News

News, announcements, and reminders from the council, school, and community.

Thank You to our Sponsors

Posted: 
Sunday June 18
Life in Roncy Village has many of the perks of living in a small-town, while still being part of a vibrant urban scene. We have fantastic shops, restaurants and small businesses all within walking distance, enabling us to shop and get a fantastic meal without leaving the neighbourhood. 
 
It's this that creates such a strong sense of community here. 
 
With great appreciation, the parents of Garden Avenue Jr. P.S. would like to thank all of the shops and small business owners who so generously donated to this year's Silent Auction and Fun Fair. With your help, the event was the most successful to date!
 
We couldn't hold this fundraiser without your support. 
 
Many thanks to:
  • Alimentari
  • Anne Hung Boutique
  • Ardith
  • Australian Boot Company
  • Barque Smokehouse
  • Bathing Belle Swimwear
  • Blush Beauty Bar
  • Boakview Photography
  • Brite Star Cleaners
  • Charb Arts
  • Cherry Bomb
  • Ecotique
  • Ed’s Real Scoop
  • Evergreen
  • Eye Buy Art
  • Frock
  • Hey Kiddo
  • Home Smith Interiors
  • High Park Real Estate
  • Jack of Sports
  • Junction Craft Brewing
  • Kara Paris Designs
  • Knit Cafe
  • Mabel’s Bakery
  • North Standard Trading Post
  • Owl Optometry
  • Rowe Farms
  • Scooter Girl
  • Scout
  • Seventh Sister Bakery
  • Sweet Thrills
  • Sweetpea’s
  • Sylvie and Shimmy
  • The Ace
  • The Boulevard Club
  • The Chocolateria
  • The Classical Music Conservatory
  • The Cookery
  • The Emerson
  • The Mercantile
  • The Ten Spot
  • The Westerly Kitchen and Bar
  • Village Juicery
  • West Side Cycle
  • Weston Bakeries
  • Yoga Star
  • Yummy Stuff Bakery

Potluck Cancelled

Posted: 
Sunday June 18

We are sad to report that, due to scheduling conflicts, we have had to cancel the potluck on Friday, June 23. 

We hope everyone has a safe and happy summer, and we will be back in the fall with more exciting School Council events. 

Garden School News - Week of June 19-23

Posted: 
Sunday June 18

Getting students outside and active is good for their health but too much sun can have serious side-effects, including burns, eye damage, premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. We encourage all students to practice "sun safety."

What exactly does sun safe behaviour look like?

  • Cover up: Even on days with a moderate UV index students should wear a hat and sunglasses, especially if they'll be outside for over 30 minutes.
  • Stay cool: Students should stay in shady areas, particularly at midday when the sun is strongest.
  • Use sunscreen: Choose sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher that include protection from both UVA and UVB rays
  • Drink lots of water throughout the day and keep your body hydrated.

Please remember to check the lost and found over the next couple of weeks before the end of the year. There are many wonderful articles of clothing, shoes and lunch bags which are waiting to be taken home.

Ms. Hardy

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.
‑ Marie Curie

File(s): 
Parent Week at a Glance - Week of June 19-23

Garden Spirit Wear - Hats & T-Shirts

Posted: 
Monday June 5

We still have some baseball caps, cool flat caps and kids-sized t-shirts for sale.

Baseball Caps - purple, royal blue, golden yellow - $15

Garden Stingers Flat Caps - black - $22

T-Shirts - purple, royal blue, green, yellow (XS, S, M, L) - $15

If you're interested in buying a hat or a shirt, send an email to gardenavepay@gmail.com.

All proceeds go to School Council.

blue and yellow baseball caps with garden public school name

black cap with Garden Avenue stingers logo and name

 blue on yellow, yellow on purple, white on pink, yellow on blue, and yellow on green.

June Council Meeting - Wednesday, June 21

Posted: 
Monday June 5

The last School Council meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, June 21 from 6:30-8pm in the school library.

At this meeting we will be deciding on an initial budget for the 2017/18 school year. Let us know if you have ideas about programs or initiatives that council could fund, that would enhance the experience of Garden students, small or tall.

End of Year Potluck - Friday, June 23

Posted: 
Monday June 5

Join us for an End of Year Potluck. Weather permitting, we'll gather in the playground at 5:30-7pm on Friday, June 23.

Everyone is welcome. Bring a dish to share with old and new friends. Please list ingredients and remember that all items should be nut free.

If you have no time to prepare something at home, feel free to pick something up on your way over. Baguette and cheese, hummus and pita, fruit and veggies are always a good choice!

Please bring your own plates & cutlery, if possible, to help us keep the waste to a minimum.

potluck table

Movie Night - Thursday, June 8

Posted: 
Friday June 2

School Council is pleased to present Zootopia on Thursday, June 8. Doors to the gym will open at 6pm. Pizza, popcorn and drinks will be on sale until the show starts at 6:30pm. This movie was selected by a Junior class, but all are welcome - wear your favourite PJs!

Zootopia movie poster

Thank You from School Council

Posted: 
Monday May 29

What a FUN day! Saturday's Fun Fair was a big success - together, we raised over $15,000 for School Council.

We use this money to pay for things like Robotics Club and trips to the TSO, to buy new Science Equipment and Musical Instruments, to buy new Floor Hockey sticks and books for the Forest of Reading programmes.

We couldn't do it with you.

Thank you to everyone who came, had fun, donated books or baked goods, bought a seedling or a cupcake, enjoyed a burger or bid on an item at the Silent Auction.

Above all else, we do this for the kids. If the smiles, painted faces and endless karaoke are any indication, I think it's safe to say it was all worth it!

Seedling Sale

Posted: 
Monday May 29

Fill your garden with our bee-friendly plants! We still have some seedlings (pumpkin, zucchini, lots of kale) left over from the Fun Fair and are selling them on Tuesday, May 30 after school in the foyer, and from 4-5pm next to Solarsky Pharmacy. All seedlings were grown by Garden families from neonicotinoid-free seeds.

Raffle Baskets and Silent Auction Items

Posted: 
Monday May 29

There are 3 unclaimed Raffle Baskets in the office. The winning numbers are:

Basket #7 - 1918210

Basket #10 - 3627827

Basket #12 - 2281900

There are also a number of Silent Auction items ready for payment & pickup in the office.

Please try to collect your items this week.

Early Bird Wristband Sales

Posted: 
Monday May 22

Avoid line-ups at the 2017 Fun Fair! Buy your Play-All-Day wristbands ahead of time and spend more time having FUN, browsing the Book Sale, and bidding at the Silent Auction.

You can still purchase wristbands, and individual tickets for rides and games, at the Fun Fair – but buying early will let you hit the Fun Fair grounds running!

  • Wristbands will be on sale before and after school, in the foyer, the week of May 23.
  • Payment can be made by cash, cheque, email money transfer or credit card.

Play-All-Day Wristband Pricing
Ages 4 and up $25
Ages 3 and under $10

Wristbands can be used for all rides, games and face painting.

Mystery Bags

Posted: 
Monday May 22

Mystery Bags will go home with your child on Tuesday, May 23 and we ask that you return them to school by Friday, May 26 to be sold at the Fun Fair on Saturday. 

What goes in a Mystery Bag is up to you! These annual favourites sell out quickly, so fill up your bag with a few fun surprises and help make this year's Fun Fair a memorable one. 

Garden Avenue Fun Fair this Saturday! (May 27 from 10am-3pm)

Posted: 
Monday May 22

Join us on Saturday from 10am to 3pm for the Annual Garden Avenue Fun Fair.

The best FUNdraiser of the year! With bouncy castles, face painting, raffle baskets, games, entertainment, BBQ, book sale, bake sale, and more...it all happens here. Tell your friends, neighbours, and family. Everyone is welcome.

Fun Fair poster

The Fun Fair is the largest single fundraiser for School Council. Garden School Council helps foster a creative learning environment for our children by providing funds for a range of school activities, including teacher grants, arts performances in the gym, field trips, and more.

Grade 6 Graduation Party

Posted: 
Friday May 19

There will be a party for all grade 6 students to celebrate their graduation.

The party will be held at the High Park Curling Club, 100 Indian Road from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, June 27. The school will host the official graduation that afternoon and this party is being organized by a group of parents.

There will be more information about the details of the party and you will receive an invitation closer to the event. We wanted to let parents know now so that they could reserve the date and time. We really hope to have all grade 6 students and their parents or guardians or caregivers of their choice attend. We are asking that other arrangements are made for siblings, so that the grade 6 student could be the centre of attention for this one night.

There will be a cost per family for the party (to cover food, drink, the hall rental and activities) and we will have that detail included in the invitation. Cost should not be a barrier for any family to attend and if anyone is concerned about this please speak to Ms. Childs, Ms. Chawla or the school principal Ms. Hardy.

Look for your invitation in the next few weeks and in the meantime, please hold this date.

2 More Weeks to Donate to the Best Used Book Sale in the Neighbourhood!

Posted: 
Sunday May 14
Thank you to everyone who has donated to date - we have an amazing collection of children's books already and a smaller but excellent selection of adult books too!  Please review your shelves (or bedside piles!) at home and consider donating a few more for our sale - if only to make room for a few new favourites!   
 
And please come early for the best selection!  We have single copies of amazing kids' picture books like Rosie Revere Engineer, Owl Moon, and Robert Munsch titles, lots of early readers, a few excellent series of chapter books for younger children, some really fun and thoughtful novels for older children and some interesting options for parents too, including recent titles by Lena Dunham, Neil Gaiman, and this year's Canada Reads competition! 
 
Parents from other schools tell us they now look for our sale to stock up on summer reading for their kids at our incredible prices - so please make sure you stop by!

Fun Fair - Volunteers Needed!

Posted: 
Sunday May 14

The Fun Fair is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Garden Avenue School Council, and we can't do it without your help!

Can you spare a couple of hours on Saturday, May 27 to help with the Fun Fair? 

- Set-up Crew (7:30-10am)

- Take a 2-hour shift on the BBQ, at the Bake Sale, Book Sale, Arts & Crafts table, or running one of the games or rides (2-hour shifts between 10am and 3pm)

- Tear-Down Crew (3-5pm)

To sign up, send an email to info@gardenschoolcouncil.com with your availability.

Junior Arts Night - Tuesday, May 16

Posted: 
Sunday May 14

Junior Arts Night is on Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30pm. There will be a Hip Hop Dance presentation in the gym, followed by an open house with art displays in our junior classrooms. There will also be a strings performance in the library. Performers should check with their teachers on when they should arrive and where they should gather. It is sure to be an exciting evening and we are looking forward to seeing all our junior parents there!

Garden School News - Week of May 8-12

Posted: 
Sunday May 7

Well what a week with the rain, rain and more rain.  I am so hopeful that next week will be sunny and warm.  Our yard is extremely wet and muddy so if your child has a pair of rubber boots please have them wear them to school.  Here’s to May flowers soon.

We have decided to move the quiet lunchroom into Rm 104 for the rest of the year.  If you know that your child uses this room at lunch please let them know about the room change.  We will be letting students know at school as well.

Placement meetings will be beginning next week.  Please understand that a great deal of time and consideration will be devoted to deciding about each and every student placement.  However, if you feel that there is important additional information that should be considered when we are placing your child please do let me know in writing by Tuesday May 9th.

Our lost and found is beginning to pile up, again.  Please do make sure you take a look in the lost and found to claim any of your missing items.  The lost and found is located at the North East exit of the school.

Ms. Hardy

With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide.
With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.
— Zig Ziglar

File(s): 
Parent Week at a Glance - Week of May 8-12

Matilda the Musical on May 25 by Garden Ave Juniors

Posted: 
Monday May 1

Garden Ave Public School's
Junior Division
Presents

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

Showtime: Thursday May 25, 2017 at 6:30pm
Where: Emmanuel Howard Park United Church (214 Wright)
Call time for all performers: 5:50pm in Gym at Emmanuel Howard Park

Stress & Anxiety Workshop - Thursday, May 18 at Garden

Posted: 
Sunday May 14

Join us for a highly acclaimed workshop on helping our kids tackle anxiety and stress through mindfulness and the arts.

All students (JK-Grade 6) will participate in the program during the school day and parents/guardians are invited to attend in the evening (6-8pm) to learn more about supporting their children.

Please RSVP to info@gardenschoolcouncil.com. Childcare is available. Please let us know the names and ages of the children requiring care.

For more info on the program, visit Arts Express http://artsexpress.ca/tasam.html

This workshop is made possible by a Parents Reaching Out Grant from the Ministry of Education http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/reaching.html

Fun Fair - Ways to Get Involved

Posted: 
Monday May 1

The Fun Fair is only a few weeks away! Mark Saturday, May 27 in your calendars. 

Here's a list of ways to get involved:

  • Sign-up to bake something for the Bake Sale. Let Jeany know what you’re bringing: jeany.ellis@gmail.com.
  • Drop off your books for the Book Sale.
  • Donate your gift-quality trinkets to be used as prizes. Bring them to the front foyer starting Tuesday, May 2 and put them in the bin marked "TCHOTCHKE". 
  • Get excited about the Silent Auction. We have lots of great stuff this year including concert tickets and gift certificates to local shops and restaurants
  • Contribute to a classroom Raffle Basket. Your child's teacher will send home information with this year's theme.
  • Fill a Mystery Bag. Mystery Bags will go home the week of May 15.
  • Volunteer to set-up, tear-down, paint faces, sell cookies, take tickets or herd small children. Let David know if you’d like to help: davidleider@rogers.com.

TDSB Enhancing Equity Ward Forum - May 1

Posted: 
Tuesday April 25

The TDSB’s Enhancing Equity Task Force is focused on improving the learning and well-being of each and every student by understanding and mitigating – or removing – the barriers of social and economic inequity.

This collaborative effort between the TDSB and the communities it works with is an opportunity to bring people together, learn from each other and explore what’s working, what isn’t and how to improve it. The Task Force seeks to understand and respond to new insights, challenges and opportunities that will impact the entire Board.

One way we’re doing that is by hosting ward forums that bring together school communities to talk about school-specific strategies that will improve equity for all. These sessions will explore equity, consider what work has already happened in the school to improve equity, and help address the question: what’s keeping us from doing more?

Join the conversation. Share your voice.

Enhancing Equity Ward Forum

Monday, May 1 from 6:30-8:30pm

Bloor C.I., 1141 Bloor Street West

To register for the Ward 7/9/10 Forum, click on the link in the attached poster. 

For further information on the Enhancing Equity Task Force, please go to  http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/HowtoGetInvolved/EnhancingEquityTaskForc...

File(s): 

You're Invited! Parent's Workshop on Teens/Pre-Teens - May 2

Posted: 
Tuesday April 25

The School Advisory Council at Humberside C.I. has invited parents to attend a workshop for the parents of teens and pre-teens.

What Keeps You Up At Night
Tuesday, May 2 from 7-8:30pm
Humberside Collegiate Institute, Lismer Auditorium
280 Quebec Avenue

Dr. Victoria Creighton, Clinical Director at Pine River Institute, will share insights and practical strategies to help parents and guardians better understand and support their adolescent through this challenging stage of life.

Join us and learn how to recognize and respond to a range of issues, including:

  • Onset of mental illness
  • Experimentation with drugs
  • and alcohol
  • Defiance and disrespectful behaviour
  • Faltering or failing grades
  • Self-harm (e.g., eating disorders)
  • Boundary setting
  • How to talk to your teen
  • Conflict resolution
  • Finding help

If you'd like to attend, RSVP at the link: http://pineriverinstitute.com/workshop

Anne Frank Exhibit - May 7 & 28

Posted: 
Tuesday April 25

The Jewish Heritage Committee of the TDSB is hosting an exclusive showing of a travelling exhibition from the Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada.

The exhibit, "Anne Frank - A History For Today", is open to the public on Sunday, May 7 and Sunday, May 28. Admission is free. The exhibit will be housed at John Polanyi C.I., 640 Lawrence Avenue West (library), located across from Eglinton West Subway Station.

The exhibit has 37 panels and tells the story of Anne Frank, set against the background of the Holocaust. It makes use of images from the Frank family and quotations from Anne's diary.

Each of the panels displays information about the most important developments of the time, such as the rise of National Socialism.

Thanks to a partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada in 2015, in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands by the Canadian army, the exhibit is fully bilingual and has additional panels on the Canadian contribution to the Second World War.

File(s):