Welcome Back BBQ

We encourage you to mark your calendar for our Welcome Back BBQ. This is a Northlea tradition led by the Home and School Association. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 28th. The BBQ will run from 5:00 - 7:30 pm. We hope to see everyone there. Thank you to the Home and School Association for hosting this wonderful kick-off event.

Curriculum Night

We are delighted to welcome you to Curriculum Night on Tuesday, October 3rd. The evening begins at 6:30 pm. The timetable for the evening is below:

6:30 - 6:40 - Administrators Welcome Parents in the North Gym

6:50 - 7:10 - 1st Kindergarten/ Primary/ Junior/ Intermediate presentations

7:15 - 7: 35 - 2nd Kindergarten & Junior presentations as well as drop-in opportunities for Primary and Intermediate rotary programs.

7:40 - 8:00 - 2nd Primary & Intermediate presentations as well as drop in opportunities for Kindergarten & Junior rotary programs.

Each homeroom teacher will offer two opportunities for formal in-class presentations and there will be one opportunity for drop-in sessions with each division's rotary programs. We hope that the choice we are offering is helpful.

The purpose of Curriculum Night is to familiarize parents with the classroom programming. It is not intended to provide individualized updates about each child. If you have specific issues you wish to address with the teachers, please coordinate appointments at an alternate time. We appreciate your support.

Me to We

10th Anniversary of Sarah and Claire's Food Drive

This year is the 10th anniversary of this worthwhile initiative. Northlea has a strong history of contributing to this food drive and we hope to make this year our largest contribution to date. Our amazing Me to We group is working hard to get this food drive organized and Claire will be presenting at our "We are NorthLeaders" September assembly.

The student leaders have signed up for daily collection and they are tallying food donations per class. Some of the Me to We leaders are going to create and update a mural to help advertise this initiative. They hope to create some energy and enthusiasm to motivate classes to participate. An announcement team has been organized and we are excited to have student photographers who will document this effort and add to our Northlea Twitter account.

We were blown away by the student interest to join this group. Their first meeting had more than 50 students! We are so proud and also wish to thank the staff advisors Harshini Fazl, Mindy Gatt and Susan Suirna.

In addition to the class collections, we are also inviting everyone to bring canned goods to the Welcome Back BBQ on September 28th. The food drive will run from the WBB until October 5th.

** Please see the Sarah and Claire's Food Drive Page in this newsletter for additional information.

Parent Coaches

If you are a parent coach or are interested in being one, please read the important update in the "Team Sports @ Northlea" section of this newsletter.

Well-Being Parent Information Evening

Blythwood School has extended an invitation to the families at Northlea to attend a presentation by Dr. Greg Wells on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017. We realize this conflicts with our Curriculum Night but we thought you might be interested in any event. Thank you to the Blythwood parent community for sharing this 'Parents Reaching Out' grant opportunity with us. More information can be found on this flyer.

Developmental Disability Program - After School Respite Registration

If your child is in the Developmental Disability program with Autism Spectrum Disorder and you are interested in an after school program, we encourage you to read more about what is being offered through Community Living Toronto. Program Description and Program Registration Form

The Crosswalk Co.

We are very proud of Arnav, Quinlan and Oliver. Their innovative approach to enhancing pedestrian safety was featured on CBC. We are excited to invite the community to learn more at a future gathering and via our "Safety" section in this newsletter.

Orange Shirt Day

Orange Shirt Day - Friday, September 29 - Every Child Matters

Northlea will be recognizing Orange Shirt day on Friday, September 29th, 2017. Orange Shirt Day acknowledges the history and legacy of the residential school system in Canada by honouring survivors and remembering those who did not. It is a day to demonstrate, by wearing orange, that all students matter. Please feel free to read more about Orange Shirt Day on the "Orange Shirt Day" page in this newsletter.

Athletics

Northlea is proud to offer a range of Athletics programming options. More information about the Fall and Winter Athletics offerings are noted in the 'Team Sports' section of the newsletter.

Mr. Marteinson Memorial

As many families know, Northlea experienced a difficult loss last year when Mr. Marteinson passed away. In his honour, a memorial sculpture, sponsored by the Families and Staff Contribution Fund, will be installed at Northlea. It is a beautiful bike rack in the shape of a bicycle and we know that when students ride their bikes and use this bike rack, they will remember Mr. Marteinson fondly.

We invite you to join us for a special memorial afternoon in Mr. Marteinson's memory.

Date: Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017

Timing:

Assembly #1 - 1:10 PM (Kindergarten-Grade 3)

Assembly #2 - 2:45 PM (Grades 4-8)

Bike Rodeo - Following PM dismissal (BYOBike & Helmet & Parent/Caregiver supervision required)

The assemblies will include staff, parent and student speakers sharing their memories and thoughts. There will also be presentations about bike safety led by the Toronto Police Service, a presentation about a local student-led pedestrian safety initiative and highlights about how biking and walking contribute to well-being and ecological stewardship.

After PM dismissal, parents and caregivers are invited to bring bikes and helmets to school so that students can particpate in the bike safety rodeo faciliatated by the Toronto Police Service. We ask that all students who participate in the Bike Rodeo are directly supervised by parents and guardians.

We hope that this event will honour Mr. Marteinson's memory by inspiring students to make safe, active and environmentally friendly choices.

Photo Day

Please remember that Thursday, October 5th, 2017 is Photo Day. You can link to the photographer's flyer for more details.

EQAO Results

EQAO results were released. We invite you to the October 17th Home and School meeting for a more detailed presentation about our EQAO results.

Concussion Protocol

If your child is diagnosed with a concussion, we ask that you notify the teacher because there is a protocol we follow during the healing phases. We work with you to ensure that appropriate accommodations are in place until there is a full recovery noted by a medical doctor.

We ask that you please read the parent information form about concussions and please keep us informed about concussion-related matters.

Choir

Grade 5/6 Choir is Starting. The grade 5/6 Choir will begin rehearsals on Thursday, October 12th. All grade 5 and 6 students are welcome to join. Please see the "Choir @ Northlea" section of the newsletter for details. Forms are due to Ms. Malach by Wednesday, September 27. Looking forward to an incredible year of music-making!

Trustee Update

Trustee Gerri Gershon plays an important role in the public education domain. She has shared a letter with the community and we encourage you to read it. Her webpage also has information and updates that you may find helpful. We thank Gerri for her work with and on behalf of our community.

Blood Donor Clinic

Northlea Elementary and Middle School

305 Rumsey Rd

Wednesday October 4, 2017

2-7 p.m.

Call 1-888-2-Donate

(1-888-236-6283)

School Cash Online

As noted in our first newsletter, we are moving to an online payment system for school related items such as field trips and agendas. You can register at: https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/. As we migrate to this system, we are working out glitches. Thank you for your patience and your help in letting us know if you are not able to access this site properly.

Legislative Page Program

Each year approximately 140 young students from across Ontario are selected to participate in the Legislative Page Program. This unique educational experience open to all Ontario students enrolled in grades 7 or 8, provides an opportunity to experience the provincial legislature in action, and to learn about the history and traditions of the Legislative Assembly. Application are open - September 15th to November 15th for the Spring Parliamentary Session (February to June of the following year). For more information, please click here.

Student Transportation Information

For our families who use the TDSB transportation program, we encourage you to read more in the "Student Transportation Information" section of this newsletter.

Transitions to Grade 9 & French Immersion Applications

In our newsletter, you will find two separate pages for the above topics. If you are parents of children looking to access FI programming or transitioning to secondary school, it is important that you are informed about timelines and overall procedures. We hope these information pages will be helpful as you navigate through the application process.

Grade 3 Universal Screening

As part of the TDSB’s Universal Screening Process for Grade 3 students, we would like your consent for your son/daughter to take the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test, a standardized group test of ability.

The results of this test will be used by school personnel to gain a better understanding of your child’s learning strengths and needs, and to provide educators with key information for differentiating instruction to improve student achievement. Central staff may also use test results to establish a basis for the evaluation of existing programs and assist in planning appropriate curriculum and instructional programs at the system level. Individual test results will be treated confidentially and any data used for purposes of reporting to the public will be done generically without disclosure of identifying information. This test will be administered by school personnel during the first two weeks of October and will not involve anyone from outside the school. Following the assessment, a copy of the results will be placed in your child’s Ontario Student Record and a copy of results will also be shared with you.

Would you please indicate on the bottom portion of this form your consent for this testing of your child, and return it as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

More information around the Universal Screening Process can be found here - http://www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyYears/SpecialEducation.aspx. If you have any other questions, please speak with either administrator or your child’s teacher. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Equity at Northlea

The TDSB is proud to foster learning about identity throughout the school year. Our hope is to create a learning environment that empowers young people to become change agents for a just and inclusive society and feel assured that when they are at Northlea, this is an environment that is free of bias and discrimination.

When a sense of equity and social justice underpins their thinking, we have confidence that they will craft sustainable alternatives that are of benefit to local and global communities. They are the NorthLeaders and we know the future is in good hands with our students at the helm.

The TDSB website has a wealth of information about the equity mandate that is currently in place. The Integrated Equity Framework (Interim Report) explains the Board priorities in this area. We encourage you to read more if you have not done so already.

As a school community, we are excited to be actively engaged in reflection about our practices. We are looking to see where gaps may exist or new ideas would invigorate our programming and traditions. Through this process we may likely stumble upon 'ways of doing' that have worked in the past and no longer serve our equity agenda today and for tomorrow. We want to engage the community in this process. We cannot do this work alone as a staff team.

Equity is most likely to be realized when there is involvement from all stakeholders. In working with the Northlea community, It is very clear that there is a collective desire for Northlea to be inclusive, safe and respectful in all aspects. We are #proudtobeatNorthlea

You might be interested to know that there are several themes highlighted in TDSB during the month of October . We encourage you to read our "Heritage Month" page in this newsletter. As you can imagine, we are always exploring how best to honour all of the communities each month and there are many strategies that schools use. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our curriculum, resources and opportunities at Northlea are representative of diverse viewpoints and experiences throughout the year.

Ms. Sandler and Ms. Wadden