Friday, 23 September 2022

Owen Family Update - Week of September 26th 2022

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We had a full week which included a very successful and efficient fire drill to practise for emergencies if needed.

Our retaining wall by the junior playground is looking spectacular! We are looking forward to when it's all finished.  It will offer a nice place for students to sit and chat with friends.

Please read through the Owen Online as it contains very important messages, alert you to any events and to keep you posted about what is going on at the school.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the office.

~ Your Friendly Neighbourhood Admin Team


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Terry Fox Walk/Run

We are looking forward to our annual Terry Fox Walk/Run to support cancer research on Tuesday October 4th 2022.

We thank Ms. Moreau, Ms. Yu and Ms Martan for all their efforts to make this important event a success!  Here is the link so you can donate to this worthy cause:  https://schools.terryfox.ca/OwenPSNorthYork 




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Every Child Matters

Please get your Orange Shirts ready!

"September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process...Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”...On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools."

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html 



To learn more about Indigenous Days of Significance please visit:

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/Indigenous-Education/Resources/Indigenous-Days-of-Significance
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Parking and Safety

Please help us keep everyone safe by following the expectations below:

 Parking Lot

  • Our parking lot has a limited number of spots and these are needed for staff, daycare staff and TDSB tradespeople, so unless you require wheelchair parking, please park on a neighboring street and walk your child to school. Please see the map below which shows places you can park.



  • Please look out for our little green Owen students with flags.  These are there to guide students, parents/guardians and drivers to allow safe passage across Gordon Road.  Last year, one of our little green Owen students did get run over and we were so thankful it was not a real student. 

  • Parents are pulling into the back bus loop in the morning to drop off students and then backing up to go back onto Gordon.  This is very dangerous as we've had parents get hit in the past.  
  • If you see any unsafe driving, please let the office know.  See below for more information.


Drop-Off Kiss & Ride Expectations

  • No passing in the Kiss and Ride lane (students crossing between vehicles could be injured by other vehicles)
  • No parking and waiting in the Kiss and Ride lane; it is a Fire Route 
  • Drivers must remain in their vehicle; students must exit by themselves; this is a drop-off zone 
  • Drive slowly; there are children present
  • Drivers, parents and students please follow staff instructions
  • pull forward all the way to allow for as many cars as possible to enter loop 
  • Drivers treating staff, students, volunteers, passengers, and other drivers with respect
  • Adults making sure students fully exit the vehicle before driving away from the Kiss and Ride lane
  • Ensuring all passengers, especially students, have seat belts on at all times while in the vehicle
  • No idling in the Kiss and Ride lane (we are a Platinum Eco School and always working to reduce our carbon footprint.)
 

Please address any bus-loop related questions or concerns to our Vice Principal Hella Richter-Glinos at hella.richter-glinos@tdsb.on.ca

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Welcome Back Dance Prize Winner

Congratulations to Sahas and Nyall who won the Welcome Dance 50/50 prize. Parent Council will contact you to claim your prize.

50114326

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Parent Council Meeting - Elections

Wednesday September 28th from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

We look forward to meeting with our parent community again.  We will be conducting a hybrid model to invite parents back into our school as well as have a zoom link available for those who cannot make it in person.  We will have some high school students available for babysitting if needed. Please complete the Parent Council Survey to help us with the planning of the meeting.

Parent Council will also conduct elections for the Parent Council Executive as well as share the many volunteer opportunities available.  Whether it's helping out regularly or just when you have free time, we'd love to have you involved.  Come to the meeting to hear more!

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Toronto Public Health (TPH) Back to School Information

As you prepare your child to return to school this fall, here is some important health information.

Health and Safety Measures
Health and safety measures for the 2022-23 school year have been released by the Ministry of Education to help reduce the risk of illness from COVID-19 and other viruses and support in-person learning.

Your child is encouraged to:
  • Stay home when sick to prevent the spread of infections.
  • Complete the TPH School Screening Tool or Provincial School Screening Tool each day before arriving at school. Translated resources will be available.
  • Clean their hands often and cover their cough.
  • Stay up-to-date on vaccinations: o COVID-19 vaccines: are available for everyone 6 months of age and older. A booster is recommended for everyone 5 years of age and older. More information on additional boosters is expected in the weeks ahead. Vaccine clinics continue to be offered across the City.

o Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus or Meningococcal vaccines: The regular in-school student immunization program is starting. Students in Grades 7 and 8 will be offered hepatitis B, human papillomavirus and meningococcal vaccines in school this year. Students in Grades 9 to 12 who missed or have not yet had these vaccines can get them at a TPH immunization clinic.

o Routine vaccines: Contact your primary care provider to ensure your child is up-to-date with other vaccines including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis and chicken pox vaccines. Report your child's vaccinations to Toronto Public Health here.

o Masking: Though the Ministry of Education is not requiring masks to attend school in September, masks protect ourselves and others from respiratory infections, especially when indoors. More information is available here.

Town Halls: TPH will be hosting town halls for parents. No advance registration is required. Come to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children and have your questions answered.

Additional Resources: For more information, please visit Toronto Public Health online including: 

  • SickKids Vaccination Centre for Children with Special Needs/Medical Complexities/Needle Phobia
    • The SickKids COVID-19 Vaccination Centre offers vaccines for select populations including children with special needs, anxiety, and needle phobia. Vaccine appointments are available for the various age groups from 6 months to 12+. To make an appointment please email mobile.vaccination@sickkids.ca

  •  SickKids Paediatric Virtual Urgent Care Program 
    • If your child (under the age of 18) is experiencing a non-emergency situation we are encouraging our school community members to utilize the SickKids Virtual Urgent Care Program SickKids Urgent Care Program website. As the SickKids Emergency Department continues to see incredibly high volumes, we have attached a helpful tool for parents to use when deciding which level of care is required for their child. 
  • Vaccine Consult Service (VCS)

    • The VCS is a by-appointment phone service that provides a safe, judgment-free space to have an open conversation about the COVID-19 vaccine for children, youth, and those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to conceive. If you have any questions in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine, please feel free to book an appointment with our SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service (VCS)! Visit sickkids.ca/vaccineconsults to book online or call 437-881-3505 (toll free 1-888-304-6558) to book over the phone (see attached flyer(s)).
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Student Transportation News

Transportation is underway and we are developing a routine in response to some changes.  

Bus Driver Shortage
There is a bus driver shortage which has resulted in some bus delays, and colour code changes.  

Delays in Processing New Applications
The TDSB Transportation department is working diligently on a mountain of new applications, so at the moment it is taking about 10 days for applications to be processed.

Please Be On Time
Please be at your stop at least 10 mins earlier.  Many of the bus drivers are new and still adjusting to the new routes for our school and other schools they have routes for.

If there is no adult to meet their child at the bus stop in the afternoon (Gr 3 and below), students will be returned to the school and we will call parents to pick up their child at school.  School busses cannot wait for late parents and delay the route.

Thank you for Your Patience
We appreciate your understanding as we navigate our bus transportation routines. We have been in regular contact with Transportation and the bussing companies to report service issues and concerns and will continue to work to make things run smoothly.
 
For details on your bus schedule, times and route, please see the bus planner site here: https://www.torontoschoolbus.org/

Questions
Please email all non-urgent questions to the Vice Principal Hella.Richter-Glinos@tdsb.on.ca. If a matter is time sensitive, please call the school.  The best time to reach Ms. Richter-Glinos is in the afternoon as she is teaching classes in the mornings.
Applying for bussing?  
Please complete this bussing form https://ppf.tdsb.on.ca/uploads/files/live/101/1727.pdf and email it to hella.richter-glinos@tdsb.on.ca . 
Owen Bus Alerts
Please sign up for Brightspace for Parents and, if possible, add the app to your phone as this is the tool we will be using to post important Owen-specific updates on buses.  bit.ly/BrightspaceForParents
Empty Seat Policy
As mentioned above there is a driver shortage, so  there will be no seats available under the TDSB’s Empty Seat Policy (PR504) in the forseeable future.  If you have questions about this, please email support@torontoschoolbus.org.
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Start of the Year Online Permission Forms


An email will be automatically sent to the parent/guardian who is the primary or secondary contact (Priority 1 or 2).  The email will include a link to complete these forms for each of your  children. The sender will be “TDSB Online Form (noreply@tdsb.on.ca)” and the subject line will contain the School Name, Student Name, Date and name of the form (eg. TDSB School - John Doe - Sept 25: Start of Year Form 2021/2022).


Here is a tutorial for the Start of the Year forms that will help guide parents through this process.

The email was resent to those who did not complete it. If you missed the email, you can also access the form through the link below.


The forms/procedures that will be provided in digital format are: 

  • PR088 - Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources 
  • PR511H - Walking Excursion - Immediate Community 
  • PR511E - Medical Information for Excursions 
  • PR511K - Physical Education Information and Intramural Information/Permission
  • PR519A - Severe Weather Conditions: Permission to Leave School 
  • PR529B - Student Media Consent Release Form 
  • PR563 - Anaphylaxis
  • PR571 - Code of On-line Conduct 
  • PR585 - Board Code of Conduct 
  • PR607 - Diabetes Management 
  • PR714 - Asthma Management 
  • TDSB Digital Learning Tool Consent Form (now mandatory for all grades)
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Student Verification Forms

Student verification forms will be sent home for parents/guardians to review.  If emergency contact information has changed (name of emergency contact, cell numbers, emails) please indicate it on the verification form in a coloured pen (or highlighter) and return it to your teacher.

If there are no changes, please return the form to your teacher and indicate NO CHANGE.
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Early Entry - Please note that we have an early entry bell at 9:04 am to give time to settle and prepare for Period 1 at 9:10 am.  Students arriving after 9:10 am will be considered late.

Early Sign out - Please note that early dismals are a big disruption to the instructional time in the classroom.  As the end of the day is extremely busy with busses, pick ups at the door, daycare pick ups and after school programs, we ask that parents do not disrupt the end of the day and are to pick up children by 3:00 pm if they have to leave early.  If students are leaving on a regular basis, please send a note stating the reason.

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Lunch and Snacks

Just a reminder that the office does not have any cutlery or cups.  Please make sure you have packed these for your child.

Preparation for lunch bags can be fun when you have your child involved.  Have them participate in the following ways:

- have your child pack their cutlery, napkins and snacks
- prepare their water bottle and place in the fridge for the next day
- empty their old lunch dishes and wash or place in the dishwasher
- recycle any old food waste

When they are involved, they will enjoy and appreciate their lunch even more!
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Pizza Lunch

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO OCT 2ND 2022

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Calling all Reading Volunteers!

We are so excited to be able to welcome back Reading Volunteers to Owen!
If you are available and would like to volunteer, please contact Michelle Tobin at michelle.tobin-krofchick@tdsb.on.ca.


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Extra Clothes

Please pack extra clothes for your child to leave at school.  Extra pants, underwear and socks for those wet days are good to have and save a trip for mom or dad to come to school for those emergencies.

Have these clothes in a large ziplock bag.  When the clothes are soiled, students can change and we will send home the clothes for dirty laundry.

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TDSB Days of Significance

In order to be equitable and respectful to all of our students, we would like to provide and share information and insight into any day of significance through the Owen Online, our message board, and morning announcements. 

If you have a particular day that you would like to bring our attention to, please contact hella.richter-glinos@tdsb.on.ca. 

The list of Days of Significance that the TDSB recognizes can be found by clicking the link.

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Essential for Some, Good for All

Read&Write for Google Chrome is an extension available to all staff and students in the TDSB that can be used at school and home. It is a toolbar that contains assistive technology tools designed to benefit all students and enable greater independence with reading, writing and research tasks.
https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/tdsbat/home/read-and-write-chrome-extension

If you have questions about this useful tool, please feel free to contact:



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Student News

See what are students have been up to lately!









Owen Spirit Day



Leaside Wildcats U11 AA Team 


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 hella.richter-glinos@tdsb.on.ca . 
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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.  

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