Track and Field Update                  

On Wednesday, May 18^th and Thursday, May 19^th, students in grades 4-8 had two amazing days participating in Track and Field events. Not only did the weather cooperate, but students also demonstrated such great character- participating in events, encouraging fellow classmates and demonstrating personal bests! We’d also like to thank the Grade 6, 7 and 8 students who helped time runs and measure distances, we couldn’t have had the events run without such responsible helpers!

We look forward to cheering on our 72 amazing Trillium Woods athletes who will be competing at the Area Track and Field Competition at Langstaff Secondary School, on Wednesday, June 15^th (Rain date – Thursday, June 16^th). Go Tornados Go!

FIGHT THE BITE!

Protect yourself against West Nile virus and Lyme disease!

If you are heading outdoors to keep active, go camping or work in your garden, protect yourself and your family against West Nile virus and Lyme disease. West Nile virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito; Lyme disease is spread through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick.

What you can do:
• Cover up when you go outdoors with light coloured long sleeved shirts and pants
• Use an insect repellent containing DEET
• Check yourself and your children for ticks
• Remove attached ticks as quickly as possible
• Clean up standing water around your home where mosquitoes like to breed

You can still enjoy the great outdoors; just remember to Fight the Bite!

For more information about West Nile virus and Lyme disease, including the safe removal of ticks, contact York Region Health Connection 1‐800‐361‐5653, TTY 1‐866‐252‐9933 or visit: york.ca/westnile or york.ca/lymedisease.

A Message from Our Trustee

As the school year comes to a close, I would like to thank you for all that you have done to help make this school year a successful one for our students.

We share a common goal - to give our young people every opportunity to reach their full potential, and we all have a role to play in supporting that goal.  However you choose to get involved, your engagement and support make a difference. We know that good schools become better schools when they are connected with families. 

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of our students, families, staff members and community partners, we are creating a welcoming, caring and inclusive learning environment that fosters student achievement and well-being.

As we move into summer, I encourage you to seek out opportunities to continue and complement the learning that takes place throughout the school year.  That could mean taking a nature walk, visiting a museum or reading a book.  Whatever your plans are over the next few months, I hope you have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable summer.  

TRILLIUM WOODS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Fun Fair

50/50 Draw - Details

This year as a part of the Fun Fair we are holding a 50/50 draw! Half of all monies raised will be going back to the school and the other half will go to our lucky winner! The draw will take place at 7:45 pm the evening of June 2nd at the Fun Fair.

Advance tickets may be purchased on School Cash Online from May 24th up to midnight on June 1^st after which any remaining tickets will be available for sale at the Fun Fair.

Ticket Prices:

1 Ticket for $2

3 Tickets for $5

6 Tickets for $10

9 Tickets for $15

12 Tickets for $20

15 Tickets for $25

18 Tickets for $30

21 Tickets for $35

24 Tickets for $40

Buy them early for your chance to win!

TRILLIUM WOODS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Fun Fair

Food Ordering - Information

It's that time of the year again! Our annual fun fair has been scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd from 5-8 pm. There is so much to look forward to - music and dancing, face painting, bouncy castle & obstacle course, delicious Halal burgers and pizzas, a silent auction, and so much more!

This year food orders are being taken electronically and in advance on School Cash Online and will NOT be available for sale on the evening of the Fun Fair. 

All orders are due online by Monday May 23rd.

To purchase your meals please sign into your School Cash Online account and complete the steps below for each family member:

1.  Select the box beside each item to be ordered.
2.  Add 1 in the quantity box and ADD to Cart.
3.  If you require more than 1 of any item for an individual family, unclick previous choice and repeat steps 1 and 2 again.
4.  Complete steps 1 to 3 for all other family members.
5.  Once all orders have been entered and ADDED to Cart, please proceed to 
     Checkout and finalize your order.  
6.  Please also complete and return the hard copy order form below and return to your child’s teacher to help ensure your order accuracy.

Your food tickets will be sent home with your children prior to the event.

There will be water, Freezies, chips, a limited amount of pizza (cheese and pepperoni) and Bake Sale items available for sale that evening at the Fair.
Order and payment must be made online by May 23rd.
Please indicate # of items and return this portion to school by May 24th to ensure order accuracy.

Combo - Hamburger, Water, Chips _____@ $7.50
Combo - Jumbo Hot Dog, Water, Chips _____@ $7.50
Combo - Grilled Chicken Burger, Water, Chips _____@ $8.00
Slice - Cheese Pizza _____@ $2.50
Slice - Pepperoni  Pizza _____@ $3.00

Family Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Tickets to be sent home with:

Student Name_________________________________________________________________________

Grade _____________Teacher ___________________________________________________________

TRILLIUM WOODS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Fun Fair

BAKE SALE - Details

What:
We are looking for peanut/nut free baked goods like cupcakes, cookies, brownies, muffins etc. Your donation needs to come with a full list of ingredients.

When and Where:
Your baked goods can be dropped off in the office on June 2nd. There will be somebody there from parent council to receive your donation.

We are looking forward to receiving lots of yummy goodies!

See you all on June 2nd from 5-8 pm at the Fun Fair!

TRILLIUM WOODS VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION TEA

Members of our school community help us out in so many ways! 

 For example, you may have:

*helped in our classrooms

*went on field trips

*Scientist in the School

*school council members

*prepared materials at home

*helped in the library

*helped with pizza lunches

*lunch time supervisors

*sports team supporters (drivers and fans)

*volunteer readers

*safety officers

*bus drivers

You are all cordially invited to attend the Trillium Woods Appreciation Tea as a small token of our gratitude.

When:              Monday May 30, 2016

                        10:15 am - 10:45 am                               

                               

Where:             In the Staff Room

Why:               We appreciate your help!!!!

Please let us know if you are able to attend by May 25^th.      

TRILLIUM WOODS PUBLIC SCHOOL

FUN FAIR

It's that time of the year again! Our annual fun fair has been scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd. There is so much to look forward to - from music and dance, face painting, delicious halal burgers and pizzas, a silent auction, and so much more!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 2nd.

Volunteers!!

We need volunteers to help run and/or supervise games, events and activities at the fun fair. If you are interested in helping out, please contact us at: twps.funfair@gmail.com

Silent Auction:

Have any new/unopened items or unused gift cards to donate to the silent auction or kids' raffle. Or maybe you have a connection with a business/organization that might provide a corporate donation or item(s) of products or services please contact us at:twps.funfair@gmail.com

Vendors:

Do you know any local vendors who would be interested in renting a table at our Fun Fair to sell products.

We are looking for vendors who can showcase: crafts, jewelry, clothing, etc. There will be a fee of $65 per table and all funds generated from the sales are the property of the vendor.

All items must be appropriate for school aged children. The school has the right to restrict sales of any items that are deemed inappropriate.

Contact us to reserve your table at: twps.funfair@gmail.com or Call Shaheen @ 647.861.7292

Bake Sale

Dust off those hidden recipe books for your favorite baked goods and desserts. This year we want to show case some of the different ethnic foods in our school. We would love to get your support by baking your favorite item and donating them so they can be sold at the Fun Fair.

More details about the what and where will follow, for now start looking for those great recipes (PEANUT FREE ONLY PLEASE!)

40th Thornhill Village Festival

Saturday, September 17th 2016

The annual Thornhill Village Festival fosters community spirit, promotes the heritage of old Thornhill, and provides a venue for the celebration of our community's diverse cultural traditions.

There are booth spaces for Crafters, Community groups, Local business and politicians. 

Check out … www.thornhillfestival.org

Grades 4-8 Track and Field is this Week!
On Wednesday, May 18th, we will be holding our annual Track and Field day for students in grades 7-8, and on Thursday, May 19th, students in grades 4-6 will be participating (Rain date – Friday, May 20th).

Students will compete in all events and are encouraged to focus on their personal best.

Please ensure that your child comes to school prepared to be outside for the entire day with the appropriate clothing (hat, and weather appropriate attire), sunscreen and a water bottle. We will run events all morning and then continue the remainder of the events in the afternoon.

It is extremely important for students to arrive on time to school and have nutritious snacks and lunch. Students who must go home for lunch, need to return to school on time to ensure they are not late for the afternoon events.

We are looking forward to two very fun and active days!

Junior Girls’ Basketball

The Junior Girls’ Basketball Team had a very rewarding season playing games against local schools and participating in the Kettle Lakes and Crosby Tournaments. They also competed in the Area Tournament. Mrs. Jacobs, Mr. Hildebrandt and Mrs. Godwin are so proud of the effort, hard work and skill that this team of players demonstrated throughout the season. We want to thank the following girls for representing Trillium Woods with such great character at every game and tournament: Nia B., Tara D., Iman F., Milana F., Luxsmy J., Danae J., Sarah K., Jamie L., Aimee K., Niketha N., Hiba S., Emily T., and Angela Y.   We would also like to thank the parents who drove students to practices, games and tournaments. We couldn’t have done it without your support.

Feeling Groovy Book Fair

Thank you to Parents, Students and Staff for your support and participation in our recent Book Fair.

While encouraging the Love of Reading and growth of literacy skills in our students you enabled our Library to earn $1350.00 in resources from Scholastic and $1100.00 in cash, to gain new educational resources to support student programming as well as student interests.

Thank you as always for your kind support.

SEE YOU IN THE LIBRARY!

Save the Date

TWPS APPRECIATION TEA

Monday May 30  - 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

Parents, Supporters, Cheerleaders

ALL are WELCOME

Watch for More Information

April Character Assembly

Please note that the April Character Assembly scheduled for 10:45 on April 28th has been cancelled in order to get set-up for our Annual Arts Night that same evening. 

Our next Character Assembly will take place on May 24th at 10:45.

We look forward to seeing the community out to join us for our fantastic annual Arts Night on April 28th between 6-8 p.m.

See you there!

Feeling Groovy Book Fair April 25-29

Feeling Groovy Book Fair

A Celebration of Reading

Mon. Apr. 25 to Fri. Apr. 29

Classes are scheduled to visit at some point during the week.

The Book Fair will also be open to parents and students the evening of:

ARTS NIGHT 
Thurs. Apr. 28 5:30 p.m.~ 8:00 p.m.

CLASSROOM WISH LIST

Each teacher was asked to fill-in their “book wish list” prior to the Fair. Look for your 

child’s teacher’s name on the display. All teachers took great care in selecting the 

best and most appropriate books to meet their students’ reading levels and learning 

needs. It is their wish that these books become a permanent part of the classroom 

library. Every generous gift you make, will be recognized with a special bookplate, 

identifying your family or child as the donor.

Please look for the Classroom Wish List display at the Book Fair. Your support can help a 

classroom blossom with new and exciting adventures in reading, stimulating young 

minds for years to come.

TWPS Book Fairs not only help to encourage the

Love of Reading,

and growth of literacy skills in our students but also enable our Library to gain new 

educational resources to support student programming as well as student interests.

Thank you as always for your kind support.

SEE YOU IN THE LIBRARY!

Arts Night ~ April 28th, 6-8 p.m.

On Thursday April 28th, 2016 from 6-8 p.m. we will be hosting our annual Arts Night as a celebration of the arts. This evening we will be showcasing a variety of art forms including Drama, Music and Visual Art that will be displayed throughout the school. We hope you can join us!

Are You Moving?

Spring is a busy time of year for our school. EQAO, field trips, and graduation loom plus other activities are all on the horizon, but we also begin planning for the next school year. As we begin to organize for September, it is important that we have the most up to date information from all of our families. Please help us!

If you know your child is not going to be returning to Trillium Woods for the 2016-2017 school year (except grade 8’s graduating to high school), please inform the school in writing at: trillium.woods.ps@yrdsb.ca.

Class Placement Process 2016-2017

Looking to the new school year, one of our most important responsibilities as educators is to build the classes for 2016-2017. As we build classes the following criteria will be taken into consideration:

• Class sizes consistent with Ministry and Board guidelines
• A range of performance levels in each class
• Placement of English language learners or exceptional students that accommodates resource or withdrawal programs
• Promoting positive social relationships while minimizing unproductive associations
• Matching learning and teaching styles whenever possible

If there is information regarding your child of which you believe we are not currently aware and which would be pertinent to placement decisions, please advise Mrs. Patrick and your child’s homeroom teacher in writing by May 6th. 

Please understand and respect that requests for a straight grade classroom and specific teacher requests are not a part of this process. The teachers at Trillium Woods are highly skilled professionals that bring different and special dynamics to their classrooms as they deliver the Ontario curriculum as a larger part of the grade planning team. Each student’s placement will be considered carefully as part of our class building process, and trust that our priority is a creating a productive and positive climate for learning for everyone. 

World Autism Awareness Day ~ Light it up Blue!

April 2nd, 2016 marked the 9th anniversary of the very first World Autism Awareness Day. In 2007 this date was declared by the United Nations General Assembly, in order to bring the world’s attention to Autism, a spectrum disorder that affects tens of millions globally. On October 23, 2012, a World Autism Awareness Day bill was passed by members of the House of Commons in Canada which officially recognizes April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day in Canada. 

This year, World Autism Awareness Day fell on Saturday, April 2nd, so Raise the Flag celebrations took place on Monday, April 4th in schools and municipalities across Ontario.  

Hundreds of TWPS students wore blue on Monday, April 4th in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day!

Junior Speech Competition

Part of a a longstanding tradition at Trillium Woods is our riveting Junior Public Speaking Competition. Our junior grades (4, 5, 6) work in their language classes to write, polish and perform a 3-5 minute speech on a topic of their choice. Students demonstrating exceptional performance delivering their classroom speech are selected to compete against other students in the gym at the formal school competition. 

The 2016 Speech Competition took place Thursday, March 24th. All competitors did a fantastic job and we would like to congratulate the following students for their achievement in being selected to compete:

Sam 6JD, Kavin 6M, Ramen 5G, Dennis 6M, Tina 5G, Miriam 6JD, Eric 5S, Julia 6M, Ben F. 6M, Jason 5S, Ben M. 6V, Lucia 6V, Hannah 4D, Aleena 4D

Winners of the 2016 Annual Junior Public Speaking Competition are as follows:

1st Place: 

Lucia

Topic: Overcoming a Bad Hair Day

2nd Place: (tie)

Kavin

Topic: Being a Superhero

Miriam

Topic: Social Media: Benefits and Problems

3rd Place:

Sam

Topic: Dinosaurs

Congratulations to all students who participated in this exciting day! 

A thank you goes out to the junior teachers, especially Mrs. Gauthier and Mrs. Jacobs for organizing the event. Thanks also to our panel of celebrity judges: Mme Sapunjis, Mrs. Gipp, Mrs. Coleman, and Ms. Patrick.

Trillium Woods Honours Earth Hour

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and quickly grew to a global phenomenon. By 2009, Earth Hour grew to over 4,000 cities, including 73 national capitals and nine of the world's 10 most populated cities. Earth hour in 2016 was on March 19th, from 8:30-9:30 p.m.. Over half of the Canadian population  switched off their lights! 

 

The goal is to get as many individuals and businesses as possible to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate that people are ready to take personal action. 

 

Trillium Woods and all other YRDSB schools and offices honoured this event on March 24th  by turning off our lights and monitors from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

 

Earth Hour is a straightforward way for Trillium Woods and York Region’s municipalities and citizens to take action and celebrate our existing efforts to fight climate change. 

 

Inclement Weather Day March 24th

March 24th has been declared an inclement weather day in YRDSB and all bus services have been cancelled. Please be reminded that when buses are cancelled in the morning, they are also cancelled for the afternoon. If your child is normally bussed to school and they are at school today, they must be picked up at dismissal time.

Please also note that tonight’s school council meeting has been cancelled. We will reconvene council at our next regularly scheduled meeting on June 16^th.

2016 Teach Nutrition Innovation Award Winner

Congratulations to the students in Mr. Durgana’s Grade 4 homeroom for capturing the 2016 Nutrition Innovation Award. This year students produced a bilingual public Service Announcement promoting healthy eating. In addition to their captivating television advertisement, students used the basic principles of JavaScript to design an innovative Minecraft-themed video game that takes players on a healthy adventure! 

The, “Teach Nutrition Awards” contest recognizes health initiatives set forth by schools province wide. This year judges on the panel voted Trillium Woods Public School as one of the most creative school in Ontario for their brilliant health initiative. Congratulations Tornadoes on your prestigious achievement!

For more information please visit http://ontario.teachnutrition.ca/ 

UPower Student and Parent Presentation

On Monday, we had the pleasure of hosting Sara Westbrook at Trillium Woods. Sara is a motivational speaker specializing in resilience and respect. Her message to parents and students included a decision making formula where students learn to base quality character choices on a desired end result, despite any circumstances that might get in the way.

In the evening, families learned about how their participation in activities with their children helps kids feel confident and supported, allowing them to bounce back from life's challenges and to better handle stress. Sara talked about how learning these skills is an ongoing process for children and adults that takes time to build habits of positive decision making and maintaining focus on a goal.

We were pleased to see almost 100 families from Trillium Woods, Beynon Fields P.S., and Silver Pines P.S. come together to hear Sara's Presentation. Thanks to Ms. Moses, Ms. Chilvers, Mrs. Clubine, Mrs. Campbell, and Mr. Seto for giving up their time to support the evening. A huge special thank you to Ms. Moses for her efforts in organizing this fantastic event for our school. Click here for parent resources from Sara.

Bus Cancellation Procedure

This is a reminder for all parents that in the event that buses are cancelled:

If buses are cancelled in the morning, they are also cancelled for the afternoon.

For safety reasons, you may choose whether or not to send your child to school; however, if you keep him/her home and your child is NOT bused, you MUST call the school and report the absence. Our Safe Arrival Program dictates that we know the whereabouts of all absent students.

There may be a modified program in your child’s class due to numbers of students attending and absences of some teachers. If your child does not attend school on a day that buses are cancelled due to inclement weather, your child will not face attendance related repercussions.

Once students arrive, they are expected to stay. You can, however, make arrangements ahead of time to pick up your child at lunch.

When buses are cancelled – there are:

·         NO Lunch Service Arrangements or Special Lunches.

·         NO Special Events days or field trips. 

·         Please send a lunch with your child.

Please note:

Dress for the weather – bus cancellation does not mean automatic indoor recesses.

Information regarding bus cancellations is posted at www.schoolbuscity.com, conveyed to GTA radio/television stations, and available on the Board’s Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/#!/YRDSB.

Trillium Woods Choir Rocks the Air Canada Centre!

Congratulations to the TWPS choir for their outstanding performance at yesterday's Toronto Marlies game. The choir entertained a sold out crowd of more than 8000 fans during both intermissions on Saturday. Our choir is comprised of dedicated students from grades 1-8 who meet weekly under the leadership of Mrs. Greenspoon and Mrs. Gipp. 

This event could not have been made possible without the team of amazing parent and teacher volunteers. Thank you to all who came out to support our school. A huge and special thank you goes out to Mrs. Greenspoon and Mrs. Gipp for their hard work and efforts leading this outstanding group and organizing this once-in-a-lifetime experience for our students.

Go Tornadoes! Way to Catch the Storm!

Marlies Tickets Are Here!

The big day is only a week away! The TWPS choir will be performing at the Air Canada Centre next Saturday. 

Choir member families attending the Marlies game at the ACC on February 20 may pick up their tickets in the main office on Tuesday or Wednesday. Any tickets not picked up by Thursday morning will be sent home in the report card envelope with attending choir members. 

We look forward to this exciting event at Trillium Woods! 

Go Tornadoes! Catch the Storm!

Winter Play Day-Thursday, February 25.

On Thursday, February 25, students in Kindergarten-Grade 3, will be participating in the Trillium Woods P.S. Winter Play Day. 

Students in Grades 1-3 will be participating after recess, until lunch time, and Kindergarten students will take part in the activities after lunch, until the end of the day. There will be a combination of both indoor and outdoor activities. Students will be placed on teams for the event, with the goal being to have fun in a non-competitive, team-building environment, focusing on fostering our school’s character traits that we strive to promote every day!

Please ensure your child is wearing appropriate winter outerwear - winter hat, mittens, scarf, snow pants, winter coat and winter boots, and comfortable clothing underneath, for active indoor activities. 

We are looking forward to a great day for the students and staff!

Message from our Trustee

Although winter still feels far from over some days, we are now halfway through the school year.  With report cards coming home, this is a good time to review progress and celebrate what your children have learned both inside and outside of the classroom. This is also a good time to set goals for the months ahead.

One of our goals set out in the Board of Trustees’ Multi-Year Plan is to “continuously increase student achievement and well-being through a culture of caring and learning.” Developing this supportive culture includes engaging parents/guardians and other members of the school community in public education and working together to create safe and supportive school environments that enable students to thrive.

As parents/guardians, there are many ways you can get engaged in your child’s education and support their learning, including talking with them about school, communicating with teachers, attending school events or school council meetings, and volunteering in the school. However you get involved, know that you are making a difference.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I wish you all the best an enjoyable and successful second term.

Corrie McBain