Gator Gazette Feb. 2 - 9, 2026

Week of February 2^nd -February 6^th, 2026

Kindergarten & Gr. 1 French Immersion Registration is now open

Kindergarten registration is now open for children born in 2022. For more information, please visit https://www2.yrdsb.ca/schools-programs/elementary-school/kindergarten/kindergarten-registration 

Parents or guardians of Year 2 Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2026, and wishing to enrol in the FI Program, can email or call the school office and indicate their intention to enrol.  Families are asked to register by February 9, 2026.

Tips for Speaking With Your Child After a Tragic Event~ Supporting Family Conversations

The Board’s website has tips for speaking with your child after a tragic event. The information was prepared with resources from the National Association of School Psychologists, the Ontario Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Association.

Wednesday, February 4, is Winter Walk Day!

Yeti or not, it’s time to go for a walk! Put on your boots and head outside. Catch snowflakes, build a snow person - there are so many ways to celebrate winter!

YRDSB,  Inclusive School and Community Services (ISCS) invites students, families, and staff to join us for an evening celebrating Chinese Heritage Month Celebration. Thursday, February 12, 2026; 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Bur Oak Secondary School (933 Bur Oak Ave, Markham, ON L6E 1G4).

 This student-centred, community-focused event highlights the richness of Chinese culture and history, and the contributions of Chinese-Canadian communities. 

We welcome all students, staff and families to attend and participate. Please register for the event to help us with planning for the evening.

Lunar New Year Celebration

ECO CLUB Announcements

Get your reusable containers ready because next week, we are kicking off a special mission! Starting Monday, Jan.26, we are launching a two-week Boomerang Lunch Challenge. 

What is a Boomerang Lunch? It’s simple: Everything you bring to school in your lunch bag goes back home with you. This means that if you have a wrapper, a juice box, or a ziplock bag, it goes back in your lunch bag to be thrown out or recycled at home.

Do you have a drawer at home full of dead batteries? Maybe from old toys, remote controls, or video game controllers? Well, don't throw them in the trash!

We are starting a Battery Blitz here at school! We are collecting used batteries to make sure they are recycled properly.

Donations for Indoor Recess Activities

We are looking for some family-friendly board games and card games that students can play during indoor recesses.  If your family no longer uses board games at home, please consider donating them to the school.  Thank you!

Celebrating STEM with YRDSB for Black History Month- click here to register

Understanding and Navigating the Education System - Families of YRDSB Black Students Monthly Virtual Information Session on Monday, February 9, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Families, parents, and caregivers, please join us for our monthly virtual meeting, where families with Black children come together to learn about resources and upcoming programs for Black students in both elementary and secondary schools. Please see our flyer for more information and the registration link. For further information, please email the Centre for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) at blackstudentexcellence@yrdsb.ca.

A  Message from our Trustee

There’s a lot happening as we move into the second half of the school year, and I want to share some updates and opportunities. Click here to read more.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Supporting East Asian Students Family Engagement Series- Click here to register

Click here for the Persian Translation.  Click here for the Russian Translation. Please email the school if you need the Gator Social translated into a different language. phoebe.gilman.ps@yrdsb.ca