Sunday 19 December 2021

Owen Family Update - Week of December 20th, 2021

Dear Owen Parents/Guardians,

We had an amazing last week of school and have lots to be proud of!  Our Kindness Assembly organized by our Grade 5 students was creatively done with lots of strong messages.  Messages that we have been working on here at school and would love for parents to continue the conversation at home.  If you didn't have an opportunity to join our assembly, here is the video the Grade 5s created.  Thank you Grade 5s for being great role models!


This holiday break practice kindness at home with your family and neighbours. And when they are not looking too. 


We would like to wish our families a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a very Happy New Year!

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Holiday Hampers Gift of Giving

Our Holiday Hampers was a great success thanks to all our generous families.  Our organizers Ms Yun, Ms Yu and Ms Martan would like to thank everyone for donating gifts and gift cards to the Holiday Hampers! We also thank our caretakers for providing the bags to wrap the baskets with and to all the teachers who helped sort and pack the baskets after school last Monday.

We are happy to announce that our wonderful Owen community helped 16 families this holiday season. We raised over $1250 in gift cards plus multiple baskets for each family. Thank you for participating in the gift of giving and spreading warmth! ❤ 





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Socks 4 the Streets

Maintaining good foot health is imperative for people experiencing homelessness to access food, shelter, medical care and other community services.

Thank you to everyone who donated to our “Sock 4 the Streets” drive by bringing in one pair or more of warm adult socks this month.

Together we collected 134 pairs of socks! Thanks to Parnia, Khalid, and Idan for helping sort and count the socks!  

Thank you Owen families for helping the homeless keep warm!

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Team Seas

Owen families, our grade three classes would like to thank you for helping our oceans.  We have raised approx $335 Canadian ($260 US -$240 + $20) which translates to removing 260 lbs of garbage from the oceans!


Congratulations Team Owen! You have helped to clean the oceans and make the world a better place!  To learn more please visit https://teamseas.org/

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Rapid Antigen Screening Kit

Rapid Antigen Screening Kits were distributed to our students last week as per the school email. The kits have an instruction page attached however we are sharing an online link that we just received for your consideration in hopes it may be helpful.  Please see the LINK below.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zVDiI-rZ-k9wH-nE34Ze1wgftuRjQc3iAOaEjqKOQLg/edit?usp=sharing
Please note that if your child has symptoms, do not use this test.  Go to one of the Sick Kids Hubs for a Saliva PCR test that will be sent to the Sick Kids Lab.

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Elementary Switch Form

Please be advised that the Elementary Switch Form is now open.

In order to plan ahead for elementary students to switch between in-person and virtual learning for February 2022, parents/caregivers and students requesting a change must complete an Elementary Switch Form between Friday, December 3 and Friday, January 7. A form must be completed for each student requesting a switch. Parents/caregivers and students who do not wish to make a change do not need to complete a form.

If you are considering a switch, please speak with your child before submitting a Switch Form. We expect that parents/caregivers with shared decision-making responsibilities will come to an agreement before completing the form.

We recognize that we are asking for this decision well in advance of February and thank you for your understanding, as this process takes time to complete. While we cannot guarantee that all switch requests will be met, it is our goal to accommodate as many as possible based on available programs and space (e.g. French Immersion, Extended French, Specialized Programs, Alternative Schools, other limited circumstances).Elementary classes will reflect changes due to switches beginning on February 22, 2022.

Whether you choose a switch in learning model or not, your child’s teacher or class (or school for virtual learning classes) may change due to a possible re-organization.

For more information, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/switchform.


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Middle French Immersion Application & Timeline

For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's system-wide Middle French Immersion Program (begins in Grade 4), we offer an online process to apply. To apply for the Middle French Immersion Program (Grade 4 entry) for September 2022, applications must be completed online between January 3 and January 28, 2022.

 

An offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) is guaranteed to all on-time applicants and will be made in the weeks following the close of the application window.

Please note: Families with an older sibling currently enrolled in a French program and who will be in attendance next year are still required to complete an online application for the new student. Please select the “sibling option” within the online application.

 

For more information about the Middle French Immersion (Grade 4) application process, please join us for a Virtual Webinar Session on one of the following dates: 

DATES, TIME & LINK TO WEBINARS

ALTERNATE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

January 6, 2022 – 10 am 

 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WEBINAR ON JANUARY 6

Webinar ID: 957 9470 9338

Phone one-tap: Canada: +6473744685,,95794709338# or +16475580588,,95794709338# 

Dial: Canada : +1 647 374 4685 or +1 647 558 0588

January 13, 2022 – 1 pm 

 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WEBINAR ON JANUARY 13

Webinar ID: 965 0951 9491

Phone one-tap: Canada: +6475580588,,96509519491# or +16473744685,,96509519491# 

Dial: Canada:+1 647 558 0588 or +1 647 374 4685 

January 17, 2022 – 7 pm 

 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WEBINAR ON JANUARY 17

Webinar ID: 998 7090 8992

Phone one-tap: Canada: +16473744685,,99870908992# or +16475580588,,99870908992# 

Dial: Canada: +1 647 374 4685 or +1 647 558 0588 


Families can request interpretation services for this event in advance, by completing this online form before December 17, 2021.

 

Information about the Middle French Immersion Program is available in multiple languages. For details, please see the information package. For more information about French programs, the application process and important dates, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/french or click on Application Process.

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Severe Weather = Closed Schools

The cold weather is already upon us and so is the likelihood of severe weather. TDSB has  reviewed the Board’s Severe Weather Procedure, and, guided by the necessary health and safety conditions as a result of the pandemic, they have made some decisions as to how the TDSB will operate throughout the winter in the event of severe weather conditions. 

Because of the need to maintain cohorts, we are not able to combine classes, which is often necessary on days with bad weather because of reduced staffing levels. As a result, this year, the TDSB has determined that when buses are cancelled, all schools -- including both in-person and virtual learning -- will also be closed to staff and students. 

If schools are closed:

  • Students will not participate in live remote or virtual learning but teachers will provide voluntary class work through established online platforms for students who wish to continue their learning. Students may also work on previously-assigned work or spend time reviewing material previously covered. 
  • Any scheduled events, such as tests or parent meetings will be cancelled and rescheduled. 
  • Before and After-School Programs and Extended Day Programs will be closed.
  • Child care programs (serving infant, toddler and preschool-aged children) can remain open to families, however families are encouraged to connect directly with the operator to confirm they are open.
  • EarlyON programs will be closed to in-person programming, however families can participate in virtual programming.


The decision to cancel buses and close schools (including child care programs and Extended Day Program) will be determined by 6 a.m. to allow as much time as possible for families to make alternative arrangements. 

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Parent Online Controls

With the winter break upon us, students may be spending more time indoors and therefore more time on the internet. The internet is a great tool for learning and entertainment, but not all content is appropriate for every age. As parents, guardians, and educators we need to be aware of the tools we can use to limit the content and/or time students spend online.


The following article gives great advice if you are looking to establish parental controls on your digital devices: Parents' Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls

If you’re looking for a simple way without reading the article - turn on Restricted Mode on YouTube. 

How to do this on your computer:

  1. Click your profile picture .

  2. Click Restricted Mode.

  3. In the top-right box that appears, click Activate Restricted Mode to on or off.

For Ipads and Android devices please click the following: LINK.

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Tamil Heritage Month

Tamil Heritage Month is recognized nationally since October 2016, provincially since March 2004 and by the Toronto District School Board since January 2016.    The month of January was chosen as it coincides with one of the most important celebrations for Canadians of Tamil heritage, the Thai Pongal harvest festival. Millions of Tamil people around the world irrespective of their religion celebrate Thai Pongal and offer thanks for an abundant harvest.    

Below is a poster created by TDSB Students last year.   


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Waste Free Lunches

 By Addison Lam and Heerod Hakimi (Gr 5 ECO Club)


Dear parents and guardians, we are trying to get this school to have waste free lunches.

By that, we mean no plastic and no garbage. We are trying to limit things like plastic wrap, granola bar wrappers, candy wrappers, plastic forks and spoons.  


Here are some tips for waste free lunches: 

- Instead of bringing plastic cutlery bring metal forks and spoons

- Instead of a single use plastics, buy a reusable bottle

- Buy in bulk instead of single packaging items. Or even better, make cookies!


By helping your kid have a waste free lunch you are also doing a lot to help the

environment. Canada produces approximately 31 million tonnes of garbage a year. By having a waste free lunch you can reduce this amount. This is an example of a waste free lunch

We are starting this new eco initiative starting Monday, December 13th and will be conducting audits throughout the school year to see our growth in this area. Let’s see how waste free we can be! 

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       Student News

See what our students have been up to lately at Owen!

Morning Announcement Fun Friday Video Dances

Gingerbread Dance

Computer Science Week Coding Dance
During Morning Announcements

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.  

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