Heritage Happenings! March 2023!

Principal's Message

Hello Parents/Guardians/Caregivers,

Spring is almost here! Once the snow piles melt, spring fever will begin as we enter the final third of the school year!

A big thank you to Mr. Kean's Grade 4 class and our Student Recognition Assembly Committee for hosting the February Student Recognition Assembly.

This month, we encourage you to bring in your used batteries to support our Eco Club Battery Blitz and participate in Earth Hour on March 25th. Please wear your crazy socks to school to recognize World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st.

Our Caring and Safe Committee continues to work on soliciting student interest in clubs that support mental health, joy, belonging and well-being of students. This month we will be looking at starting the process of updating our school mascot. Students are reminded that our school uniform standard remains in effect and consists of black, navy-blue or white top and black or navy-blue bottoms. GREY is no longer an appropriate school colour. As the weather begins to get warmer, please see our traffic/parking reminders in this newsletter.

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful March Break!

 

Eckleton Richards Jr.

Principal of Heritage Park P.S.

Email: heritageparkps@tdsb.on.ca

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeritagePk_TDSB

Website: schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/heritagepark

 

Table of Contents:

• Heritage Park Recognizes Excellence!
• School Community Council
• Student Council
  • Jungle Sport
  • Grade 7/8 Boys Basketball Team
  • Outstanding Artwork
  • World Down Syndrome Day
  • International Women's Day
• Eco-Club: The March Battery Blitz is Back!
  • Earth Hour
• Student Recognition Assembly
• Caring and Safe Committee
  • School Club Survey
• Uniform Standards Reminder
• Safe Arrival Policy and iPhone/Android
• TDSB Virtual Community Fair: Let’s Talk about Programs and Services for Children With Special or Complex Needs
• Trustee Sriskandarajah's February Newsletter
• Google Calendar
• TDSB Days of Significance
• Autism Awareness Day - April 2 (Recognized on March 31)
• Ramadan (March 22, 2023 - April 20, 2023)
• March is Greek Heritage Month at the TDSB
• St. Patrick's Day
• Reminders
  • Traffic Safety Reminders
  • Kindergarten Registration

Heritage Park Recognizes Excellence!

 

Here are this month’s students being recognized for the Knight’s Award (for Displaying four qualities of Skill, Service, Courage and Loyalty); and the Character Award (for showing strong character):

Kindergarten & Primary Knight’s Award Winners

• Dua
• Shirley
• Aran
• Abishayani
• Varnika
• Premya
• Johaan

Junior Knight’s Award Winners

• Ariana
• Xavier
• Aliyah

Intermediate Knight’s Award Winners

• Tah’Jay
• Sania

Character Trait Award (Fairness)

• Amisha
• Juwairyah
• Avery
• Athista
• Shenthaalan
• Akshara
• Ramanan
• Premika
• Ibrahim
• Usaid
• Aksana
• Martin

Congratulations, everyone!

Thank you to Student Recognition Assembly Committee (Ms. Suleman, Mr. Arroz and Mr. Checchin) for organizing this recognition of student excellence and character.

Stay tuned for next month’s winners!

School Community Council

Our next School Council Meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 20 at 4:00 P.M. in the Staff Room. We will be review the School Council Bylaws for approval.

We can be contacted via email at: SC.HeritageParkPublicSchool@tdsb.on.ca

 

Regards,

School Council Chair - Naseem Malik

Student Council

 

Jungle Sport

 

Last week we had so much fun because of Junglesport, but sadly it had to come to an end. We got to try so many different activities that were fun and scary. Overall, it was a lot of fun! Our favourite activity was rock climbing and the gym ropes. Some of these activities required courage and bravery to do them. Many of us were able to overcome our fears and conquer the tasks. Junglesport was very fun and we had a great time!!

Abizan and Quinn - Grade 5

There were many Heritage Park students who participated in Jungle Sport and had an excellent time. There are a number of obstacles that students have overcome as part of this adventure, which has taught them new skills as well. Moreover, this adventurous event would not have been possible without the help of Ms. Price and our School Council funding. We would like to thank you for arranging such a fantastic indoor adventure at our school. This was an amazing experience for both students and staff members here at Heritage Park.

Grade 7/8 Boys Basketball Team

 

We would like to congratulate all the grade 7-8 boys on the basketball team for their outstanding performances. Their first tournament against other schools was a success as they won the tournament. The finished their season as Conference Finalist after a hard fought championship game against St. Margaret's. Go H.P!

Outstanding Artwork

 

Some outstanding artwork done by the students at Heritage Park. Different grades have showed us their unique talents in artistry and the creative passion in art.

 

World Down Syndrome Day

 

The annual Down Syndrome Awareness Day at Heritage Park is on March 21. Wearing your wackiest, most colourful, or mismatched socks will help raise awareness of our school and express your support. We look forward to showing your school spirit! Let’s go HP!

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is observed on March 21st every year. On this day, people with Down Syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world organise and participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down syndrome. We want to get the world talking about WDSD on March 21, 2023! How can you help? By wearing #LotsOfSocks or tweeting #CRAZYSOCKSFORAISHA! But not just any socks…Make sure you wear brightly coloured socks, long socks and mismatched crazy printed socks. If you do not normally wear socks, wear them! Wear them at home, nursery, school, college, university, work, play, travel, on holiday…wherever you will be on March 21st.

International Women's Day

 

On March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day to acknowledge women's past and present struggles. Women have had to go through so much negativity, yet without them, society would not be able to function properly, or at all. So be sure to be extra kind to all the women in your life on March 8th, they deserve it.

Eco-Club: The March Battery Blitz is Back!

 

This March, the Eco Club is bringing back the Battery Blitz. Do you have any used batteries that you want to get rid of? Do you have batteries you want to throw in the garbage because you are not sure what else to do with them? If you do, just bring them here! Heritage Park will be honoured to collect your batteries and recycle them properly for you. Since 2016, Heritage Park has been teaming up with OSBRC (Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge) to collect and recycle used batteries. Batteries are 100% recyclable and we want to keep them out of our Landfills.

Let's be Battery Bosses and recycle as many batteries as possible this year. In 2016/17 our school saved about 200 lbs. of batteries from going to the Landfill, and have been doing this for the past six years. This year we want to do more! Be a Battery Boss and bring in those batteries!

Batteries can be put in the white labelled bucket in the main foyer of the school.

** batteries may be dropped off after March also **

Eco Team

Earth Hour

 

Soon it will be time to put on our spring jackets and bask in the warm sun! Regardless of the challenging times we

are facing in education, rest assured that we continue to be dedicated to your child’s learning and well-being at school.

This month, help support eco-awareness by participating in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 25th from 8:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. On Friday, March 24th, we will be using as little electricity as possible in the office, halls, classrooms, library, gym, lunchroom from 2-3 P.M. Where possible, schools will also be reducing their electricity usage over the weekend.

Student Recognition Assembly!

 

March is Fairness month at Heritage Park. Ms. Maahre's Kindergartens will lead us in recognizing those students who have shown character at our assembly on Friday, March 24 @ 12:45 PM. Parents/Caregivers, as always, are welcome to attend. We love to see you whenever we can!

Caring and Safe School Committee

 

Our Caring and Safe Schools Committee is responsible for fostering a safe, inclusive, and accepting school climate. All schools have a Safe Schools Plan that includes prevention strategies and peaceful problem solving. Schools work with community partners to attract students into positive activities. We encourage students to help each other through programs like peer mediation, counselling, theatre performances and classroom discussions. Currently, our committee is soliciting student feedback about potential student clubs at the school via the School Club Survey.

Our next Caring and Safe Schools Committee Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 4:00 P.M. in the Staff Room. Please send and email to the school at heritageparkps@tdsb.on.ca to RSVP by Monday, March 6, 2023.

Uniform Standards Reminder

 

Reminder! Heritage Park P.S. is a uniform school. Each student is expected to follow our uniform standard by wearing clothing consisting of a black, navy-blue or white top and black or navy-blue bottoms.

GREY is no longer an appropriate school colour.

School website link: https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/heritagepark/Dress-Code-Uniforms

Safe Arrival

 

2 - APPS!

In accordance with the TDSB Safe Arrival policy PR707A, “If a pupil is absent or late for any reason, the Parent(s)/Guardian(s) must contact the school immediately to report the reason for the absence”.

The Toronto District School Board uses SchoolMessenger as its automated call-out system for our Elementary Safe Arrival Program.

1. Parent/Guardians may now call SchoolMessenger directly Toll-Free 1-833-250-2290, (between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.) to report their child(ren)’s absence for the current day or a future date. If Parent/Guardians do not report their child(ren)’s absence(s) prior to the start of school, they will be contacted by SchoolMessenger and must indicate the reason for the absence. The telephone number 1-833-250-2290 will display on the caller ID. For unexplained absences, the system call-out will work as follows:

• Parents/Guardians identified in the TDSB’s student database who have access to student records and are an emergency contact with priority 1 or 2 will receive both e-mail notification and call(s) of the unexplained absence.
• If you are aware of the absence, you will be asked to enter the reason for your child’s absence. The following options will be provided for you:

• Illness
• Doctor Appointment
• Dentist Appointment
• Family Matter
• Weather
• Other
• For a late arrival, you will be prompted to enter a time of arrival. Once the child signs in at the school office, the absence will be changed to a late (provided they arrive prior to the lunch hour).

• At the end of the message, you will have to press 2 to confirm you received the message. This same process will be followed for the afternoon attendance.With this in mind, it is important that your contact information on file at the office is up to date. Please let the office know immediately if your contact information changes at any time throughout the school year. We recognize that regular attendance is essential to the safety, academic success, and well-being of all students. Thank you for your continued co-operation with keeping your child safe and accounted for.

TDSB Virtual Community Fair: Let’s Talk about Programs and Services for Children With Special or Complex Needs

Come meet with Community Partners (see flyer) to discuss important transition planning that needs to occur while in high school to prepare for adult programs at 18 years of age, and plan for life after high school. This is Part 1 in a 2 Part Series to help caregivers and students learn important information to assist with planning for Graduation and life after High School. The second part in this series will be on April 17th and repeated on April 24th.

Guests: Developmental Services Ontario (DSO), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Passport Funds

When: Monday March 6, 2023 from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon.

Monday March 27, 2023 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/98367378226?pwd=MW9yaDZTYnBoUTRmZEpGaXVmMVAxdz09

Dial by your location Meeting ID: 983 6737 8226

Passcode: 969515

One tap mobile

+16473744685,98367378226# *969515# Canada

+16475580588,98367378226# *969515# Canada

Meeting ID: 983 6737 8226

Passcode: 969515

For more information, email virtualfairinfo@tdsb.on.ca

Call: Jill Elliot Brennan at 647-229-0728 or Larena Case at 416-570-3314

Trustee Sriskandarajah's February Newsletter

• Trustee Sriskandarajah's February Newsletter

Malvern Community Skate

 

Calendar

TDSB Days of Significance

Autism Awareness Day (Recognized March 31st)

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day! Wear PURPLE to show your support (Non-Uniform Day)

Did you know??? In March 2018, the National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (NASS) released the most up-to-date Canadian prevalence rate: 1 in 66 Canadian children and youth (ages 5-17) are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), making ASD one of the most common developmental disabilities. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, approximately 1 - 2% of the Canadian population is affected by ASD, which means there are approximately 135,000 Ontarians on the Autism Spectrum.

(Source: https://www.autismontario.com/what-autism/prevalence-rates).

Ramadan (March 22, 2023 - April 20, 2023)

 

Ramadan is a Muslim festival and is known as the month of fasting. Many Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during this month. One of the most important reasons for fasting is to teach us to be humble and thankful for everything we have. At the end of Ramadan, we have a big celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr. Many of the festivities associated with Eid-ul-Fitr are similar to customs in other cultures.

For example:

• People greet each other with holiday wishes. For Eid, we say Eid Mubarak, which means Happy Eid!
• People, especially children, dress in new clothes;
• Families get together to celebrate;
• Children receive presents;
• Traditional foods/treats are shared.

We are so excited for Eid and cannot wait to celebrate with our families!

Shahmir, Aleeza, and Jenn

Greek Heritage Month at the TDSB

 

March is Greek Heritage Month. It is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Greek Canadians to Canada and an occasion to mark and enjoy the history of Greek culture. The theme for this year is "Inquire, Innovate, Inspire - Σπουδή, Καινοτομία, Έμπνευση"

St. Patrick’s Day

 

St. Patrick's Day is a Roman Catholic Irish celebration recognizing the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick. St. Patrick is considered a patron saint of Ireland from the 4th century who was kidnapped as a teenager and enslaved in Ireland. After escaping captivity, in 432 he returned to Ireland on a quest to convert followers to Christianity. He founded numerous churches and schools in Ireland. The shamrock is considered the universal symbol of St. Patrick’s Day and in connected to the Christian religious concept of the Holy Trinity. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is part of a 5-day celebration.

Friendly Reminders

 

Traffic Safety Reminders

The safety of our students is always our number one priority. Thank you to our families that are respecting our school traffic/parking rules by not entering our bus loop that is reserved for school buses; and using the north side of Old Finch to drop off/pick up their children.

Please help us to be courteous neighbours and community members during the morning and afternoon busy periods: 8:25-8:45 A.M. and 3:10-3:35 P.M. Here are some tips to help alleviate some of our traffic issues:

• Please remember that there is supervision starting at 8:30 in our school yard; so it is safe to drop off your children in the morning at 8:30 to avoid the 8:40-8:45 entry time rush.
• Try walking to school whenever possible.
• Please do not block our neighbour's driveways

If you witness unsafe driving practices happening in front of the school, please notify the police via phone call or by using this link:

https://www.torontopolice.on.ca/core/driving_complaint.php

If you have a licence plate and/or description of the driver, the police can lay charges for moving violations, if the complainant is willing to go to court and can identify the driver. If the complainant is not willing to go to court, the police will send a letter to the registered owner about traffic safety.

Below are some by-laws that you may not be aware of:

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT

• Fail to stop for a school bus $ 490.00 - 6 Points
• Fail to obey school crossing stop sign (crossing guard) $180.00 – 3 points
• Fail to stop at crossover (crosswalk) / Fail to yield to a pedestrian $180.00 - 3 points
• Disobey sign (Bus Loop – Parking Lot)$110.00 – 2 points
• Improper turns/turn not in safety $110.00 – 2 points
• Drive – hand-held communication device $490.00 – 3 points

PARKING TICKETS

• Park within 9 metres of intersection roadway (intersection) $50.00
• Stand or stop vehicle in signed highway during prohibited time $60.00
• Stop within 15 metres of Pedestrian crossover (crosswalk) $60.00
• Stop in School bus loading zone $60.00
• Park in a fire route (Our Bus Loop) $250.00
• Park vehicle in accessible parking space without proper display of valid permit $450.00https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/heritagepark/Traffic-Parking

Kindergarten Registration

 

Registration for all TDSB English Kindergarten programs begins in February. Families have the option of registering their child online at www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten or in-person at the school. With both options, families will be invited to come to the school to validate registration information and participate in a Welcome to Kindergarten event hosted by the school.