PIZZA LUNCH

A reminder that Wednesday May 2nd is our next Pizza Lunch. The pizza has already been ordered for Wednesday – if there are any, extra slices will be available for $3.00 each but please make sure your child also has a lunch on Wednesday as extra slices cannot be guaranteed.

TRACK and FIELD

Unfortunately Mother Nature has not been on our side when it comes to our Track and Field season this year. Our first meet, the South Conference Qualifiers, is going to be held on Thurs. May 10th however, due to our prolonged poor weather, we’ve only just been able to start practices this past week. As much as weather permits, please find attached the schedule of practices that we’re hoping to have over the next two weeks. Please note that as TDSB has changed their policies, only students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 will have the opportunity to attend the Track and Field meets this year. All interested students are welcome to participate in practices but spaces in each Track and Field event are limited and therefore selected athletes will be offered the opportunity to attend the meet.

MUSIC MONDAY

Launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday is the world’s largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers participate in a simultaneous nationwide concert performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist. It is a full day of celebration, always on the first Monday of May. In 2018, Music Monday will happen on May 7th. Students, community groups, musicians and artists across the country joined their voices to sing the Music Monday anthem ‘Sing it Together’. For more information about Music Monday please visit: https://www.musicmonday.ca We are encouraging all parents/caregivers to come and join us for our Music Monday celebration on May 7th. We’ll start as soon as lunch finishes (at approximately 1:00pm) gathering in the basketball court area (we’ll move into the gym if the weather doesn’t cooperate). Come and hear our choirs and our band and join in the singing of the Music Monday Anthem (the words and music can be found on the website: https://www.musicmonday.ca/anthem-sing-it-together/) and of course the Huron School Song will round out our celebration. Please feel free to invite family and friends – Music Monday is definitely a community event!

ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOL IN THE MORNINGS

A reminder to everyone that unless students need to come into the office in the morning, everyone should walk around directly to the schoolyard and be prepared to meet classes when the bell rings. Students and their families should not be coming into the school unless there is a reason to do so. Families please be conscious of the fact that the office is a very busy place in the mornings and it’s not always possible for us to answer the buzzer immediately when it rings. Please support Ms. Vallely with this and let’s try and reduce the number of people coming into the building unnecessarily. Of course no changes for families coming to Superfriends in the morning.

LOST AND FOUND

As the weather changes we know from experience that the amount of clothing in Lost and Found seems to increase dramatically, as outdoor clothing is removed when the students get hot playing outside…and then not always reclaimed. Even in these very early days of spring we already have an enormous collection of ‘stuff’ in Lost and Found …please remember to check our Lost and Found structure in the front foyer frequently and take home items that belong to you.

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

Our next School Council Meeting will be happening on Tuesday April 24th, 2018 at 6:00pm. Babysitting and pizza will be available for children – all parents/caregivers are welcome to attend the meeting and be a part of the discussions.

SIGHT and SOUND CLINIC

For families that are registered, a reminder that the rescheduled date for the Sight and Sound Clinic (Vision and Hearing Screening) is Wednesday April 25th.

SPECIAL “EARTH DAY” on FRIDAY

Due to the less than ideal weather conditions last week, we decided to postpone our Schoolyard and Community Clean-Up so now this Friday, April 27th, is going to be a special “Earth Day” at Huron with both our Clean-Up and Huron Earth Hour happening. Our Huron Earth Hour for April is going to be held on Friday April 27th from 2:20-3:20pm. As part of our commitment to being a Platinum Level Eco-School, this is an opportunity for our school community, every month, to focus on ways we can reduce our energy consumption. We turn off as many lights as we can and power down/turn off as many electronics as possible. Classrooms use this time for discussions and planning. We would encourage Huron families to think about engaging in similar activities at home as well. Also on Friday April 27th, all classes will be participating in School Clean-Up Day. As a school community we will be cleaning our school yard as well as going to some of the local parks and playgrounds to lend our support to clean-up activities happening there. We would love to have parents/caregivers helping us – please speak to your child’s teacher for the specifics of when and where their class will be cleaning. Everyone needs to remember to dress appropriately for the weather that day as everyone will be outside at some point. For more information about School Clean-Up day, and how you can also get involved in Community Clean-Up events, please visit: https://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/kb/docs/articles/environment-and-energy/clean-toronto-together-corporate-and-school-clean-up-day-community-clean-up-day.html

HURON LIBRARY NEWS

Our students in kindergarten to grade 3 have all been reading the same Canadian-authored Ontario Library Association Blue Spruce picture books. On Monday April 16th, they voted for the best book. The winner will be announced this Monday! In grades 3-6, students have an opportunity to join the Silver Birch reading club. Over 50 readers have been reading fiction, nonfiction and quicker express books. To earn a signature on their passport, they had a book talk with an expert staff reader. Now over 25 students are eligible to vote this Monday, and the winner will be announced on Friday, April 27th. Along the way, there are many ways to celebrate reading – from cheers by the club, to watching Jenny Depuis on a video chat (co-author of “I am Not a Number”), to treats, and perhaps visiting the fiction and nonfiction awards ceremonies at the Harbourfront Center on May 16th. Of course, our real joy is getting to celebrate and share the love of reading across Huron with friends.

LOST AND FOUND

As the weather changes the amount of clothing in Lost and Found seems to increase dramatically, as outdoor clothing is removed when the students get hot playing outside…and then not always reclaimed. Even in these very early days of spring we already have an enormous collection of ‘stuff’ in Lost and Found, and in addition to clothing our Lost and Found structure is also home to many, many water bottles, lunch bags, an umbrella or two, baseball gloves, etc.. Please remember to check our Lost and Found structure in the front foyer frequently and take home items that belong to you.

To Huron parents/caregivers:

Due to the continuing poor conditions in our school yard and in the neighbourhood parks caused by last weekend’s ice storm, we have decided to postpone our “Earth Day Clean-up” activities until Friday April 27th, 2018 (instead of doing them tomorrow).

On Friday April 27th, all classes will be participating in School Clean-Up Day. As a school community we will be cleaning our school yard as well as going to some of the local parks and playgrounds to lend our support

to clean-up activities happening in those locations.

We would love to have parents/caregivers helping us – please speak to your child’s teacher for the specifics of when and where their class will be cleaning. Everyone needs to remember to dress appropriately for the weather that day as everyone will be outside at some point. All the activities that were planned for tomorrow will be happening next Friday (April 27th) instead.

We are hoping you can join us in these activities or by participating in other Earth Day activities or actions with your family. For more information about School Clean-Up day, and how you can also get involved in Community Clean-Up events, please visit:

https://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/kb/docs/articles/environment-and-energy/clean-toronto-together-corporate-and-school-clean-up-day-community-clean-up-day.html

To our Huron School Community:

Although it may seem early, it’s time to start thinking about summer plans and programming. As you know, our on-site daycare, Superfriends, offers summer camp programs – please see the attached flyer for more information.

Remember that Superfriends Summer Camps are available for anyone interested – children do not need to attend Huron Street School nor do they need to be in the daycare program from September to June. The Summer Camp Programs are for everyone.

Space is limited so register early.

EARTH WEEK AT HURON

April 16th to April 20th is “Earth Week” at Huron, with events all week long leading up to “Earth Day” celebrations at school on Friday (and Earth Day being celebrated internationally on April 22nd). One of the programs that will be in place next week is a return of our “WASTE FREE LUNCH WEEK”. This means that next week there will be no landfill, recycling or compost containers in the gym or Kindergarten classrooms at lunchtime. Everything that comes to school next week will go home again – we will be having true ‘boomerang lunches’ next week. We are encouraging students to bring no waste lunches – through reusable containers, water bottles, whole fruits and other waste free snack and lunch ideas. This initiative has been shared by our Eco student leaders on the morning announcements. We hope to catch many students being waste-free or as waste-reduced as possible. Another focus at school during Earth Week is on reducing plastic. Our students will be learning about plastic waste (like plastic water bottles or bags), its environmental impact and ways to reduce the amount of plastic we use. This is part of the larger worldwide Earth Day week focus on ending plastic pollution (more on this at https://www.earthday.org/). We are also encouraging students to make a plastic pledge for reducing plastic waste. Then on Friday April 20th, all classes will be participating in “School Clean-Up” Day. As a school community we will be cleaning our school yard as well as going to some of the local parks and playgrounds to lend our support to clean-up activities happening there. We would love to have parents/caregivers helping us – please speak to your child’s teacher for the specifics of when and where their class will be cleaning. Everyone needs to remember to dress appropriately for the weather that day as everyone will be outside at some point. We are hoping you can join us in these activities by learning more about plastic pollution with us, or by participating in other Earth Day activities or actions with your family. For more information about School Clean-Up day, and how you can also get involved in Community Clean-Up events, please visit: https://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/kb/docs/articles/environment-and-energy/clean-toronto-together-corporate-and-school-clean-up-day-community-clean-up-day.html

PLAYGROUND REVITALIZATION MEETING # 2

Additional information about this has already been sent in a separate email, so please make sure your calendars are marked for Tuesday, April 17th at 6:00pm in the Gym, where we’ll be holding our Schoolyard Revitalization Community Meeting #2. We’ve collected the online survey results from Huron families, Annex community members and staff members. We’ve also collected student input from the classrooms. We want to share what we’ve learned and put key ideas forward. Ward 10 Councillor Joe Cressy and School Board Trustee Ausma Malik will be in attendance again. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday at 6:00pm – please come and participate!

SIGHT and SOUND CLINIC

For families that are registered, a reminder that the Sight and Sound Clinic (Vision and Hearing Screening) will be at Huron on Monday April 16th.

DENTAL SCREENING

Another reminder that the Dental Screening conducted by Toronto Public Health will be happening at Huron on April 19th, 20th, and 23rd. More information about this has already been sent to all families in a separate email.

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

Our next School Council Meeting will be happening on Tuesday April 24th, 2018 at 6:00pm. Babysitting and pizza will be available for children – all parents/caregivers are welcome to attend the meeting and be a part of the discussions.

Again this year we are pleased to let you know that a Sight and Sound Clinic (Vision and Hearing screening) will be held here at Huron – we have sufficient numbers of families who have returned the registration form for the clinic to run at Huron. The Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS), an independent, registered charitable foundation of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is offering their vision and hearing screening services at our school. The vision screening includes tests for visual acuity, colour blindness, depth perception and strabismus (eye turning in/out). The vision and hearing screenings are conducted by trained International Medical Graduates (IMG). A nominal fee is charged to cover the services administrative costs. Please note that this is only a screening and NOT a complete vision and hearing examination. If a problem is detected at the screening, a note will be sent home to direct you to a health care professional(s) for further evaluation and assessment. The vision and hearing screening services are optional however a minimum of 25 students have registered and our vision and hearing screening is scheduled on April 16, 2018. Please also note that OHIP covers the cost of full eye examination by an Optometrist once a year for children 19 years and under.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PINK

April 11, 2018 marks the International Day of Pink. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all forms of bullying. The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2 students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The result was that an entire school took a stand and began working together to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying. The message was clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying, but together we can stop it. Each year on the second Wednesday of April, millions of people wear pink and take a stand. The Day of Pink is a symbol, a spark, that empowers and inspires youth across Canada to create amazing social change! For more information about the International Day of Pink please visit: http://www.dayofpink.org
We encourage everyone in our Huron community to wear something pink on Wednesday April 11th.

ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOL IN THE MORNINGS

It seems a reminder is needed please, that unless students need to come into the office in the morning, all students and their families should walk around directly to the schoolyard and be prepared to meet classes when the bell rings. Students and their families should not be coming into the school unless there is a reason to do so. Families please be conscious of the fact that the office is a very busy place in the mornings and it’s not always possible for us to answer the buzzer immediately when it rings. Please support Ms. Vallely with this and let’s try and reduce the number of people coming into the building unnecessarily. Of course no changes for families coming to Superfriends in the morning.

ACORN FUNDRAISER

If you forgot to return your Acorn order by last Friday the good news is that last-minute orders can still be accepted first thing on Monday morning (April 9th). Please make sure all Acorn art orders are in the office by 9:00am on Monday – and thanks to everyone for your support of this wonderful fundraiser.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Please see this information below, as well as the attachment, for information about a new after-school program that is hoping to start here at Huron this spring. Minimum registration numbers are needed – if you’re interested in more information or to register please contact Codezilla Kids directly. If your child is already involved in an after-school program on Mondays, but you might be interested in Codezilla for next year please make that information known to Codezilla Kids as well.

Tech Toys Code + Play (Gr 1-6)

Kids learn coding fundamentals without ever touching a computer! Children play with a variety of award-winning tech toys, apps and robots that introduce them to early computational thinking and Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) in a fun and engaging way. This is one of Codezilla’s most popular programs, with 500+ children enjoying our educational tech toys at multiple schools, camps and weekend workshops.

See videos and photos of Codezilla’s school programs here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147426644@N04/sets/72157689672098662/

See videos and photos of Codezilla’s Tech Toys program here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147426644@N04/sets/72157662902345807

PIZZA LUNCH

A reminder that Wednesday April 4th is our next Pizza Lunch. The pizza has already been ordered for Wednesday – if there are any, extra slices will be available for $3.00 each but please make sure your child also has a lunch on Wednesday as extra slices cannot be guaranteed.

ACORN FUNDRAISER

Please be advised that we are launching another Acorn School Fundraising campaign to raise money for classroom materials Acorn provides a fun and fulfilling experience for our students. Using your child’s artwork, Acorn can reproduce the art on items such as cards, calendars, placemats and more. All their items are of the highest quality and built to last, but more importantly, they will make a wonderful keepsake of your child’s school year. Be on the look out for artwork completed on an Acorn order form. The form provides a description and pricing for the 6 items available. If for any reason you do not like the art, Acorn allows for a replacement to be glued onto the form over the existing art. Ensure your order is legible and accurate, as the information provided appears on your products. Also, if you are paying by cheque make sure the cheque is stapled to the cover sheet and not to the artsheet. Leave the cover sheet on the form and return it to the school with your payment by our APRIL 6 DEADLINE. We encourage you, as part of the school community, to support this endeavour. Remember all the money raised goes directly back to our school. In return, you will receive something of value, something that is as useful as it is unique and can be kept as a memento for years to come.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PINK

April 11, 2018 marks the International Day of Pink. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all forms of bullying. The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2 students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The result was that an entire school took a stand and began working together to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying. The message was clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying, but together we can stop it. Each year on the second Wednesday of April, millions of people wear pink and take a stand. The Day of Pink is a symbol, a spark, that empowers and inspires youth across Canada to create amazing social change! For more information about the International Day of Pink please visit: http://www.dayofpink.org We we encourage everyone in our Huron community to wear something pink on Wednesday April 11th.