Fern Ave. Public School Blog

What will your donations support? Programmes in 2018/2019: • Arts Collective, to provide an artist in all 30 classrooms: $6000 • Scientist in the School in all 30 classrooms: $4000 • STEM Junior and Senior Clubs: $2000 • STEM Day/Night for the whole school: $2500 • Grade 8 graduation/Grade 8 trip: $2500 • Food Committee, to subsidize the Food Program: $500 • Library for Forest of Reading Program: $2600 A New Playground We’re Halfway There! We’ve raised $100,000 but we need at least $100,000 more by October 1, 2019 to see shovels in the ground by June 2020. What will your donations buy? • A new natural play structure • An outdoor “kitchen” play area • An “OPAL” outdoor storage unit and stage area • An outdoor classroom • New trees • New four-square courts • New basketball court • Picnic tables For your little ones, it’s a chance for more interactions with the natural world. For your bigger ones, there’s more room to perform, and to learn. And for your b

That's right. A whole week. What's that you say? You wish they would go out and play? Wouldn't it be great if they had a beautiful playground designed for just that purpose instead of the current mud pit? We took a picture, just in case you've forgotten what it looks like. Well you can help! Donate today at School Cash Online . You will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations $25 and more. We are grateful for any amount you can give, but please consider giving $150-215 per child if you have the means to help us reach our playground goal of $200-250k. And if you can give more than $215, any amount you give will subsidize those Fern families who cannot make this level of financial commitment. Thank you and have a great holiday! School Council Exec

Getting the kids away from the glowing box can be a challenge. The Playground Revitalization Plan includes improvements aimed at kids of all ages — from a play structure for the grades 1-8 set, to a new basketball court — to help kids stay busy, active, and encourage less screen time all year long. Donate today at School Cash Online . You will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations $25 and more. We are grateful for any amount you can give, but please consider giving $150-215 per child if you have the means to help us reach our playground goal of $200-250k. And if you can give more than $215, any amount you give will subsidize those Fern families who cannot make this level of financial commitment. Thank you and have a great holiday! School Council Exec

Sledding, skating, snowshoeing? Don't you wish you could PLAY all the time? Well so do your kids. Let's give them a great playground so they can have fun year round! Like on a new play structure that will give them exercise and adventure for four seasons (instead of the seasons of our current playground: slush season and mud season. Donate today at School Cash Online . You will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations $25 and more. We are grateful for any amount you can give, but please consider giving $150-215 per child if you have the means to help us reach our playground goal of $200-250k. And if you can give more than $215, any amount you give will subsidize those Fern families who cannot make this level of financial commitment. Thank you and have a great holiday! School Council Exec

Your donation to Fern Avenue School Council will help build a new basketball court, four square courts and more, so that you and your kids will have somewhere to run off the shortbread when we have a green Christmas, or shoot hoops on a summer evening (they WILL come again). Donate today at School Cash Online . You will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations $25 and more. We are grateful for any amount you can give, but please consider giving $150-215 per child if you have the means to help us reach our playground goal of $200-250k. And if you can give more than $215, any amount you give will subsidize those Fern families who cannot make this level of financial commitment. Thank you and have a great holiday! School Council Exec

Instead of hitting the mall for those Boxing Day Sales, why not instead Give the Gift of Play! Your donation to Fern Avenue School Council will help fund a new play structure, an outdoor classroom, and outdoor storage and stage area, and a new basketball court! Donate today at School Cash Online . You will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations $25 and more. We are grateful for any amount you can give, but please consider giving $150-215 per child if you have the means to help us reach our playground goal of $200-250k. And if you can give more than $215, any amount you give will subsidize those Fern families who cannot make this level of financial commitment. Thank you and have a great holiday! School Council Exec

Holy Christmas there’s a lot of lost and found! Coats, sweaters, shirts, boots, hats, mitts, snow pants, lunch kits and water bottles galore. The school will be sending it to charity at the end of the day Friday December 20, so if you want to retrieve a lost item, please see the tables in the front hall. Remember that with our weird weather, your child may have worn winter clothes to school and then not needed them again. But winter’s not over! Please come check out the lost and found before it’s gone for good.

Christmas sing-along!   Parents are welcome to join their kids in a Christmas sing-along at 10:40 tomorrow morning in the auditorium.   You can combine singing seasonal tunes with a visit to the extremely full lost and found tables!  

Dear Parents/Guardians, Just a gentle reminder when paying on line for for class trips and other related items please remember to use your child's  student number and not OEN number .  A simple hint is that the student number almost always begins with the number 3.   Please do not hesitate to contact me in the office at 416-393-9130 if you continue to have problems registering or logging into the SchoolCashOnline system. Thank you, Vera

We heard a lot of feedback from Fern students, especially the older kids, that they were interested in Fern swag and wondered when we would be selling it. So for one day only, Thursday December 20 , we will be in the foyer during lunch (11:30 to 12:45) selling fabulous Fern Swag! Glow-in-the-dark bracelets $2, Toques $20, Swim bags $8, Water Bottles $10 Swim caps $15, Coffee mugs $15! Perfect stocking stuffers, or gifts for the family if your child wants to do some independent Christmas shopping. Parents are welcome to drop by too if they still haven't found that perfect gift for their Fern Falcon fan (wouldn't your in-laws love a mug?). If you can't make the sale Thursday, we will be selling Swag at Fern Fun Flicks Tuesday night, or you can buy online at TDSB School Cash Online for pick-up from the Office Friday, December 21 . All proceeds go to School Council to support Programs and the Playground! School Council Exec

The flyer for the City View open house can be found here .

Click here for information on the upcoming Horizon Alternative Open House.

Fern Fun Flicks Holiday Movie!  Tuesday December 18, 6:30, Fern Auditorium   Take a break from holiday preparations, and come share a holiday classic movie, "The Muppet Christmas Carol."  Your $5 admission ticket includes popcorn.  We'll also have pizza, a bake sale of holiday treats, a 50/50 draw, and you can pick up some last minute gifts at the Fern Swag Sale!   Look forward to seeing you!  

Find more information here on the Quest Open House on January 29, 2019.

E.A.S.T. invites you to attend our Open House   WHEN :                         Thursday, January 24, 2019          6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Rotating 30 Minute Tours                                                                                                             WHERE :                        East Alternative School of Toronto                                     at Blake Elementary School                                     21 Boultbee Avenue, Toronto   WHO WE ARE :   We, at E.A.S.T., are a small, grade 7/8 school of 68 students and 3.5 teachers. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, safe, engaged, and compassionate community, where students are socially minded critical thinkers, who advocate and work towards a just and sustainable society.   This mission statement is grounded in the four principles of:   Social justice, Citizenship and Sustainability Integrated Arts Inquiry Based Curriculum Active Parent Involvement

In the spirit of gift-giving this holiday season, STEM needs the gift of your leftover cardboard tubes from your holiday gift wrap. We will put out an official notice in January letting you know when the collection boxes will be available for your paper tube donations. Please set them aside for now. These materials are in support of our annual Fern STEM Night, which is being held on Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 . All of the materials used to make STEM Night a success come from recycled and/or unused household materials. We will post a list of other needed materials in the New Year! Thank-you kindly, and have a very Happy Holiday! Fern STEM and ECO Committees

Those of you who attended one of the holiday concerts heard our pitch: we have until October 1, 2019 to raise another $100,000 in order to start construction of our playground in Spring of 2020. Ideally, we would raise $150k to ensure we get all the bells and whistles. How Much Should I Donate? We have 704 students at Fern. If parents donated $150 per child, we would meet the threshold for the playground. For $215 per child we’d have $150,000, and could ensure that we replace the Primary and Kindergarten yard surfaces. We know that $150-$215 per child is a big ask for some Fern families. But we also know that there are families for whom that is not a lot of money. If you are one of those fortunate families, consider giving more. For every dollar that you spend over and above the threshold of $150-215, you are helping subsidize another family for whom that level of donation is not possible. Maybe you have a baby or a toddler who is going to be a future Fern student, and who wil

Congratulations and thank you! Congratulations Fern students, staff, and administration for an incredible Primary Holiday Concert at Parkdale Collegiate. It was amazing to watch our kids give it their all on stage! We don’t have enough opportunities to gather as a community to celebrate our children’s (and their teacher’s) accomplishments, so we really appreciate all their efforts. Thank you to all the classroom teachers for their incredible work to support the concert, and their patience with the walk to and from Parkdale Collegiate for the rehearsal! Special thanks to Mr. Cancellara (band), Ms Kepowicz (strings), Ms Jolic (drama/dance), Mr. Brooks (music/choir), Ms Heller (choir), Mr. Valverde (aka Mr. Nanno) (music), and to Mr. Ruttan (stage manager). Congratulations also to Georgia on her excellent MC performance, and to Carly and Sen for their fantastic work as Assistant Stage Managers. Thank you to the Administration for their ongoing support of the arts at Fern, and f

Fern Friends Program - We have a new system for the winter term! ON-LINE registration will ONLY open at 7am on Monday December 17th so mark your calendar as we fill up fast! To register you must fill out the new form   at 7am. Come join us in the Art Garden on Tuesdays and Wednesday. and learn new skills with Umoja Soccer on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For more details click the links above.

School Council will be selling limited edition Fern Swag and tickets to the Fern Fun Flicks movie “A Muppet Christmas Carol" at the Holiday Concert, December 13 , and again at the Kindergarten Concert, December 14. Fern Swag will make great stocking stuffers! Fern Fun Flicks on December 18 will be a great way to take a break from hectic holiday preparations, and to enjoy some holiday treats with friends and neighbours. Please note that due to changing TDSB policy, we cannot sell anything through the Office, because the Office is no longer able to handle cash. See you at the concerts, and don’t forget your wallet! School Council Exec

For those who plan on walking to the Holiday Concert at Parkdale Collegiate, we will be meeting in the Fern primary yard and departing at 5:35pm (We timed the very leisurely walk with Ms. Centeno’s class today, and made it in just under 25 minutes). We will be walking east on Fern, south on Macdonell if you would like to join us along our route. Bonus: while there are plenty of excellent seats in the Parkdale auditorium, (including a balcony!), we are reserving some great seats for folks who walk down with us. See you Thursday night! School Council Exec

The Fern Art Collective has had a wonderful time decorating the school foyer for the holidays. Fresh wreaths made by Art Collective volunteers, adorning lights from the STEM club, a snowman built from trash Sandi could not pass up on the street, a spectacular tree donated by Willem and Jools, and HUNDREDS of mittens decorated with drawings and messages from our talented Fern kids! Happy Holidays! Tanis, Fern Arts Collective co-chair

Fern’s Me to We Club is hosting a Movie Afternoon on Wednesday December 19th for kindergarten students We are raising funds to support Indspire , a national charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. Their vision is to enrich Canada through Indigenous education and by inspiring achievement. In partnership with Indigenous, private and public sector stakeholders, Indspire educates, connects and invests in Indigenous people so they will achieve their highest potential. We are asking for a suggested donation of $5 per child for the movie and popcorn. A tax receipt will be issued for donations of $20 or greater. Please submit all donations to your child’s teacher. Thank you in advance for your support Fern's Me to We

On Wednesday December 19, Me to We will be selling popcorn during the afternoon recess for $1. All money raised will go towards Indspire - a national Indigenous-led charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada.

Grade Eight graduation, a new basketball court, two STEM Clubs, outdoor stage and storage, cash for the food program, new library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom, two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Your School Council is paying $4000 for Scientist in the School to ensure that all 30 classes will be visited by a science facilitator this year to enhance the science curriculum.  Scientist in the School is an incredibly successful program, and one of the highlights of the science curriculum year after year. Please help ensure we maintain funding for Scientist in the School and other Fern Programs by donating today to Fern at TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

A new basketball court, two STEM Clubs, outdoor stage and storage, cash for the food program, new library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Your School Council is paying $2500 toward the Grade Eight Graduation.  We want to ensure that when it's time for your Falcon to leave the nest, they have a great time at grad, regardless of their financial circumstances.   Please help ensure we maintain funding for the Grade Eight Graduation and other Fern Programs by donating today to Fern at TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

Two STEM Clubs, outdoor stage and storage, cash for the food program, new library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes a new basketball court with a new surface to replace the current asphalt.  The basketball court will be especially great for the older kids, and help keep them at school during lunch recess.  And your teens will keep coming back to shoot hoops for years after they leave Fern! Please help make the Plan a reality by donating today to Fern on TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

For interested families who don’t wish to brave either Queen St. at rush hour or parking near the school, we’ll be gathering in the Primary yard to walk to the Holiday Concert on Thursday. Your performing children have a “call-time” of 6pm, so we will be leaving Fern at 5:35pm. If you can’t quite make it to Fern, we will be walking eastbound on Fern, then south on Macdonell. Feel free to join our parade! Otherwise, see you at Parkdale C.I.. School Council Exec

We are looking for some Holiday Bakers for our Fern Fun Flicks Holiday Movie night on Tuesday, December 18th . Like baking with your kids or all on your own? Looking for the chance to break out the green and red sprinkles? It's also a great way to contribute to our amazing Fern Community, especially if it's hard for you to come out and work events or join committees. The bake table is ALWAYS a huge hit and it raises lots of money for our school! Please let me know if you can contribute. Drop off at the school the same day in the office or contact me to arrange drop off/pick up! Thanks so much and hope to see you and your families there! Rachel Gruet

Outdoor stage and storage, cash for the food program, new library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Your School Council is paying $2500 toward the Junior (grade 4-6) and Senior (7/8) STEM Clubs  These Clubs are run entirely by parent volunteers from the STEM Committee, and the money goes to pay for materials for fun after-school STEM activities such as coding with Raspberry Pi. Please help ensure we maintain funding for the STEM Clubs and other Fern Programs by donating today to Fern at TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com !

Cash for the food program, new library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes an OPAL outdoor storage unit and outdoor stage! The OPAL will allow us to store educational and play equipment, to enhance Fern's outdoor education, and provide an outdoor performance space!   Please help make the Plan a reality by donating today to Fern on TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

New library books, a new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Your School Council is paying $500 to subsidize the Fern Food Program this school year!  This funding will go toward replacing dishes, utensils, and other kitchen equipment to help keep costs down, and keep the Food Program affordable and accessible to all Fern families!  Please help ensure we maintain funding for the Fern Food Program and other Fern Programs by donating today to Fern on TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

Dear Parents/Guardians, To reiterate, students who are attending the rehearsals on Wednesday, December 12th at PCI and normally eat hot lunch at school (Hot Lunch Program and or Daycare), will be served a "take-a-long" bagged lunch. Please provide a bagged lunch for all other students attending the Winter Concert Rehearsals. Thank you.

A new play structure, one great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom, two foursquare courts, and a park bench and a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Your School Council is paying $2600 toward the Forest of Reading Program this school year!  This funding will provide full classroom sets of grade appropriate novels in English and French by Canadian authors, and provide novels for the Junior and Senior book clubs.  In May, Fern kids who participate in the Forest of Reading program head down to a great book festival at Harbourfront to meet their author heroes! Please help ensure we maintain funding for the library and other Fern Programs by donating today to Fern on TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or go to Donatetofern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

Rehearsal Information for the Primary Winter Concert with Senior Band, Senior and Junior Strings and Kestrels:  Wednesday, December 12, 2018 , all day The Grades 1 to 3-4 will be walking to Parkdale Collegiate in order to take part in the rehearsal for the Winter Concert. We will be leaving the school after announcements and attendance. Students will be expected to carry their own lunches to Parkdale as well as their indoor shoes. Children who participate in the Hot Lunch program will be given a bag lunch to carry with them to Parkdale. It may be a good idea to pack a few extra snacks and a bottle of water as well. We will all eat our lunches at Parkdale. Parents are welcome to walk with us to and from Parkdale Collegiate. They are also welcome to assist in the supervision for the rehearsal. The Senior Band, Senior and Junior Strings and Kestrels will be walking to Parkdale Collegiate after afternoon attendance. They will be carrying their instruments with them. T

Dear Parents/Guardians, The following classes are performing Drama/Dance pieces for the Primary Winter concert: Ms. Nitsis gr.1/2; Ms. Centano gr. 2/3; Ms. Voicu gr. 2/3; Ms. Couture gr.3/4 The following classes are performing songs for the Primary Winter Concert: Ms. Mercuri gr. 2/3; Ms. Eyre gr.3/4; Ms. Edelshtein gr.1; Ms. Chiang gr. 1/2; Ms. Nave gr. 1/2 In addition, the following groups will be performing: Kestrels; Junior and Senior Strings; Senior Band Rehearsal - December 12 We will be having a rehearsal at Parkdale Collegiate on the day before the concert which is Wednesday, December 12, 2018 . The Primary Division will be leaving right after announcements and we will be walking to Parkdale Collegiate. Students are asked to pack a healthy lunch and snacks with a drink. We will be there most of the day. We will be back in time for end of the day dismissal (or earlier). There is no need to wear the assigned outfit for the rehearsal. Parents are encouraged to walk w

One great STEM Night,  one outdoor classroom , two foursquare courts, and a park bench under a shade tree. (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes a brand new play structure in the Primary Yard (a bit like the photo below)!  Help make the Plan a reality, and please donate today to Fern on TDSB School Cash Online at https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn or donatetoFern.com ! Thank you!  School Council Executive

One outdoor classroom, Two foursquare courts, And a park bench and a shade tree.  (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) School Council will spend $2500 this year on STEM Day and Night, presented by the dedicated volunteers of the STEM committee. On March 26, 2019, (March 25 for grades 7-8) parent volunteers will facilitate STEM projects in every class, and then host a fabulous evening show case for the whole school to celebrate our STEM accomplishments.  In years past, Fern kids have built mechanical hands from cardboard and elastic bands, created marble runs using recycled materials, designed catapult resistant flying egg vehicles, balanced books on pasta towers, and canoed across the pool in cardboard boats! If you want to help with STEM Day and Night, please contact the Fern STEM committee at fernstemcommittee@gmail.com Or donate now to ensure that STEM Day and Night continues for another generation of Fern kids at https://tdsb.schoolcashonli

(*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) Playground, playground, playground, Better than mud and clay, Playground, playground, playground, Donate to Fern today. We’re working hard to be inclusive in our holiday song parodies. We’re also working hard to fundraise for our Playground Revitalization! We’ve discovered that the the wood chips covering the kindergarten yard and primary mud pit are blocking the drains, causing frequent flooding. The Playground Revitalization Plan includes replacing that fun but destructive ground covering  with something other than mud or asphalt. To help make this plan a reality, please donate today at TDSB School Cash Online .

Two foursquare courts, And a park bench and a shade tree.  (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes an outdoor classroom (something with the image below) in what you may now think of as the “mud pit” adjacent to the kindergarten yard. The outdoor classroom will facilitate STEM projects, connecting with nature, and creative play.  Donate today to make the Playground a reality! TDSB School Cash Online .

and a park bench under a shade tree.  (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes newly painted four square courts in the Primary and Junior yards. We’re also working on replacing the surface of the kindergarten playground since we’ve learned that wood chips thrown in drains by tiny hands are one of the culprits causing the puddles and skating rink in the Primary yard. Please donate today to help make the Playground Plan a reality at TDSB School Cash Online !

Collectible Fern Falcons Toques! Coffee Mugs! Glow in the Dark Bracelets! Swim caps! Swim Bags! Where can I buy these stylish yet practical limited edition items? Order now at TDSB Cash Online for pick-up at the Fern Ave P.S. Office. Log-in and find the items in under your child’s name. Pick up will be Fridays. Or, buy from us in person at the following events: - Fern Primary Division Holiday Concert, Parkdale C.I., December 13 - Fern Kindergarten Concert, December 14 - Fern Fun Flicks, December 18 Please remember, if you are buying from us in person, we can take cash, or tap-enabled debit or credit cards. The Fern Ave P.S. office no longer accepts cash. So, if you want to pre-order and get office pick up on a Friday, please use school cash online. Who Gets the Money? All proceeds will go to Programs and Playground at Fern Ave P.S. School Council Executive

and a park bench under a shade tree.   (*or whatever holiday your family celebrates this time of year!) The Playground Revitalization Plan includes newly painted four square courts in the Primary and Junior yards. We’re also working on replacing the surface of the kindergarten playground since we’ve learned that wood chips thrown in drains by tiny hands are one of the culprits causing the puddles and skating rink in the Primary yard. Please donate today to help make the Playground Plan a reality at TDSB School Cash Online !

Downtown Vocal Music Academy Open House is January 17 2019. More details can be found here .