Post on 28-Oct-2020
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Dear Parents/Guardians:
As we look at back at the final month of 2017, we want to congratulate the many students that were recognized
for demonstrating Kindness and Caring at our Character Assembly. Many students were Caught You Caring
during our campaign. For some of our Kindergarten students, this was a first experience at performing in front of
a large audience and we were so proud to see them shine.
Presteign demonstrated Kindness and Caring in a variety of ways in December and we are proud of the ongoing
work of staff and students. The whole school was busy collecting toys for donation while Ms. Preketes’ class
visited a local Seniors Centre to sing carols for the holidays. Kindergarten students caroling, our winter concert,
Cards of Kindness and cookies sold echoed songs of peace and friendship. The students were delighted in return
to receive a warm turkey lunch prepared by parent volunteers as part of the 23rd
Annual Turkey Lunch. Our first
and final Cookie Sale of 2017 was sold out in 2 days. All such acts of kindness exemplify the sense of compassion
and care that the school community holds and we were truly moved by these efforts. We need to continue
accepting all students regardless of where they come from, what they believe, or what they wear. Tolerance,
acceptance and inclusion will be our work for 2018.
On December 11th
, Presteign held I Can Day to honour International Day of Persons with Disabilities in support
of creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all. We were honoured to have Sharon Brant and Dawn
Campbell from the Rick Hansen Foundation as well as staff from Variety Village on hand to support many
activities throughout the school (e.g. Wheelchair Basketball, Pillow Hockey and communication games). Our
ongoing work in this area will continue to broaden our understanding of persons with disabilities and ensuring
that the school is proactive in providing an inclusive and barrier free environment.
As part of our ongoing focus on physical education, and healthy minds, the children have been so happy to play
in the snow. They have been very creative and problem solving. January’s character attribute is teamwork and
there is no better of showing teamwork then through forming the biggest balls of snow.
As 2018 is upon us, we look forward to the developments of the Master Grounds design. Thank to our school
community for your patience with this project. The new playground spaces will include great features for
everyone. We are excited to see the project nearing its bidding stages and potential start. Please join us at the
next parent council meeting on January 22nd
, where an update will be shared with the community.
It’s truly an honour to serve the students, staff and community at Presteign.
Sincerely, Peppi Kondilis-Minos
1 Gantan-sai New Year Shinto 1 New Year’s Day International
Public Holiday
5 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh
Sikhism 5 Twelfth Night Christianity
6 Feast of the Epiphany/Dia de los
Reyes Orthodox & Western
Christianity
7 Feast of the Nativity
(Christmas) Orthodox
(Julian Calendar) Christianity 7 Ethiopian Christmas Rastarfari
8 Baptism of Jesus Orthodox
Egyptian
8 Pausha Putrada Ekadashi
Hinduism
8 - 15 Theravada Days of
Mindfulness Buddhism
12-15 Mahayana New Year**
Buddhism
13 Punjabi Lohri Hinduism
(Punjabi)
13 Maghi Sikhism
14 Makara Sankranti Hinduism
14 New Year Eastern Orthodox
15 World Religion Day Baha’i
16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
U.S.A. Fed. Holiday
16-20 No Name Calling Week Gay,
Lesbian and Straight Education
Network
17 Community Skate at Victoria
Village Arena
18 Pizza Lunch
19 P.A. Day – No School
21 Feast of the Wedding of Cana at
Galilee Orthodox Ethiopian
TBA Birthday of Lord Zoroaster
(Khordad Sal) Zoroastrianism in
Pakistan
22 Parent Council 6-8pm
27 International Day of
Commemoration in
Memory of the Victims of the
Holocaust UN
27 St. Sava Devine Service
Orthodox Serbian
28 Mehergan (1st Full Moon)
Zoroastrianism
28 Lunar New Year (Spring
Festival) Confucian, Daoist,
Buddhist
29 Jashan-e-Sadeh Zoroastrian
January 2018
Presteign Heights Elementary School Proud to be a Platinum Eco-School 2570 St. Clair Ave. East, Toronto, Ontario M4B 1M3
T:416.396.2430 F:416.396.2347
Peppi Kondilis-Minos, Principal
Lucy Giannotta, Superintendent
Sheila Cary-Meagher, Trustee
Email: Presteign@tdsb.on.ca
School website:
http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/presteign/
Google Cardboard Workshop On Wednesday November 22, Mr. Tzortsis came into Mme. Jebb’s class to talk to us about Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard is cardboard goggles that you put around a smartphone to experience virtual reality. You have to connect the phone to the google expedition app. The app controls what you see. Mme. Jebb’s class visited Paris, space and the Grand Canyon. It was so cool! Mme. Jebb’s class had an amazing experience! Thank you Mr. Tzortsis! By Katerina Demakopolous
Learning about Equity at Presteign
Presteign continues to learn about various
cultural backgrounds. In September we
learned about Indigenous Residential
Schools on Sept. 28th. In October we
learned about Islamic Heritage Month. In
November, students learned about
Indigenous peoples, and Bullying
Prevention Week. Now we are learning
about Tamil Heritage Month. X-movement
taught us different dances from around
the world that we learned together.
Abilities in Motion/I Can Day! – I CAN DAY @Presteign was
inspired by Sharon Brant who attended school as a blind student
herself. Presteign was ignited by the strong conviction of Sharon’s story
who shared her struggles and experiences with our students. Through
the Rick Hansen Foundation, Presteign learned how a visually impaired
person attend to her children, dress, and work. Who would have
thought that Sharon would be the person to spark the inner spirit of K-
5 students to be more aware and tolerant of differences. Sharon
showed us all the things that she can do and how they might just look
different.
Our kids asked her about her guide dog, how she eats, plays games,
and even walks. The day was set for deeper understanding of physical
disabilities and how able-bodied people have to be more inclusive and
supportive. From Sharon’s inspiring presentation in the morning to
ongoing activities throughout the school (Wheelchair Basketball/Seated
Hockey/Communication Games) and continued work in classes, we
have raised a tremendous amount of awareness on how we can make
our school and community more accessible and inclusive.
Thank you to our committee members, Ms. Grassi and Ms. Alexiou for
their work and Ms. Minos for pulling together such valuable individuals
and resources from The Rick Hansen Foundation and Variety
Village. Our learning will continue well beyond this inspirational
day.
….from Ms. Jebb’s class
23rd Turkey Lunch: A Community Affair
This incredible school event is a traditional parent and community event. Without the countless parents, grandparents and volunteers, this feat could not happen. A huge thank you goes out to Ms. Roussakis for the tremendous effort to host a turkey luncheon. It was very well received by parents, staff and students.
We look back with fond memories about the event. Ms. Minos still can’t get over how co-ordinated, involved and helpful everyone was. Students helped with the potatoe and carrot peeling, parents roasted, and cooked, prepared decorations and gifts to bring in the beautiful season of the holidays. Santa Claus’ arrival was a true highlight.
Recess During Cold Weather
Elementary school students are kept indoors for recess
and lunch times for a number of weather conditions
such as rain, lightning in the area, extreme winds and
extreme cold. When temperature and wind chill
measure -28C or lower, students are kept indoors.
Recesses and lunch hour may be shortened if the
temperature and wind chill reading is between -20C and
-28C.
If a student's medical condition requires further
consideration due to weather conditions, or if parents
have other questions or concerns about how and when
weather conditions affect your child's school day, please
contact the school office.
February is Kindergarten Registration Month
Registration for all TDSB Kindergarten programs begins in February. We look forward to welcoming you and your child at our school in September! To attend Junior Kindergarten in September, children must turn four-years-old by December 31. To register for Senior Kindergarten, children must be five-years-old by December 31. You may choose to register in person at the school or begin the process online. For more information about the Kindergarten program and registration requirements, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten.
Please register on-line as of Feb. 1st, 2018 at:
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyYears/KindergartenMonth
Winter Weather and Student Transportation
From time to time, it may be necessary to cancel student transportation, classes and/or programs due to severe weather. On rare occasions, severe weather makes it necessary to close schools, administrative offices or sites. With approximately 246,000 students in our schools and sites each day, any decision to cancel buses, classes and/or programs or to close sites can have a significant impact on thousands of families across Toronto. This decision is not taken lightly. When schools remain open on days with inclement weather, parents/guardians make the final decision on whether to send their children to school and they can keep children home from school if they so choose. Should a cancellation or closure be necessary, information will be posted on the TDSB website, TDSB social media and provided to local media by 6 a.m. For more information, please see the TDSB's Procedure for Severe Weather: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Detail/docId/242
Happy New Year Presteign parents, teachers, students and community,
2018 has arrived and we're excited to get back to school.
Our 23rd Annual Turkey Lunch was a success! A big thank you to Anna Roussakis and to all the grandmothers who
volunteer every year. Thank you to all volunteers who dedicated their time, helped prep and buy food and donated
money to make the lunch come together. Without all your help, this event would not be possible. Seeing the kids'
excitement and the contributions from the community is why the luncheon has been at Presteign Heights for 23 years!
Another annual event to look forward to is the community skate this Wednesday, January 17th at Victoria Village
arena from 4pm-5pm, sponsored by Susan Gucci. It's always a great way to get active as we kick off the New Year.
Here are some other events to look forward to:
Pizza lunch is January 18th
H&S / SAC meeting is January 22nd @ 6pm. Childcare is provided.
Pancake lunch is February 1st
Staff Appreciation lunch is February 2nd
On an educational note, we are receiving great feedback about our new Mathletics program, available to each and every
student at Presteign Heights. Thanks to your support and dedication, we were able to make this happen. Also, with your
donations, transportation was provided to all students who attended Casa Loma. What a great experience!
Last but not least! One of our favourite events is just around the corner. The Dance-a-thon arrives in March! We are
looking for any new, unopened toys to be donated to our school. Stay tuned for more information.
We want to hear from you! You may email us at presteignhs@gmail.com and check out our website regularly for events
and news updates at www.presteignheights.com
Look for more updates soon...
Presteign Heights Home & School Association
Home and School Association