MILLER NEWS
/ F.H. Miller Junior Public School300 Caledonia Rd.
Toronto, ON
M6E 4T5Principal:Marilyn Villett
Office Administrator:Sue Webb
Head Caretaker:Norman Waite
Telephone:416-394-2336 Fax: 416-394-4146
November 21, 2016
Student Recognition
The following students were recognized at our recent Student Recognition Assemblies. Students can be recognized for Academic Achievement, Citizenship and Leadership.
Junior Kindergarten
Slade Mohammed-Fieldstone, Ethan Matthews- McDonald
Senior Kindergarten
Colwyn Messham
Grade 1
Payton Batisse, Lana Ladeira
Grade 2
Allan Fernando, Daniel Fernandes Silva, Esteban Vidal-Barillas
Grade 3
Isaac Barrera Nuila, Shiloh Cadiogan-Supanga, Ajani Drummond, Onur Guven, Jason Osaj, Abigail Pinta
Grade 4
Christof Schmidt
Grade 5
Mason Carriere-Ramsammy,
Grade 6
Tenzin Choeying, Aiden Hashem
The following students were recognized by their classmates.
Students Recognizing Students
Zoe Kennedy - JK
Payton Batisse - Grade 1
Lana Ladeira - Grade 1
Tae Fletcher - Grade 2
Andy Quintanilla Sorto - Grade 4
Veronica Correia Sampaio - Grade 5
Justin Rochon - Grade 6
Zahanah Wells - Grade 6
School Council Executive
Our School Council Executive for the 2016-17 school year is as follows:
Chair – Jodi Murphy
Secretary –SuchmaKanManuela Cullo
Treasurer – James Falconer
Ward Council Representative – Alan Murphy
School Council Meeting
Our next School Council meeting will be held on November 29, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library on the first floor. All parents are welcome.
School Parking Lot
Please remind your children that for safety reasons they are not to use the school parking lot to access the school yard unless accompanied by an adult.
Students Entering the School
Students who are being dropped off at the front of the school should enter the school from the school yard in his/her class line. Students should not use the front door unless they are arriving after 9:00 a.m. or after 12:45 p.m.
Students Exiting the School
Students in Grades JK-6 are accompanied to the exit doors by their teacher. Please assist us in this routine by picking up your children outside theexit doors.
Lunch Hour
We continue to offer a lunch program at our school for the benefit of working parents. If students are part of the program they are expected to stay on the school grounds. They must follow the school rules. Milk ($.60), juice cans ($1.00), and juice cartons ($.60) are available for students to purchase during the lunch hour.
Supervision of Students
Morning supervision begins on the yard at 8:45 a.m.There is no supervision before that time. For safety reasons students should not come to school before 8:45 a.m.One teacher is on dutyfrom3:30–3:45 p.m.There is no supervision after3:45 p.m.Students are asked to go directly home when they are dismissed. They should check in with you at home before making any after schoolarrangements.
Continuing Education - Community Programs
Register for Winter Learn4Life beginning November 16. Take up a new hobby, learn a language, and meet people in your community. Put your hands to work and decorate and glaze your own pottery or sculpture. Take up a sport and stay active this winter. Register at Facebook.com/TDSBLearn4Life @TDSB_ConEd Classes begin Saturday, January 14, 2017.
Continuing Education - Adult High School
Find a career path and to meet your academic goals. Tuition is free. Earn credits faster and gain Canadian work experience. Explore programs in business & technology, social science, mathematics and specialty programs such as accounting, office administration, personal support worker, and more. For more information visit @TDSB_ConEd
Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week: 20 - 26 November 2016
The TDSB joins the rest of Ontario in recognizing Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, beginning November 20th. A caring, safe, and accepting school climate is essential for student achievement and well-being. In order to reach their full potential, students must feel safe, included and engaged.In order to help build and sustain a positive school climate, every TDSB school is required to have a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, including:
- education, awareness and outreach;
- all applicable TDSB policies and procedures;
- prevention strategies, intervention and support strategies; and
- updated school climate data.
French Programs Application Deadline
For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's French Immersion or Extended French programs, we offer an online process for applying to:
- Early French Immersion (EFI) which begins in Senior Kindergarten;
- Junior Extended French (JEF) which begins in Grade 4
We guarantee an offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) to all on-time applicants. Transportation is provided as per the Board's Transportation policy. The timelines for applying for these programs for September 2017 are:
- Applications for Early French Immersion (for a Junior Kindergarten aged child), must be completed online between November 1, 2016 and December 1, 2016.
- Applications for Junior Extended French must be completed online between January 9, 2017 and February 2, 2017.
Offers of placement within your chosen program will be made to all on-time applicants in the weeks following the close of the application window.
Please note: families with an older sibling currently in a French program are still required to complete an online application for the new student.
Further information on French as a Second Language programs and the application process is available online at
To view this newsletter online visit our school website atschools.tdsb.on.ca/fhmiller/
School Lockdowns and Hold and Secures
From time to time, police activity and/or incidents in and around schools and their communities may result in a school being put into a “Hold & Secure” or “Lockdown.” These are procedures that are designed to keep students and staff safe.
Hold & Secure is a response to a threat and/or incident in the general vicinity of a school, but not on or very near to school property. School life continues as normal inside the school; however, as a precautionary measure, outer doors are locked and no one enters or leaves the building. Note: As a result of Secure Access Systems that are installed at TDSB Elementary schools, outer doors are typically locked during the learning day.
Lockdown is used in a serious emergency situation where the threat is inside a school, on or very near to school property. A Lockdown minimizes access and visibility in an effort to shelter students, staff and visitors in secure locations. Similar to a Hold & Secure, all outer doors are locked; however a Lockdown requires that all students be kept in classrooms or other designated locations and that inner doors also be locked where possible. Entry to, and exit from, the building is restricted to emergency services personnel. During a Lockdown, lights are turned off in the classroom/office, curtains/blinds are closed where possible, cell phone use is restricted and all people inside the building should remain quiet. During a Lockdown, school phones will not be answered as the administration is tending to the ongoing situation. As cell phone use is restricted, students are asked not to use phones until cleared to do so. It’s important to note that our school, like every school across the Toronto District School Board, is required to practice two Lockdown drills per year to ensure students and staff know what to do in case of an emergency.
Hallowe’en Dance
On the afternoon of October 31 our School Council sponsored a Hallowe’en Dance for our students under the direction of Council Chair, JodiMurphy. Council members Manuela Cullo,Ashley DeAguiarandChantel Pearceassisted. Music was provided by students from Mr. Nock’s class. Everyone had a great time dancing and having fun admiring each other’s costumes. Hallowe’en treats and popcorn monster hands were enjoyed by all. Four lucky students won Cineplex gift cards in the lucky draw. They were: Zander Grech,Tony Lordelo, Zoey McCann & Abigail Pinta. Thanks to the Council for making this a special day for our students. / Volunteers at F. H. Miller
We would like to acknowledge the following people who have volunteered their time to help in our school since September: Lily Brutto,Manuela Cacullo, Sherlyne Fletcher, Nila Gupta, Stacey Hashem, Benny McIntosh, Julianne Morin, Demetra Ntalis.If you would like to help out next month please contact the school office at 416-394-2336.
Hands-On Science in Room 6
The Grade 1 and 2 students were excited to explore different forms of matter with two University of Toronto Science Graduate students who led a workshop in our class. Various experiments were conducted with numerous materials. A class favourite was mixing corn syrup, water, and oil and seeing what happens to the mixture based on the properties of each material. The "Hands On Science" scientists were thrilled to visit F.H.Miller P.S. and are excited to come back again!
……E. Coelho
Observing Remembrance Day at F. H. Miller On Friday, November 11, students, staff and several parents marked Remembrance Day with a whole school assembly in the Gym. Our assembly began with the singing of O’Canada followed by the placing of our Remembrance Daywreath byJennifer Rivas Carmenate and Justin Rochon. One minute of silence was observedfollowed by the playing of the Last Post and Reveille. Kindergarten and Grade 1/2 classes sang “Peace in my Heart” with accompanying actions.The Grade2/3 & Grade 3/4 classes sang“A Wish for Peace”. Our assembly closed with Grade 5 & 6 students reading the poem “Why Wear A Poppy” by Don Crawford. Thanks to Ms. O’Sullivan for co-ordinating this event and to all staff who assisted. At this time our teachers make connections between global events and students' lives by promoting peace within our school community.Students wrote about how to be a peaceful person and how to promote peace. Their work was displayed forming large poppies all around the Gym. This year's Remembrance Day marked the date and time when fighting stopped on November 11th at 11am in 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month) which made this the 98th anniversary for the end of the First World War. This year is also the 71st year since the end of World War II.
Trip to Warren Park
In October our 3/4 class travelled to the Warren Park Outdoor Education Centre. What a wonderful experience! The students were given the opportunity to discuss different types of habitats and communities. The program was very hands on. They got to feel the difference between the coarse top coat and soft underbelly of a beaver, wear goggles that provided a fly's view of the world, and had free range to explore and take pictures of different habitats as we walked along the Humber River. Our visit was perfectly timed with the salmon and trout migration. We were lucky enough to witness these large fish swimming and jumping up the rapids towards their hatching grounds. In the afternoon the students created nature art, using only materials they could find on the ground throughout the park to create their own original works. We will be working with the pictures the students took to enrich our writing in class. Overall this was a great trip, and I am already looking forward to our next one!
……Ms. O'Sullivan
Monday Yoga Startedon November 7th
Interested in yoga? Our next class is on December 5th, 2016. The first Monday of every month there will be drop-in yoga sessions. It will run from 3:45pm-4:45pm. Andrea Aymer is a yoga instructor with many years of experience. She hosted one yoga night at F.H. Miller last spring. Everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary. It is open to students in Grade 4-6. Students do not need to have a parent present just the permission form signed. There will be snacks too! …..Ms. Campbell
Orff Music Program
Ms. Foster, Ms. Coelho & Ms. O’Sullivan are working with Isabella Szymonowicz, once a week to teach the Orff Music Program. This music program teaches children about the elements of music through instruments, songs, movement, poetry, and listening activities. We are pleased to offer this program to students in Grades 1 to 4.
Curriculum Night
Parents/Guardians were invited to come to the school in the evening of September 28th for our annual Curriculum Night. We first met in the lunchroom and enjoyed fresh pizza. Following the introduction of staff members and a short message from Ms. Villett, parents/guardians had the opportunity to visit their children’s classrooms. Teachers discussed the curriculum expectations, timetable, classroom routines and any other information that would help to give students a good start to the new school year.
Parent-Teacher Interviews at F. H. Miller Jr. P.S.
Regular parent-teacher communication is an important part of student learning. Parent-teacher interviews are scheduled throughout the year after report cards are sent home. Interviews were held on November 17 & 18. Interviews are your opportunity to ask questions about your child's progress and to discuss any issues. In addition to regular scheduled parent-teacher interviews, you can request a meeting at any time during the school year by contacting the school or your child's teacher directly.
Winter Concert
We hope to see you at our Winter Concert on Thursday, December 22nd at 6:30 p.m. All of our students look forward to performing for you. The program will include something for everyone. There will also be a Bake Sale sponsored by our School Council.
Reminder to call the school if your child will be late/absent
One measure of keeping our students safe is to ensure we can account for any absences or reasons for being late to school. We would like to remind you that if your child is going to be absent or late for any reason, we ask that you contact the school immediately and report the reason for the absence. If we are not informed about the absence, we will make attempts to contact you through our automated call-out system to determine the reason for the absence. To find out how this automated system works please visit: Please let the office know by calling 416-394-2336if your contact information, including phone number, changes at any time throughout the school year. Thank you for your continued cooperation to keep your children safe and accounted for.
Morning Meal Program
Healthy food is essential for students’ physical, social and intellectual development. Children use up energy quickly and require frequent nourishment. We need your financial support($10 per month per child) to enable us to continue the program throughout the year, as government grants only cover a small portion of the cost.
Book Creator Blog
Last year four of our Grade 5 students worked closely with author Veronika Martenova Charles on a collaborative e-book. Ms. Campbell presented the project last year at the Digital Marketplace. The project has just been featured on BookCreator's Blog which educators around the world read! To learn more about the project you can go to bit.ly/bcblog_storiestolife to read the blog.We used two apps to create the book: BookCreator & Green Screen by DoInk. Both are wonderful apps for creativity and can be used at any age and for any topic! Our students really pushed the limits of what can be achieved in BookCreator! Together, they published an interactive multimedia story, which can be read from the perspective of 5 different characters! You can even download a copy of story and read it in iBooks (on iPad, iPhone or in iBooks on a Mac). The e-book includes videos and even has sound effects embedded into it!We are so proud of our students who worked diligently all year on this special project. Congratulations toJayda Ball,Brooklyn Berardo-Calliste, Iris Ferriera Guido, & Keona Townsend.Happy Reading!
…Ms. Campbell
Upcoming Events
Nov. 24 - Student Recognition Assembly
Nov. 29 - School Liaison Police Officer visit
Dec. 2 - Professional Activity Day (no school)
Dec. 22 - 6:30pm Holiday Concert
Dec. 23 - Student Recognition Assembly
Dec. 23 -Last day of school before Break
Dec. 26, 2016 - Jan. 6, 2017 –Christmas Break
Jan. 9, 2017 - School Reopens
Jan. 20 - Professional Development Day
Jan. 26 - Student Recognition Assembly
Feb. 17(6:00 - 8:30p.m.)-Parent/Teacher Interviews
Feb. 18 a.m. - Parent/Teacher Interviews
Feb. 20 -Provincial Family Day(no school)
Feb. 22 & 23 - Dental Screening
Feb. 23 – Student Recognition Assembly
March 10-Last day of school before Spring Break
March 7 – Graduation & Sibling Photo Day
March 13 - 17 (inclusive) - Spring Break
April 14 - Good Friday (no school)
April 17 – Easter Monday (no school)