Cody Swap

Chess'n Math Assoc. Chess Lessons
Your child will now have the opportunity to take chess lessons with professional chess instructors as an extra-curricular activity.

Lessons will take place on Thursdays from 11:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. starting October 7th and ending on November 28th

The cost of this 8 week course is $55.00.

Info and Registration Form

Library News

Parent Helpers
Are you interested in making at difference at Maurice Cody P.S.? Please consider helping out in the library on a regular or occasional basis. You might consider spending a half day every week or 5-day cycle, every second week or second 5-day cycle, once a month, or on a casual basis whenever you have the time. The pay is lousy but the appreciation is immense. Please contact me if you think that you can help out in this way.

A Book Recommendation
Consider reading the first novel of the popular Guardians of Ga'hoole series with your child. The movie comes out September 24. The movie could be the reward for reading the book, which is a reward in itself. I would suggest 8 years and up.
Rick Hay

Once this first set of forms goes home we will make every effort to communicate with parents electronically. The most recent email was sent home to parents on Saturday, September 4. If you did not receive this electronic notice please send an email to Rick Hay, identifying your children and family email address.

Under Construction
There are still pipes, wires and ladders in the hall and Ms. MacMillan and Ms. Nickel are patiently waiting for their classrooms to be ready for moving in. As you can see, our administrative staff is approaching the disruption with a sense of humour. From top to bottom are principal Shona Farrelly, office administrator Charlotte Duffy, clerk Anne Marie Michkowski, and vice-principal Paul Friberg.

Check the About Us page for email links.

5 Day Structure
Something new is coming to Cody this year. Instead of a Monday - Friday schedule we will be instigating a 5 day schedule. Sounds like the same thing, right? Well, it’s not.

Suppose that last year your child had library book exchange scheduled for Fridays. With all the Friday holidays and PA days (s)he probably missed out on a library visit on several occasions. A 5 day schedule eliminates this. Every time there is a school holiday the whole schedule shifts.

The first day of school this year, Sept. 7, is a Tuesday and it’s Day 1 (not Day 2). Wednesday will be Day 2, Thursday: Day 3, Friday: Day 4, Monday: Day 5, Tuesday: Day 1 and so on. This will continue until there is a holiday. Thanksgiving Monday will cause the schedule to shift. Tuesday will become Day 5, Wed. Day 1 and so on.

To help you to keep track, our web page calendar (see tab at top) will identify the days.

By the way, most schools in the Board have been following a 5-day schedule for awhile now.

Teacher Email Addresses Have Changed
Teacher email addresses have changed. Now all Board employees follow the same format: firstname.lastname@tdsb.on.ca. Example: rick.hay@tdsb.on.ca

Direct links are provided on the Classrooms page.

Please note that some teachers prefer to interact with parents using other methods than email: (e.g. face-to-face, phone, agenda notes). Please check with your child’s teacher about this.

School Council and Fundraising Committee News
The Maurice Cody School Council will hold its Annual General Meeting on September 27th at 7pm in the school library. Our 2010-2011 elections will be held at this meeting; if you would like to contribute your time, skills and energies to making Cody a better place for our kids, read on!

School Council elected positions are described in the document, Job Descriptions (see below). To stand for any of the School Council Executive or Committee Chair positions, submit the attached nomination form electronically to Fiona Mitra fionamitra@rogers.com or Sandra Aversa sandra.aversa@bmo.com, or drop it off at the school office, by September 20th.

The Maurice Cody Fundraising Committee will hold its first meeting at the same time as the School Council AGM. Descriptions are also in the attachment. Please submit the attached nomination form electronically to Katherine Beattie or drop it off at the school office, by September 20th, if you wish to stand for these positions.

Hard copies of both nomination forms will be available at the school office from September 7th. Elections will be by acclamation, unless there is more than one person standing, in which case there will be a secret ballot.

Please remember there are many other ways to contribute - becoming a committee member, being a class representative, volunteering at fundraising events, and donating, to name but a few. Come to our meetings to find out more!

Job Descriptions

School Council Self Nomination Form

Fundraising Committee Self Nomination Form

Grade One Information Sheet
Last spring SK parents were given a grade one primer sheet to help them get their children ready for full-day school. Responding to a request, it is reposted here

Grade One Information Sheet

Boomerang Lunches
We at Cody promote the boomerang lunch as a way to reduce waste and keep parents informed of their children's lunch eating habits. Boomerang lunches have two components:
1) lunch is packed in reusable containers
2) all waste and uneaten food is returned home

We do put out blue boxes for recyclables but as everyone knows, a better solution for the environment is to reuse. Please send drinks in reusable canisters.

And a final tip - label everything with indelible marker.

Classroom Reorganization
As you may know the TDSB is required to be in compliance with Ministry of Education's Primary Class Size parameters (90% of junior kindergarten to Grade 3 classes will have no more than 20 students with the remaining 10% having no more than 23).

During the first week of September the TDSB will look at our enrolment and may tell us to make changes. We hope to make no changes but all our parents need to understand that there is the possibility that their child might be moved to another class.

The good news is that changes will take place the second week of school which is earlier than in former years.

Cody Staff Takes the Better Way

Cody staff took the TTC to the PD event at the ACC. Go Platinum!

So, how can you do your part?

Walk to School Everyday
Yes, it is more convenient and time-saving to drive to school. We live busy lives. But perhaps the beginning of the school year is a good time to reflect on family values.
Health - walking to school improves your child's fitness level and builds a positive attitude to physical activity
Environment - clean air and reduced green house gas emissions make for a more liveable planet
Safety - fewer cars on the road results in a safer environment for our children
Family time - the walk to school with your child is a great time to talk about stuff and to make connections

Demonstrate that you value your kids and the environment over convenience. Walk to school.

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The new Belsize/Cleveland playground

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Rooms 100 and B9 are nearing completion.