Gator Gazette Jan. 26 - 30, 2026

Week of January 26^th -January 30^th, 2025

Week of January 26^th -January 30^th, 2025

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.

Science Fair - Thursday, January 29, 2026

________________________________________________________________________________________

Celebrating STEM with YRDSB for Black History Month 

Interested families should RSVP by completing this form by January 30.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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!

Dressing for Winter

Jan. 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day 

Designated by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in November 2005, this day serves as an international memorial day for the victims of the Holocaust and January 27 marks the date when the Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan. 29 is the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia

In 2022, the federal government officially designated this day to serve as a reminder of the importance of taking an unwavering stand against all forms of hate, racism, and discrimination. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Black Foundation of Community Networks (BFCN) Scholarship Application Workshop

Black students and their families are invited to attend a virtual edition of the BFCN Scholarship Application Workshop on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 

This is a free workshop designed to guide Black students and their families on how to search, prepare, and apply for scholarships and bursaries. For more information and to register visit: Meeting Registration - Zoom

For more information about the workshop or the Black Foundation of Community Networks, contact Cheryl Yarde at info@bfcn.ca

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

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The York Regional Police Youth Advisory Council (YRPYAC) is a volunteer advisory group composed of approximately eighteen youth residing in York Region. Youth ages 13-18 interested in joining the YRPYAC should have a genuine interest in police-community relations and in youth engagement on a personal level. Click here for more information and the application. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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!

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