Bits and bites about our Leaside schools

  • Principals Mike Kennedy at Rolph PS and David Ehrlich at Northlea EMS are moving to new schools in the TDSB. Thank you Mike and David for your contributions to our schools. I would like to introduce the new principals: Sandra LaRosa at Rolph and Barbara Sandler at Northlea. Both are outstanding educators who will continue the reputation of these great schools.
  • The Student Engagement Com-mittee at Bessborough EMS is composed of Grade 6 to 8 students who want to make a difference. The committee focuses on three main areas: Advocacy: linking to the greater community; Legacy: spreading “positivity” throughout the school, and Fundraising: helping with specific school campaigns. The students are making a difference and learning real leadership.
  • The TD Bank honours exceptional high school students with a scholarship for community leadership. Only 20 students across Canada are selected. This year THREE Leaside HS students were the recipients of these scholarships! This is the first time in the scholarship’s history that three of the recipients attend the same school. (See page 20).

  • Western University offers five President’s Scholarships for student excellence. Western places great emphasis on contributions to the recipients’ schools and communities. Last year, Leaside HS student Kameela Alibhai was a recipient. This year, a second Leaside student, Gemma Postill, was awarded the same scholarship. This, too, has never happened before.
  • The Bennington Bulldog is a monthly newsletter providing info on activities at Bennington Heights ES. Traditionally, the newspaper was written by the principal, but the majority of the content is now provided by students in the Newspaper and Photography Clubs.
  • Rolph Road ES has a Grade 6 Leadership Team which has chosen the name “Leaders of Tomorrow.” Students are selected via an application, and of the 50 Grade 6 students, almost half are on the team. One aspect of their role is to work with Fernanda Pereira (social worker) and to team up with the Mental Health student group from Leaside HS to develop an action plan around student anxiety. Great leadership skills are being developed at both schools with this initiative.
  • May 24th until June 8th, Northlea students walked, ran, and hopped around the Northlea track collecting a popsicle stick for every lap. These Kilometre Club trackers then converted the collected sticks into kilometres. With the distance travelled, they made their way across Canada, celebrating a new city every day.
  • Congratulations to all the Grade 6 students at Bennington Heights and Rolph Road, the Grade 8 students at Bessborough and Northlea, and the Grade 12 students at Leaside HS!

Gerri Gershon is the Trustee, Don Valley West, for the TDSB.

About Gerri Gershon 17 Articles
Gerri Gershon is a retired TDSB Trustee, past president of the Canadian School Board Association, and a TNO board member.