Administrator Update
Newsletter Updates
The Administrator Update and Dates to Remember 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.
Closing 2018 at Northlea - Looking Forward Together
We share holiday greetings with those who celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah and the Winter Solstice. Tonight we also share greetings for a Happy New Year as we ring in 2019. We hope that this break has been enjoyable for all of our families and we send our best wishes for a year full of joy, accomplishment and good health for everyone at Northlea. As 2018 comes to a close, we have so much to celebrate and important work ahead of us.
School Improvement Planning
We invite you to read, in more depth, about our School Improvement Plan. This plan was created with parent, student and staff voice. We reviewed numerous data sources, looked at trends, identified our strengths and our areas of need. Over the course of the year, components of the plan may change but our core priorities will be consistent. Our plan is also aligned with the TDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
Our decision-making will be guided by the priorities outlined in this plan. One example is that we have recently carved out a new leadership role at Northlea. In addition to the 3 Division Chairs (Primary, Junior & Intermediate), we have also hired a fourth Chairperson to support Early Literacy and French Immersion programming at Northlea. We are pleased to welcome Marina Mason to this role. Together with our Northlea staff team and central TDSB support staff, she is overseeing the revitalization of our instructional resources and leading professional development with a focus on identifying and monitoring reading levels and developing programming that corresponds to student strengths and needs.
Below is a summary of our School Improvement Plan:
Thank you to Dr. Barbara Bell-Angus
After 12 years of devoted service to Northlea and numerous other local schools, Dr. Barbara Bell-Angus has retired. Dr. Bell-Angus was a key part of our School Support Team. As a psychologist, she supported many families and staff members through complex issues. Below is a short video of our farewell gathering. Thank you to our wonderful lunchroom supervisor - Debran Crooke for sharing her incredible talents to mark this occasion. We thank Dr. Bell-Angus for her hard work at Northlea and wish her all the best in this new chapter.
Shining a Light on 'Be the Change'
Tonight we ring in a new year and with a new year come new resolutions. Our fantastic students got a head start on improvements for the new year. You may have noticed some eager hot chocolate vendors after school at the end of December. They are part of a very important student leadership group at Northlea. Last year, several students in Grades 5 and 6 were so inspired by the 7/8 WE Team that they looked to start a social justice leadership group for students in Grades 5 and 6 as well. They started Be the Change and, with Mme Kaziev's support, they are up to something very special.
The Be the Change group wondered why some spaces feel safe and others do not. They noticed that the bathrooms are spaces where students often feel vulnerable. In an effort to transform our washrooms into safe and comfortable spaces, they have decided to enhance them with positive messages and different themes. Below is an example of their first update. We are so proud of their leadership and impact and we can't wait to see what's next. Well done Be the Change!
Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Thank you to Allison Maselli and Angie Novachis and the Home and School for the beautiful Staff Appreciation Breakfast. Our team really enjoyed relaxing and enjoying a hearty breakfast together.
Walk to School Wednesdays
We were so proud to see so many families walking to school on our 1st W2SW in December. Congratulations to Ms. Fazl's class for having the most walkers on our December W2SW.
Please mark the following dates in your calendar so you can plan to join in on the fun.
Wednesday, January 9th, 2019
Wednesday, February 6th, 2019
Wednesday, March 6th, 2019
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019
Wednesday, May 1st, 2019
Wednesday, June 5th, 2019
Classroom Library Enrichment
In January, each homeroom class will be given $200.00 to enhance their classroom libraries. Homeroom teachers will be asking students which types of books they would like to have in their classroom libraries. Student suggestions will be used to make purchase orders. This approach is intended to enhance student voice, foster reading for pleasure and value multiple forms of writing so all students see themselves as capable readers. This initiative is part of our focus on literacy at Northlea.
Forest of Reading
Our Forest of Reading program has launched. Ms. Ivancic and Ms. Horton are leading the way and the energy is contagious. Our staff are reading novels and our student readers will have mini book talks with staff readers to verify the student reading experience. This is an incredible initiative that is a true partnership between parents, students, community and staff. We extend appreciation to the Home and School for their support and we are over the moon to offer such a rich literacy opportunity.
Focus on Numeracy
The Differentiated Math Program Collaborative Inquiry
Our homeroom teachers have been engaged in a Collaborative Inquiry Process focused on enhancing achievement in mathematics. Some key aspects of the collaborative inquiry process include using data to identify and monitor achievement. Secondly the inquiries and action planning are teacher-led based on their observations of student needs.
At Northlea, we are looking at how to support a wide range of learners by differentiating the math program. The teachers began by preparing a profile of their classes which included identifying strengths, interests and areas of need. In grade teams, they met with the administrative team and discussed their observations. Following that process, teams of staff worked together and with our Learning Coach to further develop their inquiry questions and action planning.
Several themes emerged and these themes were echoed in our EQAO data as well. In any given class, it is common to find groups of students who excel in one of the areas below and need more support in another. This is why differentiation is very important. It enables staff to target multiple needs in a cohesive manner.
Themes from our DIfferentiated Math Program Collaborative Inquiry
1. Encourage students to willingly take academic risks and see value in making mistakes.
2. Support student capacity to answer multi-step open-ended problems
3. Expand students' mathematics vocabulary.
4. Further develop automaticity with basic number facts and operations
We encourage you to talk with your classroom teachers to find out more about their collaborative inquiries.
Integrating Technology to Enhance Engagement and Differentiation in Mathematics
As part of our work to enhance student achievement in numeracy, we are looking at how best to leverage technology. Our staff Tech Committee has put together a series of TECH TALKS to support staff professional development. The first of our series was about Knowledgehook led by Ms. Ivancic and Mr. Sanders. Soon we will be looking at other programs for math and literacy including Read & Write Gold, TVO Mathify, Proloquo2GO, TDSB Virtual Library, Net Maths and The Prodigy Game .
You can also visit the TDSB site to find links to more online programs that are age appropriate. You'll need to scroll down a bit to find the links shown in the picture below.
Winter Concerts
Special congratulations to everyone who participated in the Northlea Winter Concerts. We were so pleased to have our local Member of Provincial Parliament Kathleen Wynne join our afternoon concert. The concerts were truly spectacular. Our choir was also invited to sing at Queen's Park and they were thrilled to be welcomed by MPP Wynne.
Much appreciation is shared with Alice Malach, Natalie Sommers Jennifer Capes and Julie Roberts for their leadership. Thank you also to our wonderful staff team who were instrumental behind the scenes along with our parent partners for all of your support and involvement. Bravo to the student performers. They were extraordinary!
The Kindergarten Concert was also a lovely afternoon together. We were so impressed with the parent turnout and the poise of our youngest performers.
Hackergal & First Lego League
We were so excited to offer students rich coding and robotics experiences this year.
Hackergal
The Hackergal program was a huge success. It was pretty special to walk into the library and see a room full of young women coding . . . better still was that they were coding stories to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship! We were so proud of the girls who participated and Ms. Ivancic for her leadership. Below is a picture of one of the Hackergal groups.
Hackergal describes their mission as follows:
Hackergal is a not-for-profit organization that introduces young girls across Canada to coding through the experience of a hackathon. With women vastly underrepresented in the tech industry all over the world, Hackergal strives to inspire a new wave of Canadian female coders to bring equality to the booming industry.
First Lego League - Northlea Space Cavaliers
We also share big congratulations with our First Lego League team - The Northlea Space Cavaliers. On a cold Saturday morning in mid-December, following months of practice, the Northlea Space Cavaliers were ready for their big day at John Polanyi Institute for a First Lego League Tournament.
With their materials and baked goodies in hand, they set up shop at 7:30 am and competed in competitions all day long until the closing ceremony at 4:30 pm. This was our first time competing and we learned so much! Thank you to Kendra Dunlop, Home and School and our staff leaders - Amanda Santos, Isaac Simms, Isaac Card and Lindsay Resnick for their leadership.
Snowflake Festival
The 2018 SNOWFLAKE FESTIVAL was a delight. Our Intermediate students worked hard to prepare activities and decorations for all of the Kindergarten students to enjoy. Our Welcome Lounge was transformed into a Winter Wonderland and there were many smiling faces.
Sports Updates
The Gr. 6 & 8 boys volleyball teams both won the North Conference Volleyball Finals in convincing fashion.
Ice hockey tryouts are over with both the 5/6 & 7/8 teams being set. The Leaside cup is taking place the second week back after the break. Both seasons start before the end of January.
Girls volleyball, Boys basketball and Swimming will get started soon after the break. We are ready for another active season!
Northlea Gives Back
WE Provide Warmth
The Winter Clothing Drive was a huge success and Ms. Fazl and Ms. Gatt were able to bring a signficant amount of winter clothing items to New Circles on behalf of the Northlea community.
Holiday Hampers
This was Northlea's 24th year supporting the YWCA during the holiday season. Thank you to everyone who contributed. We were so pleased to send a full truckload of items that will make a difference to many families in Toronto.
Covenant House
Thank you to Room 108 for leading the toiletry drive for Covenant House. It was a pleasure to learn more about how Covenant House supports youth in need during their visit to Northlea. Some of the wisdom shared included: "Inside of us, we all have gifts we can share. When people experience homelessness, it's important to help people share their gifts." "We have hope that we share when youth are losing hope."
OPAL Loose Parts Drive
Rainy Recess
Friendly reminder that, as part of our ECO Schools/OPAL programming, we are an almost all weather play school. Students are asked to bring rainboots, raincoats and splash pants so they can enjoy outdoor play in the rain.
We are building our inventory of rain gear. If you have spare rain boots and raincoats that you wish to donate, please bring them to the main office.
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.
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.
TDSB Policy Consultations
From the TDSB Website - We Want to Hear From You - The objective of consultation is to gather public input regarding options, alternative courses of action, as well as to identify unintended effects for various participants and to find solutions. We would like to know your thoughts about our policy decisions by inviting you to our policy consultations. Please click on the policy of your interest to see the current draft. You are welcome to provide your comments, including suggestions on the wording and provisions of the draft policies, questions or recommendations using the contact information below.
Student Dress Code Policy (P042) - To establish standards and fair and equitable practices for student dress in schools; centered on student engagement and student voice. To recognize that students need the freedom to express themselves and experience school as an important social environment, not a professional work environment, and that dress plays a fundamental role in how students build healthy relationships and express themselves. Click for Draft Policy (save as word document) Student Dress Code Policy Survey - Closes February 28, 2019 Contact kenneth.jeffers@tdsb.on.ca
Restrictions on Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use Policy (P0XX) - To promote a working and learning environment that is free from the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and substance use, including tobacco, cannabis, and its related products. Click here for Draft Policy (save as work document) Closes January 31, 2019 Contact gillian.venning@tdsb.on.ca
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/ .