Fairmount Public School

Important Update: The Ontario government has announced that, due to the continued spread of COVID-19, all publicly-funded schools in Ontario, including those at the TDSB, will remain closed until Monday, May 4, 2020.
For more information on the school closure, including Questions & Answers, click here.

March 27, 2020

We hope you and your families are well and safe within these very

challenging and stressful times. Like you, the staff of Fairmount

are following the expectations outlined by the Federal and Provincial

Governments. The staff at Fairmount continue to be in contact with

each other and have expressed to me their concern for our students

and families. Our thoughts are with the entire Fairmount community.

All families should have already received updates from the TDSB with regards to the Ministry of Education Learn from home links.The TDSB has also shared learning resources. They, among others, are listed below for your reference. While we recognize that these are not replacements for in-class teaching, you and your child/children may wish to refer to these resources as helpful learning tools. We expect more updates and details to be communicated by the government and the TDSB as to how we can provide more robust distance education opportunities for students as social distancing moves into a more prolonged period. What we know from the Ontario government is that schools will not re-open on April 6th. The TDSB is continuing to gather information, assess needs, and formulate plans about the continuation of learning and this will be communicated with schools and families as soon as these plans are finalized. I’m sure we all understand the challenges associated with such an unprecedented situation.

It is important to note that these online resources are not mandatory or graded and are meant for families to use as optional resources to support independent learning through next week while students are at home. Please do not feel guilty for not ‘homeschooling’ your child right now. There is not an expectation that parents fulfill this role. We know these are challenging times for students and families and the TDSB is committed to working with the Ministry of Education to support students during this unprecedented interruption to student learning.

We will continue to communicate with you as information becomes available and with specific updates regarding Fairmount. You may also wish to access our school website at https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/fairmount

And follow our school on TWITTER @FairmountPS to receive updates, additional links to free resources, etc. For updates regarding TDSB specifically, be sure to check http://tdsbweb.tdsb.on.ca/

Stay well.

Mental Health:

For many of us, elevated stress levels have been a part of everyone's lives the past 10 days or so. Please be sure to take the time to take care of yourselves over the coming weeks- not just physically, but emotionally as well. The impact of the events taking place in our community and around the world on our mental health is important to be aware of, and to address through various means. Here are several links to assist students who may be struggling with the disruption emotionally:

TDSB Resources

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Supporting-You/Health-Active-Living/Coronavirus/Learning-Resources

Public Health and Other Supports

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Residents experiencing stress or crisis and requiring emotional support related to COVID-19 can access the following community resources:

•Distress Centre of Greater Toronto

Call 416-408-4357, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Text 45645 between 4 p.m. and midnight

Translation is available in many languages for crisis calls only

•Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Service is available in English and French

•Gerstein Crisis Centre

416- 929-5200, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Translation is available in many languages

Virtual Walk-In Clinic: https://cover.health/

Internet Access:

Much of the learning students will be trying to do over the coming weeks will be online. I realize if you are reading this you already have access- please share this information with those without internet access:

@ShawInfo has opened its Wifi networks. See https://shaw.ca/internet/wifi if you are close to one of the hotspots. No login required.

Learning at Home:

On Friday, March 20, 2020, an update was provided to all staff regarding the continuation of learning for our students in these unprecedented times. This was in response to an announcement made by the Ministry of Education regarding their Phase 1 support for student learning through the launch of their Learn at Home website. The TDSB also provided additional online resources to support the Ministry’s Phase 1.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Supporting-You/Health-Active-Living/Coronavirus/Learning-Resources

TDSB Assistive Technology: This includes the full version of Read and Write for Google Chrome, which can be accessed at home or at school by logging into Chrome using TDSB credentials. Assistive technology are tools that enable students to access school life and to perform tasks as independently as possible.

https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/tdsbat/home

Math: An online resource Mr. Wood recommends for his Grade 7/8 Math students is:

https://code.org/student/middle-high

Code.org is a fantastic website with all kinds of computer programming lessons and tutorials. Loads of MATH and STEM related learning here. Students can sign-up for a free account, so they are able to save and continue working on things later.

Mr. Wood recommends starting with the Express Course, if you are unsure of what to choose, as it uses block-coding similar to Scratch, which students may have used at school in the past.

If block-coding seems too easy for you, you could try learning to code with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS in the App Lab, Game Lab, and Web Lab.

Code.org has also created a specific learn at home page at https://code.org/athome

IXL supports students, parents and educators with resources to help students learn keep learning while at home.

https://ca.ixl.com/resources/at-home-learning

Centre for Education in Math and Computing: CEMC at Home - Most weekdays, the CEMC will post something for each of four grade levels: Grade 4/5/6, Grade 7/8, Grade 9/10, and Grade 11/12. The goal is to provide a wide variety of fun and educational ways to do mathematics and computer science while at home practicing social distancing. The resources will include games, new problems to solve, applications, videos, pointers to existing materials and more:

https://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/resources/cemc-at-home.php

Toronto Public Library Resources: You can still read books from our Toronto Public Libraries; download Ebooks and Audiobooks for free. Go to www.torontopubliclibrary.ca for more information, and look for the ‘OverDrive Ebooks and Audiobooks’ tab on the lower left side of the landing page.

If you do not have a library card, you can try Open Library, a non-profit project. All you need to do is open an account at www.openlibrary.org. There are thousands of free ebooks available here too.

Amazon has canceled the subscription of books and audio stories for children and students of all ages as long as schools are closed. All stories are free to stream using the following link: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen.

TIME for Kids: This link takes you to TIME magazine for kids where they have launched free grade specific digital editions of the magazine that includes teaching tools, worksheets and quizzes. https://time.com/tfk-free/

Keep Calm and Structure On: How to manage emotions and build structure at home during COVID-19: https://makesociallearningstick.com/keep-calm-and-structure-on-how-to-manage-emotions-and-build-structure-at-home-during-covid-19/

This includes 3 videos for parents about what they can do at home (e.g., the importance of maintaining a routine and how to set up a schedule, how morning check-ins and evening debriefs can help with managing emotions during this stressful time, helping your brain notice positive things, calming strategies, ...). It also includes downloadable material to help parents implement the strategies (some you can click on in the link and others are free but you need to give your name and email for them).

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Supporting-You/Health-Active-Living/Coronavirus/Learning-Resources

Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence:

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/

This link takes you to the Harvard Developing Child website. Click on the PDF link to get activities and games that parents can do with their children to develop executive functioning skills. It is organized by age.

This link takes you to the Harvard Developing Child website.Click on the PDF link to get activities and games that parents can do with their children to develop executive functioning skills.It is organized by age.

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/

Scholastic: This link takes you to Scholastic in the US.It is organized by grade level and covers a variety of subject areas.It includes videos students can watch and then activities related to them that they can do.Some are US focused, but most are not.

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

Open access to Pearson Resources at Home - K-12:

www.pearsoncanada.ca/athome

Virtual Trips to Museums: These links let you visit museums, art galleries and other arts related events (concerts, operas, plays, ballet).The first one is for Canadian sites (ROM, Vancouver Art Gallery, Canadian Museum of History, AGO, Canadian War Museum, National Ballet of Canada).The second has links for the arts around the world.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/bored-during-self-isolation-tour-these-museums-from-the-comfort-of-your-couch-1.4852971

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/what-to-do-at-home-streaming-art-museums-concerts-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

Comic for Kids Explaining Covid-19:

The first is a comic to help explain the Coronavirus to kids. The first link takes you to the comic. The second link has links to the comic in other languages.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/07/811616161/kids-around-the-world-are-reading-nprs-coronavirus-comic

February 28, 2020

Thank you to our Kindness Club students who have worked

very hard over the past number of months to make our

school a better place. Among other things, they made a

presentation to each of the classes, focusing on what we

can all do to demonstrate kindness towards one another. They have also established a ‘kindness tree’ on the wall in our front foyer. Students from across the school were given a ‘leaf’ and asked to write something kind that they have done for someone else in our school and these have been placed on the tree. Students are being encouraged to continue to complete additional leaves and attach them to the tree as kind acts are demonstrated or observed. Thanks to the following members of the Kindness Club for all of their ongoing efforts to make Fairmount an even better place: Ella Sun, Larissa Pialis, Olivia Wilson, Jesse O'Reilly, Gregory Spencley, Alexandra Sayeg, Kayla Cummings, Emerson Murray, Ian Robertson, Daniel Levy, Daniel Martinez Hernandez, Altay Ergudon.

We appreciate the efforts of all of our student safety patrollers who volunteer to keep our students and families safe as they cross Sloley in front of our school but the importance of the work they do became particularly evident this week. One of our parents made a point of reporting that a pre-school aged child had wandered away from his or her parent and walked onto the road. One of our patrollers saw this and moved away from the crosswalk and got the child off of the road. The parent reported that she saw this happened and she is positive that the car that was approaching could not have seen this small child on the street. Thank you to Nicholas Lazarevski for his awareness and quick thinking. This also serves us as a reminder of the importance of refraining from parking in the restricted areas in front of the school as children will sometimes walk onto the street from behind one of these parked cars and may not be seen in time by an approaching vehicle.

Our Fairmount Family Skate last Sunday was a tremendous success. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us. While we did raise some money for our school it was, just as importantly, an event that helps create an even greater sense of community for our families and children.

A message from our Parent Council:

I would like to take this time to thank those of you who helped make our first Fairmount Family Skate such a success. I am happy to announce that we sold $2200.00 worth of tickets. We thank all of you who supported this event.

Our thanks to the following individuals;

Flyers / Posters: Josie Drago

Cookies Donation: Laura Wilson

Hot Chocolate: Irene Katsamakis-Christie

Ticket Table: Kristina Suke, Diana Pialis

I would also like to thank Heebee Yang, Julianne Lee, and Jodie Blazo who helped sell tickets the day of our Parent/Teacher interviews.

Thank you to all the parents who donated toys, gift cards and wine, because of your donations our baskets were awesome!

A special thank you to the Papeo Family for their generous donation of the Toronto Maple Leaf Tickets!

Thank You to Jennifer Dolan and Jodie Blazo for assembling the gift baskets, they looked amazing!

A special thank you to Jodie Blazo, my co-organizer. You are awesome!

RAFFLE WINNERS:

Wine/Hotel Basket:Eric Frenzel

Maple Leaf Basket:Jessica Summerfield

Girls Toy Basket:Doug Davidson

Boys Toy Basket:Amy Klaamas

Gift Card Basket:Lynn Perri

A big thank you to all of you who purchased tickets.

Cindy Leard

February 21, 2020

As of this moment we do not yet heard what upcoming

job action may take place next week but it will be

communicated as soon as we hear anything. Please continue

to monitor the media or https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations for ongoing updates.

For our Grade 8 students, Edge Imaging will be here on the morning of Wednesday, February 26^th to take graduation photos of the students. The students are asked to wear a white collared shirt for their photo. Note that there will not be a picture retake day at the school, but there will be a city-wide retake day on Saturday, April 25^th.

A message from our Parent Council:

Don’t forget that this Sunday is the Fairmount Community Free Skate that is taking place at Scarborough Village Rec. Centre from 2:00-4:00. The Parent Council will be selling raffle tickets for an opportunity to win one of four different themed baskets, including a Toronto Maple Leafs themed basket, which includes 2 tickets to an upcoming game in March. Tickets are 1 for $5.00, 3 for $10.00, and 10 for $20.00. Some kids’ skates will be available on Sunday in a wide range of sizes for those who need them. Note that children under the age of 9 must wear a helmet while on the ice.

The 2020 TDSB Parents as Partners Conference is on Saturday, March 28, 2020 and all parents are welcome! This free conference – planned by parents, for parents – includes a variety of workshops and resources that will help any parent to support their child in their achievement and their well-being at school and at home. Transportation, childcare, food and interpreters are all provided. Registration will be opening very soon. Learn more at www.parentsaspartners.ca

February 13, 2020

It has been announced that the Elementary Teachers’

Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary

School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will both take part in a

full strike on Friday, February 2st. As with previous strike days,

the TDSB would have no other option but to close all schools (elementary and secondary) to students on this day as there would not be sufficient supervision to ensure their safety. Parents/guardians should make alternate arrangements for their children on these dates if necessary. Please continue to monitor the media or https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations for ongoing updates.

Last week there were a couple of reminders from our Family Handbook about cell phone use and parents in the hallway. This week a reminder that homework will not be assigned to students who are going away for an extended period (such as a trip) or during school holidays. More information about homework and the TDSB Homework Policy can be found here https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Get-Involved/Homework

A message from our Parent Council:

Attached is the flyer for the upcoming Fairmount Community Free Skate that is taking place on Sunday, February 23rd at Scarborough Village Rec. Centre from 2:00-4:00. The Parent Council will be selling raffle tickets in advance for those who will not be able to attend our Family Free Skate but would still like to try and win one of the prizes. There will be 4 different theme baskets to win, including a Gift Card basket and a Toronto Maple Leafs themed basket, which includes 2 tickets to an upcoming game in March. Tickets are 1 for $5.00, 3 for $10.00, and 10 for $20.00.

Skates: Need Them/ Keep Them! We will also have kids’ skates available in a wide range of sizes for those who need them on tomorrow (Friday, February 14th – which is why the Falconer is a day early this week.) You will see the table in the front foyer of the school.

Donations For Baskets:

At this time we haven’t had many donations. We would appreciate your support in donations of un-used toys/books and gift cards in any

denominations. Donations of toys can be left at the school in a bin located in the office area, and gift cards can be given to Ms. Habenschuss or Ms. Willems-Perri (our school secretaries), marked with your name and the value of the gift card. The deadline for donations is Thursday, February 20th!

All funds raised from ticket sales will go directly back to the school to help enhance classroom resources in the fields of Math, Science, and Literacy.

I am also available to pick up any donations if that’s more convenient. My email address is Leardcindy@rogers.com. We are really hoping to see as many of you at the Family Free Skate. What a great way to get our Fairmount families together!

February 7, 2020

You have likely heard that TDSB schools may be closed

next Tuesday and Wednesday as the teachers’ legal job

action continues. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Please continue to monitor the media or https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations for ongoing updates.

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants have long supported parent and community engagement in schools throughout Ontario. This year the Ministry of Education has changed both the funding amount per board and the process for the allocation of funding. While the amount of $25,800 allocated to our individual Learning Centre (LC3) here in Scarborough is small, we remain hopeful that we can still offer opportunities that are important to parents and communities. To do this, we are asking for your feedback in selecting topics of the greatest interest to our community.Below is a link to a survey which is seeking your feedback on topics for parent engagement. There is also an opportunity to provide further suggestions for parent-focused topics in the survey. Topics of most interest within our communities will be offered at each event. Survey Link for Scarborough:

https://surveys.tdsb.on.ca/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=473259&lang=en

The survey will remain open until Friday February 14th.”

Attached is the flyer for the upcoming Fairmount Community Skate Day, a free family skate hosted by our Parent Council on Sunday, February 23^rd at Scarborough Village Rec. Centre from 2:00-4:00.

The other attachments include the minutes from this week’s School Council meeting, a note regarding the Me to We Pajama Drive and some tips for helping your child with reading at home. Note that there will be a Graduation Committee meeting for interested parents on Thursday, February 27^th beginning at 6:00 PM in the school library.

A couple of reminders from our Family Handbook – We most certainly want our school to be welcoming and for parents to feel comfortable but we need to balance this with the safety and security of students. We ask that parents say goodbye to their children in the yard or at the external doors. (At this point in the year, all children likely know how to navigate the halls of the school and find their classroom. However, please make us aware if your child requires special accommodations and we will make the necessary arrangements to support her or him.)

Please remind your child that if they bring a cell phone to school t is to be turned off and remain out of sight, this includes during lunch and recess while students are on school property.An exception to this rule is if it is being used for learning purposes with the permission of a teacher.

January 31, 2020

On Wednesday you received an email from the TDSB to

inform you that report cards will not be generated for the

first term (September to February) and that marks will not

be provided to parents/guardians as the report card comments

are essential to provide context for the marks. However, teachers will still be providing parents with the opportunity for a parent-teacher interview. As in previous years, teachers meet with all parents following the November Progress Reports and in February they reach out to parents/guardians who they feel they really need to meet with or talk to for any number of reasons. Though you will not be getting marks at this time, you should have a good idea as to your child’s achievement, performance and social development at school. Really, a report card should just confirm what you already know is happening. This doesn’t mean that you should not or cannot request an interview, but if your child’s teacher doesn’t request an interview with you then you should take that as good news that your child’s teacher is pleased with her/his achievement and/or progress to date or at the very least feels that your level of ongoing communication has been such that there might not be any new information to share at this time. Note that there will not be any evening interviews this term as all interviews will take place during the full school day hours on Friday, February 14^th. The next phase of the teachers’ job action is set to begin on Monday. This will include not being able to provide any extra curricular activities and, at this point, could include all elementary teachers across the province being on strike on Thursday of next week and select boards, including the TDSB, being on strike Friday. However, we remain hopeful that a settlement can be reached and that the provincial negotiators and ETFO continue to meet and make progress. Please monitor the media or https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations for ongoing updates.

If you have a child who will be starting Kindergarten in September, please visit https://www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyYears/KindergartenMonth for more information and/or call the school to make an appointment to register. Even if you choose to register online you will still need to come to the school with certain documentation so, where possible, we would like to cluster our registrations to February 25, 26 and 27. We ask that you bring your child with you so that while you are taking care of the paperwork, one of our Early Childhood Educators will spend some time with your child to help us get a general idea of our new kindergarten students, which will help us to better balance classes for September. Note that due to the fact Fairmount is overcapacity, we are closed to students who do not live in our catchment area.

The coronavirus has been an ongoing concern everywhere. As you are aware from the ongoing communication from the TDSB, we take our direction from Public Health in relation to our response. There is nothing to report from a ‘Fairmount perspective’ but, like you, we will continue to monitor information and direction provided by Public Health and the TDSB.

Yesterday during afternoon recess there was an unleashed dog on our property. The owner was not one of our parents and was taken by surprise by the students at recess, who proceeded to run to the dog, causing the dog to run, causing the children to chase…. Most of the children were happy to see a dog but a few were scared. Rest assured that none of the students were hurt and after a few minutes, the owner was able to corral her dog and leave the property. This hasn’t been an issue until yesterday, and this wasn’t one of ‘our’ dogs, but just a reminder that dogs are not suppose to be on school property.

Attached to this email is a flyer regarding parking enforcement that the police dropped off at the school yesterday and that the officers asked be shared with the parents. They also said that that in the coming weeks they will be monitoring and talking to motorists who commit traffic/parking infractions during drop-off and pick-up times and then, beginning in March, will start to ticket drivers.

The other attachment is to let you know about the upcoming Fairmount Community Skate Day on Sunday, February 23^rd at Scarborough Village Rec. Centre.

January 24, 2020

On Wednesday you received an email from the TDSB to

inform you that report cards will not be generated for the

first term (September to February). However, teachers are

still teaching, students are still learning and teachers continue

to assess student learning. Teachers will, at this point, continue to communicate with parents/caregivers and particularly if they have a concern about a student or a student’s progress or behaviour. The February 14^th PA Day that is for the purpose of parent/teacher interviews will continue as scheduled. Note that there will not be any evening interviews this term as all interviews will take place during the full school day hours on Friday, February 14^th. Information about how this day will look will be communicated in the near future. (It is better to wait a little longer to lessen the chance that our plan needs to be amended.) Thanks for your patience and understanding at the school level.

Our Grades 7 and 8 students had the opportunity this week to learn more about skilled trades during a presentation from Skills Canada. Career planning starts at an early age these days and it is important for our kids to hear about different professions that they may not have considered or even knew existed.

The TDSB is undertaking a review of secondary schools to ensure that all students have equitable access to programs and opportunities, as close to home as possible. As part of the Secondary Program Review, the TDSB is reviewing the Optional Attendance policy (P013), which allows students to apply to schools other than their designated school by home address. Although the initial reaction to the Secondary Program Review may be that this doesn’t affect elementary schools, it is important to consider that any recommendations made through this process will have an impact on current elementary students, as young as Grade 1. The plan, if approved by Trustees in June, will create the roadmap for school consolidations and program relocation or creation over the next 8 to 10 years. A public consultation process for both the Secondary Review and P013 started in November 2019. Please visit the TDSB website for more information and opportunities to provide feedback: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Secondary-Program-Review.

On a positive note, an occupational therapist who was working in our school yesterday made a point of saying that she visits many schools and was very impressed with how respectful and polite our students were and how well they seemed to interact with each other. She said that Fairmount seems like a really nice place to be. It certainly is.

January 17, 2020

As you are likely well aware, the Elementary Teacher’s

Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced that the next

phase of their job action will begin on Monday, January 20^th.

This phase will include rotating one-day strikes, which will

see TDSB elementary schools close for one day on Monday. If this is the case then students will return to school on Tuesday, January 21^st. Note that the Sunshine Daycare will continue to run as usual on Monday, January 20^th. For ongoing updates please visit https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations. Please know that teaching and learning continues to take place each and every day in your child’s classroom.

This past week a few of our Junior Division classrooms had the opportunity to become more financially literate as we had guests join these classrooms to discuss the principles behind budgeting and money management. In conversation with one of our expert guests he mentioned that he has visited quite a few classrooms to introduce these concepts to students and he was quite taken aback at the ‘level of sophistication’ that our students demonstrated with regard to existing knowledge in these areas.

Our Kindness Club students began visiting classes to run a lesson with the classes to help encourage students to be more thoughtful and to always treat others with kindness. Classroom visits will conclude next week and the club members will initiate a culminating task related to the activities they have had the students engage in during their visit.

A reminder that next Thursday evening is the Resiliency workshop for parents and caregivers of children who are between 10 and 14 that is being hosted by our Public Health Nurse. While the workshop, entitled ‘Helping Your Child Do Well In Life: Understanding Resilience’ is most applicable to students who are at this age but it is open to parents/caregivers of students of any age. It is almost impossible to underestimate the importance of resiliency in supporting someone’s success and adaptability. Anything we can do to support the development of a child’s resiliency is time well spent. If you are able to come please pre-register so that the nurse knows the quantity of materials to bring.

Our Parent Council is planning a family skate day for a Sunday in February. Details will be shared once they are finalized. Related to this, we have some skates at Fairmount that will be made available to children who need them and you will be welcome to exchange your skates or donate any skates that you have that no longer fit or that you no longer need. Details regarding this initiative will also be made available soon.

Kindergarten registration for children starting school in September will begin in February. Specifics about this process will be sent to you in the coming weeks.

January 10, 2020

It was a pleasure to return to school this week and see

all of our students again. We are hopeful that all of our

Fairmount families had an enjoyable holiday season, though

I didn’t talk to anyone this week who wasn’t happy that

school was back in session.

I want to thank our head caretaker, Mr. Duggan for his work over the break. Our school was noticeably cleaner when we returned on Monday. I even overheard one of our Grade 7 students thank him, saying that she ‘has never seen our gym floor shine like that before.’ Our Grade 7 and 8 students had a particularly eventful week because they returned to find that brand new lockers had been installed over the holidays. Getting lockers for our oldest students has been years in the works and we are happy that they now have a place to secure their belongings. It hasn’t taken long for students to start personalizing the inside of their lockers.

In the few weeks preceding the break we were dealing with some issues with the toilets in some of our girls’ washrooms. We had board plumbers trying to fix the problems. As a result, three of the toilets have already been replaced and yesterday three more toilets were brought to the school. (This might not sound like big news but it is a relief that access to one of the washrooms will no longer have to be restricted.)

Next Friday, January 17^th is a PA Day so there will not be school for students but thanks to the work of one of our amazing parents, Ms. Suke, we are hosting the Red Cross Babysitting Course in our gym on this day for interested Grade 6 students. (The cost of the course is $60. If there is space, we will open registration to Grades 7 and 8 students.) This is good news for any of our families who will be looking for a babysitter on occasion.

Note that there is a Fundraising Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday in our Library at 7:00 PM

Thanks to the parents who were able to join us for our School Council meeting on Wednesday evening. The minutes from the meeting are attached. Note that the next meeting will take place on the evening of Tuesday, February 4^th.

This week our girls’ volleyball team had begun practising and we were anticipating the start next week of boys’ basketball and the hockey season but it has been announced that the next phase of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) withdrawal of services will begin on Monday and will now include field trips, and extra-curricular activities that take place before and after school. We will communicate directly with parents/students affected with regard to specific trips or events. For ongoing updates please visit https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations

December 20, 2019

It was a pleasure to return to school this week and see

all of our students again. We are hopeful that all of our

Fairmount families had an enjoyable holiday season, though

I didn’t talk to anyone this week who wasn’t happy that

school was back in session.

Note that there is a Fundraising Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday in our Library at 7:00 PM

Thank you to all of our parents, extended families and

friends who were able to join us at RH King on Tuesday

evening for our annual winter concert. The students were,

of course, fabulous. It was wonderful to be together in the

spirit of the season and enjoy our children’s talent and efforts. Thanks so much

to the teachers who worked with their classes or club to give them the opportunity to present a song or dance. A special thanks to Ms. Laurin and Ms. Cheyne for organizing the event for us. Visit our Twitter feed to see some pictures and videos – www.twitter.com/fairmountps

For those parents who attended Shrek: The Musical in the spring and purchased a DVD of the performance, we have some good news. We have been in contact with the gentleman who was preparing the discs. There were some challenges with the audio, and he apologizes for the delay, but assures us they will be ready very soon.

Thanks to those who purchased the cookie dough that our Intermediate students have been selling as one of their fundraisers to help subsidize the cost of their year-end trip to Ottawa. So far the initiative has raised $731 to put towards the trip. You can still place cookie dough orders through January 5^th. Order your cookie supplies online and pay through SchoolCashOnline.Everything to order can be done through The Nut Free Gourmet's online site.

Congratulations to our Girls’ Basketball Teams. Our Grades 7/8 team won the Conference Finals and our Grade 5/6 Team won the City Championship. The common factor? Mr. Markovski. Thank you for giving your time to make this opportunity possible for the girls.

A message for Grade 8 parents from our guidance counsellor, Ms. Rabess:

Important Dates from TDSB Guidance & Career Education Department

High school course selection time is fast approaching. Please have a discussion with your child to determine what courses they will be taking in Grade 9.

Consult with your child’s teacher if you have questions about Academic, Applied, Locally Developed Compulsory, General Learning Strategies or ESL courses. If you need any assistance or clarification, please contact the Secondary school.You can also email our Guidance Counsellor at melissa.rabess@tdsb.on.ca

Below are some dates to keep in mind when going through this process.

January 31, 2020 Optional Attendance applications for regular programs due to secondary schools – delivered by student/parent/guardian
February 14, 2020 Secondary schools will inform Optional Attendance applicants of their acceptance or non-acceptance by this date
February 21, 2020 Course selection completed via the myBlueprint program and returned to elementary teacher/counsellor
February 28, 2020 All course selection sheets due to secondary schools – delivered by Elementary Counsellor

Only ONE course selection sheet per student is submitted for ONE secondary school by the elementary school counsellor.

Junior Extended French (Gr. 4 Entry) Parent/Guardian Information Sessions:

This year, there will be two virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians interested in the Junior Extended French (Gr. 4 entry) application process.

Please note the following dates/times of the Virtual (online webchat) Information sessions available through the TDSB website:

January 16th, 2020 - 7:00-8:00pm
January 28th, 2020 - 10:00-11:00am

We have had a very eventful first four months of learning and fun at Fairmount and are truly looking forward to the next six. We thank you for your support and community spirit. Fairmount is a special place and we are fortunate to be able spend our days with your children. From our Fairmount family to yours, we wish you all the best of the holiday season and an enjoyable and safe winter break. We will see everyone bright and early on Monday, January 6^th.

Week at a Glance

Character Traits for the Month of January –

Teamwork

Monday, January 6 – Day 1

Tuesday, January 7 – Day 2

Wednesday, January 8 – Day 3

Gr 7/8 – Soapstone Carving Session – Group #1

School Council Meeting – Library – 7:00 PM

Thursday, January 9 – Day 4

Gr 7/8 – Soapstone Carving Session – Group #2

Friday, January 10 – Day 5

Gr 7/8 – Soapstone Carving Session – Group #3

December 13, 2019

Further to last week’s message about the parking on Sloley

Road in front of the school, a reminder that our safety

patrollers are 11 years old and doing the very best they can

to try and keep other students safe. Please treat them with the

respect and civility that they deserve and that we should model

for them as we appreciate the volunteer work that they perform. (One of our patrollers was taken aback at the response they received from a driver when he asked her to move her car out of a ‘No Standing’ zone.) We also received an email from one of our neighbours who lives on Neilson expressing concern about ‘parents double parking and allowing no room for cars to back out of driveways.” Please be a good neighbour and be mindful of where you are parking should you need to drive your child to school.

As you may have heard, this week the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have begun ‘phase two’ of their partial withdrawal of services. As with the first phase, the services that have been withdrawn are predominantly administrative in nature. For ongoing updates please visit https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations.

This year’s winter concert will take place on Tuesday, December 17^th at RH King beginning at 6:30 PM. The tentative schedule for the evening is:

Primary Choir

Grade1/2 Classes

Class 4/5A (Ms. Jeffrey’s class)

Guitar Club

Senior Strings

Junior Choir

3/4 classes

Next week Ms. Misner will distribute notices about how to purchase the 2019-2020 yearbook for JK-8 students. Families are able to place an order via School Cash online beginning on January 6^thuntil April 3^rd. The cost is $17 per book and will be given out to students the last week of school in June. It's a great keepsake for the school year!

At the musical Shrek last spring some parents ordered a DVD of the performance that was to be edited, transferred and copied to disc by a third party. Ms. Cheyne and Ms. Laurin have both reached out to this third party a number of times since the performance but have not had any response. We have tried contacting him again this week and if we don’t hear from him in the next few days we will return the money to those who placed an order. (We still have the money as we were going to pay him upon delivery.)

A number of our bathrooms are going to be painted beginning on Monday. Each washroom will, of course, be closed for use during the time it is being painted but please be aware that the products that will be used are an acrylic epoxy, water based primer, and semi-gloss water based latex paint.

December 6, 2019

The minutes from this week’s School Council meeting are

attached and also available on our school website. The

first portion of the meeting was devoted to a discussion about

road safety, specifically the part of Sloely Road that is in front

of the school. Councillor Gary Crawford was in attendance and took questions and gave some of the history related to these concerns that have been an issue for years. The city will conduct a feasibility study to determine what steps, if any, can be taken. Councillor Crawford hopes to come back to the Council as early as this Spring to discuss the recommendations of the study. In the meantime, it is important to remember that, for the most part, the concerns that so many of us have about the safety of our students is a direct result of the driving and parking behaviour of the parents who of students at Fairmount. There may be community members who don’t stop at the crosswalk when students are waiting to cross but this may not only be due to inattentiveness but also to the fact that they can’t properly see students waiting because their vision is obstructed by vehicles parked where they are not supposed to be parked. In other words, as much as we are hopeful that we can get an official crossing guard or a more visible crosswalk, we could make these measures unnecessary simply by doing what we are supposed to do. To this end, a conversation was had with the Parking Enforcement Office yesterday and they will prioritize our school’s place in the list of school’s to be visited. (The reality is that the issues related to traffic and driving are not unique to our school.) We can expect to see them early in the New Year.

This week we had our first Student Council meeting. The Student Council is made up of student leaders from Grades 6-8 who were selected via ballot by the students in their classes to represent them and all of their fellow students. Congratulations to Grade 8 students Carys McDonald and Tatyana Wong who were selected by the Council to be our President and Vice-President. The students already started to discuss possible initiatives and activities that they would like to organize and implement, including leading the December assembly, school spirit days and a math buddies/mentor sessions where older students can help younger students with their math homework. This opportunity for students to demonstrate their leadership and have a more formal voice will undoubtedly benefit the whole school community.

This year’s winter concert will take place on Tuesday, December 17^th at RH King beginning at 6:30 PM. Though it could change, the students scheduled to perform include:

1/2A - Ms. Thompson-West, Ms. Woodall

1/2B - Ms. Cheyne, Ms. Woodall

1/2C - Ms. Vandenberg, Ms. Woodall

3 - Ms. Diwan

3/4A - Ms. Cole

3/4B - Ms. Lyons

Primary Choir - Ms. Cheyne

Junior Choir - Ms. Cheyne

4/5B - Ms. Jeffrey

7/8s: Senior Strings, Senior Guitar Club, Senior Band Ensemble (small ensembles)

We would like to decorate and make the venue as festive as possible but we are restricted due to access to RH King ahead of the concert and the fact that we are not allowed to attach anything to the walls. So, Ms. Misner is collecting anything that is 3D and holiday season/festive that can sit on the stage. If you have things like this that we can borrow please drop it off at the school at your convenience.

Week at a Glance

Character Traits for the Month of December –

Caring & Kindness

Monday, December 9 – Day 1

Gr 5/6 Boys Volleyball Practice – 7:45

Gr 5-8 Girls Basketball practice – PM

Tuesday, December 10 – Day 2

Scientists in the School Visit – Kindergarten

Grade 7/8 Robotics Club

Kindness Initiative Meeting – Lunch

Student Council Meeting – 3:20

Grades 7/8 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 3:30

Wednesday, December 11 – Day 3

Grades 5/6 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 7:45

Scientists in the School Visit – Kindergarten

Gr 5-8 Girls Basketball practice – 3:30

Primary Choir Practice – 3:30

Thursday, December12 – Day 4

Grades 7/8 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 3:30

Junior Choir Practice – 3:30

Friday, December 13 – Day 5

Gr 5/6 Boys Volleyball Practice – 7:45

November 29, 2019

We returned to school this past Monday to find that the

construction fence behind the school had been removed

and the work that was under construction for the past 3 ½

months has been almost entirely completed. A few students

could be heard running through the newly opened area yelling, ‘

Freedom’! Students were thrilled to be able to enjoy the space and, naturally, have discovered ways in which to play in the area that may not have been anticipated. To this point, students have been asked not to climb on the wall or walk along the ledge on the outside of the safety fence/railing that is on top of the retaining wall. (Sometimes it feels like we have to put a stop to it whenever we see kids enjoying themselves, but we have to put safety first.) A permanent fence has been installed between the parking lot and the school to delineate a safe walking place for students as they exit and enter the building. This should minimize students walking in or through the parking lot which, of course, is unsafe. We didn’t have the opportunity to have a ribbon cutting ceremony but there are many parents in our community, some of whom may no longer have students at the school, who worked for years to develop a vision for the school’s property for the benefit of the students and the community. On behalf of the staff, students, other parents/guardians and likely the wider Fairmount community – thank you!

We are hopeful that we can continue to foster this type of leadership and community spirit amongst our students as students from Grades 6-8 are in the process of selecting representatives for our Student Council. We are excited to provide this opportunity for our students to have a more formal voice in our school and to provide them with a platform to be directly involved with making our school an even better place to learn and grow.

One of the ‘campaign promises’ would likely have been to advocate for lockers for our Grades 7 and 8 students but we have received word that this is in fact going to happen in the very near future. (But don’t forget that the construction in the back was to be anticipated to be completed by the start of school. Regardless of the installation date, we have been assured that lockers are definitely coming.)

This year we have begun to hold monthly assemblies at which we recognize and celebrate the character trait of the month and students who have done a particularly exemplary job of demonstrating the particular character trait. Today we held our assemblies that focused on empathy. Thank you to Grace Montgomery, Ellie Frijio and Ariel Frijio (7/8B) for the tremendous job they did hosting the assembly and in putting together presentations to help students understand what it means and looks like to demonstrate empathy. Our choir sang beautifully in their debut performance of the year, singing The Empathy Song . Thank you also to students from our school’s Kindness Club for the skit at the first assembly and the presentation made by Daniel Levy and Ian Robertson (7/8C). They made a terrific presentation encouraging students to demonstrate kindness at all times. This also served as a great introduction to the character traits that will be the focus of December – Kindness and Caring.

A reminder that the next School Council meeting is on Tuesday night at 7:00 and is, as always, is open to anyone who is interested in attending. This month
Ward 20 City Councillor Gary Crawford is going to attend to hear from parents and guardians regarding traffic concerns on the section of Sloley Road directly in front of the school. This portion of the meeting is scheduled from 7:00 to 7:30.

Grade 8 Trip Fundraiser - Cookie Dough For Sale!

Fresh from the oven, The Nut Free Gourmet is offering their delicious cookie dough products for your home baking! Order from 6 delicious flavours, in tubs and/or rolls until Friday, December 6. Order your cookie supplies online and preferably pay through SchoolCashOnline. Everything to order your yummy cookies can be done through The Nut Free Gourmet's online site.

However, cash and/or cheque (made payable to Fairmount P.S.), will also be accepted. Extra order forms will be available in the office. Send your payment and order in with your student, to order your cookie dough if paying by cash/cheque.

Cookie Dough will be delivered to Fairmount Wednesday, December 18, just in time for the winter break! All proceeds will help support our Grade 8 Graduation Trip to Ottawa in June 2020.

Thank you and happy baking!

November 22, 2019

As you are likely aware, the Elementary Teachers’

Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is in negotiations with the

Government of Ontario and the Ontario Public School

Boards Association to achieve a new collective agreement.

ETFO has announced a province-wide ‘work to rule’ job action beginning on Tuesday, November 26^th. A full list of Phase 1 of ETFO’s work-to-rule protocols is available at https://etfocb.ca/strike-protocol-work-to-rule-phase-1/

At this time, negotiations between ETFO, OPSBA and the Ontario government continue and we are hopeful that an agreement on a new contract can be reached soon. At the school level, we don’t know any details beyond what you see on the news. The TDSB does update their webpage with any new developments and this can be accessed at https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations

Looking at student work is an important aspect and a large component of the work of teachers. However, this is too often an isolated activity. School reformers propose that one way to help improve instruction and student learning is by bringing teachers together through the use of specific structures and protocols to collaboratively analyze and learn from student work. Over the past number of weeks our teachers have been working together in their common grade teams to incorporate different math strategies into their program and this week they were given the opportunity to work together to examine their students’ work and discuss next best steps to support student understanding and achievement.

Attached is information at ‘The Lunch Lady’ service that comes to our school on Fridays and, starting on December 2^nd, will also deliver to Fairmount on Mondays. This service is not affiliated with our school but they are a reputable and reliable company.

While most of the snow has melted, we know more is going to come. In advance of the next snowfall, please do not allow them to bring sleds or toboggans to school as we do not allow students to use these during school hours on school property. (Some students brought them planning to toboggan at recess or lunch.) Students are reminded, daily, to leave the snow on the ground and to not throw snowballs. Students do play in the snow and build with it, though you might be surprised just how many problems arise from the building of forts!

Planning has commenced for our Winter Concert, which is tentatively booked for the evening of Tuesday, December 17^th at RH King. Our hope is to have each class perform in at least one concert this year, either the Winter Concert or the Spring Concert. We will communicate shortly the list of classes/clubs that will perform at the upcoming Winter Concert.

November 15, 2019

We are hopeful that parent teacher conferences went

well and that you have a good understanding of the areas

in which your child is thriving and the areas in which he or

she may need to put a little more focus. Importantly, this was

an opportunity to further develop your relationship with your child’s teacher as you work in partnership to support your child’s academic achievement and social development.

This past Monday we had two Remembrance Day assemblies. Thanks to Mr. Brown and Ms. Woodall for organizing them. Thanks to the students who prepared and spoke so eloquently – Shaayan Alam, Larissa Pialis, Ella Sun, Nancy Wang and Olivia Wilson. Mr. Brown has a military background and arranged for a couple of his colleagues to attend our ceremonies and visit a few classrooms throughout the day. It was enlightening for our students to be able to hear about the realities of current day military experiences.

This past Wednesday was International Kindness Day. To recognize this, our Kindness Club spent time at lunch on Tuesday stealthily going to each classroom and placing a sticky note on every desk. These notes contained messages of support, kindness and/or encouragement. We are hopeful that this brightened the day for our students and it inspired others to be just a little bit kinder towards others. Thanks to the students who are part of this initiative for taking the time to do this.

The cold and winter weather has arrived early this year. While some of us may prefer sun hats to toques, the kids really enjoy the snow. However, some of our students do not have appropriate clothing for the weather. We are collecting any new or used winter clothing or accessories, which we then distribute to our families who may need a helping hand at the moment. Please feel free to drop off any of these items at the main office.

Our amazing School Council parents have organized the sale of Fairmount Spirit Gear. We recognize that it is important that the items arrive by December 20^th, the last day of school before the Winter Break. In order for this to be possible, purchases will need to be placed by Monday, November 25^th. Samples are on display on the rolling rack that is in the front foyer. Orders can be placed online. More specific details will be sent at the beginning of next week.

Direct from runways in Milan and Paris…Ontario:

Zip Hoodie - $40
Regular Hoodie - $35
T-Shirt - $15
Toque - $12
Track Pants - $25
Large Blanket – To Be Confirmed
Water Bottle – To Be Confirmed

You may have heard or read about the Ministry of Education’s recently released Policy/Program Memorandum No.128 which a revision to the provincial Code of Conduct in schools related to the use of personal mobile devices during instructional time. There was some speculation that this revision was going to result in an outright ‘ban of cell phones’ but what it stipulates is that the use personal mobile devices is permitted for use during instructional time under the following circumstances:

for educational purposes, as directed by an educator
for health and medical purposes
to support special education needs

Note that this aligns with the policy that we already had in place here at Fairmount. We thank you for the support you have demonstrated in this area.

We are fortunate to have had a teacher from our board’s Assistive Technology Department work directly with some teachers in our school to more broadly implement the use of a computer program called Read and Write Gold, which is literacy software with tools designed for reading, writing, study, and research support. The software includes many features, including speech to text capability. Thanks to Mr. Brown for volunteering his class to be the one for us to work with to demonstrate the various aspects of the program. Ms. Misner will be conducting class visits to help students learn how to utilize this program assistive program that may very well be essential for some, but beneficial for all.

Of particular interest to our Grade 8 students and parents is the information session held at RH King on Thursday, November 21st to give details about what RH King has to offer students and what students can expect as a student of RH King. The presentation starts a half hour earlier than initially advertised. The session runs from 5:00-6:30. There will be a second presentation specifically for those interested in the Leadership Pathway Program, this session runs from 7:30-9:30.

Week at a Glance

Character Trait for November is Empathy

Monday, November 11 – Day 3

Remembrance Day Assembly K-3 – 9:15

Remembrance Day Assembly 3/4 Classes – 7/8 Classes – 10:30

7/8 Robotics – 11:30 AM

Gr 5-8 Girls Basketball practice – PM

Tuesday, November 12 – Day 4

Gr 5-8 Girls Basketball practice – 7:45

Kindness Initiative Meeting - Lunch

7/8 Robotics – 3:15

Grades 7/8 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 3:30

Wednesday, November 13 – Day 5

Grades 5/6 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 7:45

7/8 Robotics – 11:30 am

Gr 5-8 Girls Basketball practice – 3:30

Primary Choir Practice – 3:30

Thursday, November 14 – Day 1

Grades 5-8 Girls Basketball Practice – 7:45

Grades 7/8 Boys Volleyball Team Practice – 3:30

Junior Choir Practice – 3:30

Friday, November 15

PA Day – No School for Students

Parent-Teacher Interviews – AM

November 8, 2019

In November, we honour Indigenous Education Month

at the TDSB. This month provides an opportunity to centre

First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, histories and

contemporary realities. In classrooms across the TDSB, it is an

opportunity to learn about treaties, Indigenous leadership, achievements, and resistance. On Wednesday of this week we were very fortunate to

have had a visit from Elder Gary Sault. Mr. Sault’s visit was

part of our acknowledgement of Ontario Treaties Recognition

Week. He hosted three assemblies; each tailored to the age

group to which he was speaking. The message of the treaty that we all have with the earth and the need to care for it seemed to resonate with all of our students.

Wednesday evening was our November School Council meeting. (The Minutes are attached and also accessible on our school website, under the School Council tab.) Thanks to all of the parents who were able to join us and for engaging in the task of supporting our ongoing school improvement process. We have begun to develop our School Improvement Plan and the parents and guardians in attendance provided insightful and valuable input that we can incorporate into our plan to ensure that it is designed to meet the needs of our students in the areas of Equity, Literacy, Mathematics and Well-Being. We recognize that our parents know their children best and we appreciate the opportunity for feedback as to how we can best teach and support them to ensure that each student reaches their potential. Our partnership sends a very positive message to our children about what it means to live in a community and the value of education.

Monday, November 11^th is Remembrance Day. We will hold assemblies to recognize and honour our veterans. There will be two assemblies, the first for our youngest students will begin at 9:15 and last for approximately 25 minutes. The second assembly will begin at 10:30, and will last until just after 11:00. Everyone in the school will observe the minute of silence at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. All community members are welcome to attend either assembly.

On Tuesday of next week Progress Reports are going home. These are not full report cards but are an indication as to how your child is progressing after the first two months of the year.Each child’s parent/guardian is encouraged to be part of a parent-teacher interview at this stage of the school year. Some parents may have already had an interview bust most will take place over the course of the upcoming week. This is an opportunity for you to hear about how your child is doing, about your child's progress and to discuss any issues. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions. See the attachment for some tips for a successful parent-teacher interview. Remember that the older your child becomes the more ownership and responsibility the need to take for their learning. It is all well and good for you and the teacher to determine what may need to happen for your child to experience greater success but the reality is that it is the student who will need to commit to the plan if it is going to work. While you work with the teacher to support them, they are a crucial part of the conversation so please include them at some point in the process.

Early French Immersion (Senior Kindergarten (SK) Entry)

Applications to the Early French Immersion program are made the year your child is in Junior Kindergarten (or is of Junior Kindergarten age) for entry in Senior Kindergarten. It is an entirely online process. All communication will be sent via the email address you provide. Please check your email regularly, including junk mail folders.

Please visit the application site www.tdsb.on.ca/pars

You will need your child’s date of birth and OEN. The OEN is a 9-digit number found on any report card from the TDSB.

Please select the Early Immersion Program (SK) from the drop-down menu, and complete the application process.

On-time applicants will be offered a placement online via the email address you have provided. You MUST take action to accept this placement by the deadline requested when you are offered a placement.

Offers of placement will be ongoing throughout the weeks and months following the close of the application period. Please check your email regularly, including junk mail folders, and follow any instructions.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Application process opens: November 4, 2019

Deadline for applications: November 29, 2019

Please note:

While every effort will be made to place students in the school identified as their area French Immersion school, this is not always possible. In cases where the number of applications in a given area is greater than the number of spaces in the school, students may be redirected to schools with available space.

Placements are made based on the address you provide prior to the application deadline. If your address changes between the application deadline and the fall of the SK year, there is no guarantee of placement in your new area.

November 1, 2019

We have had another very busy week at Fairmount.

The weather may not have cooperated this year but it

didn’t prevent many students from wearing their costumes

and enjoying Halloween. Please remember to make sure that

any treats or candy that your child brings to school does not to contain any peanuts or nuts as we do have students with severe allergies.

We had our October recognition assemblies this week at which time some students were recognized for their ongoing demonstration of the character trait of responsibility. (Throughout the month of November, teachers will emphasize the trait of empathy in their classes and lessons.) This assembly also included a brief presentation about treaties as next week is Treaties Recognition Week and we are fortunate to have Elder Gary Sault coming to our school to speak to the students.

The Dance-a-thon pledges have been counted and our students and their families raised an incredible total of $7,000! This money will go towards the purchase of technology to support student learning. The draw for the prizes was done at the first assembly. The prize winners were:

Zachary T. – Room 7 – Chromebook

Sahana S. – Room 24 - Santa Claus Parade VIP Prize Pack

Caleb T. - Movie and Dinner Package

Ms. Friedlander’s & Ms. Sutherland’s class won the pizza party for having raised the most amount of money by any class in the school, which was due in no small measure to our top fundraiser, Frederick L..

Thanks to everyone for participating and for being so generous.

Progress Reports go home on November 12^th, which means Parent-Teacher interviews will take place. You will receive a letter from your child’s teacher regarding interview dates and times. Please return this to the teacher as soon as possible so that they can do their best to accommodate your requested time and connect with teachers of siblings so that they can try to avoid any conflicts for you.

We hope to see you at the next School Council meeting on Wednesday evening. We are in the process of updating our school improvement plan and would like to get parent and community input.

October 25, 2019

Today’s Halloween Dance-a-thon was a great success.

Our students had a great time and got some exercise

In the process. Thank you so much to all of the amazing

parents and grandparents who made this possible. The event

would not have been possible without the planning, decorating, staging, clean-up crew and, of course, all of the parents, guardians and friends of Fairmount who donated money to our school through their generous pledges. We can’t announce a grand total, or the winners of the prizes, just yet as we are still collecting pledges/donations on Monday so students still have this weekend to get a few last minute supporters. The sense of community and support that exists in our neighbourhood is truly outstanding.

Our ‘better late than never’ Terry Fox walk/run that was held last week raised almost $1000 that has been donated to the Terry Fox Foundation to support the effort to find a cure for cancer.

The construction effort in the back is moving along, though the November 1^st completion date may turn out to be tad optimistic, provided the weather cooperates, it shouldn’t be too far off. Those of us who are new are curious to see what the back of the school looks like without a construction zone. Regardless, the results are sure to impress those who have yet to see it. One section of asphalt was poured a few weekends ago and the rest is scheduled for this coming Tuesday morning.

You may recall receiving a letter a few weeks ago indicating that Ms. Johnston was moving from her assignment teaching Phys Ed and STEM classes to the newly created Kindergarten class. We have officially found a permanent replacement. Mr. McCready has already connected well with all of our students. His infectious enthusiasm and energy are a great fit with a positive school culture that reflects a such a strong community spirit. I know you join us in welcoming him to Fairmount.

Congratulations to the following 8 students for making the top 20 at Monday’s East Finals for Cross Country. They move on to the City Finals.

Grade 4: Maria Taylor, Remi Flikweert, James Vondracek

Grade 6: Gregory Spencley

Grade 7: Sydney Daniels, Raaidan Flikweert, Russel Mackrell

Grade 8: Edward King-Butt

Our Grade 8 Boys Soccer Team had a strong season, though they lost today in the semi-finals. Thanks to all of our parents who are willing to drive to the various tournaments and, of course, to our coaches who volunteer their time to make these opportunities possible for our students.

October 18, 2019

You may have noticed, or heard, that the construction in

the back has been coming along quite nicely as one

portion of the area now has asphalt and the lower portion

is scheduled for next weekend. Weather permitting, the

completion date is November 1^st!

The necessary repairs to the playscape in the back are now complete.

Our Safety Patrollers began their work this week. Please remember to be extra careful and respectful of our kids and the laws of the road in order to keep all of our students safe. (This includes not parking between the designated signs on Sloley in front of the school. Parking in this area impedes the vision of drivers as they approach the crosswalk in front of the school.)

As the colder weather approaches, please ensure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather conditions. Remember that they spend 15 minute recesses outside and if they stay for lunch they are outside for at least 40 minutes. Our lost and found bin is already overflowing. If your child is missing a sweater or light jacket please encourage them to look through the lost and found.

This afternoon our students took part in the annual Terry Fox Run/Walk. Thanks to Ms. Woodall for organizing this event for our school. If you are interested, we are accepting any cash donations as even the smallest donation can make a difference but if you prefer, you can make a donation here:

http://www.terryfox.ca/FairmountJPSScarborough

Thank you to Ms. Leard who sold gently used Halloween costumes in the front foyer after school this week. This ‘bootique’ (thanks Ms. Lee) offered great costumes for outstanding prices. Those who were able to find something in their size were thrilled with their purchases and the savings. While this was meant to be a fundraiser it was just as much a service to our community.

We know that students are excitedly anticipating next Friday’s Halloween Dance-a-thon.There is still lots of time to get pledges for the dance, with students getting a ballot for every $10 raised. The most coveted prize is a new Chromebook, which has been donated by our very own Prentice Family. We thank them for their generosity and support of our school and community.

A reminder that we are accepting Halloween decorations to help transform the gym, so please donate or lend us any decorations. We’d love some inflatables or lights if you have any that we can use. We will also need a few volunteers to help clean-up after the Dance-a-thon so if you are available at the end of the day on Friday we would appreciate a hand.

Week at a Glance

Monday, October 21, 2019 – Day 3

Century School House class trip – Gr 3’s – All Day

Cross-Country East Conference Championship – Thomson Park

Grade 7/8 Robotics Club – Lunch

Year Book Committee – Class Reps Gr 4-8 – Lunch

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 – Day 4

7/8A trip to RC Harris Filtration – with Ms. Cane - AM

7/8 Robotics Club – 3:15 pm

7/8 soccer Quarter finals – 4:15 pm

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 – Day 5

Junior Classes to Ryerson Women’s Hockey Game – Mattamy Athletic Centre – All Day

7/8 Robotics – Lunch

Yearbook Committee Meeting - Lunch

Gr 6 soccer practice – 3:30 pm

Primary Choir – 3:30 pm

Grade 8 Parent Info Night for Ottawa Trip (Explorica) - Room 21 – 7 pm

Thursday, October 24, 2019 - Day 1

Cross Country City Finals

Junior Choir – 3:30 pm

Friday, October 25, 2019 – Day 2

Halloween Dance-A-Thon

October 11, 2019

The extra-curricular activities at our school continue to

provide great opportunities for our students. Our bordenball

teams enjoyed very successful tournaments and we hosted

two soccer tournaments, both of which were won by our

Falcons. In addition to our ongoing Gr. 7/8 Robotics Club, we started a Kindness Club initiative this week that you will hear more about in the near future. Our Primary and Junior students are encouraged to join one of our choirs which will begin next week. For our vast roster of runners, the postponed cross-country team meet has been rescheduled for next Friday, October 18^th.

We are appreciative that so many of our teachers choose to provide these wonderful opportunities to enrich the school experience at Fairmount and to support the development of a strong school and community spirit. These activities augment our commitment to a challenging and progressive academic program. Our culture of learning and commitment to academic excellence has been supported by the work that has been done by our school’s Math Committee. This dedicated team of teachers has led and facilitated the implementation of a teaching and learning critical pathway that is focused on supporting all of our staff to work collaboratively, exploring various best practices that will be incorporated into classrooms over the next few weeks and beyond as we work to broaden our understanding of various instructional approaches and challenge students to think more deeply about mathematical concepts. While it may look different from one grade to the next, this exciting focus on math will be seen in all grades and classrooms.

Thanks to our parents and School Council representatives, Ms. Leard and Ms. Blazo, for the inspiring presentation to the students that explained the upcoming dance-a-thon to the students. (Note that because the dance-a-thon is taking place on October 25^th, the picture retake day has been moved to October 29^th. Class photos for Kindergarten will also take place on the 29^th.)

From your School Council Fundraising Committee:

Our first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16^th at 7:00 PM in the school library. Everyone is welcome to come and share ideas for future fundraisers.

Halloween Costume Sale:

We will have a sale on Wednesday, October 16^th from 3:30-5:30 in the main foyer of the school. Another date will be announced shortly but you may not want to wait to get a costume.

Dance-a-thon:

Pledge sheets went home yesterday. Students are encouraged to use this holiday weekend to ask grandparents, uncles, aunts and other family and friends for pledges. For every $10 raised, the student gets a ballot that will have a chance of being drawn for the grand prize of a Chromebook!

We will need Halloween decorations to help transform the gym so please donate or lend us any decorations. We’d love some inflatables or cool lights if you have any that we can use.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cindy Leard

From your School Council:

Please take a few moments to complete the following family survey:

https://forms.gle/hobJgnHBUVzHchUm7

Our Terry Fox Run/Walk is scheduled for the afternoon of October 18^th.

Donations can be made here:

http://www.terryfox.ca/FairmountJPSScarborough.

Remember that we have begun our annual WE Scare Hunger Food Drive. All donations may be dropped off at your child's classroom donation box. Thank you for your generous support as we help to support those who are less fortunate.

Week at a Glance

Monday, October 14

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, October 15 – Day 4

Kindness Club Meeting – Room 21 – Lunch

Robotics Club Meeting – Room 21 – After School

Wednesday, October 16 – Day 5

Cross-Country Practice – 8:10

Grade 5/6 Soccer Team Finals Vs. Clarlea at Monarch Park – 10:30

Cross-Country Practice – Grades 1-4 – 11:35 / Grades 5-8 – 12:10

Robotics Club Meeting – Room 21 - Lunch

Primary Choir Rehearsals – Room 14 – 3:30-4:30

Halloween Costume Sale – Main Foyer – 3:30-5:30

Fundraising Committee Meeting – Library – 7:00 PM

Thursday, October 17 – Day 1

Cross-Country Practice – Grades 1-4 – 11:35 / Grades 5-8 – 12:10

Soccer Teams Practice – 3:15

Friday, October 18 – Day 2

Cross-Country Meet – East Region Qualifier – Thomson Park

Terry Fox Run/Walk – Behind the School – 2:00 PM

Junior Choir Rehearsal – Room 14 – 3:30-4:30

October 4, 2019

The most pressing issue at the moment is the fact that our

CUPE staff may be on strike effective Monday morning and

schools will be closed. Please continue to follow the news

this weekend as we remain hopeful that a settlement is reached

and that schools will be open on Monday. Any new updates will be available on the TDSB website. Note that the cross-country meets scheduled for next week have been postponed regardless of whether or not schools are open.

Due to the weather, the asphalt that was to be poured in the construction area behind the school has been rescheduled until next Friday. We also anticipate that this week we should see the installation of a permanent chain link fence that will run along the perimeter of the parking lot, parallel to the school. This fence will make it necessary to walk along the sidewalk to get to Door #8 (the door used by our Grade 7 and 8 students) rather than taking a more direct route of walking through the parking lot.

As the weather grows colder more and more people will decide to drive their kids to school or pick them up at the end of the day. Please be mindful of the by-law that it is illegal to park on Sloley Road in front of the school, which means that parking anywhere near the crosswalk is illegal. We are particularly concerned for the safety of our students crossing the street and for our Safety Patrol students who have started patrolling the crosswalk. Thanks in advancer for being good parents to all of the kids in our community.

Thanks to all of the parents and guardians who were able to attend the School Council meeting on Tuesday night. Please see the attached minutes and projected budget for the Council. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 6^th. As always, everyone is welcome to attend.

Please take a few moments to complete this survey to help with planning meetings that will best serve your needs and interests:

https://forms.gle/hobJgnHBUVzHchUm7

Congratulations to our nascent bordenball teams who both played extremely well at their respective tournaments this week. The Grades 7/8 girls had a great showing and the Grades 5/6 girls team won the championship! Thanks to the coaches, Ms. Jeffrey (7/8) and Mr. Brown (5/6) for their efforts and for bringing bordenball to Fairmount. A special thanks to the many parents who volunteered to drive our teams to the tournament at Lester B. Pearson CI.

Our school will hold this year’s Terry Fox run/walk on Friday, October 18^th, with a rain date of Monday, October 20^th.The event will take place behind the school at 2:00.If you would like to make a donation to support cancer research please click on this link:

http://www.terryfox.ca/FairmountJPSScarborough

Our School Council are hosting a Dance-a-thon on Friday, October 25^th. More information about this fun-filled event/fundraiser will be coming home shortly but note that we have moved the date of our picture retake day to Tuesday, October 29^th. Note that this day is for students to get individual pictures if they were absent for the first photo day and for class photos for our Kindergarten classes.

Week at a Glance

(If Schools Are Open)

Monday, October 8^th (Day 5)

Grade 6 Boys Soccer Team Hosting Tournament at Fairmount – All Day

Tuesday, October 9^th (Day 1)

Grade 6 Boys Soccer Tournament at Fairmount – All Day

Cross-Country Meet - Postponed

Kindness Club Starts Today at Lunch

Gr.7/8 Robotics Team Meeting – After School

Wednesday, October 10^th (Day 2)

Grade 7 Immunization – AM

Gr.7/8 Robotics Team Meeting – Lunch

Grade 6 Boys Soccer Team Practice – After School

Primary Choir – After School

Thursday, October 11^th (Day 3)

Grade 8 Boys Soccer Team Hosting Tournament at Fairmount – All Day

Assemblies to Introduce the Dance-a-thon

Junior Choir – After School

Friday, October 12^th

PA Day – No School For Students

September 27, 2019

Thank you to all of our families who were able to attend

our Curriculum Night last night. We are hopeful that you

left with a better understanding of what your child will be

learning this year and that you got a chance to chat with

her or her teacher and see the classroom(s). A very special thank you to our parent volunteers who arranged for the food trucks, the al fresco seating and the perfect weather as this made the evening a real community event.

We also want to thank the parents who volunteered during the day to organize and run the pizza lunch for our students. Given the precision with which this was carried out it is safe to say that this was not their first pizza lunch. Thank you!

As you may have heard on the news, CUPE workers will begin some job action effective Monday unless a settlement is reached this weekend. At our school this includes our office staff, early childhood educators, lunchroom supervisors, educational assistants, special needs assistants, and caretakers. One of these actions is that caretakers will not clean offices, hallways or gyms. However, they will continue to clean classrooms. Beginning on Monday our students will eat in their classrooms rather than in the gym so that we can continue to use the gym for Phys. Ed. classes and student activities. We will also ask students to take back home the packaging or leftover food from their lunches. While serving to reduce the food waste in the school/classroom, this ‘boomerang lunch’ will also give you a chance to see what your child is and isn’t eating.

The TDSB will provide updates for the job action on the website at:

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations

Construction in the back continues to move along and they are planning to pave the area with asphalt on October 4^th. This will only be for one day but it will smell like it does when roads are being paved. If it is pouring rain, they will pave on October 11^th, the PA Day. (It is preferable not to wait until the 11^th because that will further delay the completion and this can become more of a concern as the weather gets colder.)

EQAO

The Education Quality and Accountability Office released the results from the testing that was done in the spring.

Our school results indicating the percentage of students who achieved the provincial standard:

Primary (Grade 3)

Reading - 82%Writing – 71%Math – 62%

Junior (Grade 6)

Reading – 86%Writing – 79%Math – 50%

We will be using the data provided to us through these EQAO assessments to inform our work with regard to school improvement planning.

If you have a child who wrote the test, your child is bringing home their individual results today so please ask them or check their backpack. (If you are new to our school, your previous school will forward your child’s results to us and we will send them home as soon as they arrive.)

Week At A Glance

This week – Universal Screening Test for Grade 3 Students

Monday, September 30 (Day 5)

Orange Shirt Day – Orange Shirt Day (September 30th) is a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada

Cross-Country Practice – 8:10

Gr.7/8 Robotics Team - Lunch

Character Trait Assemblies – Respect – Hosted by Me to We Team

Soccer – Grade 8 Boys – 3:25-4:25

Tuesday, October 1 (Day 1)

Bordenball Team Practice – Lunch

Cross-Country Practice – Lunch

Gr.7/8 Robotics Team – After School

School Council – Budget Meeting – Library – 6:00 PM

School Council Meeting – Library – 7:00 PM

Wednesday, October 2 (Day 2)

Cross-Country Practice – 8:10

Grade 7/8 Bordenball Team Tournament – Lester B. Pearson CI

Grade 5/6 Bordenball Team Practice – Lunch

Gr.7/8 Robotics Team - Lunch

Soccer – Grade 6 Boys – 3:25-4:25

Thursday, October 3 (Day 3)

Grade 5/6 Bordenball Team Tournament – Lester B. Pearson CI

Cross-Country Practice – Lunch

Soccer – Grade 8 Boys – 3:25-4:25

Soccer – Grade 6 Boys – 3:25-4:25

Friday, October 4 (Day 4)

Cross-Country Practice – 8:10

Markham Fair – Mr. Carr’s, Ms. Cheyne’s, Ms. Thompson-West’s and Ms. Vandenberg’s classes

September 20, 2019

Construction

The only update with regard to the construction is that the

fencing in one area has been moved so that we currently

do not have access to Door #5 (Ms. Cole, Ms. Lyons and Mr. Brown), so they are entering through Door #4 for now. We also do not have external access to the gym which means that when we have the switch of students to eat lunch we need to use Door #4. These are relatively minor issues that our students haven’t had any issues adapting to. If your child has mentioned that there seem to be quite a few wasps behind our school right now, it is true. We will continue to call our pest control vendor to help manage this issue for us.

Reorganization

September 13^th was ‘count day’ with regard to our enrolment and determining whether or not we would need to reorganize any of our grades/classrooms. We shuffled a few of our Grade 2 students, which was done in time for ‘picture day’ this week. Our Kindergarten classes were sitting at 32 and 33 student respectively so we received confirmation that we are to open a new class of 15 students effective Monday. This means that we have had to move 7 students from one class and 8 students from the other. While we never wish to be in the position of reorganizing, and it can be difficult for some parents, in a relatively short period of time the students adjust and it is a non-issue. Students are often far more resilient than we give them credit. Regardless, we understand that it isn’t usually something parents hope for but we truly appreciate your understanding as, in the end, all of the students are going to have a better year with the new configuration of classes.

Lunchroom Supervisors

We sometimes find ourselves in need of lunchroom supervisors. If you are interested in this paid position or would like to work in this capacity periodically as the need arises, please call our main office and we can begin the process by setting up an interview.

Curriculum Night

Our Curriculum Night will take place this Thursday, September 26^th. Our School Council has arranged for food trucks to come to the school for 5:00 PM and you are invited to come to the school early and buy an early dinner and get a chance to talk to your neighbours before Curriculum Night.

Schedule:

5:00-7:30 Food Trucks will be present outside the school

6:00-7:00 Kindergarten Curriculum Night Sessions

7:00 Grades 1-8 Curriculum Night Sessions – Parents/Guardians make their way to the first classroom they wish to visit

7:10-7:30 Session One Presentation

7:30 Move to Next Presentation/Classroom Visit

7:35-7:55 Repeat of Presentation to Parents

8:00 Curriculum Night ends

Curriculum Night- Meeting Areas

Teacher	Grade	Room/Location
Ms. Cheatley	Kindergarten	10
Ms. Friedlander Ms. Sutherland	Kindergarten	11
Ms. Rosekat Ms. Surette	Kindergarten	12
Ms. Cheyne	Grades 1/2	14
Ms. Vandenberg	Grades 1/2	15
Ms. Thompson-West	Grades 1/2	16
Ms. Atanasoff	Grade 3	18
Ms. Cole	Grades 3/4	4
Ms. Lyons	Grades 3/4	5
Mr. Brown	Grades 4/5	8
Ms. Jeffrey	Grades 4/5	9
Mr. Carr	Grades 5/6	6
Ms. Ravindrarajan	Grades 5/6	7
Ms. Laurin	Grades 7/8	20
Ms. Cane	Grades 7/8	21
Mr. Wood	Grades 7/8	23
Ms. Johnstone	Phys Ed / STEM	Room 3 - STEM Lab
Ms. Keating	Gr.4-6 French	13
Mr. Markovski	Library, Resource Support, Media Literacy	Library
Ms. Woodall	Primary-Junior Arts	Gym

Family Handbook

Yesterday you should have received your 2019-2020 Fairmount Family Handbook. If you did not receive this pamphlet, please ask your child, check their backpack or have your child ask for one and we will be pleased to send one home.

Dance-a-Thon/Hallowe’en Costumes

Fairmount Families.....

We will be collecting gently used costumes at Curriculum Night and at the school from October 1^st – 5^th. We will be selling them the week of October 15th-18th before and after school, with proceeds going to support our students at Fairmount.

I am also excited to announce that we will be having a Halloween Theme Dance -a-Thon in October (Date to be announced soon!) Pledge sheets will go home with the kids before Thanksgiving. Kids are invited to dress up that day, or if they prefer they can come in whatever they choose. We will also have a bake sale.

There will be more information to come and I will be looking for some volunteers to help me with the decorating the day before.

Thanks Again, Cindy Leard

September 1, 2019

Welcome to the new school year at Fairmount Public School.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate the construction that is taking place behind our school. This may present some challenges in the short term but it will be worth it when it is completed in the coming weeks.

One of the inconveniences is that some students will have different entry and exit doors while the work is being done. The chart below indicates the door each class will use while the work is ongoing and the doors they will enter and exit through once the work has been completed. We are hopeful that posting this list in advance will help minimize the challenges that will accompany the very first day of school on Tuesday.

Entry/Exit Doors/Location

Class	Teacher	Regular Door	*Temporary Door During Construction*
Kindergarten A – Room 12	Rosekat/Surette	Classroom Door 12 – Kindergarten area	External Door #9A at the west side of the building
Kindergarten B – Room 11	Friedlander/Sutherland	Classroom Door 11 – Kindergarten area	External Door #9 at the west side of the building
Grades 1/2A – Room 15	Ms. Vandenberg	External Door #8 – near the portables	External Door #8 – near the portables – Accessible only from the stairs that lead from the portable or from the east side of the building
Grades 1/2B – Room 16	Ms. Thompson-West	External Door #8 – near the portables	External Door #8 – near the portables - Accessible only from the stairs that lead from the portable or from the east side of the building
Grades 1/2C – Room 14	Ms. Cheyne	External Door #8 – near the portables	External Door #8 – near the portables - Accessible only from the stairs that lead from the portable or from the east side of the building
Grades 2/3 – Room 18	Ms. Atanasoff	External Door #8 – near the portables	External Door #8 – near the portables - Accessible only from the stairs that lead from the portable or from the east side of the building
Grades 3/4A – Room 4	Ms. Cole	External Door #5 – Doors in the centre of the building at the back of the school	No Change
Grades 3/4B – Room 5	Ms. Lyons	External Door #5 – Doors in the centre of the building at the back of the school	No Change
Grades 4/5A – Room 8	Mr. Brown	External Door #5 – Doors in the centre of the building at the back of the school	No Change
Grades 4/5B – Room 9	Ms. Jeffrey	External Door #4 – Back of the school near the east side of the school	No Change
Grades 5/6A – Room 6	Mr. Carr	External Door #4 – Back of the school near the east side of the school	No Change
Grades 5/6B – Room 7	Ms. Ravindrarajan	External Door #4 – Back of the school near the east side of the school	No Change
Grades 7/8A – Room 23	Mr. Wood	External Door #3 – near the parking lot at the east end of the school	No Change
Grades 7/8B – Room 20	Ms. Laurin	External Door #3 – near the parking lot at the east end of the school	No Change
Grades 7/8CV – Room 21	Ms. Cane	External Door #3 – near the parking lot at the east end of the school	No Change

Fairmount is a wonderful community school. It’s a warm and caring place where all staff and parents work together to ensure that all of our students have the tools they need to achieve their potential.

Our goal is to engage all staff, students and families in working together as a learning community that has high expectations for all students and is dedicated to caring and supporting active participation in all facets of school life.

We thank our families for their support as we work to ensure that our students experience personal and social growth and achieve academic excellence.

Through collaboration we will focus on a strong academic program that is supported by arts and athletic programs that help students feel engaged and gives them opportunities to develop in all areas of the curriculum.

Together, we empower our students to develop the critical thinking skills and global competencies that will enable them to thrive now and in the future. We recognize the importance of creating a culture of learning and respect in which students’ learning styles are valued and their voices are heard and where our students are given the leadership opportunities to help them to become responsible citizens who respect and support others.

Fairmount is a great place to be!

SCHOOL TIMETABLE

Kindergarten to Grade 8

8:42 am -11:30 amMorning Program

Recess 9:55 -10:10Grades 1-8

11:30 am - 12:32 pmLunch Break – K- Gr. 6

11:30 am – 12:42 pm Lunch Break – Gr. 7- 8

Kindergarten students eat in their classrooms

11:30 am – 11:50 am - Gr. 5 – 8 eat in the in gym / Gr. 1-4 outside

11:50 am – 12:10 pm – Gr.1 – 4 eat in the gym / Gr. 5-8 outside

12:10 pm – Gr. 1-8 outside

12:32 pm – Afternoon Program Begins - Kindergarten – Gr. 6

12:42 pm – Afternoon Program Begins – Gr. 7-8

Recess 1:55-2:10Grades 1-6

3:05 pm - Kindergarten Dismissal

3:15 pm - Regular Dismissal Grades 7 & 8

3:20 pm - Regular Dismissal K-6

*kindergarten classes’ “outdoor exploration times’ may vary from the rest of the school

To foster punctuality and ensure a good start to the day, students should arrive at school a few minutes before the bell. For students in kindergarten the recommended time is 8:40 am and 12:30 pm, and students in gr. 1 - 6 arrival times are 8:35 a.m. and for the afternoon the students in grades 1-6 should arrive at 12:25 p.m. and students in grades 7 and 8 arrive between 12:35 pm and 12:40 pm.

The paved area in back of the school is the designated waiting area for gr. 1-6 and supervision is provided from 8:30 -8:40 am.The kindergarten students wait in the fenced in area at the front of the building, and supervision does not begin until 8:40 am in this area.

SCHOOL SECURITY

All schools in the TDSB have a buzzer entry system at the front door.This means that our front door will be locked at all times.If you need to gain entry to the school, please push the button and one of our office staff will speak to you through the intercom and/or then unlock the door via a remote release. All other doors to the school will be locked throughout the day and only opened for student entry and dismissal.

There should not be any adults, who are not staff members, in the school building without first signing in at the office.This means that if you drop your child off at school, please say goodbye to him/her in the school yard.Parents or other adults are not permitted in the hallways before or after school.This is solely for the purpose of ensuring student safety, please do not interpret this to mean that our parents are not valued and respected here at Fairmount.

If you would like to speak to your child’s teacher in person, please call the office to make an appointment.If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please go to the office and your child will be called down.You will also need to sign out your child.

At the end of the day, students will exit the building through their designated dismissal door, not the front door.Please arrange a suitable location to meet your child outside the school building.

We fear that this may seem unwelcoming but this is simply a measure that has been implemented in all schools to better ensure the safety of our students.We appreciate your understanding and support to keep our kids safe.

SCHOOL/CLASSROOM REORGANIZATION

In the spring we determine what classes we will have and which students will be in each of these classes.This is developed based on our projected enrolment for the upcoming school year.However, sometimes the actual numbers vary from what was anticipated or we realize that we need to better balance our classes by moving some students from one class to another.We are always hopeful that reorganizing classes and moving students will not be necessary but my experience is that often happens that some students will need to switch classes.If this does occur, we expect that any changes will be in place by Monday, September 23^rd at the latest.We always try to minimize any changes but it does happen and we have found that the students quickly adjust to this change.We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation should your child be affected by any changes in their classroom placement.

ATTENDANCE REPORTING

Absence: When your child will be absent or late please call 416-396-6240 and provide the necessary details.Please try to call before 8:30 a.m. to leave morning attendance information and/or 12:30 p.m. to leave afternoon attendance information.When student absences are known in advance please send a note to your child’s teacher with the specific information.

Late Arrival: If your child arrives after their class has entered the building they will need to enter through the front door and go to the main office to sign in, at which time they will be marked late. Students are required to enter the classroom with a late entry slip as an indication of arrival through the office.If you need to pick your child up for an appointment you may wish to call ahead so that we can have your child ready and waiting for you outside the office for when you arrive. Please don’t forget to sign them out when you arrive to pick them up. Thank you for following our routines as they are in place to ensure the safety of all students. Parents are not allowed to walk students to their classroom without stopping at the office first.

We remind all parents/guardians/care providers that interruptions in classroom entry and exit cause distractions which require time adjustments and limit the learning experience.Consistent attendance and punctuality are essential in providing a successful education for all students.

SAFE ARRIVAL CALLS FROM THE SCHOOL

When the reason for a child’s absence is unknown, the automated call-out system will contact a parent/guardian, at the first and second contact numbers provided, to confirm that the student is safe.Please ensure you press “2” after listening to the automated message as an indication that you have received the message, otherwise the automated system will continue to call you. If it is not possible to locate a parent/guardian, the emergency contact listed on the student’s information card will be called. Please notify the school immediately if a home, work, or contact number changes during the school year.

STUDENT EMERGENCY CONTACT AND MEDICAL INFORMATION

It is extremely important that all emergency information kept in the office is accurate and up to date. Please ensure that the school office has:

The correct telephone numbers for parents and/or legal guardians, daycare providers, and emergency contacts
A list of all medical concerns of which the staff should be aware
A spare Epi-Pen or inhaler to be stored in the office if your child normally carries one, and where the child is old enough, s/he will transport the Epi-Pen or inhaler with them.

An information card with contact information will be sent home within the next couple of weeks, please indicate any changes on this sheet, and sign it.Please return it to your child’s teacher.

STUDENT ILLNESS

To safeguard the health of others, we ask that any child who feels ill be kept at home.If a student feels ill while at school, parents will be notified to make arrangements for his/her care.If the child has a communicable disease (chicken pox, influenza, pink eye, etc.) or head lice, parents are requested to notify the school as soon as possible. Where serious or persistent health issues are identified or presented, school staff will consult with, and follow directions provided by the Toronto Public Health Department. Minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises will be treated at the school while more serious injuries will result in a call to the student’s parents and/or emergency contacts.

PRESCRIBED MEDICATION

The Board authorizes the involvement of designated staff in the essential administration of prescribed medication only when all of the following conditions apply:

the use of the medication is prescribed by a physician;
the medication is essential for a student to continue to attend school;
it is necessary that the medication must be taken during school hours or during school events;
it is not appropriate for the student to self-administer the medication; and
the student’s parent/guardian or other authorized adult is not reasonably able to attend at school to administer the medication.

In order for any student who meets the above conditions to receive medication at school, a parent or legal guardian must give written authorization, with clearly written instructions from a physician. The physician and parent or guardian must complete the appropriate T.D.S.B. form, which can be obtained from the school office. All medication must be given to the principal or office administrator to be stored in an appropriate area. No medication is to be kept in the possession of the student, with the exception of inhalers to control asthma, and Epi-Pens. Students carrying these items must be instructed to never share them with anyone and must know how to use them safely and correctly.

ANAPHYLAXIS AND LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIES

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. Food is the most common cause of anaphylaxis, but insect stings, medicine, latex, or exercise can also cause a reaction.Ninety percent of serious food allergic reactions are caused by peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts, milk, fish, soy, egg, wheat, sesame, and food additives.

The Toronto District School Board’s Policy and Guidelines for Supporting Anaphylactic students is reviewed annually with school staff, including lunch supervision staff. Working together with parents and students, a key goal is to work towards making the school “Allergy Safe”.Current registration procedures require parents to inform the school of life-threatening allergies and parents are required to assist the school in developing a specific plan for the child.

If your child has life-threatening allergies you must:

supply the school with information regarding the specifics of the life-threatening allergies
make an appointment to meet with the principal, office administrator, or teacher to develop an individual plan for your child
provide 2 up-to-date epinephrine auto-injectors for your child (students, where age appropriate should carry one with them at all times and an extra one should be left with the office)

Ways everyone can help:

NO NUTS PLEASE –please avoid sending peanut butter or products with peanuts, sesame, tree nuts, or other nuts listed in the ingredients
NO FISH OR SHELLFISH - we do have students who are severely allergic to fish and shellfish so please do not send these items with your child for lunch.
feel free to visit www.anaphylaxis.caandwww.tdsb.on.ca for more information.

STUDENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP

As an Eco-school, we highly encourage walking to and from school, however, if you drive your child to school, please ensure that you DO NOT pull into the school parking lot, as this is a safety concern.If it is absolutely necessary to drive your child to school, please note that the city has restricted parking on Sloley Road in front of the school so make sure that you are legally parked on one of the side streets, but please be mindful of our neighbours who live near our school. Please ensure that your child is using safety practices when crossing the street to and from school, as we do not want students running across any roads without appropriate supervision. Model appropriate manners and respect by paying attention to and following the instructions of our student safety patrollers who are trying to help keep you and your children safe.

PARKING LOT

The parking lot on the east side of the school is barely large enough to accommodate school and board personnel, therefore visitors are asked to park on neighbouring streets where street parking is legal. Please help us exercise courtesy with our neighbours by not parking in front of driveways.

VISITORS’ SIGN-IN BOOK

To help ensure a safe learning environment, all visitors to the school are expected to sign-in at the office and pick up a visitor’s tag to wear for the duration of the visit.Please remember to sign-out at the office before you leave.

LUNCH SUPERVISION

Due to the limited facilities and supervision, the lunch program is designed for students who have no one at home over the lunch hour and for whom no other arrangements can be made. If there is an adult at home then a child should go home for lunch.They are welcome to stay on days when they have an extra-curricular activity or on a day when a parent/guardian needs for them to stay.For students who stay on a regular basis, parents must complete, sign and return a Permission To Stay At School for Lunch form to the school before your child is allowed to eat lunch at school.Students staying at school for lunch are expected to stay on school property at all times, unless a phone call or note specifying alternate arrangements is received by the classroom teacher or school office. If you have indicated that your child must stay at school for lunch and it comes to our attention that he/she has not stayed and thus defied your wishes, we will inform you as soon as possible.

Any student who is unwilling or unable to behave in an appropriate manner will have his/her lunch program privileges suspended or terminated.It will be up to the parent to make other arrangements.Please emphasize with your child the importance of good behaviour and a respectful attitude towards the lunchroom supervisors.

Please ensure that your child’s name is on the outside of his/her lunch bag. As well, we ask that students bring litterless lunches, encouraging students to use reusable containers and water bottles.

CONTACTING YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER

Parents are encouraged to contact the teacher(s) if they have any concerns about academic progress or social needs at school.Please call or send in a note to arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss your concerns.

Please do not interrupt the teacher while he or she is trying to welcome students at the start of a class or while classes are in progress.Parents picking students up while classes are in progress are asked to come to the office and the student(s) will be called down. At lunch or 3:20 dismissal, please wait for your child outside at his/her usual exit or at a pre-designated meeting spot.

FAIRMOUNT SCHOOL COUNCIL

The School Council is one of several ways parents/guardians can support their child’s education. It is made up of an elected committee of parents, staff representatives, appointed community members, the principal, and a general membership that includes all parents of children attending the school. The School Council at Fairmount provides support and advisement for the enhancement of students’ education and meets monthly throughout the school year.Nomination forms for specific positions will be sent home each September should we have a number of people who wish to hold the same formal position. However, if a ballot does not come home for the position of chairperson, secretary or treasurer it is because only one person came forward to express a willingness to hold this particular position of responsibility, or two people have agreed to share the role. All parents are welcome to attend council meetings at any time. The meetings are usually held in the school library and the specific dates and times are announced in email format.

VOLUNTEERS

Fairmount welcomes volunteers to our school.Each year many parents/guardians volunteer their time and energy to help in our school.These important people do a variety of jobs which enhance the learning of our students.They listen to children read, work with small groups of children, help supervise on field trips, and they do a host of other jobs which is in keeping with their interests.

If you are interested in becoming a Fairmount Volunteer, please call the school and we will arrange a schedule to suit you.You must have a Police Reference Check, but we

will advise you of how to do this.

VALUABLE PERSONAL ITEMS

Your child must leave valuable items such as jewellery, cameras, cash, iPods, or hand held electronic games at home.The school cannot be responsible for any loss or damage done to these expensive items.We are sorry to say but valuable items do go missing or get stolen.As well, the school will not take responsibility for any loss or damage done to bicycles left in the school yard.Clothing items such as jackets, running shoes, boots, and personal items such as lunch bags and backpacks should be labeled with your child’s name to prevent these items from being lost.

CELL PHONES

Your child may have a cell phone. However, unless they are being used in the classroom with the permission, and under the supervision of a teacher cell phones are not be used at school. This means that they are to be turned off and to remain out of sight at all times throughout the school day. This includes texting and social media, even during recess and lunch breaks. This allows students to focus better in class. Students are also not allowed to photograph or video-record schoolmates during school hours unless they are under the supervision of a teacher. Phones not powered off will be held by the teacher or the office for the remainder of the day, with a phone call placed home to inform parents. We ask that all calls to and from the school please be made through the office.

We understand that this can be a contentious issue for some of our older students but we are asking for your understanding and support with this particular issue.We understand that many students may be very responsible with regard to appropriate cell phone etiquette, but the reality is that some students do engage in inappropriate behaviour that lead to issues such as cyber bullying and taking of pictures of others without their consent.

We understand that your child may have a cell phone for safety reasons, such as walking to or from school, but it isn’t required for safety while they are at school. Moreover, despite what some students may feel, a little less ‘screen time’ isn’t going to hurt them as we encourage them to focus on their work, play, and interact with others in person

SCHOOL YARD

Teachers and lunch supervisors are scheduled to supervise specified areas around the school at appropriate times throughout the school day.Rules for safe and courteous play are enforced and suitable language is expected.

NO DOGS PLEASE
SKATEBOARDS, SCOOTERS, AND BICYCLES
BASEBALL BATS, HOCKEY STICKS, CRICKET BATS, LACROSSE STICKS, HARDBALLS ETC…

The school grounds and play areas are property of the Toronto District School Board and under school jurisdiction during the school day. Dogs are not permitted on school property at any time unless for a prearranged student educational program (e.g. CNIB, Kindness Club) or with the principal’s permission.

As an ECO school we encourage students to walk or ride to school.Wearing a helmet to ensure student safety is mandatory as it is the law.The items listed above however, should not be used on school property to avoid injuring other students who share the pavement in the yard. Bicycles left at the school are left at students’ own risk as we are not responsible for any damage or stolen bicycles.

These items should not be brought from home unless special permission has been granted from the teacher or school office.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Students are expected to behave in a responsible and acceptable manner when they are at school or participating in a school event.Behaviour expectations are regularly reviewed throughout the year.

Consequences for infractions are also discussed with students, and parents need to be aware of the policies that govern our consequences.Please read the following sections in your child’s agenda: the Code of Conduct, Student Athletes Set an Important Example, Getting The Most Out of Excursions and Field Trips, Code of On-Line Conduct and Consequences of Inappropriate Student Behaviour Chart,so that you are able to discuss behaviour expectations and consequences with your child and support us as we implement our model of progressive discipline.

Fairmount is a great place to learn. The Code of Conduct is used as a guide for our behaviour.Staff and parents must work together to teach our children how to behave responsibly and appropriately.

The Code of Behaviour guides actions and interactions.It provides a guide for all students and adults to follow while at Fairmount and supports us in teaching students how to behave responsibly and appropriately.

Responsibilities of Students:

help maintain a safe and clean learning environment and dress appropriately
be prepared and ready to work with teachers and other students
respect others by valuing the ideas and efforts of others regardless of race, culture, religion, gender or language and respect the property of others and the school
obey the rules developed in the Safe Schools Policy
report any strangers or inappropriate behaviour immediately to a staff member

Responsibilities of Staff:

be punctual and prepared, and be a positive role model for students
provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for learning
comply with school rules and the completion of assigned duties
communicate information about student behaviour, progress and attendance to student, parents, and administration, and ensure that each child experiences success
help each student develop confidence and a healthy self-image

Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians:

act as a partner with the school and ensure that students attend school regularly and on time
assist in preparing students for school through the provision of a proper, nutritious diet and appropriate dress
ensure that students have adequate sleep and a quiet place to work
maintain communication with the school regarding changes in student circumstances, attendance and other concerns that might affect the student’s progress or behaviour
encourage students to develop a positive and responsible attitude toward education, the school, school staff and school-related activities

Progressive Discipline

The Toronto District School Board believes in progressive discipline, a whole-school approach that uses a continuum of interventions, supports and consequences to both promote positive student behaviour and address inappropriate behaviour. The philosophy of this approach is to use disciple that is in proportion to the severity of the behaviour as well as keeping in mind the previous disciplinary history of the student. The range of interventions or consequences used by the school include strategies such as:

creating contracts with students

time outs/detentions

loss of privileges to participate in specified school activities

individual or group counseling

restorative practices/restitution for damage or stolen property

suspensions

Parents will be contacted and informed of the behaviour so that school and home can work together to implement any necessary interventions. The action of the school will also look at the needs of the individual student (i.e., special education, cultural sensitivity) and meet Board policies on anti-racism and equity.

Daily Routines and Expectations:

Coming to School
Before Classes Start
Leaving the Building and School Property
Expectations for Yard Behaviour
Students are expected to:
• use appropriate language at all times
• use recess time to play cooperatively or socialize
• respect designated play and out of bound areas
• follow instructions provided by lunch supervisors and school staff
Expectation for Using the Washroom and Drinking Fountains
Guidelines for General Courtesy
Students are expected to:
• use acceptable forms of language and be aware that slang or street language is not acceptable at school
• remember to use words like “please”, “excuse me” and “thank you”

Students are expected to arrive at school ready to learn and should:
• be well rested
• be dressed appropriately for the weather

• have everything they need for the entire day
(e.g. Lunch, homework, clothing appropriate for outdoor recess, forms, etc.)

Students are expected to:
• wait outside until the bell rings
• stand clear of the doors and keep doors closed until the sound of the bell
• remember that the use of the front doors is not necessary if you are at school on time
• enter the building quietly

Students are expected to:
• be ready and quiet when the bell sounds for dismissal

• walk quietly in the halls at all times
• leave the building and school property immediately once dismissed unless they have extra-curricular activities, or require extra help
• wait quietly in designated areas if being picked up by a parent or guardian

• older siblings who pick up younger siblings must pick them up outside the appropriate doors

• students are expected to be picked up promptly at 3:20 pm daily, as this is dismissal time.Your co-operation with this is greatly appreciated.

Students are expected to:
• make use of their recess and lunch time to use the washrooms and get drinks
• respect the facilities, keep the washroom and fountains clean, and report any concerns to the office immediately

• walk in the hallways and use ‘indoor’ voices

DRESS CODE

We encourage all parents to monitor how their children dress for school each day.Clothing that has inappropriate words or pictures (e.g. racist, promoting drugs or violence, etc.) may not be worn at school.In addition, please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, as all students are expected to go outside for recesses.

It is essential that all students wear shoes inside the building at all times. In the event of an emergency such as fire or even a fire drill, students will not be able to stop and put on shoes or boots. The chances of slipping on the floor are also reduced with proper footwear. Running shoes are necessary for all gym classes. We request that all students have two pairs of shoes/footwear for school - indoor shoes and outdoor shoes/boots to help us keep our school clean and safe.

EQUITY POLICY

The TDSB values the contributions and engagement of all members of our diverse community of students, staff, parents/guardians, Elders and community groups. Inequitable treatment leads to outcomes that do not accurately reflect the abilities and potential of our students. We acknowledge that equity of opportunity of access to our services and resources are critical to the achievement of successful outcomes for our students and families. The TDSB acknowledges that we must take a focused, explicit, persistent and determined action to identify, challenge and overcome systemic bias, oppression and discrimination. Our school system is built on the principles of non-discrimination, anti-oppression, anti-racism, equitable and inclusive education which is a foundation of excellence in a diverse society and is a fundamental requirement for educational excellence and high standards of student achievement.We are committed to: meeting individual needs, identifying and eliminating barriers, promoting a sense of belonging, and involving the broad community.

The Board and our school are committed to ensuring that:

The curriculum of our school accurately reflects and uses the variety of knowledge of all peoples as the basis for instruction
All of our students are provided with equitable opportunities to be successful in our system
Parents and community groups are provided with equitable opportunities for working with staff and with each other for the benefit of all students
Students, employees, parents and community partners are provided with effective procedures for resolving concerns and complaints which may arise from their experiences of unfair or inequitable treatment within the school system

(from the TDSB Equity Foundation Statement)

HOMEWORK POLICY

The research on homework indicates that some regular work at home can increase student achievement.For primary students in Grade 1 to Grade 3, the effect of homework on achievement is negligible and that the positive effect of homework on achievement increases only as the age of the child increases. Children from Grade 4 through high

school benefit the most from homework.

Doing homework is an important part of schoolwork.There are four types of assigned homework.Each type has a different purpose.

1)Completing work not finished at school.

2)Practising new skills learned during the day.

3)Preparing work for upcoming lessons.

4)Extension activities that expand concepts or skills.

Most homework will take the form of reading, playing games or having discussions with family members.In the late Primary or early Junior grades, homework may become more independent.

Homework will not be assigned to students who are going away for an extended period (e.g., a trip to another country) or during school holidays.

Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca for more information about the TDSB Homework Policy

Fairmount Public School

Staff List

2019-20

Principal: Mr. Carson

Kindergarten: Ms. Rosekat, Ms. Friedlander, Ms. Johnston

Early Childhood Educators: Ms. Surette, Ms. Sutherland

Grades 1/2: Ms. Cheyne, Ms. Thompson-West, Ms. O. Vandenberg

Grades 3: Ms. Diwan

Grades 3/4: Ms. Cole, Mr. Lyons

Grades 4/5: Mr. Brown, Ms. Jeffrey

Grades 5/6: Mr. Carr, Ms. Ravindrarajan

Grades 7/8: Ms. Cane, Ms. Laurin, Mr. Wood

HSP/SERT:Ms. Misner

Library/SERT: Mr. Markovski

Grades 4-6 French & Various Primary Subjects: Ms. Keating

Various K-6 Subjects: Ms. Woodall

K-8 STEM and Gym: Mr. McCready

Educational Assistants:Ms. M. Vandenberg, Ms. Vignarajah

Office Administrator: Ms. Habenschuss

Secretary: Ms. Willems-Perri

Caretakers: Mr. Duggan, Mr. Colley

Lunchroom Supervisors: Ms.Abbas, Ms. Jalil, Ms. Kandasamy, Ms. McKenty,

Ms. Nazir, Ms. Venkatakrishnan, Ms. Vignarajah

Fairmount Public School

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