Thornhill PS Email Information: Monday January 5, 2026
We hope you all had a relaxing and rejuvenating Winter Break. We look forward to a New Year that holds so much promise and we are grateful to have you all as part of our Thornhill Public School community.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
Monday, January 5th
Welcome Back to School!
Tuesday, January 6
- Homework Club – Ms. Sacks
- Pizza Day – for those who ordered
Wednesday, January 7
- Homework Club – Ms. Rehan
- Popcorn Delivery – for those who ordered
Thursday, January 8
- Subway Sandwich Day– for those who ordered
- Jr. Girls and Boys Volleyball at EJ Sand 3 p.m.
Friday, January 9
- Homework Club – Ms. Noordeh
EVENTS NEXT WEEK
Monday, January 12
Jr. Boys Volleyball Game @ Woodland 4 p.m.
Tuesday, January 13
- Homework Club – Ms. Sacks
- Pizza Day – for those who ordered
- Jr. Girls Volleyball Game @ Baythorn 3 p.m.
Wednesday, January 14
- Homework Club – Ms. Rehan
Thursday, January 15
- “Sip and Share” at 8:15 a.m.
- Subway Sandwich Day– for those who ordered
Friday, January 16
- PA Day – No School
- Kindergarten Registration Begins
In this issue:
- Re-Introducing “Sip and Share” for 2026
- Save the Date – Family STEM evening
- Dressing for Cold Weather
- Kindergarten Registration
- French Immersion Registration
PREVIOUSLY COMMUNICATED
- Winter Weather
- Student Drop off reminders
RE-INTRODUCING “SIP AND SHARE”
We love getting to know our TPS families and we would like to provide you all with an opportunity to get to know each other, learn more about our school, and discuss ways we can support our children at home. Please come and join our school Principal, Lisa Hascal, and our guest Terri Keay (from York Hills) for an informal gathering and discussion about support student well-being with coffee/tea provided on Thursday, January 15th from 8:15-9:30 a.m. in our staff lounge. Our topic of discussion will be centered around student mental health and well-being and Terri will be able to provide resources and information about programs in our community.
SAVE THE DATE – FAMILY STEM EVENING
On Thursday, February 26th at 6 p.m. we will be hosting a “Family STEM” evening for all of our students and families. Our staff will prepare some wonderful activities that you and your child can participate in together and they will highlight how these fun activities support learning about science, technology, engineering and math too! Stay tuned for more information.
DRESSING FOR COLD WEATHER
Before the holidays I noted that many students were not dressing appropriately outside. Teachers will be reminding students about the importance of protecting their bodies against the extreme cold. We are asking that families discuss this at home as well and please ensure your children come to school with appropriate winter wear. We only move to indoor recess when the windchill hits -18, so they will be out in the cold many times this month. If your family is unable to purchase winter wear due to financial constaints, you may have a confidential discussion with Ms. Hascal who will help you find support.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Kindergarten Registration for September 2026 begins on Friday, January 16, 2026. Children who turn four or five years’ old during 2026, live within the school boundary and whose parents are public school tax supporters will be eligible to register for kindergarten. The Board has included a page dedicated to the Kindergarten Registration process linked here. Within this link you will find simple instructions to follow in order to register remotely. If your child is presently attending Junior Kindergarten at Thornhill P.S. there is no need to re-register. More information about our Kindergarten Program can be found here.
FRENCH IMMERSION INFORMATION SESSION AND REGISTRATION
Any SK family who is looking for information regarding French Immersion should read the message below from our Board.
Grade 1 French Immersion (FI) Information Sessions and Registrations
What is French Immersion?
- Provides opportunities for students to develop enhanced proficiency in French.
- Students receive instruction in French from teachers who are fluent in French.
- Begins in Grade 1 and is designed for children whose first language is not French.
- In Grades 1, 2 and 3, all subjects are taught in French. Starting in Grade 4, instructional time is shared equally between French and English.
- Program continues in secondary school.
- Secondary school students must earn at least 10 French Immersion credits to qualify for the French Immersion Certificate upon graduation.
Important Considerations
- Grade 1 is the only entry point into French immersion in YRDSB.
- Communication with parents/guardians is in English including, but not limited to, report cards, newsletters and parent-teacher interviews.
- For the first few months of Grade 1, children may not acquire skills identical to those learned by children in an English program as the focus is on learning in French.
- During the first few years of the FI program, students may not develop the same level of English proficiency as their peers in an English program, however children should acquire these skills by the end of Grade 8. Families are encouraged to continue to read to their children in their first language.
FI Accommodation Plan
YRDSB’s FI Accommodation Plan provides long-term consistency and equity of access to all students in York Region and will enable YRDSB to continue to offer the FI program to all who wish to enrol. The FI program is offered in Dual Track or Single-Track settings, in a variety of configurations. In order to meet community needs and optimize available space in our schools, a community's Grade 1-8 FI program may be provided over more than one school during the course of a student's FI education. Space requirements at some schools may mean that siblings are in different schools for primary dual track French Immersion programs due to differing grade structures. Like any of our schools across the Board, changes to school boundaries, and/or the accommodation model for the French Immersion program may need to be considered when new schools open, a school experiences enrolment growth, and program changes occur. This will allow flexibility in addressing community needs and the opportunity to use existing space in schools.
More information is available on the Board’s website. Please note: Some of the FI accommodation plans will require facility modifications or the development of new schools and will require short-term transition plans that might include overflow while we work toward the long-term vision. Overflow refers to situations in which the Board directs students to attend a school other than their community school or optional program for a specific period of time, as defined in Policy #108.
Information Sessions
This year, our Information session for Grade 1 entry into the French Immersion program will take place in French Immersion schools on January 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. Program locations and additional information is available on our website. If families are unable to attend the information session, they can hear about the French Immersion program on the Tune In YRDSB: French Immersion Podcast.
Registration
FI registration will begin on January 16, 2026. Parents or guardians of Year 2 Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2026, and wishing to enrol in the FI Program, can email or call their home school office and indicate their intention to enrol. The home school will notify the French Immersion school, and the French Immersion school will contact families by phone or email to collect any necessary information. Families are asked to register by February 9, 2026. Registration during this period is not first come, first served.
Late Registrations
Late registrations are those submitted after February 9, 2026. Late registrations will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis and will be considered subsequent to registrations received during the registration period should overflow be necessary.
PREVIOUSLY COMMUNICATED
WINTER WEATHER
With winter weather here, we want to share a few important reminders.
Students should come dressed appropriately for the weather and for outdoor play. Students can stay warm by wearing layers of loose-fitting clothing, a hat, scarf, jackets, snow pants and mittens or gloves. Students may also want to bring extra pants and socks in case they get wet.
If students are well enough to come to school, they are expected to go outside for recess. Our students benefit from spending time outside and being active. We monitor weather conditions throughout the day. If there are extreme weather conditions, we may consider a shortened or indoor recess.
When an extreme cold or inclement weather day is declared, school transportation (including buses and taxis) is cancelled in the morning and afternoon. Schools will remain open. Please notify the school if your child will not be attending school on those days. Students will not be penalized for missing school on these days.
There may be rare instances when emergency weather events occur and we need to close all schools and Board locations. Please take the time to make plans in the event of an emergency school closure. Information about transportation cancellations and Board closures will be shared through local media, board and school websites and on X @YRDSB.
Our process for extreme cold, inclement weather and emergency weather days is outlined in the board’s Severe Weather policy.
PARENT MORNING DROP OFF REMINDERS
It has come to our attention that there have been a couple of unsafe maneuvers in our bus/carpool loop at drop off in the morning. Please follow the directions from our supervising staff to ensure we are keeping all of our students safe. Proceed slowly through the loop and only allow children to disembark when the staff member signals that it is safe to do so.
We also ask that parents do not reverse or park in the loop at any time. Please patiently wait for the car in front of you to leave.