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DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
20 EVERMEDE DRIVE, NORTH YORK, ONTARIO M3A 2S3 PRINCIPAL: K. ROBERTSON VICE‐PRINCIPAL: N. VOHRA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: ANGELA NARDI‐ADDESA TRUSTEE: KEN LISTER SCHOOL WEBSITE: HTTP://SCHOOLS.TDSB.ON.CA/DONVIEWMS/ TWITTER: @DONVIEWMS MAY 2015 and mo vated to achieve the objec ves she has set out Fit Spirit’s mission is to help teenage girls discover the for herself. advantages and the enjoyment that comes from taking part in physical ac vity in an environment that is posi ve and open to Donview Fit Spirit Girls and coaches Ms. Giunane, Ms. everyone. This knowledge will allow them to develop a healthy Dorey, and Ms. McKean, have been par cipa ng in an eight lifestyle based on realizing their own poten al. week running program. The girls will also take part in a Healthy The three driving principles to Fit Spirit are: Ea ng workshop and Zumba class. 
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On May 21st, Fit Spirit Girls will travel to Donsview Park Get teenage girls interested in a healthy lifestyle through and par cipate in a 5 K run. This big run is a me to celebrate ac vi es that focus on the fun of being ac ve. and bring together par cipants from dozens of TDSB schools for Encourage a non‐compe ve environment by invi ng a memorable day full of surprises where fun and pride in their teenagers to embrace the values of team spirit and sup‐
accomplishments are at the heart of it all. por ng one another. 
Create an environment where every girl feels rewarded Donview now has its very own wri ng club! Members of Ink gather every other Monday at lunch to share pieces of wri ng and discuss wri ng in general. So far, our club has a racted writers from grades 6 through 8 and con nues to wel‐
come new members. As a writer myself, Ink has been full of great new opportuni es to get published and support other young writers in our school. It’s definitely inspiring to be part of such an enthusias c, encouraging and crea ve community of writers of all different talents. Our members write all sorts of things, including fic on, poems, short stories, and even song lyrics! The Ink club also has a wri ng blog. Ink’s blog gives our writers a chance to publish their work online and get some feed‐
back and comments from their peers in a safe and suppor ve space. Periodically updated wri ng prompts and opportuni es are also posted on the blog as an extra resource to help our writers get crea ve. The Ink wri ng club has had a very success‐
ful start and we hope to con nue to share our wri ng with you! Ink: Donview’s Club for Writers By: Hannah N. Visit Ink’s blog here: www.donviewink.blogspot.ca DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
MAY 2015 Grade 6 EQAO at Donview (May 25 to June 4, 2015) What is the EQAO and why are students tested? The EQAO is the provincial Educa on Equality and Accountability Office. It is an independent government body that devel‐
ops and oversees reading, wri ng and mathema cs tests that Ontario students must take in grades 3, 6, 9 and 10. The tests give parents, teachers, principals, and school boards informa on about how well students have learned what the province expects them to learn in reading, wri ng and mathema cs. What do the results mean? The report tells you if your child’s skills are at: Level 1: 50% to 59% or “D” Level 2: 60% to 69% or “C” Level 3: 70% to 79% or “B” Level 4: 80% to 100% or “A: The grades 2 and 6 tests do not count as part of a student’s mark and do not affect their progress or future opportuni es in school. How can I help my child prepare? There is no special prepara on for the tests. Some teachers provide sample ques ons to help students understand what the tests will be like. The best way to help your child is to make sure he or she is rested and at school on me. Do ESL students write the test? Yes, although some ESL students may be exempt if they have recently arrived in Canada. Others may have “accommoda ons” such as more me to write the test, a quiet se ng or having someone read instruc ons and ques ons. The principal must consult the parents about making accommoda ons or exemp ng a student from the test. Do students with special needs write the tests? All students are encouraged to write the test but some students with special needs may be exempt. These students usually have an Individual Educa on Plan (I.E.P.) that outline “accommoda ons” or “supports” that help them succeed in school. The “accommoda ons” also help students write the EQAO tests. They may include more me to write a quiet se ng or having some‐
one read instruc ons or ques ons to them. The principal must consult with parents about making accommoda ons or exemp ng a student from the test. Parents will receive results in the fall. Results are sent to the school where the students wrote the test, and the school for‐
wards them to any students who have le the school. * * * * * * * * * * * * DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
MAY 2015 Class 81 Stands Up!
Constructing the stand-up tables with
parent, Yasmeen Tian
Standing up is always an option for
students in room 210
Donview is standing up! Class 8‐1 is the very first in our school to have stand up tables ‐ and they’re eco‐friendly, too. Yasmeen Tian, a cardboard furniture enthusiast, built three cardboard tables a er Ms. Guinane showed the class an info‐
graphic on the dangers of si ng. Si ng all day happens to be unhealthy, which is why we collec vely decided to stand up more o en. We realized that standing improved our mental, physical and emo onal health. We now have stand up tables. Times, and we have an upcoming interview with the Toronto Star. Edutopia.org has also published an ar cle about us which has over 25,000 views. Having to interact with the media was a fabulous learning opportunity. We got to see how the media wove a story from the interview footage, carefully extrac ng only some parts of the interviews; they’d ques on us for an hour and yet only used five minutes of footage. We saw how they worked “behind the scenes”. Best of all, this publicity is a rac ng a en on to the dangers of si ng, and inspiring oth‐
Many news reporters have come to interview us on our ers to take a stand as well. stand up tables. We have so far been interviewed by CTV Toron‐
By Farhana B. to and Na onal News, CBC Metro Morning, NTDTV, Epoch Once again Donview’s grade 7 and grade 8 concert bands par cipated in the Kiwanis Music Fes val during the month of February. Both groups were praised for their maturity of sound and comportment. One judge remarked, “You warmed my heart!” Congratula ons to both groups who brought home silver medals and a first and second place finish in their divisions as a result of their performances! DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
MAY 2015 Jam Session
It all started with three girls playing ukulele outside. Then, Mrs. Guinane had an idea. Why don’t we make a club where people can bring their instruments and we can all play together? The Jamming Session was born. At the beginning, it was mainly just ukuleles and people singing. Then one day, someone decided to bring a guitar. Then drums. Then a keyboard. Mrs. Guinane even brought in tap shoes. We all play and sing together and have lots of fun. On some days, over 25 students turn out to play and/or sing along. I play both ukulele and a not that famous instrument, the melodihorn. It is a type of keyboard that you play by blowing into a tube to make a sound. My experience in the jamming session has been amazing. Before, I was really shy about singing and/or playing an instrument in front of people. The Jamming Session helped me gain confidence about playing and singing in front of people. By Angela R. A note from Mrs. Guinane: Jam Session is open to all staff and students. New members are always welcome. We meet every Thursday at 11:35 in room 210. The only rule is that there are no spectators—everyone is expected to par cipate in some way (play an instrument, sing, clap, tap the table, scroll the chord charts, whatever!). Come and join us! On April 16th the grade 8 band had an opportunity to perform for students at Roywood Health & Wellness Academy, and it was a great chance for some of our members to show off their talent to their old teachers and younger brothers and sisters. Please join us for our annual “Spring Into Summer” music and arts night on Wednesday, May 20th, from 7 to 8 p.m., in the Donview cafeteria. This is a terrific opportunity to see and hear the work that Donview’s many talented students have rehearsed throughout the year. There will be an assortment of bands and ensembles as well as a beau ful visual arts display from our many talented ar sts in every grade! Admission is free and all Donview families and friends are invited to a end. DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
MAY 2015 May will be a busy month for Donview’s music department, as students from grade 6 will be a ending a concert on May 12th by the Toronto Symphony and the Platypus Theater Company en tled “Pan Am Beats and Heroic Feats”. It will feature a wide variety of sizzling La n American sounds and a look at the Pan American Games coming to Toronto this summer. On May 30th, Donview will be celebra ng 50 years and our grade 8 band will be performing a fun musical tribute to each decade that we have been part of this community. You are bound to hear many favourites from the past 5 decades. Please see the a ached flyer for more details on our 50th Anniversary celebra on. Donview hosted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto’s Go Girls program from February to April 2015! Thanks to all the Donview students who made it a success. The girls who par cipated in the group were reliable and brought posi ve energy to eve‐
ry session. The group enjoyed playing dodge ball, octopus and partner tag! The group focused on discussions around nutri on and the importance of living an ac ve lifestyle. On the last day of program there was cookie craziness happening, the group baked over 50 cookies! Thanks to Mr. Vohra for making this program happen! Big Brother Big Sisters of Toronto looks forward to running more pro‐
grams at Donview Middle Health & Wellness Academy in the future! DONVIEW MIDDLE HEALTH & WELLNESS ACADEMY
MAY 2015 MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND DON’T MISS OUT! May 4—8, 2015 May 4, 2015 May 7, 2015 May 8, 2015 May 11, 2015 May 12, 2015 May 18, 2015 May 20, 2015 May 21, 2015 May 21, 2015 May 22, 2015 May 25 to June 4, 2015 May 25, 2015 May 27, 2015 May 30, 2015 June 1, 2015 June 5, 2015 June 8, 2015 June 9, 2015 June 9, 2015 June 10‐12, 2015 June 12, 2015 June 15, 2015 June 16, 2015 June 23, 2015 June 25, 2015 June 25, 2015 June 26, 2015 Mental Health Awareness Week Gi ed Open House Night (New students) Heritage Fair Day @ Scarborough Civic Centre Spring Dance (P.M.) Heart & Stroke Founda on Assembly Grade 6 trip to the Toronto Symphony at Roy Thompson Hall Victoria Day (no school) Spring Concert and Art Event (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Fit Spirit Day @ Downsview Park Grade 6 Trip to the Toronto Zoo Area Track & Field Meet EQAO Tes ng (Grade 6 students only) Grade 7 & 8 Immuniza on Clinic (A.M. only) School Council Mee ng Donview’s 50th Anniversary Conference Track & Field Meet Professional Ac vity Day (no school) Grade 5 Feeder School visits Grade 6 Trip to Toronto Zoo City Track & Field Meet Grade 8 Trip to O awa Jump Rope for Heart Day Jump Rope for Heart (Rain Day) Donview’s Got Talent Assembly Grade 8 Gradua on (cafeteria closed at lunch) Report Cards go Home Last Day of School Professional Ac vity Day (no school)