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CHANGE of DATE: Meet the New Principal & Ask About Return to In-Person Learning

*Meeting moved to NEXT week instead of this evening*
This month’s meeting gives you a chance to ask questions & have your voice heard by our interim Principal & others.

Online from 7-8:30pm Wednesday 26 January.

Login, listen in, and have your say! Read the full agenda on our website.

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Parent/Guardian Involvement Needed?

Wednesday night, during our monthly School Council meeting, there were a number of issues that arose and the theme was often one of parent/guardian involvement.

If you missed the meeting, please Watch the recording and consider taking action.

Here’s a summary of what was discussed:
  • Lunchtime supervision:
    • Deep concern was expressed over the limited supervision available during lunchtime
    • Ratio of lunch monitor to students is 1:100, even though COVID protocols keep kids in their classrooms rather than grouped together in the gym or outside
    • Esme & Suzy circulate through the classrooms. And every non-teacher resource is called into action. But it still leave most kids unsupervised 2/3 of the time
    • If you would like to be involved in finding a solution, please email howardschoolcouncil@gmail.com
  • Esme updated us on:
    • the School Yard Revitalization project – we are on track, weather permitting, to open at the end of November
    • TDSB launched PR728 – find out what that means about reporting racist, sexist, homophobic language and incidents
    • School Improvement Plan (SIP) – this is a staff-driven document. The 2 foci continue to be Academic and Wellbeing/Equity
    • School Statement of Needs (SSON) – this is a parent/guardian-driven document used by the school board to aid them in selecting administrative staff for the school. We need your input!
  • Fundraising
    • Kindness Calendar – advent calendar that can be used for many years – order TODAY in order to receive in time for December 1st
    • Online Auction in full swing! Bidding ends at 9pm on Saturday. Not too late to donate an item – email council to donate
  • Howard’s TPH Nurse Kristina Khatrib presented on
    • are you planning to travel? learn about the current quarantining guidance for vaccinated and unvaccinated kids
    • new guidance about quarantining if your child has been identified as a close contact and trends in pediatric population
    • TPH hotline for more information: 416 338 7600 (m-f 8:30-4:30)
  • Key Dates

Featured

Thank You For Donating

The Annual Fundraiser has come to a close with a total of $1,350 raised to help the students of Howard Public School start next year on the right foot.
Thank you!

The Annual campaign may have ended, but donations are always welcome (and needed)! DONATE ANYTIME

For more information on how your donation will help the students, visit the fundraising campaign’s webpage.

Stay In Touch Over the Summer

Follow the HPSC’s new Facebook page

Visit the “Resources for Parents + Caregivers” area of the HPSC website for suggestions on how to stay in touch and support resources for raising elementary-aged kids.

Have a great summer & see you in the Fall!

This Morning At Howard: Our School Yard Opens!

It’s official! The long-awaited, revitalized, Howard PS School Yard is open for play!

Today from 8:30 to 9:15

The school is celebrating the opening of our school yard as students arrive and our school day begins. It will be a festive atmosphere with music and all Howard students taking a walking tour the whole school will dance, flashmob-style!  

If you are bringing your child/children to school this morning, please remember to wear a mask and remain socially distanced. Parents and guardians are asked to stay in the cove area, on the pavement area or around the periphery of the yard. Please note that dogs are loved, but not permitted in the school yard.

Visit The School Yard Revitalization project website for more information.

‘Tis the Season for Giving!

Donate to the Annual Toy Drive

Please join us in donating to the Parkdale Community Food Bank Toy Drive! Helping is easy: Drop off new toys to the Roncesvalles United Church (Wright Avenue entrance) during the designated times.

  • Monday – Friday 10am – 3pm
  • Sundays 10am – 5pm
  • LAST DAY is December 21st

You can also donate online to this essential local charity; details on their website pcfb.ca.

Support Local Toy Stores

We are very lucky to have Sweet Thrills, Scooter Girl, and Another Story Bookshop on our main street! They are counting on a strong Holiday season to make up for so many months under lockdown. Show them – as well as the Howard auction donors and the other unique neighbourhood businesses – some #locallove.

There is another tradition at Howard: every year the School Council allocates funds to be given to Howard families in need. The Council purchases gift cards that families can use to purchase groceries, clothes, or gifts for their kids. These gift cards are very discreetly distributed by the Howard Principal to the families that need it most. 

This process is so discreet that you probably didn’t know it happens every year! 

If you would like to donate specifically to this “Holiday Hamper” initiative, please use the School Cash Online donation portal.

  1. under Gift Information, select or type the amount you’d like to contribute
  2. make sure the school selected is “Howard Jr PS”
  3. make sure the initiative selected in the drop down is “GENERAL”
  4. under Message to School Board, type where you would like the money to be allocated
  5. select ‘continue’ and proceed through the payment process
  6. you’ll receive a confirmation screen with a tax receipt and email

If you have questions, please email the TDSB’s School Cash Online support staff at businesshelpdesk@tdsb.on.ca

Did You Win in the Auction?

Well, if you’ve got a love for Howard JPS, then the answer is YES!

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and all those who placed a bid, we raised more than $10,000 for the school!

If you won an item in the auction, please visit this page for instructions on how to claim your item(s)

If you won one of the daily draws, a volunteer from the school will be in touch with you via email.

If you’d like to feel the feeling of winning, please consider making a donation to the school through School Cash Online where you’ll receive a tax receipt.

If you’re planning on shopping for groceries, gifts or anything else; please consider downloading the FlipGive app and installing the browser extension. It is free, super easy and gives the school a cash back percentage of money that you’re going to spend anyway! It’s Day 3 of the auction and some bidding wars are raging. But not to worry, there are still more items coming and lots of opportunities for you to show your support for the kids.

About Fundraising for Howard

More information is available on the Howard School Council website Auction and Fundraising pages.

Thank you again for taking action, and supporting the kids of Howard in any way you can.

Sincerely, The Fundraising Volunteers