Gator Gazette May 25 - 29, 2026

Week of May 25^th- May 29^th, 2026

Fruit Cup Fill-Up Challenge
The Newmarket Food Pantry will be collecting fruit cups/pouches at our upcoming WE CONNECT event. Please bring a donation if you would like on June 10, 2026. 

Staying Cool in the Summer Heat

To prevent heat-related illnesses in extreme heat, students should: 

• Wear loose light clothing, which will help reduce body heat.
• Drink plenty of water.

• Wear a hat outside and apply sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher.

   

Gr. 3 and 6 students will participate in the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments. Grade 6 students will write their assessments on  May 25, 26, and 28. Grade 3 students will write their assessments on June 2, 3, and 4. Families are asked to avoid scheduling trips or appointments during these assessment dates. Thank you for your cooperation.

School Fundraiser: Domino’s 

Enjoy a Domino’s pizza for Family Pizza Night every Thursday and Friday until the end of the school year!

Pride Flag Raising

On Monday, June 1st, we will come together as a school community to raise the Pride Flag, a powerful symbol of inclusivity and affirmation for our 2SLGBTQIA+ students and staff. This is a vital moment for us to collectively celebrate and uplift the voices within our school community.  

We'll have two brief flag-raising opportunities, each lasting approximately five minutes, to ensure everyone has a chance to participate.  

•        Immediately after morning announcements (approximately 8:45 AM)

•        Immediately after lunch (approximately 1:25 PM)

During each flag raising, our GSA will share a meaningful poem, written by the students, followed by the raising of the Pride Flag. This event is an important opportunity to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to creating a safe, welcoming, and empowering environment for all. 

Camp Black Brilliance:

Camp Black Brilliance will offer families the opportunity to get to know the Kindergarten program and have their children experience their introduction to schooling in a way that is culturally responsive and affirming of their identity, through experiential learning. Register Today! The deadline is June 1, 2026. Please see our Camp-Black-Brilliance-Flyer and Camp Black Brilliance website for more information. For more information or questions, please contact blackstudentexcellence@yrdsb.ca.

The Indigenous Language and International Languages program looks forward to welcoming students to the  2026-2027 program year. Please see registration information below. 

Elementary* 

Registration for the 2026-2027 program year will be available on EDSBY. Online registration opened on April 20, 2026. Registration information will be available on the ILIL webpage. For more information about the elementary program, visit the ILIL webpage. 

Secondary* 

For students entering Grade 9 in the 2026-2027 school year. Secondary ILIL courses are credit-bearing, running once a week for the program year. Classes are year-long, and run on either Wednesday evenings (5:45 PM to 9:25 PM – 30 sessions) or Saturday mornings (8:45 AM to 12:39 PM – 28 sessions). Registration opens May 25, 2026 and closes by the third week of classes, in the Fall. 

Registration information will be available on the ILIL webpage. For more information about the secondary credit program, visit the ILIL webpage. 

Summer Learning 

Summer language learning opportunities are available this year. These are all offered through Continuing Education. Programs offered include: 

Elementary Summer Learning programs: 

- Summer Reach Ahead 

- Mandarin (Simplified), Spanish, and Tamil - Level B only 

- For Grade 8 students entering Grade 9 in the Fall 2026 

- Summer Institute (for elementary grade students)* 

* Please Note: 

● Not all languages are offered at the elementary and secondary levels. 

● Courses offered are subject to enrolment and teacher availability. 

● Stacked classes may be created based on registration numbers. 

● Additional fees are required for international fee-paying visa students. 

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We value volunteers as educational partners in support of student learning, achievement and well-being. We are grateful to the volunteers who share their skills, talents and time and support positive communication between school, families and community. Please join us on June 12 as we recognize our volunteers at our Character Matters Assembly. We invite volunteers to click here to indicate their attendance at our Character Matters Assembly and  Volunteer Appreciation Celebration.

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Italian Heritage Month

The month of June is Italian Heritage Month as proclaimed by the government of Ontario in 2010. Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2010.  Ontario is home to more than 1,350,000 Italian Canadians. Since the 1880s, the Italian Canadian community has made and continues to make significant contributions to cultural, social, and political landscape of the province.

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Portuguese History and Heritage Month

The month of June is Portuguese Heritage Month as proclaimed by the government of Ontario in 2001. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Canada is home to more than 480,000 Canadians of Portuguese descent, one of the largest Portuguese diasporas in the world. Portuguese Canadians have made and continue to make significant contributions to the cultural, social, and political life of our communities.

The month of June, particularly June 10th, holds significance for the Portuguese community. June 10 is the anniversary of the death of Luís de Camões, a famous Portuguese poet who often wrote about Portugal's history.

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National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day

June is National Indigenous History Month and is a time to celebrate the diverse cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, as opposed to focusing on what has been done to them. The Canadian Government unanimously declared June as National Indigenous History Month in 2009 through a motion in the House of Commons. The month, which includes National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), is a perfect time to reflect upon the long relationship between the many different First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Turtle Island and Canadians throughout history.

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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