phone: (905) 472-3474 -7632 (905) 472-1052 · “shubh diwali”, which means “happy diwali”....

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1 | Page From the GPS Administrators We hope everyone is keeping well during these challenging times. Next week, we have Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Please see the page in the newsletter referring to bullying and be sure to have conversations with your child/children. We strive to ensure all students come to school to learn, to have fun and to be safe. At Greensborough, we have a school-wide focus on Kindness and we strive to spread kindness each and every day. If you have any concerns about your child, please reach out! Student mental health and well-being is a priority. Stay well! Heather Purcell Lindsey Maclean Principal Vice Principal Superintendent: Trustee: Principal: Vice-Principal: Office Admin: School Council Co-Chairs: Paul Valle Alan Tam Heather Purcell Lindsey Maclean Debbie Taylor Mary Tirogiannis Mary Scelsa Anneesa Singh Shanaaz Hasanali Greensborough P.S. 80 Alfred Paterson Drive Markham, L6E 1J5 Phone: (905) 472-3474 (647) 795-7632 Fax: (905) 472-1052

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Page 1: Phone: (905) 472-3474 -7632 (905) 472-1052 · “Shubh Diwali”, which means “Happy Diwali”. This greeting brings happiness, prosperity and joy to you and all your family. Wishing

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From the GPS Administrators

We hope everyone is keeping well during these challenging times. Next week, we

have Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Please see the page in the

newsletter referring to bullying and be sure to have conversations with your

child/children. We strive to ensure all students come to school to learn, to have

fun and to be safe. At Greensborough, we have a school-wide focus on Kindness

and we strive to spread kindness each and every day. If you have any concerns

about your child, please reach out! Student mental health and well-being is a

priority. Stay well!

Heather Purcell Lindsey Maclean

Principal Vice Principal

Superintendent:

Trustee:

Principal:

Vice-Principal:

Office Admin:

School Council

Co-Chairs:

Paul Valle

Alan Tam

Heather Purcell

Lindsey Maclean

Debbie Taylor

Mary Tirogiannis

Mary Scelsa

Anneesa Singh

Shanaaz Hasanali

Greensborough P.S.

80 Alfred Paterson Drive

Markham, L6E 1J5

Phone: (905) 472-3474

(647) 795-7632

Fax: (905) 472-1052

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School Council

On December 7th, we will have our next School Council meeting (virtually). We

had many parents in attendance last month and hope to have more join us this

month. Elections were held in October and the follow positions were filled:

Chair and Co-Chair: Anneesa Singh and Shanaaz Hasanali

Treasurer: Queenie Shang

Secretary: Aminah Khan and Charles Herriot

Community Representative: Kevin White

A link to the virtual meeting will be sent closer to the date. Please consider joining

us! Whether your children are learning virtually or are attending Greensborough in

person, you are part of the Greensborough family and we would love to have you

be part of the council!

If your child borrowed a Chromebook during school

closure and is now at Greensborough PS in Face to

Face learning, you may return the Chromebook to the

school if it is no longer needed. Our IT department

will be sterilizing each computer so that it may be

used at school.

Secondary School Virtual Open Houses

Transitioning to secondary school is an exciting time, and you may have many questions

about what to expect. While secondary schools are unable to host in-person open

houses this year, students and families are invited to virtually visit our secondary

schools. Learn more about transitioning to secondary school, what to expect in Grade 9

and get to know the school.

Information will be posted on each school’s website or check the Board website for

information night dates and additional information.

You can also visit www.yrdsb.ca/students for information about secondary school

programs, course selection and more.

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Diwali

Diwali is the five-day festival of lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus,

Sikhs and Jains across the world. Diwali, which for some also coincides

with harvest and New Year celebrations, is a festival of new beginnings

and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness. People gather

with their families, dress up in fancy clothing and have prayers, called

Poojas, either at home or at the Temple (Hindu place of worship). One of

the most popular traditions during Diwali is Rangoli. Rangoli is an art

form used for decoration during Hindu holidays, and is typically done by

girls and women. Rangoli patterns are passed from one generation to the

next and thought to bring good luck. The Hindu festivals of Tihar, Onam

and Pongal also employ Rangoli. People who celebrate Diwali say

“Shubh Diwali”, which means “Happy Diwali”. This greeting brings

happiness, prosperity and joy to you and all your family. Wishing

everyone who celebrates Diwali a safe and healthy one!

Jannah, Indrina, Ryan, Aaditya

Page 4: Phone: (905) 472-3474 -7632 (905) 472-1052 · “Shubh Diwali”, which means “Happy Diwali”. This greeting brings happiness, prosperity and joy to you and all your family. Wishing

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Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week

From November 15-21 we recognize Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week. At our school, it is important that we provide a caring, safe and inclusive environment that supports the academic achievement and well-being of all students. This week serves as a reminder to our school community about bullying and how to respond. During this week students will engage in learning activities that reinforce positive behaviours that respond to and prevent bullying.

Bullying is a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance.

Bullying can take many forms. Some include: Physical – hitting, shoving, stealing or damaging property Verbal – name calling, mocking, or making sexist, racist or homophobic comments Social – excluding others from a group or spreading gossip or rumours about them Electronic (commonly known as cyberbullying) – spreading rumours and hurtful comments through the use of cellphones, e-mail, text messaging and through social media.

Bullying is never acceptable at our school. All members of our school community are encouraged to stand up and support each other. Should there be concerns about bullying or if you have any questions please contact us.

You can also report events that happen at school, at school-related activities, online or off school property if they negatively affect a student or the school climate through YRDSB’s Report It tool. This tool is available on our school’s website or on www.yrdsb.ca. You may also choose to make a report anonymously.

For more information and resources on bullying and cyberbullying, please follow @YRDSB or us visit www.yrdsb.ca.

Thank you for helping us create a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.

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Remembrance Day Assembly

If you were not able to watch the Remembrance Day Assembly, please take some

time and watch it! The staff and students created an excellent tribute to our heroes.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11bljg-jmWwWU5aXpjtvkbeU7iF_7GdTa/view?usp=sharing

Hey Gator Community! On behalf of the student council, we wanted to talk about a mistake that we made in last week's

newsletter. Last week was treaties week, so we sent off an

announcement we used that the student council wrote about treaties week. We talked about some of the things we would

see and hear at these pow wows and we used the wrong words. Instead of using the word regalia, we used the term

costume which devalues the importance of the clothing worn

at pow wows. As a student council, we recognise that we made a mistake and we are working towards learning the

language of reconciliation. We commit to making sure that we review what is being written more carefully and respect

the feedback as we learn and grow together. We understand that we haven’t chosen the best wording and we apologise if

anyone was hurt by it. This was a learning opportunity for us

and we hope to do better moving forwards. We appreciate the feedback we got and will strive to improve as a community. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Student Council

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The weather is changing! Please be sure to send your children to school with

appropriate cold weather clothing. This includes mitts, hats, winter coats, boots and

snow pants (when the snow arrives).

Please send your child(ren) to school with a pair of indoor shoes that they

can leave at school each day. This helps to keep the hallways and classroom floor free

from dirt, snow and mud.

Significant Faith Days July 31, 2020 Eid-ul-Adha* ** Islam

September 19-20, 2020 Rosh Hashanah ** Judaism

September 28, 2020 Yom Kippur ** Judaism

November 14, 2020 Diwali Hinduism

December 25, 2020 Christmas (Western) Christianity

January 7, 2021 Christmas (Eastern) Christianity

February 12, 2021 Lunar New Year Buddhism

March 28, 2021 Pesach/Passover ** Judaism

April 2, 2021 Good Friday (Western) Christianity

April 14, 2021 Vaisakhi Sikhism

April 20, 2021 Ridvan Baha’i

April 30, 2021 Holy Friday (Eastern) Christianity

May 13, 2021 Eid-ul-Fitr* ** Islam * Tentative dates subject to the sighting of the moon each month

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