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McKee McNews January 2016

McKee Public School

35 Church Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X6

Telephone: 416-395-2680 Safe Arrival Program: 416-395-2688 Fax 416-395-4497

Linda Curtis

Superintendent

416-396-9172

It was 5.5 years ago when I first stepped through the doors of McKee P.S. as the

Vice-Principal. At that time, our current grade 4 students were JK students and

they were as excited as I was when we came through the McKee doors together

for the very first time. We have all grown so much since those first days.

You have probably heard of the saying that all good things must come to an end.

Families should have received an email from the school last week informing you

that I will be leaving McKee at the end of this week to assume the Principal duties

at Pineway Public School effective January 4, 2016.

As I type that last sentence, it is filled with mixed emotions. I am obviously

thrilled and excited to be promoted to principal. At the same time it brings some

sadness. I will be forever thankful for the many great relationships that I have

formed with students, staff, and parents during my time here. The McKee stu-

dents never cease to amaze me with their respectful, responsible, and kind manner

as well as their strong work ethic. I have had the privilege to work with so many

fantastic educators during my stay - McKee has a great staff! Our parent commu-

nity has always been warm and supportive with me and I can’t thank you all

enough! You will all be missed more than I can adequately express!

However, I want to ensure you that good things are not coming to an end! I am

confident that great things will continue to happen here at McKee as students and

staff continue to strive to reach their full potential. To that end, we welcome Mrs.

Katia Robles, currently the vice-principal from R. J. Lang E.M.S. as she will as-

sume the duties of vice-principal at McKee after the winter break.

I wish you all much success in the future. It is my hope that as you

spend time with your families over these next 2 weeks celebrating

these significant holidays, you will make some lasting memories

that can be cherished for years to come!

Sincerely,

Gary McGilvray

P.S. To give you one last smile, be sure to click on the link below for a message

from Mr. Giorgi and me!

http://www.jibjab.com/view/481DzijBE05cjbuGiG1e

Domenic Giorgi Gary McGilvray

Principal Vice-Principal

416-395-2680

Alexander Brown

Trustee

416-395-8411

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday, January 4

- first day of school in 2016

Thursday, January 7

- Orthodox Christmas

Thursday, January 7

- Lunch Lady

Thursday, January 7

- International Languages

classes resume

Wed., Jan 13 - Fri. Jan 15

- Coles and Lee grade 5

classes to EOEC

Thursday, January 14

- Pizza Lunch

Mon, Jan 18 - Fri. Jan 21

- Bookfair

Tuesday, January 19

- School Council Meeting

at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 20

- School Assembly (1 p.m.)

Thursday, January 21

- Lunch Lady

Friday, January 22

- P.A. Day (No school for

students)

Thursday, January 28

- Pizza Lunch

VICE-PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

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Holiday Assembly Page 2 McKee McNews January 2016

We look forward to the start of a new calendar year. There will be a lot happening at McKee in January and

you will be kept up to date through our newsletters and email notices. In the new year, we will be continuing to

have lunch available on Thursdays for families either through the Lunch Lady or our Pizza Lunches. Classes

will be skating at Mitchell Field. Be sure to check with your child’s teacher for the specific dates. Our annual

Dance-a-thon fundraiser will begin in February.

The Holiday season is upon us and it is a time to stop and reflect on the year that passed while we anticipate the

year ahead. We are grateful to you, our parents, for your continued support of our staff and students.

Happy Holidays to friends and families of McKee P.S.

Coming to McKee in January - Chromebooks Chromebooks are the fastest operating system available to the TDSB. Students can login using their individual accounts which save everything in the Google Cloud. This is advantageous because the Cloud can be accessed:

from anywhere (e.g., home, school, the Library)

from any device that has internet access (e.g., tablet, PC, mac, smartphone) The Google Cloud is Google’s answer to memory storage. No more USB sticks or worrying about saving, because Google has engineered the Cloud to save on a continuous basis so no data is lost, and a revision history can be accessed to recover previously changed data.

How this affects your child:

online collaboration between student groups (scheduling group work was never so easy);

feedback from teachers is more convenient and easily accessible;

more opportunities for your child to engage in the 21st century digital learning age

access to their own personal Google Cloud and suite of apps For more information on the Chromebooks, visit this link for a video: http://youtube.com/v/0QRO3gKj3qw

For more information on the 21st Century Learner by the Ontario Public School Board’s Association:

www.opsba.org/files/OPSBA_AVisionForLearning.pdf

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Character Education

December’s character trait focus was Kindness and Caring. On Wednesday, December 16 and Thursday, De-

cember 17, we celebrated at our Bee Assembly by presenting certificates to our monthly recipients. The photo

above was taken of the Kindness and Caring award winners from kindergarten, grade 1,and grade 2 for the

month of December.

Throughout the month of January, your child will be involved in learning activities designed to develop “team

work”. Share a story that will help your child understand that whenever we all work together, we can accom-

plish greater things than if we work by ourselves.

Skating at Mitchell Field Arena

Many of our students have been having fun skating at Mitchell

Field Arena. The school has had 7 hours of skating time during

December and we are anticipating 11 more hours in January and

February. Parents are reminded to ensure their children have coats

and mittens while on the ice. Thank you to all the parents who

volunteer to help our students put on and take off their skates and

equipment.

Tuesday, January 19 1:00 — 2:00 p.m. Paschalidis, Rosenberg, Kemerer, Lee (5)

Tuesday, January 26 1:00 — 2:00 p.m. Barbieri, Kandaharian, Jung, Bose

Wednesday, January 27 1:00 — 2:00 p.m. Weir, Chung, Hwang, Leung

Wednesday, January 27 2:00 — 3:00 p.m. Lee (1), Walker, Coelho, Shantz

January Skating Dates

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Stay Healthy During Flu Season

Flu season is here again. In Canada, flu season tends to run between October and April. The Ontario government

is encouraging Ontarians to avoid getting sick this flu season by getting their annual flu shot.

Toronto Public Health is recommending that whenever students and staff experience flu-like symptoms, they are

sent home and do not return to school until they are no longer infectious to others. Therefore, ill students and staff

should be symptom-free (especially from vomiting and diarrhea) for at least 48 hours before returning to school.

The primary concern is for the health and safety of all students and staff. Please note that no special measures are

required when there is a case of influenza in a school or daycare. However, everyone should do their part to stop

the spread of the flu. As parents, you can also assist by:

- reminding children to wash their hands often especially after using the washroom and before and after eating;

- reminding children to cover their sneeze and cough;

- watching for symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and/or

high fever;

- informing the school if your child is ill;

- keeping your child at home when he/she is ill.

For more information, please visit the Toronto Public Health website

www.toronto.ca/health, contact your family doctor, or Telehealth

Ontario. 1-866-797-0000.

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