40 Erskine Ave
Toronto, ON M4P 1Y2
416-393-9325
@JFP PENGUINS
Contact Information
Office Staff
Administration Staff
|
Jim Stathopoulos, Principal
|
|
School Hours
Regular attendance and punctuality are very important for establishing both academic and social routines!
| Morning Supervision
|
8:00 - 8:15
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| Entry & beginning of instructional day for Kindergarten -grade 6
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8:15
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| Morning Recess (Grades 1-6)
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9:25 - 9:40
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| Lunch
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11:00 - 12:10
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| Afternoon Recess (Grades 1-6)
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1:30 - 1:45
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| Dismissal
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2:55
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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 (416) 393 0643 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, Google calendar,
and X(
@JFPenguins). For communication around school events, follow
http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/johnfisher/
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. Subscribe to the calendar here -
.
Keep an eye out for a “Parent Permission for Communication” form that will come home with your child the second week of school from the John Fisher School Council. By filling out this form you will receive very important email communication about your child’s class, volunteer opportunities, school events, and other important information.
Don’t get left out in the dark, please return this form as soon as you can.
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 -
https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/johnfisher/Calendar.
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.
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.
Toys – With ample time engaged in active play in educational activities and games developing their imagination and problem-solving skills, we ask that students keep their toys at home. However, opportunities may be provided for your child to bring in items of special interest on special days planned by the teacher.
Bus Transportation
Many JF students use TDSB bus transportation to get to/from school. The Toronto
Student Transportation Group has launched a transportation
portal called
Bus Planner Web.
This portal will allow parents to look up their child’s
transportation information (route numbers) and subscribe to
the late bus notification system so that emails are delivered
directly to your inbox when the school bus carrier has posted
the route as late in the late bus portal. Families who have already signed up for busing
can set up their accounts any time at
torontoschoolbus.org.
All you need to sign up is your child’s student OEN number (found on the report card).
John Fisher assigns a colour to each bus route that leaves the school at the end of the
day. Typically, these colours are green, blue, and yellow. A tag will be attached to your
child’s backpack to identify which bus they take home. This helps the teacher/ECE
organize the children at school as they are escorted to their assigned bus. If your child
has an additional purple tag, it indicates they must have an adult present to pick them
up. Important note - there are sometimes mix-ups within families with the original bus
assignments. Please be patient with our school Administration as we sort through these
problems. It is the intention of JF admin that all siblings ride the same bus home from school.