Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Moms and Dads with kids in Grade 8 - this is your chance to be handy! Click on the Signup.com link ( https://signup.com/go/fcQBmiq ) and join our salty crew today!  For those of you holding boxes in your garage, drop-off is this Thursday & Friday - see signup.com link for times!

It’s Pride Month at Fern!  Students and staff advisors from Fern’s GSOWA (Gay Straight Or Whatever Alliance) club are planning a Pride Celebration on Wednesday, June 22nd !  They are inviting the Fern Community to attend the outdoor performances and celebrations at the school and/or along the parade route!  They would also welcome some adult volunteers. Sign up here .  Schedule:   1:30 pm - Ceremony, student choir and student lip sync performances on the north field.  2:00 pm - Performance by Drag Queen Aurora Matrix Student flag bearers are introduced.  2:35 pm - March begins. Classes will either march along the neighbourhood parade route (spectators welcome!): Wright to Roncy to Howard Park to Sorauren to Wright, or march around the track or decorate the yard with chalk during this time. Your child’s teacher can let you know where their class will be. Approx. 2:45pm - Neighbourhood parade marchers return to school and everyone who would like one gets a cupcake!  Happy Pride Month Fe

The School Council is thrilled to welcome back our much loved Staff Appreciation Breakfast!  This staff-only event will pamper those who have cared for our kids so well during the 2021-22 school year: teachers, caretakers, support staff and administrators.  Please sign up below to bring a potluck item (sheet 1) and/or to help set up (sheet 2): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vBU0Q1StgYeN9TyxFk5AdjILWB-Z6fAHbXj8fRZXM24/edit?usp=sharing Food can be dropped off at Fern on Monday morning between 7:45am-8am or at 171 Garden Ave (Cortleigh’s house) on Sunday evening between 7pm-8pm or another way that we’ll figure out together. Please indicate your drop off plan on the spreadsheet.  Thanks everyone!  Questions? Email: cortleighteolis@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 28th is the Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony and After Party!  We have been working hard to plan the most amazing party to celebrate your time at Fern Ave. P.S and to send you off into the world for new adventures!  Where : Royal Canadian Legion Branch, 344..1395 Lake Shore Blvd W. When: Grad Ceremony 5-6 pm, After-party 6-10 pm       All students will walk together from the grad Ceremony at Parkdale 5-6 pm to the Legion. It's only an      11-minute walk.  Who: Just graduates and the teachers and Principal who will be supervising the event. Sorry parents, friends and siblings, but this party is just for the grads.  At the Party: There will be a DJ with your playlists and dance floor but if that's not your jam there is a huge beautiful outside patio overlooking the lake to chill on too. There will be a photo booth, yummy food and lots of sugar - What more could you want? *It's Free: Thanks to the Fern Community who supported all our fundraising efforts!  Pick

Thank you for supporting this year’s wine and beer raffle!  Thank you to those who donated prizes, those that bought tickets and those who helped to organize our first almost virtual event. Because of you we collected enough items to make 9 amazing gift baskets, sold 600 tickets and raised an amazing $3,990.  The funds raised will enable us to create a memorable night for the class of 2022 and give the class of 2023 a huge kickstart to their fundraising.   Fern families are amazing!

Hi Fern families and friends!  Do you like to bake? That's great!  The Parent Equity Committee is supporting students in GSOWA (Gay Straight Or Whatever Alliance) who are organizing a Pride celebration at school on Wednesday, June 22nd . GSOWA is wondering if we can help them out by baking approximately 650 cupcakes in the 11 colours of the progress pride flag!  Sure, we can, right? If you'd like to help, please sign up here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p11C88BAyKyMwmGjJ_N0aDAAjwbBE1FUS2vxfzixu-0/edit#gid=0 If each volunteer could bake 12 cupcakes each it would be appreciated.  Drop off will be on the morning of June 22nd at the school. If you'd like to help out but ingredient costs are a barrier, please email vkostyniuk@gmail.com

Fern School Council invites all families to show appreciation toward our amazing 2021/22 team of support staff, teachers, administrators and caretakers by contributing to a school-wide Staff Appreciation Breakfast on Monday, June 27th .  This event is for staff only, and there are three ways you can show your support:  1. Send Yourself!  Six volunteers are needed to help at the event from 7:30am – 9:30am.  2. Send Food!  We need enough food to offer 50+ staff a luxurious breakfast! Bring your sweet and savoury offerings to the school on June 27th between 7:45-8am or drop off non-perishable items in the office on June 26th. Please ensure that your item is covered and in a container you don’t need back. It’s a potluck, so no need to sign up.  3. Send Supplies!  We need paper cups, plates, napkins, tablecloths, forks, tongs and decorations.  If you’d like to volunteer or donate supplies, please contact cortleighteolis@gmail.com by June 20th.

Our very own Fern student is creating band jewellery for you. Click the link below to order yours and wear it at the Fern Pride parade, June 22!  Celebrate and Build Awareness - $4 from every $5 purchase will go to PFLAG and CCGSD (Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity). Deadline is June 17!  Jayna's Rainbow Bands:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNnhn39iWc16FMeIeBPhK-mKf6jbWdoUVC69uBFYRsaObRsg/viewform

To parents who are baking for the Fernapalooza event: Please drop off your baked goods on Thursday, June 9th in the upper level office (where the Peer Review meetings happen).  There will be two big tables there, and drop off can be in the morning or any time throughout the day. Thank you!  

The 65 toiletry kits that Fern families donated to Romero House in March have been distributed to newly arrived refugee families, and were greatly appreciated.  Newcomers arrive in our neighbourhood with few personal items and spend their first few weeks in transitional housing. We have some money left and will donate a second set of kits at the end of this month.  School Council would like to make these kits an on-going offering. If you'd like to donate, please e-transfer cortleighteolis@gmail.com by June 15th .  You can also make a donation at Guardian Pharmacy on Roncesvalles, as they have partnered with Fern to make this happen!

In the interest of building supportive, sustainable relationships with local community organizations, our Fern school council will establish a Community Engagement Committee for the 2022/2023 school year.  We are looking for one or two parents/teachers/students to join us. Send us an email if you’re interested! Fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com

Hello friends! The energetic and amazing Mr. Nikalojevic wants to revive the tradition of the Grade 8's building boats out of boxes and racing them across the pool. The folks who used to run this are no longer at Fern, and we need help to make it happen.  This is an activity for the whole Grade 8 class, and a super fun way for them to close out the year.  Here's what we need immediately to get this off the ground (or in the pool): 1. A Boat Building Captain (or two) -- we need a point person to coordinate with Mr. Nikolajevic. The person who organized it in the past can show you the ropes, but she can't take it on this year.  2. Bicycle Box Collectors -- we will need 20+ bicycle boxes in a short time . Sweet Pete's has some available for pick up Thursday, June 2 at 6pm . Please let me know at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com if you and your vehicle can help pick some up. They aren't easy to get, so we will need to hit a few more stores. If you can think of