Hi Parents,

Just a quick FYI that on Monday, Dec 15th, Library Services will be at Essex and Hawthorne for the day to cull our collection, as part of our revitalization of the space.

We want readers, both young and old, to feel encouraged to read when the library collection contains the best and the most up-to-date materials available. Therefore, the collection should be visibly attractive and in good condition. All materials should be accurate, current, and relevant to the curricular and recreational needs of the students and staff. Weeding facilitates accessibility to good quality books, easily searched by students of all ages. Collection development is the professional mandate of qualified teacher-librarians, including the specialist team, who have been charged by the Board to renew collections, and Instructional Leaders, who assist teacher-librarians in schools with selection and de-selection procedures. Standards are applied to collection development during both the selection of new materials and the de-selection of inappropriate materials. In de-selection, criteria are applied such as copyright date for consideration of currency and accuracy, item condition, equity, circulation history, and replacement with newer and better materials. Each book is considered individually and in context of the collection and community.

We hope that this will be yet another step towards a space where our students have ready access to pertinent and quality books, in an environment that encourages reading. Thank you for your continued support as this project unfolds.

Natalie E.M. Patterson
Vice-Principal

December 3, 2014

Dear Parents and Guardians,

During the final two weeks of school before the holidays, we will be putting up our Hat and Mitten Tree in the lobby of the school. Instead of putting ornaments on the tree, students will be encouraged to bring in new hats and mittens to place on the branches. On the final day before the holidays, the hats and mittens will be delivered to students in needier schools in the city.

Also, please continue to bring in items for the Daily Bread Food Bank. So far we have been able to fill 3 large boxes of non-perishable food items. The items will be picked up during the final week of school.

Thanks for your support during the holiday season.

Sincerely,

Just a reminder that due to the PA day this Friday that Pizza Lunch will be served on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Thanks!

A Reminder at the community potluck dinner will be next Thursday, Dec. 4th at 6pm in the school gym.

Essex School Council is hosting a multi-cultural community potluck dinner to celebrate the new year. We hope that you can join us for this evening filled with entertainment, music and prizes! We will also be discussing some new exciting community opportunities, so bring your family and your favourite dish to this special event! If you have any questions, please contact our Community Support Worker, Mike Papathanasakis, 416-884-2943, michael.papathanasakis@tdsb.com

There will be no school on Friday December 5th, 2014. It’s a PA Day.

Thanks.

Hello everyone,

Please join us for the November School Council meeting in the library on Wednesday Nov. 26 at 6:30PM. Childcare is available.

Agenda below.

ESSEX SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

DATE:  Wednesday November 26, 2014
TIME:  6:30 – 8:00
WHERE:  Library

Agenda

• Welcome and introductions
• Review/approval of minutes
• Principals report
• Treasures report
• Fundraising report – bingo night success
• Health and wellbeing committee report
• Other business – parent rep updates
• Confirm and set next meeting dates and times

Childcare is available
Light refreshments will be served

Dear Parents/Guardians:

One measure of keeping students safe is ensuring students have safely arrived at school.   It is important that if your child is going to be absent or late for any reason, you contact the office immediately and report the reason for the absence. The best number to call is 416-393-017 and you can leave a message at any time.

If there is no report about the absence, we will make attempts to contact you to determine the reason for the absence through our Safe Arrival Program. We are now moving to an automated call-out system for our Safe Arrival Program. This system will mean that you will be contacted more quickly than is currently possible with a manual system.
Beginning Monday, November 24th, parents/guardians of students who have an unexplained absence (one where the school has not been previously notified) will be contacted to verify the reason for the absence.

The system call-out will work as follows:

• Parents/guardians identified in TDSB’s Student Information Systems who has access to student records, and emergency contact with priority 1 or 2 will receive a call.
• When you receive the call, you are required to listen to the entire message and follow the prompts accordingly.
• You will be asked if you are aware or unaware of your child’s absence.
• If unaware, you will be asked to call the school immediately.
• If you are aware of the absence, you will be asked to enter the reason for your child’s absence. The following options will be provided for you:
  1. Illness
  2. Doctor Appointment
  3. Dentist Appointment
  4. Family Matter
  5. Weather
  6. Other
• At the end of the message, you will have to press 2 to confirm you received the message.
• If you do not confirm receipt, you will receive a call on your mobile phone.
• If there is no response from a Priority 1 contact, this same process will be followed for Priority 2 contacts.
• If there is no contact with either Priority 1 or Priority 2, this entire process will be repeated 3 times in 10 minute intervals.

This same process will be followed for the afternoon attendance.

In the evening, all parents/guardians of students who were late that day will receive a call informing them of their child’s tardiness.
With this in mind, it is important that your contact information on file at the office is up-to-date. Please let the office know immediately if your contact information changes at any time throughout the school year.

We recognize that regular attendance is essential to the safety, academic success, and well-being of all students. Thank you for your continued cooperation with keeping your child safe and accounted for.

Please review the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for additional information about our new automated system.

Sincerely,

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why do schools have Safe Arrival Programs?
Student Safety is of utmost importance and parents need to be notified as soon as possible if their child has not arrived at school. The Safe Arrival Program complies with the Education Act and related Ministry of Education policies in respect of student attendance in order to maximize students’ academic success and well-being.

2. Why are you moving to an automated call-out system?
Automation will allow our families to be contacted in a timely manner allowing us to confirm absences much sooner than using a manual system. This system reports allows us to better track student absences/lates and also help to send messages to the parents/guardians regarding their child’s attendance in a timely manner.

3. Can I opt out of the Safe Arrival Program?
NO, the TDSB recognizes that regular attendance is essential to the safety, academic success, and well-being of all students.

4. Is there something I can do to prevent receiving calls from the automated system? YES

1. i. Ensure your child attends school every day on time.
2. Notify the school in advance when your child will be absent.
3. Have your child enter school with his/her classmates so s/he arrives in class by 8:56 a.m. in the morning and by 12:33 p.m. after lunch.

5. My child has two people listed as Priority 1. Will both people be contacted?
Yes, IF they are both listed as Guardian and have access to Student Records.

6. If both people are contacted, will they both have to confirm receipt of the message?
Yes, if one does not confirm receipt, the system will continue to call the other person.

7. What phone numbers will be called and in what order?
The order of contact will be:

1. Priority 1 – Home
2. Priority 1 – Cell
3. Priority 2 – Home (unless it is the same home phone number)
4. Priority 2 – Cell
5. The system does not call business phone numbers.

8. Can I change the priority contacts?
Yes, please call the office at 416-393-0717 and they will adjust the priority contacts in the Student Information System.

9. Can I have my child’s babysitter contacted instead of me?
No. Only parents/guardians listed in the Student Information System will be contacted.

10. If I don’t answer the phone, will a message be left on my voicemail?
Yes, however the calling process will continue until a live person confirms receipt of the call.

11. What time will the callouts happen?

1. The morning call out will occur at approximately 9:45 a.m.
2. The afternoon call out will occur at approximately 1:15 p.m.
3. The evening call out (for late students) will begin at 6:00 p.m.

12. What if I arrive at school after 9:45 a.m.?
You will receive a safe arrival phone call. You will also receive a phone call informing you of your child’s tardiness that evening.

13. What if my child is late for school because of the weather?
Unfortunately, the callout time is not adjustable. Regardless of weather conditions, the calls will still begin at 9:45 a.m. If there is a long line and you get your admit slip after 9:45 a.m., you will receive both a safe arrival call and an evening call.

14. What if my child’s bus is late dropping them off, will I still receive a call?
No, you will not receive a call.

15. What if I have a question that is not answered in the FAQ?
You can phone the school at 416-393-0717 and ask for help.

Download the SchoolConnects Safe Arrival Parent Letter

Hello Essex parents,

Bingo Night is this Friday, Nov. 21 from 6-8pm.

We only need a few more people to volunteer to make the night happen. Helpers needed to sell bingo cards, pizza and bake sale items. Shifts are only an hour long — so you’ll still have time to play (and win) bingo that night too.

If you can volunteer some time, please click the pink button below.

We are also gladly accepting cupcakes, cookies and any other nut-free baked goods for the bake sale. If you would like to contribute, click on the yellow button below.

Thank you,

The Fundraising Committee

1) Food Drive: We are building a ‘Community Wall’ in the front foyer as a way to motivate students to donate to the Daily Bread Foodbank.  For every 5 items donated per class, that class will receive a brick in the wall.  The class with the most bricks by the Holidays will win a pizza party that should take place sometime in the new year.  On Tuesday morning, we’ll send student council members to collect the food and award your class with your bricks which they will place on the community wall with your room number. 

2) ECO STAR: Once a week at random, a student council representative (who is liaising with the ECO Club) will drop in to the lunch room and take note of who has LITTERLESS lunches.  Students who regularly have litterless lunches will be recognized at our next assembly.