No school council meeting this month

(In case you were wondering!)

Rainy day = caution needed in bus loop

Just a reminder to please, please, please exercise caution in the bus loop.

When it's rainy, more people drive and it's more difficult to see. Walking your children across the bus loop is dangerous. For the safety of your children, please use the footpath to walk around the bus loop.

Holiday Concert Dec 15

A reminder that Clairlea's holiday concert is on Thursday December 15, 6:30pm at SATEC. Admission is one canned food item.

Performers should arrive by 6:15pm. The concert goes until 8:30pm.

The following classes are performing:

• Mme Fahim AM/PM
• Mme Pare
• Mlle Angelevski
• Mrs Hawkins
• Mme Kakinoki
• Mme Camara
• M. Ndikumana
• Mlle Francis
• Miss Lowen
• Mr. Mitkovski
• Choir, Band, Recorder Club, Drama Club

Any classes not listed above will perform at the Spring concert instead. 

Holiday baskets

Every class will be preparing a holiday basket to be raffled at the Holiday Concert. Everyone is asked to send a $5 item for their class's themed holiday basket. Items are due on Dec 5. Thank you for your donations!

A letter went home today with each class's theme.

Report card on schools reveals new struggles for boys

From today's Globe and Mail:

Report card on schools reveals new struggles for boys
By Kate Hammer, Education Reporter
November 28, 2011

Canada’s report card on schools will be handed out to the provinces Monday, revealing mixed marks for Quebec and growing struggles in science and reading for boys across the country.

Once every three years, the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program, or PCAP, measures the reading, math and science proficiency of Grade 8 students in every province and the Yukon. Though the latest results are strong overall, when pulled apart, they identify weak spots for Canadian schools. 

Read the full article

Last week's School Council meeting

A few notes from last week's School Council meeting:

• Hunger continues to be a problem at Clairlea and Mr. McGilvray is looking into funding for a snack or breakfast program. Rebecca has also been researching this and will bring in a speaker in January to provide us with more information. In the meantime, the organizers of pizza lunch decided to put $100 from each pizza lunch toward the purchase of healthy snacks for when students don't have anything to eat at lunch. 

• Rebecca and I are going to take a stab at drafting some bylaws for the School Council. Please email me if you'd like to join our little subcommittee. Any lawyers out there? 

• Clairlea's holiday concert will be on December 15 at SATEC. Stay tuned for a list of classes that will be performing (the rest will perform at the Spring concert). 

• The Halloween Howl was a huge success! Congratulations to everyone involved. $2,200 raised.

• Through the Caring & Safe School team, the staff are working on progressive discipline and on yard and lineup routines. The playground and fields have been divided into zones by grade so that kids can play safely with others of the same age. Grs 7&8 have been given "ready-entry" privileges, which means they don't have to line up before entering the school. They are also allowed to use the Edge Park playfield for sports only.

• Mr. McGilvray identified the following needs, which School Council agreed to pay for: 
• Clairlea shirts for new staff members 
• 4 new projectors and (I think?) 3 DVD players
• balls for outdoor/recess play

• Ms. Gousis reported on lots of great extra-curricular and sports activities underway at the school. Special thanks to her for coming to the meeting even though she was not feeling well. 

• Instead of a holiday Fun Fair in December, there's a plan to host a Holidays-in-May fun fair on Saturday May 26. Hold the date and stay tuned for details. 

More details in the minutes which the chair/secretary will circulate before next meeting. 

Ice rink at Clairlea?

Is anyone interested in having an ice rink at Clairlea this winter?

The City will help make it but we need FIVE VOLUNTEERS who are willing to maintain it. See application here and email me if you're interested.

Does Clairlea have Canada's favourite crossing guard?

If you love Clairlea's crossing guard, please consider nominating him for Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard: http://www.safekidscanada.ca/Professionals/Safety-Information/Pedestrian-Safety/Crossing-Guard/Crossing-Guard.aspx

From Safe Kids Canada's web site:

Students, teachers and parents across the country are invited to nominate their favourite crossing guard during “Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest”, which runs from September 2011 to November 25, 2011.

Help us promote the importance of pedestrian safety by encouraging your kids and their schools to participate.

Tell us about your favourite crossing guard:

How have they kept the children safe?

Why are they a good role model?

Remember to include photos or pictures!

The winning crossing guards will receive an engraved plaque. The contest winner’s school will receive $1,000.
Click for contest information and a nomination form.

Deadline for entries: November 25, 2011.
Winners will be notified the following week.

It's Bullying Awareness Week

This news is admittedly a little late, but...

It's Bullying Awareness Week. 

It's also worth visiting the Red Cross's Stand Up to Bullying site. 

School Council agenda & minutes

The agenda for tomorrow's School Council meeting is here.

The minutes from last month's meeting are here.

As a reminder, we have not yet approved the draft minutes from September.

School Council meets Wed Nov 16

The School Council meets next Wednesday, Nov 16, 7:00 pm at the school. All welcome. Childcare in the gym. If you are a voting member, please make every effort to attend, as a quorum of 50% +1 is required. (Unfortunately I have a meeting and can't be there!)

Upcoming events in our ward

Here are some upcoming events in our ward, pulled from Councillor Berardinetti's newsletter. In particular, note the parks survey below. If you have time, click on the survey link and let the city know that you value Toronto's parks! If you are listing which parks your family uses regularly, note that the one behind the school is Edge Park and the one just east of Pharmacy is Clairlea Park. The public consultation is tonight.

Monday, November 7th – 7pm – 9pm
Parks Plan Public Consultation
Warden Hilltop Community Centre
25 Mendelssohn Street
*If you can’t make it, a survey is available online. http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parksplan

Friday, November 11th – 10:45 am
Remembrance Day Wreath Ceremony
Scarborough Cenotaph
(Kingston Road and Danforth Avenue)
*Reception to follow at the Oakridge Legion

Saturday Nov. 12th 8am - 1pm
43 Division Car Seat Clinic
Attendance is by appointment only.
Please contact the car seat clinic line at 416-808-4324 or by email, amin.hafiz@torontopolice.on.ca to make a reservation for any of our upcoming clinics.
4331 Lawrence Avenue East

Friday November 18 - 12:00 Noon – 2:00 pm
Family Skate Day
Heron Park Recreation Centre
*Donations of gently used skates needed!

Wednesday, November 23rd – 7pm - 9pm
Homes First Shelter Community Meeting
(Shelter located at St. Clair and Danforth Road)
Corvette Public School
30 Corvette Avenue

Saturday, November 26, 2011
Cavalcade of Lights
First Lighting Celebration at Nathan Phillips Square

Active, Healthy Kids - a toolkit

Active Healthy Kids Canada has released a report card on the activity levels of Ontario kids. They gave Ontario's children and youth a D- for physical activity and a D for active play.

In sharing these results, People for Education has released a new toolkit - a step by step guide to creating a healthier school. Download it here.

Notes from Oct 2011 School Council meeting

Following are a few notes and observations from last night's school council meeting.

The minutes from the September meeting (as yet unapproved) are available at this link. (This is my first time trying Google Docs; please let me know if you have trouble with the link.)

Due to administrative restrictions, Ginnie is no longer able to serve as chair of the School Council. She and Ann Silver have switched positions so that Ann is now chair and Ginnie is treasurer. It also emerged that our Council does not currently have a set of bylaws. Are there any lawyers out there who could draft some for us? These are the TDSB's guidelines for School Councils. 

Teachers' Report

We were pleased to meet Ms. Gousis, who presented the teachers' report. She told us about a number of sports clubs and activities that have been available to the students, including the cross-country team (one of our students made the finals!), boys' and girls' softball (the girls won a pennant!), intermural soccer and basketball, competitive volleyball and more. Some parents expressed a desire to know more about what is planned for different grade levels at different times during the year, and Mr. Church later said that there is a schedule that he would endeavour to have posted on the school's blog. Right now you can find it posted on the side doors to the gym. 

Ms. Gousis also advised that an itinerant guidance counsellor has visited the school and is running a girls' anti-bullying workshop. 

Treasurer's Report

There is $6,572.72 in the bank, and about $6,700 in spending approved for the year. A number of fundraising events, including magazine sales, pizza lunch and the Halloween Howl, will result in sufficient revenue to cover the difference. 

Hope moved the following spending requests: 

• $150 for roti for a Diwali lunch (I did not catch whether this motion passed)
• $240 for document cameras for classrooms currently equipped with computers and projectors; this will free up the Elmos for other classrooms (approved)
• $180 to repair the scoreboard in the gym (approved)

There was some discussion about a need to create a broader spending plan rather than continuing to approve one-off requests as they come in. This was left unresolved. 

Principal's Report

Mr. McGilvray reported on some further staffing changes, including:

• The departure of Mme Park's mat leave replacement for a permanent contract. The second replacement, Ms. Neto (sp?) comes highly recommended and has made a great impression on staff and students. 
• A new grade 5 French Immersion teacher, Mme. Francis, has been hired, allowing two very large classes to be split into three smaller ones.  
• A grade 6 French Immersion class is being taught by two half-time teachers, one of whom has left the school. The school is currently interviewing for another half-time partner for Mme Bury, and in the meantime that class is being taught half-time by supply teachers with support from Mme Harroun. 

Mr McGilvray also touched on EQAO, reporting that the school has "unpacked" the results to identify the areas of particular need. The entire primary and junior teaching staff are being asked to act on the areas of need. In addition, the school is working with SATEC, the high school we feed, to determine how our students are doing in grade 9 and 10 and to determine what action may need to be taken in those grades. 

He pointed out that while professional development for teachers is a valid way of improving student achievement, it does cause disruption within the school and classrooms. He is working on creative ways to conduct professional development without taking the teachers away from the school. 

Monday is Spirit Day at Clairlea and everyone should wear purple. The TDSB's chief academic officer will be visiting the school that morning, with our superintendent Nadira Persaud. 

This news resulted in a discussion of the school's broader needs and what Clairlea would most like from the TDSB. That led to a conversation about hunger within the school. Children who are bussed are often picked up quite early and by the time school starts may not have eaten for up to two hours, while others simply don't have enough to eat. This raised the question of whether Clairlea could have a breakfast or healthy-snack program, and although there was a feeling that this had been investigated in the past and could not be accomplished, we agreed to look into it further to see if a case for funding could be made. Mr. McGilvray says this is a true need within the school and a breakfast or snack program would be his choice for our highest funding priority.

We meet next on Wednesday November 16, 7pm at the school. 

Comments? Please post them below! 

Halloween Howl - Activity Map

Click to enlarge

Parents Toolkit - from Council of Ont. Directors of Education

The Council of Ontario Directors of Education (i.e., the heads of all the school boards across Canada) has prepared a toolkit for parents to help support students' learning at school and home.

It contains tips on how to handle homework, how to talk with teachers, beating the one-word answer, and how to reinforce classroom learning at home.

Download the tool kit in PDF format or visit the home page of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education for more information and other resources.

School Council meets next Wednesday

The School Council meets next Wednesday, Oct 19, 7:00 pm at the school. All welcome. Childcare in the gym. If you are a voting member, please make every effort to attend, as a quorum of 50% +1 is required.

Halloween Howl

Halloween Howl planning meeting tonight

6:30pm at the school.

Notes from the Sept 2011 School Council meeting

These are not official minutes, just a few of my notes and observations from Wednesday's School Council meeting.

New Council Executive
The council elected its 2011-2012 executive.

• Chair - Ginnie Zaromitidis
• Vice Chair - Hope Smith
• Secretary - Christina Mark
• Treasurer - Ann Silver

New Principal and Vice-Principal
It was great to meet our new principal Mr. McGilvray and vice-principal Ms. Harroun. Many of you will remember Mr. McGilvray from his time as vice-principal of Clairlea a few years back. They both introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds. Mr McGilvray has a background in special education and technology; Ms. Harroun is a French Immersion graduate herself and has taught FI, special ed and core French in primary, junior and intermediate grades. Mr. McGilvray acknowledged the difficulties caused by the turnover in Clairlea's administration in recent years and assured us that they both intend to stay at Clairlea for the long term.

Mr. McGilvray commented on the number of extracurricular programs at Clairlea: intermural sports, baseball teams, a running club and more. He commended the teachers for stepping up to serve as coaches and volunteering their time after-hours. (I echo that. Thank you!)


Staffing and Class Sizes
Mr. McGilvray discussed staffing, class sizes and reorganization, something that will be old news to those affected. High enrollment and a 20-student cap in primary grades resulted in two grade 4/5 FI classes of 36-37 students each. Thanks to the administration's relentless advocacy, the school has been granted an additional FI teacher, which relieves that pressure by adding a new grade 5 class. Unfortunately that means shifting some students around in 4/5 and some lower grades as well. The new grade 5 FI teacher will be hired as soon as possible.

Lunch
Mr McGilvray found that split lunches were not working. Everyone now eats at once: grades 1-5 in the gym (at tables); grades 6 and 7 in the drama room; and grades 7 and 8 in their classrooms.

EQAO
Mr McGilvray acknowledged Clairlea's disappointing EQAO results. We are reminded that this is just a snapshot in time, that it is important to look at the data over a five-year period, and that Clairlea has great teachers whose goal is to educate "the whole child". Still, the kids have to be learning the curriculum, and EQAO is a measure of that. There is a school improvement plan to address the areas where the students are struggling. Mr McGilvray and Ms Harroun will share more information about that, as well as advice on what parents can do at home to help our children succeed.

Individual results are on their way by mail to parents of last year's grade 3 and 6 students.

Transportation
Some bussing arrangements have changed. Affected families have been notified.
If you are picking up a student who is normally bused, please inform the teacher on duty at the bus loop!


Finances
The School Council has approximately $7,500 in the bank. The following spending was approved for 2011-12:

• Gardening $100
• Curriculum night $300 *this will generate revenue
• Halloween Howl $1,000 *this will generate revenue 
• Concert treats $300 *resulting donations will go to a charity of the students' choice
• Pancake Day $500
• EQAO treats $100
• Lice squad $150
• Yearbook $1,250
• Grade 8 graduation $1,800
• Teachers' welcome packages for Sept 2012 $1,500

...for a total of $7,000 in approved spending. As funds are raised over the course of the year, additional spending will be approved.

Fundraising
We need volunteers for fundraisers. First-up: the Halloween Howl. Willing volunteers, please gather on Tuesday Sept 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. A minimum of 15 people are needed.

Other fundraising activities include magazine sales, pizza lunch, concert baskets, a calendar and a 2012 Fun Fair. The Fun Fair committee meets Tuesday Nov 8 at 6:30pm.

Please post below any ideas for other fundraisers or Council activities below, or email the chair.

Council Meetings
Next meeting: Wed. Oct 19, 7:00pm at the school. All welcome.
We sometimes have guest speakers at Council meetings. Please post below any ideas for speakers you would like to hear.

Welcoming the School Council of 2011-12

At Wednesday's meeting, the following voting members were appointed to the 2011-2012 Clairlea School Council:

1. Jennifer Gawidan
2. Kumru Gutierrez
3. Nick Garrison
4. Catharine Heddle
5. Rebecca Andrew
6. Irit Hartman
7. Chimei Chang
8. Laura Higgins (community rep)
9. Maria Handrinos
10. Hilde Johnnessen
11. Wendy Whittle
12. John Bozios
13. Katy Bozios
14. Nia Stathis
15. Paul Wilson

Plus the following executive members: 

• Chair - Ginnie Zaromitidis
• Vice Chair - Hope Smith
• Secretary - Christina Mark
• Treasurer - Ann Silver

(I realize this adds up to more than the requisite 16 people + 1 community member - there must be a mistake somewhere; please let me know if you spot it.)

Everyone in the Clairlea community remains a non-voting member and is more than welcome at any and all of the meetings, which are the third Wednesday of every month (except Dec., July, Aug).

I'll share some notes from the meeting in a subsequent post. 

Education and the provincial election

People for Education has put out a list of 10 questions you can ask provincial election candidates about education.

You can ask about:
- standardized testing (EQAO) and other ways to measure success
- special education funding
- school fundraising (some schools can raise more than others - is this fair?)
- school libraries vs. computer labs
- all-day kindergarten
- whether the schools have a role in addressing childhood obesity

Have a look. Whatever your opinion, your questions will demonstrate that education matters to you.

Election day is October 6.

2010-11 EQAO Results

The TDSB has published last year's EQAO results. On the TDSB website you will find a summary of Clairlea's results and, if you want more detail, the full report. Below are copies of some of the graphs, which you can compare to the previous year's results.

In the above graphic, Clairlea's 2010-11 results are the left, darker bar - as compared to the TDSB and the province.

The graph above depicts Clairlea's grade 3 students' performance over time. Last year in black. In grade 3, the French Immersion students only write the math portion (and they write it in French).

And Clairlea's grade 6 students' performance over time. Last year in black. In grade 6, all students (French and English) write all three parts of the test (reading, writing, math) and they write the test in English. 

To learn more, start with the EQAO primer I wrote back in 2009. You can also visit the EQAO website, www.eqao.com.  

TDSB Community Consultation - Sept 21, 22

Curriculum Night

It was great to see so many people at Curriculum Night. I know we all appreciated meeting Mr. McGilvray and Ms. Harroun in person and being introduced/re-introduced to the teachers.

Thanks to:

- the volunteers who organized the BBQ

- Laura, who organized the Kleenex fundraiser

- the book fair folks

- all the teachers who gave their evenings so that we could get to know them and their classrooms

- everyone who signed up to help with a School Council event or fundraiser. The response was terrific! Someone will be in touch with those who signed up, about next steps. Or better yet, come to the School Council meeting next Wednesday (Sept 21) at 7pm to learn more. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Curriculum Night Details

More details about Curriculum Night on Thursday Sept 15:


5:00 pm-6:00 pm BBQ (See previous post for details) - at rear of school
6:00 pm - 6:15 pm - Welcome
6:15 pm - French Book Fair
6:20 pm - 6:40 pm - Class rotation #1
6:45 pm - 7:05 pm - Class rotation #2

French as a Second Language Advisory Committee

If you are the parent of a student in core French or French Immersion, you might want to know about the French as a Second Language Advisory Committee (FSLAC) of the Toronto District School Board.

It's a parent advisory committee of the TDSB. Its mission is to consult with and advise the TDSB on matters related to French education (core, extended and immersion).

Parent representatives are elected by each ward. There is also a mailing list you can join. Email fslactoronto@gmail.com for more information or to join their list.

Curriculum Night BBQ - Thurs Sept 15

CORRECTION: the BBQ will be at the BACK of the school, not the front as in my original post. Thanks!

Education-focused all-candidates meeting: Sept 20

The Ontario Public School Boards' Association has designated Sept 20 as Education Day - a day when we can ask questions and learn the views of our local candidates for the Ontario election.

• If you're in Scarborough Southwest, your meeting is at Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute (large auditorium) on Sept 20 at 6:00 p.m. 

• If you're in Beaches-East York, your meeting is at Secord P.S. (in the gym) on Sept 20 at 7:00 p.m.

That should cover most Clairlea families, but if you're in a different riding, consult this list for the location of your local meeting.

Education matters. The Ontario government directs it. For the sake of our children, please attend these meetings and ask smart questions that show that you will vote for a candidate who shares your vision for Ontario's education system.

You can also read the Ontario Liberal Party's platform, the Ontario PC Party's education platform, the Ontario NDP's policy page and the Green Party of Ontario's platform.

People for Education on how to help your child succeed

If you have a bit of time on your hands, there's a new People for Education report out that might make interesting reading. I can't find it online yet, but will post a link when I do. In the meantime, here's the Coles Notes version thanks to the Toronto Star:  http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1049486

The most important things researchers say parents can do for their kids’ success at school: • Let your child know you have high but reasonable expectations.
 • Talk with your child about school regularly.
 • Focus on attitude rather than marks.
 • Read to, or with, your child.

UPDATE: Here's a summary of the report or, if you're ambitious, read the whole thing.

How was today?

Welcome back, everyone! I hope the first day of school was terrific. It was great to see so many friendly faces on the schoolyard this morning... including, for me, a former classmate whom I haven't seen in nearly 20 years. (Hi, Dave!)

First of all, let's give a warm Clairlea welcome (and welcome back) to Ms Macpherson and Mr McGilvray. We hope you are settling in and we look forward to getting to know you.

In your kids' backpacks tonight, you should find a package of papers to read and sign. In that package, there's a self-nomination form for School Council. Please fill it out and join us! Involved parents lead to successful schools, and School Council can be the first step in your involvement with Clairlea. It's a monthly opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions and provide feedback to the school administration. It's a chance to get to know the other parents, hear and understand their perspectives, and learn about issues and initiatives at Clairlea. For parents of younger kids, it's also a neat way to get a preview of what's to come. Fundraising is an important part of Council activity but it's not the only thing we do. Please come to our first meeting on Sept 21 (7pm) to learn more.

To clarify the time commitment: the meetings are once a month (on a Wednesday) for 1.5 hrs. Childcare is provided in the gym. Members are asked to volunteer additional time to assist with events, committees and fundraisers, but this extra time is optional. If you can't commit to monthly meetings, you may still be a non-voting member and attend as many as you can. In fact, any member of the Clairlea community is welcome at meetings, whether or not you are a voting member. 

See you at Curriculum Night on Sept 15.
-Catharine.

One more week of summer!

Can you believe there's only one week till school starts again?!

I am sure everyone is starting to ramp up and prepare for the year ahead.

The School Council Chair recently sent the message below to people on her Clairlea email list. She needs some people to volunteer to run various fundraising and welcoming events. Hope to see you all at Curriculum Night and at the first Council meeting of the school year.

Best, Catharine

From Ginnie Zaromitidis:

Hi Clairlea!!
With school only three weeks away I am hoping some of you know your fall schedules and are up to committing some time to helping out in varies way.(You do not have to be a member of council to help or lead an event!)

• Curriculum night is Thursday, September 15 and we have no one to run the event. If anyone would like to run a BBQ or has other ideas of a nice welcome to all our Clairlea parents, we are open to suggestions.
• The Halloween Howl needs at least 10 people to commit to leading a room. This involves coming up with the idea, and executing it day if event. If people do not come forward there will not be an event :o(
• Holiday Concert Fundraiser needs someone to lead the basket sales at the concert.
• Spring Concert Fundraiser needs someone to lead the basket sales at the concert. (both of these can be changed if you have a different idea you would like to try out)
• Lice squad, Hope Smith leads this committee but is in need of volunteers. This committee is very important and only requires three days of your year.

September 21st is our first council meeting! We hope you will join us to welcome our new administration, Principal Mr. McGilvray and Vice-Principal  Ms. Macpherson.

Please email me if you think you can help at any of these events. See you all Tuesday, September 6th and we hope you all enjoy your last few weeks of summer!!
Take care
Ginnie p.s. is anyone going to the TDSB @ the CNE?? Would be nice to get all the Clairlea Students to meet up!!http://www.tdsb.on.ca/cne/default.asp

Notes from the FSL Advisory Committee

The message below is copied from an email from the French as a Second Language Advisory Committee (FSLAC). 

June  2011

Bonjour from Trish Murphy, 2010/11 Parent co-chair   

1. Planning for 2011/12 – FSLAC needs you!

New parent members and alternates are needed – especially extended and core parents - to represent their wards at the FSLAC. Contact fslactoronto@gmail.com or your local trustee to get involved.

2. New Sites & Classes for Sept 2011

Applications for SK French Immersion (SKFI) were up 16% this year. To meet demand, additional classes are being added at several existing SKFI schools. Five new SKFI programs will be opening at these elementary schools: Humewood (Bathurst and St Clair), Rockford (Bathurst and Steeles), Topcliff (Jane and Finch), Corvette (Kennedy and Eglinton) and Lord Lansdowne/King Edward (College and Spadina). As of Sept 2011, there will be 52 elementary schools with SKFI.

Extra classes are also being added to meet demand at two Grade 4 Extended schools. The Grade 7 Extended program at Arlington is being re-located to JR Wilcox in Sept because Arlington is being closed.

3. Report on French Teacher Hiring & Retention

The Human Resources and Professional Learning Committee received a staff report on March 23, 2011 on the hiring and retention of elementary French teachers. There are 1853 teachers who are qualified to teach French and 1560 of them are in the classroom teaching in French. In 2010/11there were 115 French vacancies for which there were 250 candidates and all positions were filled. To read the full report, go to: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac under Staff Reports.

  

4. Congratulations Outstanding Students

Congratulations to our Concours d’art oratoire winners:  Jeremy Wang (Core grade 10) took first place in the annual Canadian Parents for French public speaking event for Ontario. Safia Fakim took 2nd place (FSL +):  www.cpfont.on.ca

Congratulations to Alessia Kazakova, Richview CI student who was selected to as a French for the Future ambassador: www.french-future.org

5. Franco-Fête June 24-26

The annual French music and culture festival will be at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay on June 24-26. Check out Mystéric et la Mathémagie for kids age 4-12, Mike Ford who tells the adventures of Étienne Brûlé on the great lakes and Nathalie Choquette who shares the joys and humour of opera for kids age 4-12.   For details: www.franco-fete.ca .

6. Toronto Public Library

The Toronto Public Library is offering free children’s programming in French with music, theatre and dance at selected branches across the city all summer. Children can also join the TD Summer Reading Club by reading French books. For details, check at your branch or call Céline at 416 395 576 or go to: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca ,click on Programmes, search French.

7. FSL Annual Report

Trustees received the FSL Annual report from FSL program staff on June 3, 2011. The report provides data on French programs including enrolment, retention and professional learning. As of October 31, 2010, there were 21 448 students enrolled in Immersion and Extended French. New to this year’s report: enrolment by school/ward and graduation projections for core, extended and immersion. To read the full report, go to: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac under Staff Reports.

8. PARCs in Progress

The FSLAC is participating in the on-going Pupil Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) in ward 14 (downtown). The local SK French Immersion school, Winchester, is part of this process which includes consideration of how to accommodate the growing program at this school. The ward 1 (north Etobicoke) PARC is not yet underway.

Note: The group doing a public assessment of student accommodation in a particular area was previously called an Area Review Committee or ARC. The name has been changed in consideration of provincial guidelines and is now called a Pupil Accommodation Review Committee or PARC. Further details are available on the TDSB website under Pupil Accommodation Reviews: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=10267&menuid=15172&pageid=13444 .

9.  Awesome Student Story

I’m in grade 10 at Humberside. I started Extended French in grade 7 and have continued in high school.  Early in grade 9, we heard about an exchange some of the older kids had gone on to France. My French teacher encouraged us – what an opportunity to improve our French skills - and six of us applied through the Canadian Education Exchange Foundation (www.ceef.ca). In late May, I got my exchange partner, Gabby. She arrived in mid-August from Nantes, France. It was a little hard having her here because what I didn’t realize was that she would be with me all the time. She would become friends with my friends and also the other French exchange partners who were here.

In October, she went back and in February, I went to her home in Nantes. At first, I was very homesick but as I became closer to the family I got less homesick until I wasn’t homesick at all. I made a big effort to talk in French with everyone in the family to get to know them. They became like a second family to me and I still Skype with them once a week. It also really improved my oral French. It was three months I’ll never forget. I learned a lot and I made friends that will last a lifetime - Julia

10. FSL Symposium – October 29

Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) is hosting a one day symposium for parents, educators and researchers to celebrate over 40 years of French Immersion. Hear from leaders in the field about new developments. TDSB’s own Alison Pearce is part of the panel discussion on FSL Best Practices. The event is at the Marriott at 90 Bloor St East and space is limited. For more information and to register call 905 366 1012 or visit www.cpfont.on.ca .

11. FSLAC Meetings – All Welcome

Parents, students, trustees, teachers and staff are invited to attend and participate in FSLAC meetings. Meetings start at 7 pm at the TDSB offices at 5050 Yonge St., ground floor committee room A or B. Meeting notices, reports and minutes are posted on the TDSB website: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac

Upcoming meeting dates: Monday, September 19; Tuesday, October 25; Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

Have a great summer!

Trish Murphy

Parent co-chair

French as a Second Language Advisory Committee, TDSB

School Council meets Wednesday June 15

The final School Council meeting of the year is on Wednesday June 15. I can't be there myself, but I hope many of you will be in attendance. The meeting is at 7pm in the staff room. Childcare is provided in the gym. Everyone in the Clairlea school community is welcome to attend.

Reminder: Bake sale tomorrow

Don't forget to send in your toonies and loonies for tomorrow's bake sale! If you're dropping off peanut-free baked goods, please include a list of ingredients. Donations are accepted tonight between 5:45 and 8:00pm and tomorrow between 7am and 9am. Thank you for your contributions!

Bake Sale May 26

Tomorrow May 20 is a PA Day

Just a not-so-gentle reminder that
TOMORROW IS A PA DAY!

It was added after the school calendar was printed last year, which is why it was a bit unexpected for some of us.

Enjoy the long weekend.

COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED

Ginnie apologizes for the short notice, but the School Council meeting is cancelled for tonight, due to low expected attendance.

There will be a bake sale on May 26, throughout the school day. We need lots of yummy peanut-free treats! Please drop off any baked goods, with a list of ingredients, on Wednesday after 5:45pm or Thursday between 7am and 9am. Thank you to Maria for running this event.

Clairlea's Food Train

Clairlea's recent food drive is featured on the website of the Toronto District School Board. See it here.

May school newsletter

The school newsletter is available here. If you would like to receive this by email in future, write to Ms Carson in the office; include your children's names, grades and teachers.

School Council meets Wednesday May 18

The School Council meets on Wednesday May 18. Please join us! You do not need to be a "voting member" to attend the meeting. Every member of the Clairlea community is welcome to attend.

We meet at 7pm in the staff room. Childcare is provided in the gym.

Spring Concert

How about that concert!! Wasn't it fabulous?

As usual, the students and teachers (and student teachers) did a fantastic job pulling it all together. I'm always impressed by the creativity and humour that Clairlea is able to inject into its concerts. Not having a kid in the concert this time, I'm able (just this once) to be unbiased in my review.

The evening opened with some introductory remarks from Principal Howard Laderman and Trustee Elizabeth Moyer, who recognized the Clairlea Food Train, which ran the length of the stage and was filled with food bank donations from the Clairlea community. Great work, everyone! Ms. Moyer indicated that the food donations will be directed to another school within our ward, where the need is great. She thanked everyone on their behalf, and remarked on the wonderful phenomenon of students helping students.

After that, we heard from the Grade 8 band, which has been practicing hard for two years. I was impressed by their harmony and rhythm and impeccable timing.

The English kindergarten classes, many in sparkles or polka-dots, waving at mom and dad, impressed with their rainbow song and waving streamers. The audience loved it when one enthusiastic kid got a little closer than expected to the microphone.

Mme. Deda's class performed a tribute to the 100eme jour d'ecole, with a poem, music, math, dancing, singing, and even violin and xylophone. It was a tour de force!

A special treat for me was the performance of one of my favourite songs to sing on long drives: This Land is Your Land, sung with terrific pitch and excellent enunciation.

A real crowd-pleaser was a rendition of Journey's Don't Stop Believing, a song that no doubt took many parents back to our teens. (eep! am I dating myself?) The guitar and vocal solos were amazing.

We then got a treat to the line-dancing Dance Team! My six-year-old son was quicker to catch on than I was... "Mom, they're holding those pom poms like they're guitars!" and later.... "They're doing it all over again except backwards!" A very impressive performance.  

Next was the rappers' delight, first performed for Black History Month, complete with sunglasses, hoodies, hats askew and the odd shirt and tie.

The final performance was a humorous tour around the world, including springtime in Paris, overwork in London, romance in Venice, music in Mumbai, and good old Toronto.

Throughout the show, the audience was treated to a series of video vignettes of Clairlea's talented students. From comedy and yo-yo tricks to break-dancing, hula-hooping, moon-walking to Billie Jean and feats of astonishing flexibility, these were a really welcome way to fill the time during set changes.

 It was obvious that a huge amount of hard work, preparation, forethought, energy and most of all enthusiasm went in to creating this year's spring concert. Thank you for a great show!

p.s. A shout-out to the awesome SATEC students who took pity on me and cheerfully helped me carry 20+ boxes of food bank donations into the auditorium so that they could be on display at the concert. I really appreciated your help!

Friday May 20 is a PA Day

For anyone who might not be aware (I wasn't)...
Friday May 20 is a PA Day. 
Click here for Clairlea's May calendar. You can also view the TDSB's official school year calendar for 2010-11 and (in case you like to plan ahead) 2011-12.

A teacher who believes

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth’.”

 

-Dan Rather

A great teacher can change a person's life. Thank you to all the wonderful teachers at Clairlea who work so hard  for our children and our future.

See you tonight at School Council. Don't forget to bring a friend!

Bring a friend to School Council

We're in the final stretch of the school year, and some people are already starting to think about 2011-12. We want to make sure that School Council remains strong and vibrant and inclusive, and that we have as many ideas, perspectives and volunteers as possible. 

To that end, we'd like to invite each School Council member to bring another parent with them to the meeting this week. Just invite someone to come and sit in, see how we operate, and think about whether they might like to join us again in the future. 

School Council is a chance to meet the principal and vice principal, ask your questions, voice your concerns, and share your ideas about how to enhance the learning environment at Clairlea. It's a great group that will be even stronger with more people involved. Please think about whether there's someone you can bring along on Wednesday. 

See you then! 

Clairlea update

From Ginnie, our School Council chair: 

Just a few things to remind you of all that's going on at the school.

We are doing a Food Drive for a school (students helping students). Desperately needed are

* Flour * Cooking Oil * Rice * Kidney Beans * Chick Peas * Black eyed Peas * Tomato paste * baby formula * baby food * 

More Ideas:  Bhel mix--Chewda mix--Falooda mix--Gulabjamun mix--Resalai mix—Dal; Mung, Chuna, Tuwar, Whole Masear, Split Masoor, Ureid 

Next, Clairlea has started a running club. Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

40 students have been preparing for a 5K called The Run Way Run in June. We are in need of sponsors for the students. It costs $30 per student to register and we are hoping some companies or people might like to help support. We must register quickly! Please email me or call if you have any ideas.

Dates to remember:

Wednesday, April 20th School Council 7-8:30 

Friday, April 22th NO SCHOOL (Good Friday) 

Monday, April 25th NO SCHOOL (Easter Monday) 

Thursday, April 28th pizza lunch 

Friday, April 29th Spirit Day - wear fun glasses 

Thursday, May 5th Spring Concert 

School Council meets Wed Apr 20

The School Council meets Wednesday April 20. Please email Ginnie if you are not planning to attend (if you are a voting member, that is).

Everyone in the school community is welcome to attend, whether or not you are an official voting member of School Council. Babysitting is provided in the gym. We meet in the staff room at 7pm and wrap by 8:30. Please join us to hear updates from the principal, vice-principal and teachers and to learn how you can contribute to the positive learning environment at Clairlea.

Movie night tomorrow!

It's movie night at Clairlea tomorrow! The movie is Tangled. Cost is $2 per person. Bring your own blanket. Popcorn and drinks will be available for sale.

School council minutes from February

This week's School Council meeting was cancelled due to weather. Here are the (as yet unapproved) minutes from the February meeting. We meet again April 20, which is the Wednesday before the long weekend. If you are a voting member and can't attend, please email Ginnie as far as possible in advance.

Clairlea School Council Meeting

February 16, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

In attendance: Ginnie Zaromitidis (chair), Hope Smith, Christina Mark, Catharine Heddle, Paul Wilson, Maria Handrinos, Chimei Chang, Irit Hartman, Hilde Johannessen, Mary Anne Kratz, Ann Silver (treasurer), Howard Laderman (principal), Freddy Frenette (vice principal), Delphine Rule (teacher representative)

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.

Chair’s Report

Ginnie reported that Ekua Esabea-Blair and Beverly Way have resigned from School Council and that Beverly has resigned from the position of Vice Chair.

The Chair invited nominations for the position of Vice Chair. Hope Smith was nominated and, with no other nominations, elected to the position of Vice Chair. Thank you, Hope!

Ginnie reported that Mr. Mitkovski and Mr. Knierim have worked to create a media workshop in their grade 6 classrooms. Earlier this year, Council approved a pilot project for a paid media workshop at the cost of $25 per student to be provided by an external supplier. Since a made-at-Clairlea alternative now exists, Council decided to reallocate the funds to a new projector to be used by grade 6, 7, 8 students who will use it to screen movies that they will make.

Principal’s Report

This was our first chance to meet our new, acting principal, Howard Laderman. Mr. Laderman is a retired principal who has worked in our family of schools in the past. He told us that he believes kids should be excited about coming to school every day, and should be excited to tell their parents about it at the end of the day. He believes in creating a sense of family at school, and in maintaining an open dialogue between teacher and parent. He believes kids always come first.

Mr. Laderman complimented Mr. Frenette and the staff on their professionalism and hard work through this transition. In answer to a question as to how long he will stay at Clairlea, he indicated that he is able to stay until the end of June if the Superintendent and Board wish it.

Vice Principal’s Report

Mr. Frenette reported on the new format of report cards, which focus on learning skills. He discussed parent-teacher interviews, and informed us that the 2011-12 school year calendar would be approved in March. Because of the way the December holidays fall this year, school can either re-start on Jan 2 or Jan 9. We will be informed of the final decision after March Break. (Update: as of March 21, 2011 the tentative schedule is posted here: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=10190&menuid=34153&pageid=29050)

EQAO – An EQAO information night for parents of students in grades 3 and 6 will be held on April 14. The test will be administered to all grade 3 and 6 students between May 30 and June 3. Grade 3 French Immersion students only write the math section, and they write it in French. Both French and English grade 6 students write all three sections (math, reading, writing) and they take the test in English.

Mr. Frenette reported that the school has purchased four new lunch tables for use in the gym, at a cost of $1,000 per table. He indicated that an additional four tables are on their last legs, and that there are no funds available to replace them should they break.

This led to an extensive discussion about whether this is something the School Council should fund, and about the alternatives (cheaper tables; eating in classrooms; eating in hallways), none of which was deemed feasible. Council members felt that this is something the school board should fund, and that our fundraising efforts should be focused on creating a positive environment for learning in ways that go above and beyond the basics that the board supplies.

  

Finally, Mr. Frenette informed us that Clairlea is hosting many student teachers this year, from York University, Glendon College and the University of Ottawa. We also have three student Child Youth Workers from George Brown, and co-op students from SATEC. The school benefits from and appreciates these additional resources.

Clairlea is also planning a tutoring program in which grade 11/12 students from SATEC will come to Clairlea to tutor grade 4-8 students.

Teacher’s Report

Ms. Delphine Rule reported on the results of some of the programs funded by School Council this year. Members of the senior guitar club, led by Mr. Steers, are now able to bring their guitars home to practice, thanks to the cases we bought. The guitar club will be performing at the Fenêtre Ouverte.

The Mystic Drumz performance was a huge hit. Mme Park extends her thanks. The children got a lot out of the program, especially those in grades K-4. She hopes to bring the performance back again in a couple of years.

Everyone is working hard on Fenêtre Ouverte and the open house. Certain classrooms will be open that evening so that parents can experience some of the students’ activities. An outside speaker is coming to provide information about supporting French students with their homework.

A few other updates from around the school:

• The Girls Volleyball team went to the finals, where they lost by just one point. Thanks to Ms. Lowen for coaching them.
• The Elmo projector is in near-constant use and is much appreciated.
• There is a bulletin board on student health in the hallway, created by the nursing student.
• The small lunch room has been converted to a music room – it is worth visiting.
• M. Landry raised $250 selling candy-grams at Valentine’s Day, at his own expense, and asked Council to match that amount to buy French-English dictionaries for the French Immersion students. This was approved.

Treasurer’s Report

Ann Silver presented her treasurer’s report, which included the following highlights:

-         Balance as at 31 Jan 2011: $10,525

-         Committed funds: $7,925

-         Undesignated funds available: $2,598

Fundraising Report

January and February pizza lunch proceeds are expected to be approximately $500 each.

A movie night is scheduled for Friday.

Led by Hope Smith, Fenêtre Ouverte parent volunteers will make and serve 1200 pancakes before 10am. Griffiths Labs have donated 50kgs of pancake mix for the third year in a row. Dickie’s No Frills has donated a $25 gift card and Food Basics allowed us to buy enough Kool-Aid Jammers for the entire school at the sale price.

Other Business

A Staff Appreciation Lunch will be held on March 10, and parents are asked to email Ginnie if they can contribute a dish.

There was a question about the PALS program, in which grade 5 and 6 students help the younger children learn positive, collaborative play at recess. Several teachers support the program on a revolving schedule on their break time. (Thank you!) Unfortunately this program cannot be extended to the lunch recess, and concern was expressed about how to stop fighting during lunch recess.

Mr. Laderman reported that the school has a no-touch policy, which means that all students must keep their hands and feet to themselves – regardless of whether they believe that contact is welcome or unwelcome.

Both the principal and vice-principal spend time supervising the schoolyard in an effort to eliminate fighting and negative play. The guideline is 90 children per lunchtime supervisor, and it is hard to watch everyone. If parents observe unacceptable behaviour, they are asked to contact Mr. Laderman at howard.laderman@tdsb.on.ca.

The meeting concluded before 8:30 p.m. 

Movie night tomorrow!

Don't forget Movie Night tomorrow - March 25. Cost is $2 per person. Bring your own blanket. Drinks and popcorn will be available for sale. The movie is Yogi Bear.

Also, I think it is Rainbow Spirit Day tomorrow. Kids will be wearing the colours of the rainbow!

Movie night April 1 - Tangled

Click to enlarge

Movie night March 25!

Click to enlarge

Teacher Appreciation Lunch - cooks needed!

On March 10, the parents of Clairlea will be hosting lunch for the staff as thanks for all the extra things they do to create a happy, fun and supportive place for our children to be! 


We need your help! Please join us in a thank you for the Sports teams, Clubs, Homework groups and activities that are offered to our students. If you can make a dish for this potluck and drop it off that morning please call or email Ginnie. 416-522-8174 scatoule@rogers.com

Updates

Phew! Am I ever behind on blogging. Can you believe it's almost March Break?

I have a few notes from the February School Council meeting to share with you. And wasn't Fenetre Ouverte terrific? Many teachers and parents put a tremendous amount of effort into the day, and from what I heard the kids all felt it was fantastic. The goal of the entire day was to celebrate French and recognize all the students - both core French and immersion - for making the effort to speak the language. The highlight of my evening was the djembe drums lesson in Mme Park's class. Thank you to the young gentlemen who were such excellent teachers! I also loved the opportunity to drop in on the guitar club - and it was great to hear that they are now able to bring their guitars home thanks to the cases School Council funded in the fall.

Speaking of drums, did your kids tell you about the Mystic Drumz assembly a few weeks ago? Mine were raving about it for days. This program was initiated by one of the teachers (Mme Park too, I think), and funded by the School Council - so thank you to everyone who organized or participated in our fundraisers. You can see that the funds are being put to good use.

More very soon. -Catharine.

Pizza orders due on Wednesday

Pizza lunch order forms should be coming home today. I am sorry they are late this month; an issue with the copier prevented me from getting them out last week. Please note that they must be returned to the school by this Wednesday, Feb 16!

Mr. Laderman

I had a chance to meet our new principal, Mr. Laderman, today. He is a (formerly) retired principal who has 36 years experience in the school system, and has been hired back to serve at Clairlea during the search for a permanent principal.

His door was open when I happened to be in the office, so I introduced myself. He asked me to sit, and invited me to ask him anything. Of course, I asked if he would be with us until the end of the school year. That turned out to be the one question he couldn't answer, although he understands how much this matters to parents and teachers alike. He assured me that he would ensure we are kept informed as decisions are made. He emphasized his goal to minimize the impact on students of the change in principals.

He has already visited all the classrooms and enjoyed seeing the grade 8 kids at their Valentine's dance. His manner was open, friendly and relaxed, and my impression is that he will lead with enthusiasm and positivity.

Welcome to Clairlea, Mr. Laderman!

Movie Night! Friday Feb 25

Clairlea is having a movie night on Friday Feb 25! The movie is Megamind.
$2 per person, BYOBlanket. 7pm. Popcorn and drinks will be available to purchase.

School's closed today

From the Toronto District School Board's web site:


Weather Alert
"Due to the snow storm, all TDSB schools and offices are closed to staff and students for Wednesday, February 2. All after-school and evening activities are also cancelled. The safety and welfare of students and staff is a priority during these severe weather conditions. Please visit http://www.tdsb.on.ca/index.asp for the latest information."

Notes from last week's School Council meeting

For those who weren't there, here are some notes from last week's School Council meeting.

Ginnie presented the Treasurer's report on Ann's behalf. In a nutshell, we have $12,679 in the bank, of which about $8,000 is committed to various projects already approved.

Nadira presented her final report as our principal. She extended her heartfelt thanks to the school community for everyone's support and hard work over her time at Clairlea. She mentioned that her new role is an interim one but that she is looking forward to continuing to be closely connected with Clairlea.

She recommends installing a buzzer for the front door of the school. Since the office has a direct line of sight to the front door, this buzzer would not automatically be funded; it needs to come out of the school's own budget. However, it is impossible for the office staff to have their eyes constantly on the door and so for security reasons, it would be preferable to have that door locked and accessible by intercom.

Freddy's vice-principal report touched on the following items:

• Safety. A bus safety presentation took place in January. A community police officer will be visiting the school several times in March, discussing different topics with different grades. Kindergarten: traffic safety. Grade 2 - personal safety. Grade 4 - Internet safety. Grade 6 (two visits) - drugs and substance abuse; criminal offences.
• Report cards go home Feb 14; interviews Feb 18. 
• Winter Activity Day (grades 4+) and a Girls' Conference took place at the school last Friday. 

Ms. Rule presented the Teachers' report, touching on these topics: 

• Halloween Howl. As you may recall, half the proceeds of the Halloween Howl were returned directly to the teachers for use in their classrooms. A sample of how the funds have been put to use: 
• Mme. Volakhova purchased abacus-like math devices for her classroom. 
• Mme Pare is building a listening centre in her SK FI class. 
• Ms. Rule is continuing her camera reach program
• Ms. Hawkins purchased primary dictionaries for her classroom. 
• Mr. Knierim and Ms. Braithwaite extend their thanks for the screen and projector that Council funded earlier this year. They are being used primarily in the portable. 
• The laptop computer is also being put to good use. 
• Ms. Braithwaite leads a girls' gathering every Thursday at lunch for girls in grades 5 and 6. This week, they have a Chinese New Years tea planned. 
• The Heritage Assembly (for Black History Month) will be March 4 in the afternoon - approximately but not exactly 1pm. 
• The Fenetre Ouvert festival will be on February 23, with activities for the kids throughout the day (parent volunteers are needed!) and a presentation for parents that evening - this is for parents of students in both core French and French Immersion.
• The Math Pathway has begun. This is a professional development program within the school that involves co-planning, co-teaching and moderated marking, with a goal of improving student achievement in mathematics. 

Ginnie reported on Cafe Francais / Fenetre Ouvert. This is a day-long, school-wide celebration of French language and culture. In recent weeks, students (including those in the English stream) have been collecting tickets each time a teacher notices them speaking French, and those tickets can be exchanged for various items at the Cafe Francais. Parent volunteers are needed throughout the day to make & serve pancakes and help with various activities. Also needed - electric griddles for making pancakes! Please contact Ginnie if you can volunteer or if you have a griddle that you can lend for the day. 

Thanks, Katy, for the photo!

The meeting closed with a presentation of flowers and a card for Ms. Persaud. Nadira, we will miss you greatly and we thank you for everything that you have done for Clairlea.