Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Hello Fern Kids and Parents, Fern’s epic annual Dance-A-Thon will take place Thursday, March 21st from 9:30 am - 3 pm with all Fern kids getting their turn to dance in shifts throughout the day! This is a chance for students to get out of their chairs and dance, dance, dance. It’s also an opportunity for the kids to contribute to the raising of much needed funds for the school. Kids, start gathering your pledges now! The class with the highest participation wins a pizza party! The deadline for pledges is 3pm, March 21st. Raising money for the Dance-A-Thon means more enriched programs and a new playground, please click here for more information on where your money goes. WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR PLEDGES? **A pledge form will come home with your child, please make sure they track any online pledges to donate, and bring this form to the Dance-A-Thon on March 21 along with any donated cash. If you can't find your pledge form, please download one here or at donatetofern.com .

Pancake Dinner Tuesday March 5 - Volunteers Needed! We need help from our friends to get this event off the ground. Pancake flippers, fruit cutters, clean-up crew.... If you are interested in helping us out, please follow the link to sign-up . If you have trouble with the link, please let us know. Meanwhile, if you are planning to attend but haven't yet RSVP'd, please send us an email at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com . Thank you! School Council Exec

Not all heroes wear capes. Thanks to our custodian Fred for helping keep the sidewalks and walkways around Fern Ave P.S. clear of snow! Stay safe everyone.

Save the date: Tuesday, March 26th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Our FERN STEM event takes place over 2 days and culminates in one big epic STEM Night on March 26th where everyone is invited to participate in all sorts of activities and challenges. It's learning and fun for the whole family! On Monday, March 25th (during the school day) The STEM adventure begins... Grade 7: Spaghetti Tower Build - The grade 7's will be challenged to structurally engineer towers that can hold a load of weight. Those that survive will be ceremoniously destroyed on STEM Night after demonstrating feats of strength. Come watch! Grade 8: Cardboard Boat Build (with the help of lots of duct tape) - teams of grade 8's will build boats, then board them and attempt to race them across the Fern pool! Don't worry we'll capture it all on video to share at STEM Night for all to enjoy. On Tuesday, March 26th the STEM adventures continue (during the school day). Every class will participate in a s

Did you know that $100 can help train a farmer on new techniques and local best practices?   During the month of March, Fern’s Me to We club is Creating Change to support We Charity’s Agriculture and Food Security pillar. Look for Fern’s Me to We boxes at local establishments along Roncesvalles and donate your change! Check out https://www.we.org/we-villages/food for more information.

We've never done this event before, but we have a kitchen and a cafeteria so why not PANCAKES FOR DINNER!  Flyer can be found here .   Please join us for an evening with your school community and pancakes in our cafeteria.  We will have pancakes, sausages, fruit, and hopefully, good humour.  $5 per person, $20 for a family of four or more.   Since the current School Council has not previously hosted a community meal in our cafeteria, we are unsure as to how many people will attend.  Please help us to plan our pancake performance by RSVP'ing the approximate number of people who will join us at: fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com      We don't expect this to be a big ticket money-maker, but that isn't really the point. However, we would welcome any donations, such as maple syrup -- it would be greatly appreciated!  We have it on good authority from parents who grew up in the Ottawa Valley that the other stuff won't cut it.   We will also be looking for p

It is still cold and flu season! Please consider sending some kleenex to school with your child as a present to the teachers. In particular, teachers of older children don't usually get as many donations of kleenex as those in primary, so if you have one of the giants on the third floor, please consider sending kleenex with them to help out. Thanks! School Council Exec

Fern Avenue Public School has a brand-new eco-initiative - MARKER RECYCLING! Any brand of marker is accepted as well as DRY ERASE markers and HI LIGHTERS. Simply send the dried-out markers with your child to school, where we will collect and then ship the marker barrels to Crayola for recycling. For more information about the Crayola marker recycling program click: https://www.crayola.com/faq/your-business/can-crayola-markers-be-recycled/ For more information about the marker recycling initiative at Fern contact rhondabromley@rogers.com . Thank you for doing your part to help reduce waste and make Fern Avenue Public School even more eco-friendly!

It's the time of year when people are making decisions about Fern Extended French. There have been requests from families outside the Fern community asking to speak to parents with children in Extended French at Fern. For privacy reasons, the school cannot connect you directly. So, if you are an Extended French family and would like to participate in an informal Extended French Welcome Committee for families wanting perspective on Extended French, please email us at: fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com Thank you. School Council Exec

Fern’s Me to We Club is hosting a Movie Afternoon on Thursday March 7th for primary students. We are raising funds to support We Charity’s Agriculture and Food Security pillar. Specifically, we would like to support programs that train farmers on new techniques and local best practices, which can increase their yields and their incomes. This can directly impact a community’s health, access to education and life outcomes. Check out https://www.we.org/we-villages/food for more information. We are asking for a suggested donation of $5 per child for the movie and popcorn. A tax receipt will be issued for donations of $10 or greater. Please submit all donations to your child’s teacher. If you would like a tax receipt, please complete the form at the bottom and include in an enclosed envelope. Cheques should be made payable to Me to We. Thank you in advance for your support, Fern's Me to We

  On Thursday March 7 , Me to We will be selling popcorn during the afternoon recess for $1. All money raised will support We Charity’s Agriculture and Food Security pillar. Specifically, Me to We would like to support programs that train farmers on new techniques and local best practices, which can increase their yields and their incomes. This can directly impact a community’s health, access to education and life outcomes.   Check out https://www.we.org/we-villages/food for more information.

Thank you to the 30 kids and about a dozen adults who came out to play, paint, or volunteer as Dungeon Masters! It was a great time! A huge thanks to Laura Ashby-Watts and Anthony Watts for making it happen, and to our generous sponsors Sword and Board, West End Comics, Mana Pool, as well as our generous coffee sponsor, Extra Butter, who helped fuel the adult’s creativity! Thank you to the parents who donated baked goods to the bake sale: brownies, cupcakes, cookies, Wagon Wheels, and a dragon cake! Thanks also to our principal, Rosanna Sardella, for being there on a Saturday so we could hold this event, and to our custodial staff Fred and Jimmy for helping us tidy up. Pretty great for a first time event - and we made $600 for Fern! Best of all, some passionate people got to pass along their favourite game to a new generation of D&D players. No screens. Time with friends. Lots of math. Creative story telling. Next year it’ll be bigger and better! School Council Exec

Fern Avenue Tour Tuesday, April 30th 1:00—2:00 pm Students new to Fern Ave P.S., who are coming in to the Grade 4 Extended French, Grade 7 and Grade 7 French immersion, are invited for an afternoon tour. Students and supervising teachers will meet in the auditorium for a short presentation followed by a guided tour of the school.

Where:  Fern Avenue When:  Tuesday, April 30th, 6:30 —7:30 pm Parents new to Fern Ave P.S. whose children are coming in to the Grade 4 Extended French, Grade 7 and Grade 7 French immersion, are invited for a tour. Parents will meet in the auditorium for a short presentation.

FERNCON is tomorrow - 10am -2pm! Calling all Dungeons and Dragons Fans: Whether you've been designing your own adventures since the shag carpet basement in Stranger Things was your teenaged reality, just picked up your first 20 sider last week, or think it's something you'd like to try, this event is for YOU! We have 10 volunteer Dungeon Masters creating great adventures. Registration at 10am at the Fern P.S. Auditorium, games start at 10:30. $10 to play. And if you're not sure you want to play, we have a great miniatures painting workshop with Anthony Watt. $20 will pay for the workshop, all the supplies, and a figurine to take home. We'll also have a bake sale, pizza, and coffee from our generous coffee sponsor, Extra Butter! And, we have a raffle with great prizes, and a 50/50 draw! See you tomorrow!

Fern Avenue Public School Presents 'Lestat Private High' On Wednesday May 8th and Thursday May 9th, at 7pm. We are seeking volunteers to help out with the production of the upcoming play, Lestat Private High. We need volunteers immediately to help with the production of the play and we need many volunteers on the evenings of the performances. Please sign up here Volunteer Sign Up 2019 Our priority roles are: Lighting, Props, and Set Construction.

Parents and guardians of incoming junior kindergarten students are welcome to join an information night on: Thursday, May 16, 2019 From 5:30 to 6:30PM in the School Auditorium. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Tuesday March 5, 6:00-7:30 . Pancakes. For Supper. $5 per person. Further details TBA. We spend so much time on big ticket events, so it's nice to do something easy and spend time together as a community (and also eat pancakes for supper). This event coincides with what some families in our school community celebrate as Shrove or Fat Tuesday.  However, as we are an equal opportunity place, this is an equal opportunity Pancake Supper for those of us who don't necessarily observe those holidays but like the idea of getting in on pancakes. We will need some volunteers to help flip pancakes and cook sausages. We'll be sending out an RSVP closer to the date. Hope to see you there! If you've got an idea for a future community meal, please let us know. School Council Exec

Desserts from your Dungeon? Cookies from the Cauldron? Dragon Delights? Or, Grandma's heirloom Rice Krispy Square recipe? FERNCON needs your help! As part of our fundraiser Saturday February 23 , we will be holding a bake sale for our Dungeons and Dragons playing kids and their parents, friends, and neighbours. Please drop off your donation of baked goods either Friday at the Office , or preferably Saturday morning between 9 and 10am at Fern Ave. P.S. Thank you, and look forward to seeing you there! School Council Exec

Fern Sports 2018-2019 INTERSCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS DATES JUNIOR BOYS JUNIOR GIRLS SENIOR BOYS SENIOR  GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY SEPT.- NOV. Sarantos Katsihtis Sarantos Katsihtis Erica Cameron Erica Cameron SOCCER SEPT.- NOV. Meghan Hulsman Sarantos Katsihtis Bogdan Nikolajevic FOOTBALL SEPT.- NOV.   Chris Ciric BASKETBALL ** NOV.- DEC.  Sarantos Katsihtis  Brian Shreve Brian Shreve  VOLLEYBALL VOLLEYBALL CO-ED  JAN.- MARCH APRIL Sarantos Katsihtis Sarantos Katsihtisd Josh Dumont  Sarantos Katsihtis ICE HOCKEY Co-ed  JAN.-  FEB   Junior   Tricia McGovern  Team   Tricia McGovern   Senior Sarantos Katsihtis   Team Sarantos Katsihtis   BADMINTON MARCH- APRIL Katerina Hall    Katerina Hall  Sean Cross Sean Cross SWIM FEB- APRIL Cheryl Eyre Cheryl Eyre Olga Morales Olga Morales DRAGONBOAT MAY June n/a   n/a SOFTBALL MAY- JUNE Sarantos Katsihtis  Jenny Flengeris Sean

Monday, February 18th: Family Day Tuesday, February 19th | Day 4 · Dental Screening in Room 313 · Lunch-Intermediate Book Club · Lunch - Lestat Rehearsal- Scene 3 and 8 – Room 007 · 3:30pm - Junior Stem Club-Library Wednesday, February 20th | Day 5 · Dental Screening in Room 313 · Lunch - Lestat Rehearsal- Scene 1 and 11 – Room 007 · P.M. -Art Oratoire (French Speaking competition) Our annual Art Oratoire for grade 4-8 FI, Extended and Core (grade 7-8 only) · 3:30 pm – Folk Dance – Ms. Jamieson Thursday, February 21st | Day 1 · Dental Screening in Room 313 · 12:00 -Junior Hockey @Ted Reeve Arena –Play-offs – Ms. McGovern · Scientist in School – Room 214 · 6pm - Mental Health Awareness Presentation to Parents Friday, February 22nd | Day 2 · Art field trip/ Skating-Rooms 310, 302, 305, 301 · Lunch -GSOW (Gay, Straight or Whatever) Room 309 · Lunch - Lestat Rehearsal- Band MAD– Room 007

Tell your Friends, Tell your Neighbours, Tell Everyone.....We are now REGISTERING for our KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM for the 2019-2020 school year. Please feel free to come in person and or call Vera in the main office for more details. Come and join our wonderful Fern Family and let the learning begin!

Our Scholastic Festival du Livre (Book Fair) is tomorrow from 3:15PM-7PM and Friday from 9AM-12PM . We accept cash, debit and credit. Hope to see you there! Tara Jamieson Teacher-Librarian

Saturday February 23rd 10am-2pm in the Auditorium PLEASE NOTE: The game flea market has been cancelled. Let the Dungeons & Dragons begin! Calling all dwarfs, Halflings, humans and elves. Meet up at ye old school Fern. All ages and levels welcome. Our Dungeon Masters have been busy creating adventures to play. Please come to sign up for your spot at 10 am (lots of spaces are available). Games will start at 10:30am and run until 2pm. 10$ to play NEW ! Miniature Painting 101 Saturday February 23rd, 11am - 2pm $20 per person Join award-winning miniature painter Anthony Watts for a miniature painting class. Learn the basics of painting miniatures for use in roleplaying games, board games, and tabletop war-games with techniques anyone can learn - no experience required! Come sign up at 10am - spots are limited and will be filled on a first come first served basis. All materials will be supplied. Keep your miniature after the class! Pizza and Bake Sale

Due to the significant combination of snow, ice pellets & freezing rain expected throughout the day, all TDSB schools & administrative sites are closed today, February 12. This includes Child Care Centres located inside TDSB schools. All school permits & Continuing Education classes are cancelled & TDESAA/TDSSAA events will be rescheduled.

Dear Parents and Guardians: As we approach the busiest of times in school life at Fern Ave. Public School, with studies and extra-curriculas of all kinds, the intention of this letter is to inform you of our athletic clubs and programs currently starting or will be, in the near future. As you are aware, for the first term our gym was under renovation. These renovations included a new ventilation system, lighting, and safety elements, which will make a difference while using the space for physical education and our athletics programs. While the gym was under construction, our P.E. and sports programs took place in limited spaces at Fern or at other schools, making things challenging at times. Thankfully, the gym is available again, which will bring normalcy back to our athletics programs with our sports teams' practises and house leagues, as well as our gym classes. At Fern Ave. P.S. we pride ourselves for offering many sports and athletic opportunities for our students. This

Hello members of the Fern community! We are Sisters Against Sickness , a group of grade 8 girls dedicated to informing the public about local water concerns. Since summer will be approaching soon, we thought it would be a perfect time to explain the issues E. coli can cause in our community, and how to protect yourselves against the adverse effects this bacteria can have on the human body. Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli, is a bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. It is then expelled when we use the washroom. High E. coli levels began appearing in lake Ontario in 2017 and have since worsened. Certain strains of E.coli can cause symptoms like diarrhea, major cramps, severe vomiting, and can even lead to pneumonia or kidney failure. However, you are still able to enjoy a fun day in the sun by the lake safely if you follow our tips: Make sure not to drink the lake water, and, once you are finished swimming, take a thorough shower.

Concerned about the construction? Irritated about our infrastructure? Excited about our events? Perplexed by the playground? Have a beef about Lunch? Then please come to our School Council meeting, Wednesday, 6:30pm , Staffroom. Get direct answers from a human being instead of a Facebook page! Everything we do is parent driven. So we need your ideas, your energy, and your time. Please send any questions you have in advance by Tuesday, February 12 so we can plan our agenda, allocate time to particular issues, and be prepared in advance for questions that need further research. Please RSVP, so we can plan childcare and pizza. mailto:Fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com Look forward to seeing you! School Council Exec

Dear Parents/Guardians, TDSB's mission, it's "commitment to a board-wide culture that develops resilience in school communities, recognizes the profound understanding of the connection between mental health and student achievement, and the dynamic collaboration between schools and their communities. With students as our key stakeholders, their voice shapes our understanding of how we ensure mental health is a priority in every school community." In supporting this mission, Fern Avenue Public School has connected with community agency, Family Association for Mental Health Everywhere(FAME), to share mental health awareness with parents. Since 1989, FAME has been empowering families and caregivers who have a loved one with a mental health concern by providing support, education, coping skills and self-care strategies. Their goal is to support families in learning self-care, navigating the system and to provide the comfort of knowing they are not alone. The team

Grade 8 Grad Photo Re-Take Day will take place the morning of Monday, March 4, 2019 .

Fern grades 4-8 students were entertained by the Payadora Tango Ensemble on Monday February 4, 2019. Click here for details on a March 1, 2019 performance in our Roncesvalles neighbourhood.

A Fern School fundraiser, brought to you by the School Council in partnership with Toronto Miniature Gamers... Welcome to FERNCON 2019 Saturday, Feb 23rd 10am-2pm in the Auditorium Calling all brave adventurers, armchair generals, and gamer geeks for a day of D&D and Buy & Sell! Tabletop Games Flea Market Toronto Miniature Gamers is hosting a gamer’s flea market where you will find board games, miniature war games, role-playing games, models and miniatures, hobby supplies, and more! Drop by and find great deals on used gaming stuff and to check out our miniature painting demo table. Interested in selling some stuff? Tables are available for $20 - for more information please visit: https://torontominiaturegamers.org/tabletop-flea-market/ Dungeons & Dragons Game Rooms Come and play D&D adventures for players of all ages (adults included). Everyone is welcome. No experience required. Sign up will be at 10 am and games will start at 10:30 am - 2 pm.

Thank you Fern! We’ve been told that Queen Victoria Public School has all the coats it needs for now. Thanks so much everyone.