Category: Children’s Garden School (CGS)

LRT Construction Worker Hokey Pokey

Underground at Laird Station

southwest corner of Laird and Eglinton

Staff and students at Children’s Garden School on Eglinton had some special visitors last week, Natalie from Metrolinx and Krista from Crosslinx. They were at the school to talk to staff and students about the building of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The children loved it. They learned about cut and cover construction and how much more efficient the LRT will be at moving people across the City. They also learned about how the construction of the LRT is being managed, how tunnels are built, what it’s like for construction workers labouring underground and much more. Did you know that the digging of the tunnels goes for 24 hours a day, every day, or that it takes 15 minutes to walk the stairs back to the surface if the workers need to go to the bathroom or make a phone call? Natalie and Krista created a great presentation, totally appropriate for preschool to grade three children. The JKs and SKs even played Construction Worker Hokey Pokey. The children asked great questions and left feeling inspired about how things are made and how important public transit is. Metrolinx is on target to open for September 2021. We all look forward to the completion of the project so people can start moving freely along Eglinton again. There are plans to beautify Eglinton and add bike lanes as well. The videos here show work at Laird Station. This behind-the-scenes look is exciting. Interested in a Metrolinx presentation at your school? Contact Natalie.

The students over at Children’s Garden School are definitely in the holiday spirit after their performances of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Scrooge was taken on a journey through his life, past, present and future. Along the way he learned the meaning of Christmas and how to be generous. Well done performers! For more information about CGS and their performance arts curriculum, contact Kelly Scott at kscott@cgsschool.com.

Ebenezer Scrooge we presume

Cast of many

Dapper gentlemen

Bob and Scrooge

Merry Christmas

In the holiday spirit

Christmas Present

Well done performers!

What’s your theory?

Young scientist

Eggs? What better?

Reporting his findings

Fascinating water

How electrostatic charges effect bubbles

It was a busy week for CGS scientists last week. They had been charged with answering puzzling questions. Why does salt melt ice, where do the stars go during the day, what’s the effect of temperature on water volume and what are eggs made of? CGS students presented their findings to judges, teachers, parents and their peers at the 2018 CGS Science Fair. The young scientists were well prepared and knew their experiments back to front. It was very clear how much fun they had discovering the answers. It was especially wonderful to see the peer-to-peer learning that took place. The Science Fair is mandatory for Grades 1-3 students and optional for SK students. There were 12 SK students presenting this year, the most ever. Congratulations to all. May your love of science continue to grow. For more information about Children’s Garden School on Eglinton contact Kelly Scott, Director of Admission at CGS at kscott@cgsschool.com.

Look at this

Unlike my opponent

Candidates and staff

Students at Children’s Garden School in Leaside have elected their student government for the year, taking tips from the Toronto General Election which will be held Monday. Word is that one CGS candidate for school mayor even got an endorsement from John Tory. The annual exercise on civic duty and democracy saw students from Grades 1 to 4 participate in the annual October election. The kids campaign for two weeks for the positions of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councilor (one for each grade). On election day, candidates give a speech to their classmates. This year these addresses were of typically high quality — funny, engaging and heartfelt. Voting took place directly after with the new government announced before lunch.  School administrators offered congratulations to all candidates for their bravery and commitment to the process. CGS kids encourage you to vote next Monday.

My friends!

Principal Marie Bates with candidates

This election is important

I pledge to do my best

Music, leadership, fun

Anthony McLean

Parents told to be coaches

Children engaged, entertained

Rapper, YouTuber and motivational speaker

The CGS community was entertained and enlightened by rapper, YouTuber and motivational speaker Anthony McLean last week. McLean has delivered presentations across Canada, the US and Australia. He combines powerful teaching, practical strategies, and Hip Hop music for a high-energy presentation that audiences love. Anthony’s favourite topics are leadership, mental health, and bullying.  It was a great way for CGS families to begin the school year.  He spoke to the children at CGS about bullying and conflict (and how they aren’t the same thing). The children learned strategies to deflect hurtful situations and people. They were told to always ask themselves if they are helping or hurting in any given situation. They learned that “it starts with me.”

PARENTS AS COACHES

For the parents, Anthony focussed on raising children who possess the life skills to be move into the world with confidence and the ability to function independently. Anthony used the analogy of a “baby elephant.” In this era of helicopter parenting, the message was incredibly timely. Anthony urged CGS parents to think of themselves as “coaches” training their children to be independent. If you ever have the chance to hear Anthony speak, or you are looking for a dynamic presentation at your school, find out if he is available. Learn more here.

Local private school, Children’s Garden School (CGS) on Eglinton, has announed that its R+ Reading Clinic will be available during the school year. The Remediation + Clinic is intended for children, ages 4-9, who are experiencing particular difficulty processing language and require one-on-one, specialized, in-depth instruction based on the science of reading. (If you aren’t sure if this clinic would be appropriate for your child, CGS will arrange for an assessment.) Clinic hours are after school and on Saturdays. It is open to CGS students and students not currently attending CGS. Paula and Jordan, certified CGS Remediation + clinicians and classroom teachers at CGS, are looking forward to working with their clinic students this fall. If you would like your child to get a jump start on the coming academic school year, summer clinic hours are still available on Wednesdays between 9am-4pm. Please contact the school for more information at 416-423-5017 or info@cgsschool.com

Principal Marie Bates with graduates

Congratulations to everyone over at CGS on their final assembly and graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 14. The joyous event marked the end of another year of fun and hard work

Stuents, parents , friends and teacher crowd assembly

Paying attention

Friends forever

Congratulations graduates!

Success

Principal Marie Bates offered guidance of author William Martin

Principal Marie Bates closed the ceremony with the wise words of author William Martin.

Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Show then how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself ~ William Martin

Rollicking fun

Audience rapt

It takes a village

Lines learned

High point

Super make believe

Poignant moment

Ensemble

The Performance Arts are alive and well at CGS on Eglinton Ave. The children just wrapped up their charming production of Beauty and the Beast. They have been rehearsing since the end of March and the careful hours of preparation clearly showed. Their characters were well developed (the show was full of laughs and poignant moments). The musical numbers were rollicking fun, the costumes were colourful and creative and the set was magical. Well done actors, directors, set designers and stage managers. The CGS musical is open to children as young as five and pulling off a production of this calibre takes a true village. Learn more about CGS here.

At Holland-Bloorview pool

Goggle me down

Consultation

Look out!

Champs to be

Determination

Softball

Pals

It was a very sporty week over at Children’s Garden School on Eglinton this week. The JK’s and SK’s love their Term 3 Tennis Club, the Grade 1-3’s had their ‘clothes on’ session at Holland-Bloorview Pool and, now that the weather has finally turned, they also headed over to Leaside Field for their first baseball day. The senior students at CGS are also training for their upcoming Track & Field Championships on May 29. Learn more here. Everyone is so happy that spring is here and it is time to be outside.

Courageous run 38 years ago

Fred Fox with CGS students and JK teacher and Terry Fox Run coordinator Sara Adamson

Fred leaves a message

CGS assembly

Video of run contained sound of Terry”s footfalls

It was a special morning for the children at Children’s Garden School on Eglinton had last Friday. Fred Fox, the brother of Canadian legend Terry Fox, came to speak with staff and students. It will be CGS’s 20th run in October 2018 and Fred very kindly came to acknowledge this achievement on behalf of the Terry Fox Foundation. The CGS community has collectively raised over $140,000 for cancer research to date. For a school of 100 students on average each year, this is an exceptional accomplishment. Fred’s talk included personal stories from his life growing up with his brother. He also showed a video featuring the close up sound of Terry’s footfalls. It was an extraordinarily moving video that perfectly captured the sheer physical endurance that every footstep required of Terry.

TERRY’S BROTHER MOVED BY VIDEO

Fred hadn’t seen the video in over a year and he was visibly moved along with the rest of the CGS audience. Some of the most recent CGS Terry Fox Award recipients were thrilled to have their picture taken with Fred as well. The Grade 2’s even stopped Fred as he was heading out the door to ask for his autograph. A special mention to JK teacher Sara Adamson for cultivating a beautiful culture of valuing perseverance, determination and courage in Terry’s name at CGS. This, along with Principal Marie Bates’s example of caring and giving to others, has made it possible for the CGS community to gather forces and make a real difference in Canadian cancer research. Learn more about CGS here or call 416 423 5017.

Teacher Ceci shows students how

Fully engaged

Same here

The Visual Arts are alive and well at CGS on Eglinton. The Grade 3s are currently working on a very exciting project that will be on display at their upcoming Art Fair on May 4. They are making their very own stop & go motion videos. After creating a personalized set and characters, they were tasked by their teacher, Ceci Scott, with putting them into action. The children took up to 250 photos each to create the movement they wanted for their stories. Some of the videos include sound effects, music and credits. Making use of all of these elements has made for some really effective and fun videos and the children are feeling very proud of their creations. Check out the 2017 ‘Art Rocks’ Art Fair at CGS here. Looking for an increased focus on the arts for your child at school? Learn more about CGS here or call Kelly Scott, Director of Admission at 416 423 5017 x 43.