On Friday, April 15th, our very own Double Treble Glee Team is going to strut their stuff at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, competing for the title of Showchoir Canada’s 2016 Junior Middle School Champions!  Tickets can be bought at: http://www.showchoircanada.com/jr-mid/tickets.  The competition begins at 6 pm and features other competing schools.  And don’t forget to catch them on Breakfast Television on April 14th in the morning, bright and early.

Greetings Essex Parents and Guardians – this year as part of the annual spring fling we are organizing a silent auction that will take place during our biggest school event (June 3, 2016).

Donations: Do you know someone who might like to display their company or product to our community? Would you like to give back to our schools by donating an item to the event? This is an incredible opportunity to promote your business to the Hawthorne-Essex Community and support our fundraising efforts. We will be showcasing items in the front lobby, promoting them on our blog and displaying them physically at the silent auction on the day of the event. If you would like to donate please get in touch with Allison Venditti – allison.venditti@gmail.com to organize a donation.

Virtual Volunteers: Interested in helping out at the school but just don’t have a lot of time? Want to help out at the biggest event of the year without having to commit to lots of hours? Join the virtual team that is organizing the silent auction for this years spring fling. We have multiple options for you to help (virtually!) whether you have 1 hour to help or 10 we would love to have you pick a task or two to help bring this amazing event to life. And all with the option of never having to leave your desk :) Contact Allison.Venditti@gmail.com to see if there is a way for you to give just a little!

Essex/Hawthorne Spring Fling Sponsorship Opportunity

The Essex and Hawthorne Parent Councils are looking to partner with local businesses to help pay for one of Spring Fling’s main attractions – the inflatable activities and games. We have 8 sponsorship opportunities of $500 each. This is an excellent chance to show families in your community your commitment to supporting Essex & Hawthorne Public Schools. The funds from this school-wide event will be used to support various initiatives and programs including visiting artists, ‎performing artists, athletics, environmental awareness, extra-curricular activities, etc.

In recognition of your generous support your company’s name will appear on a sign at the entrance to one of the 8 inflatables. Sponsors names will also appear on the promotional poster, to be distributed to over 500 families, and on the map which will be given to all Spring Fling attendees. Spring Fling 2016 will be held on Friday June 3 from 3:30-7:30pm.

Each school will have 4 sponsorships to sell until April 18th, after which time, any unsold sponsorships will be available on a first-come first-served basis. A sponsorship will be considered complete upon receipt of the $500 donation.

If you are interested in sponsoring the 2016 Essex/Hawthorne Spring Fling, or if you have any questions, please contact Jean Hammond or Allison Venditti at parentcouncil@essexpublicschool.com.

Essex Parent Council Meeting
Wed. Mar. 30, 2016 6:30 pm

Agenda

• Welcome and introductions – All
• Principal’s Report – Jim Stathopoulos
• Syrian Refugee Family Update – Oona On Pendrith
• Treasurer’s Report – Nicole Belcourt & David Wood
• Fundraising Committee: Spring Fling Update (Sponsorship), Dance-a-thon update, Springo Bingo Call for Volunteers (Books, Baked Good, Event Volunteers) – Samarra Khaja
• Health and Wellbeing Committee: Lunch Buddies report, Buddy Bench Update, Book Club Update – Milisa Burns
• Parents Reaching Out Grant – Allison Venditti
• Parent Council Planning for Next Year – All
• Other Business – All

Upcoming Parent Council Meetings:
Monday May 9 (Changed from Tuesday May 10) and June 22

Springo Bingo Fundraiser
Friday April 22

Spring Fling
Friday June 3

We had a rich discussion at the last meeting of the Book Club for Essex Grown-ups.   We continuing to read How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough.  The next meeting will be this Wednesday March 30  at 6 pm, just before the Parent Council meeting at 6:30.

Aim to finish the book (focus on last three chapters). Please note this is a Read What You Can Book Club, so come regardless of what you have managed to read! 

There will be at least one copy of the book at the school library. 

If you have any questions, please contact Milisa Burns at milisa@sympatico.ca, of the Essex Health and Well Being Committ

Download the Pizza Lunch form for Spring 2016

Pizza lunch will be on the following days:

• Friday, April 8
• Friday, April 22
• Friday, May 6
• Friday, May 20
• Friday, June 3
• Friday, June 17

Because of the amazing generosity of the Essex school community, our Essex Dance-a-thon is thrilled to announce that we raised a total of $3,100.00 which will go directly to the Syrian refugee family that our joint-schools are sponsoring as they make a new life here in Toronto.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in helping this important cause and making this event an incredible successful!!
Best,
Essex Parent Council

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We are very pleased to announce that we have at last received a match for our refugee sponsorship. We received confirmation late last week that we are sponsoring a Syrian family of 6, currently living in Lebanon. The family is made up of a mother and a father, and their four children, ages 13, 12, 7 and 2.

We are very excited to be in the next phase of our sponsorship. Right now we are busy finalizing paperwork and getting things in order, though we
still don’’t know when the family will arrive. The window we have been given is 3-16 weeks, and it likely it will be sooner rather than later. We have also been told that we will be given as little as 24 hours notice before they arrive.

We will be updating our list of items needed for donation now that we know the family composition, so please check it out and see if there is
anything you are able to provide. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094dadaf2ca3f58-household

We also need to secure housing, which is tricky, since we don’t know for sure when the family will arrive. But we do have a number of positive
leads. We hope to get the family settled in permanent housing as soon as possible.

Once again, we would like to thank you for being supporters of this sponsorship. We would not have gotten this far without the generosity and
kindness of the Essex-Hawthorne community. As well, we have an awesome committee of dedicated and committed members. Together, we have made it to the next step and will soon be welcoming a Syrian refugee family to Toronto.

Thanks again,
Essex-Hawthorne Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Committee

Trustee Ausma Malik is hosting her second annual bookmark contest. Download the flyer below for more information.

Download the entry form and information here!