Dear Runnymede Community,

On behalf of the Faculty and Staff at Runnymede PS we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child(ren) to the start of the 2017/2018 school year.

We are looking forward to an exciting year with a lot of learning. Teachers, Office Staff, and School Custodians have been working hard to prepare the school for the start of the school year.

Please contact your child’s teacher if you have concerns, speak to your child about school on a daily basis, and develop routines that will help lead your child to success. These routines include: arriving at school on time, appropriate bed times, healthy diets, and support with daily reading and homework assignments.

Runnymede Parent Council welcomes everyone back to school! You will see us on Day One at the Welcome table in the Front Yard, ready to assist Administration in getting your kids to class! We have an exciting year planned so please keep our website handy: www.runnymedecouncil.org – it is the best place to find information throughout the school year. Our first Council meeting is on Thursday September 28th (6:30pm in the School Library).  Everyone welcome!

First Day Procedures
Due to construction, the first day procedures will be as follows:

• FDK teachers will meet their students in the Adventure Yard.
• Grades 1 -5 will meet their teachers on the Runnymede Turf. Teachers will be on duty to meet their students at 8:35am. Teachers will be holding yellow signs for identification. French Classes will line up on the East Side of the field and English Classes on the West Side of the Field.
• Grades 6 & 7 and 8 students will go directly to the Senior Gym through door # 5.

Please refer to the attached map and staff roster for your reference.

Staffing Update
The following staff changes have been made to start the 2017 / 2018 school year.
FDK – Room B82: Ms. Rashkeveych will replace Ms. Banting as an occasional teacher.
Grade 3/4 – Portable 2: Mr. Smith will replace Mrs. Hodgson.
Grade 6/7 – Room 369: Ms. Zaharia will replace Mr. Shook.
We will be following TDSB procedures to hire for Long Term Occasional teachers. This process takes time and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Administration Update
Congratulations to Ms. Intarakosit on her promotion to Principal at Westwood Middle School. Ms. Intarakosit’s replacement has not been appointed. We welcome back Ms. Dennis (Former Principal) as a temporary replacement until a permanent replacement is appointed. When a Vice-Principal has been appointed we will inform the community. Mrs. Wawrow will continue in her role as the VP for FDK to Grade 5.

Forms
Please ensure that you complete and return all of the forms that your child(ren) will bring home the first week of school. Please return the forms by Friday September 15, 2017.

Important Dates
September 14 – Curriculum Night (6 PM Start)
September 28 – Parent Council Meeting (6:30 PM Start)

Construction Update
As you are aware there has been on-going construction throughout the summer months.

The Centennial Playground, funded by Parent Council, has been completed. You will notice new paving, new picnic tables, and painted lines that represent many games, including four square and hopscotch. We hope that our students enjoy playing on the new equipment and use the playground as an outdoor classroom for learning and positive social interaction.

North Wing: The construction of the North Wing has been completed and we look forward to welcoming students in the new classes this school year. The north wing will house our music, drama, and senior science classes.

Playground Safety and Start of Day
Parents are encouraged to drop off their child(ren) on the school grounds prior to the start of the day. We have staff on supervision duty starting at 8:35am. In an effort to reduce congestion, we ask that strollers do not block walkways, pets are not brought on school grounds, and parents allow students to independently line up with their classes.

Volunteer Police Checks
We encourage parents / guardians to volunteer in our classrooms and school. If you plan on being a regular volunteer, please ensure you have an updated police background check. If you need more information or an application stop by the main office, speak to Anne-Marie Roberts.

Parking Lot
Please do not park in the staff parking lot during school hours. We also request you do not use the parking lot as a walkway to the school grounds.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please be aware that there is a possibility of classroom reorganization due to student enrollment in the first month of the school year. If there is a need to reorganize classrooms, all students and parents who will be impacted by reorganization will be notified in a timely manner.

Attached you find a Welcome Back to School letter from Trustee Pilkey.
Looking forward to a great school year!
Rob Hochberg, Principal
Susan Wawrow, V.P. K-5
TBD, V.P. 6 – 8