Dear General Crerar Families,
Thank you families for attending Curriculum Night. It was so nice to meet those who were able to join us. If you were unable to join, there will be other opportunities for parents to connect with the school. If you have questions for staff, please email or call the school for an appointment to meet with the teacher. Although we welcome all parents/guardians into the building, please refrain from walking into the hallway without checking in with the office first. Safety is of utmost importance, and all adults in the school must be accounted for. Thank you for your understanding. One of the many ways to get involved in your child's school is to attend School Council meetings. The first Council meeting will take place on October 12 at 6 p.m. All parents/caregivers are welcome to attend meetings. If you would like to become a Voting Member, please complete this form: Parent Council Interest Form. After becoming a Voting Member, you may also nominate yourself or someone who is a Voting Member to be a part of the Executive Council. Here is the SCHOOL CANDIDATE NOMINATION FORM. Please also watch: School Council Elections Video for more information. Our Parent Council page under “For Parents” on the school website contains more information about School Councils. Here is the link as well: Parent Council Information.
Please join me in welcoming Ms. Routledge as our new Kindergarten teacher who will be working in room K2. Having her join the Crerar team will help alleviate our high Kindergarten numbers and create a safe and enjoyable learning environment for our students! Passionate about Reading in the Early Years, Ms. Routledge comes with experience in both the Primary and Junior divisions. Thank you Mr. Pink who was the Interim Teacher in this learning space. We are grateful for his support, and happy that he will continue to be in our building as a Supply Teacher when the need arises.
I am happy to share that our Ecology (ECO) Team is participating in a Battery Blitz Program at General Crerar in order to receive our free Earth Rangers virtual presentation. Thank you Mr. Demeter and Ms. Ahier for supporting our school with the ECO Team. Thank you to Mr. Vatzolas as well for his time and committment in coaching our Flag Football Team, and to Mr. Arnfield, Ms. McCrudden and Ms. Sampson for coaching the Cross Country Team alongside Parent Volunteer, Ms. Daw. We always welcome support from our parent community. Speaking of parents/guardians as partners, if you would like to be a Lunchroom Supervisor at our school, please call the school to express interest. This is a paid position for an hour and a half everyday.
We are having our Terry Fox Run on October 5 in the afternoon. Here is the link to make a donation: https://schools.terryfox.ca/GeneralCrerarPSScarborough. Go to Terry Fox School Run. Thank you Ms. McCrudden and Ms. Walker for organizing the event.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proudly recognizes Islamic Heritage Month (IHM) during the month of October. This recognition follows the motion passed by the Board of Trustees on June 22, 2016. The main theme for the month is Salaam: Joy, Excellence, Belonging. Proclaiming a month to be Islamic Heritage Month in Ontario will provide all Ontarians, both today and in future generations, with an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and learn about the rich and longstanding Islamic history in the Province and the diverse roles and contributions of Muslim people in communities across Ontario. The TDSB also proudly recognizes Somali Heritage Month during the month of October. The TDSB has been marking Somali Heritage Month since June 2016, and we continue to expand on the selected theme Educate, Elevate, Excel. Ontario and the TDSB recognizes the economic, political, social and cultural achievements and contributions of Somali Canadians in all aspects of Ontario society.
Raise a Reader Parent Workshops are continuing this year. The dates are as follows: October 11, November 8, December 6 at 6:30 p.m. virtually. Building Mathematical Minds parent workshops are also continuing. They will be held virtually on February 7 and March 6.
All families are strongly encouraged to register for a School Cash Online (SCO) account. All excursions and fundraising endeavours will be put on SCO beginning now. Here is the parent brochure that gives step-by-step instructions on how to create an SCO account and how to attach your children. Purchases are made using credit cards or e-cheque (so it is not required to have a credit card, just a bank account): Parent instructions on how to set up SCO account and attach students. More details on our school website: School Cash Online tab.
A friendly reminder that if you want your child to participate in the Morning Snack program, you must complete this form: Morning Snack Program at General Crerar Sign-Up Form. Please complete this form (one per student) so that they can participate in the morning snack program. Even if you make a contribution to our Nutrition Program via our School Cash Online link, you must still complete the Morning Snack Program form. Please also complete the Start-Of-Year Forms that were sent to all families by the TDSB. Please check your Junk/Spam folder if you cannot locate this email.
School updates and information will be shared in our monthly newsletters which will be posted on our school website: https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/generalcrerar. Please follow us on Twitter @GenCrerar and @MrsSharonLin. Also, visit the Community Supports page often (updated regularly) to learn about various learning/job opportunities and how you can support your child(ren) and family throughout the year. Please also read Trustee Shan's Webpage which contains his monthly newsletters here: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/ward17/Ward-17/Ward-17-Newsletters.
Stronger Together,
Ms. Lin
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Important Dates:
Terry Fox Run/Walk: October 5
P.A. Day: October 6
School Council Meeting: October 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Photo Day: October 20
Photo Re-take Day: November 21
Parent/Teacher Interviews: November 16 p.m. and November 17 a.m.
P.A. Day: November 17