Fern Ave. Public School Blog

FTC is now launching its next campaign "We Create Change." This is Canada’s largest penny drive for clean water. We are asking the Fern families to please collect those pennies and send them to school. Each class will receive a penny bag or container for collection, plus a poster. The drive runs from December 3rd to the 19th . All proceeds go to Free the Children’s Adopt a Village communities. Thank you. Karen Ashforth Staff Advisor, FTC

Have a look at the December newsletter for the latest information from the office.

We were informed by a Fern parent that, while they were picking up their child on Thursday November 22nd at 5:55pm, their car was broken into on Wright Avenue in the school pickup and drop off zone. The car was locked and the window was smashed. Please be on alert when leaving valuables in your car, even if you are only gone for ten minutes. Thank you.

Holiday season is here and after the winter break is over, the chaos of having to get back into the school routine begins. (Where is that lunch bag?!) If you haven’t done so already, why don’t you sign up your child(ren) for the hot lunch program and save yourself the stress of packing a lunch while still providing your child with a delicious and nutritious lunch. To save more time, sign up for the rest of the year right now! Plus, as a platinum EcoSchool, Fern’s lunch program is a good example of a litterless lunch: re-usable dishes and cutlery with no packaging to deal with. Download the order form and submit it with your payment in the secure mailbox beside the Ferncliff Daycare office (Room 103). Due to the winter break in December, we are asking parents to please hand in their January lunch forms by Monday, December 10 to allow time for Maggie to place her food orders during the holidays. Check out the January menu on the School Calendar on the right-hand side of Fern’s

We have been notified that there is an error in our newsletter regarding the Western Tech Open House for their Cyber Arts, Robotics, and Enriched Gifted programs. We wrote that it will be the 29th, but in fact it is tonight , Wednesday the 28th, at 7:00pm in their auditorium.

The Fern Arts Collective would like to invite the community to join us at our Feliz Navidad Holiday Party on Dec 13th, 2012!!! Families are invited to experience the contagious energy created by Maderaz, a amazing Latin American band. They will be performing their Feliz Navidad, Holiday Show! Feliz Navidad highlights the varied musical traditions that take place around December in Latin America and Caribbean cultures. Native traditional music and African based rhythms set the beat to celebrate the winter solstice. The music will start at 6:30 P.M. in the auditorium. Please come early for our Pre-show Party at 5:30 with Latin treats for the kids, savoury bites for the adults, and Mexican hot chocolate for everyone! We will also be showcasing Pinatas, from our Grade One's workshop running next week. Tickets will be on sale in the yard and main office next week. Please help us by selling tickets to your friends and family, everyone is welcome! We hope you will come out a

Is it time to renew your favourite Magazine?   Need a gift idea for Christmas?   Looking for French titles for you and your child?   Check out the QSP Magazine Catalogue and place your order today! There are over 600 magazine to choose from with savings of up to 80% off newsstand prices.   Shop online at www.qsp.ca or return the paper order form in the catalogue to the drop box in the office by December 3 to receive your orders before Christmas. Our Group Number is 9160 . Please include the name of your child and their room number on the order. A portion of your purchase will help benefit our Parent Council Fundraising efforts and bring additional programming to Fern.      All students that participate in the QSP Fundraising Campaign will be eligible to win one of our customized Grand Prizes .   The top three sales people will have a chance to win a $50.00 Gift Certificate from Scooter Girl Toys, Sweet Thrills, or a $50.00 iTunes Gift Card .   The classroom that sells the

On Friday, November 23rd, 2012, Untitled films will be shooting a Public Service Announcement for Covenant House at 197 Wright Avenue from approximately 7 am to 9pm. All production vehicles will be parked on the south side of Wright Ave, from Roncesvalles to Sorauren. The vehicles will be permitted to park there until 11pm. Any questions call John Dranski 416- 887- 5418, location manager. City of Toronto F.O. 416- 338- 3456 Mr. A. Moy Principal Fern Avenue Junior and Senior Public School

1. Trustee Atkinson reported that the TDSB would likely have another $50 million shortfall this year. Program and service cuts are likely on the way. At last night’s board meeting, the capital plan was defeated. For Ward 7 this means that the additions as Keele and Swansea will not proceed. And the K-12 Strategy cannot move ahead with any recommendations that will cost money. 2. The main agenda item was a discussion of the TDSB K - 12 Strategy Consultation. You can learn more about and participate in the consultation by visiting the TDSB web site . We were asked to discuss 4 questions to shape a vision for our schools moving forward. I will share the 4 questions via email. The results of the Ward 7 meeting discussion on these questions is 6 pages long, and we will make them available on line. 3. The meeting concluded with a lively discussion of the TDSB’s plans for special education inclusion. The board is seeking input for a vision of special education inclusion. A major p

Dear Parent(s)Guardian(s): We are in full swing of the transition process for our Grade 8 students. Over the next few months, we will be taking the students to our local high schools in the Fern Avenue catchment area. Many of the specialized programs have program requirements and deadlines so please make note of these. For detailed information please click here . Interested students have been invited to attend an information session at Rosedale Heights on November 22 from 1:00 pm to 2:45 pm . Please send a permission note to Fern Avenue if your child will be attending this event. Fern Avenue will not be providing supervision or transportation. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Schwartz at dara.schwartz@tdsb.on.ca and/or call the school to leave a message. Dara Schwartz Elementary Itinerant Counsellor Fern Avenue PS

The Grade 8 trip is planned for June 19th to the 21st. Please come to an information meeting for parents this upcoming Monday November 19th at 6:30 in the auditorium. Information on the cost of the trip, payment deadlines, as well as contingency planning will be discussed. Ashwin Parvatam Intermediate Chairperson Fern Avenue JSPS

I would like to inform parents and remind our possibly interested students that every Tuesday at lunch, barring unforeseen duties, Officer Eric, our Community Liaison officer hosts his “Push Pawns Not Each Other” chess experience in Room 308. Children can join right away and eat lunch in the classroom or join us right after they finish eating in the cafeteria. Rookies and experienced players are both welcome to join in. Thank you. Mr. A. Moy Principal Fern Avenue Junior and Senior Public School

Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week is Monday November 19 to Friday November 23, 2012. Fern Avenue Public School will proudly acknowledge this week by involving students and staff in the following activities: Monday November 19, 2012 Wear the colour RED to show your support against bullying Tuesday November 20, 2012 Students will be creating POSTERS; they will be displayed throughout the school Wednesday November 21, 2012 Guided discussions about Bullying will take place within classrooms Students will journal their reflections Thursday November 22, 2012 Students are encouraged to do random acts of kindness throughout the school day They will be asked to reflect on how this made a difference to their day or to someone else’s day Friday November 23, 2012 Wear the colour RED again Students will participate in a united WALK AGAINST BULLYING at 9:45am The walk will start on Wright Ave (by the bussing zone), left on Roncesvalles, left on Fern back to the school,

Dear Parents/Guardians, We would like to announce Mr. Robert Cowan as the new Long Term Occasional teacher for the grade 8 class, in room 309. Mr. Cowan’s assignment will be until the end of the school year. Mr. Cowan is an experienced Long Term Occasional Teacher who has worked within diverse learning environments, academic programmes and various schools. Mr. Cowan has many interests including playing guitar, involvement with drama and the arts, Eco-Club and coaching girls/boys soccer. Mr. Cowan will begin his teaching assignment with the Grade 8, Room 309 class on Monday November 19, 2012. Mr. Cowan looks forward to working with his homeroom group as well as all other students he will see during the afternoons on rotary. Mr. Cowan looks forward to meeting with each of his families and will make himself available for formal introductions over the course of his transition. Mr. Cowan is a welcome addition to our Fern family and we look forward to a wonderful year wit

Thank you to all the children and families who have donated to the UNICEF program. Jonah S-F won the Principal for a Day auction for Mr. Morra’s students fundraising effort on behalf of UNICEF. He will be Principal tomorrow. He has just asked me if we could have a Pyjama day at Fern in recognition of his tenure. Given the cold weather, please make sure that your children are dressed appropriately. Many thanks, again. Mr. A. Moy Principal

Please click here for information on the upcoming Parent | Guardian Special Education Information Sessions.

If you are planning on attending the information session on French Programming at 7:00 pm, why not pop in to the Auditorium and see what happens at our monthly SAC meeting !   We are starting at 6:00 pm and welcome all parents and child care providers with children at Fern. We will be reviewing:   ·          Ongoing Arts programs ·          QSP Magazine Drive ·          Bylaws ·          New Learning Skills Initiative ·          Orientation Committee Proposal  

There is an Extended French program at Fern that begins in Grade Four. Students spend half their subjects speaking French and half speaking English. Click here for more information or come to the school for an information night on November 22 at 7:00 PM in the staff room. There will be posted signs for directions. The application deadline for the Extended French program is December 12, 2012 .

HALLOWE'EN FOR HUNGER Thank you to the Fern community for your support with the Food Drive for the Good Shepherd Food Bank. We collected 1202 pounds of food, 200 pounds over our goal and 300 pounds more than last year!! WE Create Change Fern is participating in Canada’s largest penny drive to support clean water in FTC’s Adopt A Village communities. Save those pennies, and shortly you will be asked to bring them to your child’s class at Fern!! Thank you, Ms. Ashforth, Staff advisor, Fern’s FTC

We are having a Littlerless Lunch Day on Wednesday November 14 where parent volunteers will supervise Lunch in the cafeteria. We will have the bins turned upside down so the students have to take home any scraps or landfill and think about what they have left over. We will take photos of students who want to pledge having a Litterless Lunch for the month and display these, much the same way as the Reading Hall of Fame is set up. As many of you will be aware we have ran a very successful Green Bin Program at the school for three years but have it on hold at the moment, hence the need to take food scraps home. If you would like to volunteer for this short project or have any questions please email Jo Somers at: joanneginosomers@gmail.com. Click here for more information on how to create a Litterless Lunch. EcoTeam

After school on Monday, Ms. Eyre was struck by a car at the intersection of Roncesvalles and High Park Blvd. She is all right. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Thankfully, nothing was broken. She was crossing correctly in the crosswalk at the time. She is now convalescing at home. We wish her a speedy recovery. She expects to be back at work on Monday, November 12, 2012. Just a reminder for those families travelling to and from school on foot to remain alert and vigilant at all times, especially in the crosswalks. Thank you. Mr. A. Moy Principal Fern Avenue Junior and Senior Public School

Dear Parents, The Fern Ave P.S Arts Collective would like to invite you to come to Rodriguez Chavez’s Drumming workshops class performance: Friday Nov. 9th at 10:35 am School Auditorium The students in Mr. Sy’s two Ext Fr. classes, our grade 8 Eng class and Ms. Basu’s 7/8’s will be performing traditional Latin American drumming and percussion pieces. Including Salsa, Rumba, Cha Cha’ and Conga to name a few. The students have been learning to play the bongos, congas, maracas, cowbells, claves and so many more amazing instruments. Come watch your kids grow!!

Dear Parent(s)Guardian(s): We are in full swing of the transition process for our Grade 8 students. Over the next few months, we will be taking the students to our local high schools in the Fern Avenue catchment area. Many of the specialized programs have program requirements and deadlines so please make note of these. For detailed information please click here . Interested students have been invited to attend an information session at Rosedale Heights on November 22 from 1:00 pm to 2:45 pm . Please send a permission note to Fern Avenue if your child will be attending this event. Fern Avenue will not be providing supervision or transportation. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Schwartz at dara.schwartz@tdsb.on.ca and/or call the school to leave a message. Dara Schwartz Elementary Itinerant Counsellor Fern Avenue PS

New winter menu starts in December featuring vegetarian lasagna, Sloppy Joes, fish cakes and more! Fern’s hot-lunch program is running smoothly with a record number of participants. If your family has not signed up for the program and your child is not enrolled in Ferncliff Daycare’s before and after program, you still have the opportunity to register for Maggie’s delicious and nutritious December lunches. Download the order form and submit it with your payment in the secure mailbox beside the Ferncliff Daycare office (Room 103). The deadline for December orders is Thursday, November 15 . Check out the December menu on the School Calendar on the right-hand side of Fern’s website pages or click here . Special offer to seniors! We can pack up hot lunches to go!!! Are your children skipping lunch so they can hang out with their friends outside the school? Why not sign up for Maggie’s “take-out” lunches? You can be reassured that they’re eating yummy and healthy food and they can st

For parents who are interested or who are considering involvement, the attached specifies bus pick up points for parents. Thank you, Linda Tasevski Vice Principal Fern Avenue PS 416.393.9130

November is drumming up (literally!) to be an exciting month in the arts for Fern! We have a long line up of talented visiting artists conducting workshops in various areas from mask making, constructing bugs, birds and kites to claymation and drumming. Click here for more details! Fern Arts Collective

POLICE REFERENCE CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS We value the tremendous contributions of our parent and community volunteers who give so much of their time and effort to make our schools better places. While the legislation does not speak specifically to volunteers, it has been our past practice to require police reference checks on volunteers who have contact with students (including community-based coaches working with school teams)- a practice consistent with other community groups such as Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and Hockey Coaches. The Toronto District School Board has arranged with Toronto Police Services for a special rate for volunteer police refernece checks of $16.95. At the present time, the cost of the police reference check is at the volunteer's expense. Please note cheques must be certified or money orders made payable to Toronto Police Services, no personal checks will be accepted. Forms can be picked up in the main office, filled out and brought back to Vera Ciric for pr