St. Andrews Junior High News

In this update….

• Halloween Memories
• Remembrance Day at St. Andrews JHS
• Information for Parents in the School
• Arrival times – Morning and Lunch
• Report Cards are coming
• Principal’s Message
• Nut Free Environment
• Student Leadership Council News
• Grade 8 Secondary Information Evenings for Parents
• Communication between home and school…staying informed!
• ESP School Safety Survey
• Character Development – This is “Empathy” Month
• Pizza Day – Win a lunch for your class!

What a Halloween Blast

October 31st has come and gone and yet the lingering effects of a tremendous time are still in the air. From an outstanding Halloween Bake Sale (thank you to the many parent volunteers who gave their time to organize, sell and promote the event) to a spirited Halloween dance, St. Andrew’s pride and ability to party was most certainly on display. The costumes were great and the behaviour of our students was even better. Way to go St. Andrew’s!

Lest we forget… November 11

In true St. Andrew’s tradition, our school will be gathering together at two separate times for our Remembrance Day Assemblies on November 11th. They will begin immediately after morning announcements (9:00-9:45, 9:45-10:30 approx.). Teachers and students have been working together on a memorable and very special tribute to our fallen soldiers. This may include a play, some readings, laying of wreaths, and a few musical performances. Parents and community members are invited to join us in the cafeteria. Although seating and space is very limited, we hope for a great turnout from the community. Students will receive poppies just prior to the assembly. As in the past, please consider making a small donation to help with the War Veterans’ efforts—your contribution may be submitted in an envelope to your child’s teacher.

A special thank you to the teachers and individual students, who are working to prepare for these two very special assemblies.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Information for Parents in the School

Parent Volunteers

Thank you to the many parents who continue to volunteer in our school in so many ways. We are thrilled to see parents sending in the application form for the Police Criminal Reference Check. If you are still awaiting a response from the Board, please be patient as they are truly very busy, but usually the process can be completed within a couple of weeks.

Please sign the appropriate book in the office and pick up a volunteer badge in order to begin your volunteer activities (Please return the badge at the end of each visit).

Visiting Parents

Parents and visitors are welcome at our school. However, we ask that all visitors report to the office when entering the building. This will help us to:

• Ensure student safety
• Minimize disruption to classes
• Maintain school routines

Students who are picked up early must sign out in the office with a note from home in hand or must have a parent come in to the office to indicate the need for the student to be dismissed. Although we prefer a written note, parents/guardians can also call the office directly to indicate the need for their child to be dismissed from school.

Lunches and other belongings must be dropped off at the office. Your child will be called to come and collect his/her items.

Arrival times – Morning and Lunch

The morning entry bell rings at 8:45 a.m. and the afternoon entry bell rings at 12:38 p.m. (early lunch) or 1:29 p.m. (late lunch); students should be entering the building at those times.

To help ensure student safety, late arrivals must check in at the main office to receive an admit slip into class from one of the office staff.

At lunch time, during inclement weather, please help your child understand the process outlined below so that we can ensure safety in and out of the school:

• If going home for lunch, or to one of the local establishments, that is a choice students are making. They should only return to school for the bell at the end of lunch. The reason for this is that there are no lunch room supervisors outside to ensure safety as they are all indoors with the students who have remained in school for lunch.

  If students would not prefer to be outside for any great length of time during inclement weather, they must make the conscious decision to stay at school. Your assistance in helping your child follow these routines is greatly appreciated.

• If it begins to rain during the lunch hour while students are outside or returning from home, an announcement will be made and all students should enter the front doors of the school and head to the cafeteria. As the weather changes very quickly, please look for supervisors when you return to school and if they are not visible, an indoor lunch recess has most likely come in to affect.

Report Cards are coming

Report cards are coming soon! I can’t believe the first term is coming to a close already. Please continue to check your children’s agendas or monthly class calendars to stay aware of upcoming tests, final assignments, and presentations. Continue to have your child read each evening for twenty minutes. To vary this activity, have them read to you as well as doing some shared reading together.

Report cards will go home on Friday, November 27 , 2009. We will have our parent teacher conferences on Thursday, Dec. 2nd in the evening and on Friday, Dec. 3rd in the morning. Some teachers may have also scheduled phone interviews with parents at some point during this week. All parents will receive notification of scheduled interview times by Wednesday, December 1, 2009.

Principal’s Message

It’s hard to believe that November is here. As we reflect back on October, we remember so many wonderful displays of student, staff and community participation. To this point in the term, there has been the very successful Frosh Frolic for grade 7 students, Thanksgiving food drive, Terry Fox Run For The Cure; the Halloween Bake Sale and dance; and incredible Cross Country and Slow Pitch team results.

St. Andrew’s is so special because there are so many incredible people that are associated with it on a day-to-day basis. Thank you all for playing an instrumental role in creating a positive learning environment, complete with wonderful educational opportunities, fun-filled activities, and safety. You are all representatives of educational excellence. I am grateful and honoured to be working with you. Together, we can make a difference.

Nut Free Environment

Now that Halloween has come and gone, we are even more aware of the food items students are bringing into the school. In our effort to promote and instill a healthy, safe and active lifestyle in our students, please help us by sending “healthy,” nut-free snacks for break and lunchtime. Some of these may include fresh fruit, veggies, plain popcorn, pretzels, baked chips, raisins, dried/canned fruit, yogurt and cheese. A reminder, especially at this time of year with so many students wanting to bring to school their Halloween treats, that we have many students with life-threatening allergies to nuts or nut products. Thank you in advance for keeping all our students safe and healthy!

Student Leadership Council (SLC)

The 2009-2010 school year has been exciting with many new initiatives, ideas and aspirations. In order to ensure that the students have a voice in some of the decision-making around school initiatives, the “Student Leadership Council” has been formed and is ready to make a positive impact on the school.

The students applied for executive positions in the council and were also nominated by classmates to be class representatives on the general council. It was a fascinating process that included presidential/vice-presidential and secretarial speeches that students prepared and delivered on two separate occasions in front of their peers as part of our student government assembly. They were all amazing and we are so proud of their willingness to take a chance and to want to make a difference in their school and community.

The end result is the 2009-2010 Student Leadership Council. We are proud to announce this wonderful group who will represent St. Andrew’s students at a three day leadership conference at the Talisman Resort in November. Congratulations to the following individuals:

• President: Rownock Z.
• VP External: Hilary P. & Linda H.
• VP Internal: Linkun Y. & Henry Y.
• Secretary: David K.
• VP Communications: Jennifer T., Isabelle W. & Jing L.

A huge thank you must go out to Ms. Stella and Ms. Assaad who have committed to working with our student leadership council and were instrumental in ensuring the process of selection was organized, fair and communicated clearly. Way to go teachers!

Grade 8 Secondary Information Evenings for Parents

High school is a big step in a student’s school life. For many elementary school students and their parents, it can seem like a big and scary place. TDSB staff can help ease any anxieties and show all of the exciting possibilities the transition has to offer. In high school, students have the opportunity to explore a variety of different programs and courses, participate in a wide-range of extracurricular activities, develop life-long friendships, and prepare for post-secondary life.

From November through to January, TDSB secondary schools across the city are hosting parent information evenings to help grade 8 students and parents make informed decisions about high school. Discover a wealth of information about our secondary schools, including programs, special characteristics, and diploma requirements. To find out when your neighbourhood school is offering an information night, visit tdsb.on.ca/parents/infonight where you can also view a short movie about some of the great program opportunities available in TDSB secondary schools.

Communication between home and school…staying informed!

One of the most important aspects of a child’s academic success is the communication between the home and school. Parents, teachers and administrators are all essential components in the education of students and must work together to help all students reach their potential. Communication between home and school may be to convey positive messages of accomplishments and progress and may also be used to address issues and concerns. An open line of communication is essential to keep everyone informed of important information to help students meet academic and social goals.

In today’s busy society, many parents are working professionals either in the home or in a place of business and communication with the school may be difficult because of the hectic schedules that everyone keeps. As a result, both teachers and parents can develop a sense of anxiety and concern when communication is not readily available.
There are a variety of ways to communicate with your child’s teacher including:

• Student agenda
• Phone call
• Face-to-face interview
• Email

Depending on your personal schedule, one or more of these options may be preferred and yet they are not always as convenient or effective for the teacher who is in need of sharing information or listening to your concerns as parents. Quite often, if there is a concern that needs to be discussed, the ability to have a conversation in person or over the phone is preferable. This form of communication may not always be the most convenient for the parent, especially those who are always on the go and do a lot of business via the computer or personal blackberry device.

Although email may be more convenient for some parents, difficulty arises from interpretation of the written word, expediency with which a parent desires response from an email and the difficulty of having to respond multiple times based on new information or questions being asked. The ability to speak in person or over the phone eliminates many of these concerns.

This is not to say that email is not possible or that it is a poor way of communicating with your child’s teacher or the administration – quite the contrary. However, please understand that there are sometimes important reasons why the teacher or administration may wish to speak with you in person or on the phone, rather than by e-mail. With so many methods of communication available, we are confident that we can find effective solutions to meet the needs of parents and the school to keep everyone informed of necessary information about your child.

The times have definitely changed and we now live in a very technological world. At St. Andrew’s we are attempting to meet the needs of this new technological age while not losing sight of the importance of personal conversations to ensure success in the school environment.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child and of St. Andrew’s Junior High.

ESP School Safety Survey

In the month of September, St. Andrew’s students completed a School Safety Survey which was designed to give us feedback on areas of concern. Members of the ESP (Empowered Student Partnerships) committee have been volunteering during their lunch hours to tabulate the results and are hoping to complete the job by next week. The committee is planning on posting the results in school for students to see, and we will be sending the results to you via the school enewsletter soon.

Anti-Bullying Week

November 16 – 22 is Anti-Bullying Week and St. Andrew’s is going to participate in an unusual way this year. Students are going to “Stand Up and Rise Above”. This is the name of a special campaign against bullying, the focus of Family Channel’s “nation-wide wave effort on November 20, 2009”. Check out this exciting educational opportunity at: toronto4kids.com/content/view/871.

Character Development – This is “Empathy” Month

November is Empathy month at the Toronto District School Board. As a part of our focus on developing empathy, we are encouraging our students to participate in initiatives organized by staff and students such as the Holiday Food Drive and Operation Christmas Child. The latter initiative is a way for students to reach out to others who are less fortunate. Students bring in small unused toys, toiletries, etc to fill shoeboxes, which are sent to children around the world. If you have suggestions for other initiatives for our students to help develop empathy, please let us know.

Pizza Day – Win a lunch for your class!

Please find attached a coupon to be filled out for a raffle to win a free pizza lunch for the home room class. Print it, fill it out and have your child place it in the raffle box located in the main office.

The draw will take place on Friday, Nov. 20 to be redeemed some time in December before the Holiday season. Good luck to all!