March Break!

From all the staff at West Hill - Have a wonderful March Break everyone! 

See you on Monday, March 18.

Spirit Friday!

Don’t forget to wear your pack colour tomorrow! Every Friday is a West Hill spirit day!

Please support our move-a-thon!

Polar Bear Walk Success!

Today, West Hill students and staff walked a combined 356.5 km to raise awareness for the plight of polar bears. THAT'S AMAZING!!! Ms. Goldenstein commented today that not only did the students have fun, but that, and I quote; "This was West Hill Spirit at its finest, seeing the older students in grades 6, 7, and 8 holding hands with the primary students every step of the way".

We are continuing to collect donations, however small, so please do keep sending them. Thank you to all those families who have already generously done so.

Please enjoy these images of happy children doing good for a good cause!

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”  ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist.

WWF Polar Bear Walk

Tomorrow, Friday February 28, West Hill PS will be participating in the World Wildlife Fund's Polar Bear Walk to raise awareness of the effects of global warming on polar bear survival. Please visit this link for more information.

Below are additional links to videos that introduce the issue of climate change, melting sea ice, and its impact on polar bears. Students have been learning a little about these issues at school. Please encourage further exploration at home.

National Geographic Kids (polar bears and what we can do to help)

Cimate change - the polar bear's story (suitable for primary / junior students)

Yorkshire Wildlife Park (better suited to intermediate students)

Since toonies have an image of a polar bear on one of their faces, it is traditional (and a little bit fun!) to donate a toonie. Please do think about sending your child in with any amount you may be able to spare for this important cause.

Part of a well-rounded education is learning to care about things other than ourselves. Caring for animals is natural for children and caring about our planet is something that we should all be passionate about. Please give something if you can.

West Hill Stands Up to Bullying!

West Hill participated in National Pink Shirt Day! Students wore pink shirts to show that they will not tolerate bullying at our school! Way to go West Hill!

Sports Night Postponed

Sports Night has been postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for March 21.

 Thank you for your understanding. 

Toronto Fun Guide Info

On Monday, February 25, from 3:30-5:00, staff from Parks, Forestry, and Recreation, will be at 4110 Lawrence Avenue East (in the lobby) to share important information about the City of Toronto Fun Guide and registration process for programs.

Sports Jam Postponed

Sports Jam!!!!!

Postponed!!! Due to inclement weather, this event has been postponed until March 21.





On Wednesday, February 27, West Hill Parent Council will be hosting a Sports Jam night starting at 6:00pm! This will be a night of sports themed activities for students and their families. In addition, you will have the pleasure of watching the movie, Space Jam, with your family. All this fun and excitement will only cost you $2 per person!

Pizza Lunch 

Today, Friday, February 21, is pizza lunch! We can’t wait!

Spirit day tomorrow!

EVERY Friday is school spirit day! Wear your pack colours with pride!

Terry Fox Results!

The 2018 Terry Fox School Run results are in! Ontario schools showed great strength in numbers and leadership in the fight against cancer by raising close to $7 million!!  We are so grateful to you for continuing the tradition of holding a Terry Fox Run at your school. Please share our heartfelt thanks with your school community for their incredible generosity and support of Terry’s dream to find an end to cancer. The 2018 Terry Fox School Run was a great success! We are proud to announce that West Hill Public School has generously donated $638.15 for cancer research. 39 years ago, determined to make a difference in the lives of those living with cancer, Terry ignited a fundraising movement that cannot be stopped. Today, because of schools like yours, his message of hope echoes loudly in the voices of students and families everywhere. The Terry Fox Foundation extends to you a heartfelt thank you for your wonderful generosity to continue Terry’s legacy.  Be proud and know that together, we are making a difference.

Today's reading strategies workshop

Today's reading workshop was very successful! Ms. Cooper and two TDSB Reading Coaches facilitated some rich and practical conversations on how to help children to improve reading success. 

Don’t Miss This Great Opportunity!!

On Wednesday, February 20, West Hill is hosting an event which focuses on reading at home. All are welcome. 
Refreshments will be served.

Haven’t ordered a West Hill t-shirt or sweater yet?! Well, you are in luck! West Hill is still accepting orders! Shirts can be order until Friday, March 1! Don’t miss this great opportunity to show school spirit. If you are in need of order forms, please see the office.

A fond farewell and a hearty welcome back...

It is with sadness that we wish a fond farewell and the best of wishes to Ms. Mullins who has been teaching in our Junior Division during Ms. Madeiros' maternity leave. Ms. Mullins has been an asset to our school and she will be missed, most notably by the students who have been in her care.

Everyone at West Hill PS is thrilled to welcome back Ms. Madeiros. We're all excited to see her again. If you spot her in and around the school, be sure to wish her a great start to her school year!

Cookie-grams and Friendship bracelets on sale tonight!

In support of Me to We, friendship bracelets will be on sale during parent-teacher interviews tonight. They range in price from 50c to $1.
Cookie-grams supporting school fundraising are $2 each.

Math Symposium for children of all ages.

When?    Saturday, April 6 2019.
              Morning session from 10:00-11:30
              Afternoon session from 12:30-2:00

Where:   Woburn Collegiate Institute,
              2222  Ellesmere Road, Scarborough.


This super fun hands-on event is appropriate for infants all the way up to children in Grade 8 and their families.


Follow this link to a list of activities and resources that were showcased at last year's symposium. Many of them can be implemented at home.


This link will take you to information on growth mindset - the principle that with an attitude for learning and hard work, we can grow our intelligence and improve our success.

"One of the best predictors of student success in mathematics is parental involvement," Lynda Colgan.

Parent-Teacher Interviews, PA Day, and Family Day.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day but wouldn't you rather be at a parent-teacher conference? Interviews have been scheduled and will be taking place either tomorrow after school or on Friday morning.

There are no classes on Friday due to interviews and Monday is Family Day. Enjoy your long weekend!

Here's a link to some amazing activities to keep everyone engaged and entertained: Family Day Toronto 2019. You can also visit the City of Toronto website below for more ideas.

TODAY IS A SNOW DAY

Due to the forecasted extreme weather conditions, all TDSB schools are closed today. Please do NOT send or bring your child to school today. Stay warm and safe.

National Sweater Day!!!

Thursday (tomorrow) is National Sweater Day!

What's that all about? It's a day when schools, homes, and businesses all over the country turn down their heating to reduce their energy consumption. This reduces our carbon footprint, which is one small way that we can help to protect this great planet we live on!

Mr. G. has agreed to turn down the heat in our school for the day. Don't worry - you won't freeze - we just suggest that you bring in an extra layer... That's why it's called National SWEATER Day!

Also, it's a wonderful opportunity to help others less fortunate than ourselves. If you have any clean sweaters that you no longer wear, perhaps because they're too small, please bring them into school by the end of the week and Madame Paré will donate them to a local clothing drive.

Have a cozy Thursday!

Kindness Campaign

Tomorrow our Kindness Campaign kicks off, led by the Student leadership Council and the Me to We club. Students are invited to write shout-outs to others they catch in an act of kindness. Written shout-outs will be posted to the Kindness Wall and some may even feature here on the blog.

In addition, the Me to We club is busily creating friendship bracelets which will be available for sale between February 11 and 14.

Pink Shirt day is on February 27 this year. Here's a link to find out more... another opportunity to build awareness of the importance of kindness and the dangers of bullying.

We will be hosting a move-a-thon before the end of February too - also in support of our Kindness Campaign.

Get your kindness on!

It's Wolf Pack Friday!!

Don't forget to wear your pack colours tomorrow (Friday!) to show your school spirit!

Get Your Cookie-Grams!

The School Leadership Council would like to spread some kindness this Valentine's day with Cookie-Grams - goody bags with some sweet treats!  Each bag will include a decorated heart-shaped vanilla sugar cookie and a few candies.

All items are peanut free and will be sold to students at morning recess from February 4th to February 8th.  This gives students a chance to buy for themselves or their friends at school. The cost is $2 per bag.  

All cookie-grams will be delivered by the Student Leadership Council to those who purchased them on the morning of Wednesday February 13th.  All funds raised will go towards school initiatives. 

TWIN DAY!

We're celebrating another Spirit Day this coming Thursday, January 31... Here's what you do:

• Choose a friend (or two or three or four or...)
• Dress alike
• Come to school
• Win points for your pack

Simple and fun! Be as creative as you like, while keeping it school appropriate of course.

Go West Hill!

Assembly tomorrow.

This Friday - tomorrow - is our Character Education Assembly to recognize students who demonstrate excellence in teamwork. We should be beginning shortly after 12:45.


Our Me to We students and the SAC will be presenting some upcoming initiatives and the dance club will be performing.

Hope to see you there!

Cold weather warning!

During times of extreme cold weather, students are kept in for recesses and lunch time, however, they still need to travel safely to and from school. Please ensure that your child is appropriately dressed with mittens, hat, scarf, snow boots and pants, and a very warm coat.
Thank you!

PA DAY!

This coming Friday, January 18 is a P.A. day. There are NO CLASSES this Friday. Get out and enjoy the snow with your children if you can!

We've Got Spirit! Yes We Do!

On Friday, January 11, West Hill hosted their first spirit event of 2019.  It was a great success, with everyone showing spirit by wearing their Wolf Pack colours!

Staff at West Hill also got into the spirit, by showing off our brand new West Hill clothing!  Below you will find examples of what the new shirts look like!  These T-shirts and hoodies are now available to purchase.  Order forms were sent home on Friday and can be returned until Friday, February 1st! Please return forms with cash payment. 

We can't wait to see your school spirit!

January is Tamil Heritage Month!

During this month, West Hill P.S. will take time to recognize all the invaluable contributions that Tamil-Canadians have made in enriching Canadian society! It is a great opportunity to learn more about the Tamil culture, heritage and language.  

January was chosen as Tamil Heritage as this is in an important month. During this month, Tamil people celebrate Thai Pongal, the festival of harvest. It is celebrated to give thanks to the sun, cattle and an abundant harvest. Thai Pongal is traditionally celebrated over fours days. This festival usually falls between January 14-18.  Thai Pongal is a time to feast, visit relatives, and to give gifts. This festival has been celebrated for over 1,000 years.