The Gator Gazette Sept 15-19, 2025

Week of September 15th - 19th, 2024 

A Note on Mobile Devices:

This letter is to inform you about student use of personal mobile devices in schools, in particular, students must store their mobile device out of view, and power off or set to silent mode during the school day. Please click here to review the full letter. 

School Cash Online

A reminder that Phoebe Gilman uses School Cash Online to process payments being made to the school including hot lunches, school trips and other exciting opportunities. 

It takes less than 5 minutes to register and you can choose your preferred language by selecting Google Translate. Click here for more information. 

If you need more support, please email the office at phoebe.gilman.ps@yrdsb.ca

Terry Fox Run - September 25 

In honour of Terry Fox Day, Phoebe Gilman P.S. staff & students will be running /walking on September 25^th. Each year, we run /walk to continue his legacy in the fight against cancer. The Terry Fox Foundation is a national investor in cancer research, directing over $17 million to its programs last year.

Edsby

York Region District School Board continues to partner with Edsby to provide a secure platform for families to connect with what’s happening at school and with your child’s education. Edsby offers many different features that YRDSB will be rolling out over the next several years. Some of these features include: 

● Absence reporting 

● A news river with school events and information 

● Appointment bookings for Parent-Teacher Interviews/Student-Led Conferences

● Program registration 

● Extra-curricular Groups and Activities 

● Access to your child’s schedule and upcoming events.

Click here for more information on how to register. 

Hot Lunches with Lunchbox- OPEN for ORDERS! 

Hot lunches will be ordered using Lunchbox again this year and will start the week of September 22.  Lunch can be ordered weekly or in advance for any number of days within the school year. There will be a slight change in the cost and ordering of pizza this year as we are returning to individual boxes for students. 

Ordering will be done using your SchoolCash Online credentials. Please see below for more information and stay tuned for further start-up dates and details.

Orange Shirt Day Family Event

The First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Education Team is inviting self-identified students, families, and staff for an evening gathering to build connections and learn about supports and services available to families and students. Attendees will be invited to create an Orange Shirt Day pin and engage in teachings with a knowledge holder. All Ages Welcome. Snacks will be provided.

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 | Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Location: Education Support Centre, 39 Dunning Avenue, Aurora

For more details, please see our event flyer. Please register by Wednesday, September 24, 2025. For more information, please contact the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Education Team at indigenous.education@yrdsb.ca.

Chippewas of Georgina Island Pow Wow September 27 & 28, 2025 at Sutton District High School.

PowWow 2025  

Grade 8 Open House-Information Nights for High School

Attention Families of Grade 8 students: Please see the list of dates for upcoming open houses at high school. Click here for more information. 

Translation Tool on YRDSB.CA
Did you know you can visit www.yrdsb.ca to have school board information translated into nearly 100 different languages? 

The Centre for Black Student Excellence

The CBSE is inviting all students, families and staff to an inspiring evening as we begin the school year together. Please join us as we share strategies to support student success. Dinner will be provided.

• JK-Gr. 3 Early Reading Strategies
• Gr. 4-8 Success with French
• Gr. 7-8 Transitions
• Gr. 9-12 Pathways

Date: Monday, September 29, 2025 | Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Venue: Keswick H. S. 100 Biscayne Blvd, Keswick

Please register by September 25, 2025.

Ukrainian Heritage Month

The month of September is Ukrainian Heritage Month as proclaimed by the government of Ontario in 2024.  Canada is home to more than 1.3 million Ukrainian-Canadians with records indicating that Ukrainians first immigrated to Canada in the month of September over 125 years ago. The Ukrainian-Canadian community has made and continues to make contributions to our cultural, social, and political fabric. 

Powley Day

On September 19, 2025, Métis Peoples from all over Canada will celebrate Powley Day.  

Powley Day is a day of political and cultural significance for Métis communities throughout Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. 

It has been 22 years since the Supreme Court of Canada made the unanimous decision to recognize and enshrine Métis rights in the Canadian Constitution. Since then, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has celebrated the decision alongside the Métis Governments in Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Powley Day is recognized on September 19th every year and is an opportunity for educators and students to engage in learning about Métis resistance. culture, and identity.  

The East Gwillimbury Newcomer Welcoming Week Celebration: Family Fun and Information Event

This is a free event open to all residents. We will celebrate diversity, welcome newcomers, and host an engaging evening of family-friendly activities. The event will highlight this year’s York Region Newcomer Welcoming Week theme, Stories We Share, by featuring book readings, food, performances, and traditional knowledge sharing that are rooted in a diversity of cultures. Information booths will be present to share details on library, municipal, and regional services and programs. Join us for this exciting event!

Date: September 18, 2025 | Time: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Location: EG Sports Complex (Canada Hall event space, foyer, and parking lot) | Address: 1914B Mt Albert Rd, Sharon, ON L0G 1V0

The event will feature the following activities: 

• Story readings with the EGPL
• A ‘touch-a-truck’ event with the Town’s fleet of service vehicles, including a fire safety information booth.
• A Chinese calligraphy activity led by an EG Cultural Arts Instructor.
• A smudging ceremony and drumming circle.
• Cultural Anishinaabe teachings by members of the Georgina Island First Nation.
• Child-friendly fun activities provided by York Region.
• Info booths by the Town of East Gwillimbury, York Region, and the EGPL to share information about municipal, regional, and library programs and services. 
• Inflatable basketball, face-painting, and a balloon-twist artist.
• The first 150 registered Town residents to enter the event space will receive vouchers for a free meal and beverage.

Registration Link: East Gwillimbury Newcomer Welcoming Week Celebration Event

Understanding and Navigating the Education System - Families of YRDSB Black Students Monthly Virtual Information Session on Monday, September 22, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Families, parents, 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 to register.

Sparking Joy at Home in Math✅

Welcome families! We are excited to share that the Math Newsletters you will receive this year will have a focus on discovering the joy of math. This JOY of math is not just in the classroom, but right in your own home with a focus on making math come alive through everyday conversations and activities.

Each month, the newsletter will take a closer look at how you can spark JOY at home. We will explain the connection to the classroom, share a resource, and give you some ideas of what you can do at home. We hope that through family conversation, exploration, and connections, you will find many opportunities to spark JOY and creativity of Math at home. 

 We also invite you to explore our Problem of the Month that can be found here! Our Problem of the Month is designed to engage minds of all ages, encouraging collaboration and creative problem-solving. Each month, you'll find a new mathematical experience that will spark curiosity and foster a love for learning mathematics.  

Connecting it Back to the Classroom

Math is everywhere! From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, numbers, patterns, and problem-solving are a part of our daily lives. The Ontario Math Curriculum encourages students to see math as meaningful, practical, and connected to their lives. By exploring math in everyday moments—like counting change, measuring ingredients, estimating time, or solving puzzles together—families can support students to build confidence and joy in math. These real-life connections show that math isn’t just something we do in school—it’s something we use every day in creative and impactful ways.

Engaging in SPARKING JOY at Home

Sparking joy in math conversations at home is about building curiosity, confidence, and connection with mathematics. 

When you engage in Math Talk at home, be sure to consider:

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of asking "What's the answer?", try "How did you figure that out?" or "Can you think of another way to solve it?" This encourages thinking, not just memorization.

Focus on the "Why": Encourage your child to explain their thinking. Even if they get a wrong answer, understanding why they thought that way is invaluable for learning. "Tell me about your strategy."

Embrace Mistakes: Let your child know that mistakes are part of learning and a chance to explore new ideas. "That's an interesting way to think about it! Let's try another approach."

Try out some of the family activities at home with students: 

Calendar Count: 

• “What do you notice about today’s date? Is it even or odd? What patterns can you find in the numbers?
• Today is the 24th. What are all the ways you can make 24 using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division?”
• You could start each day by looking at the date, weather, and counting days of school

Dice Games: 

• Roll two dice and see if you can get them to be equal
• Roll two dice. Create an equation using the numbers to get as close to 20 as possible. What operation(s) will you use? Can you do it another way?
• “What’s the highest score you can make in 5 rolls? What’s the lowest? What strategies work best?”

 Geometry Around Us: 

• Go on a walk and spot 2D shapes in your home or neighbourhood.
• Find a structure made of 3D shapes. What shapes do you see? Why do you think the designer chose those shapes?
• Sort the shapes you see into categories: regular/irregular, symmetrical/not symmetrical, curved/straight edges. Can some belong in more than one category?

Math Puzzles: 

• A farmer has chickens and cows. You count 20 legs. How many of each animal could there be?
• I’m thinking of a number that’s greater than 20, less than 50, and divisible by both 4 and 6. What could it be? How do you know?”
• If a pattern continues like this: 2, 6, 12, 20, ___, ___, what are the next two numbers? What’s the rule

Would You Rather? Math Edition: 

• Would you rather earn $5 a day for 30 days or $2 the first day and double it each day?
• Would you rather split a large pizza into 6 slices or 8 slices if you’re sharing with two friends? Why?
• Would you rather walk 3 blocks to a store that gives you 20% off, or stay closer and pay full price for a $50 item? Explain your thinking.

By taking these small steps, you'll not only strengthen your child’s mathematical understanding but also ignite a lifelong love for learning. Over the course of the year, we hope to provide support and resources to help your family spark joy through math at home. We're excited to share more ideas next month!

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