17 June 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the delivery of student marks for this school year. This letter is to provide you with an important update on the status of final elementary school report cards at the Toronto District School Board amidst ongoing province-wide strike action by elementary teachers.

Last week, we told you that students would receive a letter confirming their grade placement for the upcoming school year. At that point in time, we also believed that parents/guardians could speak to their child’s teacher to discuss individual marks. We have since learned that in addition to not entering marks electronically and not providing comments, teachers have been directed by their union to not speak with parents/guardians about student marks. Unfortunately, due to the size of some of our schools, principals will not be able to discuss all student marks in a uniform and timely manner.

It is important to the TDSB that all students have equitable access to their final marks. As a result, we are pleased to inform you that an alternate plan has been developed and we will be able to provide Grade 1-8 students and parents/guardians with a summary of marks. As Kindergarten students do not regularly receive marks as a part of their final report card, those students will receive letters confirming their placement for the upcoming school year.

The Grade 1-8 summary of marks will be different than the regular June report card as it will not contain comments or learning skills. Marks will be included with attendance information and student grade placement for the next school year. Parents/guardians may still contact teachers to discuss their child’s progress.

The Kindergarten placement letter and Grade 1-8 summary of marks will be mailed to parents/guardians during the week of July 13 to the address that is on file at your school.

Our dedicated principals and vice-principals are working tirelessly to provide parents/guardians with their child’s summary of marks and we are doing our best to support them. During this time, while principals are preparing marks, we would appreciate your continued patience and ask that instead of requesting marks from your school, you wait for them to arrive by mail. We value the feedback that we have received from our community and appreciate your support as we prepare for the upcoming school year.

For more information, visit www.tdsb.on.ca.

Sincerely,

Donna Quan
Director of Education

Come out and join us for the final Parent Council meeting of the year. We will begin with a celebration dinner at 6pm to thank our parents for volunteering this year and to plan to increase parent engagement next year. If you plan to attend, please email jeanhammond@bell.net so that we can order the right amount of food. 

We hope to see you there! 

Essex Parent Council Meeting
Tues. June 16, 2015 6:00 pm

Agenda

• Welcome and celebratory dinner to thank volunteers – All
• Review/Approval of Minutes – All
• Fundraising Committee – Spring Fling Report and plans for next year – Samarra Khaja
• Garden Committee – Presentation of plans and budget – Jessica Haber
• Communications Committee – Plans for next year – Sue Hutton
• Health and Wellbeing Committee – Lunch Buddies Report & plans for next year – Milisa Burns
• Treasurer’s Report – Samarra Khaja and Nicole Belcourt
• Lice Checking plan for next year – Lynette Bacon
• Real Food for Real Kids plan for next year – ?
• Principal’s Report – Jim Stathopoulos
• School Maintenance and Safety Committee – Establishment of new committee – Jim
• Parent Council Executive planning for next year – All
• Volunteer Engagement planning for next year – All
• Other Business – All

To the Hawthorne/Essex Family Community,

We’re super excited that your school is considering offering Real Food for Real Kids’ delicious and nutritious litterless hot lunches to its staff and students!  

Real Food for Real Kids now serves over 2,500 students across 27 schools in the Greater Toronto Area.  Through these lunch clubs, we serve up tasty, nutritious, real food, made from scratch, inspired by flavours across the globe, and kid-friendly enough to satisfy even picky eaters. There are both omnivore and herbivore options available, and RFRK offers substitutes for most allergies and dietary restrictions.

Please take a moment (yes, just takes a moment!) to complete this very short survey to let us know if you are interested in joining the Real Food Lunch Club at your school. We ask that you reply by Friday, June 19th.

We look forward to your feedback! 

https://fs8.formsite.com/RFRK/form73/index.html?1433779189777‎

Dear Parents and Caregivers, we are looking for help in setting up the Tranzac Club on June 23^rd for the Grade 8 Graduation celebration.  We are looking for people, in particular grade 7 parents and guardians but anyone who can help is most welcome!, who could make themselves available around 7:30pm to help decorate the club prior to the celebration, and set up any food that we have ordered.  We are continuing a tradition established last year where the grade 7 parents pay it forward for the graduating grade 8s. Please let email Sarah Cervinka (sarah.cervinka@tdsb.on.ca) know if you are able to help and she will connect you with our coordinator.

Many thanks!

Dear families, students, teachers and school staff.

On behalf of Palmerston Branch – your local public library – congratulations on finishing another busy school year!

Summer holidays are just around the corner and we would like to wish you a great summer!

We would also like to invite you to visit the library and take time to read, play and relax with books and friends at your library.

Palmerston Branch and all 100 branches of Toronto Public Library invite all children to register for our annual summer campaign TD Summer Reading Club and have fun reading this summer!
http://www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca/

Studies show that children who keep reading during the summer do better when they return to school in the fall. The TD Summer Reading Club, a free program developed by Canadian public libraries, is a great way to keep your kids engaged with reading. Children can choose what they want to read, track their reading, interact with our website and connect with kids across the country. Online, in libraries, or on-the-road, make the TD Summer Reading Club part of your child’s summer adventures.

It’s easy to participate!

• Register your child at your local library
• Receive free materials, including a notebook and stickers
• Engage with library staff
• Discover great programming
• Begin your reading adventure together

On our summer websitehttp://www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca/ children can:

• discover great new reads
• rate books and submit reviews
• read e-books
• submit and read jokes
• write stories
• learn to draw
• print colouring pages
• track their reading
• meet the TD SRC illustrator

Don’t forget to check your local library’s website for free programs and events happening near you!

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37867+4294952201&Ntt=palmerston

Palmerston Branch will have storytimes, magic show, puppet show, summer movies, Library Bingo and more!

Iana Georgieva-Kaluba
Librarian – Children’s and Youth Services
Palmerston Branch, Toronto Public Library
560 Palmerston Ave., Toronto, M6G 2P7
Tel: 416-393-7681, Fax: 416-393-7420

11 June 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I am writing to inform you about important changes to the completion of elementary report
cards for this end of school year term.

As you may know, elementary teachers are taking part in a province-wide strike action which
includes not recording student marks electronically for the purpose of producing report cards.
The production of report cards for over 170,000 TDSB students requires the electronic inputting
of data by teachers and we cannot replace the work of teachers. Without their participation,
the TDSB cannot provide report cards while maintaining the privacy and accuracy of student’s
marks. After exploring all possible solutions, I regret that the TDSB is not able to provide
parents and guardians with report cards for elementary students this June.

Instead, during the week of June 22, principals will provide a letter confirming your child’s
placement for the upcoming school year. This letter will take the place of your child’s regular
report card and will be kept in their Ontario Student Record.

I know that students, parents and guardians highly value report card marks and comments that
are provided by teachers. Should you have any questions, please contact the principal of your
child’s school.

Once again, I deeply regret that the current labour situation does not allow us to provide report
cards. I sincerely appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,
Donna Quan
Director of Education

Come out and join us for the final Parent Council meeting of the year. We will begin with a celebration dinner at 6pm to thank our parents for volunteering this year and to plan to increase parent engagement next year. If you plan to attend, please email jeanhammond@bell.net so that we can order the right amount of food. 

We hope to see you there! 

Essex Parent Council Meeting
Tues. June 16, 2015 6:00 pm

Agenda

• Welcome and celebratory dinner to thank volunteers – All
• Review/Approval of Minutes – All
• Fundraising Committee – Spring Fling Report and plans for next year – Samarra Khaja
• Garden Committee – Presentation of plans and budget – Jessica Haber
• Communications Committee – Plans for next year – Sue Hutton
• Health and Wellbeing Committee – Lunch Buddies Report & plans for next year – Milisa Burns
• Treasurer’s Report – Samarra Khaja and Nicole Belcourt
• Lice Checking plan for next year – Lynette Bacon
• Real Food for Real Kids plan for next year – ?
• Principal’s Report – Jim Stathopoulos
• School Maintenance and Safety Committee – Establishment of new committee – Jim
• Parent Council Executive planning for next year – All
• Volunteer Engagement planning for next year – All
• Other Business – All

Essex Spring Concert

Wednesday June 3^rd @ 6pm

Performances include: Kindergarten-Grade 4/5, Tap team, band Ensemble, Choir, Steel Pan Band and more.

See you there!

Friday June 5^th is a PA Day and there will not be any school for students.