The Earl Haig Eagles' Nest

Hope everyone is settling in to the academic year! Our apologies to new families who may have missed the first blog post of the year, the mailing list has now been updated. If you aren’t yet on the mailing list click here to add yourself to the list.

School Council Meeting and Agenda The first School Council meeting of the year will be held Tuesday September 27 at 7:00 in the Music Room (basement of school). Free childcare is always available during the meetings. Nominate yourself or a friend for a council position. Questions about the roles? Check this page on our in the blog to find the answer to all those burning questions about Members at Large and Ward 16 Council reps. A printable copy of the agenda can be found at the following link:  earlhaigschoolcouncilseptember2016meeting

Spirit Wear will be on sale at the meeting, toques and ball caps are $20 each. All proceeds to Na-Me-Res, a non profit serving Indigenous and First Nations people in Toronto. Spirit Wear sales are an initiative of the Earl Haig Student Leadership Team and School Council.

Volunteer!  We need you, click to volunteer with Council or let us know your special skills.

Upcoming Events: School-wide Terry Fox Walk, morning of September 29, bring a toonie for Terry
Orange Shirt Day September 30
Cross Country Practice Run Saturday October 1, 9 am foot of Woodbine on the sand by the Bathing Station
Curriculum Night (new date) Wednesday October 5 from 6:00 – 7:00
Picture Day (new date) Monday October 24, retake day November 16

Stay in touch – You can get all sorts of updates via our Twitter account@EarlHaigCouncil and Facebook page  Drop us a line at earlhaigschoolcouncil@gmail.com

Welcome back everyone.  For those new to the school, this blog, along with the twitter account @EarlHaigCouncil, Facebook page and  Earl Haig School Calendar are run by volunteer efforts of the School (Parent) Council. The School  Council’s Facebook page is updated with the most frequency. We are always looking for new members.  Wondering how to get involved? The first School Council meeting will be on September 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm.  The meeting goes until 8:30 pm and childcare is provided.  This meeting is especially important as School Council nominations and elections will occur. The roles of: Chair/Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, e-Communications Coordinator, Ward Council Rep and Members-at-Large are all up for election. Please click here to get more information about your School Council.

Curriculum Night  has been postponed will be held September 22 from 6 – 7 pm. Watch for more information from the school with a new date.

Cross Country: Practices are in full swing, each Monday through Thursday morning at 8:10. The first meet of the year is October 6 at Ashbridges Bay. For those wishing to have a practice run of the course, Mr. Taylor, Ms. Roknic,  and others will be holding a run on Saturday October 1 at 9 a.m.  Meet at the foot of Woodbine Ave on the sand. Below please find links to the maps of the routes:
Grade 1 & 2 route
Grade 3 route
Grade 4, 5 & 6 route
Grade 7 & 8 route

Heritage Language Classes: At Earl Haig PS, we offer Cantonese, Spanish and American Sign Language (new) classes for JK – Grade 8.  The classes are running every Monday from 3:30 – 6:00 pm for 30 weeks throughout the year.  Registration is on-going and spaces are still available.  If you would like to register your child in this language program, please go to Earl Haig school and ask for registration on Monday afternoon during the language class time.  If you have any questions, please contact Program Officer Li Gao at 416 395-3251.  Thank you.

Orange Shirt Day September 30: In recognition of the survivors of the residential schools people are asked to wear a orange shirt on this day. For more information click here .

Stay in touch – You can get all sorts of updates via our Twitter account @EarlHaigCouncil and Facebook page  Are you on our mailing list? Let us know at earlhaigschoolcouncil@gmail.com if you would like to be added.

Dear Earl Haig Parents, staff, and students,

I am over the moon to forward you a message from Free the Children. With your help, the students have surpassed our fundraising goal that was set this year of $1,000.

We have donated $1500 this year!!!!! (editors note: we received an email update from Ms. Dew that the dance on June 24 raised an additional $300 bringing the total amount donated by Me to We this year to $1800! Congratulations Me to We group members and students!)

We couldn’t do it without you! Please read the message below about how our efforts have helped a student named Jorge in Nicaragua.

Sincerely,

Courtenay Dew
Grade 1 Teacher @ Earl Haig P.S. (Me-To-We Club)

From: Lucy Fromyer
Sent: June 24, 2016 10:42 AM
To: Dew, Courtenay
Subject: Thank you!
Hi Courtenay,

I hope you’re having a good second-to-last week of school! We received your donation of $801 in support of Education in Nicaragua, thank you! Congrats on meeting – and then surpassing – your goal this year. In total, Earl Haig has donated $1,500 this year – amazing. Thank you to you, your students and your school community for your dedication to learning, educating others, and making a differenceJ Below I’ve included a story from a student in one of our partner communities in Nicaragua – his photo is attached!

I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to fill out Year in Review, especially despite the challenges! I enjoyed reading about students having a space to develop leadership skills within the club, as well as their successes with both local and global actions. Thanks for sharing.

Have a great weekend!
Lucy

Jorge is 12 years old, and lives with his mother, father, two brothers, and sister in the community of El Trapiche. His father is unable to work due to a recent open heart surgery, and his mother, therefore, does the household and works in the field with his older brother. Both of his parents began working at a very young age, and did not continue their education past elementary school.

On a normal day, Jorge wakes up at 6:00 a.m. to go to school, before coming home to work and help with the household chores. Jorge began working for his family at the young age of six years old. For about two hours per day in the intense sun and dust, he helps to work on the land, take care of the animals, and harvest beans. It is necessary for Jorge to work, because he must help provide enough food for his family to survive.

Before Free The Children introduced the Education pillar, there was no school in Jorge’s community. The children were either taught their lessons outside of houses, or forced to travel to schools in different communities. With the introduction of the education project, Jorge is now able to attend a school in his own community and no longer has to travel outside of the community to receive an education. At school, Jorge receives lessons on reading, writing, and math, as well as lessons on good manners and cleanliness. He participates in several Free The Children activities, including a tree planting program. Jorge and his classmates have additionally received school supplies, provided by Free The Children, such as pens and crayons.

Jorge likes his new school, because it is beautiful and close by. He enjoys playing with his friends and learning from his teacher. Education is important to him because it means the ability to one day become whoever he wants to be. Once he finishes his primary education, Jorge hopes to continue on to high school and then university. His dream is to one day become an accountant and be able to financially support his family.

(everyone over 40, please read the blog post title in your best Alice Cooper voice, under 40s, we can’t explain, it’s in our DNA)

All of us here on the Earl Haig School Council would like to say a big thank you to all the parents who took part in council activities throughout the year be it through donated time or donated dollars.  Thanks to your efforts and participation we were able to raise over $14,000 for future initiatives at Earl Haig.  Have a suggestion of how we should be spending these raised funds in 2016/17?  Got a great new idea to increase school spirit?  We would love your input!  Please consider joining us on the council next year.

School Council: Everyone is welcome to join the Earl Haig School Council. School Councils provide a place where parents can raise and solve school-wide issues and contribute as partners in their children’s education. Council meetings are open to the Earl Haig community. Meetings are once a month alternating between Tuesday & Wednesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30pm. Free child care is provided.

There are a number of defined Executive Roles on the council which you can learn more about by visiting our blog at School Council.  Beyond the Executive Council Roles, we are always in need of Members-At-Large and dedicated parent volunteers who can provide support in a variety of ways, including snack/lunch program volunteers, technology committee volunteers, and much more!  Please think about your interests and time availability, and contact us at earlhaigschoolcouncil@gmail.com if you would like to discuss ways you can help. We have lots of ideas for ways parents can be involved at Earl Haig!

The first School Council Meeting of the 2016-2017 academic year will be held on Tuesday, September 27th from 7:00 – 8:30pm.

Me to We Dance: A fundraiser for the people of Fort McMurray  will be held Friday June 24 throughout the day – please send along a toonie with your student.

We wish everyone a great summer!!

Stay in touch – You can get all sorts of updates via our Twitter account @EarlHaigCouncil and Facebook page http://on.fb.me/20yB1TH

The end is nigh indeed for the 2015-16 school year, but we’re not done yet. Your School Council remains hard at work planning for the new year and tidying up unfinished business.

Parent Tech Subcommittee: The Earl Haig School Council is hoping to create a Technology Sub-Committee responsible for working with the administration and teacher representatives of Earl Haig to create a technology plan that supports the use of technology in an organic manner within the classroom.
Our digital learners need further access to all forms of technology in order to reinforce their learning as they become digitally literate.  How can our School Council support current efforts and access to TDSB technologies?
In collaboration with the teachers we would like to further enrich and support our children’s classroom experiences through well supplemented access to technology. What can we do as parents and caregivers to ensure access to technology for our children in order to prepare them for the future?

Proposal: We are looking for 5 – 6 parent volunteers who have a passion for technology and can commit to possibly meeting once a month or once every 6 weeks.
The committee would investigate the resources available within the TDSB and advocate to strengthen these resources to Earl Haig community and work with the Administration and a possible teacher representative to support the enhancement of technology in any way we can.   The purpose of the sub-committee would not be on fundraising – any fundraising initiatives would be handed over the fundraising committee of the School Council.
Parents interested in being a part of the committee, please email kathleenpeak@gmail.com.

Coming Up: 
First council meeting of  2016-17   Tuesday September 27, 2016, 7:00 – 8:30

Stay in touch – You can get all sorts of updates via our Twitter account @EarlHaigCouncil and Facebook page http://on.fb.me/20yB1TH

The annual EARL HAIG STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON is on June 16th. We still need potluck donations and volunteers for this event. Break out your favourite dish, or crack out your old waiting skills, and help us celebrate the fabulous Earl Haig Staff and all they do for our community. If you can volunteer or donate a potluck dish, please email earlhaigschoolcouncil@gmail.com  Luncheon items can be dropped off in the office on the day of. Be sure to label your containers with both the contents and your initials.

Speaker Dona Matthews, PhD, June 9 at 6:30: Whether you were someone who “just can’t do math” or a math superstar, come learn how to support a mindset that frees your child to approach math positively, enjoy it more and do better in math and related subjects.  Free!  Childcare is available. Thank you to the Ministry of Education for the Parents Reaching Out Grant.

Lost and Found: Please drop by the school or encourage your older student to really sort through the bins for those “missing” boots, hoodies, thermoses and other items which have left your home. Items will be bagged and donated before the school closes for the summer.

Spring Festival 2016: Another Wonderful Evening
What an Amazing Spring Festival!  What a night!  Ice cream, hotdogs and pulled pork, cotton candy and jars, retro games and crafts, cake walks and bake sales, samosas, chicken biryani, tattoos and face painting, of course the always entertaining highlight of the Talent Show!  Another fabulous evening at Earl Haig PS.
Thanks to everyone who helped pull another successful Spring Festival together, particularly the dynamic duo, Hilary Gray, the festival coordinator and Jenn Haines the crew chief for the BBQ pit.  As well Anne Marie and Christian at the Talent Show, and all of the volunteers who ran a table at the event.  And finally the teachers and staff who did so much, including running the sales, helping collect donations, and the custodial staff who helped with the set up and the clean up.
Thanks to all … it is a huge amount of work and it could only take place with the support of a huge amount of people.  As they say it takes a village to run a fun fair …
And thanks to the weather for holding off on rain.
While the final numbers aren’t in yet, it looks like we raised thousands of dollars, which will go a long way to fund school activities such as science in the school. We are looking forward to next year’s event. Save your jars and think about volunteering!

 Dates to Remember:

Friday, June 10th – PA Day
Tuesday, June 14 5:00-6:00PM – FDK (Full Day Kindergarten) Orientation Night
Wednesday, June 15 The final School Council Meeting of the year will be held at 7:00PM.  We hope to see you there!
Thursday, June 16 – Playday
Wednesday, June 29 – Last Day of School (Can you believe it?)

Stay in touch – You can get all sorts of updates via our Twitter account @EarlHaigCouncil and Facebook page http://on.fb.me/20yB1TH

You know that American donut chain slogan “American runs on Dunkin'”? , the Earl Haig Spring Festival runs on people power*. And baking. And hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. And jars. And creativity. But lots of baking.

There are two events in the Festival which cannot run without your flour and egg energy, the Bake Sale and the Cake Walk.  The Cake Walk is a lot like Musical Chairs, but when the music stops instead of ending up in the last chair you end up with a fun cake to take home.You don’t need to be a beautiful Cake Boss baker to contribute. We need all cakes, those with sprinkles, those with smarties, those with gummies or just plain icing.

For the bake sale think of easy to eat in your hand items – cookies, cupcakes, brownies, lemon squares, date squares, macaroons, macarons for the fancy baker. We’re a school that contributed 1000 cupcakes in February for the Valentine’s Bake Sale. Can you really ever have too many cupcakes?

All baked items need to be nut free, and can be dropped off in the Office on the day of the Spring Festival. Which is this Thursday June 2 from 3:30 – 7:00!! See you all there!

*People power cannot be adequately described or appreciated. Thank you to all the volunteers involved in the Spring Festival, whether you have been meeting since February to plan, donate an hour of your time to staff a booth or table, accept bbq and freezie duty, turn on your oven in this heat to bake, or otherwise donate any of the items the Festival relies on each year as the primary fundraiser for the School Council. Thank you thank you thank you.