Norway Junior Public School

Family Update - September 29

Last week, schools across the TDSB went through something called a reorganization. This happens annually at the end of September after the TDSB compares projected numbers of students with actual student enrolment. If enrolment differs from projections, schools typically need to reorganize classes to remain compliant with class size regulations based on the Education Act and collective agreements. Again this year, Norway was impacted by this process. For Norway this means complying with Ministry mandated Kindergarten and Primary class sizes, and the creation of smaller junior classes. Of course, it also meant moving students from class to class to balance the number of students in each grade and class. This is a difficult thing to do for teachers and families, and most importantly for students. Yesterday, many classes started with a roster with new students on it. While there will be some uncertainty during the transition period into a new class, there will also be many familiar faces amongst the classmates supporting them. I am confident that the teachers and students in every class will make every effort to welcome the students starting in their new class, ease the transition, and help everyone to embrace this change. 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30th, Norway students and staff will be observing the sixth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Norway staff member Valerie Henry, a member of the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation, will lead a morning gathering. Classes will meet on the field at 9:00 am. Families are welcome to attend. If you can join us, please meet in the field sometime before 9:00 am. The ceremony will last about 15 or 20 minutes. Throughout this school year, staff will engage students in a variety of learning, at developmentally appropriate levels, around the terrible legacy of residential schools in Canada. Students will also learn about the accomplishments, achievements and contributions of Indigenous Peoples, both historic and current day.  

Terry Fox Run/Walk

Norway is pleased to be hosting its annual Terry Fox walk/run on Friday, October 9th. There will be a brief assembly in the morning at 9:15 with a virtual presentation from Kristen Fox, Terry's niece. Our run/walk will take place in the afternoon at 1:40 pm on the field. Families are welcome to join us for the run/walk outside on the field anytime after 1:40. All money raised through our event will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation to support cancer research. Please help our students fundraise for cancer research and follow in the footsteps of one of our greatest Canadian heroes. Please use the link below to donate. 

Norway Public School Fundraising Page: https://schools.terryfox.ca/NorwayPSToronto

Nutrition Program - Morning Meal

Norway's nutrition program's Morning Meal is back! Although funded partially by the province and the city, we depend on donations to sustain the program for the school year. For more details, and to donate, please see the separate message also sent out shortly to Norway families today, Tuesday, September 29, entitled Nutrition Program - Morning Meal.

Grade 6 Lunch Privileges

During the first week of school, Grade 6 students were given a paper form that needed to be signed and returned to the school indicating whether or not a student had permission to leave school property at lunch. This privilege is only for Grade 6 students. Students in grade 5 and lower need to be picked up by an adult if they wish to leave school property to go home for lunch. 

After School Dismissal 

A number of parents have been asking at what age their child can walk home from school by themselves. This, of course, depends on the comfort of the child's parents, but from a school policy perspective, students need to be in Grade 4 before they can walk home alone after school. Students in Grade 3 will need to be picked up by a parent, guardian, caregiver or trusted adult that is listed and known to the classroom teacher to have permission to do so. This could be another family member, a family friend, or a leader from a local club that picks students up after school. Please ensure that both the classroom teacher and Ms. Grasby in Norway's office are aware of the name of the individual who will be picking up your child if it is not a parent. 

Fire Drills and Lockdowns

As some of you may know, there was police activity on school property after school hours yesterday. Two individuals who were not known to the school were involved in an altercation on the field. YMCA before and after care staff immediately contacted police and ensured the students in their care were secure while the situation was investigated. All students and staff remained safe throughout the incident.

This morning , unrelated to yesterday’s incident, we conducted a scheduled lockdown drill as part of our start-of-year safety procedures. During the first week of school we had our first fire drill, and later this year, we will be doing a bomb threat drill as mandated by  the TDSB. These drills are important for ensuring everyone knows what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency. A lockdown is used in rare situations when there is a potential danger inside or near the school. During a lockdown, students, staff, and visitors remain in a secure classroom with the door locked, staying out of sight to minimize visibility and ensure safety. A fire drill, on the other hand, is a routine evacuation practice where students and staff exit the building in an organized manner. A bomb threat drill is also an evacuation drill, but it is one where students take all of their belongings and relocate to another school site. In the event of a real emergency requiring evacuation, our relocation sites are Kew Beach Public School for Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes, and Bowmore Road Jr and Sr PS for Grade 4-6 classes. If an evacuation is warranted, families will be informed and will only be able to pick their child up at the safety of the evacuation location, not at Norway or enroute to the location. Throughout the school year, we will continue to practice these safety procedures. All schools are required to conduct three fire drills, one lockdown drill and one bomb threat drill in the fall, and three fire drills and one lockdown drill and one bomb threat drill in the winter/spring. 

Student Accident Insurance

The TDSB does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that occur on school premises or during school-organized activities. In accordance with the Education Act, the TDSB has partnered with Study Insured to offer families Student Accident Insurance. Please see the linked documents for more information about Student Accident Insurance. 

Student Accident Insurance Letter

Student Accident Insurance Poster

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

  • September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 
  • October 1 - Lice Check
  • October 5 - World Teacher Day
  • October 9 – Terry Fox Run/Walk
  • October 12 - Thanksgiving - no school
  • October 19 - School Council Meeting
  • October 22 - School Photo Day
  • October 22 - Pizza Lunch #1
  • October 27 - Hero Burger Lunch
  • October 30 - Halloween Parade
  • October 30 - Halloween Dance @ 6:00 pm

Family Update - September 4

Happy Labour Day weekend! I hope everyone had some time this summer to relax with family and friends. We look forward to greeting your child(ren) and welcoming them back on Tuesday for a great year of growth and learning at Norway.  
The following highlights some of the key information families need to know as we begin the 2026-27 school year. I will be providing important updates, early next week, and a few times a month throughout the school year. 
Joel Krentz, Principal

Norway Basics …

  • The school day for all students, including Kindergarten, starts at 8:45 and finishes at 3:05. 
  • We are a part of the Balanced Day Pilot Project with the TDSB. This means that students in Grades 1-6 will have three blocks of 100 minutes of learning, with two 40 minute wellness breaks for eating and outdoor time between these blocks. You can see the timetable here and view a parent information slidedeck about the Balanced Day model here. 
  • Families with Kindergarten students can view the Welcome to Kindergarten presentation from last May, here.
  • Norway’s school year calendar works on a 5-day cycle. You can access the calendar here. 
First Day Procedures 

School starts at 8:45 for all students. On the first day of school, staff will be outside in the school yard, or Kindergarten yard, to help students and their families locate their classroom teacher. Grades 1-6 students will meet on the pavement between the upper field and the school building. Classroom teachers will have classroom signs with teacher names and room numbers on them. Please note that Kindergarten students and families will meet their teachers in the Kindergarten play outdoor learning areas. Classes will take a little longer than usual to get into the building on the first day, but this gives students a chance to catch up and get to know one another and is all part of the excitement!  

School Daily Timetable

Norway Timetable - 2026-2027


Lunch and Snacks 

Eating will look a little different this school year due to Balanced Day model changes. Instead of a traditional lunch in the middle of the school day, students will have two wellness breaks to eat and get some outdoor time, one from 10:25 to 10:45 and the second from 12:45 to 1:25. The first break - 10:25-11:05 - is when the Nutrition Program will give out the Morning Meal. Students will have 20 minutes to eat and then spend 20 minutes outside. One of the supervisors will go outside a few minutes early to provide more time for those students who are faster eaters. The second break - 12:45-1:25 - is when students will eat the lunch they packed. They will then have 20 minutes of outdoor time with an option for more time for those finished early.
We are excited to continue our partnership with the City of Toronto's Nutrition Program Morning Meal this school year. The program will be up and running as of September 14, the week after the first week of school. It is important for students to pack their own snack for the first week of school until the Morning Meal starts! Students should bring a clearly labelled, refillable water bottle for use during the school day. 
We expect all students to stay at school during lunch on the first day of school, unless being picked up by an adult. Grade 6 students (only) will receive a lunch permission form on the first day of school from me. Parents/guardians can give permission for their child in Grade 6 to go home for lunch (12:45-1:25 - break 2), and indicate which days, by completing and signing the paper form and returning it to their child’s teacher. Throughout the school year, if there is a day when your child needs to be picked up to go home for lunch, please inform the teacher, and provide a note for Kim in the school office. You can also email Kim at Kimberly.Grasby@tdsb.on.ca.

Allergies and Medical Concerns

Our policy on allergens including nuts, and particularly peanuts, is that we ask families to avoid sending their child with any of the main food allergens, and to adhere to classroom restrictions based on individual allergies in your child’s classroom. While we cannot guarantee a nut free environment, the school, and each teacher, will make sure that this information is shared with all families. If your child has any specific allergies, please inform the classroom teacher, and call the school office and speak with Kim Grasby to inform her as well. She will ensure that this information is reflected in your child’s record. She can also provide more information on the storage of extra epi-pens, as well as inhalers, for your child. 

School Supplies

Classrooms will have the basic supplies your child needs to start the school year off. Your child’s teacher will be able to provide a more detailed list of supplies your child might be using during the school year, but there is not an immediate need to go out and buy everything. Your child’s teacher will share more during the first week of school. The one item that is necessary is a backpack. It should be large enough to accommodate your child’s lunch, water bottle, and some notebooks or folders. Indoor shoes will also be important as they will be used for gym classes and are necessary for rainy, muddy and snowy days.

Cell Phone Policy

The Provincial Government mandates that all schools in Ontario implement and enforce a Cell Phone/Mobile Device Use in Schools policy. Some of our Junior students have their own cell phone or smart watch, primarily so that they can communicate with their families and let them know that they’ve arrived safely at school or home. While we appreciate the need for students to connect with their families, cell phones will not be allowed to be used during the school day and should be turned off and out of sight. This is in line with the new Cell Phone/Mobile Device Use in Schools policy adopted by the TDSB. You can read more about the updated policy here. If there is a need for your child to contact you, or you to contact your child, Kim in the school office will be happy to accommodate a call or relay a message. We ask that you speak with your child about this to ensure that they use these devices at appropriate times and in appropriate ways.
The Cell Phone/Mobile Device Use in Schools policy will involve a cultural shift in how students, parents, and guardians use technology. It will take some time, patience, and family support. In the end, it is about supporting the positive mental health and well-being of students and enhancing their focus on learning.

Dressing for Weather

Students at Norway spend 60 minutes or more outside every day. Students are going to be outside as much as possible this school year for recess and lunch, even in normal rain. This means that indoor recesses will be limited to extreme weather events. These only include a) lasting, torrential rain, b) temperatures below -25 Celsius, and c) lightning. As the temperature fluctuates from season to season, we ask that you properly prepare your child(ren) to be outside in all weather conditions. A rain jacket, sweater or fleece, umbrella, rain boots, and change of shoes are all things you can consider when planning for the next day's weather conditions. As you might imagine, our youngest students in Kindergarten and grade 1 are most prepared for all weather conditions, while the older students are the least prepared. Please help your child(ren) to understand the importance of staying warm and dry during extended outdoor times particularly in late fall, winter, and early spring. When there is a heavy rain forecast, we will be monitoring the conditions carefully. If we deem the rain to be torrential, we have a plan in place to accommodate students in a safe and supervised way inside the school.

Previous Updates and Messages