Administrator Update
Newsletter Updates
The Administrator Update, Dates to Remember and Identity Months sections have been updated with new information.
Stay Connected with Northlea
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NorthleaTDSB. You can also check out our website at www.northleaschool.ca. Special thanks to Frank Chang for his work on Northlea's website.
New Trustee & Superintendent
Thank you to all of the candidates who ran for Trustee in Don Valley West. It is clear that excellence in education is a priority and we appreciate the immense commitment demonstrated by the candidates. During the election there was a robust conversation about how best to meet student and family needs that will be continued.
We congratulate Rachel Chernos Lin on her election to the role. As our new trustee, she is a familiar face in the Northlea community. Trustee Elect Rachel Chernos Lin has held numerous leadership roles at Northlea including Home and School Chair. We are pleased to begin working with Rachel in this new capacity. Trustee Gershon will continue in the role until the formal transition in December and they are collaborating to ensure a strong transition process.
Recently, there were also a few changes to superintendent assignments in the TDSB. We thank Leila Girdhar-Hill for her leadership, advocacy and support of the Northlea community. We welcome Kathleen Garner back to the superintendent role at Northlea. Superintendent Garner has a strong background in this neighbourhood and we are looking forward to working with her again.
PIAC's 12th Annual Parent Conference
Registration is now open! PIAC's 12th Annual Parent conference is coming to Earl Haig S.S. on Saturday, November 17th. Registration is free through EventBrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/tdsbs-parent-involvement-advisory-committee-17508417977
Sports Centre
Grade 5/6 Girls Soccer Team – Finished in 2nd place in their tournament and advanced to the Quarter Finals. Won their QF game on Tuesday October 23rd as well as their Semi-Finals on October 26th. Lost in the Conference Finals and were awarded a ‘Conference Finalist’ banner.
Grade 5/6 Boys Soccer Team – Finished in 2nd place in their tournament and advanced to the Quarter Finals. The boys won their QF game on Tuesday October 23rd but lost in the Semi-Finals on October 26th.
Grade 7/8 Girls Soccer Team – Played with respect and great character, but did not advance to the Quarter Finals
Grade 7/8 Boys Soccer Team - Finished 2-0-1 in their tournament and JUST missed qualifying for the Conference Semi-Finals
Grade 7/8 Girls Touch Football Tournament – Finished in 2nd place – Lost their Semi-Final match at the Conference Finals on October 24th.
Grade 7/8 Boys Touch Football Tournament –Took place on October 19th and finished in 3rd place (one place from advancing to the Conference Finals)
X-Country - We had over approximately 170 students compete in the First Regional X-country meet. 75 of those students competed in the Conference Finals on Tuesday, October 16th. The Conference Finals banners are being shipped to us now. Over 50 of those students qualified for the City Finals. At the City Finals, the Grade 8 boys were City Champions and the Grade 4, 5, and 6 Girls were City Finalists (2nd place).
Boys Volleyball and Girls Basketball have either started or are starting early next week.
Big shout out to our hard working players, supportive parents and our fantastic teacher coaches.
Cross Country Appreciation
Thank you to all the families who helped their children get to all the practices and all of the follow-up events. We share special appreciation to all the parents who took on coaching roles. Your involvement made it a real community event. Thank you to Megan and Alexis for their leadership with Cross Country. They worked so hard and did not overlook a single detail. Thank you also to our staff who coached alongside parents and to Ms. Ossher for her tremendous leadership with this initiative. We also wish to congratulate our student participants. In the end, this is all for them and they participated with enthusiasm, diligence and passion. Well done everyone!
Thank you to our Staff Coaches and Administrative Supporters:
Allana Ossher, John Ellis, Michael Sanders, Julia Cioban (while on a 4/5!), Ashley Zaharia, Damien Benedict, Carolyn Loares, Judy Keith, Helen Saroglou, Bill Shizas, Lindsay Resnick, Adrienne Duncan, Issac Card, Donatien Gahungu, Mindy Gatt, Farid Taileb & Debbie Cranswick.
Thank you to our Parent Coaches:
Megan O'Connell, Alexis De Castro, Janis Morris, Laura Weir, Meghan Buttle, Elena Vincent, Nancy Alberti, Jodie Wolkoff, Anna DeMaio, Greg Robertson, Anna Sharratt, Fiona Whitby, Al Pribaz, Min Ming Zhao, Roger Guttormson, Jen Davidson, Laura Addington, Amy French, Lucy Winston, Christine Voykin, Akiyo Hattori, Sandra King, Mark Arsenault, Eran Gilday and Jacques Beauregard
The pizza lunch celebration has been moved to Tuesday, November 27th, 2018.
November Identity Months
During the month of November, schools across TDSB are marking Indigenous Education Month and Hindu Heritage Month. More information is included in the Identity Months Section of this newsletter.
During the month of October, TDSB celebrated Islamic Heritage Month. Below are some of the opportunities that students in engaged in to further our commitment with Islamic Heritage Month.
a. Daily announcements sharing a wide variety of facts related to Islamic Heritage Month.
b. Updated library displays with themed resources.
c. Numerous class trips to the Aga Khan Museum
e. Numerous classes infusing Islamic Heritage into classroom learning in various ways.
We are committed to continually growing our programming so students are exposed to a wide range of global issues and varied cultures.
Holland Bloorview - Parent Information Evening
Our friends at Holland Bloorview have shared an invitation with the Northlea community. Below please find a flyer for a parent infomation event at Holland Bloorview on the subject of Developmental Coordination Disorder. This is a very worthwhile session.
Pizza Lunch - Thank You
Thank you to everyone who spoke with their children about expected behaviour and responsible use of food during Pizza Lunch. This past week's Pizza Lunch was a huge success! The students were so respectful and there was zero food waste. Now that's the Northlea way! Thank you to Natasha and the Pizza Lunch Parent Team for their leadership.
OPHEA Healthy Schools Certification Committee
The rescheduled OPHEA Healthy Schools Committee meeting will be this coming Tuesday October 30th @ 8:00 am in the South Gym. We are looking for students Grade 4-8, parents, and a public health figure as well! f you cannot make the date please email ashley.zaharia@tdsb.on.ca as you are more than welcome to still be part of the committee. Hope to you see there!
You can learn more about this initiative here: https://www.ophea.net/healthy-schools-certification
Remembrance Day
We welcome you to join us at our Remembrance Day assemblies.
- Friday, November 9th Assembly for Grades 5-8 in the North Gym from 9 - 9:30ish
- Friday, November 9th Assembly for Grades 1 - 4 in the North Gym from 9:45 to 10:10ish
Last week, our choir was honoured to perform at the Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy Pinning Ceremony at Sunnybrook's Veterans' Centre. They performed for veterans and the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Halloween
Hard to believe it's already almost October 31st! Below please find details about Halloween at Northlea.
K-3 - The Costume Parade will take place at 1:00 pm for Kindergarten-Grade 3. If it rains, it will be cancelled.
Grades 4-6 - Classroom teachers will update classroom parents about each class plan. Some classes may opt to join the parade.
Grades 7-8 - The SLC has organized a dance in the afternoon. Students who do not wish to participate will be offered alternatives in school.
Many of our students enjoy dressing up in costumes on Halloween. If you choose to send your child in a costume, we ask that you please keep the following in mind when preparing costumes. We ask that you please refrain from dressing in costumes that represent stereotypical images of cultures, include weapons and require masks.
With Halloween just around the corner, we encourage Northlea families to consider supporting "The Teal Pumpkin Project" to promote a safer, happier Halloween for kids with allergies. Your support will raise awareness of food allergies and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. Here's how it works:
- Place a teal pumpkin out in front of your home to indicate you have non-food treats available and/or display a free printable sign from FARE. By displaying the sign, you let kids know there are safe non-food alternatives available at your house on Halloween and spread the word about this initiative.
Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters
For more information, please visit: http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin
Mindful Parenting
The TDSB Parent Partnership Committee on Mental Health and Well-Being invites all parents and caregivers to attend a special presentation -
Wednesday, November 28 from 6:30 Lawrrence Park Collegiate 125 Chatworth Dr.
Please register here:
Home and School Dance A Thon
A Message from Shannon Chaplin and Allison Wesley - Your Home and School Dance Party Planners:
Coming soon is a pyjama dance party to help us put bullying to bed!! Watch out for your pledge form coming home in early November. Get out your glow in the dark pyjamas and help us fundraise for Northlea at an ultra neutron cosmic dance party hosted by professor Jamz. The dance a thon is coming up on Friday November 23rd. More details to follow.
Home and School Meetings
Mark your calendars:
Thursday, November 29th @ 6:30 PM - School Improvement Discussion & a presentation from Facilities re: Northlea and building maintenance.
Thursday February 7th @ 6:30 PM
Thursday, April 4th @ 6:30 PM
Thursday, May 9th @ 6:30 PM
Thursday, June 13th @ 6:30 PM
French Immersion & Extended French Applications
Families interested in Early French Immersion or Junior Extended French should record the timelines noted in the above poster and in the Early Immersion Package attached below. The package below includes important dates for Early Immersion Parent Information Evenings.
Families in JK looking to move to FSK should pay close attention to all notices about Early Immersion timelines and information evenings.
**Please note that, current TDSB policies and procedures, guarantee that all JK students who register on time are offered a placement in FSK. It is imperative that families take the required step to "accept" the placement when it is offered. You are encouraged to check your SPAM/Junk Mail folders regularly during the offer timeframe. As well, please note that, according to current policies and procedures, students are guaranteed a spot (if the above steps were followed) but they are not guaranteed a site. If the applications from local families exceed our allotment of FSK spots at Northlea, then families will be redirected to an alternate FSK site.
Please also note that the report coming from the Review of TDSB French Program Consultations from last Spring is expected to be shared at the Program and School Services Committee on November 1, 2018.
Rainy Recess
Friendly reminder that, as part of our ECO Schools/OPAL programming, we are moving to almost all weather play. Students are asked to bring rainboots, raincoats and splash pants so they can enjoy outdoor play in the rain.
Servery Lunch Options
This year, the Servery is pleased to offer a pre-paid lunch club program twice a week. Payment is made via Cash Online. This option is in addition to the daily offerings that can be purchased a la carte. Both options are available to students in Grades 1-8.
OPTION #1 Lunch Club Program - Please see PDF below:
OPTION #2 - A La Carte Offerings
Below are the Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3 schedules for A La Carte offerings from the Servery. They may be updated for November. In an effort to reduce our waste production, students are encouraged to bring reusable containers for their Servery lunches.
Grade 8 Transition to Grade 9
Families with children in Grade 8 are asked to pay close attention to all notices about the transition to Grade 9. Grade 7 families are also welcome to join these events so they have a good understanding of the process and options available.
Below are 2 important updates re: The Transition to Grade 9
1. TDSB Secondary Schools Open House Evenings: List of Dates and Locations TDSB schools host information nights for parents and students each year between October and January. Learn everything you need to know about the incredible variety of schools, programs and courses throughout the TDSB. Find what inspires you. Join the open houses to help make an informed decision before choosing a school. Tour TDSB facilities, meet staff and learn more about exciting TDSB Secondary programs and activities.
2. Parent Information Evening about the Transition from Grade 8 - 9 for Northlea and Bessborough Parents on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 @ 6:30 PM. Thank you to the many families who joined us at Bessborough to learn more about the transition to Grade 9. Below please find the slide show and handout from the event.
Boomerang Lunches
Please note that we ask students to bring all food items, including food packaging, home. Please keep this in mind when planning lunches and snacks.
School Cash Online
We use an online payment system for school related items such as field trips. You can register at: https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ .