Welcome to our school website.
Please check back often as we are continuously working on updating our site to reflect all the wonderful things happening at our school.
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Have a wonderful and safe summer.
Our school office will reopen during the week of Monday, August 26th to Friday, August 30th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The first day of the 2024/2025 school year is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd. We look forward to seeing you then!
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Promoting Respect in our School
At Edgewood, we are committed to creating an anti-racist, inclusive and welcoming space for all. It is our expectation as well as the expectation of our school board that all staff, students, and community members are treated with kindness, dignity and respect. We work within our school community to learn more about fairness, equity, diversity, acceptance and inclusion. We are intentional in our teachings about how we can all work together to eliminate all forms of discrimination, and very simply, how we can all be good friends and citizens of our shared community. The conversations are on-going in our school and yet we know that many folks still continue to use harmful, racist, and/or sexist language and treat others unkindly. We urge families to have these important conversations at home as well so that our students understand that the expectation to be kind and respectful is a shared and prioritized one. At school, we will continue to hold students accountable for their actions, and will follow a progressive discipline approach that is based on helping students learn from their mistakes and do better. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please speak with your child’s teacher. Remember that we ALL have an important role to play in creating and maintaining respectful working and learning spaces. Thank you.
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Our School Day
School starts at 8:42 a.m.
Students are encouraged to be at school between 8:30 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. and should meet their peers and teachers at their designated spots at the back of the school.
Students entering through the main doors between 8:40 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. will be redirected to the back of the school. Any student arriving later will be marked late.
Morning recess is from 10:05 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Lunch is from 11:28 a.m. - 12:28 p.m.
Note that only students in Grade 6-8 may leave school property during lunch. These students must have written permission to do so.
Younger students (Kindergarten - Grade 5) may only leave school property if they are accompanied by an older sibling (*They must also have written permission) or are signed out by a caregiver.
Afternoon recess is from 1:40 p.m. - 1:50 p.m
Dismissal is at 3:10 p.m.
Some Important Reminders
Absences, Lates and Our Safe Arrival Program
Parents/Caregivers are asked to please contact the school if your child will be absent or late. Our number is 416-396-6215. You can call us 24 hours a day to leave a message in our safe arrival mailbox. Please ensure that you clearly state your child’s full name, grade, and if possible, their teacher’s name. Please also let us know why your child will be absent or late.
Note that families now also have the option of using the School Messenger app for a faster and easier way to report absences and receive communication from us. Click here to download the School Messenger app. Our Safe Arrival Program includes the use of an automated phone service that will call parents/caregivers at the phone numbers you have provided us to indicate that your child is absent. If the system does not get a response from you, it will continue to call a few times during the day so that we can ensure that your child is safely where
they should be. For more information about this callout system, please visit the Safe Arrival Program page on the TDSB site.
While we understand that sometimes it is unavoidable for students to be absent (e.g. they are sick or there is a family emergency) or late, we strongly encourage students to attend school on a daily basis and be on time so that they develop essential work habits and skills, and do not miss important learning opportunities. Students who are habitually late or absent may be referred to an attendance counsellor and/or social worker.
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Bicycles, Scooters, Skateboards and Rollerblades
Please note that bicycles, scooters, skateboards and/or rollerblades are not to be used on school property during school hours (8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.).
If you child is travelling to and from school using any of these modes of transportation, we ask that once they arrive at school they dismount from their bicycles, scooters, skateboards, etc. and “walk” them on school property. Bicycles and scooters can be locked on the bicycle rack. Skateboards and rollerblades will have to be taken inside (rollerblades cannot be worn inside the building) to be stored in the hallway outside your child’s classroom. Please note that the school and school board does not take responsibility for the loss or damage of any student belongings.
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Cell Phones
While students may possess their personal communication devices (i.e. cell phones) at school, all cell phones must be turned off and placed out of view (either in their bag or jacket pocket) during the regular school day (including washroom breaks, recess and lunch). This includes air pods and headphones.
It is important to understand that students who bring cell phones or other valuable items to school are doing so at their own risk. The school is not responsible for the replacement of such items should they be stolen or lost, or if they are damaged.
Should your child need to reach you during the school day, it is expected that they come to the office. Should families need to contact students in the event of an emergency during the school day, please contact the office and we will help you with this.
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No Dogs Allowed on School Property
Please note that the TDSB does not allow canines (dogs) on any properties at any time. The only exception are service dogs. We kindly ask that you do not bring dogs to the school. Thank you.
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Dress for the Weather
Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately so that they can be outside for recess, lunch and outdoor learning opportunities throughout the day.
Note that we will be outside even if there is light rain.
We highly encourage all students to have extra clothes (especially pants and socks) at school in the event they need to change.
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Food Treats
We know that many families like to celebrate special occasions (such as Birthdays, Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc.) by sending their children's classmates food treats and/or loot bags. While this is a very generous gesture, we do ask that you do not send any food to school for this purpose or for sharing in general.
One of the most important considerations is the safety of our students. We have an increasing number of students (and staff) who have food allergies and/or intolerances. As we cannot check all treats from families to ensure that they are safe for all students, it is safest for us to ask you not to send any food treats to school for your child to share with others. We are happy to acknowledge your child’s special day with an announcement over our PA system and appreciate your cooperation as we work to keep all our students safe.
Any food sent to school for sharing purposes will be returned unopened.
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Indoor Shoes
All students must also have a pair of indoor shoes. Students who do not have indoor shoes will not be allowed to participate in gym activities.
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Nutrition Program
The Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFFSS) is very excited to be able to offer a school nutrition program to all enrolled students at Edgewood P.S. in the form of a morning snack 5 days a week.
Although our program receives a small amount of funding from municipal and provincial grants, it is not enough to cover the full cost of running it. Parental contributions and donations are necessary to make the program successful.
We ask that families please contribute what you can toward this program. The suggested contribution for the entire year is $50, and we are asking for families to contribute $25 per term. If this is not possible, we ask that you contribute whatever you can as every little bit helps us keep this program running. As our school is continuing to work toward being a cashless school, we ask that all contributions be made through School Cash-Online.
If you are interested in having your child participate in this program, please complete the following registration link: https://bit.ly/NutritionProgramAtEdgewood
Due to allergy concerns, and Toronto Public Health policies, we cannot provide any food to any child without the required registration form.
Note that you will have to complete one form per child.
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Parking Lot and School Bus Zone Safety Rules
Families are asked to not drop off students at the front doors and are reminded to not park in the staff parking lot or in the bus loop. The bus loop is a "Kiss and Ride" and you may drop off your child using the loop but cannot park here. We appreciate your adherance to this important safetey bylaw.
If you are driving your child to school, please park legally and safely on one of our nearby side streets and walk your child to school. We know that this is not ideal for many of you but do hope that you understand the necessity of this rule in ensuring our parking lot is accessible to staff and safe for students and that the school buses carrying some of our younger students can easily maneuver in and out of their drop off/pick up area. (see note below)
Parents/Caregivers are NOT allowed to be in the school without a staff member accompanying them as it is very important that we know who is in the building at all times.
Please do not walk your child to their classroom - we will ensure that they get there safely once you have signed them in.
We appreciate your cooperation with this really important safety measure we must take in order to keep all students safe in our school building.
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Peanut/Nut Allergies Alert
A number of our students and staff are anaphylactic. This means they have severe, potentially life-threatening allergies to nuts/peanut oil. Please ensure that your child’s lunches and snacks do not contain nuts or peanut products. Please also remind your child not to share snacks with friends as we do not know what may cause a reaction.
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School Cash Online
We are aiming to be a cashless school! This means that any payments, including contributions to the nutrition program and participation in various initiatives will be processed by TDSB’s cashless payment system School Cash Online.
This reduces the need for students to come to school with cash, allows us to reduce the handling of monies in our school, and helps ensure that all financial transactions are processed safely and in accordance with our school board’s policies and procedures.
We are asking all families to please register for School Cash Online using the following link: https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com.
Select “Get Started Today” and complete the registration steps.
If you need assistance with this, please contact the school. You may also find the following resources helpful:
Cash Online - an overview
Cash Online - instructions for set up
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No Smoking/Vaping on School Property
Please note that as per City of Toronto laws and TDSB policies, smoking and vaping is not allowed on any school property. This includes the grounds associated with the school, and public areas within 20 metres of any point on the perimeter of the grounds of the school. Please note that this includes the field behind our school building, and the playscape. We appreciate your cooperation with this.
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Volunteers
Whether you would like to help supervise field trips or help in a classroom, volunteering is a great way to get involved and make a difference in your school.
The TDSB requires parents and community members who wish to regularly (3 or more times) volunteer to complete a Police Reference Check (which will include a vulnerable sector screening).
When seeking volunteers, whether for a single class trip or more ongoing opportunities in the school, we prioritize caregivers with up-to-date police clearance. Anyone who anticipates volunteering in the school for at least 3 occasions will require police clearance.
Individuals who have a recent police check on file with the board (i.e. within the last 3 years; from 2022 or later) do not need to apply for a new check and instead will have to complete an Annual Offense Declaration (AOD) form. Please contact our office in September for more information regarding the AOD.
Individuals who do not have a police check that was completed within the last 3 school years (i.e. 2022 or later) and wish to apply for police clearance must complete a new application. Please check out bit.ly/PoliceCheckForVolunteers for more information.
The TDSB code you will need as part of your application is 202309TPSOND7EFC. The cost of the application is $26.72.
Once you have received your police check, please email a copy to PoliceReferenceCheckOffice@TDSB.on.ca and let them know that it is for volunteering at the school. This will allow your name to be added to their database and will allow you to volunteer. Note that this process does take a few weeks to complete.
Please contact the Police Reference Check Office at 416-393-0759 for any questions regarding the reference check process.