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Last Thursday’s Spring Thaw: JK-3 Art Show and FUNdraiser was a huge success. We are still working on the final fundraising tally but by all accounts the event blew our expectations out of the water. Thank you to our LARGE number of student and parent volunteers, without whom this event would not be possible. Families came in droves to the event to participate in a great number of fun activities: 

• Eat yummy subs, sushi, samosas, fruit and cupcakes
• Watch all the fabulous videos documenting the process of the art making
• Get their faces painted
• Make hats, photo frames, BUTTONS, custom decals, bookmarks, colouring sheets
• Have their nails painted 
• Try their luck at the famous lollipop tree (we went through about 700 lollipops!)
• Decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles (even home-made gluten-free cookies on hand!) 
• Participate in the “Guess the number of Beads” contest
• Find out more about Runnymede’s Special Education program
• Sign a petition about High Park Zoo closing
• Browse art books in the library 
• Bid on amazing artwork, front-row seats to upcoming concerts and art camp in the Silent Auction
• Find out more about Pub Night, Art Cards, and Mabel’s Labels
• …and of course, check out the fabulous art made by our very own JK-3 children! Here are some photos of just some of the incredible artwork produced by our kids.

Ward 7 asked us to share this with you. Looks like a fun night! (click the image to open in PDF.)

The next council meeting is next Tuesday, March 27, at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. Everyone is welcome, and babysitting is available. Click here to preview the agenda.

To: All Families with Students in JK-Grade 3

This year’s Spring Thaw: JK-3 Art Show & FUNdraiser is just around the corner on Thursday, March 29, 3:30 – 7:30 pm. If you have a child in JK-Grade 3, you won’t want to miss this fun-filled, family-friendly school event.

The Spring Thaw: JK-3 Art Show & FUNdraiser is an event to celebrate and share the wonderful art that has been produced by our children throughout the JK-Grade 3 Arts Enrichment Program and will also include many FUN activities such as face-painting, cookie decorating, children’s crafts, a silent auction, a family dinner and much more! Some activities will be free and others will require tickets, which can be purchased at the event.

Please note that payment and order forms for the Family Mr. Sub Dinner are due back to your child’s teacher byFriday, March 23 – tomorrow!

Bring them this Sunday, March 25 to the Inorganic Market!

To: All Families with Students in JK-Grade 3

Please mark Thursday, March 29, 3:30 – 7:30 pm on your calendars now so you can attend this year’s SPRING THAW: JK-3 Art Show & FUNdraiser! If you have a child in JK-Grade 3, you won’t want to miss this fun-filled, family-friendly school event.

Thanks to your generous support of Runnymede’s fundraising this year, all JK – Grade 3 students are being provided with 4-hours of arts enrichment by professional artists. The SPRING THAW: JK-3 Art Show & FUNdraiser is an event to celebrate and share the wonderful art that has been produced by our children and will also include many FUN activities such as face-painting, cookie decorating, children’s crafts, a silent auction, a family dinner and much more! Some activities will be free and others will require tickets, which can be purchased at the event.

To ensure the success of this year’s SPRING THAW, we will need many PARENT VOLUNTEERS to help out on March 29th. If you would like to volunteer for one (or more!) of the following timeslots, please email Krista Wylie and please note if you have a preference for an area you’d like to volunteer with (Food, Children’s Crafts, Silent Auction, Ticket Sales).

• Timeslot #1: 3:00 – 4:45 pm
• Timeslot #2: 4:30 – 6:15 pm
• Timeslot #3: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

 An official paper invite and order form for the Spring Thaw Family Dinner will be sent home with each JK-3 student the week after March Break but we wanted to make sure that you had lots of time to block off Thursday, March 29, 3:30 – 7:30 pm on your calendars!

Thank you for your support!
Runnymede Arts Committee & Spirit Committee

There has been a scheduling change and our next school council meeting will now take place as follows:

• Date:  March 27, 2012 (not March 22)
• Time:  7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
•  Location: Runnymede PS library

Call for agenda items -  If you have any items for discussion at the next meeting, including proposals for council funding, please send them to Council Secretary Nancy Bestic no later than Monday March 19, 2012.

• Tuesday, February 21
• 7:00 p.m.
• Runnymede School Library

The TDSB has targeted $80 million in reduced spending in next year’s budget. Many may have significant impacts to Runnymede. Parent Councils will be asked by way of their Ward 7 representatives on February 28 to provide feedback to our trustee, Irene Atkinson, at a Ward 7 meeting. This feedback directs how the trustee should vote on March 6 at a meeting where the TDSB is to vote on the potential budget cuts. After that date, the staff reduction notices will be promptly sent out, so this is the only opportunity to provide feedback into the process.

At next week’s meeting, we will review proposed budget cuts and determine which we can live with and which we should direct our Ward 7 representatives to fight against and recommend the Ward 7 trustee, Irene Atkinson, should vote against at the TDSB budget meeting on March 6.

The parent consultation period should have been much longer, but the TDSB took longer than they had planned completing the budget. We need your input to make a difference!

Join Parkdale parents for an evening workshop with guest speaker Sabrina Gonsalves, school social worker, TDSB.

The teen years can be a difficult transition for our children. There are many issues that affect them and it can be difficult to know how to support them. Sabrina Gonsalves has worked with parents across the community bringing both her extensive professional experience and her own experience as a parent. She can help you support your child in dealing with issues such as stress, anxiety, peer relationships, and self‐esteem.

•  Presented by Parkdale Collegiate School Council
•  Thursday February 23, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
•  Parkdale Collegiate Institute, 209 Jameson Ave in the library
•  Light refreshments will be served.

All parents are welcome.

The February issue of the school newsletter, The Rapport,  is now available, and it’s chock full of photos of our kids! Check it out to find out lots about all the great goings on at Runnymede, in sports, arts, library, and more!

One correction to the Rapport: the March pizza lunch is on March 30.

Mr. Rodriguez in guidance has asked us to share the following timelines for grade 8 students.

• February 15: Parents/guardians and students will be informed of the status of application for Optional Attendance.
• February 2 to 24: Grade 8s complete Course Selection Sheets. For questions about course recommendations, contact Mr. Rodriguez or teachers. The Choices for Nine booklets will be distributed.
• February 24 : Course Selection Sheets due to Mr. Rodriguez.
• March 1: Course Selection Sheets due to all secondary schools. (Mr. Rodriguez will deliver the Course Selection Sheets.)

Questions? Contact Mr. Rodriguez.

The latest grade 2 art project (one of four the kids will do this year as part of the Arts Enrichment program) had our kids channelling Kandinsky and his famous concentric circles.

Here are some more photos of our recent arts enrichment activities. Check out their concentation!

Runnymede’s new motto — “Let Out Your Inner Lion” — and school crest were unveiled yesterday to kick off the four-year countdown to our centennial. What a great new look! A big thank you to the senior students who suggested mottos and voted for their favourite. Also unveiled was the great banner that you see at the top of our webpage – you can see a full-size version hanging at the school. Exciting times for Runnymede!

Check out these great pictures of our kids enjoying their Arts Enrichment activities last week. Children from K-3 will receive 4 hours of professional arts instruction this year.