Happy October!

In this message:

• Bowmore October newsletter now online
• Next School Council Meeting: This Thursday (Oct 20), 6-8 pm - ALL WELCOME!
• Next Movie Night: This Friday (Oct 21) - TOY STORY 3!
• Results of Fundraising Survey

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Bowmore PS October Newsletter now online
Chock full 'o information you need to know to keep the school year running smoothly!
Download it here (PDF)
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School Council Meeting This Thursday
Please join us - all Bowmore parents are welcome, and everyone has a voice and an equal vote at meetings!

2nd Floor Teachers' Lounge, 6-8 pm

We supply free pizza and childcare, to make it easy for you to attend!

• Agenda for Thursday's meeting (PDF)
• Draft Minutes from Sept 29 Meeting for approval (PDF)
• Financial Report for approval (PDF)

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Movie Night This Friday!

This month in the spirit of democracy, we set up a Facebook survey so parents could choose the movie by popular vote. And the winner is...
TOY STORY 3! Watch preview here

Bowmore movie nights are a fun, simple and inexpensive family night out. You don’t need to worry about cooking dinner that night, as we sell pizza, juice and snacks for a modest cost, and free popcorn is courtesy of Ray Bernard Real Estate! Suggested donation of $2 per person, with each donation earning you a chance to win the DVD at the end of the night. Join us!

WHEN: Friday, Oct 21 - 6 pm doors open / 6:30 pm movie starts
WHERE: Bowmore Junior Gym (use the side entrance, under "the bridge")
SUGGESTED DONATION: $2
Pizza, snacks and drinks will be sold for a modest cost. Remember to bring camp chairs!
A fun & inexpensive family night out that supports enriched learning experiences at Bowmore.

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Results from Parent Survey

Thank you for submitting your responses to the Parent Survey about priorities for School Council funding this year. We've compiled the results, and the following FOUR priorities were identified as most important to Bowmore families, by votes:

• Music (ie accompanist, instruments)
• Math & Science (ie Scientists in the Classroom)
• Literacy (ie library resources, author visits)
• Arts (ie Artists in the Classroom, Prologue Theatre)

We will take these priorities into account when determining allocation of School Council funds. We will still consider other funding requests, however extra weight will be given to these areas of priority, in accordance with parent wishes.

Meet Your Bowmore School Council Executive 2011-12

Thanks to all the parents who came to our kick-off School Council meeting on September 29! It was an amazing turnout, proving that Bowmore parents care deeply about the quality of our children's school experience.

As finalized at the September 29 meeting, here are the names and roles of your elected School Council members:

Role	Name
Co-Chairs (2)	Rebecca Collier Doyle & Debora Morran
Secretary	Orla Kipling
Treasurer	Ryan Doyle
QSP Chair	Nancy Botelho
Fundraising Chair	Lori Sears-Malik
Ward 16 Representative	Ellen Braganca
Green Team Chair	Jennifer Jones
Green Team Assistant	Lesley Griffin
Communications	Kathleen Sandusky
Member-at-Large	Stephanie Simmons

Executive council membership is not required to vote at meetings. If you have a child at Bowmore, you have a voice and a vote on Council! Come to any meetings you can: Your thoughts, ideas & votes are always welcome!

How we keep all parents informed, even if you can't attend the meetings:
Minutes from every meeting are recorded by the School Council Secretary. Once they are approved (at the following meeting), the minutes will be posted on our school bulletin board, via this eblast list and archived on our website, along with upcoming meeting agendas and approved financial reports.

We need your help!
We are in the early stages of forming parent working committees related to a number of areas of concern at School Council, including School Council Bylaws and Fundraising Policies, Fundraising, Pool Advocacy, the Gardening Committee and the Eco-Team. If you are interested in any of these committees, please contact us by email.

QSP Magazine Fundraiser has begun!

 (Click for a direct link to the Bowmore QSP page)

The challenge is on to see if we can beat the over $9,000 we raised last year! This fundraiser helps to pay for your child's class enrichment programs like Scientists in School, Robotics, field trip buses, and more! 

·       NEW! The Kids Helping Kids program lets you buy a subscription for a Toronto student in need

·       NEW! $20 and $30 gift cards are available. Recipients can go online to redeem their card for the magazine they want.
 

Order by October 12 and qualify for fun prizes for your kids!

Place your order year-round for great reading for the whole family and funding for your child's enrichment programs... Everybody wins!

QSP offers newsstand discounts on just about any magazine you or your family members read, like Owl, Chickadee, Chirp, Discover, Chatelaine, Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, Runner's World, Canadian House & Home, Fashion, Maclean's, The Walrus.... and many more! Magazines make great holiday gifts for family members and friends! Get a head start on your holiday shopping while benefiting our school!

If you have any questions about QSP, please email us.

Your Opinion Counts!

Fundraising Survey
We want to know how Bowmore parents would like School Council to distribute money raised through our fundraising initiatives. Please give us your input by completing and submitting this form via your child's teacher by this Wednesday, October 5. We will report on the results later this month, and use them as guidelines as we vote on the disbursement of funds. It is not the responsibility of parents or school communities to raise funds for basic educational requirements, but rather to enhance programs and support school initiatives.

Download the survey form here (PDF)

TDSB guidelines regarding School Council fundraising are available here (PDF)

Curriculum Night This Wednesday

Start time is 6:30 pm, in the Senior Gym

Curriculum Night is a chance to meet your child's teacher, visit the classroom and get a feel for what your child's school experience is like. For families with more than one child enrolled, the evening into two waves of presentations, following a welcome and introduction. The program for the evening is as follows:

Welcome and introduction in Senior Gym: 6:30 pm
First Classroom Presentation: 6:45 - 7:15 pm
Second Classroom Presentation: 7:15 - 7:45 pm
Rotary Teacher Visits: 7:45 - 8:00 pm

Don't worry about cooking dinner! School Council will sell pizza that night for a modest cost, in support of enrichment programs at Bowmore. We need volunteers to help manage the pizza sales table. If you can help out, please email us.

PLEASE NOTE: THE BAKE SALE HAS BEEN CANCELLED that night, due to food sales restrictions as a result of the province-wide Healthy School Food and Beverage Policy. New nutritional guidelines have recently been implemented by the Board, and our school is allowed exemptions from the guidelines on only 10 occasions throughout the school year. By majority parent vote at the School Council meeting on September 29, it was determined that we would save these exemptions for future events. We apologize for the confusion.

Bowmore September newsletter now online!

CORRECTION: The School Council meeting will be on the originally scheduled date, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 6 - 8 PM. Meetings take place in the 2nd floor staff room, with pizza & childcare provided. ALL PARENTS WELCOME! We apologize for the confusion regarding the dates.

What's in this month's newsletter: Link here

• Welcome back to Bowmore!
• Reminders regarding Code of Conduct, student drop-off/pick-up, safe arrival & punctuality
• Bowmore is a peanut-free school, with several children in the school severely allergic
• Tips on packing a litterless lunch
• Library news: Governor General Award-winner Deborah Ellis to visit!
• Guidance news: Grade 8 parents look for high school information sessions in one month!
• Extracurricular fee-based programs at Bowmore: Theatre, dance & karate
• Terry Fox Day coming Wed September 28! Be sure to show Bowmore spirit by wearing black & red!
• Junior Cross Country Run Team practices M,W,F 8 - 8:30: Parents welcome to run too!
• School Council News- First meeting to be held September 29; look for election results September 26
• Pizza lunches: We need volunteers for this important school fundraiser
• Bowmore Gardening Group: Join us as we beautify our school
• Parenting & Family Literacy Centre - Great resource for parents of children 0-6 yrs
• Education Day: Provincial All-Candidates Meeting September 20
• MedicAlert's "No Child Without": If you have a child with an allergy or serious medical condition, you need to know about this!
• Grade 7 trip to Camp Wahanowin
• Movie Night: Mars Needs Moms - September 23

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

• Sept 20 - Education Day (Secord PS)
• Sept 23 - Movie Night
• Sept 28 - Terry Fox Run
• Sept 29 - QSP Magazine Fundraiser begins
• Sept 29 - School Council Meeting
• Oct 3 - 7 - Scholastic Book Fair
• Oct 4 - TTC student ID photos
• Oct 5 - Curriculum Night
• Oct 10 - Thanksgiving (no school)
• Oct 11 - 13 - Grade 7 trip

Read the newsletter here

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Movie Night Friday September 23: Mars Needs Moms

"Mom needs a little space!"
Starring Joan Cusack and Seth Green
Watch a video preview
WHEN: Friday, Sept 23 - 6 pm doors open / 6:30 pm movie starts
WHERE: Bowmore Junior Gym (use the side entrance, under "the bridge")
SUGGESTED DONATION: $2
Pizza, snacks and drinks will be sold for a modest cost. Remember to bring camp chairs!
A fun & inexpensive family night out that supports enriched learning experiences at Bowmore.

Bowmore / Fairmount Park Shared Pool Update

The current review of the City of Toronto budget may have a serious impact on our Bowmore pool. At the end of 2011, the lease is due to expire on the 33 TDSB pools currently being leased by the City of Toronto, including Bowmore. The lease has temporarily been extended for a few months to allow for further discussion. If the City of Toronto decides not to renew the lease, our school pool programs will be in jeopardy and all swim programs offered through Fairmount Park will cease.

Read a recent news article about the risk to our swim programs at Bowmore

Four parents have volunteered to act as "Pool Captains" to lobby for renewing the lease, and to find alternate funding if the need arises to source private funds for pool programs at Bowmore/Fairmount Park. Kyle Duncan, Elizabeth Grundon, Maureen Boles and Susana Molinolo have kindly agreed to act as our advocates.

You can speak up for our swim programs, and many other vital issues facing Ontario families!
On Tuesday September 20, a delegation from Bowmore will attend the TDSB All Candidates Debate for Beaches East York. WE NEED YOU TO JOIN US AND SPEAK UP FOR BOWMORE KIDS as we ask the candidates where they stand on vital public funds for swim programs in our province.

In addition to the pool issue, this is a chance to find out where our candidates stand on the need for affordable and high-quality child care; quality of school buildings and facilities including playing fields; challenges facing special education, and many other issues impacting children and parents in Ontario.

The Beaches East York Riding debate takes place at Secord Public School, 101 Barrington Ave. 7:00pm.

Please attend and show our candidates that we care about the future of education in Ontario!