Fern Ave. Public School Blog

The orders for the magazine drive must be received by October 15 . Remember, you can place your orders on-line! It’s easy . . . visit http://www.qsp.ca/ . The Fern group number is 9160. Submitted by André Breau , co-chair, Fern School Council

In the wake of Curriculum Night, we've added a couple of items to our Links section. These new links point to the website of the Ontario Ministry of Education, where you can read all about the Ontario Curriculum by grade or by subject , plus lots of other documents and reports too numerous to mention.

Inside this issue: Upcoming events and sports schedules (page 1) Arriving on-time to school (page 1) From the library (pages 2-3) Fire drills (page 3) Lockdown procedures (page 3) Fern strings and band (page 4) French programs (page 4) Ferncliff Daycare and After-School Group (page 5) Parenting and Family Literacy Centre (page 5) Staff list (page 6) Click on this link to read the full newsletter: FernNewsSept08.pdf Paper copies will be distributed to all students. Please note that we are working to reduce the amount of paper photocopied at the school; however, September is a very busy time for the office, and the information needed to reduce paper handouts - such as one copy per family - is not yet fully incorporated. Please be patient as we work on this initiative. - a note from Amy Stein , communications committee

We hope that all families will join us! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

The magazine drive information that went home in backpacks contained an incorrect deadline of October 30. Orders for the magazine drive must be received by September 30 . Click here for more information. Submitted by Andre Breau , co-chair, Fern school council

...but need some $$$ ? Each year parents, teachers and staff participate in fundraising activities to support and enhance our children’s experience at Fern. The money raised during a school year is spent on activities for the following year. The School Council funding policy also takes into account in-year requests for funding. 20% of the money raised during any school year is available to be spent in the current school year. Who can request funding? • It’s open to everyone - parents, guardians, teachers, school administration, students • Requests can be made by individuals or groups of people. Process for requesting funding • There is a form to make it easier to request funding: - available in hard copy in the office and taken home by each student - available online here • Complete and submit the form 2 weeks prior to the next School Council meeting: - preferred: via email to fernschoolcommunity@hotmail.com - if hard copy: to Vera in the office or put in the School Council mailbox • T

Exit 7 (also known as the Senior Entrance) is having new doors installed today. This construction should be completed by September 19, 2008. For your safety, please keep your distance from this entrance. The Senior students will be using exit 2 (which is at the front - west side of the school) to enter and exit the school. Thank you for your understanding,

Welcome to the new school year. I hope your summer was enjoyable and your children are off to a good start. A special welcome to parents new to French programs and to the new SK immersion programs at Fern PS and Duke of Connaught PS. The FSLAC works with parents, staff and trustees to foster growth and excellence in TDSB French Second Language programs. Trustee Chris Tonks and I co-chair the committee and parent members are elected by ward councils. Meetings take place at the TDSB offices and parents, staff and trustees are welcome. Information about the FSLAC can found at: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac . Looking forward to a great year, Lise Snelgrove Meeting Date Changed The first FSLAC meeting of the school year, originally scheduled for Oct.14, has been changed to Tuesday, October 7, main floor cafeteria, TDSB Offices, 5050 Yonge St. Grade 7 Extended Program to be Reviewed by TDSB A report with recommendations on the future of the grade 7 Extended French program is expected this fall from

Tomorrow morning at 8:00am is the first cross-country practice. Students who are interested had the opportunity to pick up a permission form in the office. If your child has not picked up a form it is not too late! We look forward to seeing the kids at practice!

Upgrades to the Fern notice board Thanks to the work of Roy Schulze (parent), our notice board now has a school calendar, which includes Fern School and TDSB events, as well as the daily Fern lunch program menu. Next step is to populate the calendar with more events. If you know of any school event that is not on the calendar, please email it to fernnoticeboard@gmail.com . More improvements to the site are in the works - please check back. How to submit events and messages to the notice board Allan Lowson (parent) has set up a new email address for the communications committee to receive submissions for the notice board (calendar and all other postings): fernnoticeboard@gmail.com . Some people have asked if their emails automatically appear on the notice board. The answer is no: all emails are read by a parent volunteer, and then posted, if they are directly connected with Fern Ave. Public School or the Toronto District School Board. Please send the message text as you wish it to appea

Fern Avenue Public School is holding a Scholastic Book Fair during the week of September 22 - 25, in the Music Room down the main hall from the Main Office. At the Book Fair you will find a wide variety of reasonably-priced books that appeal to all kinds of interests and reading abilities. You will find both newly published titles and well-loved classics of fiction and information text. Funds raised during this event will support the acquisition of new and needed picture story books, novel sets and information texts to enhance classroom programs. They will also help to pay for the Boys’ Book Club, the Girls’ Book Club, and the Intermediate Book Club. Last year, the Book Fair made it possible for 26 junior and intermediate students to attend the Silver Birch and Red Maple Awards Ceremonies at Harbourfront, where four of our students helped to introduce nominated authors Matthew Skelton and Deborah Ellis. It also paid for two class parties to celebrate the entire class’ entry into the R

School Council Meeting Agenda September 18, 2008 7:00 – 9:00 School Auditorium Chair’s Welcome and Introductions (John Richmond, 10 min.) Approval of Agenda (2 min.) Approval of Minutes from June 12, 2008 (2 min.) School Council Executive Positions (John Richmond, 10 min.) Communications (website and email) (Amy Stein, 5 min.) Volunteers (5 min.) Principal’s Report and Discussion (Craig Tsuji, 30 min.) Treasurer’s Report (Amy Stein, 10 min.) Ward 7 Committee (Paula Larrondo, 5 min.) French as a Second Language Advisory Committee (Lise Snelgrove, 5 min.) Committee Reports (20 min.): Arts Committee Greening Committee Playground Committee (André Breau) Math, Science & Engineering (Haig Baronikian) Food (Kate McPherson) Draft School Council Constitution/Rules of Procedure (André Breau, 5 min.) Other Business (10 min.) Next Meeting: Thursday, October 16, 2008

We are having a gardening session/clean-up at the front of the school this Wednesday, Sept. 10, between 4 pm and 7 pm . Bring along your tools, gloves and anything for turning the soil. Light refreshments will be provided by some of the parents and teachers. Any donation of seeds, plant cuttings or plants would be greatly appreciated. Any left over mulch would also be great! Contact Joanne Somers ( joannesomers@rogers.com ) or Margot Davis (via the school office) for further information.

This afternoon, we've been updating the format and some of the functionality of the Notice Board. If things don't look right (columns out of alignment, overlapping text) try clicking the Refresh button on your browser. If that doesn't work, hold down the Alt key (Option on a Macintosh) and click Refresh again.

The school year has begun and the cafeteria is in full swing. The Eco School team has started off our 2008-2009 ENVIRONMENT-CONSCIOUS year by spending lunch times with the children, composting and recycling their lunch leftovers. This is a great way to teach the children about recycling. We need more green compost bins, cords to tie up the bins (to rodent-proof them) and then a team of volunteers to take them home to have them emptied on wednesday mornings. Anyone interested in helping with this hands-on committee, email Joanne Somers (Isabelle and Ben's mom) at joannesomers@rogers.com . We are also planning a garden clean-up for next week. It will be one evening from 4-7 pm; stay tuned for details.

We would like to inform you of an exciting opportunity that has presented itself for us here at Ferncliff Daycare and the Fern School community. We have the potential to expand our childcare program and open a new Kindergarten Room. The TDSB has agreed to let us share a space with the Kindergarten in Room 109. This would allow us to operate a Preschool Room, a Junior Kindergarten Room and a Senior Kindergarten Room. In order for the daycare to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, we need to be able to fill the spaces. If you are looking for childcare and are in need of a space, please fill out a wait list registration form that you can get at the daycare office, Room 103, located down the hall from the school office. It is our goal to determine the feasibility of this expansion as soon as possible and have the program up and running by no later than October 1, 2008. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tracy Spence, Childcare Supervisor, at 416-588-1463 or

School councils are an excellent way for parents/guardians to get involved in their child’s education. Every Toronto District School Board (TDSB) school has an elected school council. The school council is made up of an elected committee of parents, staff and student representatives, appointed community members, the principal, and a general membership which includes all parents/guardians of children attending the school. The school council advises the principal and the TDSB on a variety of issues and activities relating to student achievement, curriculum goals and priorities, school budget priorities, school safety, renovation plans, after school activities, and criteria for selection of new principals. The council should: - focus on student learning and the best interests of all students, - provide a forum through which parents and other members of school communities can contribute to improving student achievement and school performance, - make recommendations to the school

Your school community needs you! Can you spare an hour, a day, a month? Whatever the amount, your participation is most appreciated. There are many events and activities at Fern that will not happen without an active group of volunteers. Every year the Fern School Council sponsors and coordinates events that rely on the good will and generosity of the Fern community. This includes the school administration, teachers, the parents/guardians of Fern students, and the students themselves. Some events for the 2008/2009 year: * Rummage Sale * Dance-a-thon * Fun Fair * Auction * Magazine Drive This year, we are pleased to have Karen Mondok as the Volunteer Coordinator. She will be a great support for Fern activities that would benefit from participation from the Fern community. Any and all participation is welcome. Please send an email to Karen at karenmondok@hotmail.com , or fill out the volunteer information form that went home with students today and submit it to the school office. Submit

Each fall, the Fern School Council holds the QSP magazine subscription fundraiser to raise money to benefit our students. The success of the program depends on your participation. This year's magazine drive is being launched on September 15 . Please save your magazine subscription renewals for our sale. It is only when you renew directly through our program that our school receives any profit from your order. If you are anxious to renew before the official campaign begins, you can support us today by shopping on-line! It’s easy . . . visit http://www.qsp.ca/ . The Fern group number is 9160. How about planning ahead and helping even more: Consider giving magazine subscriptions as gifts this year! Also, let friends and family know about our fundraiser and ask them to save their orders for our program. Submitted by Andre Breau , Vice-Chair, Fern School Council

Dear parents, On behalf of the Fern School Council I want to welcome back returning parents and students to what I am sure will be another great year at Fern. Welcome also to all our new parents and students. As many of you may already be aware, Fern has been chosen by the TDSB as a new site for French immersion. We look forward to making the new program, teachers, students and parents an important part of the Fern community. The Council has set itself a number of objectives for 2008-2009, particularly the continued improvement of our e-communications system. We want to ensure that parents have better, more timely information. To this end we are making a commitment to send out notices - including agendas - at least one week prior to Council meetings. Please make a note on your calender (day planner, Blackberry, etc...) for our next Council meeting: Thursday Sept. 18 , 2008, 7:00 pm, Fern School auditorium. I encourage all interested parents to attend this important introductory meet

Welcome to the 2008-09 school year! Please check back to Fern's on-line notice board, as we will be posting lots of information for the new year. If you have a Fern School community-related submission for this notice board, please email it to . Amy Stein (parent & site co-administrator)