prepare for the year ahead by establishing the foundations for a successful year. One of the ways we know we can help students be successful is to create a safe environment in which to learn. Though no one ever wants to see an emergency happen at a school, it's important for school staff to be equipped to deal with those situations, should these occur.
One aspect of emergency preparedness is the lockdown and fire drill. All schools are required to conduct a minimum of two lockdown drills and six fire drills each school year. Lockdown drills, like fire drills, are an essential component to ensuring student and staff safety. It is important that all staff and students are prepared and know how to respond in cases of emergencies. The drills last approximately 5 minutes and ensure plans are effective and can also systematically identify any safety concerns. If you have any questions re our safety protocols or concerns don’t hesitate to ask.
Ms. Hardy
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill
The 4th annual Garden Variety Show promises to be a fun night out for parents and neighbours, full of laughs, music, delicious food from Barque Smokehouse and adult beverages.
As any of our past attendees can attest, this is a VERY VERY fun evening so grab your pals and neighbours and support Garden School Council.
Come out to support Garden and enjoy a great night of music, comedy and more with friends and neighbours. Plan to dine on Barque pulled pork sandwiches, gourmet snacks & sweets, and wash it all down with delicious craft beers from Shock Top, Goose Island and Mill St. or try our new signature cocktail The Gardini.
Don't miss the most fun night of the year - Saturday, November 4 at Roncesvalles United Church. Doors open at 8pm, show at 9pm.
Photo re-take day is on Wednesday, October 25. To request a retake, please return the form at the link below to school with your child on Wednesday.
https://www.edgeimaging.ca/images/stories/picture_day_support/RetakePerm...
Stay up-to-date with news and events from the TDSB. Join the TDSB Ward 7 Council Facebook group to hear directly from our trustee, Robin Pilkey, and get all of the latest info on what's going on at the board and in schools in our ward.