Owen Family Update - Week of March 29, 2021

Hello Owen Families,

Happy Passover to all our families who celebrate.  Tonight many are celebrating the second Seder with their family.  Please email owenps@tdsb.on.ca if your child will be away for Passover.

This will be a short week as school will be closed for Good Friday (Friday April 2nd) and Easter Monday (Monday April 5th).  Thursday is a good day to take home winter clothing from school.

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TDSB Anti-Racism Resources

As we continue to have conversations with our students to unlearn racism, we advocate for students by interrupting conversations and having lots of discussions about how our actions and what we say to others can be perceived.  

Here some great resources to continue and support the conversations at home.

- Anti-Racist Resources  

- TDSB Human Library: Conversations around Equitable, Anti-Racist, and Anti-Oppressive Practice is a podcast series comprising a collection of audio episodes on topics related to Equity, Anti-Racism, and Anti-Oppression in education. This podcast invites listeners to critically reflect on their pedagogy, reimagine engagement, and partner with community to improve student well-being and achievement.

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Lost & Found Items

We do have a pile of Lost & Found items.  Staff will be taking classes to look and see if any items belong to them.  Here are some items.  If you notice an item, please let your child know so they can pick it up and take it home.  

Anything left on Thursday afternoon will be donated to a good home for others to use.

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Owen After Hours

 

As the weather is getting warmer, more kids are hanging out at Owen after hours and on the weekends.  Last Monday, Mr Tony found lots of broken glass, yogurt and other food items all over the stairs by the basketball courts and on the walls.  People have also been found on the roof of the school.  Some former Owen alumni have been talked to about climbing the roof and we hope they stay off for their own safety.

We want to ensure the grounds are safe for our Owen students and for the safety of our former Owen Alumni.  If you see unsafe or vandalizing behaviour please call our Emergency Line and security can come to the school to check it out.

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Safety First! - Crossing at Stop Signs

Just a reminder to give way to pedestrians who are crossing at the stop signs.  We have flags left at some intersections to help identify students and caregivers walking to school.  Please review this video to remind your child how to use the flags.

Remember to slow down around the school zone.

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Why We Can't Compare COVID-19 Vaccines

Here is a great video from a parent who is a front line worker to help explain some of the data around the vaccines.

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Moving out of Owen? (Including Grade 5 Grads)

If your child will be moving schools, please fill out the form below to help us know where to transfer your child's information. Please fill this out by the end of March so we can estimate the enrolment for next year.

This includes Grade 5 graduates who are moving onto Middle School.

http://bit.ly/MovingOutOfOwen 

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Explore It! Spring Registration

Exciting things are happening at Explore It! with online Spring Break Camps for students in JK through Grade 8. With programming in the areas of Yoga, Digital Art, Musical Theatre, Fine Art, Dance and even Video Game Design - there’s something for everyone. Let’s Explore online together!

Join us for:

Theatre Arts Camp for JK - SK
Dance, Jive, Move and Flow for JK - Grade 2
Arts and Crafts Club for Grades 1 - 3
Adventures at Hogwarts for Grades 1 - 3
Musical Theatre : Kids on Broadway for Grades 1 - 6
Creative Kids Yoga Party for Grades 3 - 6
Video Game Design for Grade 4 - 8
Digital Art : World Building for Grades 4 - 8

Register today!
http://www.exploreitall.ca/spring-break-camps/

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Earth Hour Activities

Earth Hour was on Saturday March 27th at 8:30 pm.  We hope you had an opportunity to do some fun things with your family.  If not, don't worry...you can do these activities at anytime to still help support the health of the earth.  Just because you're staying at home, that doesn't mean you can’t have a memorable Earth Hour experience! Here is a list of 20 things you can do at home or online to help support our planet.

Ideas for everyone:

1. Switch off your lights
This is the DNA of the Earth Hour movement and the easiest way to participate this Earth Hour. Simply switch off all non-essential lights for an hour!

2. Dinner-in-the-dark
Get some candles ready and whip up healthy and delicious meals that will make your taste buds tingle! Don't know where to start? Check out our list of 50 foods for a healthier planet and a healthier you!

Up for a challenge? Try a zero-waste cookout or put on a blindfold and try and guess what's been cooked up!

3. Join us virtually and tune in online to one of our live Earth Hour streams
From influencer Q&A sessions, to live performances and contests, stay tuned for our directory of live streams around the world you can tune in to on the night of Earth Hour! Bookmark this page for more updates to come.

4. Have a night of board games or book readings in candle-light
Note: Our Earth Hour team will not be held responsible for any friendships ruined by a game of Monopoly 😇

5. Themed movie night
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy your most treasured Disney movies or take on those Harry Potter marathons that you've been always wanting to do. You can even watch some spectacular Emmy Award-winning documentaries like Our Planet on Netflix to experience our natural world in all its glory #ShamelessPlug 😎! No Netflix? No problem! You can even catch one bonus episode for free here - Our Planet: Our Business.

Still can't get enough of nature documentaries? The Environmental Film Festival is showing a large selection of their films for free on their website for a limited time!

6. Make an impact in only 60 seconds - sign our Voice for the Planet petition
Only have a minute? Add your Voice to call on world leaders to take urgent action to protect and restore nature! Our Voice for the Planet petition will be presented at major global conferences later in the year.

7. Camp in your backyard or living room
If you love the adventure of camping outdoors, we challenge you to turn your back garden or living room into your very own camping space! Don’t have an actual tent? Why not make one with bedsheets, pillows, and other household items!

8. Minute-to-win-it
We've partnered with One Minute Briefs (OMB) to run a competition on the night of Earth Hour! Want to win £100 in cash and a tee from the Earth Hour shop? All you have to do is create a poster encouraging people around the world to take part in Earth Hour, and Tweet your entries to @OneMinuteBriefs and @earthhour with the hashtag #EarthHour! Learn more about the contest here.

9. Class is in session!
Learn more about nature loss and climate change - the biggest challenges of our time - and how we can overcome them together. You'll also discover why the two are more interconnected than you might think! Up your knowledge now

10. Heads up!
Challenge each other in a game of Heads Up! You can create your own deck of nature or wildlife-related word cards. Have a guesser hold up the cards on their forehead while the rest act out the word.

11. Practice some night-photography or try out "light-painting"
Want to test your photography skills? Try taking portraits of your family and friends in low-light or candle-light! You can also try out “light-painting” with your camera - we recommend a tripod and a slow shutter speed! Check out this useful guide for more information on how to do this!

12. Up your sustainability knowledge and know-how
Learn what you can do in your daily life to start living more sustainably - even the smallest actions add up! Read how here

13. Create your own mini-golf course using household objects
A little friendly competition can’t hurt - up the stakes by making the loser do the dishes or any household chore 😅!

14. Create your own Rube Goldberg machine
Need inspiration? Check out what Honda and Ok Go did!

15. Challenge your artistic side with a candle-lit paint night
Feeling funky? You can also try using glow-in-the dark neon paint!

16. Write a letter to your future eco-warrior self
Do you wish to limit your water wastage or purchase eco-friendly goods more often? Why not put all of your sustainability goals into a letter for your future self! It’s a fun way to hold yourself accountable while at the same time do your part in helping our planet!

17. Eco-friendly fashion show
Turn your living room into a runway and bond with your family as you take on a fun and silly night of dressing up! Unleash your creative side by making your own costume from recyclable materials!

18. Dance the night away or hold a silent disco
Grab a pair of headphones and groove to your own favorite music! Take it up a notch by battling it out with your family and friends in a silent disco and claim dance floor supremacy.

Need some inspiration for your dance moves? Check out our Earth Hour Tik Tok channel (@EarthHourOfficial) and stay tuned for our dance challenges!

Need a groovy set of tunes? Check out our Earth Hour channel on Spotify! We've got our official trailer music from over the years, as well as a curated playlist of nature-inspired songs!

19. Acoustic jam session
Unleash the Ed Sheeran or Beyonce in you and sing the night away with your friends and family! For all you shower singers out there - this is your chance to shine! ⭐

20. Try Yoga at Home
Check out virtual yoga classes that start with basic beginner’s yoga poses and expand your skills as you go on. Further connect to nature and create a zen-like experience by meditating to some nature sounds on our Spotify channel, or trying some animal-inspired yoga poses!


Ideas for young ones:

1. Shadow puppet play
Want to entertain your young ones? Switch off all the lights and put on a shadow puppet play! Cut out different shapes of animals, set up a stage using cloth and light and let the shadows come to life! Further set the mood by transforming your pillows and blankets into a mighty fortress!

2. Indoor scavenger hunt
Treat your young ones to a thrilling scavenger hunt! Turn off the lights, and hide items around the house (candy and chocolate are great incentives 😂 ). Challenge your young ones to find all the hidden items within a certain time limit, using only a flashlight!

3. Take on adventures with Pocoyo
Every year, Pocoyo and friends turn off their lights during Earth Hour! Learn with your little ones how to take care of the planet by watching Pocoyo’s adventures, playing the Earth Hour game and completing the activity book. There are plenty of activities to be done with Pocoyo here!

4. Create your own tie-dye clothes
If your young one is tired of boring white socks or has too many old t-shirts, get together to tie-dye them! All you need is a white piece of clothing, a bucket or a basin, water, rubber bands, some gloves, and different colored dyes. Pro tip: your tie-dye pattern depends on how you fold and secure the fabric with your rubber band! Check out this useful guide for more information!

5. Goggles on - try a science experiment at home
Share the wonders of science with your little ones this Earth Hour! And the best part? You don’t need a ton of supplies - you can just use regular household items! Check out this page for some ideas.

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Purple Day for Epilepsy - March 26th

Did you know that 1 in 100 people in Canada are living with epilepsy? This means it’s likely that at least a few of the students in our school are living with epilepsy or a seizure-related disorder.

March 26^th was Purple Day – a day dedicated to bringing awareness to epilepsy and helping eliminate the stigma around the disease.   Click on the link to find out more about Epilepsy.  Toronto and many other cities celebrated by lighting up their cities purples.

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April is Autism Awareness Month

April 2, 2016, is World Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month. Find cool activities for your kids, family, or school to observe the occasion and boost support for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

https://www.familyeducation.com/school/autism/6-autism-awareness-activities-kids

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Water Bottles

We've had many purchases of our Owen water bottles.  We do have several water bottles still  available for sale.  Water bottles will be sold for $8.00 through School Cash Online.

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STUDENT NEWS

If you have photos, student work or family activities you would like to share on the Owen Online for next week, please email them to jamie.parkes@tdsb.on.ca.

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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters. 

                                                                                                                              

Owen Family Update - Week of March 22, 2021

Hello Owen Families,

What lovely weather we are having.  We hope you all had a chance to have family time outside this weekend.  Later in the week we will have rain.  Recess, lunch and physical education will continue outside with light rain so please remember to have separate indoor and outdoor shoes to help keep germs and dirt outside.  See below for spring weather dress.

Happy Nowruz to all our families who celebrate the Persian New Year!  Spring is here and it was a great weekend to celebrate.  

Here is William (Gr 3) who has given a great explanation of what this holiday means and the important symbols used during this holiday.

Nowruz Mubarak! 

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HEPA Filters are in!

We are very excited that the board purchased HEPA filters came in for all homeroom classrooms.  Mr. Tony and Mr. Vernon delivered them to the classrooms Friday afternoon.   Windows will still be open to allow for fresh air and air circulation. An extra sweater for those cooler days would will be useful.  Thank you Parent Council Executive for the ongoing discussions and advocating for Owen.

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Tragic Event in Georgia

 

In the wake of the horrific shooting on Tuesday evening in Georgia, the thoughts of the students and staff of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) are with the victims, their loved ones, and Asian communities in the Atlanta area and beyond.

 

Of the 8 people who lost their lives, 6 were Asian women. The shooting occurs at a time when acts of anti-Asian racism and violence are rising — here in Canada, in the U.S. and internationally. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the TDSB has heard from educators, students and community members about their experiences confronting anti-Asian discrimination and its harmful impact on mental health, well-being and safety.

 

In our schools and workplaces across the city, TDSB staff work to identify, interrupt, address and report acts of racism, discrimination and hate. This is an important and crucial step in ensuring our schools are safe and caring spaces for everyone to learn and work. In the wake of this most recent violent attack, our resolve is strengthened to do all we can to engage students, staff and families in the vital work of building inclusive and compassionate communities. Earlier this year, the TDSB and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) partnered to develop important resources for addressing anti-Asian racism in classrooms and school communities. Recently, the TDSB Human Library Podcast also featured an episode on Understanding and Addressing Anti-Asian Racism.

 

In the days and weeks ahead, we will support students and staff in any way we can. Following Tuesday’s attack, some members of our TDSB communities may be experiencing feelings of vulnerability or insecurity. Media coverage may also be upsetting and challenging. Our Professional Support Services staff have assembled the following tips for parents, which may help support these conversations with children.

These are important conversations to have with your children at home.  Please take a look at the resources provided to help guide some of the discussions at home.

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Safety First! - Rear Bus Loop

We have made great improvements with our traffic safety in the back.  Our buses are able to turn safely out of our bus loop and students and caregivers are able to cross safely.  

We are still having some parents pull into the bus loop before and after school.  This is very unsafe as cars back out of the loop which is a danger to students and caregivers.

Please do not pull into the bus loop nor park there at anytime.  There are plenty of spaces on the road and the walk with your child is great for everyone.

Thank you parents for watching and advocating for the safety of our students.  We all have to work together as a community to ensure a safe environment for all our community.

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Senior Kindergarten French Immersion Registration

 

Registration for SK French Immersion will begin this week and end on Friday April 2nd for those who have been notified from the school.  Please call the school or email owenps@tdsb.on.ca to schedule a Virtual Registration meeting time.

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Thank you for Trivia Night

Last Tuesday we had our 1st Virtual Community event.  Thank you Mr Parkes, M McArthur and Ms Smyth for organizing such a fun event.  Parents and staff were able to collaborate and compete using our world knowledge.  We learned some interesting facts and obscure phrases that will stick with us forever!

Stay tuned for our next event...

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Moving out of Owen? (Including Grade 5 Grads)

If your child will be moving schools, please fill out the form below to help us know where to transfer your child's information. Please fill this out by the end of March so we can estimate the enrolment for next year.

This includes Grade 5 graduates who are moving onto Middle School.

http://bit.ly/MovingOutOfOwen 

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Service NOW Daily Health Screening App

Thank you everyone for continuing to manage through the Service Now Daily Health Screening app.  Although there are small glitches that parents are experiencing, it has made our process much quicker and more efficient.

Parents do need to continue to do the daily health self assessment either through the website or the phone/tablet app to confirm the state of health of your child.  When it doesn't clear it usually means either of the following:

• parents forgot to do the daily health screening that morning
• one of the questions was checked as YES.
• parents did the daily health screening but it didn't go through or wasn't complete

Some parents were able to have success with one child but not their sibling.  I've created a video to hopefully outline the steps and help you troubleshoot the difficulties you are experiencing.

If you have not already uploaded your QR code please add it to 

http://bit.ly/OwenQRCodeUpload 

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Indoor Shoes

 Please make sure your child has indoor shoes and outdoor/boots for recess.  There is so much mud and dirt that is being brought into the school due to our muddy areas.  Due to the cohorted zones, students have to keep in the areas assigned to maintain a distance from other cohorts.

Fortunately most of our school has floors and we see the amount of mud.  Can you imagine the the hidden mud and dirt in the carpeted areas?  

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Cutlery, Snacks & Water Bottles

Just a friendly reminder to have your child bring their water bottle and cutlery to school.  We do not have enough cups or cutlery in the office and as a Platinum ECO school for environmental purposes we want to keep our waste to a minimum.  

Our students are at the age where they are constantly growing and growth spurts happen when we don't expect it!  At times, students require more fuel for the day.  Please pack extra healthy snacks for morning and afternoon snacks.  Snacks can include: pieces of fruit, carrot sticks, cucumber slices,  cheese and crackers, cranraisins, yogurt, or little bag of cereal.  Don't forget...all food must be NUT FREE.  To also reduce the amount of mask removal in class, as the weather is getting warmer we are having students eat their snacks outside.  Finger foods and foods that are more portable are more ideal and easier for your child to eat.

Here are some sites to help you and your child make some healthy snacks together.  Just remember that all food brought to school must be NUT FREE.

• 12 fun and healthy snacks that kids can make themselves
• Snacks for Kids Recipes

 

TIP:  Even as young as 4 yrs old, have your child involved in preparing their lunch bags.  After school they can toss any garbage, recycling or compost.  Then place cutlery and serviette in their lunch bags so it's ready to fill with food in the morning.  They can rinse out and refill their water bottles and leave it in the fridge so it's nice and cold the next day.  A few ice cubes in the morning can help keep it chilled.

We do have several water bottles available for sale.  Water bottles will be sold for $8.00 through School Cash Online.

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Dress for Weather

Our Toronto weather has changed from icy fields to muddy fields all within a week.  Please watch the weather with your child to determine what type of clothing they will need.

Most physical education classes as well as science walks, recess and any other outdoor education will continue with light rain.  Please ensure students have the following:

• waterproof boots
• water resistant coat or jacket
• gloves and hat for the cold days
• umbrella if they wish to bring one.

Extra socks, pants and underwear kept at school will help prevent a parent trip to school or having your child sit in wet clothes for the rest of the day.

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STUDENT NEWS

If you have photos, student work or family activities you would like to share on the Owen Online for next week, please email them to jamie.parkes@tdsb.on.ca. 

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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.