Grade 6 students at Runnymede are embarking on a very exciting project that will see them communicate electronically with students at the Moshono School near Arusha, Tanzania.  Using e-mail letters, photo journals, mapping activities, and other computer programs, our students will have the opportunity to learn about their counterparts in this east-African community, all the while sharing their own personal experiences in their urban environment of Toronto.

Runnymede has already developed a connection with this community.  Five years ago, a few of our classes raised money to help build the school from the ground up.  Now that the construction is complete, the next development phase for the school is to supply laptop computers and to secure Internet access for their use.  Runnymede can continue to support this venture in the following ways:

1. If you have any laptop computers that you no longer use, please consider donating them to the Moshono School.  Their contents will be deleted and new programs reloaded.  Our liaison, Isabel Litwin-Davies, will personally take all of the donated laptops to Africa when she next visits on December 12.  You may simply bring the laptop computer to Runnymede and leave it in the office for pick-up.
2. Our Grade 6 students will be organizing a number of events in December to raise money for Moshono School’s Internet access.  One event in particular, the Tanzania Toonie Tuesdays, will involve a collection of spare change from students throughout the school on three consecutive Tuesdays: December 4^th, 11^th, and 18^th.

Runnymede has received much technological support for their part in this project.  Through the Mobile Computing Strategy, we have received a large set of laptop computers of our own to pursue our goal of communicating electronically with diverse international communities.  This project dovetails closely with our current Grade 6 Social Studies unit examining Canada’s Links to the World.  We, in turn, would like to extend a generous hand to our “twin” school in Tanzania by contributing laptop computers and funds to ensure their full partnership in this project.  Many thanks for any contributions, laptops or money, that you are able to make.

Overcrowding in our schools has been getting some media attention lately – check it out.

Parents say overcrowding at two Toronto schools is harming students
CTV Toronto (November 29)
Summary: Parents are blaming overcrowding in some GTA schools on provincial budget freezes. Naomi Parness reports.  [Features Runnymede]

(click to see a larger version)

Last Wednesday, the TDSB Trustees rejected a plan to generate $45 million over three years to pay for necessary capital projects. This five-year capital plan would sell six closed schools and severed land from up to 30 schools with large sites (> 12 acres). The failure of the capital building program has a direct impact on Runnymede P.S.

Currently, our school enrolment of 1,130 students in a building with a capacity of 866 students places us at 130% capacity and our enrollment grows year-by year. In September 2014 the school is required to implement full-day kindergarten, requiring five additional classrooms — which we don’t have!

Boundary changes have been made to divert students to nearby schools. There is insufficient space on the Runnymede P.S. site to accommodate any more portables or an addition. The soil structure prevents any vertical additions. The only possible relief for the overcrowding at Runnymede is to build an addition at Keele St. P.S. (currently JK-6), so that they could retain the Gr. 7 & 8’s in their catchment area who currently come to Runnymede P.S. But Keele St.’s addition was on the revised capital plan, which was voted down. The project is now on indefinite hold until a new, funded capital plan is developed by the TDSB and approved by the Ministry of Education. In the meantime, five classes of Runnymede P.S. students will be without classrooms in September 2014.

If you are interested in participating in a discussion about the over-capacity at the school and the imminent inability to accommodate all the children in the catchment area, please come to the school council meeting on Thursday Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the school library.

Please lend your voice and efforts to help us fix this situation!

The students and staff of Runnymede Public School would like to share with parents and friends some of their wonderful achievements.
We hope you are able to take some time out of your busy schedules to attend one, two or all of the following Winter Musical Presentations.

• Senior (Grades 7 and 8 ) Band and Strings Students 
  Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 1:30 pm (NOTE: Dec 6 is the correct date. A flyer sent home incorrectly said Dec 5. Our apologies.)
  Senior Gym
• Primary Students (Grades 1-3)
  Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 9:15 am
  Senior Gym
• Kindergarten (all morning classes)
  Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 10:30 am
  Senior Gym
• Kindergarten (all afternoon classes)
  Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 1:15 pm
  Senior Gym
• Junior (Grades 4-6) Band and Strings
  Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 2:15 pm
  Senior Gym