Here's our Return To School - January 17 information as a slide deck:

From: Understood.org

 

Dealing with hurdles and setbacks over and over again is frustrating. Kids may get upset about them. But facing challenges can also build important emotional strengths. These qualities last a lifetime and help kids cope with tough situations.

Kids don’t always see these strengths in themselves. You can help build your child’s self-esteem by pointing out strengths when you notice them. Also, talk about why these qualities are so valuable.

Here are four key strengths that can come from challenges.

1. Determination

Some people call it perseverance. Others call it grit. When things don’t come easily, some kids give up. But others keep at it. They don’t let challenges keep them from trying. 

Point out this strength: “Math was really tough this week, but you studied a lot and got extra help from the teacher. You set a goal and you stuck to it. I’m proud of you.”

Explain why it matters: “Everybody faces challenges. But if people give up, they won’t have the chance to solve the problem. It’s great that you keep working to make things better.”

2. Empathy

Being a different kind of learner can help some kids be more thoughtful about other people’s differences and needs. But they may not recognize it as empathy. It’s just “how they are.”

Point out this strength: “It’s great that you invited the new kid in class to sit at your lunch table. Not everyone would do that. But you thought about how it feels when people aren’t friendly.”

Explain why it matters: “Being able to imagine what another person is feeling is a real skill. It can make you a better friend and classmate. It also lets you see when people need help.”

3. Courage

Kids who face challenges are used to being out of their comfort zone. That can make them more willing to try new things or tackle tough problems, even if they might fail.

 

Happy New Year to you all! We hope you had a chance to enjoy the winter break and have been keeping well. We know this is not how any of us thought we would be starting the New Year, but we do appreciate your continued patience and support as we work through these changes together. 

 

We recognize the challenges that have come with the continued uncertainty of the pandemic, and with that, we will continue to prioritize students’ mental health and well-being. Families can access supports and resources directly on the TDSB Mental Health & Well-Being website, including mental health and well-being toolkits, virtual drop-in office hours for parents/caregivers, and culturally-responsive resources.  

As the Province announced, it is temporarily moving into Step Two of the Provincial Roadmap to Reopen, effective at 12:01 a.m. on January 5th. With that, all Ontario schools are also returning to remote learning starting on Wednesday, January 5th until at least January 17th.  This means that teachers will begin live, synchronous learning tomorrow morning, following a Day 3 on our school schedule.

As we embark on the remote learning journey, please take note of a few friendly reminders that pertain to the recent pivot:

Online Expectations

While we cannot duplicate the classroom experience in a virtual setting, our goal is to deliver rich and robust learning opportunities for students. We will be following our regular schedule of classes and start and end times beginning Wednesday, January 5, day 3 on our cycle. 

 

It is important that students continue to follow both classroom and school expectations.  Please be sure to review with your child (ren) the TDSB’s Online Code of Conduct as well the  Virtual Learning Code of Conduct for both students and parents/guardians.

 

In order to ensure the safety of all students and to protect privacy, only West Prep students and TDSB staff are allowed to enter virtual classrooms. We ask that meet codes/links are never shared.  

 

If your child requires technical support, you may find answers to frequently asked questions on the TDSB’s Virtual Technical Support page. 

 

Reporting an Absence

Student safety remains a top priority for us at West Prep. All teachers report on attendance twice daily and that information is inputted into TDSB operational systems. We ask all families, if your child is going to be away or arriving late to class to please call in advance by leaving a voicemail message on the school’s safe arrival phone line at 416-393-1633  (24hrs line) before 8:15am. Please follow the prompts and press #1 on your keypad indicating your child’s full name, teacher’s name, and the reason for absence.  If you do not report the absence, the TDSB operational system will call all registered phone numbers to confirm the absence.

 

Elementary Switching (In-person <-> Virtual learning)

Families have an opportunity to switch between In-person student learning to Virtual learning for the remainder of this school year. The option to switch form remains open until Friday, January 7.  We strongly encourage all families to carefully consider their decision to switch, as changes will not be accepted after Jan. 7, 2022.  Families and students who do not wish to make a change do not need to complete a form.  

 

In closing, we are here to support you in every way that we can. Our priority continues to be connecting with students, supporting their mental health and well-being and providing engaging and meaningful academic learning experiences.  Thank you for your continued patience as we make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone.  We hope you and your family stay well. 

 

Take good care,

 

Mr. da Luz

 

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

As we prepare for the winter break, we are of course looking ahead to the New Year and what learning may look like as we return to school in January. As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Toronto, so too does the possibility of individual classes or schools moving to remote learning for a period of time. While we have received no indication from either the Ministry of Education or public health officials that schools will close, we do want to make sure we are prepared to implement any decision they may make smoothly and efficiently and continue to support our students’ learning and well-being.

Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure your family is prepared for any shift to remote learning, be sure your child brings home all of their personal belongings such as shoes or clothing, and any tools or supplies they might need to pivot to remote learning. Also, ensure that the school has your correct email address and bookmark the Student Virtual Learning IT Support page.

Your child will also be coming home with a rapid antigen test kit with five tests and printed instructions from the Ministry of Education on how and when to use these kits over the break. 

Finally, please be sure to review the established federal international travel policies – including the guidelines for unvaccinated, school-aged children. As of now, if the child/student is fully vaccinated they may be exempt from federal quarantine. If the child/student is not fully vaccinated, they are not to attend school/child care for 14 days, even if they traveled with a vaccinated companion. Please note that these policies may change, so please check the federal website for the most up-to-date information.

Thank you for your continued support. We wish your family a safe and healthy holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2022. 

Message From the Board:

Students who reside within the City of Toronto have the right to attend a school which is designated to serve their residential address. The "Find Your School" section of the website identifies the designated schools for each residential address. Students also have the opportunity to access schools outside of the school that is designated to serve their residential address by applying on optional attendance. Acceptance at these schools is subject to space availability and program suitability. Most schools in Ward 8 are closed to Optional Attendance.

If you are planning to apply to a TDSB Elementary school through the Optional Attendance process, please visit the TDSB Optional Attendance webpage to get up to date information.

Elementary Optional Attendance – Key Dates:

• February 11, 2022 Optional attendance forms due at elementary school

• March 04, 2022 Deadline for parents/guardians to be informed of the status of the application request

March 25, 2022Parents/guardians must inform the requested school of their acceptance of the offer.

Hi West Prep Junior Public School Families,

 

The temperatures have dropped and as such we are bound to have some dropped mittens (hats, masks) in our school yard!

 

The Parent Council has an ongoing fundraising campaign through Mabel's Labels - an online customized label retailer.

 

So as we head into the colder months there are more things going to (and getting lost at) school and since we are reminded to put our children's names on EVERYTHING we imagine every family would benefit from unique, fun and durable labels (also this helps keep our lost and found to a minimum) and they are currently running their biggest savings event of the year - 40% off labels! 

 

Mabel's Labels makes keeping track of all your kid's items super easy:

- Easy to order

- Takes seconds to apply

- Laundry, dishwasher and microwave safe

- Stay put (guaranteed!)

- Adorable designs

- FREE SHIPPING directly to your home

AND THEY ARE HAVING A BLACK FRIDAY SALE NOW - 40% off labels - the biggest savings of the year.

 

Customize your own label pack today and you'll be supporting our school's fundraising campaign as we get back a portion of each order!

 

It's so easy:

 

1. Follow this link: campaigns.mabelslabels.com

 

2. Search: West Prep Junior Public School (Toronto)

 

3. Shop away!

 

Thank you!!

West Prep SAC

Share Your Voice: Consultation on the new Specialized Schools and Programs Policy

Students from across the TDSB are welcomed into a variety of specialized programs including arts-focused schools, specialized programs in math, science and technology, CyberArts and International Baccalaureate. These specialized programs and schools are part of our commitment to ensure students have opportunity and variety in their school experiences.

We want to ensure that more students have access to these programs and opportunities and that the process to apply is consistent and fair. To do that, we have drafted a new policy – the Specialized Schools and Programs policy. We need to hear from you to help make this policy meaningful and relevant to students. These short videos, Overview of the Secondary Program Review and Specialized Schools and Programs Policy Information Video give a great overview of the new policy and you can check out the website that also includes questions and answers, including those asked during a web chat last year when this policy first started consultation (which was put on pause as a result of the pandemic).

You’re invited join our online consultations to learn more, ask questions and share your feedback:

• Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7:00-9:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar
• Monday, November 22, 2021, 1:00-3:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar
• Monday, November 22, 2021, 7:00-9:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar

You must pre-register to join the consultation meeting. Pre-registration can be done through the Specialized Schools and Program Policy Website.

• If you are unable to register online and participating by phone, please call 416-395-3626 to pre-register
• If you require an interpreter on November 18 or 22, please complete this google form by Friday, November 12 at 3:00pm

Learn more and share your feedback through our policy consultation website.

• Included on the policy consultation website is a link to a feedback survey which will be live from November 1, 2021 and December 17, 2021.
• If you require a paper copy of the survey, please contact your child’s school after November 8. A paper version will be sent home with your child within a few days along with an envelope for its confidential return to the school.

This feedback will be used to inform the draft policy, which will then be presented to Trustees for review at the Governance and Policy Committee in Winter 2022. If passed, it will be presented to the full Board of Trustees in Winter 2022. If approved, it would be in place for the student application process for the 2022-23 school year.

The following information is being shared as requested by Toronto Public Health:

Attached here is a letter that is intended for parents of children aged 5 to 11 attending public schools and private schools re: invitation to participate in a survey to support vaccination planning.

Also you can see more information at Toronto Public Health (TPH) Website:

Team Toronto launches parent survey, town halls, and education opportunities to help families get ready for COVID-19 vaccination of children – City of Toronto

TPH and the City of Toronto’s VaxTO campaign have launched a survey to better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income. This will help ensure a focused and effective vaccination campaign.

The survey, which will be open until Sunday, November 7, includes 15 questions that will be sent directly to parents and guardians through Toronto school boards. The survey is available in multiple languages.

Message From our West Prep SAC:

Dear West Prep Families,

We are very excited to announce that our Annual West Prep Dance-a-thon event is back so get your kids ready to dance!

Our Outdoor Dance-a-thon fundraising event will be taking place in our schoolyard on Thursday November 18!

All students will be participating in this exciting event as it is a great opportunity to support our school and enjoy a fun day of dancing!

All funds raised will help support a New Westside Playscape area and playground enhancements.

Click here for more information, as well as the sponsor sheet.

Please consider making a donation - any amount is greatly appreciated.

Donations can be made Online through the Hot Lunches system, or the sponsor sheet can be printed out and attached to an envelope with the cash or cheques (payable to "West Prep JPS") which can be returned to your child’s teacher. 

Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $25 or more (when full mailing addresses are provided).

Please return your printed sponsor sheet and envelope by Wednesday November 17 and ensure all online donations are made by this date as well.

Thank you and be well,

SAC

For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's system-wide French Programs, we offer an online process to apply for Early French Immersion (begins in JK and SK, for September 2022 only) and Middle French Immersion (begins in Grade 4). An offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) is guaranteed to all on-time applicants. The timelines for applying for these programs for September 2022 are:

• Early French Immersion: Applications must be completed online between November 1 and November 26, 2021.
• Middle French Immersion: Applications must be completed online between January 3 and January 28, 2022.

Offers of placement within your chosen program (not a specific school) will be made to all on-time applicants in the weeks following the close of the application window. Families with an older sibling currently in a French program are still required to complete an online application for the new student.

Virtual Information Sessions for the Early French Immersion application and placement process are available in November on the following dates:

• November 8, 2021 at 7 p.m.
• November 15, 2021 at 10 a.m.
• November 23, 2021 at 7 p.m.

For more information about the Virtual Information Sessions, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/School-Choices/French-Programs/Information-Sessions.  For more information about French programs, the application process and important dates, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/french or click on Application Process.

Hi everyone,

We are very happy to share the following two events that are taking place at West Prep in the coming weeks.

 

Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner. This year, students, who wish to, will be able to celebrate with their classmates here at school on Friday, October 29^th with a special Outdoor Class Cohorted Halloween Walk starting at 1pm. Our walk will be along the beautiful yet spooky Belt-Line, and then onto Aldburn Ave. and back to our school.

 

If you happen to be in the neighbourhood and you see us, don’t be too frightened of our ghouls, goblins, scary monsters, friendly monsters, minions, pirates, superheroes and many other fine creatures that will be wandering through the neighbourhood. We just ask that you follow Toronto Public Health guidance, by watching from a distance and wearing a mask nearby to us.

 

Aside from our walk, teachers and students will also be finding creative ways to celebrate in their classroom environments. We are happy to share that unlike last year, this year as per TPH and TDSB guidelines, classrooms may have treats for sharing but they must be individually packaged treats.

 

So, if you are so inclined and happen to be in the neighbourhood, maybe even dressed up in your favourite Halloween costume, we might just say .... Boooo ! Happy Halloween!   😊

 

Photo Day - November 3rd

We are excited to welcome our school photographers back to West Prep on Wednesday, November 3rd.  Following the most up to date TPH and TDSB covid safety guidance, students will be partaking in individual photos next week.  On Novermber 3rd, photo day, children will be coming home with an online access code where families will have a choice to order photos of their child/ren.  Families can follow the steps to view and order their child’s portrait photos at www.clearimages.ca. Within a few days, photos will be available to view, and families can choose to order them from the website by inputting their access number in the online order section of the website. 

We are excited to partner with Sick Kids hospital in providing the Covid-19 Saliva Test Program for schools. 

Under this program, Covid-19 saliva test kits for symptomatic individuals or those who have been identified by Toronto Public Health (TPH) as a high risk/close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 positive case will be available at West Prep. 

Sick Kids Hospital hopes that this partnership will provide a test that is painless and accessible, reduce Covid-19 cases in our school community, keep schools open, promote healthy childhood development, and support the health and safety of our community. 

For more information, please see the links below:

General Information for Parents

Community Information Letter 

How to Access Results

Saliva Collection Instructions

Dear Parents,

As we start another exciting year at school, it is also a time to register into our HotLunch system. Hotlunches is the SAC’s way of communicating with you . Please note that all email addresses and passwords from last year have been deleted from our hotlunches system for annual maintenance. You will need to register your children with their new classroom teacher for this 2021/2022 school year as soon as possible in order to be registered in the system. 

Here's how to register:

·         Go to westprep.hotlunches.net

·         Click on "Click Here to Register"

·         Enter Access Code WPHL

Complete the rest of the registration form. (Including your email address will ensure you receive all emails from our hot lunch system.  While we are not offering hot lunch orders at this time, we hope this service will be available later in the school year. In the meantime registration within the system will allow you to receive all SAC updates about programs running)

·         Click the "Register Now" button at the bottom

Follow the instructions to add each child in your family who attends West Prep (under the “Profile” drop down select “add students” to register for each child that attends the school)

You're DONE! (you should receive a confirmation email!)

Any concerns? Please email westprepparentcouncil@gmail.com.

 

Stay in the know:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tdsb_WestPrep

West Prep Website: http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/westprep

NEW *** FACEBOOK PARENT GROUP***

Search: #westprep

Send request to join - please note: you must answer the questions provided in order to participate in the West Prep parent's group on Facebook.

Dear TDSB Families, 

As we enter the third week of school, Toronto Public Health (TPH) has just released updated guidance with regard to extra-curricular activities such as sports, clubs, bands, and fields trips. They are now recommending the gradual return of extra-curriculars as schools establish routines and cohorts, and are confident in health and safety protocols. This is very encouraging news as we know how important these activities are to students’ mental and physical health and overall school experience.

TPH guidance about extra-curricular activities including clubs, bands (with exception of wind & brass instruments) and sports with mixed cohorts includes the following:

• The gradual return of extra-curricular activities should begin with students between the ages of 12 and 17 (those eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination)
• High-contact and high intensity activities (such as football, field hockey & basketball) are only recommended outdoors at this time. Masking is not required when participating in high intensity activities outdoors. Masks and physical distancing should be considered when possible.
• Low contact and low intensity activities (such as clubs, bands and some sports) are permitted indoors. Masking and physical distancing is required for indoor activities.
• Guidelines should be developed to limit the number of clubs/extracurricular activities/cohorts a student can participate in at any one time
• Individuals from different schools and mixed cohorts limit interactions to the outdoors.
• Guidelines should be developed for spectators to limit the spread of COVID-19.

TPH guidance about field trips includes the following:

• The gradual return of field trips should begin with students between the ages of 12 and 17 (those eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination)
• A gradual return of field trips can occur, when health and safety protocols including infection prevention and control procedures are well established in the schools, taking into consideration low risk activities and settings.
• Field trips should only proceed when COVID-19 vaccine confirmation for volunteers is in place.
• Encourage virtual field trips where possible.
• Outdoor field trips are lower risk compared to indoor field trips.
• Overnight field trips are not currently recommended.

For the full guidance document provided to Toronto school boards, please visit the City of Toronto website.

Firstly, we'd like to start by acknowledging everyone's patience and trust that you have placed upon us here at West Prep. Thank you! 

We're excited to start the 2021-2022 school year amidst the continuing situation that we all face.  Working together in the past bodes well for us as we continue moving forward.  Our main goal has always been to make our school as safe and welcoming as possible for all of our students and staff in order for learning to happen. We have done it before and we will do it again, as a team and as the West Prep community!

As you are aware, students across the province will be learning either in person at school or in a virtual classroom environments.  This year virtual classrooms will be attached to schools.  Here at West Prep we have a virtual kindergarten classroom and a virtual grade 6 classroom, being taught by our very own staff.  With this, we welcome all of our new friends and families coming from other schools into our virtual West Prep classrooms! 

West Prep families were surveyed back in August and based on responses, we recently received our updated student numbers and associated staffing allocation. As we work to reorganize our school, please be advised that classroom assignments based on our school model from last spring has changed. Class lists have been modified to take into account several factors in order to maintain Toronto Public Health covid-safe cohorting of students in schools, to the best of our ability.  Please be aware that everything may change again as there is a strong possibility that we will need to realign classes again before the end of the month, based on current enrolment.

In the meantime, we have put together our West Prep Operational Guidelines based on the TDSB's Return To School document in the slide deck below.  Please take a look through it, as it has lots of West Prep specific information.

We appreciate your patience and support and we are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school, in person and virtual! 

Mr. da Luz

To our West Prep families,

 

We hope that you have had a restful, fun-filled and safe summer. The TDSB and the West Prep staff have been working hard to prepare for the safe return of our students, on Thursday, September 9, 2021.  We are committed to providing students with regular and meaningful learning opportunities while maintaining a safe environment for our entire school community.  We will, however, remain flexible and recognize that circumstances may change over the course of the year, depending on the evolution of  COVID-19. Our students, staff and community safety will always remain a top priority. 

 

Currently our staff are setting up their new learning environments and have been engaging in professional development in the areas of equity, achievement, and well-being in advance of the new school year.  We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we finalize the last pieces to getting our school year started.  Please know that your child’s classroom teacher will be reaching out to welcome you and your child/ren to West Prep in the next little bit. 

 

We are very excited to see everyone again on Thursday, September 9th!  All students will meet their teachers in the schoolyard (north side of the school).   Your child’s teacher will be holding a clipboard with their name and room number as well.  Please remember, once you come onto school property, that all adults need to wear a mask.  Please do not arrive earlier than 8:40am and please do not remain on our school grounds past the 9am bell...Thank you in advance.   

 

Our school day ends at 3:10pm for Kindergarten children and at 3:20pm for children in Gr.1-6.  Children will be brought outside by their teacher to the same location that they lined up at in the morning.  Your child’s teacher will provide more details.  We know that the 2021-22 return to school is not a return to normal, but it is also not new. It is our sincere hope that we can support students, families and staff as we continue to work together in navigating a safe and happy learning environment for all.

 

Our new TDSB Director, Colleen Russell-Rawlins sent an Update Message to parents on Thursday, August 26^th providing board level information. COVID-19 continues to significantly impact how we operate, and at West Prep, we have been busy refining our procedures as we prepare to welcome our students, parents and staff back to the school on September 9th. I remain positive in knowing that we have done this successfully before!  Many of the practices and procedures that were in place last year will remain in place, at least for the near future. Our direction continues to be based on guidelines from the Ministry of Health, Toronto Public Health, the Ministry of Education and the Toronto District School Board. 

 

As you know, the Trustees of the TDSB voted unanimously to have TDSB staff develop a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination procedure which will require all TDSB staff, Trustees, and visitors to disclose and provide proof of vaccination status and to be fully vaccinated to help protect the health and safety of both staff and students. We know that families may have questions about this new procedure and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. We are reassured that this new measure of protection will help keep our children, families and staff safe this year. 

 

Our school start-up could not happen without the amazing work over the summer months from our West Prep caretaking staff.  Thank you also to our office and teaching staff, who have been busy preparing for the new school year.  Everything that we have put in place is in conjunction with the safety protocols that can be found in the TDSB’s Operational Guidelines, specifically for elementary schools.  There are some new pieces to the safe operations of our school, but one piece that continues and is still relevant to everyone is that All Adults coming onto school property are required to wear a mask, while on our school grounds.  Let’s all do our part to keep our students, staff and community safe.

 

August Selection Form

We would like to thank you for completing the Board Selection form that was shared earlier in August. We recognize and value the thoughts and decision-making that was part of this process for all of our families and know that it may not have been an easy decision to select in-person or remote learning for your child/ren. The TDSB has collated these results and with this information it has formulated new school organization models for in-person and remote learning.  Since we have had to create a new school model based on these new numbers, we have had to adjust our school model.

 

Classroom Organization - As of Sept. 5th

Kindergarten Classes

K1, K2, K3, K4, Virtual K5

 

Primary Classes

1A, 1B, 1C

2A, 2B, 2/3A, 2/3B

3A, 3B

 

Junior Classes

3/4A, 4B

5A, 5B

6A, 6B, Virtual 6C

 

At this moment, the board has a date in February 2022, where they will allow for a switch from in-person to remote and vice-versa.  Until then, any allowance for a change will be a board decision, not a local school decision.

 

As we head into the 2021-2022 school year, we’re doing it without some of our team members.  We would like to say goodbye and wish Ms. Vali Shahinaj all the best in her new adventures as an occasional teacher. I'm sure we will see Ms. Shahinaj around, also thank you to our educational assistant, Ms. Edith Molnar. At the same time, we would like to welcome back Ms. Suh, Ms. Ustianov and Ms. Soanes back to West Prep...we’ve missed them and are happy to have them all join our team in-person.  

 

We would also like to introduce our newest members to our West Prep team, Ms. Stephanie Lang, Mrs. Hanh To and Mrs. Amanda Perri.  I know that they are excited to be here with us and I know they will feel very welcome by everyone in our community.

 

Lastly, we would like to congratulate Mrs. Lampropoulos who retired from the TDSB in June 2021. Mrs.  Lampropoulos supported students, staff and families at West Prep for many years and developed long lasting relationships with everyone that she met. Her dedication and passion to her role, as a teacher, impacted so many within our community. Mrs. Lampropoulos will be missed but we are happy to know that she's starting a new chapter in her life. 

 

On behalf of all of us at West Prep we want to thank you for your patience and understanding and are all excited to bring in the 2021-2022 school year together.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Mr. da Luz