Student placement is al-

ways a difficult process in

which all schools take

great pains to achieve the

right fit for each child.

Placing any child in a class

is a serious responsibility

for all teachers. Conse-

quently, careful considera-

tion and much time are

given by your child’s cur-

rent teacher to the process

of creating the best learn-

ing environment for your

child.

Classrooms are organized

based on a balance of fac-

tors: academic levels, so-

cial, emotional and behav-

iour needs, program needs,

gender, learning styles,

and group dynamics.

Please note that split

grades will have a variety

of learners at each grade.

We do not follow the

model of putting aca-

demically higher stu-

dents in the lower grade

and academically lower

students in the higher

grade.

If you wish to make us aware

of any special needs which

may affect your child’s learn-

ing, please submit this in-

formation in writing to the

principal’s attention no lat-

er than May 7th. Please note

that we will carefully consider

your concerns; however, we

cannot guarantee a specific

placement. Also note that

sometimes there is only a sin-

gle option for a class place-

ment.

Requests for a particular

teacher will not be accepted as

teacher assignments remain

tentative at this time until

September.

If there are significant

changes in enrolment, clas-

ses may be reorganized at

any grade level during the

fall of the school year.

If you know you are moving

and your children will not be

returning to Briarcrest in Sep-

tember, please let the school

office know, in writing, at your

earliest convenience. This will

help us with our planning for

the coming year.

School Organization For 2018-19

May 2018

Volume 6, Issue 9

Briarcrest Banner May is Asian and Jewish Heritage Month

Principal:

J. Stafford

Screenagers: This

acclaimed documentary

takes a look at the

challenges parents and

children are facing in

today's complex world of

electronic devices and

social media. The screening

is at John English at 7:00

PM on May 17. If possible,

please RSVP to

Nancy.Trendoff@tdsb.on.ca.

French Review: Please be

aware of the French Review

Consultations coming up

soon:

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Comm

unity/Public-

Consultations/French-Review

Our closest is at Etobicoke

Collegiate on May 3.

With over 90,000 students in Core

French and another 28,000

students in French

Immersion/Extended French

programs come system

successes and challenges. We

are proud of the Board’s

successes in retention rate,

inclusion of students with special

education needs as well as

accessibility and transportation.

At the same time, challenges

include multiple entry points,

equity of access, and

transportation.

HOSTED BY: Trustees Chris Glover, Pamela Gough & Robin Pilkey

WHEN: May 17, 2018 at 7:00PM

WHERE: John English JMS - Auditorium

(95 Mimico Avenue Etobicoke, ON)

Daycare Pick Up

There has been a series of graffiti incidents happening INSIDE the school after school mostly between 5:00 and 6:00.

We ask that if you do not have chil-dren in the FDK class, that you en-ter and exit through the daycare doors, rather than walking through the school.

Our school age children have been advised by the school teaching staff and daycare staff, that they are not to go back to their lockers once they are with the daycare staff.

If you have children in School Age, Preschool or Toddler AND another child in the FDK we recognize that you will need to walk through the school to collect all of your chil-dren. In this case, please park in the parking lot and then collect your FDK child first, and your School Age, Preschool or Toddler second.

Really Really Free Market

Thank you to the grade 5 Social

Justice Club, with teacher lead-

ers Mme Bryson, Ms. Grace and

Ms. Gill, for a wonderful Really

Really Free Market. Lots of great

items were exchanged within our

school community!

Page 3 Volume 6, Issue 9

Time to Graduate!

Our graduation cere-mony will be on June 27th in the afternoon. Students are ex-pected to come to school that morning for a dress rehearsal. Formal attire is not necessary, however jeans, sweatpants, jean-shorts or t-shirts with logos are not appropriate attire for this occasion. There are multiple trips planned for the grade 5s, including an overnight to the Aquarium on June 14, Crawford Lake Trip on June 1. Grade 5 graduation photo is May 30 at 12:30. Grade 5 Extended French Student Visit to Bloorlea is the morning of May 23rd, with the parent visit that same evening at 6:00 PM. Student visit to Hollycrest is the morning of June 6. Parent information night is June 6 @ 6 PM.

Parent Council Update

Thank-you to all families who attended the X-

Fusion workshop last Thursday evening. What a

fun evening! This 3-day event was partially

funded by the parent council and this year’s PRO

(Parents Reaching Out) Grant. A shout out to

Sonia for her efforts in applying for this grant!

During last week’s Parent Council meeting, we

voted to purchase the following items for the

school:

A set of 3 mouse robots and mazes for the Kindergarten classes 6 portable cycling machines

Folding wagons, environmental education books, & wildflower seeds for room 5 & 3’s Outdoor Learning Week

3 sets of technology re-charging tubs

Want to get involved? Have an idea? Our next parent council meeting will be the year-end

finger food potluck on Tuesday, June 12th where we’ll be making some plans for next

school year. Hope to see you there!

Parent Council Co-chairs

Julie & Lorraine

Eco Club News

Despite the uncooperative weather

conditions, Grade 4 and 5 girls

have been trying out for Briarcrest's

annual slo-pitch team. The team will

be picked by the end of this week,

and practice will begin in earnest in

preparation for our tournament on

May 24. The tournament will take

place right here at Briarcrest, and

will involve teams from Broadacres,

Daystrom and HJ Alexander schools.

mount stadium. Keep up the great

work Briarcrest!

Slo-Pitch

Tryout practices for grade 4 and 5

boys continue to be held on Mon-

days, Wednesdays, and Fridays

(weather permitting). The final

team roster will be selected next

week. The tournament date has

been scheduled for May 29th.

Track

The Grade4/5 Track and Field

team have been practicing most

lunch hours to make up for the

bad weather at the start of the

season. The first meet is on May

14th. The second meet will be

held on June 5th at Centennial

for those who qualify. The third

meet for those who qualify will

be held on June 12th at Birch-

Page 4 Volume 6, Issue 9

Congratulations April Future Aces

All JK and SK students.

Room 2—Demi, Ben Room 3—Filip, Megan

Room 5—Jenna, Aiden Room 7—Noah

Room 8—Braydon, Ethan Room 17—Julia

4A—Lilly 4B—Riste

5A—Sahara 5B—Anna

Room 20—Sebastian

Our April theme was Cooperation. May’s theme will be Integrity.

Thank you to all of the families who do-

nated their plastic grocery bags for the

Plastic Bag Grab Challenge. The chil-

dren in the Eco Club counted each and

every one of the bags. We had a grand

total of 1885 bags! Way to go Briarcrest!

The bags were delivered to Walmart and

our results have been submitted.

In other Eco News, thank you to all of the staff and students who partici-

pated in our annual School Yard Clean Up, sponsored by the City of To-

ronto. There was not a lot of garbage to be found in the school yard,

which means the Briarcrest students are doing a good job of disposing of

their waste on a regular basis. Just a reminder that REDUCE is the

most important of the 3 R's, so continue to look for ways to reduce the

amount of waste your family creates.

The Eco Club's next goal will be to tidy the front gardens! If you are a

gardener, or would just like to volunteer your time, think about joining

the Eco Club Wednesdays at lunch.

Mental Health Awareness Week The week of May 7 is Mental Health Awareness Week. Here at Briarcrest, our focus for this week will be on

GRIT – the ability to bounce back from adversity and keep going when things get tough; these traits are more

commonly known as grit and resilience.

This year at Briarcrest, we have incorporated the 3 G’s in our teaching; Growth Mindset, Gratitude and Grit.

Last year for Mental Health Week, students were asked to reflect on gratitude. This year students will work on

having Grit. Grit is what helps students overcome difficulties and helps them learn how to bounce back from

failures. Children need to learn how to cope and push themselves so that they can be successful adults.

Students in primary and junior will focus on understanding the importance of overcoming struggles and main-

taining goals. During the week of May 7th students will hear daily announcements focusing on Grit. There will

also be an interactive bulletin board where student can learn more about Grit and use the strategies given.

Here are some ways that you can foster Grit in your child:

Put a challenge in front of him/her: True achievement happens when people break through boundaries and barriers. If your child never has a chance to triumph over something difficult, she/he may never develop confidence in her/his ability to confront a challenge. Taking risks is an important way kids learn.

Promote perseverance: Many of us hold on to the idea that skill comes naturally: that if we’re good—or

not good—at something, it’s because we were born that way. The problem with this belief is that it

leads many kids to give up on things. Plus, it’s simply not true. Even naturally gifted people have to

work hard to hone their ability with hours of practice.

Be a nudge: No one wants to be that mom/dad, the one who pushes her child every step of the way. But

it’s OK to let your kids know that you expect them to do their best and to create a structure that will

help them do it.

Welcome boredom and frustration: Success rarely occurs on the first try. In fact, there’s usually a pretty long road peppered with all sort of bumps and potholes to navigate along the way. Being confused, frustrated, and sometimes completely bored out of your mind is part of the journey. And when kids un-derstand that learning isn’t supposed to be easy all the time—and that having a tough time doesn’t mean they’re not smart—perseverance comes easier.

Let him/her fail — and model resilience: Being able to pick themselves up from low moments is proba-bly the most important skill a child can learn.

Resource: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/social-emotional-skills/power-defeat-how-to-raise-kid-grit

Below are resources that you can use to help explain Grit to your child.

Websites explaining Grit for parents

https://chopra.com/articles/resilience-and-grit-how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/social-emotional-skills/power-defeat-how-to-raise-kid-grit

https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/activities-grit-resilience-children

Videos on Grit/ Growth Mindset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER4l4bH2vAU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnrHZ_uvtxk (good for primary students))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNWA3ZwJdLk (good for junior students)