Summit Heights Public School

Dear Summit Heights Families,

You are hopefully well underway in enjoying your summer by the time you’re reading this!  The Summit staff sincerely hopes that the summer break is/has been a wonderfully restful, enjoyable, memorable and safe break!  During our last staff meeting of the year, we reflected on the past school year.  While there are always bumps in the road, the 2018-2019 school was a success in many areas, and overall, it was a successful school year!  We want to congratulate our SK and Grade 6 graduates on their momentous transition to Grade 1 and middle school.  We send our congratulations to all of our students for finishing the school year.  A huge thank you to our dedicated and skilled staff for making this year such a success. Finally, a heartfelt than you to our parent community for their support, time, effort and involvement in our school – our success is very much related to the support of our parent community.

For those students/families not returning to our school, we wish the very best at your new school.  We hope you will look upon your time at Summit Heights with fondness and that you are able to use what you learned at our school as building blocks for the future.  Likewise, we’d like to wish the following staff the very best, as they will not be returning to Summit Heights in September: Ms. A. Wasserman (music), Ms. P. Campione (office clerical), Ms. M. Villella (Grade 5/6 Special Education, LTO), Mr. A. Diallo (Core French, LTO), Ms. E. (supply SNA), and Ms. Mihaela, Ms. Safiya, and Ms. Darya,  (Lunchroom supervisors).   Our best regards also to Superintendent Curtis for her retirement!

For all of our returning students, school begins on Tuesday, September 3.   Our staff will be outside in the school yard, beginning at 8:25am to welcome you back!  Parents, please see below for the first day procedures (and how students will meet their new teachers and classmates on the first day of school).

To all of the new students/families joining our school for the first time, please review the links on the right side of this web site.  There is a wealth of information that covers many routines and logistics that are important to the safe and orderly function of our school.

June was a busy month for our school.  We had several celebrations (SK graduation, Grade 6 Graduation, Volunteer Appreciation breakfast, Staff Appreciation lunch, school BBQ) and a good deal of school wide events as well (play day, talent show, character education assembly, Toronto Metro Zoo excursion) not to mention taking part in cheering for our Raptors as they won the NBA championship!

June was an important month for our ECO Team!  Not only were they awarded a Gold standard for our school’s ECO endeavours, after months of planning and preparation, the kindergarten-garden was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony.  Again, congratulations to the ECO team and our entire school community who supported the very important message of reducing, re-using and recycling.  Special thanks to Home Depot (Dufferin/Steeles location) and TD Bank for their support in labour and funding for making the kinder-garden possible.

June was a great way to end our school year.  We celebrated a lot of hard work by our school community, and said thank-you’s and farewell to many.  Wishing everyone a wonderful summer break, and looking forward to seeing you on September 3.

First Day of School – Finding out Class Placements

JK & SK students
Parents will (or have already) received information to attend a welcome/orientation to Kindergarten that will take place during the last week of August (the week before school starts).  Students/parents will meet in the school library, and then meet their teacher/ECE, and have a chance to visit the classroom.  Depending on the classroom teacher, some students/parents (if they are returning back to the same classroom/teacher) may be asked to skip/not attend the orientation.  Please be on the look out for communication from our kindergarten staff.

On the first day of school (from 8:25 to 8:38am), kindergarten students (and their parents/caregivers) are asked to line-up in their class line outside of our front/main doors.  In the event of inclement weather, the line-up may take place inside in our hallway (though parents/caregivers will be asked to wait outside due to space limitations).  When the 8:40am bell rings, the students (only) will be asked to come inside and begin their day in their classroom.

Grades 1-3 students
Students in Grades 1-3 are asked to gather by the primary entry doors and be ready to enter the school at 8:40am.  Please note, staff will be outside supervising starting at 8:25am.  We will post a sign on the doors as a point of reference for the “primary doors”.  In the event of inclement weather, students will be come into the building and wait in the hall, supervised, until the 8:40am bell.
Our staff will be on hand to help guide students (only) into the building at 8:40am.  Grades 1-3 students will be accompanied to the gym, where they will sit in grades.  Starting with grade 1’s, students will be called to join their new class, and then accompanied by the classroom teacher to walk to their new classroom.

Grades 4-6 students (regular and special education “Gifted”)
Students in grades 4-6 are asked to gather at the junior doors and be ready to enter at 8:40am.  Please note, staff will be outside supervising starting at 8:25am.  We will post a sign on the doors as a point of reference for the “junior doors”.  In the event of inclement weather, students will be come into the building and wait in the hall, supervised, until the 8:40am bell.
Our staff will be on hand to help guide students (only) into the school at 8:40am, starting with grade 4 students, followed by the grade 5s and eventually the grade 6 students.  As they enter the building, the staff will guide students to their classroom.  Students in the gifted program will be guided to walk to the school library, where their classes will be formed (and then accompanied to their new classroom with their teacher).

Thank you for reading!  Have a wonderful summer, we’ll see you on September 3rd for another great year at Summit Heights!

Sincerely,

Mr. B. Mah,
Principal.

We would like to invite teachers, parents, students and neighbours to come out for a brief ribbon cutting ceremony for our new Kinder”garden” on Monday, June 24 at 3:20 pm.

The bank manager from the Wilson and Bathurst T.D. branch who presented us with the funds to purchase our planters and the Home Depot crew  (from the Dufferin & Finch location) who volunteered their time to do all the physical labour will also be attending. We would also like to thank the teachers and students who painted the planters and planted the plants in our garden. We hope to see you on Monday!

Dear Summit Heights Parents,

Please note this updated start/entry time for this evening’s Grade 6 Graduation at Montecassino Hotel and Event Centre:

We ask that Graduates be dropped off at Montecassino at 4:45pm.  Doors will open for seating of guests at 5:00pm.  The ceremony will begin at 5:15pm.

Thank you.

Dear Summit Heights Families,

It’s hard to believe that it’s already June!  In fact, at the time of this post, there are just three short weeks of classes left to go until summer.  While the thought of summer almost always makes our students happy and excited, there is still learning and a lot of events happening at Summit Heights before the final bell of 2018-2019 rings on June 27.

Looking back, we had a lot of events in May, here’s a quick snapshot of what happened last month.

Open Houses
During the first week of May we held our annual Spring Open House.  This was an opportunity for families to visit the school, classrooms and see what our students are learning.  We also had two Open Houses for students who potentially will be attending our Gifted Program next year.  These open houses shared information about the gifted program, an opportunity for questions/answers and a brief class visit.

EQAO
Near the end of the month our Grade 3 and 6 students wrote the annual EQAO assessment.  As you likely know, this assessment takes a snap-shot of how our students are doing in Language (Reading and Writing) and Math.  Students answer a variety of questions (some responses are multiple choice, others are short- or long-answer).  Like all students/schools, we will receive the results early in the next school year.  Thanks to our Grade 3 and 6 students and teachers for their best efforts in this respect!

Athletics
   We had three school teams compete last month.  The co-ed track and field team competed at the Conference championships!  Congratulations to the entire team, their coaches (Coach Eisen, Anton and several others) and parent-volunteers for their amazing efforts!
The Girls’ Softball team also played their tournament last month.  The girls were praised for their excellent attitudes and efforts.  Congratulations to the team and Coach Kellesis for a great season!
The Co-Ed Ultimate team won their tournament last month.  By winning, they advanced to the Conference semi-finals and were victorious at that stage.  They then moved on and won the Conference Championships!  As a result, the team plays in the TDESAA City Championships this week!  A huge congratulations to the girls and boys on the team, as well as Coach Mercer and Chen for their outstanding efforts and dedication!

Kindergarten Events
May 16th was the date of our annual Grandpal day.  Dozens of Grandpals/family members came to our school to listen/see our kindergarten students perform musical acts.  In addition, there was story-telling, reading, arts and crafts and snacks too!  Thanks to our kindergarten teachers and especially to our three parent-volunteer-leaders who organized the event this year!  Thank you to Alanna, Julia and Gillian!
Last week, on June 6th, our staff hosted a Graduation for our SK students.  Congratulations to the SK students who make the transition to Grade 1!  Way to go everyone!

Assemblies
All K to Gr 6 students attended a bus-safety assembly last month.  The assembly reviewed all of the important procedures and practices involved with riding on a school bus (whether on a daily basis or once in a while, such as in the event of a school trip).
We also had our month Character Recognition assembly last month.  Thanks to students in Ms. Kipka and Ms. Bower/Powell’s classes for organizing and leading the assembly.
Thanks to our SAC, all of our students participated in a mindfulness workshop on May 16th.  Students learned about living in the moment and taking a second to focus on themselves, while preparing oneself to tackle the stress that life brings our way.  Parents also had an opportunity to take part in an evening workshop.  Finally the staff too attending PD around mindfulness at the end of the month.

Upcoming Events in June:

June 6 – SK Graduation

June 10 – ECO Schools Audit

June 12 – Zoo Trip

June 12 – SAC meeting (7-9pm)

June 13 – Grad Trip

June 13 – Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

June 14 – Cafe Francais

June 18 – Play Day

June 18 – School BBQ

June 20 – Grade 6 Graduation

June 21 – Staff Appreciation Lunch

June 24 – Talent Show

June 26 – Reports Go Home

June 27 – Last day of Classes

Dear Summit Heights Parents,

Please remember that the optional parent input forms (for September class placements) are due to the main office by Friday, May 17th.  The forms were sent home in the May 3rd Friday File.

This optional form is our mechanism for parents to have the opportunity to inform your child’s classroom teacher and Principal of any information related to class placement that we are not already aware of.  As you know, your classroom teacher knows your child very well, particularly in the context of the classroom and school setting.

A number of  parents have reached out to request a meeting with our teachers or the Principal to discuss placements.  While we always enjoy face-time with our parents, our staff are focused on the many important tasks in our classroom, main office and school.  Please use the input form as your way to communicate your input.  We want to be efficient with our time at our school, teaching, learning and caring for your children.

As you know, your child will find out their classroom and teacher on the first day of school.  Your child’s current teacher will have an opportunity to meet with next year’s teacher to discuss students needs.  However, if you have specific information (particularly medical or special education needs) that you would like next year’s teacher to know, please send an email to the Principal (bill.mah@tdsb.on.ca).  The Principal will forward this information to next year’s teacher.  If you elect to send this email, please do so no later than Friday, June 14.   Please note, you will not receive any response from next year’s teacher, this is a one-way communication piece.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

B. Mah
Principal

Dear Summit Heights Families,

April was a jam-packed month of learning, events and great memories!  While we’re all excited for warmer weather in May (let’s hope), let’s review last month.

Dance Workshops
Thanks to the funding of SAC, dance instructor Michelle Silagy once again returned to our school to provide enriching dance instruction for all of our classes.  Beginning in March and ending last month, Ms. Silagy was able to see each class four times!   Students participated in various creative movement and dance classes, while being supported in a caring and ‘low-risk’ environment.  Thanks again to SAC for providing this excellent opportunity, and Ms. Greco for organizing!

Drumming workshops
Again, thanks to SAC and our parent community, Rodrigo Chavez of Cassava Drumming graced our school with drumming workshops, culminating in a high energy, fun assembly!  The final assemblies (one for primary and one for juniors) was performed by the entire band, which featured a vocalist.  Students (and staff) listening, clapped and even danced to the music!  There was even a conga line in the junior assembly!  This was one of the most memorable assemblies at our school – thanks to SAC, Rodrigo, Ms. Greco (for organizing) and our staff and students for participating!

Pink Day
On April 10th schools across the TDSB participated in Pink Day.  Thanks to the Social Justice League, Mrs. Mercer and Mr. Chen, many of our classes learned about and worked on anti-bullying/gender inequity activities.  We had an excellent school-wide participation on Pink Day, and most importantly, we raised awareness and pushed back against bullying and gender-based violence.

Earth Week
April was the poster month for Earth Day/Week/Month!  Thanks to the ECO team, lead by Ms. Marchiori and Ms. Bates, our school learned a lot about saving our earth by re-using, reducing and recycling!  A number of events (walk to school day, themed spirit days, cleaning up our outdoor environment and an environment-focused character education assembly) were organized for our school.  Well done everyone!

Pep Rally
Our school was asked by the TDSB to host a pep rally for the Raptors and Leafs, and on April 17th we pulled it off!  Thanks to the amazing work of our staff, lead by Mr. Khaja, students and staff, along with parents (who loaned us jerseys, shirts, posters AND baked goods for the visiting media) did an amazing job!  A number of media crews including City TV, CP24, CTV, CBC TV and Radio, Snap’d and 680 News on site came to our school to record and broadcast how our school were fully behind our Toronto sports teams!  Way to go Summit!

Jr. Math competition
Over 100 Grade 4-6 students participated in an annual nation-wide Math competition.  While the results aren’t in yet, we’re very proud of our students for their participation and putting academics at the forefront of school.  Thanks to Mr. Eschle for organizing this event yet again!

School Play
Summit on Broadway, an original play, hit the stage for a one-night performance on April 16th.  The critics had nothing but raved reviews for the witty, well-acted production.  The props and costumes were nothing short of top-notch as well.  The crowd was treated to an amazing performance about a family traveling from Toronto to New York on a road trip and all of the funny adventures in between.  Huge thanks to the many students on and behind stage!  Equally, we’d like to extend our gratitude to the many staff that supported the play and the four lead teachers Ms. Brock, Ms. Greco, Ms. Shapiro and Ms. Villella!

Track & field day
On April 25th, Summit Heights held it’s annual spring track and field day.  Students participated in many events including races and jumps.  Students will soon be invited to represent our school at the inter-school track meet on May 6th at Esther Shiner stadium.  Thanks to Mr. Anton, Ms. Eisen and Mr. Eschle for their coaching expertise.

Book Fair
Our spring Scholastic Book Fair is here!  Ms. Greco and a number of helpful students were able to set up the book fair early this week.  Students have had the chance to visit the fair and purchase books, posters, do-dads and the like – all in support of literacy and fundraising for our school library.  Please note, the book fair will be open during our Spring Open House in the evening for parents and families to visit!

Other Reminders/Information

Spring Open House
Don’t forget our Spring Open House is this Thursday (May 2).  Families are welcome to drop by our school, from 6-7pm to visit their child(ren)’s classes.  Visitors will be able to get a first hand experience of what our students are learning and working on.  The Grade 6 (soon to be) Grads will be hosting a bake sale.  Finally, as mentioned, our Scholastic Book Fair will also be open!  We hope to see you then!

September Placements
Please note, students/parents will find out about their class placements for September 2019 on the first day of school in September (not in June).  Kindergarten students will be informed (along with their parents) at the Kindergarten Orientation/Open House (which takes place the week before school starts, details to follow).  Students in grades 1-6 will be informed on the first day of school.  While the specific details of the first day of school and how students will be informed have been worked out, we will be sharing these details closer to the end of this school year.
Students were informed today (April 30) during our character education assemblies.  Parents were informed at the SAC meeting earlier this month.

Parent Input Form
Parent input forms (for student-class placements for the next school year) will be coming out shortly.  The form will have all the information about when and how the optional form should be returned.  There will also be specific guidance about what parents should include in their input.  Please be on the lookout for these forms in the Friday File.

Panoramic Photo
Our annual school panoramic photo is scheduled for 9am on Thursday May 9.  Please do your best to have your child wear a red top for the photos.  If you wish to order a printed copy of the photo, please pick up an order form from our main office and return it on May 9th.

Just two months to go everyone!  Thanks for reading!

Mr. B. Mah,
Principal.