Friday, 20 March 2020

March 20, 2020


Hello Owen families!

We would like to thank you for your understanding and support throughout the labour actions and concerns about the coronavirus.  We would like to wish all our families a fun and safe break!  

School Closure:
As of late Thursday afternoon, TDSB had announced that all Ontario schools have been ordered to close from March 14th - April 5th amid ongoing concerns about coronavirus. There will be additional details shared as the board receives more information.  Please check the TDSB website or twitter for up-to-date information.

Cancelled Events in TDSB:
You can find an updated list of all events cancelled from March 14 - June 30th.
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Talking to Your Kids About Coronavirus:
Students may have questions or even fears about COVID-19.  Here is a great video that was shared with us on How to Talk to Kids About Coronovirus. Here's a free printable for children to better understand the issue.
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Staying Informed:
One of the most important things you can do to prepare for a safe March break is to stay informed. Toronto Public Health continues to carefully monitor this evolving situation, and they regularly update their website with the latest, factual information at www.Toronto.ca/coronavirus .

If you have any questions, please call TPH at 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Translation is available in many languages.
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Resources for Learning at Home


Many of our amazing staff have already supplied links and suggestions to learning specific to their grade and class.  Below are additional links you can try at home. 





French Kindergarten - Grade 2 Songs
C'est l'hiver

Bonjour, l'hiver

La neige tombe

Neige, neige blanche - version 1

Neige, neige blanche - version 2

Moi, j'aime skier

Montrez-moi vos mains - Gregg Le Rock

Une vache à l’école - Carmen Campagne

Notre monde est si petit

Bonhomme, bonhomme sais-tu jouer?

Embrasse quatre fois

Jouez au hockey (Jacquot)

Ma famille (Alain le Lait)

Je t'aime beaucoup (Jacquot)

Mon papa

Ma maman

Bonjour monsieur, by Matt Maxwell

Les saisons, by Jacquot

Je suis prêt pour les montagnes (Charlotte Diamond)

J'ai faim, j'ai soif (Alain le lait)





Other Great Resources:


Subject
Onlin​e Resource
Primary
Junior
Math
✓

Math
✓
✓
Math
IXL - free temporarily
✓
✓
Math
✓
✓
Math 
Math Contests

✓

✓
Math Games & Puzzles
✓
✓
Health and Physical Education
KidsHealth for Parents, Kids, and 
✓
✓

✓
✓
✓

✓
Science
Explore Learning Gizmos (free 14-day trial) 

✓
STEM
✓
✓
Literacy
IXL - free temporarily
✓
✓
Literacy
✓

Literacy

✓
Literacy
✓
✓
Literacy
✓
✓
Literacy
✓

Literacy
✓

Literacy
✓
✓
Literacy 
Epic!  (online books, free 30-day trial for parents)
✓
✓
Social Studies/History/Geography

✓
Social Studies/History/Geography

✓
Social Studies/History/Geography/LIteracy

✓
Digital Citizenship

✓
✓
Coding/Integrated Technologies
✓
✓
Coding
✓
✓
Coding/Integrated Technologies

✓
Cross-curricular / Problem Solving
✓
✓
Animation (with connections to Social Studies/Science/Arts)

✓
French
✓
✓
French
✓
✓
The Arts
Creativity ted Talks to watch with kids
✓
✓
The Arts
Culinary Arts for Kids: Families preparing culturally diverse meals
✓
✓
The Arts
✓
✓
The Arts
✓
✓
The Arts 
✓
✓
The Arts 
CODE Movement and drama
✓
✓
The Arts 
Song Maker allows creators to compose their own music on Google
✓
✓
The Arts 
Monologues for kids: Students can practice getting in role 
✓
✓
The Arts
Chrome MusicLab on Google

✓
The Arts
Drama Activities think creatively and solve problems.
✓
✓
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March is Greek Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board. It is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Greek Canadians to Canada, and an occasion to mark and enjoy the history of Greek culture.

The theme for this year is 
"Inquire, Innovate, Inspire - Σπουδή, Καινοτομία, Έμπνευση"
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Parents As Partners 
Conference Postponed

As a result of the ongoing labour action, we have decided to postpone the Parents as Partners Conference until the fall of 2020. This decision will ensure that we are able to offer the most comprehensive and the most dynamic conference that our parent community has come to expect from this informative and rewarding day.

Please visit www.parentsaspartners.ca in the fall for updates. In the interim, parents are encouraged to visit www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/ForParents for information related to supporting your child. Here you’ll find resources for mental health and well-being, homework, safety, curriculum and other ways to get involved.

We also invite parents to participate in the Parent and Community Involvement consultation that is now underway at www.tdsbengage.ca
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Consultation: bullying in Ontario schools


Share your feedback about bullying in Ontario schools so that we can help make schools safer and more inclusive. 

Closing date: March 31, 2020

             ______________________________

Please check with your lunch provider for orders when students return.  Orders typically do not carry over and will need to be re-ordered.


Dear Parents,
As you know, the government has mandated that all publicly funded schools are to close for March 23 - April 3, 2020.

There will be no need to contact the office about cancelling any orders for the 2-week period. Kid's Kitchen will handle everything internally.

Please note that cancelled orders will not be re-booked.
We will continue service as usual on Monday, April 6th.

You may log on and place your orders for April 6th onwards at any time. We will continue to communicate any updates by email.

We wish you a safe and happy March Break.

Take Care
The Kid's Kitchen Team

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After School and Lunchtime Programs – Spring 2020

For program schedules click here
For program costs and descriptions click here

Registration Starts: Friday, March 13
Last Day to Register: Friday, April 3 (may change)

No Late Registrations

Remember that registration is “first come, first served.”
Programs fill up quickly - register early to avoid disappointment!

Program Starts: Tuesday, April 14
Program Ends: Thursday, June 4
Registration Instructions:
To sign up for one or more of the above classes please:

●   Contact the provider directly via email, phone or their website between December 5th and December 20th. Registrations and payments are not handled by the school office.

●   The provider will confirm registration with you and direct you to pay via their website/credit card or interac e-transfer.

●   If you must pay by cheque, write one cheque per program and send with your child to first session, to be given to the program instructor  (Credit card or interac e-transfer preferred).

●   Subsidies

Families in financial need who qualify for a subsidy, must FIRST contact Principal Caroline Rosenbloom for approval before registering. Providers are unable to approve subsidies.
You may be eligible for one program per term.

OSAC AFTERSCHOOL/ LUNCHTIME PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Rhonda Chiger rhondachiger@comcast.net
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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters. 

                                                                                                                              

Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters. 

                                                                                                                              



Friday, 6 March 2020

March 6, 2020

Daylight Saving Time Begins – March 8, 2020

Daylight saving time starts on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 3:00 a.m.
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Toronto Public Health has provided some tips to keep everyone healthy at school.
  • No Sharing: Students should not share food with others.  Keep your meals to yourself.
  • Hand washing: Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, or use an ABHS, especially after coughing or sneezing.
  • Cough/sneeze etiquette: Cough and sneeze into arm or tissue.
  • Stay home when sick: Students/children should tell parents if not feeling well, and together, make a plan to stay home from school.
  • Keep clean: Keep hands away from face and mouth.
  • Stay healthy: Stay healthy by eating healthy foods, keeping physically active, getting enough sleep.
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Toronto District School Board
Finance Department
E-mail: belltimes@tdsb.on.ca

Dear Parents/Guardians at Owen PS,

Last June, Toronto District School Board Trustees approved an operating budget plan for the 2019-20 school year that required $67.8 million in staff reductions and changes to programs/services to address provincial government funding reductions and the TDSB’s annual structural deficit.

One of the changes approved last year was to stagger school start and end times at a number of elementary schools starting September 2020. Staggering school start and end times allows us to plan bus routes more efficiently, which is projected to save the TDSB approximately $2.5 million dollars. This is important as the TDSB currently spends more on student transportation than we receive from the government. We anticipate that these changes will also result in improvements to our transportation services.

As of September 2020, the start and end times of your school will change to:
 Start time (morning bell): 9:10 a.m.
 End time (afternoon bell): 3:40 p.m.

Please note that supervision will continue to be provided 15 minutes before the morning bell and 15 minutes after the afternoon bell.

We understand that this may be a change to your family’s routine. However, if we did not reduce transportation costs by staggering school start and end times, we would have to reduce other services and supports to students that would have more direct and negative impact on classroom teaching.
Beyond the cost savings of adjusting bell times to find efficiencies in student transportation, other benefits include:
 Improving service to remaining routes, as fewer bus drivers will be needed, which will help address the ongoing bus driver shortage;
 Ensuring that we maintain transportation services for all students currently being bussed (no service reductions) and maintain other important supports and services for all students; and,
 Removing approximately 55 busses from transportation routes, thereby reducing the board’s carbon footprint by approximately 2,750 metric tonnes per year. 

Public Meetings and Webinars
We will be holding in-person and online information meetings to answer questions and provide any additional information parents/guardians may need in order to assist with this transition.
In-person Information Meetings:
 Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at Richview CI (1738 Islington Ave., Etobicoke)
 Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at David and Mary Thomson CI (125 Brockley Dr., Scarborough)

Child-minding and interpretation services will be available upon request for the in-person meetings. Please email belltimes@tdsb.on.ca to request these services.
Virtual Information Meetings – Online Webchat:
 Thursday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
 Thursday, March 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca at the dates and times listed above to connect to the Virtual Information Meeting (online webchat).
While we understand that these changes may impact some families more than others, we are hopeful that everyone will understand that changing school start and end times will help prevent further cuts to programs and supports for students.
Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/belltimes for more information about the changes. If you have any questions, please email belltimes@tdsb.on.ca or speak with your school Principal.
Sincerely,
Craig Snider
Executive Officer, Finance

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Please check the Lost and Found

- in the front hallway in front of the gym 

- in the kindergarten hallway 


Please see if your child is missing any items. Clothing will be packed on the Friday before the March Break and will be donated for others to use.
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Windfields Cancellation of After 
Grade 5 Night

We just wanted to let you know that as a result of the continued sanctions we will have to postpone our after grade 5 night again. At this point we will wait to see but we will still have the orientation week for our feeder schools between April 27th and May 1st.







Join us for the Parents as Partners Conference on Saturday, March 28, 2020!

This all-inclusive conference is organized by TDSB parents for TDSB parents, guardians and caregivers. Participate in workshops, network with parents and community agencies and learn new strategies to support your child’s success.   https://www.parentsaspartners.ca/

Who:
ALL parents/guardians/caregivers of TDSB students are invited and welcome to attend.

What:
Parents as Partners Conference 2020 is a FREE conference. Whether your child is just beginning on their educational journey in elementary school or closer to graduation and planning for the future, there are informative and empowering sessions for parents/guardians/caregivers of students of all ages and stages of education.

Where:
Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, Ontario 

Why:
The Parents as Partners Conference 2020 is planned by parents, for parents and we are so pleased to be able to offer a selection of sessions that cover a broad range of topics to provide parents with useful information and resources to help your child improve their achievement and well-being at school and at home.
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Hot Lunch Program - Highlights for March 2020

Back by popular demand:

· Spaghetti with Meatballs in tomato sauce (other versions available online)
· Tuna Sandwich on a whole wheat kaiser

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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters. 

                                                                                                                              

Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters. 

                                                                                                                              


TDSB Days of Significance


March 2020
2
Clean Monday
Christianity – Eastern Orthodox
Greek Heritage Month
8
International Women’s and United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace
United Nations

9-10
Holi*
Hinduism

10-12
Holla Mohalla
Sikhism

10
Purim*
Judaism

12
Kuan Yin Birthday (Guan Yin)
Buddhism - Taiwanese

13
L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday
Church of Scientology

14
Sikh New Year
Sikhism

20
Ohigan (Spring Equinox)
Japanese National Holiday

21
International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
United Nations

20
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Wicca/Pagan

20
Persian New Year (Eid-e-Navroz)
Baha’i/Zoroastrian

21-22
Persian New Year (National Holiday)
Iranian Government

22
Isra’a Wal Miraj*
Islam

22
World Water Day
United Nations

24
Saka New Year (Nyepi)
Hinduism

25
Feast of the Annunciation
Christianity – Eastern Orthodox and Western

21 April
Mid Sha’ban*
Islam
Sikh Heritage Month
25
Ugandi (New Year)
Hinduism

26
Prophet Asho Zartosht’s Birthday
Zoroastrian



Owen Online Family Update - Week of December 18

  Dear Owen Families, As we approach the holidays, we are often reminded to count the ways in which we are fortunate.  While there are many ...