Joseph Howe Senior Public School
20 Winter Gardens Trail,
Scarborough, Ontario M1C 3E7
(416) 396-6405
PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING
A warm welcome to our new Educational Assistant,
Miss Melanie Jackson.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards go home on Feb. 9. Please note that the
evening of Feb. 12 and the morning of Feb. 13 are
parent/guardian interview days. Additional information
about interviews will be sent home shortly. There will be
no school for students on Feb. 13 as it is a P.A. Day.
PROVINCE-WIDE STATUTORY HOLIDAY
FEBRUARY 16
Ms. S. Boland, Principal
Ms. J. Solman, Vice Principal
http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/josephhowe
JANUARY 2015
Gr. 8 to 9 Info Meeting At Borden – 7:00 p.m.
Pizza Lunch Fundraiser – School Council
Cafeteria Food Service Closed
Jan. 13 Ski Club At Skyloft After School
Jan. 14 Gr. 8 to 9 Info Meeting At Mowat – 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 19 School Council Meeting – Library - 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 20 Ski Club At Skyloft After School
Jan. 21 Legally Blonde At Mowat – p.m.
Jan. 23 PA Day – Students Do Not Attend School
Jan. 27 Ski Club At Skyloft After School
Jan. 27 Jerry Chadwick Ward Council Meeting - 6:30 p.m.
At Westhill Collegiate
Jan. 30 Optional Attendance Forms Due
At Selected High School (Delivered By Parents)
Feb. 3 Ski Club At Skyloft After School
Feb. 4 8E Trip To Hillside
Feb. 4 Graduation Photo Day
Feb. 4-5 Kindness Club Presentations
Feb. 5 8C Trip To Hillside
Feb. 6 7B And 8A Trip To Hillside
Feb. 9 Report Cards Go Home
Feb. 12 Evening Parent Interviews
Feb. 13 Morning Parent Interviews
Feb. 13 Optional Attendance Confirmed by High School
Feb. 13 P.A. Day – Students Do Not Attend School
Feb. 16 Provincial Family Day Holiday
Feb. 23 School Council Meeting – Library – 7:00 p.m.
Mar. 16 March Break Begins
Jan. 8
Jan. 9
ALLERGY ALERT
Prevention is the best approach. Therefore, for
the safety of our students, we ask your
cooperation in not sending any snacks or lunches
containing peanuts or nut products and to refrain
from bringing aerosol products to Joseph Howe.
In 2006 the Government of Ontario announced the creation
of a province-wide statutory holiday known as “Family
Day”. This day will occur on the third Monday in
February of each year for the purpose of emphasizing and
celebrating the importance of families taking time to be
together. Enjoy your day together!
SCHOOL COUNCIL
The School Council meets from 7:00 p.m. to approximately
8:15 p.m. in the library on the second floor. Parents, staff
and members of the community make up the council. All
are welcome. Our regular meeting dates will be as follows:
Jan. 19, Feb. 23, April 20, May 25 and a tentative date of
June 15 if required.
The minutes will be posted on the School Council website.
If you have an item you would like to post on the agenda
for our next meeting please contact Mrs. Kattsir at
eliza4@rogers.com
JOSEPH HOWE WINTER CONCERT
CELEBRATING THE ARTS
Our holiday concert and showcase was a great success.
Thanks to everyone who made it possible. It was a very
festive occasion.
Ms. S. Boland, Principal
REMIND 101
Sign up and receive short weekly texts from the Principal!
This is a one-way text that will remind parents/guardians
of events that are happening at the school each week.
Text 437-800-2358 with the message @josephh and you will
be a member of Remind 101!
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JOSEPH HOWE GIFT
BASKET RAFFLE
A holiday party was awarded to two classes with
the highest percentage of participation.
Congratulations class 7B and 8A. This has been
a very successful fundraiser. Our thanks to the School
Council.
JOSEPH HOWE SKI CLUB NEWS
Ski Club will take place at Skyloft on:
Tuesday, January 13
Tuesday, January 20
Tuesday, January 27
Tuesday, February 3
COLD WEATHER REMINDER
Parents are reminded to send their children to school with
the appropriate outdoor clothing. The students continue to
go outside each day unless there is extreme cold and wind,
so it is important that students are dressed properly.
Our school’s policy relating to snow is the snow stays on
the ground. We feel that throwing snow or kicking snow
could result in a student being seriously injured. I don’t
believe that one of our students would intentionally hurt
another student - however, I’ve been at schools where
glasses have been broken, a retina has been scratched, and
a tooth was chipped, all as a result of snowballs. SNOW
STAYS ON THE GROUND!
We have made numerous announcements to the students
about this policy. Students who are caught throwing or
kicking snow will receive a letter home, which is to be
returned to the office signed and, if caught again, could be
suspended from school.
Please reinforce this with your son/daughter so we can
remain accident-free at Joseph Howe. Thank you for your
support in helping to enforce this policy.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
PIZZA FUNDRAISER
The cafeteria food services will be closed on
January 9. Students will have to bring their own
lunch to school if they did not choose to participate
in pizza lunch days. Students will NOT be allowed to sign
out and go the local plazas. This is our last pizza day for
this series. The School Council will give students the
opportunity to participate in another pizza lunch
fundraiser that will cover February to June.
EDGE PHOTOGRAPHY
GRADE 8 GRADUATION PICTURES
Grade 8 graduation pictures will be taken on Wednesday,
February 4 in the library by Edge Photography. We
welcome the expertise Edge offers!!
with a rain/extreme cold weather date of Feb. 10. The
make-up date is in case Skyloft cancels - if we cancel we do
not get a refund.
We will leave Joseph Howe at 3:15 p.m. and arrive at
Skyloft about 4:00 p.m. Lessons will start shortly after
(these lessons are MANDATORY for all skiers/boarders).
We will return to the West Rouge Go Station at around
9:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. depending on the weather and road
conditions. Helmets are also MANDATORY for all
skiers/boarders.
Please note that drop off will be at the West Rouge Go
Station parking lot at 9:15 p.m. - 9:30 p. m. Please be
prompt when picking up your child since it will be a long
day for everyone involved.
Thanks to all staff who are involved in such a great
club. Without everyone's co-operation and effort, we
would not have the opportunity to run the Ski Club.
Your Ski Club Team
“LEGALLY BLONDE”
PERFORMANCE AT MOWAT
Joseph Howe students will have the opportunity to attend a
matinee performance of the musical “Legally Blonde” on
January 21 at Sir Oliver Mowat. Students will walk over
to Mowat with their homeroom teachers after attendance is
taken for the afternoon. Students will return to Joseph
Howe after the performance in time for regular dismissal.
THE FLU
Stop the spread of germs by keeping your
hands clean, covering your cough and, when
you don’t have a tissue, “Do the Sleeve Sneeze”.
In order to keep the number of flu cases to a minimum, we
request that parents and guardians keep sick children
home from school if they have the flu. Please keep your
child home for an additional 24 hours after they are no
longer exhibiting any signs of the flu to ensure that they are
really over it and no longer infectious.
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BOOK CLUB REVIEWS
The Rule Of Three was an interesting book to
read. My opinion on this book was that once
it grasped you it would never let you go. Meaning that
once the book got to the first good part, it would not let you
go until you finished the book. I also liked that the end left
you on a cliffhanger. This book also teaches you that the
world isn't always what you interpret it to be. The many
explosions in the book are a good example of that
statement. I would recommend this book to anyone who
likes adventure or action packed books or maybe you simply
like a story about a mystery. Eric Walters has filled this
book with qualities that would make anyone like this book.
By Sam S., 7D
Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. Mckay follows the
lives of two girls Yasmine and Tamanna as they face the
battle of human rights in Afghanistan who are controlled
by the Taliban. This story has an empowering message to
stand up for your rights as well as others. I recommend
this book to anyone who likes adventure, and books on the
nature of the war. As you learn in this book everyone has
the right to go to school, and get an education. It doesn't
matter about what religion, race, gender, or beliefs you
have. In this book you learn that prejudice gets you
nowhere in life.
Day Care for school age students can be provided. You
must call Ciara Behan at 416-393-8809 by Thursday,
January 22 at 4:00 p.m. or contact Ms. Behan at
Ciara.behan@tdsb.on.ca
All are welcome to attend and join the discussion. Please
bring topics you would like to have discussed in future
ward council meetings.
THE FOOD BANK
Mr. Barnes took two classes on separate
occasions to the Food Bank located at
Kennedy and Lawrence to help organize
food that had been donated. Volunteers
helped organize, sort, shelve, and pack food items for
future deliveries.
“ME TO WE”
Our “Me To We” group collected and donated over 500
non-perishables to our local food bank in the fall thanks to
the generous support of the Howe community.
In another initiative “Me To We”
organized a used clothing drive and
collected mountains of good used clothing
for those in our community in need. We
are very proud of the effort all students
made to support this cause.
By Spencer P., 7B
Zomboy by Richard Scrimiger is a book about a boy
named Bob and a girl named Olive, but Olive likes to spell
her name backwards so it is Evil-O. One day at their
school in Toronto they receive a new student named Imre
lazar. Imre Lazar is well….dead, but that is the least of
their problems. Imre has a secret …. a secret that can
drive everyone out of town. I recommend this book to
anyone who likes a cliffhanger and is for anyone from ages
8-10. Finally I think this is a brilliant book , and it deserves
5 stars.
STRATATGIES TO DEAL WITH
BULLYING BEHAVIOUR
This is the fourth and final part of a series on The Bully,
The Bullied and The Bystander. This month we will look at
the strategies.
Teachers and parents/guardians can encourage children to:
 Travel with friends. Two is company and there is
By Porom K., 7E
COMMUNITY NEWS
Trustee Jerry Chadwick invites all School Councils in
Ward 22 (Scarborough East) to send two or more
representatives to a Ward Council meeting on Tuesday,
January 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at West Hill
Collegiate Institute, 350 Morningside Avenue, in the
library.
The topics for the meeting are:
 Duty to report abuse and neglect and
 Social media in our schools
strength in numbers.
 Stay away from places where bullies hang out.
 Avoid a confrontation by walking away.
 Ignore the bully. If the person continues to bother you,
say firmly, “Cut it out!” or “Stop it!”
 Head for a crowded place if they feel threatened.
 Practise acting confident. Walk with their head up,
shoulders back, and look people in the eye.
 Not give the reaction the bully wants.
 Participate in school activities that they enjoy.
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 Socialize with other students and try to make friends.
 Talk to people they trust –parent, teachers,
friends about a persistent bully.
Ms. S. MacInnis, Instructional Guidance Leader
SECONDARY SCHOOLS’
GRADE 9 INFORMATION EVENINGS
Students and parent/guardians will make important
decisions early in the new year about choice of secondary
school (subject to optional attendance procedures) and
course selection for next September.
OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE

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

Announcement mid-January of CLOSED/
LIMITED schools for September 2015
Optional Attendance forms available from the
elementary school
Students may apply for up to two regular program
schools under Optional Attendance
Friday, January 30 is the due date for Optional
Attendance forms which must be delivered to
selected high school by parents.
COURSE SELECTION PROCEDURES
Parents/guardians will receive a course selection sheet for
the “home” secondary school in mid-January along with a
letter and teacher recommendations. Offers of Optional
Attendance will be processed at a later date.

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February 13, deadline for offers of Optional
Attendance; course selection sheets will be
processed at this time.
February 27, Course Selection sheets (paper copy)
are due at the secondary school, *delivered by the
elementary School Guidance Counsellor.
Secondary schools have been be holding information
sessions for grade 8 students and their parents/guardians.
We strongly encourage you to review the valuable
information about the high school process in the Choices
For Nine 2015 – 2016 brochure and to attend the
information evenings at the secondary schools. You can
also access this information at
www.tdsb.on.ca/goingtohighschool.
The remaining information nights at local secondary
schools are as follows:
Sir Robert L. Borden
Sir Oliver Mowat
Jan. 8
Jan. 14
7:00
7:00
MyBlueprint
This excellent online educational planning tool lets students
build “sample” High School Plans, track progress towards
graduation, and instantly discover strengths, pathways,
occupations, and opportunities available to them.

Students are working on their Individual
Pathways Plan in MyBlueprint

Parents are encouraged to create accounts at
www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb
Mrs. M. Liska, Guidance Counsellor