Week of December 9

Turkey Bucks - This is the final week to earn Turkey Bucks at Foodland. If anyone would like to donate their Turkey Bucks, please hand them in to the office and Heather Gordon will collect them so that they can be given to families in need during the holidays. 

Toy Drive - From December 9^th to 13^th we are collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in difficult circumstances this holiday season. Please leave your donations on the marked table just inside the Kindergarten doors. Thank you for your generosity!

iPad Drive - If you're planning on upgrading your iPad this Christmas, please consider donating your gently used iPad (2nd generation or later or iPad mini) to the school. Please bring your donation to the school office by January 31^st and the School Council will ensure the old iPads are ready for classroom use.

Skates & Helmets - Carol Brown is collecting ice skates and CSA certified hockey helmets for primary and junior students to use at Humber Valley Rink. Please bring your donations of skates and/or hockey helmets to school starting December 16^th.  

Save the date - the HVV family skating party is Saturday, March 22^nd from 6-8 p.m. at the Canadian Ice Academy

 

The Power of Belief

Sue Bois shared this interesting video on growth mindsets with staff and also parents at the council meeting this week:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc
 
The way we understand our intelligence and abilities deeply impacts our success. Based on social science research and real life examples, Eduardo Briceño articulates how mindset, or the understanding of intelligence and abilities, is key. When students or adults see their abilities as fixed, whether they think they're naturals or just not built for a certain domain, they avoid challenge and lose interest when things get hard. Conversely, when they understand that abilities are developed, they more readily adopt learning-oriented behaviors such as deliberate practice and grit that enable them to achieve their goals. But this belief is itself malleable, and there are clear actions we can all take to establish a growth mindset and enable success for our children, our peers and ourselves.

Eduardo Briceño is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works (http://www.mindsetworks.com), an organization that helps schools and other organizations cultivate a growth mindset culture. The growth mindset was discovered by Stanford professor and Mindset Works co-founder Carol Dweck, Ph.D., and is described in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (http://www.mindsetonline.com). Mindset Works offers Brainology, an innovative blended learning program to teach a growth mindset to students, teachers and schools, as well as teacher professional development and tools (http://www.mindsetworks.com/brainology/).

Week of December 2

Everyone is welcome to attend our monthly school council meeting on Wed., Dec. 4th at 7 p.m. in the library. Please note that babysitting will not be available during this meeting. 

Humber Valley Rink is OPEN! The rink offers both supervised and unsupervised skates including public skates and shinny hockey for various age groups.

Dec. 5 community meeting on playground severances

The Toronto Sports Council (TSC) is hosting an organizational meeting to discuss community concerns regarding loss of community space and strategies to keep this space in the community while still allowing the TDSB to meet the needs of students.
Date: Thursday December 5, 2013  
Time: 7- 9 pm 
Location: North York Civic Centre 5100 Yonge Street (at the North York subway station), Committee Room 1 
Agenda

Please RSVP to Heather Mitchell at heather@torontosportscouncil.ca

The TSC has been made aware of the potential sale of a number of TDSB school properties which will result in the following:

· significant reduction in the number of playing surfaces available for permit
· communities loss of green space now used for leisure and physical activities

The TSC is aware of the Provincial constraints faced by the TDSB however the premature sale of school properties without community discussion and input is concerning. At the Province's insistence, the TDSB continues to sell playing fields to pay for urgently needed school additions and repairs.

If we are going to save these fields for community use, we need to start a conversation now and continue it throughout the winter and into spring. It is important that the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation department along with the Province and the School Boards hear the concerns and work with the community to save our fields.