Principal's Message
Welcome back to our returning Tornado families, and a special welcome to our new families. We hope everyone had a wonderful summer! We encourage you to visit this link regularly for our bi-weekly newsletter to keep you informed.
It has been such a pleasure to see your children at school again this week. We had a wonderful start to the year on our first day back. Hallways are full of excitement and energy as students are learning how to move around the building, and some are receiving a locker for the first time! The students continue to practice routines that will keep them safe and healthy, such as regular hand washing before eating and keeping their workspace clean. We will also have a chance to have a practice fire drill in the upcoming weeks.
Our office team is always here to help out, and we are excited to welcome Ms. Giselle Lupo to the team. Ms. Sadia Ghumman continues in her role as the Elementary Office Administrative Assistant. We also hope you will visit our refreshed website to stay informed! https://testonvillage-ps.yrdsb.ca/
Sincerely,
Ms. S. Mediratta
Welcome to the YRDSB Family Dashboard.
The dashboard will give you secure one-stop access to information and applications related to your child’s education. It is designed to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education. If you are setting up your account,
Watch this video for step-by-step instructions to set up your Family Dashboard account.
DOWNLOAD the EDSBY App.
Visit this site for step-by-step information and instructions.
use the app to mark your children absent from school
use the app to book parent-teacher interviews
use the app to register for programs
School Start-Up Package needs to be completed.
School Start-Up Permission Form: allergies, lockers, technology agreement, lunch permission, sports teams
Student Personal Information Consent Forms: media consent form
Request for Faith Accommodations Form
School Council Nomination Form
Forms will be sent centrally to all families. Translations are available. The Board will send a central email to all families with a link to the Family Dashboard to complete the start-up forms. Please do not delay.
MORNING & AFTER SCHOOL PICK UP & DROP OFF ROUTINES
This is a reminder about morning drop-off and afterschool pick up expectations
8:00am - 8:15am: students are dropped off to school
2:35pm: students are picked up at the end of the school day
In the morning:
Community Class students enter from Door A (front doors)
ALL other students enter from Door C at the back of the school (except kindergarten)
Door B is locked in the morning. Do not enter from Door B or line up at Door B
Door A (parking lot door) is not for students to use
Afterschool:
Arrive on time to pick up your children from Door B or Door C.
Students going home by bus or taxi will exit from Door A (front doors)
The Kiss n' Ride is not a "park and wait" area. You must keep your car moving through the loop. If your child is waiting on the curb for you, stop your car, your child gets into the car, you drive away. Remember, if your car is in the Kiss n' Ride and the driver gets out of the car, they can get a ticket.
**NEW** LUNCH HOUR EXPECTATION
Any lunch dropped off to school from 12:10pm onward will not be accepted.
Families who drop off a lunch after 12:10pm will be asked to sign out their children for lunch, and the students can rejoin everyone else at the back of the school after they are done. Students do not have permission to eat lunch in the main office or in the main entrance area. Late lunches are not accepted because we do not have supervision inside the building for students to eat their lunch after the recess bell.
We will hold onto drink cups in the office that are from fast food locations or that are without a closed lid. -- This is to prevent spilling large sugary drinks in the classroom. Students can pick it up at the end of the day to take it home.
Student Nutrition Program is back at Teston
At Teston Village, we have a snack "grab and go" program that runs every day. Students are welcome to swing by and grab a snack from the grains, dairy, or fruit and vegetable trays. Healthy snacks are available in the morning ONLY, and everyone is welcome to a serving of something delicious.
PIZZA LUNCH!
This is our annual fundraiser for the school. The money raised from pizza sales helps to purchase many items and bring to life projects and events for your children. We are so happy that so many families take part in our Pizza Lunch Program on Thursdays from October to June.
To order pizza, payments are made using School Cash Online. If you have not already registered your account for all of your children, this is the time to do that.
Pizza lunch is divided into 3 payments for 3 terms
Pizza lunch is provided by Little Caesars
We are looking for volunteers!
If you are interested in being a school volunteer, contact the main office and speak with Ms. Giselle. A vulnerable sector check from the YRP is needed and is valid for the school. This is a great way to be involved in the school, to help out, and to join classes on a school trip or special event.
Extra-Curricular Sports Are Back!
Encourage your children to try out to a variety of activities that will come up through the term. We hope that students will participate and take the opportunity to be active and sometimes make new friends too!
JOIN SCHOOL COUNCIL!
Our first meeting will be on Thursday, September 25th at 6:30pm
Parents are encouraged to participate in the events that take place during the school year. We would like to work alongside parents to:
plan events based on the needs presented through school data
to fundraise to support the improvement of learning and belonging
attend a workshop or guest speaker event
support and promote family engagement
Please JOIN School Council. Meetings are held 5 or 6 times a year, at school.
Here's to another year filled with excitement, growth, and connections!
Mental Health
We will also stress to students the importance of connection to a caring and trusting person as we return to school. Students are learning about who they can talk to if they need support. In addition, positive mental health is closely tied to each individual's sense of identity and safety. As such, mental health initiatives are aligned with equity and safety in mind, which includes culturally specific supports. YRDSB student mental health services are delivered by Board social work and psychology staff. These services are accessible through the school principal. Mental health resources for families are also available on the Board website.
Student Discipline
We use a progressive discipline approach for inappropriate behaviour on and off school property. This means we consider various options to determine the most appropriate response to each situation to help students learn from their choices. In some cases, suspension or expulsion may be necessary. The Ontario Education Act and the Board’s Caring and Safe Schools Policy (found on the Board’s Caring and Safe School Page) outline situations where suspension and expulsion must be considered.
Online Safety and Appropriate Use of Technology
Students are reminded about the Appropriate Use of Technology agreement, including the importance of using respectful language and making positive choices when using electronic communications and social media tools. Students are reminded that online threats and comments are taken seriously and may have consequences. Where there are concerns for the safety of students, staff, community members or Board property, the school board works with York Regional Police and appropriate actions are taken. The safety and well-being of students remain our top priority.