Welcome to John Fisher Public School

Bienvenue à École John Fisher

40 Erskine Ave
Toronto, ON M4P 1Y2
416-393-9325

School Hours

Regular attendance and punctuality are very important for establishing both academic and social routines.

Morning Supervision	8:00 - 8:15
Entry & beginning of instructional day for Kindergarten to Grade 6	8:15
Morning Recess (Grades 1-6)	9:25 - 9:40
Lunch	11:00 - 12:10
Afternoon Recess (Grades 1-6)	1:30 - 1:45
Dismissal	2:55

School staff will be outside in the school yard to supervise students in the morning. Please do not drop off your child before 8:00 a.m. as they will not be supervised.

School Procedures

Late Entry Policy

Arrival after 8:15 am will require signing in at the office.

Late Pick-up

If you are late picking up your child, please notify the Office. Your child may be waiting in the Office until you arrive.

Student Absence

Call the Absence Reporting Line (Safe Arrival) at 1-833-250-2290 to report the reason why your child will be absent for the day or part of the day. Please also communicate with the teacher and office if you know ahead of time your child will be away.

Signing Your Child In/Out

There is a binder in the office to be used for signing students in and out. Please use this binder if you arrive late, take a child out for an appointment or pick up a child early for the day.

Home/School Communication

For the most up-to-date information, please check the school website and Google calendar. For communication around school events, follow http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/johnfisher/ and subscribe to the calendar here.

The first week of school you will receive an email from TDSB with a number of Forms in digital format using Permission Click. This email will include a link for parents/guardians to complete the forms for each of their children.

The Squawk, our weekly communication, will be emailed directly to you. These newsletters contain useful information, School Council updates and important school initiatives. Sign up information to subscribe to our e-list will be sent home the first week.

The school calendar is also a great way to keep up to date on Spirit Days, PA Days, Holidays, and School Council meetings. 

Keep an eye out for a link to the “Parent Permission for Communication” digital form that will be sent via Squeak and Squawk newsletter at the beginning of the school year. By completing this form, you will receive very important email communication about your child’s class, volunteer opportunities, school events, and other important information. This form allows your class parent to communicate with you on school, School Council, and classroom matters.

Please send back any correspondence to be returned to the school in a timely matter.

Parent Concern Protocol

Parents who may have questions or concerns are requested to follow the steps from TDSB’s Parent Concern Protocol. The first step is the classroom teacher. The teacher can help with questions about the classroom, classroom rules and consequences and homework and assignments. The second step is the school principal if you have questions beyond the classroom. The third step is the superintendent who is responsible for a network of schools, and the fourth step is the school trustee who is able to help with concerns about your community, ideas and suggestions for the Board.

Operational Procedure PR585 outlines the roles and responsibilities of students, teachers, support staff, parents and guardians, principals and community partners. This procedure affirms the Board’s commitment to creating caring and safe learning environments that are kind, supportive, nurturing, positive and respectful to enable students to reach their full potential.

School Cash Online

TDSB’s School Cash Online system as an easy to use, convenient, and safe way to pay for your children’s school field trips and activities. A link to the school cash online portal can be found here https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ and on our website. From here you will need to select “get started today” and complete 3 registration steps. Once registered, you will receive an email notification when items become available to purchase online.

First Day of School

Kindergarten

A warm welcome to our newest members of the John Fisher community! We are excited to see everyone and are very much looking forward to our year together! There are many ways that you can help prepare your child(ren) for school. Please read this information and share as much of it as you feel is needed. You may also refer to our website. If your child is feeling nervous in the first few days of school, please feel free to stay outside the kindergarten enclosure at the front of the school for a few minutes. Once the classroom teacher begins to gather the students, we find that a quick and cheerful goodbye communicates your confidence that your child is starting a wonderful new adventure and that you will be there to hear all about it at the end of the day. If you or your child is particularly hesitant, please rely on our highly trained Teachers and Early Childhood Educators (ECE’s) to help you through the first few days, and be totally assured that your child will settle in.

Our new Junior and Senior Kindergarten families will meet in the Early Years Area (EYA) at the front of the school on Erskine Avenue. Teachers and ECE’s will be there beginning at 8:00 AM to meet and greet the newest members of our school community. We have 3 classes each with a teacher and two ECE’s. Please check in with one of our staff members for details on your child’s class assignment.

We kindly ask that parents refrain from accompanying their children into the building on the first day. This is a safety issue. As well, it is important for the teachers to start establishing routines and expectations right away with their students. Should you require assistance, please contact the office. We would also like to remind you that this is a very busy morning for everyone and that the teacher’s primary responsibility is the safety and well-being of their students. We are happy to greet everyone but this is not an ideal time for conversation. Should you need to connect with your child’s teacher, please arrange a time that works best for everyone. You can do this through email, by phone or a note in your child’s backpack.

All Other Grades

The school calendar is also a great way to keep up to date on Spirit Days, PA Days, Holidays, and School Council meetings. Subscribe to the calendar here. 

School Supplies

Most school supplies are provided by the school; any special requests will be communicated by the classroom teacher.

You will need to supply the following:

Note: All items below should be clearly labelled with your child’s name and classroom number.

• Lunch Bag - Separate from the knapsack.
• Backpack – To bring to school every day; backpacks are necessary to carry school homework, projects, etc.
• Indoor shoes - For indoor wear only, to remain at school throughout the year. Please think of everyday as gym day. Running shoes are needed for gym class, music class, and more importantly, recess. Children need practical, comfortable shoes for indoor use every day.
• Clothing – Please send your child in comfortable clothing and dressed appropriately for outdoor play in all seasons. Sending an extra pair of pants, socks, and underwear in a bag labelled with child’s name is a great idea for the younger grades.

Mabel's Labels- If you need labels, Mabel's Labels offers customized labels that are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe. A portion of your purchase goes to John Fisher to help enrich the educational experience of our students. To make a purchase, please visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select "John Fisher Public School (Toronto)".

Lost and Found – The lost and found area is located inside the centre doors on Erskine.
Please make routine checks. Items will be emptied three times a year: before December holidays, March Break, and towards the end of the school year.