Hello from the Home and School Council Equity Committee!

Together with the administration, we are organizing a school-wide event for Black History Month for Howard students and families. We want this event – which will be held at the end of February – to be a meaningful celebration of Black history and culture that strengthens connections among students and families in our community.

We’re looking for leadership from community members! In order to hold a meaningful and relevant event, we are seeking input from the diverse Howard community, in particular from those with a connection to Black communities.

If you’re a Howard community member and would like to get involved with this event, please reach out. There are lots of ways to be involved, including, but not limited to:

• Joining the equity committee
• Attending a January meeting with the school’s equity committee, administrators, and the Home and School equity committee to plan this event
• Leading this event, with support from the school’s admin and Home and School equity committee
• Offering connections to presenters (or providing suggestions of possible presenters)
• Privately offering feedback to the Home and School equity committee regarding the process and/or content

If you’re interested in learning more, please email the Home and School Equity Committee via the contacts listed here:

• Midori:  midori.c.miyamoto@gmail.com
• Erika: ebiddl@gmail.com
• Renu: renu.mandhane@gmail.com

Thank you!

The Home and School Equity Committee

Howard will be having a “Carnaval” this year!  It will consist of an exciting afternoon of outdoor activities for students from grades 1 to 6, taking place on Friday, February 7, 2020.

We are requesting:

• 10 parent volunteers to help with our snack stations on the day of
• parents to purchase or donate snack items as well as to lend crockpots and large coffee urns
• a Bonhomme Carnaval costume (see photo)

Please inform Jill Durrant if you are able to support the event with time or materials (email to jill.durrant@tdsb.on.ca).

Un gros merci!

Howard Carnaval Committee

‘Tis the night before the (first) holiday concert

and from across the internet,

Parent Council is imploring you not to forget

to bring your coins and your cash to spread holiday cheer

at the Parkdale Community Food Bank, which helps our neighbourhood all year.

Howard is continuing its holiday concert tradition of raising money for the Parkdale Community Food Bank. Parent Council volunteers will be stationed at the gymnasium doors, gratefully accepting coins, cash, and yes, even cheques (made out to the Parkdale Community Food Bank). Last year this initiative raised $1,000 for this wonderful community organization. Let’s see if we can break our record!

The Parkdale Community Food Bank:

• serves up to 2,000 people each month
• distributes between 3.5 and 5 tonnes of food each week
• provides advocacy services to its members on issues of housing, social services, and more

A loonie, a toonie, a fiver or more,

we’ll happily accept all cash at the door.

If you have some to spare, look for us there,

and thank you so much for this gesture of care!

It’s been a busy year at Howard for Parent Council…and we’re not (quite) done yet!

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the November meeting, definitely check out the November 2019 Meeting Minutes. There’s loads of valuable information, including:

• a summary of Renu Mandhane’s presentation about the Right to Read Public Inquiry
• our Q&A sessions with Ward 7 Trustee Robin Pilkey
• updates from Principal McKenzie about the school budget, Howard’s foci for the year, and drinking water lead levels
• a call for a graphic designer to help the playground revitalization team
• and more!

There is no Parent Council meeting in December, but please mark your calendars for January 15, 2020.

In the meantime, see you at the holiday concerts on December 11 and 12! Parent Council volunteers will be collecting cash donations at the door for the Parkdale Community Food Bank. (If you’d like to help collect, please contact Michelle McBride: mcbride.mclennan@gmail.com).

From the Parent Council Executive, thank you for a wonderful start to the year, and best wishes for the holidays!

Location:  

Paramount Fine Foods Centre

5500 Rose Cherry Place, Mississauga,

Date + Time: 

Friday, November 29

* drop-off at 5:30pm

Thank you for your participation in the Raptors 905 Howard PS event… it is going to be fun! Parking is free.

What to wear: Singers please wear a red shirt and black pants and wear running shoes or any shoes with non-marking soles as boots will not be permitted on the court. Singers must wear matching outfits and will be on the Jumbotron while they sing.

Time: Give your singer(s) a ticket and drop them off at 5:30pm at B Arena, Gate 3, and walk them to the end of the hall. You will be greeted by Ms. Jonas and the event organizers for the sound check. If you are volunteering with the sound check, you will enter with the students. All others will only be able to enter once the gates open. Following the sound check, Ms. Jonas and the parent volunteers will help the students to their seats and supervise until general admission.

High 5 Tunnel: If you are one of the students chosen for the high 5 tunnel, you will go before singing the anthems. Directly after the high 5 tunnel, you will return to sing the anthems.

Anthem Buddies: If you have been selected for the anthem buddies, you will not be able to sing with the choir. If you do not want to miss singing with the choir, please tell Ms. Jonas as soon as possible and we can give someone else your spot.

Tickets will be distributed on Thursday to your child. Please let Ms. Jonas know if you would prefer to pick them up. The draw for the Raptors swag, fan tunnel and anthem buddies will be on Thursday.

Please see the information that follows from School Trustee Robin Pilkey regarding tonight’s Ward 7 Council meeting, the next meeting and calls for parent consultation.

Ward 7 Council Meeting

November 26, 2019 7PM – 9PM

Lucy McCormack Secondary School

2717 Dundas Street West (at Annette)

Next meeting:

Date: January 22

Location: Humbercrest JMS

Requests for Parent Consultation

Secondary School Review update & survey (https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Secondary-Program-Review)

Policy consultation – Optional Attendance (https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Policies-Procedures-Forms/Policy-Consultations)

More Communications!

Parents please join the FaceBook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TDSBWard7Coucil/?ref=bookmarks