Principal: Ms. G. Lew

Vice-Principal: Mr. J. Messersi

School Council: Ms. C. Sterling,

Ms. I. Karaborni

Superintendent: Ms. L. Curtis

Trustee, Ward 12: Ms. M. Rutka

Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter September 2014 edition

Principal’s Message

September Dates/Events

Be The Change

Guidance Corner

Student Council

Eco News (English)

Eco News (French)

Photo Retake Day

Immunization Clinic

Grade 8 HS Info Night

School Mental Health Survey

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In This Issue Principal’s Message

This is our first newsletter of the school year. We believe the start of the school year has been exciting and positive for your children. On behalf of Mr. Messersi, our vice principal, Mr. Himelson our guidance counselor and our entire staff, including our office staff, Ms. Lee and Ms. Stangl, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our families especially those new to Cummer Valley.

We welcome new and returning staff members this year. Mr. Isaacs, (Grade 7) is new to Cummer Valley. Ms. Collier, (Grade 8) Ms. Chapell, (Grade 6) and Mr. Kwok (Grade 7) are returning staff.

Please read our section on parking and the bus loop. Please note that no cars are allowed to travel in the bus loop between 3:00 and 3:25 to allow for access of TDSB transportation vehicles to pick up students. Please choose “Safety over Convenience.”

September has been an active month for students learning new routines and becoming involved in various activities. It was wonderful to meet both new and returning families at our Curriculum Night on September 18 and School Council Meeting on September 23.

Each year we do our best to plan for the new school year as there are always factors such as new or departing students in September that might affect how classrooms are organized. This year our student enrolment has been relatively stable and we remain status quo with the number of teachers assigned to our school.

Healthy Eating continues to be a priority for our school. Again this year, “Just Catering Foods” provides meals during our two lunch periods. A lunch special is posted daily in the servery.

We are additionally proud of our achievement of Gold in ECO Schools.

Enjoy the rest of our newsletter.

-Gaye Lew, Principal

September

characte r trait

respect

October Events

October 8 — Walk to School Day

October 13 — Thanksgiving Day (Holiday)

October 17 — Terry Fox Run

October 22 — Grade 8 Parent Night

October 30 — Halloween Dance

For our 2014 — 2015 school cal-endar, go to

http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/cummervalley/Calendar.aspx

Page 2 Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter

Be the Change!

Donate your milk bags for a worthy cause!

Does your family always throw out milk

bags? Well, we could use them! Wash

and dry them, then hand them in to the

Be the Change Club each morning.

The bags will be cut into strips, tied and

woven into sleeping mats. They will be

shipped to countries that need emer-

gency bedding. Collection will be in

the front foyer in the morning, all year

long.

- Gigi L.

Coat Drive

Do you have coats or jackets that are

too small and gently used? Bring them

in! The annual Cummer Valley coat

drive is back again. Starting October

14th, students can bring their gently

used coats to school in the morning

and we will collect, sort and donate

them to families and children in need.

Thank you! - - Tammy C.

The Virtual Apple Drive

Be the Change Club meets Wednesdays after

school and is responsible for many initiatives

around the school. The Virtual Apple Drive

hopes to raise awareness among our peers

about students that come to school hungry.

This is because they do not have the funds to

have healthy meals. Please make your dona-

tions to Be The Change representatives and

they will ensure that the funds will go to TFSS

(Toronto Foundation for Student Success).

Every $5 donation represents one virtual apple.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and

assistance.

- Kiril M. & Shannon O.

Guidance Corner

The school year is off to a great start and students are settling into their classes and are getting used to their routines. Many students will adjust quickly to the school year. However, some may need more time and support. If you have any concerns regarding your son/daughter’s social or academic well-being, please let us know by contacting their Core Teacher.

As the Elementary Itinerant Counsellor at Cummer Valley, I will be supporting the stu-dents in such areas as study habits, time management, social skills, and in preparing our Grade 8 students for High School. There is a wonderful online resource for par-ents called, “Building Healthy Relationships – Parent Tool Kit, and A Guidebook for Parents and Schools”. You can download this resource by going to www.ontariodirectors.ca

This year, Grade 8 students will be preparing for their transition to High School. This is a time of excitement, as students will be choosing their High schools and courses for next year. To help with this transition, I will be hosting an information evening at Cummer Valley to discuss all areas of High School on Wednesday, October 22nd from 7 - 8pm. I will be discussing course selection, special programs, optional attendance, and tips for success. Please mark this date on your calendar.

Here are a few of the High School Information Evenings in the area: Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca to access more information on Transitions 8 - 9.

Don Mills C.I. - November 19 Cyber Arts/Gifted 5:30pm and 7:30pm; Regular Program 6:45pm

Earl Haig. S.S. - November 5 Claude Watson 7:00pm

Earl Haig S. S. - January 8 Regular Program 7:00pm

Marc Garneau C.I. - October 23 TOPS Program 7:00pm

Newtonbrook S.S. - November 26 Regular and French Imm. 7:00pm

Northview Heights S.S. - November 25 Regular, Cyber Arts, Math/Science, Elite Athlete 6:30pm

Victoria Park C.I. - November 18 International Baccalaureate 6:00pm and 7:30pm; Regular 6:30pm

Wexford C.I. - November 12 Performing Arts 7:00pm

Wexford C.I - November 13 Visual Arts/Media 7:00pm

William Lyon Mackenzie C.I. - November 6 MACS 7:00pm

William Lyon Mackenzie C.I. - December 4 Regular Program 7:00pm

Page 3 Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter

Student Council The vibrant Cummer Valley Stu-

dent Council is made up of two

representatives from each SAG. In

the first few weeks of school, stu-

dents from grades 7 and 8 cam-

paigned and ran for grade 7 and 8

executive positions such as Presi-

dent and Secretary. Nominees

made compelling speeches on Sep-

tember 19th during their lunch hour

asking their peers to vote for them.

Elections are now over and here are

the results. Congratulations to the

newly elected executive members

and thanks to all that participated.

Grade 7 Presidents: Fenson L. and

Brandon K.

Grade 7 Secretaries: Edward L.

and Leemah R.

Grade 8 Presidents: Mary D. and

Jiwon H.

Grade 8 Secretaries: Seena M.

and Elvira D.

Grade 7 and 8 Liaisons: Gabrielle

G. and Anab S.

Our reps have a busy month ahead

as they plan upcoming events such

as Walk to School Day, Halloween

Dress Up Day and educate their

peers on a variety of environmental

topics. SAGs gain spirit points for

participation in these events and

once again the race has begun for

the competition to win the banner

for the highest number of spirit

points. We will keep you posted!

Welcome back! The EMUs are active and beginning to roam, dance, and sing

around the school!

You may notice them in the garden outside the music room, where they are

picking out the weeds, collecting the fruit and vegetables from our summer

produce, and spreading mulch. They are led by Emma, Kyle, Alec and super-

vised by Ms. Labate.

The EMU energy team meet on Wednesdays in room 113. Thank you to

Mme. Ionescu for supervising this club and to Fenson, Hansol and Seon Gu

for leading this team. Currently, they are advertising our International Walk-

To-School event on October 8. Please participate this day and win spirit

points for your class. You need to walk, run, skateboard, ride a bike or roller-

blade to school and back home that day. You must not use motorized

transport. If you live farther than 8 blocks, you may be dropped off 8 blocks

away from school and still be counted. Look for your class's footprint when

you arrive and sign it to show your participation.

The EMU Waste team supervised by Mr. Jones and led by Paniz and Saba is

looking for more participants. We will continue to give out spirit points for

having a squeaky clean table top during lunch times. We will also be doing a

waste audit very soon! We are implementing an EMU boomerang lunch ef-

fort: bring your uneaten good food back home to eat it later!

The EMU Literacy team led by Vanathi, Julia and Rishabh will be giving edu-

cational messages during lunch - so check them out! You may learn about the

safest water bottles to bring to school. This team meets on Monday mornings

in the DT room.

It's going to be a very active year with a chance of winning a trip to the zoo

and an opportunity to plan and run a fun carnival! Thank you for your support.

Please see the French version of the eco news on the next page.

Page 4 Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter

Bonjour et RE-BIENVENUE! Le club ECO est actif et commence dé-

jà à chanter, danser et se promener autour de l’école!

Peut-être vous les avez remarqués dans le jardin, juste en dehors de

la salle de musique, en train d’arracher les mauvaises herbes, ou peut

-être en train de cueillir des fruits et des légumes, ou encore d’épar-

piller du paillis. Ce sont les élèves du club ECO mené par Emma, Kyle

and Alec et Mme Labate.

L'équipe d'énergie travaille déjà pour vous donner des activités di-

vertissantes pour pouvoir gagner des points d'esprits pour votre

classe. N’oubliez pas de marcher/courir/prendre votre planche à

roulette ou votre bicyclette pour venir à l'école MERCREDI le 8 OC-

TOBRE. Trouvez et signez votre empreinte de pied quand vous arri-

vez à l'école pour démontrer votre participation.

Nous cherchons toujours des membres pour l'équipe de gestion de déchets.

Un gros merci à Paniz et Saba de 8C ainsi qu’à M. Jones pour mener ce

groupe. Si votre table est propre après le déjeuner, vous allez recevoir des

points d'esprits. Nous allons bientôt avoir audit de gaspillage et les trois

premières classes qui signent vont recevoir des points d'esprits addition-

nels. Aussi quand vous ramenez les mets que vous ne mangez pas à la mai-

son, vous pouvez être fiers de votre contribution!

L'équipe de l'alphabétisation va donner des message éducatives multilingues

pendant les heures de déjeuner, alors venez nous voir et vous pouvez ap-

prendre des meilleures bouteilles d’eau que vous pouvez amener è l’école!

Écoutez les « pensés du jour » aux annonces matinales pour plus amples in-

formations.

REMINDER OUR SCHOOL

PHOTOGRAPHER

WILL BE HERE ON:

WED., NOVEMBER 5th

TO TAKE INDIVIDUAL

PHOTOS OF YOUR

CHILD WHO WAS

ABSENT ON OUR

PHOTO DAY IN

SEPTEMBER.

STUDENTS WILL BE

CALLED DOWN AFTER

1:00 P.M. FOR THEIR

PHOTOS.

Immunization Clinic Held on November 4, 2014

Gr. 7 students

•Hep B Immunization

•Meningitis C

Gr. 8 Girls – 1st Dose - HPV

(Human Papillomavirus)

Page 5 Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter

Transition From Grade 8 to 9

Parents, Guardians, & Students

When: Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Where: Cummer Valley Middle School

Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Please come and join us to learn more

about the Transition to Grade 9!

Learn about…

What courses will I take in Grade 9?

What course type should I choose?

What do I need to graduate Secondary

School?

How do I apply to Secondary School?

Can I apply to a Special Program?

When is my course selection sheet due?

Question and Answer Period

We look forward to meeting all of you and

supporting our Grade 8 students as they prepare for

High School

Make a difference in the lives of children and youth:

say 'yes' to participate in the

2014 Ontario Child Health Study

and School Mental Health Surveys

The 1983 Ontario Child Health Study told us that

1 in 5 children and youth experienced serious mental health challenges.

This estimate is outdated as is much of what we know about child and youth mental health in Ontario. The

2014 Ontario Child Health Study will tell us about the mental health status and needs of children and

youth living in Ontario today.

From October 2014 to May 2015, Statistics Canada will be inviting 7,000 families with children aged 4 -

17 years to complete an interview in their home. At the same time, McMaster researchers will be conduct-

ing School Mental Health Surveys in 240 Ontario schools to help us learn new ways of promoting and ad-

dressing student mental health needs.

Together, these studies will be the first of their kind in Canada

to examine the influence of family, community and school environments

on child and youth mental health.

The results will be used to develop programs and services to improve the mental health of young people in

Ontario. Results from the 1983 Study were partially responsible for over 3 billion dollars of investment in

federal and provincial programs and services, resulting in the creation of programmes such as the Ontario

Early Years Centres.

Participation in the 1983 Ontario Child Health Study was over 90%. Make sure you are heard in 2014 as

well. Let's make our province a better place for children and youth. If invited to participate, please say

‘yes’ to the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study and School Mental Health Surveys.

www.ontariochildhealthstudy.ca

Page 6 Cummer Valley M.S. Newsletter