Welcome and Welcome back to the 2025-2026 School Year!
My name is Farzana Abdulla, and it is my absolute privilege to be the principal of the best school, Iroquois Junior School. My family moved to Canada from Tanzania, East Africa when I was nine years old with my two brothers with hopes of a better education and brighter future. My brothers and I didn’t speak any English, and school was challenging for me. I grew up and went to school in Scarborough. I attended Burrows Hall P.S., Dr. Marion Hilliard P.S. and then, Lester B. Pearson Collegiate. I struggled in school throughout my life as English was not my first language. My struggles continued when I went to university and it was then, that I realized what I wanted to pursue, a career in Education and became a teacher. I have been a teacher for over 15 years with the Toronto District School Board working in schools in Scarborough.
Prior to being the principal at Emily Carr P.S., for four years, I was the vice-principal of George B. Little P.S. for two years and prior to that, I was the vice-principal of Alexander Stirling P.S. for two years. In my role as a principal and vice-principal, I also provided Professional Learning workshops for over 150 teachers in our Learning Center and across the Toronto District School Board that focussed on Reading and Writing skills including EQAO. Before becoming a vice-principal, I was in a central role as Literacy Coach for the Board for three years. During that time, I worked with students and teachers in improving reading and writing skills in over 60 schools.
All my experiences have driven me to become an educator because I truly believe that Education impacts lives and creates a world of endless possibilities. I went from being a little girl who didn’t speak any English to being a teacher then a Literacy Coach and then vice-principal and now a principal.
I truly believe that anything is possible and there is nothing we can’t do if we are doing it together. I am here today doing what I love doing because of the support of my great teachers and parents who believed in and supported me and worked in partnership with the schools. I am sharing this journey with you as I believe our partnership with you, is a critical part of success for our children. I am very excited and look forward to meeting all of you very soon and having an amazing school year.
After School Program
We have an after-school program for students from grades 3-6. The Beyond 3:30 program will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in the program, please apply using the link Beyond 3:30 Online Registration Form. The program begins on Monday, September 8th, 2025
International Language Programs
The International language program runs in classes for students from kindergarten to Grade 6 on Fridays from 2:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Currently, we offer Mandarin and Cantonese classes. We hope to add Spanish in the fall. There is a $20 material fee. If you are interested in the program, please register using the link https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Beyond-the-Classroom/International-Languages-Elementary-and-African-Heritage
Snack Program
We have a new snack program which will begin in October. More information to follow.
Pick Up and Drop Offs
Please note school begins at 8:15 a.m. and the day ends at 2:45 p.m. Please make sure your child is here on time to ensure entry with the students in the classroom. Please note we do not have additional support for supervision for students who are picked up late. Please make sure you pick your child up on time. But if by chance, you are running late, kindly call our school office 416-396-6355 as soon as you are aware so we can make appropriate arrangements for supervision.
Absence, Attendance and Punctuality
Please note school begins at 8:15 a.m. in the morning and 12:00 p.m. in the afternoon after lunch. Regular and punctual attendance is expected from all students as it supports continuity of programming and promotes academic success and personal responsibility. All students should plan on being on school property 5 minutes before the beginning of the morning and afternoon entry times.
If your child is late, he/she must report to the office for a late slip. Regardless of the reason(s), the school will be accountable to inform parents/guardians of the number of lates and absences each term.
To ensure the safety of our students, Iroquois Junior Public School has a Safe Arrival program. Student attendance is taken twice daily. If your child will be late or will be away due to illness, an appointment or family obligations, please report the student absence to the school Messenger automated system at 1-833-250-2290. Please wait until you get the confirmation number before hanging up or else the system will not record your entry. Alternatively, you could download the School Messenger App on your phone which is convenient and easy to use. This is the only way to ensure you don’t receive automated phone calls. Contact will be made via telephone with the parents of all children for whom we are unaware of the reasons for absence.
NOTE: Please respond to the toll-free number 1-833-250-2290 as you may not see the school’s name when the system calls out to you.
Appointments in the middle of the day are best handled by sending an email to the classroom teacher and office staff (Ms. Abdulla and Ms. Pratheese) the day before the appointment. This communication allows the teacher/office staff to make any arrangements for your child’s work and allows the office to keep track of your child. Please note you will be receiving a welcome email with information from your child’s classroom teacher.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: farzana.abdulla@tdsb.on.ca (Principal), aruthi.pratheese@tdsb.on.ca (Office Administrator).
On behalf of all staff, sincere best wishes for a great school year!
Ms. F. Abdulla
Principal