Willowbrook Public School Monthly Newsletter - October 2024

Dear Families and Community Members, 

As we embark on another exciting school year, we want to extend a warm welcome back to all of our returning, and new Willowbrook families! We hope that your summer was filled with joy, relaxation, and memorable moments with loved ones. Now, as we set a course for the 2024-2025 academic year, we’re focused on our priorities for achieving excellence! Our staff team at Willowbrook are eager to inspire all students, and set the stage for a year of growth, connection, and personal success. To start the month of September, students engaged in a variety of learning opportunities, which included the Caring and Safe schools presentations for all grades. Currently, everyone works to build positive, affirming learning and classroom spaces where mattering and belonging are key components to positive relationships, behaviours and attitudes.

Creating a Positive School Climate 

This year, our focus will be on cultivating a positive school climate that nurtures every individual. We believe that when students feel safe, valued, and respected, they can thrive academically and socially. We invite everyone to contribute to this environment by embracing kindness, empathy, and understanding. Together, we can create a space where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Our Wellness Zone and Student Voice initiatives continue to flourish with expressions of reflection, critical thinking and diverse perspectives. We look forward to sharing this with everyone at our upcoming School Council Meeting & Curriculum Night on October 10th

Fostering Belonging, Inclusion and Equity 

Our commitment to inclusion and equity will guide our actions this year. Our Outdoor Family Movie Night was a huge success! Thanks to everyone for supporting the event and making purchases towards school fundraising. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student has access to the resources and support they need to succeed. Through collaborative initiatives and open dialogue, we aim to celebrate our diverse backgrounds and perspectives, fostering a school culture where everyone’s voice is valued. Our upcoming Heroes Walk and Roll on October 17th, celebrates Family Heroes. Students have prepared heartwarming expressions of the heroes in their own family! This Family Engagement initiative will be fun for all and we look forward to your participation!

Striving for Academic Excellence 

We believe that every student has the potential to achieve greatness. This year, we will continue to focus on providing identity-affirming instruction and personalized learning experiences that challenge and inspire students to engage in critical consciousness and build their capacity as global citizens. Using a series of posters to ignite critical thinking, all classes visited the foyer and chose to respond to questions on Social Justice and Human Rights. The lessons are engaging and student responses were insightful, demonstrating deep inquiry and application to lived experiences. Willowbrook teachers are dedicated to creating engaging lessons that not only innovate to meet academic standards but also ignite a passion and pride for learning. We encourage students to set ambitious goals and to embrace all challenges as opportunities for a growth mindset.

Engaging Parents and the Community 

Strong partnership with parents and the community is essential to our success at school. We invite you to participate in all our school initiatives, whether it’s joining the Willowbrook School Council, volunteering for events, or attending workshops that support student learning and well-being. Your involvement not only strengthens our school community but also enriches the educational experience for our students.

Upcoming Events and Initiatives 

In the following pages you will see our upcoming events where we continue to foster community building and engagement. From Curriculum Night, to Parent-Teacher Interviews, Parent Engagement Workshops and YRDSB Parent Forums, we are excited to offer opportunities for connection, collaboration, and celebration. We encourage you to attend these events and share your thoughts and ideas as we work together to create a vibrant school culture at Willowbrook.

In Conclusion 

As we step into this new school year, let us carry forward a spirit of collaboration, positivity, and support. Together, we can make this year one of the best yet—a year where every student shines, every voice is heard, and every dream is pursued. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead! Let’s collaborate to make it one filled with learning, excellence, innovation, engagement and lasting memories. Sincerely, 

Padmini Padiachy, 

Principal

Willowbrook PS Staff List 2024/25

Health and Safety Family Communication 

The York Region School Board is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors in the event of an emergency situation. As such, during Safety Week (September 23 to 27, 2024) and throughout the school year, schools in our Board practise various safety drills, including Fire Drills, Lockdown Drills, Hold and Secure Drills and the newly established Bomb Threat Drill. It is critical that all members of our school community become familiar with emergency protocols as they are designed to keep all of us safe at school. Please refer to Board Policy #669.0 for more information about Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management. Practising drills may create some anxiety for some students. If you are concerned about how these situations might impact the mental health and well-being of your child, please contact school administrators, as we have school mental health professionals available to support your child.

General Supports for Emotional Well-Being 

• 310-COPE: 905-310-COPE (2673) or 1-855-310-COPE (2673) - available 24/7
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, text 686868 - available 24/7
• Mental Health Helpline: 1-866-531-2600 - available 24/7
• York Hills Help Phone Line: 905-503-9561 Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. for children and youth (0-18 years) and their parents, caregivers or adult supporters.
• Trans Lifeline
• Black Youth Helpline
• Naseeha Helpline/
• 2SLGBTQ+ Youthline

Start up forms

Start up forms were sent home by YRDSB via email the 3rd week of September. Families were to log in using their child’s gapps account and complete the forms by September 27th. These are necessary forms that must be completed, as they contain many consent authorizations, without which your child may not participate in various activities. If you have not already submitted your forms, please visit the following link: YRDSB School Start-Up Package 2024-25

Message from Our Trustee

September 2024 Welcome to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. We are so pleased to welcome all of our new and returning students and families to a new school year.

How Trustees Help 

As school board trustees, we have a number of roles and responsibilities, including setting policies and budget and advocating for quality public education. My responsibilities also include communicating with the public. I will continue to keep you informed throughout the school year through these regular newsletters. You can also reach out to me directly. Learn more about how we can help and how you can reach me if you have any questions or concerns. You can also stay up-to-date with school board news and events through school communications, social media (X @YRDSB and Instagram @yrdsb.schools), our newsroom and Board podcast TuneIn YRDSB.

You can also stay up-to-date with school board news and events through school communications, social media (X @YRDSB and Instagram @yrdsb.schools), our newsroom and Board podcast TuneIn YRDSB.

Our Priorities as a School Board 

One of our responsibilities as a Board of Trustees is also setting the Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan outlines the priorities that will guide our work as a school board for the next several years. We want to thank the many students, family and staff members and community partners who shared feedback in the spring that was used to inform the development of the plan. Some key themes emerged in the feedback that families will see reflected in the plan, including a clear focus on student achievement and well-being. We look forward to sharing more with you very soon.

A New School Year 

The start of a new school year is a time of transition - whether your child is starting elementary or secondary school for the first time, entering a new program, moving to a new school or beginning a new grade. The caring, dedicated and professional staff members who work in our system are here to help support your child through this transition. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers or the school to speak about your child’s transition and the supports that are available. We also recognize that transitions can take place throughout September. Elementary schools may be required to adjust some classes due to enrollment changes and class size restrictions. In secondary school, schools may also see timetable requests and adjustments in the first few weeks. These are occurrences that happen each fall and schools do their best to be responsive and to minimize the effects of any changes on students.

Partnerships with Families 

We value the essential partnership between schools and families and want to ensure that families are aware of the many resources available. Our family resources page, available from the homepage of www.yrdsb.ca, gives you quick access to platforms that we use, tips and information, the Guide to the School Year and student learning resources. It also includes resources for newcomers, translation information and much more. We are also working on a dedicated new family portal to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education. To ensure you receive notifications and updates, please make sure the school has your up-to-date email address. If you are not receiving emails, please contact your school to confirm. More information will be shared in the coming months.

I wish you and your family all the very best for a safe, successful and enjoyable 2024-2025 school year, and look forward to communicating with you in the months ahead. 

Jenny Chen 

Trustee, Markham Wards 1 and 8