September 27, 2019

Good evening Parkdale Families,

This week we held our annual Terry Fox run. Students from all grades ran for 30 minutes out in the yard, collecting popsicle sticks for each lap. The run was amazing and the enthusiasm for raising money and awareness for cancer research was great. Congratulations to Mme. Zoldos’ class for collecting the most popsicle sticks! Our fundraising goal this year is $3000. We still have a ways to go to meet this. Families who are interested in donating on behalf of Parkdale are encouraged to visit the website 

Here some information to share:

School Council

Parkdale PS School Council: All are welcome and encouraged to attend, childminding and pizza dinner are available. 

Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Time: 6:00-7:45pm

Location: Staff Room 

To stay connected with families please join the Facebook Group: “Families of Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School””

School Council Membership: All parents and caregivers of Parkdale PS students are invited to become voting members of the Parkdale School Council! Voting members will be the decision makers when a vote is required (such as spending fundraising money).  Please see the attached form and help steer the work of the Council and School to an even better place to learn and grow. (REMEMBER to attach form).

Grade 9 High School Programs

Grade 8 students and parents are encouraged to visit potential grade 9 programs at TDSB schools. There are information nights throughout the fall Please visit this site for open house dates: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/OpenHouse 

Nutrition/Snack Program - We Need Help
Every day, volunteers help Jasmine, our nutrition coordinator, prepare snack to every student in the school. We really need more help. If you have any time avaialbe from 8:30 - 9:30 Mon- Fri, please contact Jasmine via email: jfbd77@yahoo.com

Thank You!

CAT 4 Assessment

Each year, schools that are in the Model Schools for Inner Cities (MSIC)  program administer the Canadian Achievement Test – 4 (CAT4) in reading, writing and mathematics for Grades 2-8.  For the Fall 2019 school year, Grade 3 students will no longer be required to take the CAT4 test as students at this grade level are completing the C-CAT (initial screening for giftedness) during the same time period.  The results of the CAT4 will be available to schools and parents in early November as one additional assessment for learning source to support teachers in instructional planning.

Monday is Orange Shirt Day

Orange Shirt Day is an annual event established in 2013 to recognize the legacy of Canada’s Residential Schools for First Nations, Métis and Inuit families and communities. ­It is a show of support and acknowledgement regarding the damaging history of the Residential School system and its continuing impact on many First Nations, Métis and Inuit families today.

Orange Shirt Day 2019 falls on Monday, September 30th. By wearing orange on that day, we have an opportunity to bring awareness to the history of Residential Schools and to stand up against other injustices that may impact our children/students. The phrase, “Every Child Matters” reminds us that children are so very important and integral to our communities—they are our future.

Toys at School

Please speak to your children about not bringing toys to school. Toys are often lost and create animosity between students resulting in conflict. Teachers have been instructed to remind students about this policy. Roof

Front Entry into School

We would like to inform our school community that the front entrance to the school should only be used by students who are arriving late (after 8:50 in the AM). The front entrance becomes very crowded in the morning due to bussing students and support staff responsible for these students. Therefore, we are asking all students to please walk around to the south of the school to enter from the back doors. Thank you. 

Worth Repeating 

African/Caribbean Heritage Classes 

African/Caribbean Heritage Classes are being offered at Parkdale Public School as part of the International Languages Program. This class runs every Wednesday from 3:15-6pm until the end of the school year. 

These classes are FREE. But if you are able, there is a $20 administration fee. This class is open to all kids from JK to Grade 8. Through music, storytelling, art, drama and dance students will learn about African/Caribbean history, traditions and customs. Its all about having fun! Please see attached Flyer

School Safety

Your child’s safety is paramount at Parkdale. Hence we ask that all parents and caregivers follow the school rule of reporting to the office to get a visitor’s badge if you would like to walk throughout the school. Staff have been instructed to look for the visitor’s badge and stop and redirect adults to the office if they are not wearing one. Please respect this policy for the safety of all students and staff.

Dates to Remember  

• September 30 - Orange Shirt Day

• October 2 - School Council Meeting

• October 3 - Cross Country Qualifying Meet

• October 11 - PA Day

• October 14 - Thanksgiving

• November 12 - Progress Report Goes Home

• November 14-15 Parent Teacher Interviews

• November 15 PA Day

Please visit our WEBSITE for our school calendar and lots more information: http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/parkdaleps/

Follow us on Twitter @ParkdalePS