There was a lot of excitement, and no shortage of nerves this week as we started another school year. Norway staff welcomed their students and together they have started to develop a strong sense of community within the classroom. Staff will continue to foster a positive and inclusive classroom and school community throughout the school year. I have been impressed with how welcoming and friendly the entire school community has been to me. There are a few others who are new to the Norway school community (including all of the JK students!), and I am sure that they have felt similarly welcomed. Thank you for this. It says a lot about Norway.

Parents, guardians, and caregivers play a crucial role in the lives of students at Norway. School Council is actively looking for volunteers and those interested in taking on broader roles in School Council. A number of events have been planned for the school year, including upcoming School Council meetings on Wednesday, September 20, and Wednesday, October 11. A more detailed message from School Council has been sent out as a separate message to Norway families.

I am excited to learn more about the students at Norway, and to support them in their learning journey as the year progresses. I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming weeks in the school yard, at School Council meetings, or at the upcoming Curriculum Night (date to be determined).

Joel Krentz

Principal
Norway Junior Public School

Staff Changes

There have been a few changes to the staff at Norway. Welcome back to Ms. Ramsay who is teaching a Kindergarten class, and to Ms. Becher who is teaching French and supporting Special Education at the school. We also have two new staff members – Ms. Hua who is teaching a Grade 1/2 class, and Mr. Feinstein who is teaching a grade 5/6 class. We also welcome Ms. Arthur who will be teaching Grade 1, and Ms. Damer who will be filling in as the Teacher Librarian, and Special Education Resource teacher. Finally we said goodbye to Dawn Williams, our evening caretaker, as she accepted an assignment closer to home. We wish Dawn all the best. Her position is currently being filled with temporary staff as the staffing process proceeds. You can see the entire Norway staff list here.

Morning Entry Update

In an effort to make morning entry at drop off time a bit smoother and less crowded, we will be changing the entry door of a few classes. The changes are as follows:

• Rooms and 210, 209 and 201 will enter through the Main Office Doors. Classes will line up at the corner of the school near Room 208. I will be there to help students and families with this change.
• Rooms 205, 206, 207, and 208 will enter (as they have been) through the right side of the Playground Doors.
• Rooms 202, 203, and 204 will enter (as they have been) through the left side of the Playground Doors.
• Kindergarten entry remains the same. Please refer to messages from your child’s Kindergarten teacher for details on drop-off.

On Monday morning, you will notice spray painted lines indicating classroom numbers on the pavement. These lines will help students and caregivers more easily locate where to line up in the morning.

School Website

The Norway School Website has been updated and will be a go to site for all kinds of information. Family Updates will be posted on the main page, events and important dates will be shared on the School Calendar page, and the timetable can be viewed on the Daily Timetable page. I invite you to check out the page here - https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/norway. I will be sure to share any additions to the site as they are added.

Dogs on School Property

An important reminder that dogs are not permitted on TDSB property, even if they are on a leash. Please tie your dog somewhere outside the school perimeter if you must bring your dog with you when you accompany your children to and from school. Exceptions to this policy include service dogs supporting students or caregivers. Families with a service dog should speak with the school administration.

There are a few off leash dog parks a short distance from Norway. The closest Dog Off-Leash Areas are Cassels Avenue Playground (link) at 69 Cassels Avenue, Wildwood Crescent Playground (link) at 110 Wildwood Crescent, and Norwood Park (link) at 16 Norwood Park Road.

A recent incident at a TDSB school, makes this message more timely. Our hope is that, with the support of all members of the community, we can continue to keep the Norway school yard a safe and welcoming space for all in the school community. Feel free to share this message with community members outside of the school community. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

School Forms

There are a number of important forms at the beginning of each school year for parents and guardians to complete. Some of these forms will be done through Permission Click, and some are sent home in paper form. School Council will be sharing their own forms for communication purposes, and you will receive the occasional SchoolCashOnline notification. While it is sometimes difficult to keep track of these, it is important that they are completed and submitted in the timely manner. For your convenience, here is a helpful flyer to explain how SchoolCashOnline works.

Terry Fox Run/Walk

Norway is excited to participate in the Terry Fox Run again this year! Our school wide Terry Fox Run will be held on Friday, September 22nd. All students in K-6 will participate. Classes will meet in the gym at 10:20 am to kick off the event with a short assembly, and then head outside for a run/walk beginning at approximately 10:50am. Families are welcome to join us for the assembly and/or the outdoor run/walk. 

Our fundraising goal this year is $3,255 and we are hoping to reach this goal by the end of September. However, our donation page will be left open until October 14th. If you would like to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please use the link below.

Norway Public School Donation Link:

https://schools.terryfox.ca/NorwayPSToronto

Thank you, 

Mrs. Brace and Ms. Meyer

Pollinator Garden Volunteers

Thank you to our parent volunteers!

If you haven't already done so, please stop by our new raised garden beds and take a look at all of the new plant life growing! In the spring, we were able to add 104 native plants to our school garden. Each species was carefully chosen and arranged in the garden to allow for continuous bloom to provide food, resting, and nesting during all seasons for our native pollinators. A BIG thank you to our parent volunteers: Jing Howard, Cara Heath, Charryse Souza, Shelley Johnson, Angie Riches, and Jordan Erasmus. This passionate team of parents dedicated their time over the summer months to help water and maintain the garden beds. Thanks to their efforts, the garden continues to thrive!

Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference

The TDSB’s annual Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference is taking place on October 21 and 22, 2023. This year’s conference is focussed on Joy in the Journey of Learning and will be a weekend full of presentations. Visit www.parentsaspartners.ca for more information.

TTC Greenwood Open House

TDSB Ward 16 School Trustee, Michelle Aarts

TDSB Ward 16 School Trustee, Michelle Aarts, puts together a highly informative newsletter each month or so throughout the school year. To receive Trustee Aarts’ newsletters, please sign up here.

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

• September 20 – School Council Meeting
• September 22 – Terry Fox Run/Walk
• September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (observed at Norway on Friday, September 29)
• October 11 – School Council Meeting and Elections
• October 12 – Curriculum Night
• October 13 – Photo Day
• October 14 – Last Day for Terry Fox donations

Curriculum Night date to be determined (likely early October)

A Message from Norway Council
The Norway Council has its own mailing list for communications regarding Council activities and other events happening in the community. Lots of important information is shared, so it would be great to have everyone in the Norway Community subscribed!

Not on the Council Mailing List yet? Join now .

IMPORTANT COUNCIL FORMS:  It is important that all families complete the Council Forms. These forms have information about Pizza Lunch and ways to get involved in the school. Please complete these forms by Friday September 22nd - COUNCIL FORM

Have questions, email us at norwayschoolcouncil@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you at our first School Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 20th, at 6:00. More details to follow! 

Dear Norway Families,

I hope you all had a restful summer and were able to find time to relax with family and friends. I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve the Norway community, and to support students, staff, and families. I have been with the TDSB for 22 years as an OCT educator. I spent fifteen of those years as a Teacher Librarian at three different schools, and the last four years at Bowmore Road Jr. and Sr. P.S. as a Vice Principal. As someone who lives in the east end, I am excited to be a part of, and learn more from, the vibrant Norway school community. There are a number of opportunities in the next few weeks to meet many of you, including School Council events and meetings (see below), and the upcoming Curriculum Night (date to be determined).

The following highlights some of the key information families need to know as we begin the 2023-24 school year. I will be sure to provide important updates, on a regular basis, throughout the school year.

On behalf of the staff at Norway, we look forward to welcoming your child(ren) for a year of great learning and growth, next Tuesday, September 5th! 

Joel Krentz, Principal

Norway Basics …

• The school day for Grades 1-6 students starts at 8:45 and finishes at 3:15.
• For Kindergarten students, the school day starts at 8:55 and finish at 3:05.
• Lunch is from 11:30 to 12:30. Kindergarten students eat in their classrooms, and Grades 1-6 students eat in the gymnasium.
• Students from Grade 1-6 will have two 15-minute recess breaks, one in the morning at 10:05 and one in the afternoon at 1:50. Kindergarten classes will have a schedule for daily, outdoor play and exploration.
• Families with Kindergarten students can view the Welcome to Kindergarten presentation from last May, here.
• You can find the school daily timetable here and below.
• Norway’s school year calendar works on a 5-day cycle. You can access the calendar here.

First Day Procedures 

School starts at 8:45 for Grades 1-6 students, and at 8:55 for Kindergarten students. On the first day of school, staff will be outside in the school yard to help students and their families locate their classroom teacher. Pylons with classroom numbers and teachers’ names will help you find your child’s meeting spot in the yard. Please note that Kindergarten students and families will meet their teachers in the Kindergarten play outdoor learning area. Classes will take a little longer than usual to get into the building on the first day, but this gives students a chance to catch up and get to know one another, and is all part of the excitement! 

School Daily Timetable

Lunch and Snacks 

Students are asked to pack a boomerang lunch everyday, along with snacks for snack breaks. Students should also bring a clearly labelled, refillable water bottle for use during the school day. We expect all students to stay at school during lunch. If there is a time when your child needs to go home for lunch, please inform the teacher, and provide a note for Kim in the office. You can also email Kim at Kimberly.Grasby@tdsb.on.ca.

Allergies and Medical Concerns

Our policy on allergens including nuts, and particularly peanuts, is that we ask families to avoid sending their child with any of the main food allergens, and to adhere to classroom restrictions based on individual allergies in your child’s classroom. While we can not guarantee a nut free environment, the school, and each teacher, will make sure that this information is shared with all families. If your child has any specific allergies, please call the school office and speak with Kim Grasby to inform her. She will ensure that this information is reflected in your child’s record. She can also provide more information on the storage of extra epi-pens, as well as inhalers, for your child.

School Supplies

Classrooms will have the basic supplies your child needs to start the school year off. Your child’s teacher will be able to provide a more detailed list of supplies your child might be using during the school year, but there is not an immediate need to go out and buy everything. Your child’s teacher will share more during the first week of school. The one item that is necessary is a backpack. It should be large enough to accommodate your child’s lunch, water bottle, and some notebooks or folders.

Cell Phone Policy

Some of our Junior students may have their own cell phone, primarily so that they can communicate with their families and let them know that they’ve arrived safely at school or home. While we appreciate the need for students to connect with their families, cell phones will not be allowed to be used during the school day. If there is a need to your child to contact you, or you to contact your child, Kim in the school office will be happy to accommodate a call or relay a message. We ask that you speak with your child about this to ensure that they use these devices at appropriate times and in appropriate ways.

Dressing for weather

Students at Norway spend upwards of 90 minutes outside every day. Students are going to be outside as much as possible this school year for recess and lunch, even in normal rain. This means that indoor recesses will be limited to extreme weather events. These only include a) lasting, torrential rain, b) temperatures below -25 Celsius, and c) lightning. As the temperature fluctuates from season to season, we ask that you properly prepare your child(ren) to be outside in all weather conditions. A rain jacket, sweater or fleece, umbrella, rain boots, and change of shoes are all things you can consider when planning for the next day's weather conditions. As you might imagine, our youngest students in Kindergarten and grade 1 are most prepared for all weather conditions, while the older students the least prepared. Please help your child(ren) to understand the importance of staying warm and dry during extended outdoor times particularly in late fall, winter, and early spring. When there is heavy rain forecast, we will be monitoring the conditions carefully. If we deem the rain to be torrential, we have a plan in place to accommodate students in a safe and supervised way inside the school.

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Norway School Council - Welcome and Update

CALLING ALL PARENTS & CAREGIVERS...
There are a number of vacancies on the Council Executive this year and a bunch of non-executive roles to fill. Watch for our email on Tuesday in which we'll be outlining these positions and calling for nominations. It’s going to be a great year, but we need your help! 

Not on the Council Mailing List yet? Join now.

Have questions, email us at norwayschoolcouncil@gmail.com

WELCOME BACK COFFEE

We invite all parents and guardians to stay after morning drop-off on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, Tuesday September 5, to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. Bring your own coffee or tea and meet us by the flagpole once the kids have gone in.

FIRST COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, September 20 @ 6pm (In Person at Norway)
The first Council Meeting of the year will be a chance to meet the new principal, Mr. Krentz, and learn more about Norway’s Council and the roles available for this year. Pizza will be served and childcare will be provided. This is a great opportunity to connect with the community, have all your questions answered, and find a way to get involved!  ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.

COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Wednesday, October 11 @ 6pm (In Person at Norway)
This meeting will include elections for the 2023/2024 Norway Council. ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Alison Dowler and Hailey Eisen

Co-Chairs, Norway School Parent Council

 

• Family Update - September 10th
• School Council Update
• Welcome Back Update - September 1st