Tomorrow's council meeting CANCELLED

The School Council meeting normally scheduled for tomorrow (Dec 15) has been cancelled. The Chair wishes you all the very best for the holidays!

Also, I apologize for my silence over the past couple of weeks. I will catch up with a few posts in the coming days. For the school newsletter, December calendar and other news, please watch the school's blog, http://clairlea.blogspot.com/.

Best,
Catharine

Movie night Dec 10 - Shrek 4!

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Movie Night at Clairlea -Friday Dec 10 at 7pm. Shrek 4. $2 per person!

Holiday concert poinsettia sale

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What exactly is a "progress report"?

In case you haven't noticed the change in language, next week we're receiving "progress reports" instead of "report cards."

The head of People for Education was on the radio this morning discussing the change. Listen to the interview here. A search of the Toronto District School Board website uncovered this document, which explains the difference between and the timing for progress reports and report cards.

The role of a School Council?

Fellow CBC listeners may have heard the discussion this afternoon on the appropriate role of school councils in today's schools.* This was prompted by a People for Education report on the subject. The summary below is taken from their website.

The survey results show that parents and school council members across the province are working tirelessly to support their local schools, not only for their own children, but for the good of the entire community.

But the results showed significant disconnects - between current provincial school council policy and what school councils actually now consider their most important roles.

Among the findings in the report:

• The majority of school councils list enhancing communication as their most important role, but they report they spend the most time on fundraising.
• New provincial policy mandates that every board has a Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). While two-thirds of schools reported they knew about their board's PIC, 41% didn't know how parents got to be on the committee.
• 84% of councils report that their principals always or often notify them about education policy changes; 59% say they hear about changes from their school boards, and 34% report the Ministry of Education notifies them always or often.
• 89% of schools fundraise. Of those, 53% raise money for library books, 61% for art and music, and 56% for computers, text books or classroom supplies.

The most important task now is to ensure that our parent engagement policy and practice provides support that is:

• useful
• prevents parent involvement from becoming an onerous task
• lays the groundwork for an inclusive, welcoming environment in our schools and in our education system

What do you think? What do you think school councils should focus on?

p.s. There's more detail in this Ottawa Citizen article on the report.

Happy Halloween!

Wasn't the Halloween Howl fun? Good work Ginnie & co!!

Here's a great Halloween song to get you in the spirit... thanks Mme Dungo for the link. Have fun tonight! At our house, we've already roasted pumpkin seeds and I may try my hand at these no-bake graveyard treats this afternoon. (Wish I'd found that link in time for last week's bake sale.)

A fun meeting: providing things that Clairlea needs

October is my new favourite School Council meeting. All those pizza lunches, bake sales, gift baskets, fun fairs... they all happen for a purpose, and that purpose is to be able to buy things that Clairlea needs and can't afford. At last week's meeting, we approved our spending plan for the year - or at least for the money we have in the bank as of now.

It's worth noting that at least one (maybe more?) parents offered to research and comparison-shop so that we could get the very best prices for the items we are going to buy. Thanks, Hope!

Here's what we approved: 

• A two-afternoon Media Literacy workshop for 20 students. (If this first workshop is a success, we'd like to consider offering it to more kids, possibly with a fee to cover part of the cost, which is $20 per student.) $400
• Two in-school Mystic Drumz Assembly performances for primary and junior grades, to let the students experience live music and to introduce them to various drums from around the world. $600
• Guitar cases, picks and strings for the Guitar Club - will try to find used cases if possible. $350
• New laptop for assemblies, concerts, slideshows, dances, outdoor events and graduation. Existing laptop will be made available for student use. $3,000
• Support for Diversity Day. $100
• A projector, speakers and portable screen for classroom use, so that classes can project webcasts, videos, assignments, scientific activities and other items on a computer $1,000
• Digital cameras for shared school use $1,200
• Support for a school-wide French Day $500

...so when you sent in your baked goods and loonies today, or when you're at the Halloween Howl on Friday, now you know where your money is going! All of the items listed above were requested by teachers or staff at the school. We considered all requests and would have liked to support everything. Teachers, if your item didn't get chosen, please put in a request again next year! We would like to do everything possible to get Clairlea what it needs.

I also want to mention how much effort goes into these fundraising activities. It's an enormous undertaking to organize something like today's bake sale (right Maria?) or the Fun Fair (Irit and Mary Anne are probably still recovering) or the Halloween Howl (thanks Ginnie!).

Also from last week's Council meeting:

- The principal/VP profile was approved. Thanks to everyone who provided input.
- A school board nurse presented options for parent education, and supporting teachers and parents in ensuring students are eating healthy meals and being physically active. She passed around some documents which I said I would post on the blog and I will...just as soon as I get the links.
- Our principal, Ms. Persaud, reported on the school's budget for 2010/11, noting that the special funding from last year is no longer in place (due to great improvement in student achievement) - so the school needs to be disciplined about spending and focus on priority activities, which include literacy, the learning resource centre (library), numeracy, science, IT and other priorities too numerous to list here. The 2009-10 school budget is posted here, and I'm sure the 10-11 budget will be uploaded in due course.
- Ms. Persaud also reported that the Safe and Caring School committee is continuing its good work, focusing not just on safety but also in ensuring that Clairlea is a welcoming environment for everyone. The bus loop continues to be an area of concern and volunteers are still needed. Please contact Bev Way if you can assist... maybe just one morning or afternoon a week?
- Our vice-principal, Mr. Frenette (happily & healthfully back from a medical leave) reported that parents were asked for permission for their French Immersion students to participate in a study on a standardized test for French Immersion students. A letter has been sent home. Likely only a few Clairlea students will actually be asked to participate.
- The treasurer, Ann Silver, reported that we have about $7,500 available to allocate to school projects and requests, in addition to spending approved at the September meeting, which included grade 8 graduation, yearbook, lice squad, Student Leadership Team t-shirts, and refreshments for curriculum night and other evening events at school. (See spending report above.)

That's about all I can remember. Thanks everyone!

Bake sale on Monday & Halloween Howl on Friday

As many of you know, Clairlea is a polling station in tomorrow's municipal election. That makes it an especially great day to hold a bake sale, so do please bring in your peanut-free baked goods tomorrow between 7am and 9am. And remind your kids to bring a loonie or two to school.
Also, volunteers are needed for the Halloween Howl on Friday. Decorations and donations are also needed - see drop box in front of the office.

And don't forget to vote!!

Bake Sale reminder - Oct 25

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School Council meets Wednesday - October 20

Hello all! I hope to see you at the School Council meeting on Wednesday Oct 20. The agenda is below.

This is the meeting when we get to allocate the money we've raised / will raise over the course of the year. Requests have been received from the school community and have been circulated by email and in this space, so this is our chance to discuss and vote on them. Please come if you can.

Please, no new spending ideas, however brilliant - hold onto them for next year!

We'll meet at the school from 7pm to 8:30. As always, everyone is welcome - whether or not you are a "voting" member of Council. Childcare will be provided in the gym.

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Volunteers needed to direct traffic in the bus loop

The Safe and Caring Schools Committee has been working hard to ensure that Clairlea is a safe environment for all students.

The bus loop is a particular concern, and volunteers are needed to direct traffic in the bus loop both mornings and afternoons. If you are able to help, please email Bev Way at promo.way@sympatico.ca. Thank you! 

Life with Teens - a series of workshops

Birchmount Park's school council is putting on a series of workshops on life with teens. Details below.

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A few updates

Hello everyone! I've been away for a week so there's a bit of backlog of items to post on the blog:

1. The October school newsletter is now online.

2. The October school calendar is also online.

3. I apologize for the hiccups in last month's pizza lunch. I guess we have a few kinks to work out in our ordering system. We'll try to do better next time. October forms will go home this week for those who have not pre-ordered.

4. School Council meets on Wednesday October 20, at 7pm at the school. Everyone is welcome. The major agenda item is to make a spending plan for 2010-11. All staff were given the opportunity to put in requests. Their list is pasted below. Please come to the October council meeting to have a voice in how our fundraising dollars are spent. If you have questions or views to share, please email them to clairleacouncil@gmail.com

• To enhance the music program at Clairlea by adding to our collection of instruments, drums are often used in drama and dance as well requesting 3 new Djembe Drums @ $654 (218 each)
• Media Literacy workshop. This is a two afternoon workshop for students that are not typically involved in sports or arts programs. 20 students @ $20 =$400
• The Library is requesting a display case to go outside the library (similar to the one when you come into the school) This is so items can be displayed upstairs. (books, artwork etc.) $900
• Mystic Drumz Assembly performances. 2 in school shows for grade primary and one for junior. This lets the students experience live music and be introduced to various drums from around the world, make connections to world music and participate in the performance. $600
• The Guitar Club (Council purchased these guitars a few years ago) has been very active the past year and is in need of cases for the guitars as well as supplies of picks and new strings. $350
• Media Events is in request of a new laptop for assemblies, concerts, grad, slideshows, dances, and all outdoor events. The current and tiring Mac Book is used everyday, all day on all things including blogs, class projects and computer class projects. $3000
• Diversity day (education week in May) is requesting money for prizes for students. $100
• School use of projector and portable screen. Media in classrooms not as accessible with tv/dvd. The projector shows things on computers, assignments, web casts, scientific activates, video clips and movies. Is also used for movie nights. Projector $710, speaker $195 portable screen $95 total= $1000
• For council use. Board games, balls, and activities for the students who use the babysitting services during council meetings. These could also be used during night events where the school uses childcare, example: EQAO night. $300
• The arts program is requesting money for cameras for students in 4 to 8 to do projects in photography that include elements of design or principle of design. Fifteen cameras, chargers, memory cards $3500
• Last year the primary French program started a French day. This year they would like to include the whole school. Money is needed for prizes, games etc. $500
• The Kindergarten students will be going on their annual trip to the zoo and are requesting funds for their bus. $250 for one bus.

5. The Toronto District School Board is holding a Parent Engagement Conference on November 13. I have heard that these conferences are very good. They are free, but sessions fill up early, so those who want to go should register as soon as they can. www.tdsb.on.ca/parents/parent_community

Halloween Howl Oct 29

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Clairlea's 2009-10 EQAO results

Clairlea's EQAO results (at left) compared to the TDSB and province

Many of you already know about Clairlea's past performance on the province of Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability (EQAO) exams. If you were here last year, you'll be familiar with the interventions and learning pathways that formed part of the school's improvement plan.

All that hard work paid off. Clairlea's results in 2009-10 are something to be very proud of. The students and teachers worked very hard to make this happen and I believe that the interventions of last year will pay dividends for years to come. Clairlea showed that good leadership, creative thinking, sharing ideas, celebrating success, hard work and (perhaps most importantly) believing in yourself can make all the difference!

These are some screen shots from Clairlea's full EQAO report, which is available on the TDSB web site. (You can also find 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005 reports for comparison.) It's great that we surpassed both the Toronto board and the province, but my favourite graph is the one that shows Clairlea's consistent improvement over time. What I like best about this school is that the staff are still talking about improvement, still working at getting better.
No resting on laurels at this school.

Clairlea's Grade 3 results over time

Clairlea's Grade 6 results over time

Summary of Sept school council meeting

Last week was the first School Council meeting of this school year. Congratulations to the 2010-11 executive: chair Ginnie Zaromitidis, vice-chair Bev Way, secretary Christina Mark and treasurer Ann Silver.

These are not the official minutes, just my recollection of the meeting...

13 people signed on to be voting members of School Council. All other Clairlea families are welcome and encouraged to attend Council meetings any time. I gather that 13 members is a larger-than-average school council, but there's always room for new voices, great ideas and smart questions, and I believe our involvement makes a true difference in the school and in our children's education.

We were sorry to hear that vice-principal Mr. Frenette is away on temporary sick leave. Ms. Persaud assures us that he will return as soon as he is able. Freddy, we miss you and hope you will be better soon! 

Our teacher representative this month was the school's forthright and energetic art teacher Mme. Demeter, who reported that the school is in full swing already, and informed us that math program planning, school assessments and extra-curricular activities like flag football and a primary soccer tournament are already underway. It was great to hear her describe Clairlea as "a productive, active school where all the students are finding a good place to be." 

We also learned: 

• The lice squad is mobilizing under its leader, Hope, who welcomes volunteers
• The safety committee continues to direct traffic in the bus loop, in an effort to help drivers learn to use it properly. Bev seeks volunteers who can assist periodically with this morning task. 
• Under Laura's leadership, the tulip fundraiser sold approximately 40 dozen tulips, for a net profit to the school of about $160. Special thanks to the families who donated their tulips back to the school! 
• Pizza lunch is Sept 30 and by now, all orders should have been sent in. For those who didn't participate in September due to field trips or for other reasons, October will offer another chance to pre-order for the remainder of the year. 
• The grade 8 trip will likely not be to Quebec City this year due to the cost. The school is exploring other options.
• Literacy night will be October 7. 
• The Council is required annually to review its principal and vice-principal profile, essentially a list of qualities we feel are important in our administration. A draft document was presented and feedback sought; a revised document will be presented for approval in October. Let me know if you have ideas on this.
• Ginnie circulated a number of documents from the parents advocacy group People for Education. 
• Peggy will run a Campbell's Soup Labels fundraiser this year. Details to follow. 

Council approved a baseline spending plan for 2010-11 that included the following items; additional spending will be determined at our October meeting based on spending requests from Clairlea staff and council members. The baseline plan includes the following items, which are consistent each year: 

• Refreshments for school events such as literacy night, math and science night etc.  $500
• T-shirts for student leadership team (SLT) $300
• Gardens $200
• Grade 8 yearbooks $1200
• Grade 8 graduation $2000
• Lice squad $200

Maria asked about SK graduation and was informed that this is not a formal "graduation" and that teachers decide class-by-class how to celebrate their students' final year of kindergarten. 

The treasurer, Ann Silver, reported that we have about $10,500 in the bank, of which about $5,000 is committed. Request forms are being collected from teachers so that we can prioritize a spending plan at our October meeting. 

Council agreed that 50% of the revenue from the Halloween Howl fundraiser will be divided equally among teachers, to be spent on their classes or classroom needs according to each teacher's discretion. 

In her principal's report, Ms. Persaud reported that due to teachers' and staff's hard work and advance planning back in June, the 2010-11 school year is off to a running start. Teachers have already been meeting in grade teams to discuss how to continue to improve student achievement. One element of this is a math planning session, which has already taken place. 

Clairlea will continue to focus on professional development this year. As part of this strategy, Ms. Persaud will again invite faculty of education students and one faculty of nursing student to the school. 

Clairlea is committed to openness and transparency. Ms. Persaud welcomes all concerns and accolades, but asks that concerns are raised first with your child's teacher in keeping with the school's parent concern protocol. 

Together with the Safe and Caring Schools committee, the school asks everyone to follow the rules of the bus loop and parking lot. Emergency procedures are being rehearsed and there will be several fire drills throughout the year. 

Ms. Persaud reminded us of the four priorities for our family of schools (I am paraphrasing): Literacy; 

Numeracy; Creating pathways for student learning; and Communication with parents.

And saving the best for last: Clairlea's EQAO results are out, and thanks to the hard work of everyone at Clairlea (staff and students alike), they were greatly improved! We surpassed the Board average. A detailed report is posted on the TDSB web site.

Split-grade classes

Is your child in a split-grade class? One of mine is. By my count, Clairlea has 15 of these "combined classrooms," including every French-immersion class higher than grade 1.

Many parents wonder how combined classrooms work, how the class assignments are made, and how the teachers can possibly teach both curricula simultaneously.

In answer to these and other questions about split grades, the marvellous Mme. Dungo found this Ministry of Education pamphlet on combined classrooms and posted the link on her blog. I found it quite reassuring. Although split-grade classes must surely be more challenging for teachers, they seem to present some real opportunities for the students. Perhaps combined classrooms even offer greater scope for differentiated learning, which is a key element of the Toronto District School Board's "Vision of Hope."

Pizza lunch orders due Thurs Sept 23

Please don't forget to send in your pizza lunch orders. They are due Thurs Sept 23.

(Students in Ms. Lowen's and Ms. Hawkins' class would not have received them as they have a field trip on the same day as the September pizza lunch.)

This year, we're trying something different: you have the option to pay for the whole year now, or go month-by-month. The price is the same either way. We're going to try to stay organized enough that we don't send order forms again to the kids who have pre-ordered. Each month, students will have the option of ordering just that month or the remaining x lunches. The only thing we ask is that you please not change your order mid-year. As in the past, there are no refunds if students are absent the day of the lunch. This is because pizzas are pre-ordered and pre-paid.

Pizza lunch is one of the many fundraising efforts of School Council. The money we raise supports student learning and development, extra-curricular activities and classroom projects. For a voice in how these funds are allocated, please join School Council! The more members we have, the more effective we will be. Our first meeting is Wednesday Sept 22, 7:00pm at the school. Childcare is provided.

We also hope pizza lunch is fun for the kids and offers a break for parents from making lunches. Please let us know what you think!

School Council meets Wed Sept 22

The School Council meets on Wed. Sept 22 at 7:00pm at the school. All welcome. Babysitting provided. On the agenda for this meeting: 

Time	Agenda	Responsibility
7-7:20pm	Welcome and Intro to Council	Ginnie Zaromitidis
7:20-7:40pm	Vote for Executive	Nadira Persaud
7:40-7:55pm	Council T’s and I’s	Ginnie Zaromitidis
7:55- 8:05pm	Treasurer’s Report	Ann Silver
8:05-8:20pm	·       Principal’s Report ·       Teacher’s report	Nadira Persaud
8:20-8:30pm	New Business	open

Tulip fundraiser

The orders from the 'Toronto' tulip bulb fundraiser have been sent off to Vesey's to fill.  35 dozen Toronto Tulip packages will be delivered to us at the end of September (or beginning of October), just in time for fall planting. Here are some images of what they look like! 

The "Toronto" tulip

We ordered a couple of extra dozen that will be available for sale when they arrive to anyone who just couldn't decide before the cut-off date: first come, first served, on the day that they arrive.  A feast for the eyes instead of the belly.  Phew! Aren't you gladiola that it wasn't another chocolate fundraiser?  

Cheers, Laura laura.higgins@sympatico.ca  

Curriculum night tomorrow, Sept 16

Curriculum night starts at 6:30pm tomorrow night (Sept 16). If you have time to come a bit early, please visit the School Council table where we'll have yummy treats starting at 6:00pm.

Starting school: a resource for parents

Starting school can be overwhelming for the little 4 and 5-year-olds starting JK and SK and children transitioning to Grade 1. It can also be a little daunting for their parents... I, for one, wasn't always quite sure what my role should be, whether I was welcome in the classroom, how to get engaged with the school (especially while working full-time) or how to support my children's learning.

People For Education, an independent parents' group, put together this resource for parents of children starting school. Most of the information here rings true for me and I hope it will be useful to you. (Thanks, Ginnie, for passing it along.) 

For all parents with kids in all grades, it's incredibly important to come out to Curriculum Night (this Thursday Sept 16 at Clairlea!) to meet your children's teachers, see the classroom, and hear what you can expect and what's expected of your children. 

I believe it's also important to participate in School Council. Everyone is welcome, whether you decide to become a voting member or not. (Voting members are needed for quorum and therefore expected to attend every meeting, whereas non-voting members can pick and choose which meetings they attend. Everyone is welcome and childcare is provided in the gym.) School Council is your chance to ask your questions, air your concerns, propose solutions, and contribute to the ongoing effort to ensure Clairlea is a wonderful place to learn. It's also an opportunity to hear directly from the principal, vice-principal and one teacher each month about what's happening in the school, what they're working on, and what their priorities and goals are. An incidental benefit for me personally has been learning from parents of kids in the older grades about what's coming, what their concerns and issues and successes have been. It helps me understand what's coming and how I can help and prepare my kids for their future at school. 

I hope to see you at Curriculum Night on Thurs. Sept 16 and School Council on Wed. Sept 22!

Welcome back!

So, how was the first day of school? My kids had a great time... both very excited about their new teachers and classmates.

In the packages that were sent home today, there's a letter from School Council Chair, Ginnie Zaromitidis. People who are on the School Council email list would also have received an email from her last week. In case you didn't receive it, I've pasted a copy below. If you'd like to be on the email list, fill out the form that came home today, and/or send an email to clairleacouncil@gmail.com.

And please consider joining School Council! I try to convey the highlights of each meeting via this blog, but there's nothing like being there in the room, hearing directly from the principal and vice-principal and a teacher each month, and asking questions of the staff and other parents. I have found it a very valuable experience and I think others would too.

And now, here's the email from Ginnie:

Welcome to a new year at Cairlea!!


I am so excited that September is upon us and we are about to start a new year!


A few administration details, school will be starting at 8:40 this year! Let's do the office staff a favour and make sure our children are there on time! As well it is important to know, school will now get at at 3:15pm for everyone!!! Please make sure to remind everyone you talk to.


Curriculum night will be Thursday, September 16th. Please watch your children's backpacks for more information.


First council meeting will be Wednesday, September 22nd. In your children's backpacks you will find information on joining council and the forms to apply. We hope you will come out, we have many activitites we need help with!

The first pizza lunch will be September 30th. We are trying something new this year and giving you the option to pay for the whole year. We hope this will work out as many of you have been requesting this over the years!


Last but not least, the Halloween Howl. Friday, October 29th. Please join us for a family fun event. We are in need of old halloween decorations, as well as people willing to take on a room or give a few hours. This promises to be a fabulous night that our kids will truly enjoy!


I look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming weeks!


Take care,
Ginnie Zaromitidis

2010-11 PA days

In case anyone's wondering, a list of 2010-11 PA Days is available on the TDSB web site. It also includes dates for March Break, etc.

The Clairlea calendar will be sent home in the first week of school and will include dates for things like concerts and pizza lunches.

School ends at 3:15 pm

Speaking with a fellow parent yesterday (hi Tracey!), I realized that not everyone may be aware that the school hours are changing for 2011. This was communicated at school council meetings last year and via a letter home in June.

In 2010-11, the school day will end at 3:15 pm for all students.

The new entrance time will be 8:40 am (instead of 8:45 as last year) and the lunch break will be reduced by 10 minutes.

See you Sept 7!

Gardening day photos

Ginnie sends her thanks to all those who attended Clairlea's gardening day last week. Thanks to Heather, Hope, Kim, Christina and of course all the wonderful students of Clairlea!!! The gardeners hope the kindergarten students will love their new landscaping.

Before

The gardeners!

Clairlea Gardening Day - Wed Aug 25

I hope you're all having a great summer! It's hard to believe school starts in just a few weeks.

The School Council is holding a Gardening Day on Wednesday, August 25th at 10am. Please join us as we spend the day, weeding, and planting in the kindergarten garden. (Rain date August 26th.)

Let’s make the Kindie Garden look fabulous for the new students and families of our school!

If you have any questions or need any help please email the School Council at clairleaschoolcouncil@gmail.com.

School Council tonight

Hello, gentle readers. Please excuse me for the late confirmation but YES there is a School Council meeting tonight. There is even an agenda but I have not got it ready for upload. Hope to see you at 7pm at the school. Babysitting in the gym as always.

On a quick side note - WOW, wasn't that an amazing fun fair????? Irit and team, you did a fantastic job. It's incredible that even on a rain day we managed to keep every single activity (ok, no obstacle course, but that was for safety reasons). The meticulous planning and logistics for this event was fantastic - and exhausting - so our heartfelt thanks go out to all the volunteers.

A special shout out to the teachers who bravely participated in the dunk tank even though it was miserable out there! You were superstars and truly modelled the tremendous teamwork that makes Clairlea so special. Thank you.

Fun Fair... RAIN OR SHINE!

I hope you are all looking forward to the Fun Fair as much as I am! See you tomorrow between 11am-3pm at the school. Remember that Fun Fair is RAIN OR SHINE - we'll be inside if it rains, so don't be shy!

Bring your chequebooks because the Silent Auction is going to be amazing... see below for a list of our generous supporters who have contributed items to our raffle and/or silent auction.

• The Promotional Way - a Clairlea barbecue accessories package and a Clairlea Spirit Wear package worth $175
• Amethyst Wine Inc - an in-home wine seminar for 10 worth $300
• Kids' CBC - two Kids' CBC prize packs worth $25
• Mad Science of Toronto - a $50 Mad Science Birthday Party gift certificate worth $50
• Ontario Science Centre - two complimentary passes to the Ontario Science Centre worth $36
• CMAC Beaches Dojo - A month of children's martial arts classes, with uniform and guidebook worth $60
• Sportplay - A gift certificate for a free session of classes OR a half-day session of summer camp worth $170
• Toronto Blue Jays - Autographed photo of Aaron Hill worth $10
• Canada's Wonderland - four Pay-One-Price Passports for the 2010 season worth $225
• Casa Loma - one family pass to Casa Loma worth $72
• Mabel's Labels - one Big Combo gift certificate worth $55
• Bird Kingdom - two passes to Bird Kingdom worth $39
• Beach Fairway - four rounds of mini-golf and three large buckets of balls worth $59
• Power Soccer - a $125 gift certificate plus a terrific gift pack of soccer gear
• Canadian National Exhibition - six Fun Passes to the 2010 CNE worth $90
• Superintendent Rauda Dickinson - four $25 Indigo gift certificates 
• Jawny Baker's - a $25 gift card to Jawny Bakers 
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority - a pass for four to Black Creek Pioneer Village and a pass for two to any TRCA park worth $52
• TELETOON Canada - a gift pack of a popcorn bowl, roll-up blanket and 4 x 6TEEN DVD’s (Yearbook edition, Dude of the Living Dead, Snow Job and One Quiet Day) worth $100
• TFO - six mini-TFO DVDs worth $40
• Mastermind Beaches - toy worth $25
• Hat Frenzy - a handmade hat, oven mitts and shopping bag worth $155
• East York Gymnastics - a gift certificate to East York Gym worth $50
• Sewing World - assorted sewing notions worth $50
• Genesis Dress Designs - a handmade black sequined two-piece dress worth $50
• MusIQ - a five-week MusIQ program worth $80
• Camp Dove La Colombe - one free week at Camp Loisirs La Colombe worth $170
• Just for Kicks Soccer - A free registration and amazing soccer-themed gift bag worth $150
• Hornet Hobbies - a Snap Tite Car Model Kit and Snap Tite Airplane Model Kit worth $25
• Michelle Simson, MP for Scarborough-Southwest - A House of Commons wristwatch worth $40
• TVOKids - a TVOKids t-shirt autographed by the hosts of The Space, plus a DVD of music videos from TVOKids worth $25
• An anonymous donor - two passes to the Toronto Zoo worth $42
• XM Radio - two XM Satellite Radios in full color with Car Kit, activation and three months free service worth $410
• My Gifted Child - a Franklin Goes to School game; Loopy Link fishing game; Brio picture frames and a Hans Christian Anderson book worth 100
• The Keg Restaurants - a gift certificate to The Keg Steakhouse & Bar worth $25
• Solar Stage Children's Theatre - two tickets to Hansel and Gretyl at the Solar Stage Children's Theatre worth $28
• Clairlea-Westview Soccer Club - a generous cash donation worth $100
• Toronto Maple Leafs (MLSE Team Up Foundation) - a #2 Schenn autographed plaque worth $20
• Gap Canada - a Banana Republic gift certificate and water bottle worth $60 

Fun Fair countdown - 8 days to go!

From the Toronto Bangladeshi Parents Advisor Council - workshop June 27

Youth Leadership Workshop: Tentative Schedule

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Location: Crescent Town Community Centre, Market Place, Toronto

Presenter: Toronto DSB Experienced Educators and Award winning TOPS students

Sponsored by GTA Ethnic Bangladeshi Councils or Agencies:

Bangladeshi Canadian Community Services

Toronto Bangladeshi Parents Advisory Council

Time	Topic	Content/Activities
10.45 am – 11.00 am	Introduction	Introduction and ice breakers
11.00 am – 11.15 am	Identifying yourself	Identifying your heritage and being proud of  your ethnicity
11.15 am – 12.00 am	Youth Leadership with Conflict Resolution	What is leadership and how to develop your hidden skills about leadership or how solve conflicts
12.00 am – 1:00 pm	Lunch Break	Deshi snacks and drinks
1.00 pm – 2.00 pm	Social Barriers / Problems at your public schools	What are your social problems and how we could survive these barriers (e.g. bullying, gang, drug, gun, smoke, teenage pregnancy etc.)

More Fun Fair donations!

The Fun Fair is just three weeks away and things are really gearing up! If you are a volunteer, please don't miss the volunteer meeting on May 26, 7pm at the school. If you can volunteer and have not already signed up, please email us now!


Huge thanks to the following people and organizations for their generous contributions to our raffle and silent auction: 

• Just for Kicks Soccer  (A free registration and amazing soccer-themed gift bag!)
• Michelle Simson, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Southwest  (A House of Commons wristwatch!) 
• TVOKids  (a TVOKids t-shirt autographed by the hosts of The Space, plus a DVD of music videos from TVOKids worth $25!)
• An anonymous donor (two passes to the Toronto Zoo worth 42!)
• My Gifted Child  (a Franklin Goes to School game; Loopy Link fishing game; Brio picture frames and a Hans Christian Anderson book worth 100!)
• The Keg Restaurants  (a gift certificate to The Keg Steakhouse & Bar worth $25!) 

Don't forget to order your Fun Passes - they are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Send an email to clairleafunfair2010@rogers.com. 

Calling all shovels!

The after-school gardening club needs your help - and your shovels! If you have one to lend or give, please contact Ms. Hawkins via the Clairlea Green blog.

After-school gardening club

Ms Hawkins and Ms Brathwaite have started a gardening club after school on Wednesdays and could use your help! Please send a note or meet them after school on Wednesday at the front of the school. I can't wait to see what they are going to create!

Track and Field Schedule

From Ms. Vincent's blog, the Track and Field Training schedule for all participating in the track meet:

Relay, Grades 6 - 8
Monday morning 8 am

Running Long Jump
Friday and Monday
12:20 pm

Standing Long Jump
Friday 12 pm

Bake Sale - Photos

Ginnie sent photos from the bake sale! She also had this to say:

The parents, students and staff who baked for the bake sale were amazing!

The cupcakes and cookies and treats were amazing - see the pictures below.

One of the favorites was the cupcake in an ice cream cone!

The best part was seeing the kindergarten kids. For many of them, it was their first time ever spending money on their own. They were so proud, squeezing their loonies tightly in their hands so they wouldn't lose them. When they walked in (they got first pick!) their eyes were wide with wonder at all the treats.

A huge thanks to Maria, who spent the whole day there! And to Hope, who worked tirelessly and made sure we got to all the classes.

Thank you! We raised more than $600. Of that, 25% will go to Cystic Fibrosis and the rest to the support projects around the school.

Bake Sale & Diversity Day

By all accounts, Diversity Day was a tremendous success. Congratulations!

Thank you for all your hard work on the bake sale, Clairlea! In just one day we raised more than six hundred dollars. The treats were amazing and the reaction from the students was phenomenal! 25% of the proceeds will go to Cystic Fibrosis and the rest to the school. 

Low-cost dental care

Mr Frenette kindly shared this information about free / low-cost dental care at the last School Council meeting. My apologies for neglecting to get it posted sooner.

Fun Fair update - meeting May 26

The Fun Fair needs your help! Please email the Fun Fair chairperson, Irit Hartman at clairleafunfair2010@rogers.com. The next fun fair meeting is on Wed. May 26, 7pm in the staff room. 

Thank you to all the amazing companies that have made donations to the silent auction. Please keep them coming! Recent donations have been received from: 

• CMAC Beaches Dojo  (A month of children's martial arts classes, with uniform and guidebook worth $60!)
• Sportplay  (A gift certificate for a free session of classes OR a half-day session of summer camp worth 170!)
• Toronto Blue Jays  (Signed photograph of player)
• Canada's Wonderland  (four Pay-One-Price Passports for the 2010 season worth 224.96!)
• Beach Fairway  (four rounds of mini-golf and three large buckets of balls worth $59!)
• TFO  (six mini-TFO DVDs worth 40!)
• Mastermind Beaches  (toy worth $25!)

The Fun Fair is going to be fantastic. Please order your Fun Passes now - they are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.