May 2024 Newsletter

Important School Dates

• Monday May 6th: late start (see Canvas for the timetable for this day)
• Friday May 17th: PD Day
• Monday May 20th: Victoria Day (school closed)
• Wednesday May 22nd: Ontario Universities Virtual Sessions

Noteworthy Dates

• Wednesday May 1st: School Principal Day
• May 6th-10th: Teacher Appreciation Week
• Sunday May 12th: Mother’s Day

Birthdays

• Jack

Jump Start Volunteer Opportunity

Keystone students have the opportunity to participate in this volunteer experience, and we highly recommend it to any students still needing to complete their compulsory 40 hours of community service.

• Jump Start Volunteer Opportunity at the Canadian Tire in the Eaton Centre for the month of June
• Raising money for under-privileged children to buy sports equipment for local sports activities.
• Evening and Weekend hours available
• See Miss G to sign up!

Waterloo Fermat Math Contest

We would like to wish a huge congratulations to two of our grade 11 students, Pouria and Vadim.

They completed the Waterloo Fermat math contest in February and achieved excellent results, both receiving recognition and certificates of distinction.

We are so proud of their accomplishments!

Total Solar Eclipse – Niagara Falls Field Trip

On Monday April 8th, we were lucky enough to travel as a school to Niagara Falls to witness the total solar eclipse firsthand, in person. This was a wonderful, once in a lifetime opportunity, and several of our students who had never seen Niagara Falls were particularly excited to visit this awesome landmark.

Springtime in the Park

On April 25th, two of our classes travelled to High Park to view the budding cherry blossoms and to visit Colborne Lodge.

Trip to French Canada

This April, several of our students took a trip to French Canada and visited locations in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City. It was wonderful for them to have a chance to engage in some culture exchange and experience other popular tourist areas in the country.

Science Fair

Last month, we held a science fair at the school. Our science classes put together exhibits on important topics, particularly those to do with the environment and climate change. This was a fun and interactive learning experience for all students and staff.

Earth Day Clean Up

We commemorated Earth Day at the school by engaging in a clean up of two parks located near our new campus in The Annex area of Toronto. The students did something wonderful for the community while also enjoying time in the fresh air and nature. This activity also acted as a reinforcement of our Gold EcoSchools Canada status. You can read more about our Earth Day activities in our new blog post here.

The History Behind Victoria Day

On Monday May 20th, we will be observing the Victoria Day statutory holiday in Canada. But do you know why we have this particular holiday?

The day is intended to commemorate the birthday of Queen Victoria, who was born on May 24th, 1819. She was the longest reigning British monarch until recently, when Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her, and she was queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 until her death in 1901 at 81 years old.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of her reign was her marriage to Prince Albert. Unlike many monarchs at the time, Queen Victoria chose to marry Prince Albert for love, rather than duty or obligation, and she actually proposed to him, which was a rarity in the 19th century. The couple went on to have 9 children during their lives together, and they are still recognized as one of the most famous couples of the time period.

If you are interested in learning more about Queen Victoria, you can have a chat with Mrs. Janille who completed her Master’s degree with a focus in Victorian literature. She can provide you with many recommendations of wonderful pieces of literature from the latter half of the 19th century, including Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.