Fairmount Public School

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Gender-Based-Violence-Prevention/Pride

Toronto Public Library – Summer Programs

TD Summer Reading Club

The TD Summer Reading Club is Canada’s biggest, bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, interests and abilities. This free Club is offered at all Toronto Public Library branches. The Club celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators and stories, and inspires kids to explore the fun of reading, with the goal of building a lifelong love of reading.Kids can visit a Toronto Public Library branch to pick up their free reading kit to track their reading.Visit the TD Summer Reading Club kids website at www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca

For more information see the digital program brochure or the family information letter.

Toronto Public Library Summer Wonder

TPL’s Summer Wonder is a set of virtual programs and activities for children 6-12 and their parents/caregivers. Each feature of Summer Wonder is designed to promote wonder, creativity and discovery, and encourages families to read and learn together all summer long.From June 14 to September 4, kids and families can post a question on the ‘Wonder Wall’, take part in a Creativity Challenge, and access a range of programs including Arts & Performances, Author Visits, Camps & Workshops, French, and STEM. Families can find all of these program listings online at tpl.ca/summerwonder.

For more information see the Summer Wonder flyer.

June 18, 2021

We have one more full week of school to go in what has got to

have been the strangest school year that any of us has ever

experienced. It isn’t over yet but, as always, thanks for your

support and understanding as we continue to navigate this very

challenging year.

We have tried to facilitate the retrieval of belongings for any students who may have left items behind when schools shifted to remote learning. Teachers have been going to the school to facilitate this for their own classes. (I’m sure they also saw it as an opportunity to see some of their students in person before the end of the year.)

The collection of school materials (textbooks/books) and devices from those who borrowed a Chromebook or iPad will take place on Monday, June 28^th, Tuesday, June 29^th, Wednesday, June 30^th or Friday, July 2^nd. Please just come to the front door of the school. If you wish to drop it off earlier, please speak to your child’s teacher or call the school and arrangements will be made if possible. When you arrive, there will be someone at the door with a list of names and the device’s serial number but please attach a note to the device with your child’s name. The person may also ask you if your device was one that was delivered to your home via courier or if it was one that was borrowed directly from the school. If you borrowed a device and your child is attending summer school, keep the device for the summer. (Borrowed devices are affiliated with your child’s student number and the board has the student numbers from summer school registration so they won’t, or shouldn’t, remotely lock those devices.)

The distribution of report cards via email is scheduled to begin Friday, June 25^th but it is quite possible that you will not receive the report card the weekend or on Monday, June 28^th. If you have not received it by Tuesday, please let us know. In an effort to help facilitate a smoother entry on the first day in September, the bottom of the Learning Skills section on page one includes a tentative room number for your child’s class for September. A couple of points about this – please know that a great deal of thought has gone into making the classes. A number of factors are taken into consideration when making the classes, within the limitations related to our class organization that is driven by our projected enrolment. Most people would likely be surprised to know just how much time and discussion goes into this process. The classes may not be ‘perfect’ but we have certainly tried. The emphasis on the word ‘tentative’ is intentional because if we have learned nothing else over the past 15 months, everything is subject to change. Our planning is based on next year being a ‘regular’ year with all students attending in-person and it is unlikely that this will actually be the case, even if there isn’t a ‘fourth wave’. Moreover, we continue to have students arrive and others leave which causes some adjustment of classes and movement of students from one class to another. Students who are part of our school community but are not currently a member of one of our in-person classes will not have their September room number on their report card so we will send that in the near future to the email address we have on file.

Vaccines – 2^nd Dose Eligibility & Opportunities to Get Vaccinated

As vaccine supply in Canada substantially increases and the Provincial Government opens up eligibility in hot spot areas, including all of Toronto, here is some information about what this will mean:

Scarborough Health Network is contacting all of those who received a vaccine through one of their clinics, and who are now eligible for their 2nd dose, by email and/or phone with information about booking their 2^nd vaccine appointment.

They are currently contacting those who received their first dose on or before May 9th at a clinic run by SHN and the Scarborough Ontario Health Team partners. The date will move up incrementally as vaccine supply at clinics becomes available in conjunction with appointment availability.

The email and/or phone call will include information for booking the 2nd dose appointment. This clinic may not be the same clinic where you received your first vaccine.

You must use the booking link in the email to make your 2nd dose appointment or book over the phone with one of their vaccine team members.

DO NOT book your 2nd dose appointment through www.scarbvaccine.ca’s main booking link. This site is for first dose bookings only. Contacting everyone will take time as they reach out to thousands of people in our community.

The eligibility criteria for our pop-up clinics have changed.

Pop-up clinics will now be administering 1st and 2nd doses to those who live, work or go to school in the identified Delta variant ‘hot spots’ M1B, M1G, M1J, M1S, M1K, M1P, and M1E. Hot spot postal codes will be revised as necessary due to any changes or as additional Delta variant information becomes available.

People who live, work, or go to school in Scarborough, and who are 12 and older, continue to be eligible to get their first dose at our pop-up clinics.

Updated information will be shared through their e-newsletter, at www.scarbvaccine.ca, and other social media channels.

Toronto Public Health Virtual Assembly

Yesterday, Toronto Public Health hosted an assembly for our Grades 6-8 classes to discuss the Covid-19 vaccination, the vaccination process, dispel any myths that may be gaining traction on social media and answer any questions students may have.

Covid19 Infographics for Students 12-17:

High School Timetables for September

A change to secondary school timetables for the 2021-2022 school year was announced this week that will affect our Grade, 8 students, in September. In consultation with the Ministry and Toronto Public Health and, the TDSB has decided to implement a modified semester model.

In this model, students will take four courses, two each during alternating weeks. They will continue to be cohorted but will now be part of four cohorts (one for each class). Class sizes will return to the regular class sizes (dependent on grade, level, and subject) and all learning will either be fully in-person or fully virtual, depending on the selection made in August.

The rationale is that the modified semester offers more face-to-face time between students and teachers, encouraging an opportunity to build relationships and support an increased sense of belonging in class. It also offers a slower pace by learning over a longer period of time than the current quadmester model.

Mindfulness for Anxiety Group

Let’s Connect

Let’s Connect is a new mental health and well-being virtual series that allows an opportunity to come together to share ideas and resources. The Let’s Connect series will respond to questions and discuss wellness for parents, caregivers, guardians and students at various times throughout the school year. These conversations will be led by TDSB Professional Support Services staff and Mental Health and Well-Being Leads.

Join the first session:

Transition to Summer

June 22, 2021

6:30 - 8 pm

Let’s connect about mental health and well-being and ways to support children this summer. This session will start with a presentation on the Importance Of Taking Care of Yourself as a Parent/Caregiver/Guardian and will be followed by an overview of the new TDSB Summer Well-Being Guide. The evening will finish with an opportunity to participate in break-out rooms for smaller, more focused discussions.

Learn more at www.tdsb.on.ca/letsconnect

2021 Summer Well-Being Guide

National Indigenous History Month

More information and resources can be found here at the Government of Canada website.

June is Pride Month

“The whole point is to live life and be - to use all the colors in the crayon box.”

More resources can be found here:

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Gender-Based-Violence-Prevention/Pride

Toronto Public Library – Summer Programs

TD Summer Reading Club

The TD Summer Reading Club is Canada’s biggest, bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, interests and abilities. This free Club is offered at all Toronto Public Library branches. The Club celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators and stories, and inspires kids to explore the fun of reading, with the goal of building a lifelong love of reading. Kids can visit a Toronto Public Library branch to pick up their free reading kit to track their reading. Visit the TD Summer Reading Club kids website at www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca

For more information see the digital program brochure or the family information letter.

Toronto Public Library Summer Wonder

TPL’s Summer Wonder is a set of virtual programs and activities for children 6-12 and their parents/caregivers. Each feature of Summer Wonder is designed to promote wonder, creativity and discovery, and encourages families to read and learn together all summer long. From June 14 to September 4, kids and families can post a question on the ‘Wonder Wall’, take part in a Creativity Challenge, and access a range of programs including Arts & Performances, Author Visits, Camps & Workshops, French, and STEM. Families can find all of these program listings online at tpl.ca/summerwonder.

For more information see the Summer Wonder flyer.

Summer Camp

City of Toronto summer camp registration and other community resources can be found here.

Summer Programs for Teens – BGC East Scarborough

The Boys and Girls Club has leadership training and team-building experiences available this summer.

Leaders In Training will be held over Zoom Monday – Friday from July 05, 2021 – August 13, 2021, 10:00 am – 2:30 pm; with 3 in-person sessions at Rouge National Urban Park for fun team building activities with Outward Bound.

LIT: http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3164

Counselor in Training (CIT), is a program designed to equip youth 15 - 18 with the prerequisites needed for the job application process. CIT puts an emphasis on jobs related to the social service sector and hopes to employ its participants as future ESBGC staff. CIT will be delivered virtually on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm starting July 05, 2021 – August 12, 2021.

CIT: http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3163

June 11, 2021

Just after last week’s update went out, we received word that

graduation ceremonies in the TDSB would move forward as

originally planned as pre-recorded events that will be shared with

families. (For those who are disappointed, this may have actually

turned out to be a preference as an in-person event would not have

looked like a traditional ‘grad’ held outside.) While not ideal, many staff and parents who are part of the Graduation Committee are working very hard to ensure this farewell for our Grade 8 students is memorable. As enjoyable as possible…under the circumstances, which I believe has been just about everyone’s adage for the past year.

We have not yet heard about whether or not it will be possible, or advised, to have any sort of in-person gathering of each class. Moreover, we also recognize that even if this were to happen, many would not be comfortable attending such an event. We will let you know more if and when there is any news to share. Some students may need to collect belongings and/or drop off a borrowed device. As we get closer to the end of the year, specifics of how to do this will be forthcoming, but it is possible that your child’s teacher may set aside a day to be in the classroom so those students who need to collect personal items can come to the classroom if necessary. However, arrangements can be made regardless if you just let your child’s teacher know that you and/or your child would like to come to the school we will try and arrange a day and time. Borrowed devices could be dropped off at this time but we recognize that this might be too far in advance of the last day of school (June 29^th) so we will begin collecting devices on June 28th.

Vaccines - Dash for Doses: School Marathon

What: pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics for young people in Scarborough and their families

When: June 9-16

Time: 4 – 8 p.m.

Where: Fifteen schools across Scarborough – get vaccinated at your school, or the one closest to where you live:

Wednesday, June 9: Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute, 2450 Birchmount Rd

Wednesday June 9: Treadway Woodsworth Public School, 2450 Birchmount Rd

Thursday June 10: Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, 1176 Pharmacy Avenue

Thursday June 10: St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, 685 Military Trail

Friday, June 11: St Joan of Arc Catholic Academy, 959 Midland Avenue

Friday, June 11: Mary Shadd Public School, 135 Hupfield Trail

Saturday, June 12: St. Nicholas Catholic School, 22 Amarillo Drive

Saturday, June 12: Ellesmere-Statton Public School, Ellesmere Road

Sunday, June 13: Milliken Public School, 130 Port Royal Trail

Sunday, June 13: Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute, 200 Fundy Bay Bvld

Monday, June 14: Woburn Collegiate Institute, 2222 Ellesmere Road

Monday, June 14 Thomas Lester Wells Public School, 69 Nightstar Road

Tuesday, June 15: Agincourt Collegiate Institute, 2621 Midland Avenue

Tuesday, June 15: Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute, 5400 Lawrence Ave East

Wednesday, June 16: R.H. King Academy, 3800 St Clair Ave East

How the Dash for Doses: School Marathon clinics work:

These clinics will vaccinate people aged 12+ who live, work, or go to school in Scarborough

All students – from all schools – are welcome!

Vaccine is Pfizer – for first doses only

No pre-booking is required, these vaccine clinics are walk-in using a ticketing system.

Starting on the afternoon of the clinic, tickets are provided to people for same-day vaccine appointments on a first come, first served basis.

You will receive a ticket with a specific time slot for your appointment.

You must bring proof of your address (such as mail addressed to you, your school report card) and a form of ID to receive the vaccine.

No OHIP/health card? No problem

More information on www.scarbvaccine.ca

Toronto Public Health Virtual Assembly

On Thursday, June 17^th at 2:00 PM,Toronto Public Health is hosting an assembly for our Grades 6-8 students to discuss the Covid-19 vaccination, the vaccination process, dispel any myths that may be gaining traction on social media and answer any questions students may have. (See the attached flyer)

Covid19 Infographics for Students 12-17:

Toronto Public Health Updates

Learn From the Experts

COVID-19 Vaccination Town Hall for Parents/Guardians of Students (age 12-17).

Video Recordings with Dr. Vinita Dubey, Associate Medical Officer of Health, provides a presentation and answers your questions. Presentations available here.

Recordings of Past Events

The Black Scientists’ Task Force, in conjunction with several community organizations, including the Black Health Alliance (BHA); Black Physicians Association of Ontario (BPAO); the Canadian Multicultural Inventors Museum and Harriet Tubman Institute; Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, and TAIBU co-hosted a series of free virtual town hall meetings for Toronto’s Black communities. Five Town Hall Meetings available here

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources:

The mental health of our students and families continues to be a priority.

Toronto Public Health Resources are available here. Support is available. It is ‘ok not to feel ok.’

Mental Health Action Toolkit:

meet.google.com/gik-bfjo-nmf

Mindfulness for Anxiety Group

Hello Hope: Battling Loneliness and Isolation – Before, During and After Covid-19

Our friends at Walter Perry Junior Public School are hosting this virtual presentation on Tuesday, June 15^th at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to attend:

Let’s Connect

Join the first session:

Transition to Summer

June 22, 2021

6:30 - 8 pm

Learn more at www.tdsb.on.ca/letsconnect

2021 Summer Well-Being Guide

School Year Calendar – 2021-2022

The Ministry of Education has approved the TDSB’s 2021-2022 School Year Calendar. The first day of classes for students will be September 9, 2021. This start date ensures that the start of the school year does not conflict with any religious days of significance for students or staff. Visit the TDSB website for the full calendar, including PA days and holidays.

National Indigenous History Month

More information and resources can be found here at the Government of Canada website.

June is Pride Month

“The whole point is to live life and be - to use all the colors in the crayon box.”

More resources can be found here:

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Gender-Based-Violence-Prevention/Pride

Kindergarten Outdoor Play Area

The kindergarten outdoor play area is fast approaching completion.

Summer Camp

City of Toronto summer camp registration and other community resources can be found here.

Summer Programs for Teens – BGC East Scarborough

The Boys and Girls Club has leadership training and team-building experiences available this summer.

LIT:http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3164

CIT: http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3163

Scarborough Women's Centre Summer Webinar Schedule

This summer Scarborough Women's Centre is offering webinars for women covering topics like Surviving after Job Loss, Going Back to College, Macronutrient-Based Eating, Managing Conflict, Teaching Your Kids about Money, and more. Those interested can view the schedule and register for webinars by clicking here. Women can also register by calling 416-439-7111 x 107. Deadlines are posted in the schedule.

June 4, 2021

As you have likely already heard, on Wednesday Premier Ford

announced that due to the concerns regarding the potential

spread of the Covid virus it would be too great a risk to re-open

schools for in-person learning for the last few weeks of the school

year. While this message that schools will remain closed until

September was not unexpected, but we were taken aback by the news that schools will have separate outdoor graduations for all grades. While we appreciate that students may be excited to switch classrooms in September to begin the next grade, a formal ‘graduation’ or farewell is not something that would typically be held for any grade except for the one that is leaving a school. In our case, schools were informed weeks ago that if they were going to have any kind of farewell or graduation for the class that is leaving the school, this would need to be a pre-recorded event or celebration. Given this announcement, it is safe to say that the TDSB, in consultation with Toronto Public Health and the Ministry of Education, will soon provide further direction to schools. (So, maybe hold off renting that tuxedo for your grade 4 student or the limousine for your grade 1 child until we receive clearer direction on the parameters of what such an event might look like.)

Students who were at school on April 5^th when we received word that schools would close for in-person learning effective the next day were told to take home all of their belongings in case we didn’t return. However, we recognize that many students may have been absent on that day and may still have items at school that they would like to retrieve. We will wait for some further direction regarding the above announcement in case students do return for a short celebration of some sort as we would likely coordinate the retrieval of belongings with such an event. However, some may not be interested in taking part in such an event due to the risk or may prefer to collect their items sooner rather than later. If this is the case, please let your classroom teacher know and we will coordinate a day for you and/or your child to come to collect your belongings. (Don’t forget we will also need to have all borrowed books and devices returned to the school prior to the start of the summer.)

Vaccines for Students 12-17

Pfizer vaccines are available to students ages 12-17.

It seems that there is an abundance of pop-up clinics right now but a more convenient alternative for many if to book an appointment for a vaccination at Centennial College (941 Progress Avenue) through the Scarborough Health Network. The clinic is open from 9:00 – 9:00 seven days a week.

Appointments can be booked through www.scarbvaccine.ca

Note that the telephone number for vaccination clinic inquiries has changed. The new number is: 416-495-2593

Family pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics

Saturday, June 5

Where: Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Avenue East

Time: noon – 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6

Where: Baitul Mukarram Islamic Society, 3340 Danforth Avenue

Time: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Monday, June 7 & Tuesday June 8

Where: East Scarborough Storefront, 4040 Lawrence Avenue East

Time: noon – 8 p.m.

Clinics will vaccinate people aged 12 years at time of vaccination and older, who live, work, or go to school in Scarborough

Tickets will be provided for same-day vaccine appointments starting on the day of the pop-up on a first-come, first-served basis

First-doses only

Administered vaccine will be Pfizer

People must bring proof of their identity (photo ID) and proof of M1 hot spot address (piece of mail with your name and address on it, rental agreement, letter from landlord, etc…)

No OHIP/health card? No problem!

Toronto Public Health Updates

COVID-19 vaccination for youth aged 12+ infographic

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/910a-Covid19-Vaccine-for-Youth-12.pdf

COVID-19 vaccines were carefully studied before being approved infographic

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9880-Vaccination-QA-Twitter-COVID19-Vaccines-were-carefully-studied-banner.pdf

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources:

The mental health of our students and families continues to be a priority.

Need Immediate Help?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of your local hospital.

If you are not sure if it is an emergency, or just need to talk through the situation, consider reaching out to:

Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868

211 – community supports such as food banks, housing and more.

Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511 or text #SAFE (#7233)

Mental Health Action Toolkit:

School Council

The final School Council meeting for this year will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 8^th at 7:00 PM. All are welcome to attend. Please email our office administrator at lisa.habenschuss@tdsb.on.ca to request the Zoom link.

National Indigenous History Month

More information and resources can be found here at the Government of Canada website.

June is Pride Month

“The whole point is to live life and be - to use all the colors in the crayon box.”

More resources can be found here:

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Gender-Based-Violence-Prevention/Pride

Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month at the TDSB – June 2021

Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month is proudly recognized during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) since 2011. The Province of Ontario passed the Celebration of Portuguese Heritage Act in 2001 and this year marks the 20th anniversary of this Act. This year our theme is Esperança! / Hope!

The contributions of the Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Community to Canada are significant as they include the arts, sports, music, culinary arts, and many professional contributions to educational and medical service areas. Canadians, along with all TDSB students, staff, and its communities and beyond all enjoy the energetic and vibrant traditions that are shared through the customs of this heritage. Over 1,400 TDSB students speak Portuguese as their mother tongue or as a primary language. Internationally, there are 250 million Portuguese-speaking people worldwide, making it the fifth-most spoken language.

Italian Heritage Month at the TDSB – June 2021

Italian Heritage Month is recognized proudly during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board. This year the theme of Italian Heritage Month is Made in Italy.

The Province of Ontario also celebrates Italian Heritage Month since June 2010 when the Italian Heritage Month Act was passed. As stated in the Italian Heritage Act, 2010, “Ontario is home to more than 1,350,000 Italian Canadians. Since the 1880s, the Italian Canadian community has made and continues to make significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario.”

Kindergarten Outdoor Play Area

The kindergarten outdoor play area is approximately 75% completed and remains on schedule to finish by the end of June. In addition to the parking lot being redone, we will get new partitions and stall doors in most of the school washrooms this summer. While we don’t anticipate a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the students will appreciate it once they are in.

Summer Programs for Teens – BGC East Scarborough

The Boys and Girls Club has leadership training and team-building experiences available this summer.

LIT: http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3164

CIT: http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/esbgc/Activity_Search/3163

May 28, 2021

Next week the province will begin to implement a tiered

approach to the gradual reopening of the province. Based on

news reports, there seems to be a difference of opinion on the

part of the medical experts as to whether or not schools can safely

reopen and whether or not the benefits to students’ mental health

outweighs the potential risks associated with the chances of contracting the virus.

While we have no information beyond what we have all seen or heard in the media, it is possible that if the number of positive Covid cases continues to fall and the number of people partially or fully vaccinated continues to rise then we could go back to school, even if only for a short period of time. Should this happen, we will, of course, ensure that all safety protocols are re-implemented and enforced. June temperatures in a non-air conditioned school tend to be a little stifling, and even more so while wearing a mask, so utilizing our outdoor space for instructional purposes will likely be something for students to anticipate. Regardless, until we hear otherwise, we will persevere with remote instruction and continue to be understanding, compassionate and flexible and appreciate that you are with us whenever necessary.

Return of Borrowed Devices

Families should have received an email this week regarding the return of devices that have been borrowed in order to support a student’s online learning. The letter stated that these devices can be returned to any TDSB school between June 14^th and July 2^nd.

Please return the device when you no longer require its use. If we were to return to school in mid-June, then, by all means, return it as soon as possible. However, if you need the device to engage in learning until the very last day of school on June 29^th, then plan to return it on the 30^th or July 2^nd.
If the device you received was delivered to your home via courier, in almost all cases this would apply only to people who received a device when we first shifted to remote learning during last school year, then this device can be returned to any TDSB school.
Most people who have a TDSB device borrowed I from our school. If you borrowed a device from our school, then please return it only to Fairmount.

All devices will be administratively locked so there is no benefit in holding them for use in the summer unless you have registered for summer school and need the device for this purpose. If this is the case, please let your teacher know.

Information regarding the process for dropping off devices will be communicated closer to the time.

Report Cards

Second term report cards will be distributed electronically via School Messenger. If all goes according to plan, these will be sent out centrally to the email address on file with the school beginning on June 24^th. This method of distribution will be used whether we are still remote or teaching in person at the end of the month.

Vaccines for Students 12-17

Pfizer vaccines are available to students ages 12-17. To find out more information on how to get vaccinated, eligibility and how to book an appointment, click here.

Appointments can be booked through www.scarbvaccine.ca

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources:

The mental health of our students and families continues to be a priority.

Need Immediate Help?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of your local hospital.

If you are not sure if it is an emergency, or just need to talk through the situation, consider reaching out to:

Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868

211 – community supports such as food banks, housing and more.

Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511 or text #SAFE (#7233)

Mental Health Action Toolkit:

Noticing Mental Health Concerns for Your Child
Your Child's Mental Wellness and Remote Learning
Culturally-Responsive Mental Health Supports
Helping Your Kids in Changing Times
Tips for Supporting Teens
Coping with Learning from Home

COVID-19 Specific Resources:

Resources for Caregivers

Helpful Resources for Caregivers

For parents of Special Needs Children: Top 10 Strategies and Resources to Help Your and your Family Cope

Evidence-informed, simple strategies for parents and staff to manage feelings of worry, stress, or sadness during difficult times. Coping Strategies for Caregivers

Coping: Well-Being Visuals through a Language Lens Resource Tip Sheet

School Mental Health Ontario -12 easy and fun mental health practices to try with your children at home (elementary and secondary students.) News and Updates - About Us

TDSB Mental Health & Well-Being YouTube Channel

Short webinar Anxiety 101

Anxiety 101 Part 2 How to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

Anxiety 101 Part 3 More Ways to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

Kindergarten Outdoor Play Area

The weather has cooperated and the work has continued nicely in our kindergarten play area. This is on schedule to finish by the end of June. The parking lot is set to be completely redone upon the completion of this project. The parking lot will be inaccessible from July 16^th through to at least the middle of August.

Toronto Public Health Updates

(New) COVID-19 vaccination for youth aged 12+ infographic

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/910a-Covid19-Vaccine-for-Youth-12.pdf

(New) COVID-19 vaccines were carefully studied before being approved infographic

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9880-Vaccination-QA-Twitter-COVID19-Vaccines-were-carefully-studied-banner.pdf

(New) Does my 12+ child require informed consent to receive their vaccine? infographic

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/908c-CovidTeenVaxConsentInfographF.pdf

(New) Need help getting to a City-run clinic for your vaccine appointment? infographic translations in multiple languages

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

(New) What to expect after receiving your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine infographic translations in multiple languages

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

(New) COVID-19 Vaccination Town Hall for Parents/Guardians of Students (Age 12-17)

Posted here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-benefits-of-getting-vaccinated/?accordion=learn-from-the-experts

PDF: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/8ff1-Parent-SlidesMay-25-2021.pdf

Recording: https://toronto.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/toronto/recording/9d1441469f941039bdbf0050568f09a5/playback

May 21, 2021

Yesterday Premier Ford announced a three-step plan to safely

reopen the province. Each step of the plan is, of course, predicated

on important targets being met with regard to the number of

vaccinations and infection rates. From a school and school facilities

perspective this means that beginning tomorrow, outdoor facilities

that may have previously been unavailable will now available for community use, with some restrictions. However, permits for outdoor amenities will not be available just yet.

With regard to schools reopening for in-person learning, schools are to remain closed for now with no definitive decision being made one way or the other for the month of June. Premier Ford’s released statement said, “Data will be assessed on an ongoing basis and medical experts, including the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and other health officials will be consulted to determine if it may be safe to resume in-person learning.” One important fact that will certainly support making schools safer for when we do reopen is that Pfizer vaccines are now being made available to students ages 12-17 in targeted hot-spot areas and widely at the end of the month. Currently, anyone who is 18 years of age or older is eligible for the vaccine now. To find out more information on how to get vaccinated, eligibility and how to book an appointment, click here.

Pop-up clinics have started but students such as ours who live in a designated ‘hotspot’ area – postal codes beginning with M1 – can book an appointment for a vaccination at Centennial College (941 Progress Avenue) through the Scarborough Health Network. The clinic is open from 9:00 – 9:00 seven days a week.

Appointments can be booked through www.scarbvaccine.ca

Young people must be at least 12 years old at the time of their vaccination
Young people must bring proof of their identity (health card, passport, PR card) and proof of their residence or work in an M1 hot-spot postal code (letter addressed to them, school report card, etc…) but if the student doesn’t have identification such as this, the parent’s documentation will suffice.

Related to the vaccination of some of our older students and the broader rollout of the vaccine is the issue of the survey for parents to ask for a decision as to whether or not you would like your child to attend in-person school in September or to opt for remote learning. The distribution of the survey to parents is being withheld until mid-August as there are too many unknowns right now, making it somewhat unfair to ask parents to make a decision right now when much could change in the almost four months until school begins in September. This does mean that some of the planning we put in place in advance of the start of school could potentially change but a shifting landscape is certainly something we have all become accustomed to over the past year. Regardless, we remain hopeful that with more and more people being vaccinated, the number of infections will drop to the point where the risk is low enough that few families will feel it necessary to opt for remote learning and we will have almost all of our students, and teachers, back with us in September.

Toronto Public Health - COVID-19 Vaccination Town Halls for Parents/Guardians of Students (age 12-17)

Toronto Public Health invites parents and guardians of students/youth to attend a Town Hall about COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Vinita Dubey, Associate Medical Officer of Health, will provide a presentation and answer questions about:

COVID-19 vaccines available in Canada

Vaccine safety and benefits

How to get vaccinated and who is eligible

Ways to reduce COVID-19 spread

No registration required.

Three upcoming session dates:

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

10:30 am to 11:30 pm

Click here to join online

Or join by telephone:

416-915-6530

Access code: 177 660 1355

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Click here to join online

Or join by telephone:

416-915-6530

Access code: 177 923 4897

Saturday, May 29, 2021

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Click here to join online

Or join by telephone:

416-915-6530

Access code: 177 971 0718

Online password (if required): Toronto123

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources:

Need Immediate Help?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of your local hospital.

If you are not sure if it is an emergency, or just need to talk through the situation, consider reaching out to:

Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868

211 – community supports such as food banks, housing and more.

Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511 or text #SAFE (#7233)

Mental Health Action Toolkit:

Helpful Resources for Caregivers

COVID-19 Specific Resources:

Resources for Caregivers

For parents of Special Needs Children: Top 10 Strategies and Resources to Help Your and your Family Cope

Evidence-informed, simple strategies for parents and staff to manage feelings of worry, stress, or sadness during difficult times. Coping Strategies for Caregivers

Coping: Well-Being Visuals through a Language Lens Resource Tip Sheet

School Mental Health Ontario -12 easy and fun mental health practices to try with your children at home (elementary and secondary students.) News and Updates - About Us

TDSB Mental Health & Well-Being YouTube Channel

Short webinar Anxiety 101

Anxiety 101 Part 2 How to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

Anxiety 101 Part 3 More Ways to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

Virtual Elementary Summer School 2021

Given the unpredictability of what the status of the COVID-19 pandemic will be in the summer and the need to begin planning well before that time, the decision has been made to offer all Summer Programs fully remote (online) for summer 2021.

The focus of the Elementary Summer School Program is to support student learning and engagement through the month of July. Programs, embedded in Literacy and Numeracy, are developed by the local summer school principal to reflect the local school focus.Thirty-eight programs are offered to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, from July 5 – 30, 2021, through virtual instruction.

Registration is now open but many of the programs are already full! Click here for registration information.

May 14, 2021

Yesterday Premier Ford announced that the stay-at-home

Order has been extended until June 2^nd and that remote learning

for schools will continue. Toronto Public Health is reporting that

while case rates of Covid are on a third straight week of decrease

but we are not near a point where we can reopen as the number of cases

currently in hospital remains high and though the emergency break has had a significant effect on projected cases, counts are still high and hospital rates have likely not yet peaked. While there has not been an announcement as to whether or not schools will reopen before the end of June, reports such as this make it seem less and less likely. Regardless, our approach will continue to be one of transitioning back to in-person learning should that become possible but otherwise providing the best possible program remotely with an understanding that we need to ensure that we are responsive to the well-being of our students. Some good news that TPH has shared is that the provincial goal to vaccinate 40% of the adult population was achieved on May 1^st and at the current rate of vaccination we are on track to exceed the goal of 65% getting a single dose of a vaccine by the end of May. The Premier also announced that beginning the week of May 31, youth in Ontario between 12 and 17 years of age and their family members who have not received a vaccine will be eligible to book an appointment to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in June.

Our School Council ‘Speaker Series’ continued this week with a presentation from Tisha Nelson of York University who spoke to us about Understanding Anti-Black Racism. She not only helped us better understand Canada’s own history of perpetuating anti-Black racism and the socialization process of anti-Blackness but steps we can take to raise anti-racist children and what it looks like to be an inclusive parent vs an anti-racist parent.

Inclusive Parent	Anti-Racist Parent
Teach children that people matter more than their skin colour	Teach children how the meaning attached to skin colour affects how people view us
Make sure their child’s library is diverse	Engage in books that go beyond talking about racism as a historical phenomenon
Share media featuring diverse people	Use media to point out examples of racism
Talk about privilege with their children	Give children examples of their privilege

Resources from the presentation, including an annotated bibliography and suggested videos can be found here. See the attachment for the full minutes from the meeting.

Voluntary Asymptomatic COVID testing hub at RH King Academy - Today

A COVID testing hub is set up at RH King Academy today from 3:00 to 8:00 PM. Students and staff are invited to participate in this voluntary testing. The testing will be conducted by LifeLabs. Attached is a letter with additional information and a consent form for those who are interested.

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources:

Need Immediate Help?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of your local hospital.

If you are not sure if it is an emergency, or just need to talk through the situation, consider reaching out to:

Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868

211 – community supports such as food banks, housing and more.

Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511 or text #SAFE (#7233)

Mental Health Action Toolkit:

Helpful Resources for Caregivers

COVID-19 Specific Resources:

Resources for Caregivers

For parents of Special Needs Children: Top 10 Strategies and Resources to Help Your and your Family Cope

Evidence-informed, simple strategies for parents and staff to manage feelings of worry, stress, or sadness during difficult times. Coping Strategies for Caregivers

Coping: Well-Being Visuals through a Language Lens Resource Tip Sheet

School Mental Health Ontario -12 easy and fun mental health practices to try with your children at home (elementary and secondary students.) News and Updates - About Us

TDSB Mental Health & Well-Being YouTube Channel

Short webinar Anxiety 101

Anxiety 101 Part 2 How to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

Anxiety 101 Part 3 More Ways to Help Children and Teens Cope with Worry

EarlyOn Child and Family Centres

EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer free programs for parents and caregivers with children from birth to age six.The centres provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating program where children can play and parents can connect.Activities that encourage children’s exploration, play and inquiry are incorporated into the programming, supported by How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.

Click here for more information. The EarlyOn Centres are currently supporting families virtually. A list of centres can be found here.

TDSB EarlyOn Drop-In Program

If you have a young child who is not yet in school, you may wish to join ‘Penny’ in the mornings for fun and interactive music and story time. Access the Google Meet here.

Monday-Thursday 10:00-11:00 AM

EQAO’s Student Engagement Committee

This committee is an opportunity for interested students in Grades 7-12 who have completed at least one EQAO assessment to have an impact on EQAO’s activities and on Ontario’s education system.

To learn more about the committee’s previous work, visit EQAO’s website. You can find the application form at this link: https://forms.gle/a5SHQrDPRRmbbVQi9
Submissions must be received by June 7, 2021, and selections will be announced by the end of June 2021.

Virtual Elementary Summer School 2021

Registration is now open but many of the programs are already full! Click here for registration information.

Kindergarten Play Area

After many years of planning and fundraising by our parent community, the work on revitalizing the kindergarten play area is in full swing. Attached are detailed plans of the work being done if you are interested in learning more.

May 7, 2021

This week the Provincial Government announced that school

boards will offer the opportunity for parents to select remote

learning for their child next year.At this early stage, we do not

yet know exactly what this will look like but it is likely that there will

be a survey emailed to parents/guardians in the near future to gauge

your interest. While there are many unknowns regarding what September will look like many of us are looking forward to schools looking more like they did in years past. Though learning remotely may not work best for all students we recognize that it has worked for some or at the very least there are some elements of it that have worked for some of our students and staff. For example, the enhanced facility and increased comfort with technology that has been inculcated is something that will certainly continue to be supported and employed even as schools gradually move towards a model where that is a choice rather than a requirement.

One of the main concerns that this past calendar year has presented is the uncertainty and stress that it has brought to our lives, including that of our children. One of the major challenges that has come with remote learning is, as you well know, the lack of in-person social interaction for our students. This only highlights the importance of this week’s emphasis on our students’ mental health and well-being. We will continue to try and be as perceptive and responsive as possible when it comes to recognizing and supporting the needs of our students to support their overall well-being while still maintaining high standards for their academic development. The TDSB’s Professional Support Services team has developed a wide variety of resources and has developed a Parent/Caregiver Resource Kit that you can use to help support your child’s mental health and well-being.

Free Virtual Mental Health Counselling

To be connected to a counsellor for a telephone or video session please call MHTO at 1-866-585-6486 Monday to Friday 9AM – 7PM.

Immediate mental health counselling for children, youth, young adults and their families, and families with infants is available at the What’s Up Walk-In Clinic.

School Council Meeting

Our next school council meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm. This month’s meeting will include a special presentation “Understanding Anti-Black Racism”, by guest speaker Tisha Nelson, a professor in the Education department at York University. Please email Lisa.Habesnschuss@tdsb.on.ca to request the Zoom link. See our social media channels to keep up to date:

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Kindergarten Play Area Revitalization

The contractor began mobilizing on site today to begin the excavation of our kindergarten play area. We are pleased that it has worked out that this work is going forward right now, especially while our students are at home.

Voluntary Asymptomatic COVID testing hub at RH King Academy on Friday, May 14

As part of the Province’s initiative to increase asymptomatic testing opportunities for students and staff, a COVID testing hub will be set up at RH King Academy on Friday, May 14, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM. Students and staff are invited to participate in this voluntary testing. The testing will be conducted by LifeLabs. Attached is a letter with additional information and a consent form for those who are interested.

Virtual Elementary Summer School 2021

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

2021-2022 School Year Calendar

Pending Ministry of Education approval, a draft of the school calendar for next year has been released.

Dates that may be of particular interest include:

First day of classes for students is September 9, 2021

Winter Break - December 20, 2021 – December 31, 2021

March Break - March 14 - 18, 2022

The last day of class for elementary students is June 30, 2022

The last day of class for secondary students is June 29, 2022

ACB Student Focus Group - Grades 7-12 Students

Please find attached a letter regarding a virtual conversation that will be taking place on the 17th of May from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.This conversation is for Black students who are eager to share their experiences as well as help ground the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement’s mandate and participate in shaping student-driven solutions.Students who wish to participate will be required to register on the link embedded in the memo. Each registered student and their parents will be contacted to get their consent to participate and use their experiences to inform the TDSB’s work via the information that students provided in the registration form.

Audible

Audible is an online audiobook and podcast service owned by Amazon that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content. Audible has cancelled the subscription fee for books and audio stories for children and students of all ages as long as schools are closed. Kids everywhere can instantly stream a vast collection of stories, including titles across six different languages. All stories are free to stream on desktop, laptop, phone or tablet via this link:

https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

TVO Mathify

A reminder that there is free 1:1 math tutoring available for students Grades 6-10

www.tvomathify.com/students

May is Asian Heritage Month at the TDSB

Asian Heritage Month is recognized formally throughout Canada through an official declaration that was signed in May 2002. Subsequently, the Province of Ontario passed the Asian Heritage Act (2005), and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) passed a motion to recognize Asian Heritage Month in 2007.

The Toronto District School Board is the largest, and one of the most diverse school boards in Canada. Nearly one-quarter of our students were born outside of Canada and collectively, we speak more than 120 languages. According to the TDSB 2017 Student & Parent Census our students represent 40% with Asian backgrounds.

During the month of May, the Toronto District School Board proudly recognizes Asian Heritage Month by celebrating the numerous achievements of Asian-Canadians and their significant role on the global stage. This year our theme is Discover. Share. Celebrate our Resiliency!

During the month of May we are honoured to share with you several opportunities and resources to learn about the traditions, customs, and significant individuals that this heritage brings. Please see the attached powerpoint.

May is Jewish Heritage Month

This year, the Jewish Heritage Council is pleased to partner with the Asian Heritage Committee for the month of May, Jewish and Asian Heritage months, to present Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup. This program targeted at students in Kindergarten-grade 3, has been described as a “very sweet book and a perfect early lesson on diversity.” As Sophie the main character in the story says about her grandmothers’ soups - “a little different; a lot the same”.

On May 4-9, the JHC is pleased to support Liberation75, a virtual, free, virtual event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of liberation from the Holocaust. This global gathering of survivors, descendants, educators and friends will feature survivor testimony, interactive discussions, performances, films, and exhibits.

April 30, 2021

As we continue to navigate another extended school closure

due to COVID-19, our staff are continuing to work hard to

provide engaging and meaningful online learning for students,

while recognizing the enormous strain on families right now.

Like you, our staff are managing challenging situations at home with

teaching remotely while in many cases trying to support online learning of their own children and/or caring for extended family members. Our current reality is a shared one, and on behalf of the Fairmount staff, we sincerely appreciate your continued support and understanding. The mental health and well-being of everyone in our learning community is always a priority but given that next week is officially ‘Children’s Mental Health Week’, we are particularly mindful of the impact that school closure has on students and the stress that this type of learning can put on some of our students. We will continue to do what we can to support all of our students and make necessary adjustments to support their well-being while still supporting their academic achievement.

You may be interested in these resources from clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, who recently hosted a session as part of the Parent and Family Engagement Office’s Conversation Series:

How to Manage Stress Under COVID-19

How to Manage Anxiety Under COVID-19

As you are likely aware, this year schools have struggled with staffing shortages and this remains true even during remote learning. We may sometimes have situations where staff need to be absent and we do not have an occasional teacher to cover for them. Though this does not present a safety issue we do recognize the importance of synchronous learning, particularly for our youngest learners. While we will continue to try to secure occasional staff who have the ability to provide quality remote teaching, we may need to reassign our own teaching staff to cover a class if the regular classroom teacher is absent. Therefore, you may find that your child’s teacher who normally hands over the class to a prep teacher (e.g., for drama or gym) will instead encourage students to continue with independent activities. This will allow your child’s teacher the daily preparation time they need to plan and organize learning for their class. Students may be encouraged to pursue independent learning activities online, engage in some form of physical activity or movement, or take a break away from the screen to enjoy a more hands-on creative art project or other enjoyable activity.

Classroom Organization for September 2021

Every Spring School Staffing Committees work collaboratively with the Principal of the school to develop and consider an organizational model that will meet the required number of classes and their target enrolment projections. Based on our allocation for the upcoming year, our approved model is indicated below but is subject to change based on the actual number of students who arrive at school in September.

Our tentative model:

ClassNumber of Students

JK/SK25

120

1/220

220

2/320

3/4 23

4/524

525

630

6/730

7/831

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

Yesterday marked the official anniversary of the global pandemic that has presented challenges that most of us never thought we would have to face. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of focusing on our own mental health and well-being and that of our students and children. You can access our online resources here.

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1N73rdqx3XMaN-aA6E7CrMv4TuAPSSxE6&hl=en_GB

Free Virtual Mental Health Counselling

To be connected to a counsellor for a telephone or video session please call MHTO at 1-866-585-6486 Monday to Friday 9AM – 7PM.

Immediate mental health counselling for children, youth, young adults and their families, and families with infants is available at the What’s Up Walk-In Clinic.

Covid-19 Child Benefit

The Ontario Covid-19 Child Benefit provides financial support to families with young learners to help with additional costs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you applied for this last year then payment should be automatically provided to you beginning on April 26^th, issuing payments of:

$400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12

$500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs

If you received payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply for this additional payment.

If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.

Community Resources

Enter your postal code in this search engine, and all essential services can be found that are closest to our school community e.g. vaccine clinics; food banks, emergency services

This interactive map includes many different support services and resources available in Toronto. You can zoom in to Scarborough for the agencies in the area.

Find COVID-19 vaccination resources in many languages.

https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-resources/

Grade 8 ‘Graduation’ Photos – Edge Imaging

It is fairly safe to say that current restrictions will prevent the possibility of Edge Imaging being able to photography at the school this year. Edge Imaging is planning to open popup studios in the summer once Toronto moves into the ‘red zone’. If this happens, they will contact the school as soon as they have a venue and dates established and we will forward a booking link for those Grade 8 parents/guardians who are interested.

Elementary Summer School 2021 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

High School - Continuing Education Summer Credit Summer Programs

Remote Credit Recovery: For TDSB Students ONLY: The Toronto District School Board is offering current TDSB students the opportunity to recover one or two credits for the month of July 2021. Remote Summer Credit Recovery courses are open to current TDSB high school students who have taken the course in the past two years but have not earned the credit. All classes are remote, there are no in-person classes available. Regular attendance in the remote environment is a requirement. Students may enrol in one course either in the AM or PM, or in two courses, one in the AM and one in the PM.

Remote Summer Full Credit Program: Students can enrol in one full credit course that is offered in July only. All classes are remote in the remote learning model. In our Remote Learning model students will be at home learning live with their teacher daily from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Students will be able to receive extra help daily from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In-Person Hybrid Summer Full Credit Program: Students can enrol in one full-credit course which is offered in July only. Should an announcement be made that only remote learning can take place students need to be prepared to pivot to remote learning. In our Hybrid Learning model students will be following a three (3) day rotating schedule including in-person, synchronous and asynchronous learning.

For complete details about the Continuing Education Credit programs visit www.creditprograms.ca

E-Summer Secondary Credit Summer Programs 2021

The e-Learning Department runs two full summer programs in July and August to meet the needs of Ontario secondary school students. TDSB students have priority in course registration. Detailed information and course offerings are outlined on the e-Learning Summer Programs site. All e-Summer courses are delivered entirely online by teachers who provide their students with a supportive, flexible learning environment. Teachers provide daily lessons that include both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Comparison of Con Ed. and e-Learning Summer Programs

Ramadam Kareem!

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It’s important because it is the period of time in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ramadan 2021 began the evening of Tuesday, April 13 and ends the evening of Wednesday, May 12. For Muslim students and educators, this will be the second consecutive Ramadan restricted by social distancing.

For those celebrating and observing, Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan Mubarak!

May is Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month

TDSB's Asian and Jewish Heritage Committees Present: Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup

April 23, 2021

We hope that everyone has been doing well and staying safe.

This first week back may have presented some challenges for

some of our students and families, for whom remote learning

can be difficult at time but we appreciate your understanding and

flexibility. We will continue to do our best to support each and every

one of our students. Sometimes you or your child may have an IT issue that your teacher can’t or isn’t available to help with, don’t hesitate to contact TDSB Virtual Learning IT Support for assistance. The question remains as to if and when we will return to in-person learning. Toronto Public Health has said that they believe that schools should be the first thing to reopen, but only when it is safe to do so. Given that Ontario is having a difficult time containing the third wave of Covid in which we find ourselves, the prudent thing is to approach remote learning as if we are going to be teaching and learning in this way for an extended period for what remains of this academic year. On a positive note, places such as the UK already experienced a third wave similar to what we are now and through a combination of strict measures and large-scale vaccination, they have come out the other side.

Fairmount's Spring Break Family Photo Challenge & Scavenger Hunt

Over 30 teams registered, explored, built, posed, donated, laughed, and created during the Photo Challenge and Scavenger Hunt on April 9-11.Your pictures were AMAZING and even the rain on the Sunday didn't slow your teams down.

Many thanks to the Fairmount Parent Council for sponsoring this event and for the fantastic volunteers who created clues, gathered graphics, procured prizes, and managed the website.

Congratulations to the prize winners!

Covid-19 Child Benefit

The Ontario Covid-19 Child Benefit provides financial support to families with young learners to help with additional costs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you applied for this last year then payment should be automatically provided to you beginning on April 26^th, issuing payments of:

$400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12

$500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs

If you received payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply for this additional payment.

If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.

Elementary Summer School 2021 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

April 9, 2021

Given the increase in the number and severity of Covid cases

affecting not just the older segment of our population, Toronto

Public Health chose to close schools in Toronto which was then

followed by the Province enacting emergency and stay-at-home

orders. At this point, the school closure extends until April 18^th with

students and staff returning to school on Monday, April 19^th, following next week’s break. However, there is a very real possibility that this closure could be extended so while you will receive a message from the TDSB should an extension of the closure be announced, please monitor the media in advance of the scheduled April 19^th return date. (Given the short notice of this closure, an announcement about an extension of the closure could come as late as Sunday, April 18^th.) Regardless, please know that we will be ready to either continue remote learning or welcome back our students for in-person learning on April 19^th.

We are hopeful that next week’s spring break provides us with weather that allows for our students to get outside and away from their screens.

Vaccination – Priority Neighbourhood

The East Toronto Health Network had announced vaccine eligibility for those aged 50 and above for individuals who live in priority neighbourhoods that include the following postal codes: M4H, M1L, M3C, M4A, M1K, M1M, M1J.

For more information and to book an appointment, visit the Toronto East Health Network website.

Fairmount's Spring Break Family Photo Challenge & Scavenger Hunt

What will be your team’s strategy for the challenges this weekend?

Better Late than Never - oh good, it's not too late to register?!(Check out the link on the attached poster and register any time during the weekend)
First Out of the Gate - there’s no time to waste, get started on the clues right away!
Plan, Prepare, Prevail - review all of the clues, come up with a solid plan, and execute at your own pace.
Eat the Frog First - do the toughest challenges first to check them off your list!
Do it For the 'Gram - even if it takes multiple tries, each picture will be so insta-worthy, the votes will inevitably roll in.

Whatever your team's strategy may be, we know you will have tons of fun completing the challenges.Clues/challenges will be posted on the event website today so you can start as soon as you want when Spring Break begins!

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s pictures!

Covid-19 Child Benefit

The Ontario Covid-19 Child Benefit provides financial support to families with young learners to help with additional costs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you applied for this last year then payment should be automatically provided to you beginning on April 26^th, issuing payments of:

$400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12

$500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs

If you received payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply for this additional payment.

If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.

Elementary Summer School 2021 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/lyme-disease/blacklegged-tick-surveillance-results/

School Roof

Young people going on the roof of the school has been an ongoing issue at Fairmount since, probably, the time the school was built. While climbing up and down ends up causing costly damage to the school, an even greater concern is for the safety of the young people who likely don’t recognize that one misstep can cause serious injury. Now that the nicer weather is here, it is likely that this issue and the impromptu parties behind our school will become a bigger issue. (I bet they don’t even wear masks or socially distance either!)

If you see teenagers on our roof congregating behind our school, please don’t hesitate to call TDSB Security at 416-395-4620 or the police at 43 Division 416-808-4300.

Ticks

A parent let us know that her son was fell into a thorn bush along the fence line off the field behind the school and he ended up with a tick. (She thoughtfully wanted other parents to be aware.)

Here are a couple of websites you may wish to reference:

https://torontolife.com/city/a-super-handy-semi-scientific-guide-to-torontos-blacklegged-tick-problem/

April 1, 2021

For the second time in as many weeks, one of our students

tested positive for the virus, which has resulted in one of our

classes (Grade 2) and their siblings to self-isolate. Through us,

Toronto Public Health has informed the families that the students

are to isolate through next Thursday, and may return to school on

Friday, April 9^th. We will continue to implement the required measures and procedures that are in place in order to do our best to ensure that the virus is not spread within the school. As you sign the Student Health Pass each and every morning please remember the important adjustment that was added when we returned to in-school learning in February, which was that a student must remain home if anyone in their household has any of the listed symptoms. The objective of this provision is to make sure that a student who is asymptomatic but may have contracted the virus from a family member does not bring it to school where he or she could potentially spread it to others.

Remote Learning?

The increase in the number of COVID cases, and specifically the variant cases, has led many to speculate as to whether or not schools will close again for in-person learning. While we have no idea as to whether or not this is going to happen, it is important that we prepare for the possibility. Based on today’s announcement, we expect to be in school next week, but we want to make the necessary provisions so that we are all ready to shift to remote learning for when we return to school following the scheduled Spring Break (April 12-16). This isn’t an announcement but rather a ‘better safe than sorry’ scenario. Remember last year when we left for March Break and never returned to in-person learning and had to make arrangements for students to collect their belongings? We don’t want a repeat of that. So, we will ask that all students leave on April 9^th with all of their belongings and everything they will need to continue their learning remotely should it be necessary on Monday, April 19^th.

The fact that we have already done this once this year should make another shift slightly more seamless.

-If you do not have a working device at home and need to borrow one from the school, make sure that your child’s teacher is informed so that one can go home with you or your child before the break. (Note that those students who are borrowing a TDSB Chromebook will need to log in while at school prior to taking the device home.)

-Teachers’ online platform (Google Classroom or Brightspace) is already set-up and your child should already have access to the platform but please login to confirm that this is still the case.

-Please make sure that we have your most up-to-date email address. (Though if you received this Falconer…)

-Bookmark the Student Virtual Learning IT Support page

Fairmount's Spring Break Family Photo Challenge & Scavenger Hunt

Have you registered your team?

What do The Rainbow Chasers, Team Cheetah, and the Super Seekers have in common?They’re among the first teams to register for the photo scavenger hunt that will run from April 9-11.Find the details on the attached poster and on the event website.

MORE TEAMS = MORE FUN... so register by April 8th and spread the word to your Fairmount friends for some friendly competition!

Please see the attached poster for details and go to the event website to register your team for a great way to kick-off!

School Council Meeting

The next School Council meeting will be on Tuesday, April 6^th at 7:00 PM. If you would like to join us, please email lisa.habenschuss@tdsb.on.ca for the Zoom link.

Screenagers – Movie

The TDSB recently hosted a screening and discussion of the hour-long film ‘Screenagers Part 2’. This documentary is a sequel to Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age. In this movie, filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston examines how teens struggle with their emotional well-being in our screen-filled society and how we as parents and schools empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience. Interwoven through real stories are insights from brain researchers, psychologists, and thought-leaders that reveal evidence-based ways to support mental wellness among our youth. The impact of social media and other screen time is incorporated in all the topics raised Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, how it may be impacting our teen’s mental health, and what we can do to help foster youth in the face of struggles.

The TDSB even has passed but the movie is still available for viewing until April 11^th. You will need to register with an email address at this link in order to watch it:

https://watch.screenagersevent.com/tdsb

Elementary Summer School 2021 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

March 26, 2021

This week we found ourselves in the difficult position of having

to send home to self-isolate one of our classes, the siblings of

these students in our school or any other, and all of the staff

members who work with the affected class. Thank you to the family

of the student who tested positive for informing us immediately

so that we could take the appropriate action as quickly as possible.

I know I speak on behalf of the whole community as I send along our best wishes to this student and their family. Parents of the affected cohort and their siblings were called and then sent a letter, which was then followed by a letter informing all of the families of students in our school. The protocol is designed to ensure everyone’s safety by taking action as quickly as possible. The case in question is then followed by an investigation by Toronto Public Health (TPH), which, if required, would then provide a much more detailed letter to the families of the cohort and the rest of the school with specific information regarding the next steps and applicable dates. In this particular case, TPH was able to initiate their investigation quickly and determined that the positive case did not present a risk of exposure to students or staff while at school, based on the student’s last day of attendance at Fairmount. This would also mean that they were able to determine that it is highly unlikely that the student contracted while at school. As a result, we were able to welcome back this cohort, their siblings, and staff today. From this perspective, certainly not forgetting that we do in fact have one of our students who is positive, we were very fortunate and should recognize that we are not immune to COVID and there are many repercussions that follow even one positive case at our school. First, there is the stress and concern on the families of all of those who were required to self-isolate but this stretched beyond even these families to those who were not deemed to be a direct risk. In addition to the most obvious health-related concerns was the fact that the dismissed class were going to have to pivot to remote learning while their siblings were going to remain at home trying to continue their studies by accessing asynchronous work on their class’ site. There would have also been possible daycare/supervision issues for some families to navigate with students remaining at home. Needless to say, if anything good can come from this it is to remind our students just how serious this is and to take the protocols in place seriously. The case count remains high across the city and the new variants of the virus present a greater risk to all age groups. The only way for us to keep our community safe is for us to remain as vigilant as possible.

Remember:

It is imperative that all parents/guardians complete the Student Health Pass each and every morning and for students to stay home if they exhibit even one symptom. (We have not found that we have students arriving at school with symptoms but we do have a few who come on a fairly regular basis without their pass signed.)

Students need to be reminded to wear their masks even when they are outside if they are within two metres of someone else.

Wear masks at all times when inside the school.

Sanitize/wash hands regularly.

Students in Grades 7 and 8 must remain in their assigned zone so that they are with only their cohort/class. Too often we find students playing closely with students from another class. While understandable on one hand, the risk of this behaviour has been clearly articulated by TPH.

While going home for lunch is certainly the safest way to spend that hour, our intermediate students must remember that cohorts should remain in place at all times, even over the lunch hour. In short, the virus doesn’t care if you just really like playing basketball, or if you are off school property.

Students who stay for lunch should remain seated and refrain from talking while masks are off.

As a matter of clarification, the letters and messages that were sent home this week informing you of the positive case and even the message letting you know of the findings of TPH were all templated so that the communication from schools across the system is as consistent when informing parents. I did go to each of the junior and intermediate classes to give them as much information as I could so that they had an understanding of what was happening as I could give them some details that were not in the letter that may have helped alleviate some concerns or quell the rumours that inevitably start when people start to speculate.

Grade 8-9 Transition Night

On Monday, March 29^th from 6:30-8:30, Trustee Kandavel is hosting a session that will provide an overview for parents who wish to gain a better understanding of what they need to know about students transitioning from elementary school to high school. While most relevant to students currently in Grade 8, parents of students in Grades 6 and 7 will also find this helpful. See the attached flyer for more details.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the following registration form. https://forms.gle/7A5uo2u8JscEPB1v5

Registrants will be sent a Zoom link on Monday, March 29th, 2021.

Fairmount's Spring Break Family Photo Challenge & Scavenger Hunt - April 9-11

Please see the attached poster for details and go to the event website to register your team for a great way to kick off!

We have several themed prizes - a raffle for the teams who register, and winners for most votes across all clues, and top voted photo!

Rainy Day? We've got you covered.

Family Pizza Night? Sounds cheesy, but delicious.

Outdoor fun? I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Your challenge for this week: come up with a fun team name and plan to get registered via the event website on the poster. Join in on the Spring Break fun!

Elementary Summer School 2021 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

March 12, 2021

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing Clinic

The Scarborough Health Network is facilitating COVID-19

testing at St. John Henry Newman Catholic High School in

their gymnasium on Tuesday, March 16th from 11 am – 7:00 pm.

What:COVID-19 Testing Site

Where: Gymnasium, St. John Henry Newman CHS, 100 Brimley Road South, Toronto, M1M3X4

When:Tuesday, March 16th: 11 am-7 pm

Who:Parents/Guardians, Students, Staff

Please bring your Ontario Health Card (if available)

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

If you and your children are planning to be tested at this site, please enter directly into the gymnasium from the south parking lot. As always, while lining and during testing inside the gym, all TDSB COVID protocols must be followed. This includes practices around wearing masks, physical distancing, as well as proper hand hygiene—handwashing, sanitizer, etc.

Scarborough has been a COVID-19 hot spot since the beginning of the pandemic. By working together and getting tested we can stop the spread. We look forward to welcoming our students and community to this testing location.

The attached consent form is for you to complete if your child(ren) is being taken to the clinic by someone other than a parent/legal guardian.

The following schools have been invited to participate in this testing:

FairmountRH KingChine DriveJohn A Leslie

Anson ParkHA HalbertSt. AgathaSt. Theresa Shrine

St. BonifaceSt. UrsulaImmaculate Heart of Mary

St. John Henry Newman

The information provided indicates that those invited to attend are “parents/guardians, students and staff” however we have received confirmation that it is perfectly fine for other household members to also go for testing.

COVID Health and Safety

As the weather gets increasingly warmer, it will become even more important for students to remember to bring a water bottle to school. All of the school’s water fountains remain closed but we do have a water bottle refilling station available for use.

School Council

School Council Meeting – Math Talk

At this week’s School Council meeting, we enjoyed an informative and engaging presentation from Marc Husband, Co-ordinator of STEM, Science & Tech and Robotics for the TDSB, and Tina Rapke, Associate Professor of Technology and Math at York University. Drs. Husband and Rapke gave an overview of the new math curriculum and discussed what parents can do at home to help support their child’s understanding and facility with math. A particular area of focus was ‘mental math’.

During the meeting, they referenced a website that parents and teachers may find useful.

Here’s the website link: https://mm4all.thinkific.com/

The minutes from the meeting are attached. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6^th at 7:00 PM

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

In addition to these resources, the TDSB is offering virtual drop-ins with a member of the Professional Support Services team every Tuesday and Thursday.

More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

Children who will be four by December 31, 2021, are eligible to begin Junior Kindergarten in September. Registration is now open. Please visit the TDSB Welcome to Kindergarten page to find out how to register your child.

Kindergarten Play Area Revitalization

Thanks to the funds raised by our community, we will be moving forward with the construction of a play area for our kindergarten students. The new play area will be within the same footprint as the current kindergarten play at the rear of the building. More information will follow but the work is scheduled to begin, weather depending, toward the end of April and should be completed by the end of June.

Outdoor Learning Portal

The TDSB has launched a new online, outdoor learning portal for staff and families. This portal brings together information, ideas, and resources to help support and encourage learning in the outdoors.

The Family Resources area of the site provides tips for preparing for the weather, resources for why and how to get started as well as a comprehensive list of activities for families to enjoy together in the city.

Youth Summer Employment Opportunities – City of Toronto

The City of Toronto is the biggest youth employer and hires almost 10,000 seasonal workers every year.

Applications for gardeners and park handy-workers for the City’s parks and green spaces will be accepted until March 27. Applications can be made online at: https://jobs.toronto.ca/

Dates and registration information for the virtual information sessions will be available shortly at www.toronto.ca/recjobs.

March 5, 2021

COVID Health and Safety

Thank you for continuing to be so diligent with regard to

completing your child’s TDSB Student health pass every day.

The fact that you are so on top of this makes our screening and entry

procedures so much smoother every morning.

Should you ever have questions or need access to certain forms, Toronto Public Health has much of their school information available to parents here.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

The TDSB is offering virtual office hours for caregivers every Tuesday at 10am-11am or Thursday at 7pm-8pm.

Every session will have 3 representatives from the different PSS Departments including Child and Youth Services, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy, Psychological Services, Social Work, and Speech-Language Services.It is not a time for therapeutic intervention, but more an opportunity for parents/caregivers to receive some support in navigating their child’s needs in relation to Mental Health and Well-being. More information is available here.

The links to the sessions:

International Women’s Day and United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace

School Council

Our next School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 9^th at 7:00 PM. This month’s meeting will begin with a presentation on the new math curriculum hosted by Marc Husband, Co-ordinator of STEM, Science & Tech and Robotics and Tina Rapke, Associate Professor of Technology and Math at York University. Dr. Husband and Dr. Rapke will give an overview of the new curriculum and discuss what parents can do at home to help support their child’s development, understanding and facility with math.

If you are interested in joining us, please email lisa.habenschuss@tdsb.on.ca to request the Zoom link.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

Summer Employment Opportunities – Ontario Public Service

For those of you with older children or who have friends of with secondary school or college/university aged children, the Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) Program provides up to 5,000 students with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience through supervised summer employment in the Ontario Public Service.Positions for this summer (May to September) are posted now with different closing dates between March 10 and June 1, 2021.To be eligible to participate in the program, students must be:

currently enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary institution
at least 15 years old
living in Ontario during the summer
legally entitled to work in Canada

To participate in this program, students must apply online at www.ontario.ca/careers

Summer Employment Opportunities Program posters:

If you have any questions about the Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) Program, email SEO@ontario.ca

Character Education

The character trait that we emphasized for the month of February was Fairness.

The following students were recognized for their demonstration of this particular attribute:

Grade 1

Gracie FawcettLucas Mendoza

Grade 2

Maeve HuntGia Karopoulos

Grade 5

Max CampbellTyra NguyenJesse O’ReillyLogan Paisley

Oliver Storey

Grade 6

Austin BattrickSydney BurandtLuke Henkenhaf

Grade 8

Max Rinzler

The character trait for March is Honesty.

Greek Heritage Month

March is Greek Heritage Month. It is an occasion to recognize and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Greek Canadians to Canada, an occasion to mark and enjoy the history of Greek culture.

Greek immigration to Canada began early in the 19th century. According to the 2016 census, 271,405 Canadians are of Greek origin. Of this number, the majority live in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Visit the TDSB Greek Heritage Month Site 2021

Weekly Calendar

Monday, March 8 – Day 5

Tuesday, March 9 – Day 1

Wednesday, March 10 – Day 2

Thursday, March 11 – Day 3

Friday, March 12 – Day 4

February 26, 2021

It continues to be wonderful to see the students back in school,

enjoying in-person learning and being with their friends in their

cohort. We appreciate that families have taken the time to discuss

the importance of masking properly with the children both inside

and outside. While masking is less of an issue for us, some of our

older boys need repeated reminders to stay in their zone and with their own cohort. If you are the parent of a grade 7 or 8 boy, please reinforce with them the necessity of remaining with their cohort so that we can all remain in school.

COVID Health and Safety

Please continue to be very explicit and intentional with your child(ren) students and their TDSB Student health pass every day. Please ensure each question is asked and that the form is dated and signed. This will allow us to efficiently begin our day.

As you know, the new updated screening tool now states If anyone in your household has one or more new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19, they should get tested as soon as possible and that everyone in that house will need to stay home if someone in the home exhibits a COVID-19 symptom. The student and adult screening tool from Toronto Public Health indicates what you should do if you have symptoms. More pop-up testing sites are to be made available soon. The back-to-school Attestation-for-Return-to-School form may be used to indicate that a child who was absent is healthy and able to return to school.

Variants of Concern

All parents should have received a letter via email from Toronto Public Health with regards to COVID-19 “variants of concern” that have now been confirmed in 8 schools in Toronto, including 3 TDSB schools. As TPH indicates in their letter, this was not unexpected, however, they are reminding everyone of the importance of following the existing recommendations including:

Limiting your contact to household members only and staying at home as much as possible as social gatherings and playdates outside of the school setting have led to the spread of COVID-19

Going out only for essential outings such as medical appointments, food shopping, school, essential work, or for physical exercise.

Keeping at least two metres (six feet) apart from others outside of your household.

Wearing a mask.

Cleaning your hands frequently, with soap and water for 15 seconds.

Staying home if you are feeling unwell or if you have been told to self-isolate.

Winter Survey Results - How We Are Feeling

Parents/guardians (JK to Grade 12) and students (Grades 6-12) were invited to participate in a check-in survey to help TDSB get a snapshot of how everyone is coping under the current challenging circumstances.

A large majority of parents/guardians and students reported feeling protected from getting COVID-19 because of the health and safety precautions in place at their school. Additionally, a large majority of students reported feeling cared for and supported by teachers.

These initial results show that TDSB staff, students, and families are all doing the best we can during these unprecedented circumstances. We are encouraged to see that parents/guardians and students feel that staff are caring and supportive and the sense that, when followed responsibly, health and safety measures will help keep us all safe. However, it is important to note that the student responses from across the system indicate that they are feeling more anxious, reminding us to remain mindful of the importance of mental health and well-being at all times, but especially now.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Virtual Drop-Ins! – TDSB Professional Support Services

The TDSB is offering virtual office hours for caregivers every Tuesday at 10am-11am or Thursday at 7pm-8pm.

The links to the sessions are:

TDSB Course Selection with MyBlueprint video tutorial/instructions

Return of Devices

Thank you to everyone who has already returned a device that was borrowed to support your child during our remote learning time. The vast majority of people have already returned their device but if you haven’t yet, please return it as soon as possible so that our students will have the opportunity to use it to support their learning.

School Council

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

Snowshoeing

Thanks to Ms. Jeffrey for making arrangements to borrow snowshoes from Hillside Outdoor Education School. It was great to see our students making the most of our winter weather and the incredible space and scenery that we are privileged to enjoy in the neighbourhood.

Greek Heritage Month

Visit the TDSB Greek Heritage Month Site 2021

February 19, 2021

It has been so nice to see students and staff back at school and

parents seemed to have an extra skip in their step dropping

them off on Tuesday. Thank you for being so responsive and

diligent with regard to signing your child(ren)’s Health Pass each

day. You will be pleased to know that our students have been very

conscientious this week about wearing their masks at all times, even outside if

necessary, and refraining from talking a lot while eating lunch.

There are some changes to the new Screening Tool that indicates whether or not a student is able to attend school on a given day, or more specifically, if their attending may put others at risk. Changes include staying home if anyone in the household presents with even one (new or worsening) symptom and that if a member of the household needs to self-isolate due to having been identified as a close contact with a positive COVID case, even if that family member does not currently have any symptoms.

Information for parents related to COVID in schools can be found here.

Here are some strategies to reduce the risk of COVID while encouraging outdoor play.

COVID Update and Testing

Toronto Public Health recommends COVID-19 testing when:

1.A Staff/ Student has symptoms consistent with COVID-19

2.A Staff/ Student is a close contact of a confirmed positive case(s) or

3.There is an outbreak and expanded school-wide testing may provide additional information about possible COVID-19 transmission in the school

Testing partners from across the Toronto region have been working with Toronto Public Health to increase access to testing for students and staff. This may even include dedicated hours at a COVID-19 Assessment Centre close by a school, on-site testing in a school, or the provision of take-home test kits.

As you may have heard, with the return of in-person learning, testing is being expanded to include asymptomatic testing of staff and students in schools or if located in a high-priority neighborhood. This testing will help with early case identification to inform public health measures and ultimately prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our schools.

Asymptomatic testing will be made available at pop-up testing centres at schools. These school on-site pop-ups will function as hubs that will serve the host school as well as other nearby schools. They are meant to augment the existing testing locations that are available across the city including COVID-19 Assessment Centres, community pop-ups, and pharmacies (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations ).

Selection of the pop-up school locations will be done based on indicators in the COVID-19 Neighborhoods Composite Index (the Quintiles) which helps to identify areas requiring testing. Any student or staff member who is attending in-person school is welcome to visit a pop-up school site for testing and does not need to be a student/staff at that particular location.

Coping through COVID

Parents and caregivers were invited to join our TDSB mental health professionals to learn and discuss coping strategies to support mental health and well-being through the pandemic. If you were unable to join the Webinar on Thursday, February 11, it is available for viewing here.

Grade 7/8 Cell Phone Update/Request

While we often have challenges with our older students and the use of cell phones, teachers are having a particularly difficult time with this issue right now. Previously, our approach has been one of understanding that many of the students have phones and asking that they be kept out of sight, ideally locked in their locker, during school time. This approach has generally worked but this week many students are struggling to follow this message. We suspect that having access to their phone at all times during the past six weeks of remote learning has had an impact in this area. While there are some legitimate points to be made about why the cell phone could be ‘needed’ or of use during class time, the reality is that it isn’t just being used to check the time or as a calculator. The fact is that they are a distraction. Some students are playing games and texting each other – and not about their science experiment results. Students shared with us that they often used cell phones at home during online lessons, instead of focusing solely on the online lesson.We understand that this is not conducive to a productive learning environment and ask for your support. Students are reminded that if they must bring their phone to school, it needs to be kept out of sight and preferably locked in their locker so that it does not need to be confiscated.

Some students claim that their parents text them during class time and expect them to read these messages and respond immediately. This is a little hard to believe, but if this is true, please try to refrain from texting your child during class time or if you do, please let them know that you don’t expect a response until a natural break in the school day.

Masks

Packing an extra mask or two seems to be even more important right now as more students are wearing them outside, which means that it is more likely to get wet. Some students also require a change in mask following gym class. The qualities of a good mask include being made of at least two layers of tightly woven fabric and, ideally, a middle filter layer. Some updated recommendations on non-medial mask guidelines can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.

Return of Devices

For those who borrowed a device from our school’s complement of Chromebooks or iPads, please return it as soon as possible so that our students have the opportunity to use it to support their learning. (Returned devices will be cleaned and isolated for 72 hours prior to being allowed for use by students.)

Winter Clothing

The winter weather arrived just in time for our return to in-person learning this week. A reminder to ensure that your child comes to school with the appropriate outdoor clothing and with some indoor footwear.

Early French Immersion – Late Applicant Opportunity

The application deadline for Early French Immersion was November 27, 2020. The application numbers were lower than usual this year, leaving space in some areas for late applicants. For that reason, for families of Junior Kindergarten students (the program begins in SK) still interested in the Toronto District School Board's Early French Immersion Program, the online application portal, PARS, remains open until February 26. Consideration for late applicants will be done centrally after all the on-time applications have been accommodated, space permitting. Late applications that cannot be accommodated will be held on a late waitlist by the date of the application. To apply, please click here.

School Council

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

February 12, 2021

By now you should have received your child(ren)’s report card.

I have been told that distribution is continuing but certainly, all

reports should have been sent by the end of the day today. If you

have not received a report, please let your child’s teacher know or

you can inform us in the office and we will see that one gets sent home

either electronically or in hard copy with your child. The process of updating and distributing IEPs and will continue through next week.

Return to In-Person Learning

Our students will return to in-person learning on Tuesday. Schools can be a safe place but only if everyone does exactly what Toronto Public Health is instructing us to do.

Toronto Public Health has provided important reminders to parents to help prepare their child(ren) for school next week. Effective Tuesday, we will use the updated screening tool which states that if anyone in your household has one or more new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19, they should get tested as soon as possible and that everyone in that house will need to stay home if someone in the home is sick with even one of these COVID-19 symptoms.

This new screening tool from Toronto Public Health also includes information as to what you should do if you have symptoms. More pop-up testing sites are to be made available soon. We will continue to make use of the screening sheet and health pass with the students prior to entering the building. If possible, please print this new TDSB Student Health Pass and have your child bring it to school, signed, on Tuesday morning. We will have extra copies available at school on Tuesday.

Masks

Students are always required to wear a mask properly except when having a mask break or eating lunch. Pack an extra mask in case your child needs to change it. Students will now be recommended to wear masks outdoors when they are interacting with each other and ensure that physical distancing is maintained if they are not wearing a mask. (This is not new but please reinforce with your child the importance of this safety measure, particularly with the growing concern of the new variant.) They will be encouraged to take necessary mask breaks only when they are well away from each other. Teachers will also offer masks breaks when they take their classes outside. The qualities of a good mask include being made of at least two layers of tightly woven fabric and, ideally, a middle filter layer. Some updated recommendations on non-medial mask guidelines can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.

Lunch

For those students who must remain at school at lunch, Toronto Public Health has emphasized the importance of being particularly careful at this time of day. This is when students have to take off their masks to eat so we have been told that this should be a ‘quiet lunch’ and remind students to refrain from moving around.

Toronto Public Health Advice – ‘Bubbles’

COVID-19 continues to circulate in our community. If a cohort is dismissed, TPH will do full case and contact investigations, co-ordinate testing and communicate with schools and families about what they need to do. Please note that if a cohort is dismissed siblings will also be required to stay at home.

TPH has said that though schools are being allowed to reopen, students should not gather with others, even those in their cohort. Students should go directly home after

and should not congregate. The previous idea of a ‘bubble’ no longer exists. The only ‘bubble’ is the one with the people in your own household. Please support these measures and discuss them with your children to help us keep the school as safe as possible. Please note the back-to-school Attestation-for-Return-to-School form may be used to indicate that a child who was absent is healthy and able to return to school.

Return of Technology

For those who borrowed a device from our school prior to the break, please bring it back to school as soon as possible, when it is safe to do so. (Meaning, we don’t want it to get accidentally damaged on the way to school.) The sooner the better so that our students can begin to use the devices while at school and bear in mind that we will need to isolate these devices for 72 hours prior to them being used. If you, rather than your child, is dropping it off, it can be left on the table inside the main doors. While we do know who has which device based on the serial number, please ensure that your child’s name is with your device in some fashion. (The device in a bag with the name on a piece of paper would work perfectly well.)

Winter Clothing

We were fortunate with the weather prior to the break but we are certainly not going to be as lucky now that February is here. Please ensure that your child is dressed to be outside in the cold weather. For those who stay for lunch, this means 40 minutes outside. Where possible, it would be great if articles of clothing have your child’s name inside so those lost or misplaced items can be easily returned to the student. We are not allowed to have a typical ‘lost and found’ and if previous years is any indication, it is safe to say that misplaced items will be an issue.

School Council

Thank you to our Council Executive for arranging the special presentation on Wednesday night. “Parenting Your Child Through Challenging Times” hosted by social workers, Crystal Clarke and Randolph Sealy was very informative with reassurances and strategies that we can use. (The slides from the presentation, with resources, is attached. Our next meeting is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, March 10^th.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

March (April) Break

Yesterday the Minister of Education announced an alteration to the timing of this year’s March Break. Originally scheduled for March 15 to 19 — it has now been delayed by approximately a month in hopes of reducing community transmission of COVID-19. On the advice of public health officials, the break is now scheduled for April 12 – 16.

Lunar New Year

Although often referred to as Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year is celebrated by many different countries and by people all over the world. It's called the Lunar New Year because it marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendars traditional to many east Asian countries including China, South Korea, and Vietnam. This year, the Lunar New Year celebrations begin today! Happy New Year!

Enjoy the Family Day weekend - hopefully with a little less time on a screen.

See you Tuesday!

February 5, 2021

On Wednesday it was announced that students in the TDSB

will return to in-person learning on Tuesday, February 16^th.

We look forward to seeing our students masked and in-person.

In the days ahead, we anticipate an update with regard to health

and safety measures — both those that are already in place and those

that will be implemented when students return. There will be a change to the Health Pass that students are required to complete prior to arriving at school each day. The symptoms will not change but there will be an amendment to some of the questions.

Some new questions you will be required to answer include:

Does anyone in your household have one or more of the above symptoms?

Has anyone in the household traveled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?

Has anyone in the household been notified that they are a close contact of someone with Covid-19 or been told to stay home and self-isolate?

Updates on Covid cases in schools and child care centres can always be found here.

Switching To and From Virtual School

Last week a message was sent from the TDSB to all parents/guardians across the system who requested a switch in learning model for their child(ren) regarding the status of the process. Families were informed that the decision has been made to move forward with this switching process but that there is no guarantee that all requests will necessarily be met and that priority will be given to students who live in neighbourhoods which are at higher risk for COVID-19, based on recent data from Toronto Public Health. In our case, we have 11 requests to switch to a virtual/remote learning model and 3 requests to return to in-person learning. This letter also indicated that families will be informed of the status of their switch request by their home school Principal by the end of the day on Friday, February 12.

Please visit the Switching web page for more information and Questions & Answers.

School Council

Our next Council meeting is on Wednesday (February 10^th) at 7:00 PM. Our Council has arranged for a special presentation “Parenting Your Child Through Challenging Times” hosted by social workers, Crystal Clarke and Randolph Sealy. This presentation is meant for all parents of school-aged children. (See the attached flyer.)

If you would like to join us, please email our Office Administrator at lisa.habenschuss@tdsb.on.ca and she will forward the Zoom link to you.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Report Cards / Interviews

Report cards will be sent to you electronically beginning on Monday (February 8^th). The process of distribution is the same as it was for June report cards, meaning, you may not receive the report card on Monday as the reports are sent centrally and this is the day that they will begin the process of sending them over the course of the week. Our experience from the spring was that there were a few families who, for whatever reason, did not receive their child’s report card. Given that we are returning to school on the 16^th, this situation will be easily rectified but you will need to inform us that you did not receive the email.

Your child’s teacher either already has or will soon be reaching out to you regarding parent-teacher interviews. For this round of interviews, the focus is on teachers asking to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress should they feel that there is something related to your child’s learning or school experience that they would like to talk to you about. If the teacher isn’t asking you for an interview, this means they either aren’t concerned about your child’s progress or that your ongoing communication is such that you are already aware of whatever it is that they would share with you during this meeting. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t request an interview if you so choose as we recognize that you may have questions you would like to ask or information that you would like to share with your child’s teacher(s).

Roof Repairs

Work on the roof of our school has been taking place over the past week. Yesterday, work on the parapets as well as scupper repairs was completed. Work continued today with the termination bar and fascia repairs, with metal work scheduled to begin next week. Though the hope is that this work will be complete before students return to school, though if it is ongoing, this should not create any issues for our students or staff.

Kindergarten Registration for September 2021

Children who will be four by December 31, 2021 are eligible to begin Junior Kindergarten in September. Registration is now open. Please visit the TDSB Welcome to Kindergarten page to find out how to register your child.

Optional Attendance

A reminder that the deadline is today for optional attendance forms for Grade 8 students wishing to apply for a high school that is outside of their area.

Elementary school applications are due by February 12^th.

Information about the optional attendance process can be found here.

February is Chinese Heritage Month

This year is the Year of the Ox: Loyal, Honest, Responsible, Hard-Working and Logical. Many Chinese Canadians will celebrate Lunar New Year on Friday, February 12. Lunar New Year is also known as the spring festival and begins with the first moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar 15 days later. Though celebrations will be altered this year because of the pandemic, the spirit and joyfulness will remain the same through virtual events and in-home family-based festivities.

February is African Heritage Month

The month of February is when there is particular focus on recognizing and celebrating the many achievements and contributions of peoples of African descent to Canada and the world. The chosen theme for 2020-2021 is Kujichagulia: Self Determination.

Black people in Canada have diverse backgrounds and experiences, while some can trace their roots in Canada for many generations, others have immigrated in recent decades.

Black Canadians are connected by a common African history and ancestry. The African-Canadian population is made up of individuals from a range of places across the globe including, but not limited to, the United States, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Canada.

There were almost 1.2 million Black people living in Canada in 2016. The Black population is diverse and has a long and rich history in Canada.

Weekly Calendar

Monday, February 8 – Day 2

Tuesday, February 9 – Day 3

Wednesday, February 10 – Day 4 –

Virtual School Council Meeting/Presentation 7:00 PM

Thursday, February 11 – Day 5

Friday, February 12 – PA Day – No classes for students today

Lunar New Year. Happy New Year!

January 29, 2021

Yesterday was Bell Let’s Talk Day, a day to raise awareness and

Encourage discussions about mental health. This year, with

COVID-19 affecting every aspect of our lives, many are all feeling

the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. The pandemic

has magnified deep-rooted economic, social and racial inequities and it has disproportionately affected the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Importantly for us, the Hospital for Sick Children released a report last week in which they indicate that 70 per cent of children and adolescents in Ontario reported worsening mental health since the pandemic began. Much of the impact, the report added, is related to social isolation. We recognize the importance of being flexible, creative and compassionate for the realities our students and their families, and our staff and their families, are facing right now.

Some resources that may be of interest to you or someone you know:

From School Mental Health Ontario - Noticing Mental Health Concerns for Your Child From Children’s Mental Health Ontario - Your Child's Mental Wellness and Remote Learning.

Culturally-Responsive Mental Health Supports - Everyone’s needs are different. Different services are designed to needs of different individuals. People are encouraged to find out more about each service to determine which one is a best fit for their needs.

TDSB Online Survey for Students and Parents/Guardians

You should have received an email/survey from the TDSB on Monday. This survey is for both parents/guardians (JK to Grade 12) and students (Grades 6 to 12) to learn more about experiences to date related to mental health and well-being, student engagement, and learning.

Complete the survey now at: https://tdsb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_835EiBqHYP7KGWx

Ward 18 Mental Health and Well-Being Forum – February 2^nd

Trustee Parthi Kandavel will be hosting a special virtual Ward meeting on Mental Health and Well Being, taking place this Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 6:30pm.

Attached is a flyer with additional details.

Those wishing to participate are asked to register for the meeting via this registration form

Parent and Caregiver Engagement Initiatives

During this challenging period for students, staff and parents/caregivers connecting with and supporting parents and caregivers continues to be a priority in the TDSB. One example of this is The Conversation Series, hosted by the Parent and Community Engagement Office and the Parent Involvement Advisory Council. The first session this year is an online forum on How Children Understand Race and How Adults Can Help tomorrow (January 30) at 11 a.m. Erin Winkler, Associate Professor, African and African Diaspora Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will discuss how to help children understand racial identity, racism, and racial inequities in age-appropriate ways that empower the young children in their lives. Access the Zoom or YouTube link here.

School Council

One of the topics of discussion at Council meetings is what can be done to be more responsive to the needs of our community in order to better meet our families’ needs and interests. To this end, please take a few moments to complete this Fairmont Family Survey.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Report Cards / Interviews

As of this moment, we still anticipate returning to school on Wednesday, February 10^th. However, we have been informed that report cards will be distributed electronically beginning on Monday, February 8^th. For those of you who had children in the system last year, the distribution will be the same as it was in June, being sent to the email address that we have on file for you at school. (It will come to the same address to which this newsletter was delivered.) In November, teachers ‘met’ with all parents/guardians. At this time, teachers will reach out to parents/guardians with whom they would like to meet to discuss a particular student. This doesn’t preclude any parent from requesting an interview but it should mean that if you don’t receive a request from the teacher that she/he isn’t concerned about your child’s progress. It could also indicate that the level of ongoing communication between you and the teacher is such that an interview would be redundant. Specific information regarding interviews from your child’s teacher(s) will be coming soon.

Switching To and From Virtual School

The decision has been made to proceed with a final switching opportunity, where space is available, in February for those families who indicated interest in the December switching survey. The planning is still underway to determine the process and details related to the facilitation of this switch between learning models. The message this week is that the commitment is to meet as many ‘switch requests’ as possible but that more information will be provided to schools and parents next week. If you responded to the survey in December, requesting a switch, no further action is required on your part.

Optional Attendance

A reminder that the deadline is today for optional attendance forms for Grade 8 students wishing to apply for a high school that is outside of their area.

Elementary school applications are due by February 12^th.

Information about the optional attendance process can be found here.

Grade 9 Course Selection

Yesterday, Ms. Cane met with our Grade 8 students to begin to support them through the process of selecting their Grade 9 courses via the MyBlueprint site.

There are 6 mandatory courses and 2 elective courses for students to select. (This process can be completed between now and February 26^th.) If you or your child are interested in exploring this process yourself, these resources may be of interest:

Preparing for Course Selection

Completing Course Selection Webinar

Completing Course Selection Guide

Course Selection for Grade 8 Students

The Toronto District School Board is one of the most diverse school boards in Canada. Nearly one-quarter of our students were born outside of Canada, and collectively, we speak more than 120 languages. Understanding all cultures is essential to the success of our young students today as they transform and transition to be our future leaders of tomorrow.

February is Chinese Heritage Month

February is African Heritage Month

Black people in Canada have diverse backgrounds and experiences, while some can trace their roots in Canada for many generations, others have immigrated in recent decades.

There were almost 1.2 million Black people living in Canada in 2016. The Black population is diverse and has a long and rich history in Canada.

January 22, 2021

We hope that everyone continues to stay well and manage the

often difficult juggling act associated with having students

learning from home. However, it looks like many of our students

are becoming more and more independent and that a few parents

have discovered the benefits of headphones for their child.

For those who are interested, TVO is offering at-home learning supports for anyone interested in supplementing their remote learning.

The mental health and well-being of our students and families is important. Please utilize or share, as you see fit, these resources that have been compiled to support students or the attached community resources.

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is currently in Phase 1, with Phase 3 being the one in which members of the general public will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. Visit here for up to date information on the province’s vaccine program.

Apply for Support for Learners funding - Ontario

This funding is intended to provide all parents/guardians with essential financial assistance for children and youth to support them with their learning due to unique requirements of this time. (This might be a way to offset the cost of technology for home use - e.g., Chromebook). This program is being expanded to include all students up to and including those in Grade 12. Parents/guardians will receive a one-time payment of $200 for each child.Applications are to open on January 11^th. Please refer to link below for more information.

https://meet.google.com/pbo-ouwt-xnf?authuser=0

TDSB Online Survey for Students and Parents/Guardians

Next week, the TDSB will be surveying both parents/guardians (JK to Grade 12) and students (Grades 6 to 12) during the week of January 25 to learn more about experiences to date related to mental health and well-being, student engagement, and learning. Please watch for an email with a link to the survey and/or check the TDSB website.

School Council

The next Council meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 10^th. This slight shift in date is to accommodate a presentation for our families. Information will be provided closer to the date.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Optional Attendance

When students/parents wish to apply for a school that is outside of the area in which they reside, they need to complete an Optional Attendance form, which needs to be signed by the Principal at their home school (the school in the area where they live) and sent to the school that they wish to attend. While this applies to all students, generally, this is likely only something that is of interest to our Grade 8 students who may wish to attend a high school that is outside of the area in which they live. (If you applied for a specialized program prior to the break, you have already completed the necessary form as part of your application.)

For secondary school applications, the due date for submission of optional attendance applications to the high school is January 29^th and for elementary school applications it is February 12^th. (Copies of the forms are attached.)

If you would like to apply to a school out of area, please complete the form and email it to me as a scan, photo or screengrab at jim.carson@tdsb.on.ca and I will forward it to the receiving school.

Additional information about the optional attendance process can be found here.

Extended French Program – Current Grade 6 Student Applying for Grade 7

The Extended French Program offers students who have successfully completed three years of Core French the option to enter into a more intensive program in Grade 7. These students spend approximately 40% of their day in French classes at the Extended French school. Students from our school would go to the program hosted at Charles Gordon Senior Public School located at 25 Marcos Blvd. (off of Midland, south of Lawrence.) Attachments with this Falconer include information regarding the program and an application form.

Charles Gordon is hosting a parent information evening on Wednesday, January 27^th 6PM. Join the Google Meet at this link:

Grade 9 Course Selection

Our Grade 8 students will soon select their Grade 9 courses via the MyBlueprint site. There are 6 mandatory courses and 2 elective courses for students to select. (This process can be completed between now and February 26^th.) We will help facilitate this process but if you or your child are interested in exploring this process yourself, these resources may be of interest:

TDSB Course Selection with MyBlueprint video tutorial/instructions

Preparing for Course Selection

Completing Course Selection Webinar

Completing Course Selection Guide

Course Selection for Grade 8 Students

January 15, 2021

We appreciate the kind words and support that many of you

have been sharing with your child’s teacher(s). Your recognition

of their efforts means more than you can imagine. Thank you.

This week it was announced that all Toronto schools will remain

closed until Wednesday, February 10^th, so remote learning will continue

until at least this date. First term report cards are scheduled to go home during the week of February 7^th, in our case we were planning to send them home on Tuesday, February 9^th. If it turns out that we are in fact going to return on February 10^th then reports will go home on this date, but if the closure is extended then there would likely be a system plan for the distribution of report cards.

Please know that we do understand the challenge that remote learning presents for some of our families and the frustration that some parents experience at times as they try to juggle their own work in addition to assisting their child with some of their work or tasks. Please know that we understand that there may be times when you and/or your child have reached a point when you are ‘done’ for the day or for the time being. As always, our teachers will continue to do their best to make adjustments and accommodations for individual situations.

The mental health and well-being of our students and families is tremendously important. Please utilize or share these resources that have been compiled to support students or the attached community resources.

Apply for Support for Learners funding - Ontario

TDSB Course Selection with MyBlueprint video tutorial/instructions

School Council

Thank you to the parents and guardians who were able to join us at the meeting this week. Our next School Council meeting will be held virtually at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, February 9^th.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Optional Attendance

If you would like to apply to a school out of area, please complete the form and email it to me as a scan, photo or screengrab at jim.carson@tdsb.on.ca and I will forward it to the receiving school.

Additional information about the optional attendance process can be found here.

Grade 9 Course Selection

Preparing for Course Selection

Completing Course Selection Webinar

Completing Course Selection Guide

Course Selection for Grade 8 Students

For parents of students in the Virtual School, their current virtual school teacher will support them with this process.

Attached is a flyer with a Zoom link for an information session called “Navigating the Grade 8 to Grade 9 Transition Part 2” scheduled for Wednesday, January 20^th from 7:00-8:30 PM.

Mental Health Support – Wellness Together Canada

In response to the rise in mental distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has funded Wellness Together Canada to connect Canadians to mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional for youth and adults. These resources can be accessed here: https://ca.portal.gs/

January 8, 2021

Welcome back and Happy New Year to all of our Fairmount

families. We hope you had a restful holiday season and that you

and your family and friends have remained safe and healthy.

As you likely already know, yesterday the Government of Ontario

announced that in-person schools will not be able to reopen on Monday as initially planned due to the spread of COVID-19. As a result, schools will remain closed until at least Monday, January 25^th. During this extended closure, remote learning will continue. As we conclude the end of our first week of remote learning, I want to thank all of our staff and parents/guardians for the work you have been doing to support our students as they transitioned to remote learning. None of us are pleased that we find ourselves in this position, but all of our teachers are doing their very best to ensure that their students are engaged and continue to learn. The positive feedback that many of you have given to your child’s teacher has been much appreciated as our students are not the only ones who are trying to adjust right now. We also recognize that this is very challenging for many of our parents, especially for those of our youngest learners. Our teachers are trying to be understanding and responsive to the needs of their students and make adjustments to the day and programming as required. We understand the genuine strain that remote learning can put on some of our families so please know that we trust your judgement should you need to implement an unscheduled ‘wellness break’ for your child… or you!

As always, we can’t thank you enough for your understanding and support. We know how fortunate we are to have you as partners as we navigate this together.

Prior to the holidays, we tried to ensure that all students would have access to a device should we be required to teach and learn remotely, please let us know if you have any needs in this respect.

If you are experiencing technical issues, you can contact the Student Virtual Learning IT Support page.

Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 Entry) Parent/Guardian/Community Information Sessions

This year, there will be three virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians/community members interested in the NEW Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 entry) program.

Please note the following dates/times of the Virtual Information sessions below:

Virtual (online webchat) Information Sessions

January 14, 2021 - 10:00-11:00am

January 21, 2021 - 7:00-8:00pm

January 27, 2021 - 7:00-8:00pm

In order to participate in a live scheduled webchat, please visit the web page below and a link will be available to join on the dates/times outlined above.

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/School-Choices/French-Programs/Information-Sessions

Apply for Support for Learners funding - Ontario

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/School-Choices/French-Programs/Information-Sessions

School Council

Our next School Council meeting will be held virtually at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, January 13^th. If you are interested in joining us, please contact our office administrator at lisa.habenschuss@tdsb.on.ca to request the Zoom link for the meeting.

Stay connected as a community. The Fairmount P.S. SAC is now on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @FairmountPS_SAC

Instagram: fairmount_ps_sac

Mental Health Support

Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health is offering two free Families First workshops for parents this month: When Worries Seem too Big (for parents of children aged 5 to 9) and Skills to Support Emotional Regulation in Teens (for parents of teens ages 13 to 18). Please click here for more information and to register.

Weekly Calendar

Monday, January 11 – Day 3

Tuesday, January 12 – Day 4

Wednesday, January 13 – Day 5

Thursday, January 14 – Day 1

Friday, January 15 – PA Day

No school for students today

December 18, 2020

Thank you to all of our families for being so supportive and

understanding over the past four months as we have all tried to

do our best to implement and navigate the procedures meant to

keep everyone safe, while not losing focus on our goals related to

equity, achievement and student well-being. We move into this Winter

Break with the expectation that we will return to school on January 4^th but we all have grown used to the fact that the reality of COVID in our city is ever-changing and fluid so we are preparing to begin the new year teaching our students remotely if that should be necessary. The Minister of Education has sent a letter to school boards, who have in turn informed parents that it is possible that we may need to switch to remote learning when we return on January 4^th and to be prepared for that possibility. To clarify some of the language that is being used in the media, it would not be an ‘extension of the break’ in that we would back teaching and learning, but it would be done virtually rather than in the physical school.

In preparation, please consider the following actions:

Ensure you have a working device at home. If you do not, please connect with your child’s teacher.
Login to teacher’s online platform to confirm you have access. Your child should have done this with their teacher.
Bookmark the Student Virtual Learning IT Support page.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas and celebrations that bring a smile to you and others around you. For those of you who do not celebrate Christmas, I wish safe and healthy opportunities to connect, virtually, with family and friends. A new year brings with it new hope. No matter what has happened in the past and how challenging a year is, the prospect of a new year usually means hope for the future. Certainly, this applies to this past year more than ever. Best wishes to all of you for a restful holiday break and a safe, healthy and happy 2021.

Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 Entry) Parent/Guardian/Community Information Sessions

This year, there will be three virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians/community members interested in the NEW Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 entry) program.

Please note the following dates/times of the Virtual Information sessions below:

Virtual (online webchat) Information Sessions

January 14, 2021 - 10:00-11:00am

January 21, 2021 - 7:00-8:00pm

January 27, 2021 - 7:00-8:00pm

In order to participate in a live scheduled webchat, please visit the web page below and a link will be available to join on the dates/times outlined above.

Public Health

Given the changes/more stringent requirements that Public Health has recently enacted with regard to students who are showing new or worsening symptoms that could be COVID-related, we have had a number of questions from parents who are eager to ensure that they are following the correct Public Health protocol.

A quick summary:

If student has 1 or more new or worsening symptoms they must stay home, self-isolate and recommended to go for testing.
Siblings of students who have symptoms must self-isolate as well and not attend school.

Question: Is there a child in your household who has one or more of the identified symptoms?

If the student is symptomatic, their household siblings must isolate as well.
If the student has symptoms and has an alternative diagnosis, siblings do not need to self-isolate.
If the student has symptoms and tests negative for COVID-19, siblings can return to school.

Changes for Siblings:

If the student has symptoms, does not go for testing and is not a close contact of a positive case, the student and siblings must self-isolate for 10 days.
If the student has symptoms, does not go for testing and is a close contact of a positive case, the student must self-isolate for 10 days from when symptoms started. Their siblings should self-isolate for 14 days as this is how long it can take for symptoms to appear.
If the student has symptoms and tests positive, the student must self-isolate for 10 days, and siblings must self-isolate for 14 days.

Toronto Public Heath has created a COVID-19 Holiday Guide to share with families.

Click here for a list of testing centres.

Remote Learning

Earlier this week a survey was sent to all parents. Please remember to complete this if you are considering a switch to the Virtual School on February 16^th.

Apply for Support for Learners funding - Ontario

This funding is intended to provide parents/guardians with essential financial support for children and youth during these unprecedented times.(This might be a way to offset the cost of technology for home use - e.g., Chromebook).Parents/guardians will receive a one-time payment of $200 for each child up to age 12, or $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs.Please refer to link below for more information.