Saturday 7 January 2023

Owen Family Update - Week of January 9th 2023

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome back Owen families! We hope you all enjoyed some quality time with your families and are ready to jump into the new year.  We look forward to ringing in the 2023 year with kindness, high expectations and persistence.  We look forward to your support by having discussions with your child as to what these terms mean and what they can do to be proactive.

Our lunch and after school programs will begin soon and we look forward to being an active school again. 

Our Owen Online is our main communication from the school.  Please make sure you read our bulletin weekly so you don't miss any important dates.  Inquiries to the office will redirect parents to the Owen Online bulletin.

We know many families were able to travel and visit families back home.  If you will be taking an extended holiday break, please email our safe arrival (owen@tdsb.on.ca) indicating your reason for absence and date of return.

Welcome back and happy new year to all our Owen Community!

~ Your Friendly Admin Team

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Thank you Owen Community!
The Gift of Giving

We would like to thank everyone for their generosity over the holidays to help other families during these difficult times. Many families were happy to receive the Holiday Hampers and we had lots of socks that are being given out for good use.  Thank you Owen for your kind heart!

Holiday Hampers


Socks 4 Souls



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REMINDER: Front Loop Traffic - Slow Down!

With the winter weather, in full effect, it is especially important that drivers slow down on the roads surrounding our school, as well as the front drop off route. We have seen many cars coming in too quickly, and a number of incidents where our protective pylons were hit and run over this week.
While it is a cute reminder, we’ve included the face of an actual child to remind drivers to slow down when dropping their kids off at Owen! 

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Bedtime Story Reading w/Talia Wolkin
January 18 @ 6:30 pm

Join us for a fun bedtime story reading with our Speech and Language Pathologist, Talia Wolkin. Talia will be modelling storytime that parents can do with their children at home to maximize reading strategies. Students can come in their pyjamas and bring their favourite book and teddy bear to the session.

When: Wednesday January 18th 2023, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Where:  Owen Library

Please register for the session.

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Friday is a P.A. Day


January 13, 2023 is a PA Day for assessment and reporting so there will be no school this coming Friday.  Here is a link to more information about holidays and PA days:  https://www.tdsb.on.ca/School-Year-2022-2023
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Affordable Family Fun

Looking for something fun and affordable to do on the PA day and other days this winter? Here is a list of cheap and free winter activities and events for families in Toronto:  

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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 



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Family Games for All Ages

Looking for things to do as a family? Try some of these family games for kids of all ages!

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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+!

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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.
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Have a Mentally Healthy New Year!

Here are some resources compiled by the TDSB to help support your child's good mental health:


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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. 


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How to Improve Working Memory in Children with ADHD

Improve working memory in children with ADHD by using these 10 exercises that lighten the mental load by externalizing reminders. Here’s how to remember.

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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/      
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French Immersion Application Process
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Pizza Lunch (January - April 2023)
If you have questions about School Cash Online, please contact nahid.vashghani@tdsb.on.ca.
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Kids' Kitchen

School and lunch service will resume the week of January 9th and with a new month we announce another monthly special.

 

Available for January 2023: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Steamed Basmati Rice  
or Sweet & Sour Tofu with Steamed Basmati Rice  

For more details please see the flyer
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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/
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Days of Significance


January is: Tamil Heritage Month

”
"Tamil Heritage Month is proudly recognized during the month of January at the Toronto District School Board since January 2016.  It has also been marked across the province of Ontario since March 2004 with the implementation of the Tamil Heritage Month Act, 2014. Further, Tamil Heritage Month is also formally recognized nationally since January 2016..." 


"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.
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Student News

See what our students have been up to lately.


Winter Concert Photos


Winter Concert Zoom Video





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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