When you have music in you soul, the universe will listen. TNS was heard loud and clear at our 2011-2012 Annual Winter Concert.

Students from across the grade levels, as well as  TNS alumni, came together to study improvisational music in our after school music program. Their hard work and dedication to the program culminated in a spectacular performance by all at this year’s concert.

What a great pleasure it was to see long time players as well as those who have only been playing their instrument for a few months, interact with one another on contemporary rock, blues standards as well as some Christmas classics. It was indeed a night to remember for all of our young performers, parents and TNS staff members alike.

For more information on our after school music program visit: http://torontonewschool.com/improvisational-music/ or contact Ryan Burwell at rburwell@torontonewschool.com.

Keep your eyes open for a Concert DVD with footage captured and edited by TNS film students and professionally mixed audio. We look forward to seeing the final product!

Please enjoy some memorable images from the concert, below.

Congratulations to Jonathan and Aidan for their participation in this year’s SSAF track meet! Aidan brought home a 10th place ribbon for TNS in a field of 30 competitors. Intense, early morning training with coach Kapal coupled with the threat of Ewa chasing him around the track on the day of the event no doubt propelled him to his 10th place finish. Thanks also goes out to Jared for representing our school on the SSAF volunteer staff for the run.

We hope you enjoy some pictures from the event below.

Meanwhile, thanks to: Lindsay, Jared, Melissa, Gabe, Cecily, Andrew and Maggie for showing such great school spirit!
 
Your student’s progress in their courses can be accessed on the secure portion of our website as all teachers have posted achievement tabs this week.

Please login from our website home page:
·         select “Connected Parent & Student Login”
·         enter the user name and password information provided to you at Curriculum Night. If you did not attend

Curriculum Night, this information was sent home with your student.
·         Once you have logged in, select Achievement: Conventional.
 
Grade 9 parents only, can find additional information by:
·         selecting Achievement – Topic Based
·         select a course code from the left drop down menu
·         select October Interim from right drop down menu
 
The next update will be posted on November 9th.
 
We wish to remind those parents who received Student Accommodation Plans on Curriculum Night to please sign and return these to us.  The same also goes for the Parent/Teacher Interview notice.

The websites below will provide you with information on financing your post-secondary education. Some will also assist in finding scholarship and bursary information. It is also advisable to check individual university websites for information on scholarships and bursaries offered by each of them.

 OSAP INFORMATION - http://osap.gov.on.ca/

The objective of the Ontario Student Assistance Program is to help students from lower income families to meet the costs of post secondary education. OSAP is intended to promote equality of opportunity for post-secondary studies by providing direct financial assistance for educational costs (such as tuition fees, books, and supplies) and basic living expenses.  Other OSAP programs offer assistance to students with specific needs; for example, Assistance for Students with Disabilities.

The OSAP site has recently been redesigned to make finding information easier.  Learn the OSAP Basics and Step-By-Step process on how to apply.  Go to OSAP to learn more.

CANADIAN SCHOLARSHIP TRUST PLANS – CSTP – RESPs made easy!  Includes information about the Canada Education Savings Grant.

CAN LEARN – CANLEARN

CanLearn contains a vast store of information on the costs of attending a Canadian college or university and the wide variety of ways of financing your education.  It is a huge site, but it is easy to navigate.  Take the time to explore the whole site.

 Studentawards.com – STUDENT AWARDS

This site will help match you to thousands of scholarships, bursaries and cash awards. It’s free, and it’s easy.

 Scholarships Canada – SCHOLARSHIPS CANADA

This website will allow for access to extensive databases that will help you find scholarships, bursaries and grants.

Hey Sports Fans! TNS competed in the SSAF Ultimate Frisbee Tournament for the second time in a row. They gave it 110%, they pushed it to the max, they went out there to conquer the bee! Check out some action photos from the tourney below.

Our Junior students enjoyed some quality time outdoors this September. It was a fun filled trip full of lasting memories. Take a moment to take a look at some photos from the trip below. Don’t worry, Eli shed his antlers as soon as he re-entered the GTA!

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 2011-2012 school year at the Toronto New School! As the summer draws to an end, we have returned to school re-energized after the holidays and are ready to begin working together with you to make TNS the best possible environment for your students. We welcome all new families to TNS and encourage you to become active members of the TNS community. Adjusting to a new school can be a challenge for some, but rest assured that we are ready to support your sons and daughters with the transition.

Our administration is at school this week, and the full staff returns next week.  We are excited to introduce to you our new mathematics and science teacher, Sarah Dukes, who is ready to join our team and to welcome Jacqui Kidney, our receptionist, back on a full time schedule at the front desk. Should you wish to contact us regarding any matter, the office will be open daily until September 2^nd, from 9 am until 2 pm with the exception of Wednesday, August 31.

Classes begin for all students at 9 am on Tuesday, September 6^th. Timetables will be available for pick- up at the front desk upon arrival and full classes will be held according to our regular schedule:

Period 1               9:00 – 10:15
Period 2               10:20 – 11:35
Lunch                    11:35 – 12: 40
Period 3               12:40 – 1:55
Period 4               2:00 – 3:15

Attached you will find our school calendar for the 2011-12 school year. Please note that the change in our Winter Holiday break reflects the recent change made by the TDSB; our last day of classes will be Thursday, December 22^nd.

September is a busy month with a few events highlighted below:

• Grade 9 students are invited to an orientation on Thursday, September 1^st, from 10 am until 2 pm. Come meet your teachers and explore the mansion and its neighbourhood!
• Used textbooks may be available for some courses. Teachers will have these textbooks on hand as of Wednesday, September 7^th; these are cash sales only please.
• The new book sale will take place on site the morning of September 13^th. Squibbs Stationers will be selling required textbooks; payment can be made by cash, cheque or credit card. Students will be given booklists and price lists from their teachers prior to the day of the sale.
• School photos will be taken on September 14^th. Graduates will pay a sitting fee for their portraits in traditional caps and gowns. Individual packages may be ordered, appropriate forms will be distributed to all students ahead of time.
•  Curriculum night for parents will be held on September 15^th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. We urge all parents to attend in order to meet their student’s teachers, become familiar with course expectations, hear about our vast array of extra-curricular activities, and learn of planned trips. 
•  TTC photos will be taken on site on September 20^th for all students in need of Student Cards. The cost is $ 5.25 per person.

We kindly ask all families to update our office should there be any changes to the contact information on file (phone numbers, mailing addresses, email addresses, etc) as well as any new medical details regarding your student. An “Update Your Information” sheet will be made available to download at the bottom of this post.

While we recognize the value of maintaining religious traditions and fully support a student’s right to observe the days associated with his/her beliefs, classes remain in session save for those days specifically listed in the school calendar. If you anticipate that your student will be taking religious observances and you wish him/her to be excused from school, please provide us with the relevant dates by contacting Jacqui by phone or by email at jkidney@torontonewschool.com as soon as possible.  A “Religious Observances” sheet will also be available for download.  Please be aware that not everyone necessarily observes the same days; thus, we would appreciate it if you would be specific in order that the Office does not have to disturb you with an attendance phone call during those holidays.

Please visit our website: www.torontonewschool.com on a regular basis to hear of events at the school. We encourage you to check our homework calendar frequently to support your student’s progress. We will be adding a new section there this year, one summarizing our daily morning announcements. You will also find our school calendar and, when ready, exam schedules available.

The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time for teachers and students alike.  We are looking forward to a positive and productive year. Please remember that we are ready to support your students on their paths to success and we always welcome the opportunity to connect with their families along the way.

Religious Observances
Update your Information

We’d like to remind all parents and students that exam viewing day is Wednesday June 22nd 9:00am-3:00pm. Students will have an opportunity to look over their marked exams with their teachers.

Final second semester grades will be accessible through the Connected online system on Thursday June 23rd.

We are looking forward to our second annual graduation ceremony on Friday June 24th, when we celebrate the achievements of the 2010-2011 graduating class. Congratulations to this year’s Valedictorian, Thomas O’Bee and to this year’s Salutatorian, Willis Klein. We are all looking forward to hearing each of these two graduates speak on behalf of their fellow graduates!

Enjoy some photos of the works of art created for the second semester senior art show. The talent of this year’s senior students was on display once again. Congratulations to art teacher, David Pascos, who has brought out the best in his students all year long!