January 23 - 27, 2023
Posted on 01/20/2023

Monday, January 23 (Day 1) :

  • Subway lunch program

  • Winter Showcase music assembly in the gym 

  • 10:50 am lego club grades 1 and 3

  • 1:10 Popcorn

  • 2 - 3 pm Winter Wonderland open house in Kindergarten

  • intermediate boys’ basketball game at WR Best

Tuesday, January 24 (Day 2): 

  • Quesada lunch program

  • 8 am intermediate girls’ volleyball practice

  • 11 am Primary hockey club

  • 4 pm intermediate girls’ volleyball game

  • Wendy’s fundraiser 4 - 7 pm

Wednesday, January 25 (Day 3):

  • Pizza lunch program

  • 1:10 intermediate boys’ basketball practice

Thursday, January 26 (Day 4):

  • Wok Box lunch program

  • 10:50 lego club grades 2 and 4

  • 4 - 10 pm intermediate girls’ volleyball tournament

  • intermediate boys’ basketball game at Terry Fox

Friday, January 27  :

  • PD Day - no school for students

February 16: Eastview open house for grade 8 families 6:30 pm

February 17: Report Cards go home

February 20: Family Day - school is closed

MUSIC ASSEMBLY: Families are welcome to join us for these assemblies - we would love to see you there!  Classroom teachers have shared with families the start time if their class is presenting something.  Please understand that seating is very limited at each of the 3 assemblies, but there will be space for parents to stand as well.  Expected running time for each assembly is approximately 80 minutes.  Families attending the assembly are encouraged to park on a neighbouring street that allows for parking and walk to the school as our parking lot is quite full.  

PRIVACY AND PHOTOS/VIDEOS: A reminder that not all families welcome pictures or videos of their children being taken.  We ask that you consider student and staff privacy and ensure all individuals have given express permission to be recorded or photographed.  Thank you for your understanding.

MEETING FOR PARENTS OF GRADE 8 STUDENTS: Grad after-event committee meeting February 6th 5pm in the library - please attend if your student is in Grade 8 and you would like to be part of the planning committee - this is a parents only meeting.

CANDY GRAM FUNDRAISER: Our student advisor team is raising money for a progressive pride crosswalk at the front of the school.  To support this initiative, there will be candy grams available for sale on school cash online for the month of February.  Orders placed one week will be delivered the following Wednesday.  Delivery dates are February 1, 8, 15, 22.  These are appreciation grams that could be given to a friend, teammate,  or anyone that a student appreciates or wants to send a kind message!  Once an order is completed on school cash online for your child, they will be able to write a message and determine who will receive the candygram.  Watch school cash online next week for the order form!

SAVE THE DATE!  Forest Hill will be having a fundraising night at Wendy’s on January 24th starting at 4 pm.  Monies raised from this fundraiser will support school improvements such as increased shelving in the library for decodable books and adding bulletin boards in the halls to display student work. Come and join us for a fun dinner!

SPEECHES: We are delighted that junior and intermediate students will be working on speeches in classes once again this year after a break of several years.  Formal speeches are not a required element for students but do provide them with time to work on their writing and presenting skills.  Although the Legion is no longer involved in this event, we have partnered with the Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Education to provide students with an opportunity to  participate in their annual student public speaking competition should students wish to do so.  They ask for a speech that “connects to a human rights issue that is important to you, and how you envision creating positive change in the world.”

The Cell Phone Challenge: Some of our intermediate classrooms are participating in the ‘Cell Phone Challenge’ along with many of the Barrie North family of schools. Almost 90% of high school teachers at Barrie North indicated that students are heavily distracted by their cell phones and lack the self-regulation required to focus on their schoolwork. About 80% have specifically indicated “inappropriate use of social media and lack of self-regulation is negatively impacting their learning” as the “phone is never out of their hands”. 

 

The “Cell Phone Challenge” has been introduced as a way to increase self-awareness and support healthy habits around cell phone use: decreasing screen time, reducing distractions by turning off notifications and collaborating to find strategies that promote healthy habits and encourage a different relationship with their phone. 

 

We encourage you to talk to your child about what strategies are being put in place in the classroom, but also, to discuss some strategies that support how to reduce screen time and distractions from notifications; both which continue to be a significant problem in the school environment. 

 

A great resource for families to explore is The White Hatter. This Canadian website offers great resources, a Podcast, and an Online Parenting Book that can support healthy cell phone habits at home. 

 

MediaSmarts has also put out some resources to help families manage your kids’ screen time.