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.