The Gledhill Guardian

Summary

Thank you to all the parents who joined our first School Advisory Council meeting of the year on September 30th, both in person and online! We welcomed Principal Richard Ng and Vice-Principal Melissa Hunter and discussed plans and priorities for the 2026/27 school year.

Parent Council Executive: Mark S (Chair), Jonathan P (Treasurer) and Julie A (Secretary) were acclaimed to their positions. Lian N and Suzanne C will lead Communications, Maili S and Dorothy will lead Eco Club, Amy L will chair the Social Committee, Suzanne C will coordinate volunteers, and Megan M will lead Grants.

Council approved funding for Drama with Jeff ($4,050) and Eco Club ($300), and discussed Chess & Math, Pizza Lunches, Movie Nights, the yearbook, Family Fest, Grade 5 graduation and the hot lunch program. We’re also looking for parents interested in helping with Family Fest, volunteering, and other school events throughout the year.

A big thank you to all of our parent volunteers and everyone who continues to support Gledhill!

Minutes

Gledhill Public School 

2026/2027 School Year

School Advisory Council Meeting 1 – September 30, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Attendance 

Administration and Faculty: Richard Ng (Principal), Melissa Hunter (Vice-Principal), Mr. Fowler (Teacher Rep)

Executive: Mark S- Chair, Jonathan P– Treasurer, Julie A – Secretary 

General: Claire Z, Karolina K, Linda H, Olivia O, Maili S, Neil M, Fanny M, Dave M, Ryan J, Megan T, Jen O, Jess B, Kristen G, Rosemary F, Devon A, Leanna P, Megan M, Suzanne C, Erin K, Lian N, Ashleigh B. In addition, 16 parents participated virtually but were not recorded.

Welcome/review of minutes/review of year ahead (Mark S)

Mark thanked parents for attending – it was the largest turnout in recent years including over 16 participants online. 

Thank you to Josh and Xander from Danforth Technical School for providing childcare! 

Introduction of new administrators (Mark S)

Principal’s message (Melissa Hunter and Richard Ng)

• Principal Ng and Vice Principal Hunter introduced themselves and their educational experience. 
• Principal Ng noted that he sends a weekly newsletter on Fridays (Thursdays when there is a PA day).

Treasurer’s report (Jonathan P)

• Gledhill Parent Council has two bank accounts – CIBC account – Parent Council Account – Principal a signatory on account. BMO account – to allow for e-transfer. 
• Currently, $29,000 in both accounts. Will be adjusted slightly for outdoor movie night expenses and revenues.  
• $57,000 in revenues during 25/26 school year. 
• Main revenue generating activities – family fest, silent auction, pizza days. 
• Other activities in 2025/26 included a parent social, a smaller silent auction. 
• Main spending in 2025/26 – Drama with Jeff and Chess and Math – around $14,000.
• Jonathan has full record of transactions available to parents and teachers on request.

Elections to Parent Council (Mark S) 

• Mark S, Jonathan P, and Julie A were acclaimed as President, Treasurer and Secretary 
• Communications Leads – Lian N and Suzanne C
• Eco Club- Maili S and Dorothy
• Social Committee Chair – Amy L
• Volunteer Coordinator – Suzanne C (looking for another lead)
• Grants – Megan M 

Note – all parents who attend Parent Council get a vote on motions! All Gledhill parents are welcome.

Funding items for coming year (discussion)

• At the last Parent Council meeting of 25/26 (June 15), Parent Council – approved $250 for classrooms. 
• Discussion about Drama with Jeff, which has already started for this year. 
• Discussion about Chess and Math Program – teacher feedback that grade 1s may benefit from a different structure and more simplified instruction, and that the school could explore different options for the tournament at the end of the program. Prent Council will vote on Chess funding at the next meeting.

• Motion: Fund Drama with Jeff for the 2026/2027 school year (~$4,050)
  • Moved by Mark S, seconded by Linda H.  Approved unanimously
• Action: Mr. Fowler will ask teachers about funding needs.  
• Action: Parent Council to discuss skate day funding at a future meeting. 
• Action: Parents and teachers to let Megan M know if there is a pressing need for a grant (sports, eco, arts are common funding areas) so she can research options. 
• Action: Julie A. will work with Vice Principal, Ms. Meecham and the Chess and Math vendor to discuss the contract and if options for grade 1. 

Pizza lunch update (Linda H)

• Linda and Sydney will coordinate pizza lunch ordering and volunteers for the 26/27 year.
• 30 return volunteers.
• Ordering for the first four lunches is available on School Cash Online.

• Action: Linda and Sydney will consider increasing pizza days to twice a month in the new year.
• Action: Dave M, Devon A and Ashley volunteered to be ‘anchor people’ who will commit to volunteering at each pizza day if the number of days is increased.

Movie nights (Mark for Claire and Maria)

• Thank you to David Markle (DavidMarkle.ca) for sponsoring Movie Night. 
• Thank you to volunteers.
• 400 people attended.
• $1100 raised. 
• Proposed dates for movie nights – Friday December 4^th (won’t work because of Hannukah) and February 19^th. Consider a Thursday for one of the dates. 

• Action: Claire and Maria to propose an alternate date in December for movie night (possibly a Thursday) and plan for February 19, 2027.

Student yearbook update (Suzanne C)

• Suzanne C will work with the administration to know if students have a media consent form. Parents taking pictures for yearbook need to be mindful of consent.
• Shared drive will be used for yearbook photos.
• Will start process earlier, so that pictures aren’t taken of kids who haven’t signed media consents. 

• Action: Parents to let Suzanne know if you have events throughout the year that can be included in the yearbook.
• Action: Principal Ng to add a message to a future email to let parents that did not sign a media release form that they can opt-in to pictures being included in the yearbook.

Eco Club (Erin S)

• Erin thanked the parent community for support with eco club, including watering plants over the summer. 
• Maili and Dorothy will take over this function. 
• New holiday décor for school will be needed in December.

• Motion: Approve eco-club funds for the 2026/27 year ($300).
  •  Moved by Mark S, seconded by Neil M. Approved unanimously.

Family Fest 2027 (Jess B)

• Action: Let Jess know if you are interested in leading Family Fest organization for the 26/27 school year.

Class of 2027 sweaters (Jen O)

• Jen and Lindsay will coordinate sweater organizing for grade 5 students.
• Jen and Lindsay will also organize the grade 5 graduation celebration. 

• Action: Jen and Lindsay will present to a future meeting with the budget for the graduation celebration.

Other business

• Hot lunch – Principal and Vice Principal were concerned that under the previous model, that student runners would pick up and deliver lunch on instructional time. 

• Action: Vice Principal Hunter and Principal Ng will ask Balmy Beach administration who they use for hot lunch and what the process is. 
• Action: Vice Principal Hunter and Principal Ng will call the vendor to find out options for hot lunch distribution, as well as consider other vendors such as Lunch Lady. 

1. Please make sure to sign and submit your Walking Permission form, either online or hard copy, in order for your child to participate in tomorrow’s, Friday, October 2nd, Terry Fox walk.

2. On Monday, we had a virtual meeting with Terry’s niece, Kirsten! We had a chance to ask her some questions, and learned many things from our time with her.

3. So far, Gledhill has raised almost 40% of our goal! That’s $4,000. Thank you very much to everyone who has submitted their donations online (https://schools.terryfox.ca/GledhillPSToronto) and if you haven’t already, there’s still time to do so! Every dollar counts to help fund cancer research.

4. Donations will automatically enter students into a draw for several Terry Fox t-shirts!

Wednesday, September 30th is Orange Shirt Day.  It also marks the 6th annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, which was passed by legislation this summer to become a federal statutory holiday. However, Gledhill JR PS will be at school and acknowledging this day.

Established in 2013, Orange Shirt Day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, who was excited to wear her new orange shirt to her first day of school in 1973. However, when she arrived at St. Joseph Mission Residential School, her shirt was taken and never returned. From that day forward, the colour orange, for Phyllis, reminded her of that moment, how her feelings didn’t matter, how she felt like she wasn’t worth anything and that no one cared for the children who were crying about it that day.

Now, on this day, we recognize the legacy and impact of the residential schools system on First Nations, Métis and Inuit families and communities.

We acknowledge the legacy of residential schools in Canada by wearing orange and we honour the survivors. We remember the thousands of children who were murdered and buried in unmarked graves.

Gledhill School Council is excited to once again offer Pizza Lunch days for all students who wish to participate (Kindergarten – Grade 5). 

We had great feedback on last year’s ordering process, and will continue with that for this year. 

The 1st ordering window started this week and ends on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. This will cover the following pizza days:

Friday, October 23, 2026

Friday, November 27, 2026

Friday, January 29, 2027

Friday, February 26, 2027

The 2nd ordering window will be sent out sometime in February and cover the following pizza days:

Thursday, March 25, 2027

Friday, April 30, 2027

Friday, May 21, 2027

Friday, June 18, 202

Here are the details: 

– Pizza is supplied by Pizza Pizza

– Your choice of cheese, pepperoni, halal pepperoni, dairy-free cheese, or cheese with gluten-free crust

– $3 per slice (up to three slices per student per month may be ordered)

– Orders are placed through SchoolCash Online (you will receive an email directly from SchoolCash Online so check your junk mail if you cannot find it; alternatively, you can register/sign in here: https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com)

– When you place your order it will be the same order for all 4 pizza lunches

Order Deadline for first 4 pizza lunches: Wednesday, October 14, 2026. 

Kindly note that pizza orders cannot be changed once they have been placed, and there are no refunds for students who miss their lunch or who are absent on Pizza Lunch day. Be sure to place your order in advance as pizza will NOT be available for sale on the day of the Pizza Lunch. 

Please continue to send snacks and drinks with your student(s) on these days, as only pizza will be offered for those who have placed an order.

All pizza orders contribute to Gledhill School Council’s fundraising efforts – thank you for supporting Gledhill and our students!

Should you have any questions about Pizza Lunches, please email thegledhillguardian@gmail.com

P.S. Pizza Lunch days are organized and executed by a wonderful group of Gledhill parent volunteers. It is a great way to get involved in the school community, meet other families and support our students. If you’re interested in helping with Pizza Lunch day or want to learn more about volunteering at Gledhill, please email thegledhillguardian@gmail.com

REMINDER: The first meeting of Gledhill Parent Council for the year, along with elections for executive committee members, takes place this Wednesday, September 30 from 6:30-8pm at Gledhill and online. All are welcome, particularly parents who are new to the school or have students in younger grades. Student success depends on your involvement.

To join the meeting remotely, click this link: 

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/218380561849182?p=t5LOzVtJDRvObDbE74

Meeting ID: 218 380 561 849 182

Passcode: jb7a343x

The meeting takes place in the Gledhill library. Please enter from the main doors on Gledhill Avenue. Childcare and cheese pizza will be available for this meeting in the staff room across the hall. So please bring your children for fun and free food, supervised by volunteer high school students. The meeting is an opportunity for you to connect with other parents, ask questions, share concerns and talk about planning and funding for the 2026/2027 school year.

Nominations are open for executive and committee chair positions on school council. Please put your name forward if you are interested in helping out the school and creating a wonderful school year for kids. They deserve it. Simply fill out this nomination form and attend the meeting if you are interested in one or more of the roles on council.

If you are interested in volunteering at Gledhill events more generally, but can’t commit to a specific role on Parent Council, please fill out this form. We’d love for you to get involved!

When attending the meeting, please consider some ideas that you’d like Parent Council to fund for Gledhill students this year. We traditionally fund things like drama, chess, school buses and in-class support, but we’d also really love some new input!

The agenda for Wednesday is:

• Welcome / review of minutes / review of year ahead
• Introduction of new administrators
• Principal’s message
• Treasurer’s report
• Elections to Parent Council
• Funding items for coming year (discussion)
• Pizza lunch update
• Movie nights
• Student yearbook update
• Eco Club
• Family Fest 2027!
• Class of 2027 sweaters
• Open discussion about the coming year

Thank you for your involvement and participation with the Gledhill community.

Yours,

Mark Sedore, Gledhill Parent Council Chair

🙌 A BIG thank you to our wonderful sponsors!
We’re grateful for the support of F45 Training Upper Beaches and David Markle, Real Estate
Broker, who are helping make this community event possible.

❤️ Want to help out?
We’d love some extra hands to make the evening run smoothly. Volunteers are welcome!
Sign up to volunteer

We hope to see you there! 🍿🎬✨

Gledhill School Council

It’s hard to believe that summer has flown by and that tomorrow marks the first day back to school — or the very first day of Kindergarten for our new JK students! We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer filled with park visits, BBQs, adventures, and, hopefully, some well-deserved downtime with family and friends.

While our students were enjoying the summer, Gledhill’s plants, vegetable gardens, and flower beds were lovingly cared for by Mme. Leclerc and our dedicated parent volunteers. Merci beaucoup for helping keep our school grounds looking so beautiful!

We’re also delighted to give a big Gledhill welcome to our new Principal, Richard Ng, and our new Vice-Principal, Melissa Hunter! We look forward to getting to know you, welcoming you into our community, and showing you plenty of that famous Gledhill Tiger spirit.

As we begin a new school year, we wish all of our students and families a smooth and happy transition back to school. Whether you’re starting Kindergarten, returning for another year, or beginning your final year at Gledhill, we’re excited for all that the year ahead will bring.

Here’s to a wonderful school year filled with learning, friendship, laughter, and new adventures. We can’t wait to see the incredible things our Gledhill Tigers will accomplish this year!

Welcome back, Tigers! 🐯

June is Pride Month at the TDSB! Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate diversity and raise awareness amongst all staff and students about the rich and varied intersecting identities, cultures and histories of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Gledhill will have its own Pride Parade this afternoon!

Pride is a time for TDSB students, staff, and families to continue learning about Queer history, joy, excellence, and resilience; it is a time to celebrate the diversity that exists in every school community across the TDSB. It is also an opportunity to highlight the varied issues related to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities as well as the impact of homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia on TDSB students, staff, and community members. 

Queer and Trans Pride center Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and agender (2SLGBTQIA+) people through the celebratory affirmation of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The movement has three main premises:

• People should be proud of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression
• Diversity is a gift, and
• Sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. 

The abbreviated Gay Pride and Pride have since become mainstream and shorthand expressions inclusive of all individuals in various 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The modern “Pride” movement began after the “Stonewall Uprising” in 1969. Instead of backing down to unconstitutional raids by New York Police, drag queens and queer street kids protested, resisted, and stood up for themselves. While it was a violent situation, it gave the underground community the first sense of communal pride in a well-publicized incident.

From the yearly parade that commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall protests began a national grassroots movement. Today, many countries around the world celebrate pride.

In Toronto, the first “Gay Day Picnic” held at Hanlan’s Point in 1971 was a fundraising drive to support community members heading to Ottawa to raise awareness. In 1978, Toronto had its first Pride Day at Cawthra Park, and by 1986, more than 10,000 people had celebrated Pride Day at Cawthra Park under the theme of “Forward Together.” 

Since its inception in 1981, the first Pride Parade in Toronto, the Pride movement has furthered the cause of queer and trans rights by lobbying politicians, registering voters, and increasing visibility to educate on issues important to queer and trans communities. The Pride Movement advocates for equality, human rights, protection from discrimination and violence, respect and dignity for people of all genders and sexual identities. 

The Urban Indigenous Education Centre, TDSB Gender & Sexual Diversity Team, TDSB GSA Network, TDSB Professional Support Services, TDSB Human Rights Office, the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement and the Equity, Anti-Racism, and Anti-Oppression Team encourage everyone to have a safe and celebratory Pride! Staff are encouraged to use the curriculum resources below to educate and promote equity for diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. 

We look forward to celebrating Pride 2026 all month with all our 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff, and allies!

The final meeting of parent council for 2025-2026 takes place on Monday, June 15 from 6:30-8pm in the Gledhill library and online. Please enter from the main doors on Gledhill Avenue. Please note that, because of high school exams, childcare will unfortunately not be available at this meeting.

Parent Council is an opportunity for you to connect with other parents, ask questions, share concerns and learn about the many things happening for students at Gledhill. At this meeting we will be discussing funding priorities for next year, and this year’s Grade Five grad. Please join us! Student success depends on your involvement.

Remote participation is also an option. To join by video please see the link in the Gledhill newsletter sent by Principal Minos.

This meeting’s agenda is:

Chairs’ Welcome

Principal’s Message

Treasurer’s Report

Family Fest & Silent Auction review

Funding priorities for 2026/2027 

Movie nights for 2026/2027

Eco Club

Grade 5 Grad

Other Business / Looking forward to next year.

Thank you to everyone in our community who came together to make this year’s Family Fest such a grand success! The students had a blast and it was the biggest and best yet!

We look forward to seeing you this Monday.

Co-Chairs,

Farhaan Ladhani and Mark Sedore

It’s that time of the year when the Eco-team is looking for local families who are interested and able in watering the veggie and pollinator gardens at Gledhill. 

If you can commit to watering the gardens for one week or more weeks, we need you! 

What is required?!

Two small raised veggie gardens, a new pollinator garden and the beautiful Terry Fox gardens (maintained by Erin Spencer) require regular summer watering (all located at the front of the school).  

It is best for the plants to water during the morning (before 9am or after 2 pm, when the sun has gone around the school. 

If your week is a very hot, sunny dry week, we request that you aim to water every second day.  If your week has had rain, you can wait two days then water, depending on whether more rain falls. 

Volunteers will be provided with access to the small garden shed where watering keys, hoses and containers are kept.  

We will schedule from Sunday to Saturday of July and August.  

Please send Mme Leclerc an email with your availability at Chantal.Leclerc@tdsb.on.ca

June 27th to July 4th

June 5th to 11th

June 12th to 18th

June 19th to 25th

June 26th to Aug. 1st

Aug 2st to Aug 8th

Aug 9th to Aug 15th

Aug 16th to Aug 22nd

Aug. 23rd to Aug 29th

Aug.30th to Sept.7th.  

Many thanks in advance for your time and help!!