Fern Ave. Public School Blog

Click here to download the January 2011 newsletter.

This Thursday evening from 6-7pm, an information evening has been scheduled for the parents of our Grade 7 students who will be attending the ALBION HILLS trip in January. The evening will be hosted by Michelle Blackie, from the Albion Hills Centre, who will answer questions and provide details about the upcoming trip. If you are interested in attending, please join us in the auditorium on Thursday. We look forward to seeing you!

Now that our pool is once again open, Jack of Sports will begin running their popular evening swimming lessons on January 3. For more information visit Fern’s sign-up page on the Jack of Sports website or download their flier .

Click here to download the menu and sign-up form for January 2011. And please return your completed forms to the office by Thursday, December 16.

Thank you so much for your support of the new lunch program as we iron out the kinks and get used to the new format. We hope you, and especially your kids, have been enjoying the caterer! Over the last couple of months we have learned a lot about running the lunch program. Starting in the new year we are making a few changes so things run more smoothly and wanted to let you know about them. Monthly Lunch Sign-up Starting in January you will be able to sign up for a month of lunches in advance. You will still be able to pick and choose the meals you’re interested in. We will also continue with weekly reminders for families who missed the first week of the month. Deadlines We will have to start strictly enforcing the deadlines for submitting lunch orders. Lunch orders for the following week must be submitted by the Tuesday before (except for next week—you’ve got until Thursday). We have to submit our numbers to the caterer in advance. Any extras submitted after the deadline i

This month, the Parent Council Meeting will be replaced by a cocktail party at 95 Galley Avenue on Thursday, December 16th from 7 - 11pm. All parents of the Fern School Community are welcome, as well as Teacher's and Administrators. Please rsvp to LDOOHER@rogers.com.

From the Library Fern’s annual Book Fair was held from November 15th to 18th. Once again, parent volunteers, library assistants and the hundreds of students and parents who visited the fair and bought books made this annual event a terrific success! Library assistants stapled letters to book fair flyers, and delivered them to classrooms. They put up signs asking for parent volunteers, and posted book fair signs in stairwells and hallways around the school. They also gave up recesses and lunch hours to set up for the fair, straighten books, direct children and their parents, and carry out any other task that was asked of them. Parents and high school students volunteered their time to help out during school hours. They sold books, directed traffic, and advised prospective buyers about good books. Once again, this year, Paul Stones volunteered his services to run the book fair from Monday to Thursday. He came in and set it up, carting tabl

Dear Parents and Guardians (Fern Community), We know that this is an incredibly busy time of the year, and much is going on before the holiday, however we are hoping that all of you will be able to help Ms. Tse and her students with the following: Room 205 students, beginning tomorrow until next Thursday, December 16, will be collecting NEW hats, new and/or gently used (washed) mittens/gloves and scarves for adults and children for our local shelter(s) and churches. We would like to spread awareness and extend a hand to those who could use some extra warmth this winter. The students will be providing each classroom with a poster about the drive, as well as visiting all rooms each morning to collect any items brought in. We will also have daily reminders about the drive over the morning announcements. Thank you in advance for your support and help in this endeavour. It is greatly appreciated. We apologise for the short notice; we just had to get the okay from Mr. Moy and the Parent Coun

Program Description There were several key issues identified in today’s schools for preteens. Some of these include bullying, self-esteem, environmental awareness and coping skills. The Go Be Tween’s is a collaborative afterschool program between the board and school that involves teachers, the children and the community. It is also a life skills program that helps preteens (ages 10 – 14) develop coping strategies for high school and the adult world. The Arts will be used as the medium to foster self-esteem and leadership skills. The Go Be Tweens allows preteens to focus on discussing key issues that affect their daily lives as adolescents such as bullying, conflict resolution, addressing emotions, boundaries, communication and technology. The” Go BeTweens” will serve as a guideline in fostering life skills afterschool programs. For parents this program provides a creative environment where pre-teens collaborate on art and community projects that build self awareness and discover their

On Tuesday, December 14th the Early Years Team (Fern Kindergarten children, Ferncliff Daycare kindergarten/preschool children and children who visit the drop-in centre) will be having a holiday Sing-along in the auditorium from 10:45-11:15am in the auditorium . We kindly ask that you bring in a canned good to help support the food drive. Any afternoon kindergarten children who wish to attend must be accompanied by an adult. Sincerely, The Early Years Team

All families of children who attend Ferncliff Daycare, Fern Kindergarten or attend the Parenting Drop-in Centre are invited to the Early Years Open-House on: Tuesday, December 14th from 4:00-5:30pm. Please stop for some holiday activities and treats. The Early Years Team

Dear Fern Avenue JSPS parents, Ms. Gunsinger will be returning to her teaching duties with us on January 10th, 2011. For your information and gentle consideration, Ms. Gunsinger returns to us after the tragically unexpected death of her newborn infant daughter this past October. While we are thrilled to have her return to Fern Avenue, we are filled with sadness as to the reason why it is sooner than originally anticipated. We wished to have you informed prior to her return. Thank you.

We've posted the minutes for the first two council meetings of the school year on the School Council page. The minutes from the November 25th meeting should be available shortly. There will be no meeting in December.

Just as a secondary reminder that Fern Avenue Public School will he hosting their EXTENDED FRENCH night this evening from 7pm to 8pm, in the AUDITORIUM. Please join us for a brief overview of the French Programs offered at Fern and an opportunity for families to ask our French team questions.