The Garden Club is hard at work creating a perennial shade garden beside the bike racks at the front of the school.  If you have any plants at home that you are splitting or need relocating, consider donating them to our school.  We are looking for hostas, brunneras, Solomon’s Seal, shady ground cover and any perennials that like growing under trees!  

Please email jessica.haber@tdsb.on.ca to arrange a drop-off time and our students will get planting!

Hello Parents and Caregiver,

Your sneak peek at Spring Fling 2017 is attached.

We are looking for donations of baked goods for the Bake Sale at Spring Fling on Friday, June 2nd.

There is a Bake Sake sign up sheet on the Essex Parent Council bulletin board in the lobby.

Please sign up and drop off your baked treats in the Essex or Hawthorne offices on the morning of the 2nd or bring them to the event itself.

All baked goodies must be NUT FREE.

Thank you very much!

Hi Parents and Caregivers,

This is just a friendly reminder that the date of the next Parent Council meeting has been to June 8 from May 24.

Thank you!

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The following are roles are held within the Parents Council Committee:

Chair/Co-Chair

• Set PC Meeting Dates
• Create and Publish Agenda
• Purchase refreshments for PC Meetings, Co-ordinate with Principal for Agendas, Childcare, etc.
• Co-ordinate with PC Executive and Chairs of Sub-Committees for Reports
• Welcome message to families (Blog, Curriculum Night, New Family Welcome Event)
• Complete School Statement of Need Annually
• Complete Parents Reaching Out Grant application Annually
• Maintain PC Webmail Account
• Assist/represent Parent Council as needed (eg. Meet with Superintendent)

Secretary

• Take minutes at meeting and publish them on the blog/in binder

Treasurer

• Collecting, counting and banking money from all fundraisers (Pizza Lunch, Fresh From the Farm, Bingo Night, Book Sales, Spring Fling, etc.). This includes preparing deposit slips and sorting cash/cheques for Pace deposit and keeping records up to date.
• Writing cheques as needed (eg. Pizza Pizza, reimbursing Council members for expenses, Lice Check, Teachers Classroom funds, Scientists in the Classroom, etc.) and keeping records up to date.
• Compiling Treasurer’s Report for Parent council meetings
• Organize change for large events (Spring Fling, Bingo etc.)
• Complete TDSB Year End School Council PSAB report every September

Fundraising Committee

• Schedule all Fundraising events which have included in the past:
• Fresh From the Farm (in conjunction with Hawthorne)
• Bingo Night
• Essex Clothing Sales
• Book Tables
• Dance-a-thon
• Spring Fling (in conjunction with Hawthorne)
• Work with Principal to approve schedule and obtain permits
• Handle all aspects of event including planning, purchasing any needed supplies (to be reimbursed by Treasurer), scheduling outside suppliers & volunteers, procuring donations wherever possible and thanking donors
• Report to Parent Council on on-going activities.
• Report to Treasurer on funds earned at each event for Budget/Accounting Purposes

Pizza Lunch Coordinator

• Update order form to include selected dates, updated prices, etc.
• Distribute in September and February
• Collect, collate all orders and prepare funds for bank deposits
• Coordinate via email with Pizza Pizza Rep. every two weeks with order
• Coordinate Volunteer schedule for each Pizza lunch (3 – 4 volunteers needed each time)
• Handle any customer service issues as they arise (e.g. late arrival, burnt pizza) and liaise with any parents who have questions/complaints about Pizza Lunch

Communications Committee Chair

• Blog/Website – facilitate information flow and updates are running smoothly
• Bulletin Board in Foyer – Update monthly with two months of calendar print outs of school events, Pictures or Blurbs from past fundraisers (E.g. Where your money goes)
• Parent Link Coordination – Ensure each class has at least one PL, train them and facilitate information flow directly through classes via links

Health & Wellbeing Committee Chair

• In conjunction with school staff, support ongoing programs which have included in the past:
• Lunch Buddies
• Recess Peer Program
• Lice Checks (2 annually)
• Buddy Bench
• Book Club for parents
• Workshops for parents (Mindset)
• Parent Engagement event using PRO Grant Funds (e.g. Screenagers)

Equity Committee

• Plan and co-ordinate events with a focus on Equity (e.g. Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Aboriginal Day).
• Prepare budget for events and bring motion to council for funds needed and volunteer support (e.g. Lunar New Year)

Ward Reps

• Attend monthly Ward meeting and report back to council

Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

Six months ago, a Syrian family sponsored by our school community arrived in Toronto. The four kids are in school and daycare and everyone is learning English and experiencing their first Canadian winter. While the family is happy to be here – they are worried about their loved ones back home in Syria. This is particularly the case for J, the mother of the family, whose sister, her six kids and her husband are an hour outside of Aleppo. They are desperate to get out. As J explains “There is no school, here is nothing for them. As the kids get older, they will be taken to fight. They need to get out.”

We want to sponsor them. We are putting together a group of five sponsorship to do this. To sponsor such a large family, we will need to
raise approximately $60,000.

Because the federal government has put a cap on the number of Syrian refugees that Canada will welcome in 2017, we will be working with a
Sponsorship Agreement Holder to manage this sponsorship. As a result, it is important for us to get the funds together so that we can move that process forward. If we are unable to sponsor this family, the money will be used to sponsor another family.

In this messed up world, it is difficult to know what to do. This won’t solve the crisis in the Middle East, nor here. But it will make a concrete
difference in the lives of this family.

*To get involved *and help with fundraising and settlement, please contact hawthorne2sponsorship@gmail.com

*To make a tax deductible charitable donation*, please do one of the following:

1. Mail your cheque directly to st Clare’- …..*please be  sure to specify Syrian refugee sponsorship on the subject line*

St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society
138 Pears Avenue – Box 801
Toronto ON
M5R 3K6

2. Donate online by going to Canada Helps and clicking on https://www.canadahelps.org/…/st-clares-multifaith-housing…/
<https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/st-clares-multifaith-housing-society/> *please be sure to specify Syrian refugee sponsorship in the comments
section. *

*Once you have made your donation, please send an email to us* at hawthorne2sponsorship@gmail.com  so that we can following up to ensure that your donation has been directed to the sponsorship fund and is being counted toward our goal.

 Essex Parent Council April 25 2017 Principal’s Report (find full document in Word format)

Treasurer’s Report

• Budgets are in line with expectations. We will close the year with approx. $5,000.00 in our budget which is similar to previous years.
• Important to note that Essex will no longer receive additional Model School Funding from the TDSB which represents a significant amount of the school’s current operating budget. Fundraising will be more important than ever next year.
• Spring Fling will raise money – 50% chrome books, 50% books for library

 Fundraising Committee Work and Update

• Bingo night was a solid fundraiser bringing in $1801; there were not enough volunteers and lower attendance than last year; discussion about how Parent Council decides on the fundraisers it holds and the possibility at looking at different ones for next year
• Council will look at ways to recruit volunteers and consider a role of parent engagement on the board
• Consider volunteer table at Spring Fling to engage parents to sign up for volunteer roles next year. This could include a whiteboard for people to make suggestions for Council/Fundraising, or Ideas being considered for next year with dot voting to see what most parents would support financially and as volunteers.
• It was suggested that a letter is sent home in the September admin. Package stating that it is expected that all parents will donate time. Include a blurb about what we raise funds for (eg. Lice Check, Scientists in the Classroom, Skates, Library Books, Gym Equipment, Technology, etc.). Use stronger language than “please help”.
• It was suggested that we research what other schools do to raise funds.
• Dance-a-thon was canceled this year due to similarity and tight timing with Jump Rope for Heart (charity fundraiser with students getting sponsored); money raised was earmarked to support Syrian Family Fund to sponsor new refugee applications (see attached).
• Motion (David): to provide $750 from Parent Council funds in support of Syrian Family Fund to support a new family sponsorship; Seconded (Jessica). The vote will be at next meeting.

 Equity Committee

• Funds raised at Christmas in the Indigo Flip Give were used by Parent Council to purchase books for the library with an equity focus.
• Two speakers/artists came and gave presentations to some classes for Black History Month – Parent Council funded a stipend for one artist.
• Natasha in process of arranging an elder visit for primary grades in June for National Aboriginal Day in June
• Ward Equity Forum to take place May 1. Members of this committee to attend and report back to Parent Council. Leslie is also planning to attend.

Garden Committee

• Evergreen approached Jessica about the possibility of working with Essex families on a grant they are applying for that supports families in spending more time outdoors; Jessica will update if the grant is approved

Parent Council Planning

• There are many vacancies on Parent Council next year and parents will need to be recruited for executive positions as well as volunteer positions if the existing level of fundraising, support and events are to continue. See attached document for an outline of Parent Council Roles.
• A note from Nicole Belcourt, Co-Chair, was read aloud explaining her decision to step down from Parent Council at the end of the school year. Nicole has served 4 years on council as Co-Treasurer, Overseen Pizza Lunch and been a key planner/co-ordinator of Spring Fling, Bingo Night, Fresh From the Farm and many other fundraisers and Parent Council Events. We thank Nicole for her dedication and many hours of hard work over the past 4 years.
• Lynette Bacon (secretary/Communications Chair) has also stepped down from Council, effective immediately. Lynette took minutes at Council meetings, Oversaw the Parent Link Communications, kept the bulletin Board up to date. She also co-ordinated Lice Checks, re-vamped the guided reading resources for staff and has helped to co-ordinate book purchases for the library and classrooms. Lynette has been a relied-up volunteer at every event/fundraiser and we thank her for her dedication to the Parent Council over the past 4 years.

Deborah Attack has agreed to take on the role of Treasurer next year (Nicole to train).

Sarah Faulkner has offered to take on a role (TBD) in the Parent Council Executive.

Jessica Haber has offered to take on the Role of Communications/Parent Link next year.

Key Positions that require filling are: Chair (or Co-Chairs), Secretary, Fundraising Committee (or Chairs for individual fundraisers), Pizza Lunch coordinator’s Parent Engagement/Volunteer coordinator (TBC), Caring & Safe Schools Committee, Ward Representative

Upcoming Parent Council Meeting has been switched to June 8 at 6:30 pm in the library.

 Upcoming Events:

• Spring Fling Friday, June 2 3:30 – 6:30 pm
• Screenagers Movie and Discussion Tuesday, May 23

Room 101 has being growing vegetables from scraps! The name of the project is “From Scraps to Snacks.” We grew celery, lettuce, and parsley. Some of the plants will be donated to the Gardening Club.

Well done, Room 101! Thank you!

Essex and Hawthorne schools will be holding our annual Spring Fling on Friday, June 2nd from 3:30pm-7:30pm.  Last year, thanks to the help of many of you, it was a great triumph. The monies raised helped pay for much needed gym equipment.  This year 50% of the proceeds will go toward our school library and 50% of the proceeds will go toward the purchase of a school set of 30 Chrome books.

In order to make the 2017 Spring Fling another roaring success, we are putting out a call for volunteers.  If you are planning on attending Spring Fling, why not spend an hour or two helping out? We need well over 100 volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up, bouncy castles, food stations, ticket sales and face painting, to name just a few opportunities.

Please email us at springflingeh@gmail.com to offer your services.

Give us your name and preferred hour or hours of service, and we will get back to you with a job.

• Food Prep (12:30-2:30)
• Set-up (2:30-3:30)
• 3:30-4:30
• 4:30-5:30
• 5:30-6:30
• 6:30-7:30
• Clean-up (7:30-8:30)

**Additional sign-up sheets are located on the parent council bulletin boards outside the Essex office**

Thank you in advance to our wonderful Essex-Hawthorne community, we know we can rely on you to make this year’s Spring Fling fantastic!