PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

It has been an exciting start to the calendar year at Islington Junior Middle School with the interesting winter weather! As we look forward to the next couple of months of winter, we thank you for ensuring that your child comes to school dressed in appropriate clothing and footwear. An extra pair of socks, indoor shoes and pants can be very useful on wet, snowy days. All students must wear a pair of shoes when they are inside the school. In an emergency or during a fire drill, students would not have time to put on their boots to go outside. We request that students make their way straight home after school unless they are meeting with teachers for extra help or are involved in extra-curricular activities. Please note that student report cards will go home with students on Wednesday, February 10th. Parent/teacher interviews will occur on the evening of Thursday, February 11th and during the morning of Friday, February 12th, 2016. Families will have the opportunity to enjoy Family Day on Monday, February 15th. Students will not attend school on this day as the school is closed. I would like to extend a reminder to all parents/guardians and visitors to our school that all visitors must first come to the office to sign in and get a visitor sticker before visiting other areas within the school. As well, it is extremely important that we must have our students entering and exiting the school from the proper doors. These routines ensure student safety at all times. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

NOTE Yard Supervision for Grades 1 to 8 begins at 8:35 AM and ends at 3:35 PM. Morning Kindergarten supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. Afternoon Kindergarten supervision begins at 12:30 PM. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety and conduct in the yard before and after these times.

VISITOR SIGN-IN BOOK Visitors are requested to sign in at the main office and obtain a visitor pass. This is a safety measure to ensure that visiting adults are recognized and encouraged to feel welcome in our school.

LUNCH BINS When dropping off a child’s lunch please place it in the corresponding bin with his/her name on it.

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44 Cordova Avenue, Etobicoke, M9A 2H5

Main Office: (416) 394-7870 Student Absent Line (24 HOURS) 416-394-7874

http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/islington/index.aspx

Follow us on Twitter :tdsb_islington

Jean Christou, Office Administrator

Geeta Dharamraj, Secretary

Jeff Dick, Chair Surer Osoble, Co- Chair

Jane Phillips Long, School Superintendent

Pam Gough, Trustee

Islington Parenting Centre Our Parenting and Family Literacy Centre at Islington JMS is operating again this year. This free 6 years of age. Families are invited to drop in anytime during program hours (Monday – Friday, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.) and participate in story and music time, art activities, sand and water play, and enjoy a nutritious snack. This program prepares children for kindergarten and is a great place for parents to meet each other and for young children to play and learn. When entering the front doors of the building, please check in at the main office before proceeding to Room 11. Thank you for your interest in your child’s development. For more information please call Parenting Programs at (416) 394-2067.

Library Events This month in our library we are celebrating African Heritage Month. Students will have the opportunity to read about the power of the word by Martin Luther King, discuss the civil rights movement, explore the underground railway, learn about the heroics of Rosa Parks, and promote the achievements and the culture of the African American and Canadian people.

Parent Use of Front Driveway Reminder Please remember that there is no parking in our front laneway even for short times when you want to ‘drop in’ to the school. You may use any available parking spots but do not leave your car unattended in the laneway as it may be ticketed. This driveway is often crowded with cars and students, particularly at dismissal time. We are concerned for student safety at this busy time. We also have school buses, which must get in and out quickly so that they can be on time for their bus route. We have implemented a “KISS & RIDE” program. Our trained students have safety vests on so that they can be seen by all. These students are assisting with drop off in the morning. Thank you for your co-operation and help in keeping our driveway safe and orderly.

Recess During Cold Weather Elementary school students are kept indoors for recess and lunch times for a number of weather conditions such as rain, lightning in the area, extreme winds and extreme cold. When temperature and wind chill measure -28C or lower, students are kept indoors. Recesses and the lunch hour may be shortened if the temperature and wind chill reading is between -20C and -28C. Now that the flu and cold season have arrived, I would like to remind our parents that it is the policy of the school that children who are sick are allowed to stay in at recess only one day with a permission note from their parents. A doctor’s note is required when your child is medically required to stay indoors longer than one day. However, when your child is ill, I would ask that you keep him/her at home until he/she is able to participate in all school activities. This way, children who are sick can recuperate properly and the spread of germs to other pupils is also prevented. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Making the Best of Winter Principals are often asked how we decide whether it's too cold to allow our students out in the schoolyard for recess. Fresh air and exercise are important for children. It keeps them physically fit, and helps them stay alert all through the school day. Parents can help by making sure their children come to school prepared to spend time outdoors. Hats, mitts, boots and a warm jacket are important to keep students comfortable during lunch and recess. The TDSB Severe Weather Protocol is flexible, so that every principal can make a decision that meets the needs of his or her school. It sets guidelines for when to allow students outside for recess, when to make outdoor breaks shorter, and when to keep students inside altogether. Canadian winters can be wonderful but when the weather is cold, school staff keep one eye on the thermometer and the other on the needs of our students - a perfect balance of fun and safety.

Report Cards

Report cards for all students in grades 1-8 will be sent home on February 10th. This report card will communicate your child’s strengths, weaknesses and next steps as it relates to achievement of the curriculum expectations for each subject area as well as their achievement of the learning skills. Junior Kindergarten students are scheduled to receive a summary report at this time. This summary is a means of communicating to parents/guardians a profile of their child’s interests strengths, development and learning.

Parents/ guardians will have an opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher on the evening of Thursday, February 11th and the morning of Friday, February 12th to discuss their child’s progress. Learning is a partnership and we encourage you to continue to be involved in your child’s education.

Up and Coming Events @ Islington SAC – February 8 – 6:30pm

Book Fair February 8-12 Term 1 Reports go home - February 10

Parent Teacher Interviews PM – February 11 Spirit Day “Lolligrams” – February 11

Parent Teacher Interviews AM – February 12 PA Day – February 12

Family Day – February 15 Kindergarten Registration Days February 16 & 17 Junior Boys Basketball Tournament – February 17 Prologue For The Arts – Cinderella – February 18 Senior Boys Basketball Tournament – February 22

SOTM – February 26

STUDENT OF THE MONTH – Teamwork January: Neha, Fareez, Luis, Agustin, Mohamad H., Lucas, Jeremy, Shreyas, Cillian, Cleo, Cassandra, Nawal, Dan, Salma M., David C., Asmaa, Elijah, Ayuub Y., Sharjeel, Asiya, Shunsuke, Ryosuke, June, Zayn, Yifan, Michael K., Mackenzie, Nick, Joowon, Arash, Natalie, Afsarah, Rayaan, Michelle, Jamal, Nader, Fernanda, Hadijat, Mila, Hasan M., Gianna, Tenzin, Yagmur, Vivienne, Milian, Jibril, Beatrix, Jabin, Morwan, Kyle,

Sports at Islington We at Islington JMS have been working at developing our skill level especially in Basketball and Hockey. Our Junior and Senior Boys Basketball team are getting ready for the upcoming Tournaments. They both had exhibition games against a team called The Elms and the Senior’s played another game against Norseman JMS. In the past 7 years Islington JMS has participated in the Hockey Academy where we pick 4 students from grade 5 to learn how to play hockey. It is quite a commitment as they practice at 7am for eight weeks at the Mastercard Center with students from across the region. Mr. Kamino - coach

Student Parliament

On Behalf of Islington JMS Student Parliament, we thank all parents, staff and teachers for your generous contributions to our Winter Survival Kit Program. We have collected several bags of woollen clothes, hats, mittens, jackets and toiletries, which will be distributed to people in need to help keep them warm. The items collected will be delivered to the Women and Children's aid shelter next month. Your Donations have helped to prove it again, that at Islington, we are a community who cares for others. We thank you and appreciate your support for this noble cause.

February's Program Plan in SK French Immersion The Full-Day Early Learning-French Kindergarten program is a child-centred developmentally appropriate integrated, extended-day program of learning for four and five year-old children. The purpose of the program is to establish a strong French foundation for learning in the early years, and to do so in a safe and caring play-based environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of all children.

The goals of the Full-Day Learning-Kindergarten French program are as follows:

· To establish a strong French foundation for the early years by providing young children with an integrated day of learning.

· To provide a play-based learning environment. · To help children make a smoother transition to grade 1. · To improve children’s prospects for success in school and in their lives beyond school.

Mr. Pasquale & Mr. Sanogo

Technology in the Classroom

In Ms. Porteous' class, students are using the Promethean board to learn about the earth in geography class!

Eco Club

The students in the Eco Club have been busy working on several initiatives. In the fall we introduced the school-wide GOOS Bin initiative, in order to encourage the students and teachers to use paper that is Good On One Side (GOOS). Congratulations to Mr. Vivancos’ class who won the most creative GOOS bin contest! Our kick off assembly was an exciting game based on disposing of waste in the correct bin (organic, garbage, or recycling). The whole school enjoyed the friendly competition. This winter we are piloting a curriculum called Active Safe Sustainable Transportation. Our February 3 Winter Walk is a school wide initiative in this area. We are encouraging students and parents to walk or bike to school instead of driving a car whenever possible. Following the walk we will have hot chocolate to celebrate our active lifestyles! In spring we will be celebrating Earth Hour and Earth Day, and beginning to green our schoolyard. Stay posted!

Chess and Checkers Club Come and try a new "sport" in Pod 19! Throughout the month of February, we will be practicing our mental skills while playing chess and checkers every Day 2 during lunch time.

Dans la classe de français…

Le temps des sucres au Quebec. On verse du sirop sur la neige, on attend, et voila ! C`est de la tire. C`est simple ! C`est delicieux ! TDSB Welcoming Communities This program is designed to help ease some of the transitional challenges new Canadian students experience when integrating into the Canadian school system and Canadian culture. Working together, mentees and mentors participate in a series of supervised group activities that include homework clubs, English conversation circles, sports and recreational activities and field trips.

Grade 7 Marshmallow Tower Challenge Grade 7 students enthusiastically participated in a challenge to build a stable structure, using 30 marshmallows. They applied their knowledge of analyzing the criteria for stability of structures and also implied what causes structural failure. Their success was evident in their ability to problem -solve the challenges they encountered during the process of construction. We congratulate them on their effort and the little strides they take in establishing their designing and engineering skills.

From the Leap Room

Students in the Leap classroom created model settlements from the 1800’s using wood, clay and other materials. In January, we took a walk up to Montgomery’s Inn and took a self-guided tour of the building.

The STEM Tower Challenge

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education. Our grade three students have been learning about strong and stable structures. Through discussion and experimentation they have learned how to make structures stable by lowering the structure’s centre of gravity and that triangles make very strong structures. A triangle is up to seven times stronger than a rectangle.

Recently, they had an opportunity to apply all that they have learned about structures when STEM Mentors from Ms. Mukherjee’s grade seven class introduced them to the STEM Tower Challenge. The challenge required them to design and build a structure out of only pasta and masking tape. After two periods of building the grade threes had built nine different structures. All the structures incorporated triangles and many were able to support a math textbook. The Tower Challenge presented the grade threes with an opportunity to demonstrate their learning and thinking. They worked as designers, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers; and in the process, had a blast!

Mental Imagery

One strategy students use to comprehend while reading is to visualize parts of the story in their minds. These images help clarify information and increase understanding. Using the book If... by Sarah Perry, students in grades one and two illustrated what music would look like if held in their hands.

Supporting Your Child at School

Parents are a child’s first and most important life-long teacher. At the TDSB, we believe that education is a shared responsibility and we value the role that parents play in helping to ensure that students reach the highest levels of achievement possible. Below are some of the ways you can help your child succeed in school:

Homework Tips Homework is an important part of a student’s academic program. Research shows that students do better in school when parents are involved in their child’s education -- you can help your child by being involved daily in homework assignments. The amount of time a student spends on homework depends on the student’s needs, age and grade, subject, schedule, proximity to tests, examinations and project due dates. Generally, count on about 10 minutes per grade per night (e.g.: a Grade 9 student might expect about 90 minutes of homework per night).

Study Tips Help your child develop good study habits:

Set a consistent time when homework will be done every night Provide a quiet place away from distractions such as television and telephones Have your children practice mathematics, reading, and writing skills daily Talk to your children about what they are learning in school

Read together with younger children Let your children help you in reading and writing recipes, newspapers, letters, shopping

lists, etc. Encourage your children to ask the teacher for help if they find the work difficult or

confusing

Keep in touch with the teachers and call when you have a question or a concern Check that homework is completed Praise and encourage your children

On-line Lessons A number of learning activities for English and Mathematics have been developed by the Toronto District School Board and are available for elementary students, Grades 1 to 8. These on-line activities offer three days of lessons and are available as PDF files. To use these and other on-line resources, visit the TDSB’s web site at www.tdsb.on.ca and select “Homework Tips” from the “Parent” menu.

Volunteering at Islington

As communities make a difference in people’s lives, so can you at Islington JMS by volunteering your time and expertise. Whether it’s helping a child by reading one-on-one, joining the class on a field trip, or working with the Grade 8 class with the yearbook project, your involvement is welcome. When you volunteer, either here or in your community, you’re setting a good example for our students to follow. As per Board policy, a police background check is required prior to beginning. For information on how you can volunteer, contact Mr. Coluccio or Mr. Kamino or speak to one of the office administration.

Kindergarten The kindergartens are practicing for the student of the month assembly to celebrate the characteristic of teamwork. Singing the theme song of "Arthur" helps us remember to work together like a team!

Kindergarten Registration for September 2016 Applications for registration to Junior Kindergarten at Islington JMS in September 2016 are now

being accepted. If you have a child who was born during 2012 please call the school as soon as possible so that we may assign you an appointment time for our Kindergarten Registration Day on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 16th and 17th 2016. Pupils presently enrolled in Junior Kindergarten do not need to register for Senior Kindergarten. However, a child who did not attend Junior Kindergarten this school year may be registered for Senior Kindergarten if born during 2011. If you do not have a child who qualifies for admission to either Junior or Senior Kindergarten, but know of a neighbour whose child does qualify, it would be appreciated if you would pass this information on to them. To register, please call our office to arrange an appointment. When you come to register your child please bring the following information about your child: 1. age (a birth certificate or baptismal record or passport) 2. citizenship (a birth certificate, passport, or Record of Landing) 3. address (two pieces of identification that show your address, such as your telephone bill, driver's licence, bank statement, income tax form, rental or lease agreement) 4. immunization (the card that shows a list of inoculations your child has received) For more information about registering your child for kindergarten, visit www.tdsb.on.ca

Reporting Student Absence

When your child is going to be away from school, please call our Safe Arrival Number.

416-394-7874

Hello Islington Families!

The Eco Club is participating in a Winter Walk on February 3, 2016. We are

encouraging walking to school as an active, safe, sustainable way to come to school.

In the afternoon all classes will walk a route around the neighbourhood that will

allow them to enjoy the warm winter weather and to experience the distance they

can cover in a 20 minute walk! After our walk the classes will be rewarded with hot

chocolate in the classroom.

If parents, with a valid Police Reference check, would like to help with the making

and distribution of hot chocolate, it would be welcome! Please contact Ms. Henning

through the school.

Thank you for your enthusiasm,

The Eco Club

Help your child love Math

Parents are a key part of the equation when it comes to

helping children learn and love math.

Join special guest Prof. Lynda Colgan as she provides

parents with tools to support children’s math learning - at

the kitchen table, in the car, and at the park.

Wednesday, February 10 from 6:30 – 8pm

Islington JMS Library

Sponsored by the Islington JMS SAC