Mr. Howard’s Newsletter – June 18 Edition
by Andrew Howard - Principal Click here to comment »
The end of the school year is a time for all of us to reflect on the year that is ending. Thank you for supporting your child’s education by being involved. Working together makes a big difference in the success of your child. On your behalf, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students, staff, classroom assistants, administrators, office staff, caretakers and parents for their many contributions this year. The support, encouragement and efforts of all individuals have provided the students with excellent learning opportunities and the students have met the challenges head on. Students have excelled in many areas, both within the school and beyond, and we are very proud of them.
Finally, I would like to personally thank all of you for the support you have shown me in my first year at St. Andrew’s. I have grown attached to the community, making many friendships and building many relationships along the way. I am looking forward to returning next year. I hope, together, we have worked to ensure a tradition of educational excellence in a school and community that deserves nothing but the very best.
I am confident that with the outstanding teachers and supportive, caring parents, the students of St. Andrew’s will continue to reach their full potential and be able to achieve the goals they set for themselves. The future is in their hands. Amongst them there will be lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. who will strive to be productive members of society.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this tradition and a part of your family. I, too, have grown this year and become a better person as a result of my year at St. Andrew’s. To Ms. Dubeau and the incredible office staff, thank you for your support, guidance, expertise, and passion for education. Together, we have built a strong team in the best school in the TDSB!
It seems as though this school year has just begun and yet, once again, we find ourselves at the end. How quickly time flies! Often at this time of year, we experience changes in staff for the next school year. This year is no exception. In my last newsletter, we said goodbye to a number of St. Andrew’s staff. In this newsletter, I was hoping to introduce you to some of our new staff, but am unable to do so at this time. We will be working hard throughout the summer months to arrange for the best possible teachers for your children. We are extremely confident that our search will turn up some outstanding candidates. Specific assignments for these individuals and for all St. Andrew’s staff will be shared on the first day of classes in September.
The next couple of weeks will be busy attempting to close up the school after a successful year while at the same time preparing for September opening.
On Friday, a free healthy fruit freezie was provided by the HALE (Healthy Active Living Education) committee. All students were offered a free fruit freezie at morning break. It was a welcome refreshment for all grades, especially the grade 9’s who had just finished writing their EQAO tests!
As this year winds to a close, the St. Andrew’s Parent Council would like to say THANK YOU to our school community. We have had another successful year raising funds to provide our children with opportunities and support that they would not have had otherwise. Our fundraising dollars were spent on things like after school clubs, sports equipment, educational materials etc. Thank you to all of our parents who have made this possible! 
The last Parent Council meeting of the year was held on May 31st. We agreed on the final allocation of our fundraising spending and got updates on the school and Parent Council for next year. For more details, the minutes 
Our next and last meeting of this school year will be held Monday, May 31st at 7pm in the school library. We will be allocating the remainder of our fundraising money and doing preliminary planning for next year. We hope you can attend! Minutes from our previous meeting are 
St. Andrew’s Parent Council needs you! Please consider volunteering for next year. We need a Parent Council Chairperson or Co-Chairs, as well as a Vice-Chair. Volunteer on your own or share with a friend!
The Ward Forum Meeting held May 3rd presented guest speaker, Kathleen Wynne MPP, past Minister of Education and presently Minister of Transportation. She discussed her responsibilities, the revamped sex education curriculum and the new Early Learning policy. 
On Friday, April 30, the St. Andrew’s Chess Team along with 7 other schools participated in the TDSB City Championships. St. Andrew’s, the North Division Champs, competed against the other divisional champions. The boys on the St. Andrew’s team started the day off winning 6 straight matches and by the end of the day had clinched the City Championships in a decisive manner bringing home the gold and an impressive trophy to be displayed until next year.
We are starting to organize our Parent Council for next year and really need your help! Have you thought about getting a little more involved in your child’s school? It’s a great way to keep your pulse on what’s happening at St. Andrew’s and help your school and children as well.
Everything's great, except that the Frosh Frolic teams' class lables were wrong. Oh well, [...]