Tom Longboat Junior Public School

NEWSLETTER February 2016

Upcoming Events: March 10 Spinclusion Workshop,

Gr. 4, 5 & 6 March 10 Hearing & Vision Clinic March 14 to 18 March Break March 23 Pizza Lunch March 24 March For Water March 25 Good Friday (no school) March 28 Easter Monday (no school) March 30 Parent Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. March 31 Longboat Leader Assembly April 15 P.A. Day (NEW)

Principal's Message:

We have experienced an unusually mild winter this year which may have some thinking of an early spring. There may be a winter blast or two yet to come but at Tom Longboat positive thoughts and many school events have kept our students busy and engaged. The staff of Tom Longboat continue to provide many opportunities for students and parents to learn both in and outside of the classroom while participating in various school events. Below are some of the events that took place in February: -Mr. Smith coached the Junior Basketball team to a strong showing in the Brian Duez Memorial Tournament and a quarter-final appearance in league play -All staff worked diligently to produce accurate and informative report cards for all students as well as to provide opportunities for parents to meet with them to discuss their child’s progress -All staff provided opportunities for an afternoon of fun, games and physical activity during our Electives Afternoon, spearheaded by Mr. Smith and Mrs. Riding. Over 40 junior students elected to go skating at the Malvern Community Centre, thanks to Mr. Birta and Ms. Yung, and for many it was their first time on skates -Mrs. Perrin, Mrs. Bonnell, Mrs. Daniels and Mrs. Picarello assisted the members of the Kids for Change Club in hosting a basketball game between Longboat staff and friends versus members of the Toronto Police Service -Mrs. Bonnell, Mrs. Perrin and Mrs. Peksa arranged for professional actors to provide workshops on performing and understanding selected William Shakespeare plays -Mr. Tombran and his students volunteered to host the February Longboat Leader Assembly with special performances to celebrate Black History Month We at Longboat are hoping that parents saw the information regarding low cost computers and laptops that was sent home with Report Cards. This is an amazing opportunity to access a computer for your home. For those who qualify, we urge you to take advantage of this offer and submit an application and payment before the deadline of March 4th. Mrs. Athanassiou can provide support in the application process, including making arrangements for an interpreter if necessary. At Longboat we feel that computer technology and access to the internet are crucial elements of your child’s education and future success. Not only can a computer provide educational opportunities for students beyond school hours, it can also provide access to the many government services and programs that require technology in assisting family members of all ages. Speaking of technology, our school academic focus for the year involves incorporating the use of technology into the curriculum. Rather than have a computer or a device be an “extra”, we plan on embedding the use of technology to enhance teaching of the Ontario curriculum, as well as providing students with skills to build upon their expertise as digital learners. A large portion of our school budget will be spent in the purchase and upgrade of technological devices as an investment in the future success of your children. As always, it is a pleasure serving the needs of the Tom Longboat community and, on behalf of the staff, thank you for your continued support and confidence. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or me. Sincerely,

R. Cousins Principal

THE HAPPINESS CLUB

February is Random Acts of Kindness month “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop

With this in mind, the Happiness Club challenged staff and students this month to over 20 kind deeds they could do for one another. All were free and perhaps brought some joy into the hearts of the receivers and givers. Some of the tasks included:

Smile at everyone today

Hold the door for someone

Pay someone a compliment

Thank someone

Tell your friends how much they mean to you.

Longboat students showed their true kind nature and these small acts of kindness floated about the school like pixie dust. Did you get sprinkled?

The Epic Trip to Collect Jerseys Donated by Lebron By Ashvin and Ray

On Thursday, February 11th, students from 23 different schools in the TDSB were invited to Earl Haig High School where they would receive a team set of sports jerseys donated by the LeBron James Family Foundation.

A small group of grade 4, 5 and 6 students from Tom Longboat went on the trip with the hopes of meeting NBA superstar LeBron James. When we first walked into the auditorium, there was music blasting and a dance contest on the stage. The winners received their choice of a pair of Beats by Dre headphones or even one of LeBron James’ shoes! Shortly after the dance competitions were over, students from each school modeled their new jerseys. No school cheered louder than we did when Jayne ran on stage in our incredible new basketball uniform.

A big thanks goes out to the LeBron James Family Foundation for donating 18 sets of jerseys and matching shorts for the students at Tom Longboat.

Kulsum and Mariam giving “High Fives”!

Tom Longboat's Junior Basketball Team wearing our new uniforms

We would like to once again ask for the cooperation of all parents in ensuring the safety of our students both in and outside of the school. Last week, during a traffic safety blitz at Longboat, 8 parents were issued tickets

by the Toronto Police. They have informed us that they will return unannounced as they witnessed some

concerning driving behaviour from a few parents. Please abide by the parking bylaws, the speed limit

and the proper use of seat belts and car seats.

Also, we would like to remind parents that our school policy is that during school hours no unaccompanied adults, unless they are employees of the TDSB, are to be in the hallways or classrooms. This policy is for the protection of staff and students. Please check in at the

office upon entering the building.

Candygrams with Mrs. Mavrou’s class

Longboat students were looking for some sweetness this month! Mrs. Mavrou, Mr. Cabrera and class organized a fundraiser selling heart-shaped lollipops with personalized messages. Mrs. Mavrou’s students collected the 25 cents for each lollipop, collected the notes, and distributed them to the recipients in all the classes. It was a great success! Almost $250 was raised and the funds will be shared with “Kids Help Phone” and “Mood Disorders Association of Ontario”. Outstanding job! The Happiness Club students are enrolled in becoming Kids Help Phone Ambassadors. They are taking a course during our weekly meetings so that they can teach other students about what Kids Help Phone can offer them. To learn more, please go to www.kidshelpphone.ca. The Happiness Club will be having another presentation April. This time we have a speaker from the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. This session will focus on breaking down barriers so people can talk about mental health more

freely and stop the stigma surrounding it. For more information, please go to www.mooddisorders.ca. Stay tuned for dates and times.

Congratulations to January's Longboat Leaders for demonstrating TEAMWORK

Mrs. Mavrou & Mr. Cabrera’s class–from L to R Christopher, Chedson, Dzifa, Isaac and Chris.

School Improvements! Along with our investment in technology, you will notice other upgrades to different areas of the school. New furniture was purchased for the front foyer, new safety mats were purchased and will be installed in the old gym and the remaining classrooms without a whiteboard had one mounted to address issues with allergies. Inside classrooms, each teacher was issued a visual timer to assist students with transitions and time management. Our hope is to directly address this important learning skill by emphasizing and teaching our students how to better manage their time. This tool can also be accessed on most electronic devices and computers as an application, or an actual timer can be purchased. Your child’s teacher can provide you with more information on the many uses and benefits of a visual timer as they were provided training by our area Special Education Consultant, Mrs. Puri.

Tom Longboat’s February Assembly

Tom Longboat Jr. P.S. 37 Crow Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1B 1X6

Tel: 416-396-6610 Fax: 416-396-6297

@TomLongboatPS TomLongboat@tdsb.on.ca http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/tomlongboat

Time Timer

From Trustee Neethan Shan… As advertised on our school website during the month of February, Trustee Neethan Shan, along with Taibu CHC, presented a Black History Month Celebration Evening on Monday, February 29th.