School Council meets this Wednesday

All Clairlea parents are invited to attend the final School Council meeting of the year, on Wed. June 3 at 7:00pm. As always, childcare will be provided in the gym. There will no doubt be talk about classroom placements and our new principal and v-p, so we hope you'll join us for what's sure to be a lively meeting!

Classroom placements for 2009-10

A letter is going home today from Mr. Puopolo regarding class placements for next year. He has also provided the following documents: Staff and room list for 2009-10 (who's teaching what) Classroom organization (projected class numbers) The school will be doing student placements the week of June 7. Although Mr. Puopolo asks that parents do not request specific teachers for their children, they are welcome to send him a note with any special considerations that he should be aware of in making the placements. You should also have received a notice yesterday that Clairlea will be getting a new principal and vice-principal in 2009-10. While we will miss Mr. Puopolo and Ms. Bismilla (and of course Ms. Phillips), we look forward to welcoming our new principal Ms. Persaud and vice-principal Mr. Frenette.

H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) at Clairlea

A notice was sent home with students today informing parents that there is a confirmed case of H1N1 influenza ("swine flu") at Clairlea. According to School Council Chair Ginnie Zaromitidis, the school was closed at 4:30pm today and a disinfection process took place. Details are posted at the TDSB website. Some exerpts from their notice (emphasis added):

Toronto Public Health is advising that the school should continue to operate as usual. This recommendation is consistent with guidelines issued by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The TDSB is committed to protecting the health and well being of all our students and staff. The Board has a response plan in place and its system response team is in regular contact with public health officials to monitor the situation. The TDSB would like to remind the public that proactive hygiene practices such as frequent, proper hand washing are the most effective way to reduce the spread of viruses.

More information about this virus is available at the Toronto Public Health website and the Ontario Ministry of Health website. The TDSB's Pandemic Response Update Hotline: (416) 397-2400.

Help keep school pools open

In a continuing effort to keep school pools open, the Aquatic Working Group (AWG) has secured Board, Provincial and City commitments to fund certain Toronto school pools and to defer the decision to close others. The AWG reports that there is interest by various agencies and organizations in generating revenue for the pools. Potential partners include the YMCA, the Toronto Community Foundation, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the private sector. What's needed now is for everyone interested in using the pools for any kind of club or event to apply for the time they want at specific pools, based on $50/hr – any pool, any user group. The AWG's recommendation to change the permit fees will be before the TDSB Board on May 27th. They expect it to pass, effective for July 1st, 2009. Summer permits will be issued shortly thereafter. All users have been asked to submit their requests for the summer and next year. Even if you don't know the exact hours you'll need, request the permit now and make adjustments later if necessary. They are asking people to register at permits@tdsb.on.ca or contact the permit department at (416) 395-7666. All different kinds of groups are welcome. It's important to register for permits now, because the usage and registration levels will help them decide whether it's feasible to keep the pools open.

Friday May 15 - bake sale for cystic fibrosis

The kindergarten classes are having a bake sale for cystic fibrosis on Friday. This is very special to them, because one of their classmates suffers from this disease. Cystic fibrosis means that his body is not able to drain his lungs properly and it is not possible for him to digest food. May is Cystic Fibrosis awareness month. The bake sale will be at morning and afternoon recess, so please bring your loonies and toonies! Donations are $1. Last year, your donations helped this child get a special vest that helps him breathe every day. The Council would like to thank you for your continued support!

Notes from May 6 School Council meeting

Some notes from the quick and efficient School Council meeting last night: Staffing / school activities: - Mr. Puopolo is interviewing teachers to fill expected vacancies in the school for next year. The staffing model will be complete by the end of May. Some timetable adjustments may need to be made due to the 210 minutes of prep time (weekly) agreed upon in recent teacher negotiations. - Ms. Phillips will retire this year. We wish her very well. A new principal will be announced this Spring - probably by the end of May - by superintendent Dickinson. - The Grade 8's are going on a four-day class trip to Quebec, accompanied by three teachers. - EQAO testing takes for grades 3 and 6 will take place between May 25 and June 5. (Grade 3 French immersion students are tested on math only.) School Council projects: - Council will fund the Grade 8 graduation, dinner and yearbook, as in past years. - Council will fund the kindergarten graduation, as in past years. - The Primary Math Club sent a very nice thank you note for the games provided by School Council. Fundraising: - The baskets at the Spring concert raised about $775! Together with proceeds from pizza days, movie nights and other fundraisers, this money funds projects like the ones listed above. Thanks to those who coordinated and to everyone who participated. - The dance-a-thon I mentioned in an earlier post will not take place after all, for logistical reasons. - The next pizza lunch is May 28. Planning is well underway for next year's fundraisers. Volunteers are needed to lead fundraising activities both large and small, including: - manage a barbecue or treat table at curriculum night in September - organize a treat table for the December concert - manage a read-a-thon in January - organize the 2010 Fun Fair - a big job but lots of fun! - volunteers are also needed to help out with fundraisers throughout the year, including the above and many others. Come to the June 3 School Council meeting to learn more about what you can do to help! If you're interested in volunteering, please seek out Ginnie (School Council chair) or leave a message for her at the office. I think that was about it. Official minutes to come once approved. Click here for the minutes from April's meeting. p.s. I apologize for listing the wrong day for the Clairlea Park opening! I know at least one family was inconvenienced and I hope there were not too many others.

Agenda for Wednesday's School Council meeting

Here are the agenda items for the School Council meeting tomorrow evening (Wednesday May 6, 7:00-8:30pm at the school). Call to order Minutes/Action List Principal’s Report Vice-Principal’s Report Teachers Report (Mr. Steers) Fundraising for 2009/2010 Treasurers Report Grade 8 Graduation Events: Review Spring Concert Pizza Lunch Dance a thon All Clairlea parents are welcome. Childcare will be provided in the gym. Hope to see you there. (I'm Catharine, please say hi to me and tell me what you think of the blog so far!)

School Council meets this Wednesday

The School Council will meet this Wednesday May 6 at 7pm at the school. Childcare provided in the gym. Please come! All welcome!

Information about the swine flu

A message from the Toronto District School Board's director of education regarding the TDSB and Swine Flu can be read here. (Thanks to Mr. Knierim for the link.) Bottom line: wash your hands frequently, do the sleeve sneeze, and stay home when you're sick. TDSB: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ Toronto Public Health: www.toronto.ca/health/