Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Hello friends, This holiday season we are hoping to use our collective might to help our neighbours. We are working with two community organizations and our teacher partners to run three different drives on three different weeks , starting Monday, December 5. *  *Each of these drives does have a direct monetary donation option if you prefer (listed below), but these organizations also encourage school drives to engage with students and community members.   WEEK 1 - DECEMBER 5-9, 2022 - FOOD DRIVE   Food insecurity is at an all time high. The Parkdale Community Food Bank serves over 3500 families a month.  Let’s help our community friends. Clean out your cupboards or buy your favourite non-perishable food items to donate to The Parkdale Community Food Bank .   Drop off non-perishable food items in boxes located outside the Office.  For more information, such as the top food needs for food drives, or to make a direct monetary donation, visit their websit...

Join us on October 24 and 25 for our first-ever virtual parent conference. This online version offers all the same exciting, inspiring and informative content as our in-person conference, but allows you to participate all from the comfort of your own home. This year’s conference includes two amazing keynotes as well as a host of breakout sessions that you can choose to tailor to your own interests and needs. Some of the sessions offered include special education, mental health and well-being, anti-Black racism and virtual engagement. In the breakout sessions – led by both TDSB experts and panelists from outside organizations – you also get a chance to connect in a more intimate way with other parents, ask questions and participate in discussions. Learn more at www.parentsaspartners.ca

There are still a few more "Cookies in a Jar" for sale as seen at the Artisan Market. Proceeds go towards purchasing a farm animal bundle for a family in rural Kenya. More information can be found here .

With the help of Mr. Ruttan, a group of girls in one of our Grade 6 French Immersion classes raised approximately $360 today to donate to the victims of hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. All the money will go to a local organization that will offer immediate help for those who have lost everything: water, gas, generators, formula... the list is endless! The entire bake sale was initiated and organized by the kids, with a lot of help from enthusiastic bakers. A big thank you and congratulations to all that organized, baked and bought!

Thank you Fern community! Many thanks to everyone who contributed food items during the Annual Fern Food Drive. The students of Room 207 helped to make posters and to collect more than 14 large boxes of food for the Parkdale Community Food Bank. This food bank distributes food to those in need, such as people who are in a cycle of poverty, new immigrants and people with disabilities. The volunteer staff and clients that I met at the Parkdale Community Food Bank were very thankful for the generous donations and energized by the efforts of our school community. On behalf of the more than 3000 people who use the Parkdale Community Food Bank, THANK YOU! Andrew Fennell Archdekin

Once again, the Fern Community is having a food drive at this time of year to support the Parkdale Community Food Bank. This food drive offers an opportunity for students to both discuss the need of food banks and to help by making a positive difference during this holiday and new year season. Unfortunately, the use of food banks is on the rise again in 2015 in the GTA. The reasons for Food Bank use can vary widely from person to person and from family to family. The fact that people who use food banks use 75% of their money on housing leaves them with less than $6 per day for all other expenses. This can create a cycle of constant poverty. The need for Food Banks can also stem from other issues such as lost income, disability, being a new immigrant or becoming a single parent. The group that uses food banks which has grown the most in the GTA this year are seniors. As more people each year require Food Banks to improve their food security, the need for donations also rises. Donati...

Just a reminder that Friday October 9th is the deadline to drop off backpacks for Malawi! Fern Ave P.S is proud to be working with Canadian Musician Feist to deliver backpacks to children and teens with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. A collection bin has been placed outside of the office and we would love for you to drop off your gently used and new backpacks. The backpacks can be large or small, new or used - the bags will be used by students with HIV/AIDS to carry books and medicine to school and it is important that they are all unique so that kids are not singled out for carrying "medicine bags". Our goal is to collect 100 backpacks and so far we only have around 40 so please drop off a backpack if you can. For more information you can contact Kim Morrison at kimmymorrison39@yahoo.com

Fern Ave P.S is proud to be working with Canadian Musician Feist to deliver backpacks to children and teens with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. A collection bin has been placed outside of the office and we would love for you to drop off your gently used and new backpacks. The deadline for donations is Friday, October the 9th . If you have any questions, please contact Kim Morrison at kimmymorrison39@yahoo.com Read on for the letter from Leslie Feist explaining the project:

Fern Ave. P.S. is holding its annual Terry Fox Run on Friday, Sept. 25 (with a rain date of Monday, Sept. 28 ). This is a great opportunity to learn about Terry Fox and his story and to use his examples of perseverance, dedication and empathy to follow. The JK/SK students will have their running activity in the morning. Students in Grades 4-6 will run from 1:00 to 1:20; Grades 1-3 will run from 1:40 to 2:00 and Grades 7-8 will run from 2:45 to 3:15. Family members who are available and interested are welcome to join their child/children for this event. Please check in with your child's teacher when arriving. All Fern students will participate and donations are optional. Families who wish to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation can do so online at www.terryfox.org . Families who have collected pledges or who wish to make a small donation can drop it off directly to the office. Please do not give money or forms to teachers. Thank you very much, Andrew Fennell Archdekin

Once again, the Fern Community is having a food drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank. This food drive offers an opportunity for students to both discuss the need of food banks and to take action to make a positive difference during this holiday and new year season. Unfortunately, the use of food banks is on the rise again in the GTA. The reasons for Food Bank use can vary widely from person to person and from family to family. The fact that people who use food banks use 75% of their money on housing leaves them with less than $6 per day for all other expenses. This can create a cycle of constant poverty. The need for Food Banks can also stem from other issues such as lost income, disability, being a new immigrant or becoming a single parent. Donations of non-perishable foods, such as canned goods, pasta, dried grains (ie. rice, beans, lentils) and baby food will be collected before and after the Winter Break each morning by the Grade 3 students of Room 207. Please do not donate pean...

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Please support Education in Kenya by buying an ABC Rafiki Friend Chain! When?     April 8-9-10th Where?   Outside the main office from 12:15-12:45 Cost?      $10 each Why?     To provide school supplies for 1 child for 1 year

The Spread the Net Student Challenge closed on February 28 and Fern students did an amazing job raising money to support this great cause. Unfortunately Fern didn't make it as the top school, but we still raised an incredible $6,637! In total, 63 schools across Canada raised over $170,000 for lifesaving anti-malaria bed nets, which will help protect thousands of children and their families in Africa from malaria-infected mosquitoes. Thanks again to everyone who contributed and especially to the students at Fern who participated in this event.

It's time to get those pledge forms in! We are down to the final week of the Spread the Net Challenge to raise money to combat malaria in some of the world's most vulnerable places. There are three ways you can still donate: 1) Forms were sent home the other week, but you can also download and fill out a pledge form with your kids to buy a net, and ask friends and family to pitch in. All pledge forms and payments must be submitted to the school office by Feb 24 at the latest! 2) You can donate online at: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2172089 . All online donations must be made by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM ET . 3) And you can also buy a net by texting the Fern Avenue Public School keyword (NETS39) to 30333 , also by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM ET. If you have any questions, you can contact Matt Bera at mbera@rogers.com

Thursday February 27, 2014 6:30 – 8:00pm Fern Ave Public School Council invites parents and members of the community to attend a free parental workshop “The S.O.S. (Stressed Out Student) Solution” presented by Rob Stringer of Youth Coach Global. During the 90 minute workshop we will learn: · How stress affects our brains · What the top 10 negative sources of stress for kids are · How to help our kids to recognize stress and the sources of it in their lives · Stress management techniques to reduce, prevent or cope with stress at home and school (including mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices) This will be an informative and interactive workshop as we examine how to help children better understand and manage their stress, building resiliency and capacity for life. All are welcome and free babysitting will be available. Please RSVP to liz.leason@rogers.com as we would like to have an idea of how many parents are planning on atten...

It's time to get those pledge forms in! We are down to the final week of the Spread the Net Challenge to raise money to combat malaria in some of the world's most vulnerable places. There are three ways you can still donate: 1) Forms were sent home the other week, but you can also download and fill out a pledge form with your kids to buy a net, and ask friends and family to pitch in. All pledge forms and payments must be submitted to the school office by February 24 at the latest! 2) You can donate online at: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2172089 . All online donations must be made by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM ET. 3) And you can also buy a net by texting the Fern Avenue Public School keyword ( NETS39) to 30333, also by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM ET. If you have any questions, you can contact Matt Bera at mbera@rogers.com

Fern is in the top five elementary schools but the competition is really tight so every little bit helps! We are down to the final couple of weeks to donate to Spread the Net! Fern students have signed up our school for Plan Canada's Student Challenge to combat malaria in some of the world's most vulnerable places. We are competing with elementary schools across Canada to raise the most money for the program, and to win a visit from CBC’s Rick Mercer Report. 1) Forms were sent home the other week, but you can also download and fill out a pledge form with your kids to buy a net, and ask friends and family to pitch in. All pledge forms and payments must be submitted to the school office by February 24 at the latest! 2) You can donate online at: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2172089 . All online donations must be made by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM ET . 3) And you can also buy a net by texting the Fern Avenue Public School keyword (NETS39) to 303...

Fern students have signed up our school for Plan Canada's Student Challenge to combat malaria in some of the world's most vulnerable places. We are competing with elementary schools across Canada to raise the most money for the program, and to win a visit from CBC’s Rick Mercer Report - and Fern is currently among the top five schools! There is less than one month to go, but there are still lots of opportunities to donate: 1) You can download and fill out a pledge form with your kids to buy a net, and ask friends and family to pitch in. All pledge forms and payments must be submitted to the school office by February 24 at the latest! 2) You can donate online at: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2172089 . All online donations must be made by February 28, 2014 at 11:59PM EST . 3) And you can also buy a net by texting the Fern Avenue Public School keyword (NETS39) to 30333 If you have any questions, you can contact Matt Bera at mbera@rogers.com Let...

Thanks so much to everyone who came out for the dinner and a movie event on January 23 in support of the "Spread the Net Student Challenge" at Fern, to the student council for all of their hard work, the many parent volunteers, and to Mr Moy for making the event such a great success. The food at the pot luck was fantastic and the kids had a great time at the movie. It was a great evening of community and fun in support of a good cause that helped to raise $555 . Thank you again and stay tuned for further updates on our progress with Spread the Net as we get closer to the finish line.

Join Fern’s Student Council and Food Committee on Thursday, January 23 for dinner and a movie in support of the Spread the Net Student Challenge . Potluck Dinner @ 5:30 p.m. Savour the flavours! Please join us in the cafeteria for a delicious potluck before the movie. Taste the cuisines from Fern’s family community and mix and mingle with friends and new acquaintances. This is also a great chance to meet the volunteers behind the food committee and hot lunch program. If you’re interested in participating in the nut-free potluck, please contact Pamela LaPierre at pamlapierre@gmail.com as soon as possible to let us know what you’ll be bringing and the main ingredients in that dish. Also, if you’d like to volunteer at the event please contact Pamela. Movie @ 6:15. Following dinner, head to the auditorium to see the feature film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Tickets are only $5 each (which includes popcorn) and all proceeds go towards Spread the Net. Tickets wi...