Owen Online Newsletter

Wednesday, 1 July 2020

July 1, 2020

Hello Owen Families,

Happy Canada Day! We hope you are enjoying the beginning of the summer break. It's been quite the learning for students, staff and parents over the last few months! I want to thank you for your support and patience as we progressed through the COVID-19 pandemic. We have learned a lot over the last few months and we look forward to carry on our learnings into the new school year.

Your child's Google Classroom will be open this summer for access to any of the resources available to them. They are free to review and access any of the online tools. The commenting and chat will be disabled and the classroom will not be monitored as teachers will be rejuvenating over the summer to be ready for September. Google classrooms will close at the end of August to prepare for the new classes.

As we take our holidays over the next two months, we will continue to keep you informed as the ministry and public health advise the board of our re-entry plans for September. An email will be sent out once plans have been confirmed. In the meantime, enjoy quality time with your family and stay active!

Whether you are enjoying the sun in your backyard or isolated with your family at the cottage, Owen staff wish you a happy summer vacation! Be safe and stay healthy!

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THANK YOU PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Our parents help in the classrooms with Scientist in the School, sell cookies to raise funds for grad, run pizza lunches to buy technology for the classrooms, organize fun events to raise money for the Forest of Reading and much more. Thank you parents for lending a helping hand and finding the time around your busy schedules to support our Owen community!

Just a little thanks from our students and staff!

https://youtu.be/T9mGz13UTQM

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REPORT CARDS

Due to school closure, this year report cards have been sent electronically through the board. They will continue to send report cards until July 6th. If you require a paper copy, you may pick up a copy in the fall when we return.

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BORROWED TECHNOLOGY:

If you are returning to Owen or a TDSB school, please hold onto the devices. We would like you to have an opportunity to review and continue with resources online that are available to you. Instructions for return will be provided in the fall.

Google Classrooms will be open and available for parents to access resources over the summer. The commenting and chat feature will be turned off as the Google Classroom will not monitored by teachers.

If you are not returning to a TDSB school, please drop of your device on Thursday morning. If there is no one in the office, please bring it to the caretakers door between Entrance 1 & 2. One of the caretakers can receive it and place it in a safe place. All devices should be labelled with the teacher name and student name.

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BE CREATIVE - MAKE A MOVIE

TDSB Student - Teen's viral short film inspired by 'monotony and numbness' of COVID-19 lockdown. Take a look at what one student

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HEARTS & MINDS

To the parents and caregivers of the Owen community,

Please take a moment to read through the 4^th version, our summer issue, of the attached newsletter, Hearts & Minds, which is being shared by the TDSB’s Psychological Services department. If you missed previous issues they can be found on the TDSB Psychological Services website, along with some information about the Psychology department. https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Professional-Support-Services/Psychological-Services

Thanks!

Take care and I hope you both have a wonderful summer!!

Karen Wright

School Psychologist

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LIBRARY BOOK RETURN

If your child is returning to Owen, library books that were borrowed from our school library prior to the school closure can be returned to the school in September.

If your child is not returning to Owen in September, library books should be returned by July 3rd . There will be a drop off bin outside of the caretaking office from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday to Friday.

The TDSB Virtual Library is open over the summer. Click on the link to explore the many online reading resources available.

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/library/

Ms Ierullo

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STAY ACTIVE!

Take a look at these great resources to stay active over the summer holidays! See Ella's example below.

Ms Kuzic

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Yearbook - Order now!

Yearbooks will be available for purchase through School Cash Online until July 24th. Please put in your orders soon!

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Celebrating Owen!

Check out what our Owen students have been up to at home...

Achuthan (FI 4) - A Message of Hope (with his siblings Sandana and Adithan)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f2ZDrPF9it4glvoxtmwYLUhSBxeKnE4H/view

Ella (FI4) - Favourite Sport Family Workout Video

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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.

Sunday, 21 June 2020

June 21, 2020

Hello Owen Families,

Summer is just around the corner and we're still active as can be. We are in our last week of school and just wrapping up the year.

This is not the way we expected to say good bye to our students but we do want to wish everyone a wonderful summer break! We will have one more school communication before we begin our summer.

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IF YOU ARE NOT RETURNING TO OWEN:

Please complete the Return to Owen form so we know where to transfer your files.

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BORROWED TECHNOLOGY:

If you are returning to Owen, please hold onto the devices and return them back to school on the first day of school. We would like you to have an opportunity to review and continue with resources online that are available to you

Google Classrooms will be open and available for parents to access resources over the summer. The commenting and chat feature will be turned off as the Google Classroom will not monitored by teachers.

If you are not returning to Owen, please drop of your device at school this week. If there is no one in the office, please bring it to the caretakers door between Entrance 1 & 2. One of the caretakers can receive it and place it in a safe place.

All devices should be labelled with the teacher name and student name.

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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Secondary Program Review Interim Report

The Interim Report of the Secondary Program Review was presented to Trustees last month, a first step in the development of a plan to address the inequities and imbalances throughout our current system. This report supports our next step forward as we start to re-imagine and re-draw our system in consultation and collaboration with our communities to enhance equity and support the achievement and well-being of each and every student in the TDSB, now and in the future.

We want to hear from you! Any recommendations made through this process will have an impact on current elementary students, as young as Grade 1. Our plan, if approved by Trustees in the fall, will create the roadmap for changes to our secondary schools and programs over the next 8 to 10 years.

No specific schools have been named for consolidation and no further steps will be taken without extensive local community consultation. Over the next four months, students, parents, staff and community members can continue to provide feedback and further insight through delegations and their local Trustee, by email to secondaryreview@tdsb.on.ca or on our online form. The Secondary Program Review Final Report will be presented to the Board in October 2020.

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Report Cards

This year, the report cards will be emailed to parents centrally from the board. The board will begin sending these out June 22nd through till the first week of July.

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Active Fitness - Zumba and Cardio with Lupita!

Thank you everyone for joining us for our Active Fitness classes! We were so happy to see many involved and active weekly! Thank you parents for helping your child connect!

Thank you Lupita for your enthusiasm throughout all our sessions. There was lots of positive feedback and it was lots of fun.

We hope everyone keeps active this summer!

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Yearbook - Order now!

Yearbooks will be available for purchase on through School Cash Online until July 24th. Please put in your orders soon!

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ASD After School Development Program - Summer 2020

We are pleased to inform you that there will be a remote Summer session of the ASD Afterschool Leisure Program which will run from July 6 – July 30, 2020. The program is available to students in grades 4-10 who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Please see the attached letter which includes the link for registration to the parents of the Grades 4 – 10 students with ASD.

The registration period will remain open until Friday, June 30, 2020.

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Celebrating Owen!

Check out what our Owen students have been up to at home...

Grade 3 Mini Unit on diversity and anti-racism

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQqDMpE41kVTObosJTJV5D34C0vsMS9h8d_hqf12p1reS_4HfHNySavi249VVF2iAd6-AdHjyDm4lZN/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Bernardo's (Gr 2)ABC Bike Safety

Hannah (Gr 4) - Field Day Activities and following along with a Dance tutorial AND practicing her skipping.

Try Patrick's (Gr 5) Guaco-Gallo for a great summer snack!

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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.

Sunday, 14 June 2020

June 14, 2020

Hello Owen Families,

Summer is just around the corner and we're still active as can be. Last week we were able to see some of our families who came to pick up student belongings. The process was very smooth. The best part was chatting with our students and parents.

We also noticed how beautiful our gardens look!

Our parents have been caring for our gardens and they had some help from their kids too! Here is who was involved:
Tatyana Lebid
Ekaterina Gres and her daughter Evelyn

Polina Degteva , Lee and Mey

Oksana Trapeznikova

Philip and Liudmila

Nina

"We love doing it! It’s also a great way of giving back to the community!"

Thank you Owen parents and students for being involved and for keeping Owen looking good!

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Picking Up Student Items from School - June 18th

This will be our last day for parents to pick up students' belongings from school. Daycare parents should contact Cheryl to book a time to pick up items on this same day.

Schools continue to be closed for the rest of the school year. However, the Toronto Public Health has approved the following protocol for parents to be allowed to come into the school to pick up student items before the year ends. It is not mandatory to come to the school to pick up belongings and students or parents/guardians should only visit the school if absolutely necessary.

We are offering 15 minute windows for parents/guardians with their child to come in. Thank you to those who have signed up. If you have not, please sign up for one time block at Owen Pick Up Registration . Log in with your email that the school normally contacts you at.

If you have more than one child, you will only need to sign up for one time block. Please sign up using your eldest child’s teacher. After you pick up items from this classroom, you can retrieve items from your other children’s classrooms immediately.

If you are feeling unwell, please do not come to the school. Before entering the building, you will be asked to conduct a self-assessment for any COVID-19 related symptoms, including fever, cough and runny nose and that you have not been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

When you arrive at the school, there are very strict guidelines that everyone must follow in order to keep everyone safe and healthy:

· drop off any items at the entry (include your child’s name, teacher and list of items returned)

· retrieve belongings from classroom quickly

· put any garbage in the bins provided

· exit school property promptly through the ramp doors (Entrance 5)

Thank you to those who have registered. Please sign up at here are very strict guidelines that everyone must follow in order to keep everyone safe and healthy:

Please be patient.
Anyone entering the school must do a self-assessment prior to coming to the school. Only those who have passed the self-assessment with no COVID-19 symptoms will be allowed access.
Arrive on time.
Enter only through the front entrance (Entrance 1).
Check in with staff to ensure you are on the list. If you have not registered, you will have to wait until there is a block available.
Use hand sanitizer upon entry.
Each visit is limited to 15 minutes. If you have more than one child, you can pick up your other children's items during that time.
Wear a mask or face covering (limited masks are available but you are encouraged to bring and wear your own).
Respect all physical distancing requirements, staying at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.
Drop off any items, such as library books/textbooks/instruments/team jerseys, at the entrance door (include your child’s name, teacher and list of items returned).
Retrieve belongings from classroom quickly.
Put any garbage in the bins provided.
Exit school property promptly through the ramp doors (Entrance 5)
Know that playgrounds are not open.

Please see the complete Guidelines for Picking Up Students’ Belongings from School.

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Report Cards

This year, the report cards will be emailed to parents centrally from the board. The board will begin sending these out June 22nd.

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More Active Fitness - Zumba and Cardio with Lupita!

Thank you everyone for joining us for our Zumba classes! Here is a clip of our Kindergarten - Gr 2 classes with some siblings too!

https://youtu.be/hYCxFZSRLpk

We will be offering one more session this week.

This week we will have the following:

(K-2) Tuesday from 1:00-1:30
(Gr 3-5) Friday from 1:00 - 1:30

An email will be sent to each grade with the date, time and Google Meet link. Photos or a short video clip will be taken. If you are not comfortable with your child being seen, please ensure their video camera is turned off.

Please send any song requests to Lupita at lupita_romo@yahoo.com

Thank you Lupita for leading us through these sessions!

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Elementary Summer School

Our elementary summer school program focus is to close the achievement and well-being gap and to continue student engagement into July. Programs for students in Grades 3 to 8 will be delivered from July 6 to 31, 2020 from 9am to 12pm. French programs will also be available for students currently in a French Immersion or Extended French Program. Remote synchronous learning will be offered. There is a possibility that learning may move from remote learning to in-class learning environments in accordance with the ongoing guidance of the Ministry of Education. Registration is online and is currently open to the public. More information is available at www.tdsb.on.ca/summer

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The Forest of Reading Online Festival

Thank you Parent Council for supporting our Forest of Reading participation! It's a great way to expose award winning books and gives students an opportunity to do read various genres, share their readings and vote on their favourites.

This year the awards are online and available for everyone to see! Please refer to the attached link for the awards ceremony schedule.

English awards will be presented on June 16th.

French awards will be presented on June 18th.

https://forestofreadingfestival.ca/forest-of-reading-festival-on-cbc-books/

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Celebrating Owen!

Check out what our Owen students have been up to at home...