Family Fun Night - May 3, 2018

Ridvan - April 21 -- May 2

Ridvan Ridvan (pronounced Riz-wan) is a twelve-day festival, the most important one of the Baha'i year.

Ridvan, which means "paradise", is the name of the garden in which Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, proclaimed His identity as a Messenger of God. This happened in 1863 as Baha'u'llah was about to be exiled from the city of Baghdad.

The twelve days of Ridvan, April 21 to May 2, commemorated the twelve days that Baha'u'llah spent in the Garden of Ridvan, on an island in The Tigris River. The First, Ninth, and Twelfth Days of Ridvan are considered significant holy days by Baha'is. The First Day (April 21) was the day that Baha'u'llah identified himself as a Messenger of God. On the Ninth Day (April 29), His family joined Him in preparation for the journey into exile. The Twelfth Day (May 2) represents the day that Baha'u'llah and His family were banished from Baghdad to Constantinople.

On the three holy days of Ridvan, Baha'is all over the world gather together to remember this joyous time in Baha'u'llah's life (He spent the majority of His life in prison, and was exiled four times). Baha'is recite prayers, sing, read from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, and celebrate His life and teachings. Because of the global nature of the Baha'i Faith, rituals are discouraged. There are no specific foods, or activities associated with Ridvan, or any of the other Baha'i Holy Days.

An aspect of Baha'i administration is associated with the time of Ridvan. There is no clergy in the Baha'i Faith, so local Baha'i communities are administered by nine-member Local Spiritual Assemblies which are elected each year. These elections take place on the First Day of Ridvan.

We extend good wishes to all staff, students and members of the Baha’i community who will be celebrating Ridvan.

Vaisakhi

 Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, is celebrated in April every year. Vaisakhi is also celebrated in some other parts of India, particularly in some of the northern and eastern states.

For Sikhs, Vaisakhi celebrates the birth of the Panth Khalsa order (the Order of the Pure Ones) established by Guru Gobind Singh. It is at this time that Guru Gobind Singh gave the Khalsa order the five distinct symbols of purity and courage which would make Sikhs identifiable: the Kesh (unshorn hair); Kangha (the wooden comb); Karra (the iron bracelet); Kirpan (the sword) and Kachera (underclothing). 

Some of the ways that this day is traditionally honoured include visiting a place of worship, participating in a mela (fair), indulging in mithai (sweets), fruits and lassi (a sweet yogurt drink), and taking a ritual bath or renewal. We extend good wishes to all staff, students and members of the Sikh and Indian communities who will be celebrating Vaisakhi. 

Community Ambassador Training Program - Revised

Upcoming Events in the Music Program!

Our students have been hard at work preparing for some upcoming performances!  Our Intermediate Band has been rehearsing all year in preparation for our first festival, Music Alive.  We will be performing two songs for an audience made up of students from other schools.  We will also be receiving useful feedback from an adjudicator who will help us improve our future performances.  We will be performing at the YCDSB Centre for Performing Arts, 525 New Westminster Drive in Thornhill from 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Thursday, April 19.  This performance is free and open to parents and family members.

Music Monday is also fast approaching!  Dozens of students in small groups have begun rehearsing songs they have selected to play in our concert.  These students will work extremely hard during recesses to perfect their pieces so we can put on the best concert possible.  We will also be singing the Music Monday song, “Sing It Together” along with other schools across the country.  Any family and friends are welcome to attend our concert at SSPS on Monday, May 7, starting at 1:00pm.

Islamophobia Sub-Committee

Antisemitism Sub-Committee

Easter – April 6-8 (Eastern)

Christianity observes its most important holidays of the year between April 6 – 8th for the Eastern Julian calendar.

Holy Friday on April 6th, commemorates the passion of Jesus Christ. The Eastern churches focus on the burial.

Many of the traditions that bond generations together in the Orthodox tradition occur during the celebration of Easter. One of the most prominent rituals of the Orthodox Easter is the forty-day Lenten fast, where no meat or dairy is eaten. The fast is typically broken on Sunday morning at 1 or 2 a.m. following the evening Church service where candles are lit and a celebratory hymn is sung in the honour of the resurrection of Christ.

We join you in wishing a Happy Easter to all staff, students and community members who will celebrate Easter in the Orthodox tradition.

Regional Parent Symposium

Annual Regional Parent Symposium – “Parent Voice Matters!” April 4, 2018 All families are invited to join us tonight online for live streaming of the Regional Parent Symposium – “Parent Voice Matters” opening ceremonies starting at 6 pm and the two workshops below. 1.   How Families and Schools Can Together Promote Belonging (Gr. K-12) – Michelle Cassidy (Live Streamed at 6:40 p.m.)          2.   Town Hall (Gr. K-12) – Paul Woods and Scott Milne (Live Streamed at             7:50 pm)          We hope you can join us online tonight for some great learning.          http://www.yrdsb.ca/Parents/Pages/ParentSymposium.aspx

It’s time to remind children about being safe in our community.

It’s a good time for parents to remind children about personal safety. 

Here's what children need to know:

• Their name, age, telephone number, address, city and province.  This can be done through rhyme or song.
• How to contact their parents at any time, by memorizing cell or work numbers.
• How and under what circumstances to call 911.
• To never approach or enter a stranger's vehicle.  A responsible adult would never ask a child for directions or any other question for that matter.
• Make sure they know they have a right to say "no" to an adult, especially when the adult is asking them to do something they have been taught is wrong or feels uncomfortable.  Reminding children of this right is important because children are taught from a young age to respect adults.
• To always tell parents where they will be and to never enter someone's home without their parent's permission.
• If home alone, never admit it when answering the phone. Never answer a knock at the door or speak through it.  Adults can be very persuasive.  Teach your child to call you if there is a knock at the door and if they fear for their safety, teach them to call 911.  Make sure they know that police officers are there to help them and would not get mad if it were a false alarm.
• If they think they are being followed or are in danger they should run home or to a public place.  If someone grabs them, they should try to get away, yelling and screaming while doing so.
• It is important to play in safe areas, never take shortcuts and stick with a buddy whenever possible.

It is never too early or too late to teach children the importance of personal safety.  Common sense, communication and consistency are the keys. Remind children to alert a responsible adult if something strange happens that makes them feel uncomfortable. Remember, crime prevention is everyone's responsibility.

For more information on this subject, visit www.yrp.ca.