Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Dear Parents and Guardians, As you likely know, the Ontario Legislature recently passed Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act which sets out requirements that must be included in collective agreements and includes a two year wage restraint.   Now that the province has established these financial parameters, as a Board we will continue with local bargaining and work towards new collective agreements with our staff. In response to the legislation, some individuals have decided not to volunteer for extra-curricular activities. While there are a number of schools where extra-curricular activities have not been impacted, over the last few days questions have arisen regarding the upcoming elementary cross-country meets at schools where parent volunteers may have been working with non- sanctioned run clubs. I want to reassure you that our staff is working hard to keep the focus in our school on student learning.   Board staff and I understand that the upcoming cross...

Check out this month's Fern newsletter for important information about our school community. As we continue to maintain our eco-initiatives, we endeavour to send out as few paper copies of the newsletter as possible. The newsletter will be accessible toward the end of each month on the Fern Blog . Please return the bottom portion of the newsletter to your child's classroom teacher only if you wish to receive a paper copy of the Fern Newsletter each month.

Click here to check out Fern's coverage in the Globe and Mail earlier this week.

The Terry Fox assembly, quick video and presentation and run around the track outside in the senior yard takes place this Friday, September 28, 2012. The schedule is as follows: Primary assembly (Gr.1-3) Students will be called down to the auditorium after morning recess, at around 10:30 a.m. Classes will be called lowest grade to highest grade , to allow for seating in the auditorium. The assembly will take place at 10:35 a.m. There will be a short video presentation (6-7 minutes) and talk regarding Terry Fox's accomplishments, his cause and what we can do/ learn from it. Some Q and A will / may follow. The talk will end at around 10:45 a.m Teachers will lead their students from the auditorium to the track outside, via JUNIOR EXIT. Students and teachers will jog/walk for approximately 10 minutes. Upon notification of the end of the walk/jog around the Senior track, teachers will lead their respective classes back to their rooms, via the PRIMARY EXIT . It is hoped t...

The TDSB is holding Special Education Inclusion Town Hall Meetings in the coming weeks. Click here for additional information.

JUST A REMINDER: Tomorrow Monday September 24th is photo day at Fern Avenue PS. Don't forget to bring your smiles!!!!

Click here for information on upcoming Parent Information Nights at local high schools.

Given the needed re-organization process for the senior division, each of our students was given a letter from their teacher indicating their placement for Monday Sept. 24, 2012. We should be sorting out lockers shortly thereafter. Please ask your child for the copy of the letter from the school. Thank you.

First off, congratulations to FERN for achieving PLATINUM status for the third year in a row! What an amazing feat! The ECO Club at Fern is helmed by a tireless and passionate Fern parent, Joanne Somers, and the recently retired teacher, Bev Ellis. The team is made up of parents, teachers, students, administration, caretaking and support staff, all of whom have made Fern such a wonderful eco-friendly school, helping our environment and the future with initiatives to reduce waste and to live green. We proudly do what we can to educate the staff and students at Fern about how doing little things to help the environment can make a big difference in our school and our world. Boomerang or waste-free lunches: If you really want to know what not to pack in your child's lunch, visit the school's cafeteria to see the evidence – it's often in the garbage cans! Waste audits consistently demonstrate that a significant amount of school garbage is made up of unopened packaged fo...

A Vocal Academy has opened at Ryerson Community School. They are holding an Open House on November 29th. Click here for additional information.

Please note that our Head Lice check will continue tomorrow for those students and classes who have not been checked already. Thank you.

If you’re looking for affordable and fun dance classes in the neighbourhood, Tapshoes & Tutus is a non-profit, cooperative dance school that runs Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip-hop classes for only $70 per term. Registration is on Saturday, September 29th at the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre in Parkdale, and Tuesday and Wednesday, October 2nd and 3rd at the Fieldhouse in Sorauren Park. For more information or to register online, you can visit their website:       http://tapshoesandtutus.ca Or send an e-mail to:       info@tapshoesandtutus.ca Dance wear will be available for sale on registration days.  

It's Fern Avenue PS Photo Day on Monday, September 24th, 2012. Don't Forget to Bring Your Smiles :) Thank you!

On their website, the Toronto District School Board maintains a page of resources and information for parents on bullying and what can be done to help stop it. Here is the link:       Bully Prevention In particular, you may be interested in the following documents:       Bullying—Understanding the Problem for Parents       Family Tip Slips—Cyber Bullying Or you can find more anti-bullying information here  on the TDSB website.

Primary cross country will not be running practices until further notice. D. Gaudet and K. Heller

On Tuesday September 18, 2012 all students at Fern Avenue Public School will go through a Lice Check. A qualified TDSB nurse will conduct the checks of all students. The checks will take place during the entire day. Please note, that classrooms have already been affected by Lice. Letters were sent home with children from those specific classrooms. We appreciate your understanding.

Have your children been talking about the delicious smells coming from Maggie’s kitchen and the yummy looking lunches their classmates are eating? Have they been bringing home your lunch uneaten? Well, now’s their chance to dig into a Fern favourite—spaghetti with Caesar salad and garlic bread—for a special drop-in lunch. Tuesday, September 11— $4.25 For one day only, we are inviting students who are not enrolled in the lunch program to join their classmates and sample one of Maggie’s raved-about lunches. Just send your children with $4.25 cash (exact change appreciated) on Tuesday, and they can enjoy spaghetti in a tomato-ground turkey meat sauce, with Caesar salad, garlic bread, fruit and milk. After your child has a taste of Maggie’s menu, we hope that you can’t resist signing up for October’s lunch program! More details here .

Agendas will be for sale to students in Grades 3 to 8 on Tuesday, September 11 and Wednesday, September 12, 2012. Classes will be called down to the office to make their agenda purchases. Agendas cost $7.00 cash. Thank you! Linda Tasevski Vice Principal

Welcome back! Following a fantastic summer and successful Fundraising campaign last year, we are excited to let you know about the programs and activities we have planned for our children at Fern.    Join us in the auditorium on Thursday, September 20 th  and help support the work of your Parent Council team .   If you’re new to the school, it’s a great way to find out what’s going on, meet people and get involved in the community.   If you’ve been around for awhile but hesitated to get involved, maybe this is your year.   Donate an hour or two of your time, support a fundraiser or volunteer for a committee, whatever works for you.   Help us make our Fern family stronger.   New members are welcome.   Fun and fresh ideas are encouraged!      The following Executive positions will be up for election : ·         Chair ·         Co-Chair ·    ...

For those families who are not yet signed up for Maggie’s delicious and nutritious lunches, we are offering a special drop-in lunch on Tuesday, September 11 . For only $4.25 each your child(ren) can sample Maggie’s popular spaghetti lunch with Caesar salad and garlic bread (fruit and milk are also included). After your child has a taste of Maggie’s menu, we are sure you won’t be able to resist signing up for next month’s lunch program! Read more information about this year’s hot-lunch program here , visit our Frequently Asked Questions , and check out October's menu here or on the School Calendar on the right-hand side of Fern’s website pages. Ready to sign up? Download the order form here and drop it and your payment in a secure mailbox beside the Ferncliff Daycare office (room 103). The deadline is Monday, September 17 for lunches beginning Monday, October 1.