School Council Meeting Thursday January 14th

Please come out to our next School Council meeting, Thursday, January 14, at 7 o'clock, in the McMurrich Library.

There will be updates from counciland committees and an update from the principal.

Refreshments will be provided, and free childcare will be available across the hall in Room 103.

Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you!

Fundraising time!

On November 26, we kicked off our Annual Fall Fundraiser to increase access to technology in our school.  Our goal is to raise $16 000 which will enable us to fund 60-70 devices including: desktop computers for our classrooms and library lab and mobile computer labs of laptops which can move from class to class. 

If you’ve participated in our previous fall fundraiser, you might notice a few changes: 

• Magazine Sales (QSP) sales will be online only. You will not receive a catalogue - reducing our paper consumption and administration!

• New option to contribute via direct donation (online or cheque) for a tax receipt
• Communication with kids will focus on benefit to the school community (rather than prizes)
• Classroom prizes will replace individual prizes

You still have access to an amazing variety of magazines at competitive prices for new or renewed subscriptions!

How can I support this fundraiser? Glad you asked! You have options:

1. Purchase Magazines by visiting  www.QSP.ca.   ENTER OUR ONLINE ID: 3721354
2. Make online donation by visiting:   https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/mcmurrich-technology-plan/ All donations will receive tax receipt
3. Make donation by cheque.  All cheques payable to McMurrich School. Be sure to provide details on the summary form attached to ensure all eligible donations receive tax receipts. (going out with paper copies)
4. Reach out to friends and families to ask for their support.  They can support our success by purchasing magazines (you can email them from within QSP) or making a donation (eligible for a tax receipt).

Prizes

School Wide Prizes

• Reach 25% of fundraising goal $4000 – School wide double recess
• Reach 35 % of fundraising goal $5600 – School wide double recess
• Reach 50% of fundraising goal $8000 – School wide Freezie snack
• Reach 75% of fundraising goal $12000 – School wide double recess with Freezie snack
• Reach 100% of fundraising goal – School wide movie afternoon with popcorn and juice boxes, PJs are optional!

Class Prizes

• Any class with greater than 75% of students participating wins an Awesome Surprise Box
• Top class in each division will receive Super Awesome Surprise Box

Questions and Answers:

What other fundraisers will we have at McMurrich this year? The fall fundraiser will focus on our technology goal, we will host additional fundraisers to support enrichment including scientist in the school, field trips, athletics, clubs as well as families in need.  All funds raised will be spent in accordance with School Council budget.

• Pizza Lunches (throughout the year)
• Dance a Thon (February)
• Fun Fair (June)
• Silent Auction (June)

How did we decide that technology was a priority for our fundraising dollars?

School Council engaged our teachers, principal and parents in the discussion. Access to technology in our school is a joint priority between the School Council budget and School budget.  We’ve also heard great early feedback from students on the positive impact that technology is having on their learning. 

Why do we need to raise funds for computers, doesn’t the TDSB provide computers for our kids?

We have all heard about the challenges the TDSB faces with budget. In reality, the amount of funds available for technology is never going to allow us to get to our goal.  Our dedicated teachers and administrators are always on the look out for grants and programs which offer technology, but all of these fall short of the need.  Fundraising allows us to accelerate our progress and ensure we meet the need.

How will the funds be used? Last year, we raised $16 000 which was used to purchase 60 new devices in our school including 7 iPad minis, 33 desktops and mobile computer lab with laptops which can move from class to class.  Together with the plan for this year, we will bring our grand total to over 120 new devices and offering our kids a significant increase in their access to technology in the school.

School Council Meeting Tuesday November 24th

Please come out to our next School Council meeting, Tuesday, November 24, at 7 o'clock, in the McMurrich Library.

There will be updates from counciland committees and an update from the principal.

Refreshments will be provided, and free childcare will be available across the hall in Room 103.

Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you!

Kinder Pizza!

Next Friday we are doing our first Pizza lunch for Kinders! If all goes well, this will become a regular event. Please get your forms in before Tuesday 24 November. If you (or your child) have misplaced the form, you can download the Kinder Pizza form here.

Pizza Forms

Next Pizza Lunch is set for Friday 27 November, and we are hoping to include the Kinders as well - stay tuned for details.

Meanwhile, here is a blank Pizza Lunch form for those who occasionally misplace it, or find it has gotten too crumpled in your child's backpack. Download it or bookmark this page so you can find it later!

Please note: the form must be submitted no later than the Tuesday before the date of the official Pizza Lunch, and refunds or credits are not available if your child does not participate that day.

9th Annual Parent Involvement Makes a Difference Conference

On Saturday November14th, join TDSB parents from across the city for the 9th Annual "Parent Involvement Makes a Difference" Conference. The theme of this year's conference is "Unlocking Your Child's Full Potential."

This full-day event offers a variety of workshops, opportunities to network with other parents, free childcare, and even a free lunch!

Find out more, including how to register, here.

The Bully and the Beanstalk

The McMurrich School Council Enrichment Committee has booked Michael McMurtry for Tuesday morning on November 17th for children in grades 1 through 6. He will be doing a one man show called "The Bully and the Beanstalk."

"On his first day at a new school, Jack gets bullied. Fearful for his safety, Jack decides to leave and spend the day at home doing chores. But when Jack goes to the market to sell their only cow, an adventure begins that leads him to confront the biggest ‘bully’ of them all. The Bully and the Beanstalk is a compelling exploration of the bullying cycle, seen through the lens of the fairy tale classic. The play teaches a valuable lesson about empathy, self-assertion and ‘inner’ strength, and features McMurtry’s signature parade of colourful characters, clever staging and more audience participation than ever before. A magical coming-of-age story that will captivate audiences of all ages."

Michael McMurtry performed "Cinderfella" at McMurrich two years ago, and was a big hit. He's great at interacting with the audience, and does a good job of speaking to all the different age groups. We are pleased to be able to bring him back! Thanks to the McMurrich School Council Enrichment Team for organizing, and to the Fundraising Team for all their hard work to make this possible.

You can learn more about Michael at www.mikemcmurtry.com.

Pizza Lunch Pizzazz!

Friday, October 30 is our first Pizza Lunch for grades 1-6! Forms have gone out with the kids, so check your child's backpack. Just in case, there are extra forms in the office. This is a Parent Council Initiative aimed at raising funds for the students.

As you know we are in a work-to-rule situation, so volunteers are taking on more of the form distribution/collection duties as well as the money collection. Please return your form by the deadline of TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27.

Late forms make planning and ordering pizza difficult - so we cannot accept any forms/payment after this date. Don't forget to SIGN your child's form authorizing them to have the pizza!

If you would like to volunteer at PIZZA LUNCH we always welcome a spare set of hands or two, and it is great fun handing pizza out to hungry children. Email Alison at alimer1012@gmail.com. If you're only available once in awhile that's great too!, we always need an on-call list.

PIZZA LUNCH AND KINDERS
There has been interest in starting a pizza lunch for the kinders. In order to do this we need a set of kindergarten parents to oversee it. We already have some interest but we need one to two people to run the admin (form distribution), and an extra 1-2 to have on site at the lunch itself. Time commitment is about 5 hours a month when there is a pizza lunch. The existing Pizza Committee will train and support as needed. If you are interested, email Alison at alimer1012@gmail.com.

School Council Meeting Wednesday October 28th

Please come out to our next School Council meeting, Wednesday, October 28, at 7 o'clock, in the McMurrich Library.

There will be updates from council, a discussion on the 2015-2016 budget and an up from the principal.

Additionally, there will be a presentation on IEPs. Our Principal Nicole Lee and Vice Principal Susie Stamatopoulos will draw on their Special Education expertise and provide parents with an overview of Individualized Education Plans or IEPs including:
• When does a student get an IEP?
• How does the assessment process work?
• What are the components or sections of an IEP?
• What does the teacher consider when drafting an IEP?
• What’s the difference between accommodations and modifications?
• What’s the annual cycle?
• What is your role as a parent?
There will be refreshments available, and free childcare provided across the hall in Room 103.
 
Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you!

Backpacks for Malawi

Musician Leslie Feist and the organization Dignitas need our help to help children in Malawi.

Kids and teens living with HIV/AIDS walk for miles to get to Dignitas clubs to get their medicine for the following month, and learn about how to lead long and healthy lives despite their illness. But there is a lot of stigma against people with HIV/AIDS in Malawi, and most of the children have no backpacks to carry their medicine, so it gets lost. Some children try to hide their medicine outside so no one will see it.

Dignitas is looking for a variety of backpacks - each one different - so the kids aren't all carrying the same "medicine bag."

So bring in your old backpacks! There will be a donation box set up at McMurrich until Friday October 9. Big or small, old or new, for kids or adults, every backpack helps!