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McKee McNews January 2018

McKee Public School

35 Church Avenue Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X6

Telephone: 416-395-2680 Safe Arrival Program: 416-395-2688 Fax 416-395-4497

School Website: http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/mckee Twitter: @McKeeSchool

Linda Curtis

Superintendent

416-396-9172

We continue to feel so fortunate and privileged to be a part of such a wonderful caring

community made up of amazing students and families. From the entire staff, we thank all

of our McKee families for your warm holiday wishes and wish you all a very happy and

healthy New Year.

A reminder that skating will begin in January and that all students need to have a CSA

approved helmet to use. We have sent forms home asking for those to indicate if they

don’t have a helmet and together, with the help of our SAC, we will ensure your child is

properly equipped with what he or she needs to enjoy some fun skating times at Mitchell

Field arena. Please ensure those forms are returned as soon as possible, if you have not

done so already.

To help us manage the traffic congestion in front of the school entrance and along Church

Avenue, we are asking that parents please exit the car loop immediately after their child

has exited the car. We have staff on duty from 8:30 a.m. onwards who will ensure your

child enters school safely. Traffic congestion occurs when cars remain in the car loop as

well as creates a back up of cars entering from Church Avenue. As you may know, the

City of Toronto will be conducting a traffic audit and we are asking for your help. Anoth-

er option is to drop older children off at a safe spot close to the school that allows them to

walk to school safely. Thanks for your part in supporting to keep all our students safe.

We are very excited about our focus on learning and the supports we have in place for all

learners and look forward to a wonderful 2018 filled with purposeful and engaging learn-

ing activities.

All the best for a healthy and happy 2018.

Warmly,

Jeanette Lang

Jeanette Lang Maleka Kaderbhai

Principal Vice-Principal

416-395-2680

Alexander Brown

Trustee

416-395-8411

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday, January 8

- First day of school in 2018

Thursday, January 11

- Lunch Lady

- International Languages

classes resume

Monday, January 15-

Thursday. January 18

- Bookfair

Wednesday, January 17 and

24th -Skating at Mitchell Field

Thursday, January 18

- Pizza Day

Friday, January 19

- P.A. Day (No school for

students)

Wednesday, January 24

- School Council Meeting

at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 25

- Lunch Lady

Wednesday, January 31

- Bee Assembly (9:00 a.m.)

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

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Holiday Assembly Page 2 McKee McNews January 2018

Skating at Mitchell Field Arena

Many of our students are excited about our upcoming skating program at Mitchell

Field Arena. Students will enjoy a number of skating days in January, February and

March. Parents are reminded to ensure their children have coats and mittens while on

the ice. Thank you to all the parents who volunteer to help our students put on and

take off their skates and equipment.

January Skating Dates

Dates 1:00—2:00 p.m. 2:00—3:00 p.m.

Wednesday January 17 Lazarus, Rosenberg,

Morris, Barker Dennis, Lott, Yu, Lee

Wednesday January 24 Ten Pow, Mak, Thai,

Trudel Weir, Coelho, Kan, Leung

Hat, Mitt and Sock Drive

From Nov 30 to Dec 11, room 208 organized a hats, mittens and socks

drive because we want to help the homeless and people living in poverty.

We have collected over 300 items in just 12 days. Our McKee Christmas

tree almost fell over because of all the items we collected! Many classes

brought in items for the homeless people living in poverty, which were

all donated to the Red Door Family Shelter and New Circles Community

Services.

Overall, we had fun and we hope to do this again. THANK YOU SO

MUCH FOR YOUR HELP, McKee!

By Michael and Ayano (Grade 4 students from room 208)

Also, a huge thank you to all those who brought in non perishable food

items. Both large donation boxes were filled and all items picked up be-

fore Christmas by the Harvest Food Bank

and donated to families in need.

McKee continues to be a very giving and

thoughtful community and we are so proud

and thankful for your support.

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Holiday Assembly Page 3 McKee McNews January 2018

Making the Best of Winter Weather at our School

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 comfort-

able during lunch and recess.

But extreme cold can be dangerous, and parents want to know that their

children will be safe. When the temperature is predicted to drop below -15°C, the City of Toronto may declare a cold

weather alert. Schools are very sensitive to the needs of our students and pay close attention to the weather, especially

when the wind chill is below -20°C.

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. 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 temper-

ature and wind chill measure -28°C or lower, students are kept indoors. Recesses and lunch hour may be shortened if

the temperature and wind chill reading is between -20°C and -28°C.

If a student's medical condition requires further consideration due to weather conditions, or if parents have other ques-

tions or concerns about how and when weather conditions affect your child's school day, please contact the school

office.

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.

We look forward to the start of a new calendar year. There will be a lot happening at McKee in January and you will

be kept up to date through our newsletters and email notices. In the new year, we will be continuing to have lunch

available on Thursdays for families either through the Lunch Lady or our Pizza Lunches. Our annual Dance-a-thon

fundraiser will begin in February.

The New Year is upon us and it is a time to stop and reflect on the year that passed while we anticipate the year

ahead. We are grateful to you, our parents, for your continued support of our staff and students.

Happy New Year to friends and families of McKee P.S.

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Bee Assemblies and Sing-a-Long

Kindness and Caring

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February is Kindergarten Registration Month

Registration for all TDSB Kindergarten programs begins in February.

Please call the office 416-395-2680 beginning January 8th to make an appointment to register. Effective February

1st, families will have the option to register on-line but you will still be required to make an appointment to pro-

vide the necessary documents in person.

Kindergarten registration will take place between February 20 - 23rd. To attend Junior Kindergarten in Septem-

ber, children must turn four years old by December 31. To register for Senior Kindergarten, children must be five

years old by December 31.

For more information about the Kindergarten program and registration requirements, please visit:

www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten

We look forward to welcoming you and your child at our school in September!

Happy New Year from the library! The children

enjoyed and read so many exciting books last

month. We had deep, meaningful conversa-

tions and discussions on “Kindness and Car-

ing” with a focus on the homeless and helping

others who are less fortunate. As well, we

explored the various celebrations for the

month of December. We have so many cultures and traditions in our school

and it is so wonderful to see and hear the children share their experiences.

Reading for enjoyment is just as important as reading for a purpose. As soon

as we come back from the holidays, we will be preparing for the Scholastic

Book Fair. The children love attending this book fair and it is a wonderful op-

portunity for parents to add to their home libraries. It will take place from

Monday, January 15 – Thursday, January 18. We hope to see you all there.

Until then, have a wonderful holiday. Continue exploring the Virtual Library

site. Bookflix, Pebble Go, and Capstone are all wonderful sites. The passwords

are in the student agenda.

All the best in the New Year.

Nancy Charron

The McKee Orff Club has finished the first session of the year. We used xylophones, boom whack-ers, drums, recorders, shakers and piano to play and record our own version of CBC Olympic Theme for 2018 Winter Olym-pics. The students came to each practise with lots of enthusiasm and challenged themselves by striving for perfection. Thank you for your hard work, Orff Club students!

Change in staffing for 2018

At this time, we thank Ms. Kay for the last 19 years working at McKee. Ms. Kay has accepted a role as Kinder-

garten teacher working at Holland Bloorview. We are currently interviewing for a long term occasional teacher

to fill this position until June and welcome Ms. Rosenthall who will be here in the interim. We also would like

to thank Mr. Campbell for his work preparing his grade three class so beautifully and for his time working on

the Equity Committee and Dance Club. Mr. Campbell is resuming his position working with two different uni-

versities for the winter term. We welcome Ms. Priscilla Wong who will be in Rm 210 until February 16th at

which point, Minah Hwang will return from maternity leave. We also thank Zaneera Fawzan for her work as

ECE in Rm 214 and welcome Ms. Karimah Chunara who will be filling this position until June.

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McKee Boys’ Volleyball Team

On November 22, the McKee Boys’ Volleyball Team was very excited to play in the Pool C Division 1, North

Area Tournament at John Wanless P.S. Their first game was against Dallington P.S. McKee won both games and

came away victorious in the first set. Next, they played a team from Steelesview P.S. A tougher team, however,

McKee still came away with a two-game victory. Finally, they played John Wanless P.S. They were the only other

team that had yet to lose a game. McKee won the first game, however, they suffered their first loss in the second

one. It all came down to a third tie-breaker game to see who would move on to represent the pool. In a very close

battle, McKee ended up finally winning 15 - 13. The boys were extremely excited to beat John Wanless, as they

were the home team favourites, and they displayed an incredible number of banners all around their gym from pre-

vious years’ victories.

On December 11, McKee moved on to the North Conference Semifinals Tournament to play against a very tal-

ented team from Hollywood P.S. The boys battled hard and came away with a two-game set victory. In the final

championship game, McKee played against another good team from Cliffwood P.S. McKee won the 1st game, 25 -

14. However, in the second game, McKee was feeling frustrated, as they found themselves trailing 19-4. Mr. Rob-

inson called a timeout to try to rally the team. Mr. Priolo told the boys to think of the score as being 0-0 and to try

their best on each point. McKee made a miraculous comeback and won the second game 25-23 to win the set. After

the game, the team received the Division 1, NORTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP banner.

A special thank you to the coaches for volunteering all their time and training with the boys.

Congratulations to: Yuan, Alexander, Zoren, Kevin, Pouya, Nate, Bryce, Michael, Kamyar, Seung Uk and Yamato.

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JUNIOR EXTENDED FRENCH PROGRAM

2018 -2019

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You have a choice to make about French programming for your child.

Grade 4 is the only time your child can begin a Junior Extended

French program. Applications to the Junior Extended French program may

be submitted, on behalf of students in the English program, the year the child

is in Grade 3 for entry in September of Grade 4.

To find the Extended French School for your area, please visit the

following website and enter the name of your English school in the

designated search window:

www.tdsb.on.ca/ElementarySchool/SchoolChoices/FrenchPrograms

Please Note: While admission to the Junior Extended French (Grade 4

entry) program is guaranteed at the entry point to all eligible on time

applicants, admission to a specific school is not guaranteed if the school

reaches capacity. Application to begin this program is open to all

students not already enrolled in an FSL program.

Parents/Guardians of Children in Grade Three

Junior Extended French

Grade 4, 5 and 6

- half of the day is in French and half of the day is in English. The subjects taught

in French are Language, Social Studies and The Arts.

- the subjects taught in English are English Language Arts, Math and Science.

The students do not blend with the students from the Senior Kindergarten Immersion

program.

Grades 7 and 8

– half of the day is in French and half of the day is in English. The subjects

taught in French are Language, History/Geography and The Arts.

– All other subjects are taught in English

Students who successfully complete a minimum of 7 credits in French at the

secondary school level are eligible for a Certificate of Bilingual Studies in Extended

French.

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Eco Newsletter 2018

As a Platinum Eco-School, McKee Public School staff and students are committed to making a difference in our community and our world. This year, our school will continue working in partnership with “Call 2 Recycle,” Canada’s largest, most reliable battery recycling program. If you have any Alkaline (AA, AAA, 9V, etc.), Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-Mh), or Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn) batteries, please bring them into the school and place

them into the Call2Recycle at the ECO-Depot table. Thank you for keeping our world clean and green.

Did you know our staff and students diverted 500 kg of textile

waste from our landfills. We also earned $100.00 dollars for our

school to spend on upcoming environmental initiatives.

Hooray! Now we can all breathe a little easier because we have

reduced pollution in our community. Thank you to all the

families who donated their textile goods to help families in

developing countries. Our next collection date will be in the

Spring of 2018.

Making a “BIG” difference

McKee Public School’s Green T Contest

In December, our student’s took part in a ‘Green’ T

design contest. With over 200 entires, McKee

students have really shown how much they care for

the earth and our community. A very special

congratulations to Emma in Grade 4 from Mr.

Morris’ class whose design was chosen for our

school’s “Green” T.

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