Dear JS Parents,
Last Wednesday, a group of parents and teachers came together during our first Starbooks of the year to consider Independent Reading and its crucial role in developing our students into life long readers. They explored the importance of reading quantity, book selection, parental involvement, and shared strategies to support our girls. Homework, reluctant readers, the prevalence of fairy books, and competition with screens and busy lives were also discussed. Parents asked thoughtful questions and shared valuable anecdotes that enriched the conversation. As we know that proficient reading is one of the biggest factors in academic success, I am pleased that we are able to offer such an important forum to our parent community.
We received feedback that some parents were unable to attend this session, and may be wondering about the following questions:
- How can I support my daughter's reading development?
- Why is the majority of my daughter's homework independent reading?
- What are 'just-right books', and which ones are right for my daughter?
- What is Havergal's philosophy on independent reading?
If you would be interested in attending a repeat session of Starbooks on Independent Reading, please email Nancy Tulli, our Literacy Coordinator at ntulli@havergal.on.ca. Also, I encourage you to talk to your daughter's teacher during upcoming conference about any questions you may have.
Leslie Anne Dexter
Head of Junior School
HC/BSS FUN RUN - Grades 1-3
Our Cross Country Fun Run returns next week on Tuesday, October 20. Primary students and teachers from BSS will join us for an afternoon of fun, running and friendship. We will run the Terry Fox loop around the school and enjoy activities together on the lower pitch. The Fun Run begins at 1:40 pm, and will finish by regular dismissal time. Your daughter can wear her HC athletic clothing all day. Please ensure that she comes to school in PE uniform and brings warm clothing to put on for the afternoon's outside activities. She can wear track pants over her PE shorts to keep warm. We are looking forward to a fabulous, and hopefully sunny afternoon!
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES - October 22 & 23
October conference time to meet with your daughter's teachers is scheduled for Thursday, October 22 between 4:00-8:00 pm, and Friday, October 23 between 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. The scheduling site, Pick A Time closes at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, October 21. Please note that there is no school or child care available on Friday, October 23. Gator care is available on October 22 until 6:00 pm only, I encourage you to register a spot for your daughter now.
USBORNE BOOKS
Usborne Books will be running a book fair during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Usborne offers a variety of attractive books for all ages, from board books to great fiction and non-fiction for older readers. The fair will take place outside of the Learning Hub during the evening of October 22, and all day October 23. Be sure to stop by!
JS PRAYERS
The Anglican Diocese of Toronto has hired local filmmaker Nicholas Bradford-Ewart to create a video to illustrate the ordinary and extraordinary moments of Chaplains working with students. The project will be a 2-3 minute collage, made up of short moments in which Chaplains interact with students. The final video will be shown at the Toronto Synod (bi-annual general meeting) and online at the Dioceses' YouTube page. The video will have a similar feel and tone to University of Toronto's video, as you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP7qF0xZpuU
On Monday, October 19, Nicholas will film at the Junior School. There will be shots set up outside of Prayers, and students in those scenarios will be approached by the Reverend Canon Susan Bell or the Reverend Andrew MacDonald for permission, otherwise student faces will be blurred. This project is a city-wide initiative and many other schools will also participate.
OPEN HOUSE - Wednesday, October 28
On October 28, we invite prospective families to come to our Open House between 8:30-11:00 am. It is a special opportunity for families to visit our campus and see our school in action. As we want to look our best, please send your daughter to school in her #1 uniform. Student Ambassadors in Grade 6 will act as tour guides and represent us. If you have any questions concerning the admissions process, please do not hesitate to contact Hilary Adamson at hadamson@havergal.on.ca/.
HALLOWEEN IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL - Friday, October 30
JS students will celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 30. We invite students to come to school in grub (non-uniform) clothing during the day, and change into costumes after lunch. Upper School students will join us for a fun assembly in the afternoon, and Grade Reps will provide a healthy treat in the classroom to follow. Please do not send in additional treats or sweets.
JS PORTRAITS
Just a quick reminder that your daughter's school portrait is online and available for purchase at www.perfect-portraits.com/. The password to enter the secure site for HC is: JR2015. The viewing and ordering is time sensitive as an upload fee of $20 will be applied to all orders after Saturday, November 7, 2015.
CO-CURRICULAR CLUBS: Remaining Session Dates
Mondays:
ABT Ballet @ October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 23, 30, December 7 (session times advised by Ms. Wade)
Chess Lunch Club & Basketball Clinic @ October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 23, 30
Zodiactors @ October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 23, 30, with a performance on December 7
Tuesdays:
Corking Club, Junior Choir, Multi-Sports, One Act Play, SIT/Primary @ October 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17
Wednesdays:
SIT/AM (Grades 1-6) at 7:45-8:30 am @ October 21, 28, November 4, 18, 25
Junior Tennis Club @ October 21, 28, November 4
Primary Choir & SIT/Junior @ October 21, 28, November 4, 18, 25
Thursdays:
Fashion Design, Junior Journalists, Science & Video Games Design Clubs @ October 29, November 5, 19, 26, December 3
PARENT PORTAL REMINDER:
For detailed information about your family's household calendar, I encourage you to log onto Veracross through the Parent Portal (http://www.comunity.havergal.on.ca). For the latest school news, visit http://www.havergal.on.ca/news
