Summer Institute: Kindergarten - Grade 8

Summer Institute Registration 

Looking for summer learning and fun activities for students entering Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8? Summer Institute offers academic, recreational and athletic programs and activities with intentional links to the Ontario Curriculum. 

 

The program runs for six weeks during July and August. It is offered at nine school sites around York Region. 

 

For more information on dates, programs and locations, please visit the Summer Institute webpage.

 

Registration opens March 27, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. Families can register online.

Norwuz Mubarak!

The month of Ramadan is well underway and Nowruz started yesterday. 

Nowruz means 'new day' in Persian and is the official start to spring. It is an important cultural holiday in Iran and for the Persian diaspora. It is celebrated by people of different faiths all over the world. In preparation for this event, which lasts 13 days, families will set up a Haft seen table at the entrance of their home with symbols representing spring and reawakening after a long winter. 

If you happen to visit the school in the next few days, you'll see a beautiful Haft seen table in our front hallway created by Baran (Gr 8), Arta (Gr 8), and Ms. Dekkema. Ms. Currie's class also created a Haft seen in their own classroom!

We want to wish all our students, staff, and families a prosperous and blessed celebration.

Nowruz Mubarak!

Spotlight: Ms. Currie Grade 6

Recently, Ms. Currie's grade 6 class took some time to learn about local businesses owned and run by Black community members. They explored the business’ websites, learned about the products being sold and services provided as well as about the owners of the businesses themselves. 

Next, they created posters to advertise the Black owned businesses and showcased them on a bulletin board in the intermediate hallway.

Ramadan

Sunday March 10th marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days and during this time, Muslims pray, read the Koran and fast during daylight hours. After sunset, families will break their fast together with prayer and festive meals.

The festival Eid al-fitr (the feast of fast breaking) marks the end of Ramadan. 

In collaboration with our Muslim and Persian students and community members, bulletin boards around Ramadan and Muslim identities have been created. Students enjoy pausing in the hallways to read the boards and admire the beaufiful images representing Ramadan.

Ramadan Mubarak to all those observing Ramadan at Aurora Grove!

April & May Lunch Package - Order Now on SchoolCash Online

The Lunch Program package that runs from Tuesday, April 9 to Friday, May 31 is available to order on SchoolCash Online. 

Mondays: Teriyaki Chicken/Tofu, Veggies & Rice from Kookjae Sushi

Tuesdays: Pizza from Toppers Pizza

Wednesdays: Maki Rolls from Kookjae Sushi and Chicken Fingers/Spaghetti from East Side Marios

Thursdays: Pizza from Toppers Pizza

Fridays: Subs from Subway

You will find each option in SchoolCash Online now. Please make sure to read the information in each option carefully.

Since orders are purchased as a package, regrettably, refunds cannot be issued due to student absences. 

Please note: Orders will be due on Thursday, March 28 at 12:00pm. It is a quick turn around to give the vendors enough time to get the orders organized.

Please get your order in before the deadline as orders after this date will not be accepted. There will be no refunds.

Freedom Quilts

Quilts with their intricate and brightly colored patterns are often a source of pride and admiration for their owners but in the mid 1800s quilts often meant the difference between enslavement and freedom, life and death for the enslaved, who knew the secret codes contained within these quilts. During the period of enslavement, a safe house along the underground railroad was often indicated from a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. These quilts were embedded with an escape code so that by reading the patterns sewn into the design, an enslaved person on the run could know the area’s immediate dangers or even where to head next. For example, if the quilt patch had a log cabin design, that meant they could seek shelter now as the people hanging the quilt were friendly. These quilts allowed men, women, and children who were courageous to take the ultimate chance by running from enslavement when everything was at stake. These quilts were literally a map to freedom and the enslavers never caught on. 

Last month, Aurora Grove junior and intermediate classes created a patchwork quilt to honour the freedom quilts created during the period of enslavement and to celebrate our diverse community here at school. The beautiful board shows how we are all connected in our school community and together we make a vibrant mosaic.

Order Your Lunch Package - Time Is Running Out!

Wednesday, March 6th, is the last day to order the next Lunch Program Package. 

Place your order on SchoolCash Online.

Orders are due WEDNESDAY at 12:00pm. Please get your order in before the deadline as orders after this date and time will not be accepted.

March's Mental Health Newsletter - Time for a Break

Please read the Student Mental Health and Addictions Newsletter - March 2024: Time for a Break. “In this edition, we will focus on the value of taking a break. While we acknowledge that taking a break can be difficult due to busy schedules and the demands of multiple responsibilities, we encourage everyone to recognize that breaks can be hugely beneficial in a variety of ways.”

Black History Month

Aurora Grove continues to learn about Black history during Black History Month.  

Grade 2 students learned about Rosa Parks and her courage to stand up for equal rights. 

Our grade 6 students are learning about the history and journey of enslaved black people. They are creating a symbolic "Train to Freedom" railroad all along the second floor. They are working on understanding terms like segregation, racism, and oppression. They are learning about the journey, struggles, and culture of black people in Canada through a historical lens including those who lived Africville in Nova Scotia. 

Lunar New Year

Aurora Grove enjoyed a Chinese Lion Dance to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Everyone had a great time experiencing such a beautiful and fun tradition and learning about the Lunar New Year!

  

Yut Nori

To celebrate the Korean New Year, students and staff learned how to play Yut Nori. This is a traditional game played in Korea, especially during the Korean New Year. Everyone had so much fun!

  

  

  

  

Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 is Pink Shirt Day.

Pink Shirt Day emphasizes kindness and the importance of lifting each other up.

The origins of this day trace back to 2007, when Nova Scotia secondary students David Shepherd and Travis Price saw a grade nine student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. In an effort to stand up for the student, they purchased 50 pink shirts and distributed them to other students, who wore them in solidarity. Since David and Travis’ act of kindness in 2007, the spirit of their effort has grown each year. Over the past number of years, people in almost 180 countries shared their support of Pink Shirt Day through social media posts and donations. (For more information, visit the official website for Pink Shirt Day.)

Please encourage your child to wear a Pink shirt to school on Wednesday, February 28. Let’s engage in kindness and stand up to bullying next Wednesday and every day!

Lunch Program - Time To Order

Have you ordered your next lunch package yet?

Since orders are purchased as a package, refunds cannot be issued due to student absences. 

Please note: Orders will be due on Wednesday, March 6th at 12:00pm. 

You can find each option in SchoolCash Online.

Please get your order in before the deadline as orders after this date will not be accepted. There will be no refunds.