Owen Family Update - Week of December 26th

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We would like to thank our staff and students for the beautiful Winter Concert that was performed on Tuesday! It was well worth the wait!  Thank you Mr Albrecht and Mme Morris for all your work in leading this wonderful presentation. We will post our recorded zoom link in our next bulletin.

We would like to wish all our families and Happy Holiday during this winter break.  May you have quality with family and friends and enjoy the festive season.

Wishing you a healthy holiday and a very happy new year!

~ Your Friendly Admin Team

________________________________

Digital Holiday Recipe Book

Thank you to the families who contributed to our cookbook.  If you meant to add a recipe but didn't get around to it at this busy time, please send it in when you have a moment and we will add it. Submit a Recipe  View Our Holiday Recipe Book

________________________________

Poster Contest - Chinese Heritage Month

The month of February is proudly recognized as Chinese Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board. During this month, several learning resources and educational opportunities will be provided to our students and staff to further enhance their knowledge of the Chinese heritage. 

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most significant holidays of the Chinese heritage. The date is selected by the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar and the celebration lasts 16 days. This year, the first day begins on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Currently, we are inviting all students from grade kindergarten to grade 12 to participate in a Poster Challenge to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This year is the Year of the Rabbit: Kind, Generous, and Harmonious. 

We encourage everyone to participate and make our Lunar New Year spectacular at the TDSB as we celebrate Chinese Heritage Month! 

Poster Contest Eligibility, Guidelines, and Prizes 

▪ Open to all TDSB students in Grades K - 12 

▪ All entries must include this year’s focus and celebrate Chinese Heritage 

▪ Entries must NOT contain pictures/photos of actual people 

▪ ONLY entries submitted electronically will be accepted ▪ All electronic entries can be submitted in .pdf or image file format 

▪ If an image file, ensure the size/resolution is appropriate to be printed on a poster 

▪ Only use your TDSB account 

▪ Maximum 100 MB file size 

▪ Electronic entries must be saved in this format -> FirstNameLastNameSchoolGrade.pdf, Example - > MulanFaNorthviewHSSGr9.pdf 

▪ Please submit your entry to the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/dcacKvz3Sa85wvnBA 

▪ Please retain your original art in case your entry is chosen 

▪ All entries must be received no later than Monday, January 16, 2023, by 4:00 pm 

▪ All entries will be evaluated on visual appeal, creativity and content that best captures this year’s focus 

Contest Prizes 

▪ THREE WINNERS will be selected from each grade division (K-3, 4-8, 9-12) for a total of nine prizes 

▪ One of the six winning entries will be selected as official poster for the 2023 Chinese Heritage Month across all TDSB schools and will be posted on the TDSB website in February 

▪ The first-place winner from each panel will have a choice between a limited edition Royal Canadian Mint, Year of the Rabbit commemorative coin (subject to availability), or gift card 

▪ Second and Third place winners will receive a gift card 

________________________________

From Parent Council

Dear Owen School Community,  

On behalf of the Parent Council, we would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. This year has not been without its challenges and you have been our support all the way!  

Thank you for making our inaugural popcorn sale a success! $662.35 will go toward TV replacements and bus subsidies for upcoming school trips.  We will continue to have monthly sales and hope to offer other delicious items. 

We would love to hear from you. Please share with us your comments/feedback/questions at Owenpsparentcouncil@gmail.com. Also, let us know if you wish to volunteer!  

Your care and support mean everything to our school. Thank you for helping it thrive!  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, 

Your Parent Council Team  

  ________________________________

Family & Kids Activities During 2022-23 Christmas – Winter Holidays in Toronto & GTA

The holidays are a great time to do things with family.  Here is a list of some favourite Winter Holiday Family Activities in the GTA.

________________________________

Family Games for All Ages

Looking for things to do over the holiday break? Try some of these family games for kids of all ages!

________________________________

Marvelous & Mind-Boggling Math

aka M&M Math

We will be adding our M&M Math in our Owen Online to show the beauty and fun in mathematics. Try these fun math puzzles over the break with your child! There will be a mixture of math puzzles, problems, online games and videos. . Here's are a couple for you to try!

Let's Play K-3!

Let's Play 4+!

________________________________

House Rules for the Holidays

Traveling or expecting house guests this holiday season? Here’s why — and how — parents should define house rules for children with ADHD…and visitors.

Children with ADHD can find holiday and family occasions over-stimulating beyond their tolerance level. Knowing this, you can better understand your family’s difficulties and begin employing a few simple strategies that will help make the holidays a happier time for everyone.

________________________________

Clothing Donations

Please consider donating the following items to the school office when your child has outgrown them.  Items must be a good quality reusable shape with no tears, rips or damaged parts.

Kindergarten to grade 5 sized...

-winter boots

-running shoes (indoor shoes)

-winter coats

-snow pants

-mittens

There is always a need and our supply that we store in the office is dwindling. Please wash before donating if possible.

________________________________

Webinar for Parents and Guardians of Elementary School Students  - Tues Jan 17th @ 6:30 pm

Register for this free live webinar and learn about EQAO assessment results and Ontario’s large-scale assessment program at the elementary-school level. EQAO will review highlights from the 2021–2022 assessment results. 

The session will also highlight how the primary-division (Grade 3) and junior-division (Grade 6) assessments have been modernized. The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes and will be followed by a live Q & A session with EQAO staff. 

Registration: www.eventbrite.ca/e/451955981507

________________________________

Toronto Parks and Recreation Programs for Families

Register on eFun for winter recreation programs and March Break CampTO or learn How to Register for Recreation Programs.

Programs start from Monday, January 9, 2023 and will run for nine weeks.

Over 11,200 fun, active and educational programs are on offer for Torontonians of all ages and abilities.

http://efun.toronto.ca/

________________________________

________________________________

Pizza Lunch (January - April 2023)

________________________________

Toronto Public Library Programs for Families

There are a number of Toronto Public Library Programs that may be of interest for your families in the coming weeks.   For a complete list of programs go to:

 https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/kids-and-families/

________________________________

Days of Significance

December is:

"December is the 12th month (and last month) in our modern-day Gregorian calendar... It was originally the 10th month of the Roman calendar (until 153 BC)Hence, “December” comes from the Latin word decem, meaning “ten.”

We are always looking for families to create displays in our front foyer to share their special cultural holidays.  If you would like to share your special holiday, please contact the office and we'll arrange a time for you and some students to help with the display.

Some Days of Significance in the coming week are:

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.

 ________________________________

Student News

See what our students have been up to lately.

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 .

 ________________________________

Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.