Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Click here for information on the upcoming World Environment Day event at the Revue Cinema, June 5th at 6:45pm .

Thanks again to everyone for participating in our Silent and Live Auctions. For those of you who haven't yet picked up your item, you can pick it up from Bliss Edwards. Please email Bliss at edwards.bliss@gmail.com to arrange. Bliss will accept cash, cheques, or visa. We cannot accept e-transfers or debit cards. OR you can pay on the auction website by following this link: https://www.auctria.com/ev?site=f287ac0c-879d-4683-8e1d-d0431438270c If you downloaded the Auctria App, you can pay by going to "Account." We'll get a confirmation that you have paid. Thank you again for all of your support for Fern. We had a great time, and hope you did too! Spring Fling Committee

Hello Fine Fern Parents! Our annual Fern Fun Fair is coming up fast on Saturday, June 8, 2019 ! This is an exciting day of bouncy castles, rock climbing, axe throwing and yummy treats! This year we even have a haunted house complete with zombies as well as a Dungeons & Dragons play off. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED This day would not be possible with the help of 115 volunteers . Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped out the Fun Fair in past years. Let's do it again! Here is the link to the online volunteer sign up: https://signup.com/go/vaKCQaq New this year we have a volunteer sign in desk just in case you need any clarification about where to go or what you're doing. This desk will be located beside the ticket sellers. If you have any questions about volunteering please contact rhondabromley@rogers.com for more information. PRIZE TABLE The prize table is always such a hit and we hope to make it as fun as ever again this year. We know that many of you

Thank you Fern parents for an incredible Studio 54 extravaganza! Disco dancing, oysters, pulled pork sliders, sushi, a fantastic bar, and a few people quietly watching a very sedate sporting event in the corner. The online silent auction was a success, and the live auction was fantastic. We are still doing the math, but it looks like it was a great fundraiser for Fern. However... even better, it was a great chance for parents to gather as a community! We had parents of the smallest school stakeholders doing the Hustle alongside grizzled veterans whose teens occupy Fern's third floor. There were first-timers and parents who've been coming for years. Parents whose children have grown up at Fern, and parents whose kids will only be there for grade 7 & 8. More than one out-of-town visiting grandparent joined us, along with friends and neighbours of Fern families, and a few folks from the neighbourhood who thought it looked like a great party. We were also thrilled to b

Rumour has it there’s some kind of ball sport happening Saturday night....We’ve got you covered! We’ll have it at Studio 54 so you can watch Game 6 with your friends and neighbours (in your sequinned jumpsuit) in between eating oysters, drinking cocktails, bidding on the auction and disco dancing. And the best part? The first 15k we raise Saturday night will go straight to Fern’s new Basketball Court for the basketball stars of the future. It was meant to be, just like Game 6. Spring Fling tickets $30, at the door or online at tinyurl.com/y2eduobj or donatetofern.com And we’re still looking for volunteers, so please volunteer an hour or two of your time at https://signup.com/go/rcVsnDp Look forward to seeing you! Spring Fling Committee

Click here for the Family Edition of the Toronto Cycling Handbook.

Click here for information on the Snap summer program.

Check out the great items at the Spring Fling Online Silent Auction! Two easy ways to participate: Go through the web at charityauction.bid/FernAvePS You’ll be prompted to register and will be sent a participation code. Or, easier still, download the Auctria app. Bidding has already started! Open until 10pm Saturday, May 25 . You can participate in the Online auction even if you can’t make it to the event... but if you don’t make it, you’ll miss the Live Auction hosted by the fabulous, Emmy Award Winning, Nathalie Toriel. Hope to see you there! Spring Fling Committee

Me to WE's WE Bake for Change (Treats for Training) will take place on June 4th at noon. The flyer can be found here .

Click here for the May 2019 Me to WE Blog.

Spring Fling is two nights away and we've already sold 130 tickets! Tickets $30, and available online at tinyurl.com/y2eduobj or donatetofern.com or at the door. If you can't make it, you can always buy a ticket and give it away to a fellow Fern parent or neighbour! The Spring Fling Squad was organizing Silent Auction items until 2 a.m., and great stuff just keeps rolling in! We're so grateful for all your donations, and hope you'll all join in the auction fun. New this year: the Silent Auction is moving ONLINE! So bring your electronic device to bid against your friends and neighbours! Register for the auction at http://charityauction.bid/FernAvePS We still only have about half the volunteers we need, so if you can help out for a couple of hours during the event, or during takedown, we'd really appreciate your help. Please sign up at the Signup.com link below: https://signup.com/go/rcVsnDp If you have any questions, or have any last minute aucti

The best parent party of the year is this coming Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. to midnight , but we still need your help! We've only filled about 30 of the 70 volunteer spots we need to run the event. Have your Smart Serve and would like to bartend? Or, are you a night owl who likes to stick around and help close the place down? Please volunteer an hour or two of your time at https://signup.com/go/rcVsnDp Do you have your ticket yet? There is still time. Tickets are $30 and are available at the door or online: tinyurl.com/y2eduobj or donatetofern.com Oysters! Barque BBQ Sandwiches! Cocktails! Disco! Silent Auction! Honestly, it's a great time. You won't believe how many people you'll know when you walk in the room, even if you're brand new to Fern. Bring your friends, neighbours, and future Fern parents. Finally, we are accepting auction items for the Silent and Live Auctions until Wednesday, May 22. Have a cottage rental to donate? Sports ticke

Due to the staff meeting on Wednesday, the primary choir practice has been moved to Thursday, May 23 after you eat lunch in the music room. Thanks, Mrs. Heller and Mr. Nano

Time to break out your disco togs and grow out your sideburns. The Spring Fling is almost here! Tickets are $30 and are available at the door or online: tinyurl.com/y2eduobj or donatetofern.com Invite your friends and neighbours. Future Fern parents? We’d love them to come too! This is one party you won’t want to miss. Cash bar! Delicious food from local restaurants! Oysters! Professional dancers teaching the Hustle! We are accepting auction items for the Silent and Live Auctions until May 22 . Have a cottage rental to donate? Sports tickets? Family experiences? Please let us know! We need an army of volunteers to run this disco extravaganza. Are you a fan of decorations? Have your Smart Serve and would like to bartend? Or, are you a night owl who likes to stick around and help close the place down? Please volunteer an hour or two of your time at https://signup.com/go/rcVsnDp We look forward to seeing you! Spring Fling Committee

Click here for more information on a June 4th Equity Workshop at Howard Junior PS.

Please join us for our parade to Parkdale Collegiate tonight for the Junior concert. We will be leaving the Fern Primary yard at 5:35, walking east on Fern and south on Macdonell. Doors open at 6 PM, which is coincidentally your child’s call time tonight. Don’t panic — there are plenty of great seats! Note that it will be pretty warm in the auditorium, so you might want to risk leaving your parka at home. See you tonight! School Council Exec

Please click here for the Ward 9 Meeting flyer.

Hello! We are conducting a survey to assess how to best communicate with family/friends of Fern Public School regarding school-related information and events. There are many ways to communicate, and we are trying to evaluate the best ways to share information. Please fill out our survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZNLGT92 to help guide us in communications decisions. We also ask that if there are multiple people in your home who would like to receive communications from Fern, that each person fill out the survey. The survey should only take a few minutes, and we appreciate your time and input by next Friday, May 24th . If you have any questions/concerns about the survey, please email: fernnoticeboard@gmail.com . Kindly note that all responses will be kept anonymous. Thank you, Fern Communications Committee

We're getting close to meeting our playground goal! Our fundraising deadline is October 1, 2019 to see construction start the Spring of 2020! We currently have $120k in funds towards our playground. What does this mean? Together with the TDSB playground planners, we've divided up the Playground Revitalization project into 5 "Buckets" to prioritize our spending: Bucket 1: $85,000 -- A new play structure, mud kitchen, and outdoor classroom in the Primary Yard. Bucket 2: $50,000 -- Revitalized basketball court in the Senior Yard. Bucket 3: $40,000 -- OPAL outdoor storage and outdoor performance space, picnic tables, and benches. Bucket 4: TBD -- Improvements to gardens and pathways at the front of the school. Bucket 5: TBD -- Improvements to daycare/kindergarten enclosure to improve surface and expand concrete path. With the $120k we currently have, we have enough to pay for Bucket 1 -- the new play structure and other improvements to the Primary Yar

On behalf of School Council, congratulations to the staff, grade 7 & 8 students, and parent volunteers who brought Lestat Private High to life. There were a lot of magic moments: the band rocking out; the cast nailing every line, every song, and every scene; the tech kids (backstage, lighting, sound) running the show flawlessly; the fantastic set painted by Ms.Cameron's class; "Mama Vera's" dress store; my child learning an AC/DC song.... Best Fern Show Ever. Thanks so much to the parent volunteers (especially Samantha Schiemann), the Administration, Mr. Ruttan, Mr. Valverde (aka Nanno), Ms. Hulsman, Ms. Cameron, Ms. Reimer, Ms. Mercuri, Mrs. Heller, Mr. Cross, Mr. Nikolajevic, and of course, to Mr. Brooks. Thanks also to all the classroom teachers who rearranged their schedules over the last couple of weeks to accommodate rehearsals (and their patience with the kids in the band, cast, and crew who were pretty preoccupied). We are incredibly lucky to have

Our Jump Rope For Heart event will take place on Monday, May 13th, between 10:30-11:30 am. Students need to dress appropriately for weather and jumping events. Also, they should be reminded to bring their skipping rope with them. Please return all fundraising pledge forms to your child's homeroom teacher on the day of event, or by weeks end of May 13th. This is a great cause to get behind, and there is so much we can do for our hearts and community's health. Remember to be active with your family, your heart will love you back!

Heading down to Parkdale C.I. for the Spring Concert Wednesday, May 15th ? Try leaving your car at home and parading down with your friends and neighbours from Fern Ave P.S.! We had 100 people join us at the Holiday concert. Let's do it again. We'll meet in the Primary Yard at 5:35. Your child's "call time" and the opening of the auditorium doors are both at 6 p.m., so that gives us plenty of time to walk there. For those who have not yet been to a concert at Parkdale C.I., the auditorium is beautiful, spacious, and has many, many seats with great sight lines. The days of sending an advance party to reserve seats, or standing room only are gone. We'll be walking East on Fern and South on MacDonell if you want to join us. Look forward to seeing you at our parade! School Council Exec

Are you a Fern parent? Grandparent? Extremely involved caregiver? Then please attend your School Council meeting, Tuesday May 14, 6:30-8:30 in the Staff Room. There is no special membership required, secret handshake, or magic password. And while we’d love you to volunteer your time, contribute ideas, and engage with us, if you want to sit and listen, that works too. Items for discussion this meeting are:  Parent response to government budget cuts to education  Bike Rodeo and future bicycle initiatives  Possible future after-school program at Fern – “League of Champions”  Policy for assessing future fundraising opportunities  Update on Playground meeting with TDSB Along with our usual Principal’s Report, Student Council Report, and updates on upcoming events. Please join us, we'd love to hear from you! Kindly RSVP at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com for pizza and childcare. Look forward to seeing you! School Council Exec

This year's Fern Ave P.S. original Senior musical, LeStat Private High , is coming THIS WEEK -- Wednesday May 8 & Thursday May 9 AT 7pm! We desperately need parent volunteers to help our Grade 7 & 8 cast and crew. There are many ways to help, but in particular, we are in immediate need of the following volunteers: Wednesday May 8th - Hair Thursday May 9th - Hair and Makeup Friday May 10th - Strike down crew to help disassemble the stage Please find the link to the Lestat Private High volunteer sign up sheet at: Volunteer Sign Up 2019 If you have any questions, please contact Samantha at samantham0322@gmail.com . Thank you for your help! Look forward to seeing you at the show!

Thank-you to Lillian (Mme. Balaisis, Lenishya (Ms. Hall), Noe (Mme. Centano), Noah (Mme. Voicu) and their families who volunteered their time on Sunday to weed and mulch the Fern native plant garden! The local butterflies, birds and wildlife thank-you, as does the Fern school community! Stay tuned for future gardening dates! Any parents (and kids) who want to volunteer their time in the school garden, please contact larissa@mohan.ca Sincerely, Fern’s Eco Team

A huge thank-you to the Fern community for bringing in your worn and unwanted textiles in support of the Bag2School campaign! Fern diverted 1.25 tons out of our landfill and raised several hundred dollars for the Eco Team, which will go to support a planting plan for the native pollinator plant garden in front of the school. We hope Fern students and families enjoyed the experience and are more aware about the importance of responsible textile disposal and conscious purchasing decisions. The textile industry is the 2nd greatest polluting industry in the world; only together can we help slow the rate of consumption and therefore enact sustainable change. Sincerely, Fern’s Eco Team More information: info@bag2schoolfundraising.com

Hi Fern families, Unfortunately our school garden clean-up and celebration was cancelled due to rain twice. Fern’s Eco Committee will be visiting the garden between 1 pm and 3 pm tomorrow, Sunday, May 5th to enjoy some sunshine and begin work to mulch and weed the school garden. All Fern families welcome. Bring your own gloves if you have them! We really do need your help! See you there! Sincerely, Fern’s Eco Team

Hello! We are conducting a survey to assess how to best communicate with family/friends of Fern Public School regarding school-related information and events. There are many ways to communicate, and we are trying to evaluate the best ways to share information. Please fill out our  survey to help guide us in communications decisions. We also ask that if there are multiple people in your home who would like to receive communications from Fern, that each person fill out the survey. The survey should only take a few minutes, and we appreciate your time and input by this  Friday, May 10th . If you have any questions/concerns about the survey, please email: fernnoticeboard@gmail.com . Kindly note that all responses will be kept anonymous. Thank you, Fern Communications Committee

Dear Parents/Guardians, Fern Avenue PS Grade 7 and 8 student immunization clinic is scheduled on: Friday, 03 May 2019 : All Day The following vaccines will be given: • Second dose of hepatitis B vaccine to Grade 7 students • Second dose of human papillomavirus vaccine to Grade 7 students and Grade 8 female students • Toronto Public Health nurses will also immunize Grade 7 and 8 students who missed their hepatitis B, meningococcal, and human papillomavirus vaccines at earlier scheduled clinics. Thank you for your ongoing support to keep all students healthy.

Set in a old Gothic high school, strange events surround the school’s closing...Animals in the neighbourhood are getting sick, the school’s ageless caretaker is becoming weaker by the day, and staff are being let go when they start asking questions. Three unusual friends must work together to solve the mystery of Lestat Private High. Featuring live music performances by students, Fern PS’ next original musical is coming this May 8 & 9 at 7pm. Tickets are $15 through Cashonline or at the door. See you there!