Dear Parents,

It has been a cold and rainy week, but that has not halted the warmth and sunshine inside the Junior School! Our students, both remote and on-campus are fully settled into their routines, and continue to thrive in their learning and play.

Please be sure to read today’s posting carefully, as it contains “need to know” information about the upcoming weeks. Please also be reminded that all calendar dates can be found on Veracross.

Sincerely,

Kate White

Latest News:

Halloween – Friday, October 30, “Dress-Up Day”

On Friday, October 30, students in JK to Grade 12 will be celebrating Halloween with a dress-up day, ALL DAY, for all students. Students are permitted to wear face makeup that is applied at home, but are not permitted to wear costume masks. All students must still wear a face mask, as they regularly would. 

Ms. Watt and our amazing Junior School Prefects have done some creative thinking to ensure this will be a truly SPOOK-tacular day!  We will document student entry, to create a “virtual Halloween parade,” students will participate in a door-decorating contest, as well as attend a virtual assembly in the morning. Our Grade 6 leaders have also been working hard to create Halloween themed activities to participate in during co-curriculars.

Diwali Prayers – Call for Submissions

The Junior School will be celebrating Diwali on Monday, November 2 during Prayers. If your family celebrates Diwali, we would love to have some photos to include of your family to include for our walk-in video. Please submit these to Reverend Douglas (sdouglasbowman@havergal.on.ca) by Friday, October 30th, so that they can be included.

Reminders:

Lockers – Outdoor Clothing (coats, boots, hats, etc…)

With the onset of the cooler weather, please ensure that your child has all of the appropriate outdoor gear required, so that she can fully engage in outdoor play at recess. Teachers will spend next week teaching students how to organize their locker or cubby, and how to use the space safely. Students are not permitted to purchase any kind of trinkets or decorations for their lockers or cubbies. Lockers will only be used only for boots and coats. All other items will continue to be stored in the classrooms.

Junior School Parent-Teacher Conferences

When do they take place?

• Thursday, November 5th from 1:30pm-7:30pm
• Friday, November 6th 8:00am-3:00pm

Registration

• Opens: Tuesday, October 27 @ 6pm
• Closes: Tuesday, November 3 @ 8am

Will Parent-Teacher Conference be held at school, or on Zoom?

• All Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held over Zoom.
• A link will be provided when you sign-up.

How to sign up:

• In order to sign-up, please go to Pick-A-Time 
  • Please note that this link will only allow you to register when registration opens on Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm.) 
  • A ‘Forgot Password’ link is available on the Pick-a-time website if needed.

Assistance:

• For assistance with Pick-a-time, contact our Service Desk at 416-483-3843 ext.6663 between the hours of 7:30am -5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Ordering your Child’s School Photo

Your child’s school photos are now ready to be viewed and purchased. 

• The link to view and order pictures is:  HERE
• If you have any questions, please email Cameron Hubbs at cameron@echophotography.ca 

You will need your child’s student ID number which is the password to use when accessing the photos. Go HERE to view and order your child’s photos at your convenience.

Dear Parents,

This morning’s first ever Virtual Harvest Festival set the perfect tone with which to start the Thanksgiving weekend. It was such a joy for Ms. Watt and me to unveil the installation of the gratitude wall created by our students. This has been hung in the front hall of the Junior School, and will serve as a daily reminder for us all to practice an “attitude of gratitude.” Together, our community raised over $1800, to donate to The North York Harvest Food Bank. When we called them today, they wanted me to share their deep appreciation. If you were unable to join us for the service, I highly encourage you to view a recording of it here:  https://youtu.be/fpskcgO43EI

I am also filled with gratitude to have the honour to share some truly wonderful news with all of you. Ms. Watt, Junior School, Assistant Head is pregnant, and will be welcoming twins in late February! We have been working alongside Ms. Watt to ensure that her many responsibilities are fulfilled while she is on parental leave, and will update you accordingly. I know that you join me in wishing Ms. Watt your very best wishes and congratulations. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Kate White

Latest News:

Adjustments to the Fall School Calendar

As we continue with a successful start to the school year we have identified a need for additional Professional Development time in order for faculty to continue to deliver a high quality program. As we move forward, we will continue to reflect and adjust the calendar as required. We thank you for your ongoing support as we navigate this unique school year.

Please note the following adjustments in the Junior School Calendar. 

• Thursday Nov 5 & Friday, Nov 6: 
  • Teachers will be engaging in Professional Development on these days, as well as conducting Parent-Teacher Interviews.
  • Students (JK – Grade 6) are not at school on either of these days.
• Wednesday, Dec 2 
  • PD Day for Teachers
  • Students (JK – Grade 12) are not at school on either of these days
• Wednesday Wednesday Dec 16  
  • The Christmas Break will now begin on this date. The last day of classes before the break will be Tuesday, December 15.

Daily Screening Update

As you are aware, Toronto Public Health made changes to our daily screening this week. Thank you for attending to these screening questions carefully and completing this prior to your child’s arrival to campus. It is important to note that even if your child is absent, regardless of the reason for the absence, you must still complete the daily screening. Finally, once the screening is complete you are sent detailed instructions with next steps should any of the answers have been yes. 

Over the past four weeks, our families have supported the safety and health of our school remarkably well through our Veracross process. In consultation with our Return to Campus taskforce, we have determined that we will not be moving forward with Edusafe. Also, because of the success, and the routines families have developed around the screening process, we feel that to introduce a new procedure at this time is not in the best interest of the College. 

Junior School Photos

• The Junior School photos will be online and available for purchase on Wednesday, October 14. 
• The link to view and order pictures is:  HERE
• If you have any questions, please email Cameron Hubbs at cameron@echophotography.ca 
• Retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, October 21
• Please note that all students will receive a composite photo of their class later in the year.

Reminders:

Green & Gold Orders

Green & Gold orders that have been placed via our online shop, will now be delivered directly to classrooms, for students to bring home. Curbside pick-up at the Upper School, is no longer required for Junior School students.

Junior School Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6. Sign-up will start on Tuesday, October 27 at 6 pm and will close at 8 am on Tuesday, November 3. The link for sign-up will be shared in the next blog.

Dear Junior School Parent,

As we head into the Thanksgiving weekend, I wanted to express my gratitude for your collective support in our opening weeks of school. Whether your child has been learning on campus or participating remotely, the strength of the Havergal community has once again shined through.

We continue to  monitor the trends and regular communication from Toronto Public Health. In the event that schools are directed by the government to close, and that all teaching and learning must occur remotely, please be assured that the College is prepared to do this quickly, and as seamlessly as possible. Please read the information below. 

Learning Materials

• Students in JK to Grade 6 will  be sent home with the materials (e.g., notebooks, workbooks, etc) that they would require to continue learning from home, on Friday, October 9, should we need to move to a remote learning environment. Should we be able to return after the weekend, these materials should be brought back to school. If you know that your child will not be at school on Friday, please let the homeroom teacher know, so that we can arrange to have these materials  brought home earlier. 

Technology

• JK to Grade 2
  • Should the school close, and your child requires an iPad or Computer to participate in remote learning, please email: servicedesk@havergal.on.ca so that it can be arranged as quickly as possible.
• Grades 3 
  • Each student has been provided with an iPad, with a protective case. 
  • All families must complete the digital waiver by Thursday, October 8 at 12:00 pm in preparation for this program.
• Grade 4
  • Each student has been provided with a laptop. We ask that you please provide a protective case of the laptop.
  • All families must complete the digital waiver by Thursday, October 8 at 12:00 pm in preparation for this program. 
• Grade 5 & Grade 6
  • Each student has been provided with a laptop. Thank you for already providing a protective case for this. Each student will start bringing this home  at the end of each day on Monday, October 5 and then bring it back to school the next morning..
• Printer Access
  • It would also be helpful to ensure you have access to a printer at home, should anything need to be printed.

We will communicate with you promptly and provide any necessary information in the event of a school closure.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, and I would be happy to discuss them with you.

Sincerely,

Kate White

Head, Junior School