FROM THE PRINCIPALschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/normaningram/docs/december newsle… · You can also check news and leave comments on the School ... what a deal! Where else could you

Popcorn Sale 6th Girls’ basketball Tournament 6th

Grade 1 and 1/2 to YPT 6th PA Day – no school 7th Grade 4/5’s to Senior’s Home 12th

Sub Lunch 14th Pizza Lunch 20th Green & Red Day/Red Noses/

Holiday Singalong in the Gym 21st

First Day back to school 7th Pancake Lunch ($3) 11th Sub Lunch 18th Crazy Hair Day 18th Popcorn Sale 24th PA Day – no school 25th School Council Mtg. 7 p.m. 28th

Welcome to December, and all the chaos and excitement it brings! We continue to do our best to meet the needs of your children, and appreciate that you supported our efforts through attendance at recent parent/teacher interviews. Parent/teacher dialogue is vital to student success. We are trying to communicate “paperlessly” as much as possible, and are making good use of the mailout system put into place by Matt Sherman and MaryAnn Isbister. We try to use the telephone callout system only for events that require last minute reminders for the entire school. Several teachers use their own class newsletters to keep in touch, and a couple have class websites. Please let us know if you feel information is not getting to you, and we’ll try to rectify it! At our recent School Council meeting I shared the goals for this school year as developed by our staff members, as well as the planned school budget. Feel free to check out those documents on our School Council website – the minutes are posted there. Thanks for your continued support of the various initiatives at Norman Ingram. Take care of yourselves and take care of

each other! Enjoy the holiday season. M. Cooper

Norman Ingram Principal Office Administrator Norman Ingram School Chair Megan Cooper Beverly Castellano Mathew Sherman

IMPORTANT DATES

January 2013

IMPORTANT DATES

December 2012

Norman Ingram Public School 50 Duncairn Road, Toronto On M3B 1C8 416-395-2720 School Superintendent: Kathleen Meighan 416-396-9174 School Trustee: Gerri Gershon 416-395-3408

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Edition #2 December 2012

Each month we focus on a different TDSB “Building Character” theme, and all teachers use direct instruction, role-play and discussion to reinforce the monthly character trait. The theme for November, EMPATHY, was discussed in classrooms and featured during PA announcements. Ms. Dwyer’s students also created a bulletin board outside the office where individual students posted their thoughts about how we can all show empathy in our daily lives. Some of their suggestions were:

Don’t laugh at other people. Be a friend to somebody who has no one to play with. Be nice to everybody. Try to understand someone’s feelings. Put yourself in somebody else’s shoes. During December we will be focusing on KINDNESS & CARING. Your child can show kindness & caring by: • Being gentle, willing to help, friendly, and considerate • Showing concern or sympathy for others • Being sensitive to the needs of others • Offering support and considering the needs of others • Giving time, talents, and resources to help others • Talking positively about others Encourage kindness & caring in your child by: ● Smiling at those you know and those you don’t know ● Reminding someone who is feeling down about how special he or she is ● Saving to buy something nice for someone ● Donating to a charity ● Volunteering time to help others in need ● Cooking a meal for someone ● Giving friends and family members encouragement ● Doing something nice for somebody––a random act of kindness ● Cleaning up a space that is shared with others ● Helping to keep the environment clean

We often have visitors to the school, and frequently hear how impressed they are with the beautiful gardens on our property. We are so lucky to have a community member, Linda Schwarz, who oversees our gardens, and does the physical work required to maintain them. Recently she was aided out front by some of our older students. They had lessons in raking and bagging leaves, and the front lawn and garden certainly look better for their efforts!

Our Eco squad members, with the support of Ms. Lussier, Ms. Woods, Ms. Durante and Mr. Porter, continue to run Wastefree Lunches, Lights Out at Lunchtime, Recycling, Composting, Monday Earth Hours, and regular ECO announcements. Go Green!

Has your child misplaced a favourite sweater, shoe or lunch bag? Never fear, LOVABLE LABELS are here! What a great way to ensure that your child’s belongings return to you if they’re lost. These handy labels are washable, dryable and last for years! They also make great gifts for nieces, nephews etc. Make sure your child’s items don’t land in our already overflowing Lost & Found bins. To order, just go to www.normaningram.lovablelabels.ca You’ll be glad you did (and so will we!)

CHARACTER EDUCATION


Lovable labels

ECO NEWS

http://www.normaningram.lovablelabels.ca/

We are pleased to announce that on Friday, December 21st at 10:15, we will be joining together in the gym, wearing red and green, and sporting flashing noses. With the piano stylings of Ms. Pasqua and the help of a special musical guest (her identity is a surprise, but she is an active chamber and orchestral musician, who performs with ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Canadian Opera Company), our students will be leading us through some seasonal favourites. It promises to be an exciting time, and you are welcome to join us (although the excitement might just be overwhelming!)

Last year’s popular Red Nose Campaign is returning to the TDSB! The Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS) is once again offering flashing red noses to

schools for just $3.00 each. All proceeds go to provide food, warm clothing and other

essentials to Toronto students in need. Last year over 100 schools participated

and combined to sell over 15,000 noses. This year the TDSB hopes to top 20,000. We had a lot of fun with this activity last year, organizing students into the shape of a huge tree in the gym, turning out the lights, and taking a picture with all noses flashing. It worked so well that they published it on the TDSB website! To purchase a flashing nose this year, please send $3 with your child on December 18th, 19th or 20th, and we’ll hand out the red noses on Friday morning for our sing-a-long.

On what turned out to be one of the warmest days in November, we headed out into the neighbourhood and did a thorough community clean-up. As you can see from the pictures below, we came up with some wild and wonderful garbage! Great job, Norman Ingram staff & students!

We recently received a letter of thanks from the North York Harvest Food Bank acknowledging our recent Thanksgiving donation of 350 pounds of food. “Because of your contributions, community members will not have to skip meals to pay their monthly rent. From single parents to newcomers, from the recently unemployed to those living with disabilities, all community members will receive sustained food assistance this fall. Thank-you so much for helping us to build strong neighbour-hoods and nourish lives!”


Holiday sing-along

The red nose campaign is back!

Community Clean-Up

Thank-you from North York harvest Food Bank

School Council is an excellent way for parents to get involved in their child’s education and is an important forum for engaging with the principal on a variety of issues and activities relating to student achievement, curriculum goals and priorities, school budget expenditures, school safety, renovation plans, after-school activities, and criteria for selection of new principals. School Council Executive members for 2012-2013 are: Chair Mathew Sherman Secretary Mary Ann Isbister Treasurer Neha Tiku Volunteer Coordinator Rose Davidson Please join us in the school library at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates (subject to change but with plenty of warning): Monday, January 28th

Monday, March 25th Tuesday, May 28th Monday, June 17th

You can also check news and leave comments on the School Council website at www.normaningramschoolcouncil.ca

Wow, what a deal! Where else could you get 1½ large pancakes with syrup, a tube of yogurt and a drinking box for the low cost of $3.00? And . . . there were seconds if you wanted them! Only at Norman Ingram! Parents Rose Davidson and Linda Hutton recently rallied a large group of volunteers and provided Pancake Lunch for 130 grade 1 – 5 students and teachers. Because of the large number of parent (and grandparent volunteers), the event ran smoothly and efficiently, and everybody really enjoyed lunch. Please watch for our next Pancake Lunch and offer to help if you possibly can – we can’t enjoy the special events without parent support.

At Norman Ingram we try to take every opportunity to teach our students the importance of giving back to the community, and helping others less fortunate. This year our teachers have chosen to participate in a holiday outreach program to support the homeless. Project Winter Survival is a program designed to provide those who are most vulnerable and living on the street with a survival kit containing the “necessities for the needy.” Each class is aiming to purchase and fill one backpack with 34 items deemed necessary for survival, including everything from lip balm to a pair of socks to a sleeping bag. Ms. Innocente will kick off the discussions about homelessness by reading an appropriate picture book entitled “Lily and the Paper Man” which tells the story of a young girl frightened by a homeless man in her neighbourhood. She gradually comes to know him and realizes he is not a person to be feared at all, but somebody she can help, and she finds a way to do so. Following those discussions, individual teachers will discuss the project with students and come up with a plan to fill the backpack. Each class might decide on a different strategy, so look for e-mails and info from your own child’s teacher. Please involve your child in the process, so he or she can feel good about helping to make a difference for somebody. If you’d like to inquire further into this program, visit www.bargainsgroup.com/project-winter-survival/help.php

Thanks in advance for your help with this worthy cause!

Norman Ingram Public School 50 Duncairn Road, Toronto On M3B 1C8 416-395-2720

School Superintendent: Kathleen Meighan 416-396-9174 School Trustee: Gerri Gershon 416-395-3408

News from your school council CHAIr

Pancake lunch

Project winter survival

http://www.normaningramschoolcouncil.ca/

http://www.bargainsgroup.com/project-winter-survival/help.php

For the past month, the children in Mrs. Clements’

and Mr. Whittington’s Gr. 4/5 classes

have been working towards an

audition for Toronto District School

Board’s Non-Competitive 2013 Spring

Festival Concert held at Massey Hall. We are

auditioning for participation in the Mass Choir

(comprised of Elementary and Secondary School

Choirs) where we will perform “O Canada” and three

other selections during the concert.

We will be submitting a recording of “In Flanders

Fields” which we performed at our Remembrance

Day Assembly, and “Dona Nobis Pacem,” two

contrasting pieces sung in their entirety with piano

accompaniment. Applications and recordings are due

Tuesday, December 4th, and the auditions are

anonymous! Schools will be notified of the audition

results by December 20th. Choirs selected to

participate must attend a massed choir rehearsal that

will occur after the March Break. More information

about the dress rehearsal and concert will be

announced if we are selected! WISH US LUCK!!

In December, the Juniors will be baking cookies on

the 10th and the 11th for the seniors they will be

visiting at Greenview Lodge, located beside Don Mills

Library. The children will be spreading some holiday

cheer on Wednesday, December 12th at 1:30 p.m.

with a performance of popular season favourites, a

sing-a-long and time to meet the seniors and share

the yummy treats. I have

gone to meet the seniors

personally and they are

very excited to welcome

the children and hear

them sing! I am sure it

will be a joyous afternoon

for all!

The High Performing Athlete's Program at St. Andrew’s

JHS is an academic program for Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8

students designed to allow athletes from all sports a

chance to succeed academically and athletically. The

program is offered to students who are currently

training 15 or more hours per week and are competing

at a provincial level. It allows students time to balance

competition, training, and school work, by setting up a

schedule that ensures time is available for all their

needs. An Information Evening will be held on Tuesday,

December 13th from 6:30-8:00 pm at St. Andrew’s. If

you require any further information please feel free to

contact Michael Drukarsh at St. Andrew's JHS Tel: 416-

395-3090

Our school photographers at Edge Imaging are pleased to be offering some peace of mind for parents, in the form of a Child Safe Card. This is a convenient and complimentary child safety program available to you whether or not you purchase photo packages. Following the simple instructions below, you can print as many Child Safe cards as you want, and keep them in your wallet(s) in the event you need to share an up-to-date picture of your child with authorities. To take advantage of this program, follow these simple directions:

Set up an online account at online.edgeimaging.ca

Use your personal and secure log-in information provided on the bottom left hand corner of your child's proof. (If you do not have this information, you can get it by calling Customer Care at 1-888-416-3343. They will ask you to provide your child’s 9-digit Student Number.)

Click the Child Safe button on the ordering page and print off as many photo cards as you wish.

Music Notes From mRs. pasqua


Attention High Performing Athletes!

Child Safe Cards

On November 29th we hosted a wonderful evening featuring vendors of everything from jam to jewellery, and stationery to spring rolls! Thanks to the incredible organization of Susannah Findlay, the evening went off without a hitch. Special thanks go to Linda Hutton for handling the bake sale arrangements, John Porter for his flexibility and support in moving sundry pieces of furniture, and Rose Davidson for coordinating enough volunteers to cover each station. We understand from Susannah that proceeds exceeded those of last year, and certainly both shoppers and vendors seemed happy with the results of the evening. Thank-you to all parents and relatives who offered to volunteer for some part of the event – we really appreciate everybody’s help! In addition to support from Norman Ingram Families, we would also like to acknowledge the following community partners: Bellaggio Hair & Spa Elizabeth Compton (Royal Lepage Signature Realty) Donway Covenant United Church Samantha Edwards (Sam I Am Creative) Karen Millar (Royal Lepage Signature Realty) Gillian Santink (Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc.) Mike Sheehy (Re/Max Unique Inc.) Shops at Don Mills Denise Tompkins (Royal LePage Signature Realty)

The raffle prize winners were all called on Friday, November 30th, and advised that they could come to pick up their prizes. Sorry if you weren’t one of the lucky winners – try again next year!

Congratulations to these students who were acknowledged for demonstrating respect, responsibility and/or empathy.

Mistletoe Magic


Recognition Assembly

Award Winners

October & november Activities At Norman Ingram

Documents

FROM THE PRINCIPALschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/normaningram/docs/december newsle… · You can also check news and leave comments on the School ... what a deal! Where else could you