Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Dear Fern parents, As you are likely aware, Fern's hot lunch program went through some upheaval over the 2010/2011 school year. That's why we are thrilled that we are very close to finalizing a school based hot lunch program for the entire school again starting in September. However, we have an avalanche of details to work out before then, which is why we are turning to you in the middle of summer to ask for your feedback on some of the key elements of the program. We want to make sure the program meets the needs of as many Fern parents as possible. We have put together a short, 9-question survey to gather input from the Fern community. The link is here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VJGYF3L It shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes to complete it. Please also forward the link to anyone you know who is a Fern parent, and watch out for more details regarding the lunch program in the coming weeks! Thanks so much, The Fern Lunch Committee

Hello Fern Parents, Hope you are having a terrific Summer. The Fall Registration is now available online. Please click on the link for the Fern Pool Schedule. http://www.jackofsports.com/locations/west/fern/index.php Jack of Sports will be providing online report cards for the Fall Session. Please forward the PDF to friends interested in high quality, one hour swim lessons. Warm Regards, Larry Tobin Jack of Sports 416-489-4777 www.jackofsports.com

Tomorrow is a PA Day so have a happy and safe summer holiday and see you back at school on September 6, 2011. 

Our Freedom Fest was a big hit, raising $400.82!! We had an excellent turn out, selling out of baking and lemonade before the end of lunch. All stations were well attended, with hundreds of water balloons flying through the air. Thanks to the Fern staff, students and their families, we have now reached our goal of $5000.00!! Fern will be building a clean water project in Kenya! Hillay from Free the Children was here to accept a cheque from Fern on behalf of FTC. I am very proud of the efforts of this amazing club. A special note of thanks to Fern's ECO club for their support. They sold out of Fern water bottles by the end of lunch! All proceeds were graciously donated to FTC! Countless thank yous to the staff and parents, who baked, purchased, supported, encouraged, supervised and cleaned up. Fern's FTC club could not have done it without you! We are "Be(ing) the Change!" Karen Ashforth and Susan Hoenhous Staff Advisors

Congratulations to the Fern Avenue PS students who proudly represented our school at the TDSB City Track and Field Finals. Our students placed 4th , 9th and 10th in a very fast 1500m race, among 14 finalists from 15 different schools across the city! For many of our students, this was their last participation in their final elementary year, having participated year after year, and loving the sport. Also, thanks to our teachers who had shown great leadership and supported the students at the event and at practices on their own time, sometimes at 7:15 a.m. Congrats all - we're very proud of your accomplishments!!

As our final year comes to an end, we pause to reflect upon the many memories which have brought us tears and joy. We came to this place together to learn, to grow, to share. Time and space may separate us but wherever our pathways lead us we will always be the Class of 2010-2011 from Fern Avenue Public School. We invite you to share in our happiness at our Graduation Ceremony. Monday, June 27th, 2011 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Parkdale Collegiate Institute 209 Jameson Avenue Dinner and Dance will be at LULA Lounge (located at 1585 Dundas Street West) From 7:00-10:00pm, supervision by chaperonEs Please note, Dundas Street is under construction and there is no parking. When dropping students off please use side streets. Feel free to contact Vera Ciric if you have any questions at 416-393-9130

Recently, changes have been made regarding the mandatory 40 hours of community involvement requirement for all Secondary School students. Effective Summer 2011, all incoming Grade 9 students who complete approved community involvement activities will have those volunteer hours count towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements. All students have received a “Fact Sheet” and “Community Involvement Manual” that contains useful information regarding volunteer involvement and community hours. Please review this information with your child. If your child needs some ideas of how to get involved this summer, they can visit the following website for information and suggestions: http://40hours.ca/ It is advised that after completing the community involvement activity, you: ¡ obtain a verification letter from the agency/individual, detailing type of activity, date and hours completed, and contact information for the agency, ¡ submit the signed letter to the guida...

Congratulations to the junior boys and girls soccer team for an outstanding season! The grade 6 junior boys soccer team faced some tough opponents and were also missing a few key players due to injuries. They did not manage to qualify for the playoffs; however our Fern Falcons played with a lot of heart and never gave up regardless of the result. Also, our grade 4 boys displayed a lot of talent during practices. Although they did not go to the grade 6 tournament we are certain that they will make their mark in the years to come. The grade 6 junior girls placed second in all of TDSB. Our road to the TDSB City Finals was bumpy, but after winning a tough game against Humber Valley Village powerhouse (2:1) the girls became West Conference Champions. At the city finals we won our semi-final game (4:1) against Cedarbrook. The girls lost in the finals against Blythewood (5:2). We had some amazing passing and scoring opportunities and the score does not indicate how close the teams were t...

Join us for the final parent council meeting on Thursday June 16th at 6:30 pm in the auditorium.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to all the parents who made the Fern Avenue School Gratitiude Staff Luncheon such a big success. The food was delicious and everyone had a wonderful time. A special THANK YOU to the set up and clean up ladies. Please pick up your dishes and utensils in the staff room. Sincerely, Evangeline Adams