What’s happening in the Lower School

June 2025

Hopefully, June will have fewer rainy days! ☔ As we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month. 

May 2025

• The Swim and Activity Program – Tuesday, April 29 – Tuesday, May 27 – continued to be a success for the Grades 1 to 3. This program includes a Tuesday morning of swim lessons, creative arts and gardening at Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. 

• The Lower School Senior Play (Musical) "Mean Girls", directed by Mr. Veleno, on Thursday, May 1, was excellent. 

• The final Grade 8 Career Workshop, Monday, May 12, run by Nikki Seaton, our Grade 8 parent, was interesting and enjoyed by our Grade 8 students. Thank you to the participants of the final workshop of the 24-25 academic year.

• The University of Waterloo Gauss Mathematics Test was written on Wednesday, May 14, by our Grade 6 to 8 students. We are very proud of our student scores, a result of the hard work by students and teachers and the academic advancement of the Saxon math program. 

• The Lower School Junior Play, Murder on the Orion Express, directed by Mr. Minty, was a wonderful success on Thursday, May 15. Both plays raised money for our grade 8 charities.

• Congratulations to the winners of our Speech Competition that took place on Thursday, May 22.

June 2025

• Junior Recital - Thursday, May 29. Our JK to Grade 4 students will perform music learned in music classes with Mr. Pace, our Music Teacher. Students will perform from 1:30 pm to about 2:45 pm. Parents are welcome to come.

• Sports Fest - Friday, May 30 – Grade 7 and 8 – This is a leadership initiative by one of our Grade 8 students. Mr Reda, our Gym teacher, will be the Lead Teacher on this project. 

• Kortright Centre trip for Grade 6 students - Monday, June 2, related to our Grade 6 science curriculum.

• Senior Recital - Wednesday, June 4. Our Grade 5 to Grade 8 students will perform music learned in music classes with Mr. Pace, our Music Teacher. Students will perform from 1:30 pm to about 2:45 pm. Parents are welcome to come.

• JuneFest - Friday, June 6, JK - Grade 8. This is an annual end-of-year fun day full of organized activities, group competitions and huge blow-up centres such as jumpy castles, slides, etc. Our students work together in multi-age groups to compete against groups of peers in a variety of fun and challenging activities. More details to come!

• Pride Week - Monday, June 9 - Friday, June 13. Students will hear morning messages related to information about LGBTQ+. Friday, June 13, is a dress down day - students can wear Pride Dress down clothes if they want.

• Wonderland Fun Trip Monday, June 9 for our Grade 8 students and The Bubble Fun Trip for our Grade 3 and 4s on Monday, June 9.

• Athletic Awards Tuesday, June 10 - 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - more information to come.

• High Park Trip for JK - Grade 2 Tuesday, June 10.

• Final Vaccination Day for the Grade 7s - Thursday, June 12. This is run by Toronto Public Health. These students have received their first vaccination doses in the fall and are completing their final doses June 12. 

• Exam Week for Grades 7 and 8 in History, Science and Math - Specific information on Exams will be sent in a separate email.

• END OF YEAR FUN TRIPS Monday, June 16 - Grade 7 Wonderland Trip, Grade 3-4 McMichael Art Gallery Trip, Grade 5-6 Activate Trip. Tuesday, June 17 - Grade 7 Tree Top Trekking Trip.

• Grade 8 End of Year Niagara Falls Trip - Monday, June 16 - Wednesday, June 18. This includes a Prom Night Celebration while on the trip.

• Grades 5 to 8 Awards and Grade 8 Awards and Graduation - Thursday, June 19 - more details to come.

• JK - to Grade 4 Awards Ceremony and SK Graduation - Friday, June 19 - more details to come.

May 2025

Happy MAY! 🌷🌷🌷

Spring is finally here. Our students can't wait to get out into the warmer weather. Recess is especially important to them :)

As we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month, April 2025. 

• Rehearsals for the Jr Play, Murder on the Orion Express (Director, Mr. Minty) and the Sr Play Mean Girls (Director, Mr. Veleno) continued. Rehearsals take place several times a week. 

• The 3rd Grade 8 Career Workshop Monday, April 7 – Nikki Seaton, our Grade 8 parent who leads this important initiative, was joined by Graham Walsh - Music Production, engineering, performing and composing, Uma Ghosh - Physiotherapist and Ben Seaton - Ceo, Media  Advertising Agency.

• Annual Lower School Art Show Thursday, April 10 – All elementary students contributed their artwork to our annual art show. Student art sold at the art show raised over $2,400 for the Grade 8 Charity Global Medics Canadian Wildfire Response. 

• Scientist in the School Tuesday, April 22 – Grade 5 – this workshop is related to the grade 5 science curriculum - an example of how we enhance our lower school curriculum with experiential learning.  

• Our Purolator Food Drive was a success! Thank you to Lynette Bavington for heading this. The idea was initiated by one of our Grade 7 students.

May 2025

• Swim and Activity Program – Tuesday, April 29 – Tuesday, May 27 – Grades 1 to 3. This program includes a Tuesday morning of swim lessons, creative arts and gardening at Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. 

• The Lower School Senior Play (Musical) "Mean Girls", directed by Mr. Veleno, will take place on Thursday, May 1. More details to come! 

• PD Day, Friday, May 2 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS.

• The 4rd Grade 8 Career Workshop Monday, May 12 – Nikki Seaton, our Grade 8 parent who leads this important initiative, will be joined by three Hudson parents who will speak about their career choices and their journey to achieve these careers.

• The University of Waterloo Gauss Mathematics Test, Wednesday, May 14. The Gauss Test is mandatory for our Grade 7 and 8 students. Grade 6 students who would like to write the test are able to do so. 

• The Lower School Junior Play, Murder on the Orion Express, directed by Mr. Minty, will take place on Thursday, May 15. More details to come!

• PD Day, Friday, May 16 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

• Victoria Day Holiday, Monday, May 19 - NO SCHOOL 

• Fort York History Trip - Wednesday, May 21 – Grade 7s – this is related to the grade 7 history curriculum.

• Speech Competition – Thursday, May 22, for students in Grades 4-8. We will have two separate competitions. One for students in Grades 4-6, and another one for students in Grades 7-8. More details to follow!

• Character Award Assembly Wednesday, May 28, Students in JK to Grade 8 will assemble to celebrate recipients of the Fairness Award.

• Junior Recital - Thursday, May 29. Our JK to Grade 4 students will perform music learned in music classes with Mr. Pace, our Music Teacher. More details to follow!

• Sports Fest - Friday, May 30 – Grade 7 and 8 – This is a leadership initiative by one of our Grade 8 students. The student put together a detailed proposal that I approved. Mr Reda, our Gym teacher, will be the Lead Teacher on this project. 

April 2025

Happy April! Our students seem well-rested and happy to return from their March Break. Spring is officially here, but the current weather does not seem to indicate this. Warm clothing is still needed.

As we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month, March 2025. 

• Rehearsals for the Jr Play, Murder on the Orion Express (Director, Mr. Minty) and the Sr Play Mean Girls (Director, Mr. Veleno) continue. Students and staff are very committed to the success of these plays.

• AGO Art Trip for Grade 7 students Thursday, March 6. Students informed me the trip was a success. This trip will be included as a regular element of our Grade 7 Art curriculum.

• Character Awards Wednesday, March 26 for Honesty. This is a very important character trait at Hudson as it is the foundation of trust between students, teachers and parents.

• Scientist in the Classroom Thursday, March 28 in the JK class. Scientific workshops are a regular feature of our primary and junior classrooms. It enables teachers to introduce working scientists into the classroom and for the students to engage with scientific concepts hands-on.

April 2025:

Black History and Anti-Racist Workshop Monday, March 31. This workshop was cancelled due to the snowstorm and rescheduled for the 31st This workshop has become part of our curriculum for Grades 5 to 8 students.

Rehearsals for the Jr Play, Murder on the Orion Express (Director, Mr. Minty) and the Sr Play Mean Girls (Director, Mr. Veleno) continue. Students and staff are very committed to the success of these plays. Rehearsals take place several times a week. Both plays will have access to a professional choreographer for dance routines.

The 3rd Grade 8 Career Workshop Monday, April 7 – Nikki Seaton, our Grade 8 parent who leads this important initiative will be joined by three Hudson parents who will speak about their career choices and their journey to achieve these careers.

Annual Lower School Art Show Thursday, April 10 – All elementary classes will contribute student artwork to our annual art show. Student art sold at the art show will benefit the Grade 8 charities. More information to come 

Easter Holidays – Friday, April 18 – Monday, April 21 No School

Scientist in the School Tuesday, April 22 – Grade 5 – this is related to the grade 5 science curriculum.

Swim and Activity Program – Tuesday, April 29 – Tuesday, May 27 – Grades 1 to 3. This program includes a Tuesday morning of swim lessons, creative arts and gardening at Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club.

Character Award Assembly Wednesday, April 30. Students in JK to Grade 8 will assemble to celebrate recipients of the Self-Discipline Award.

Scientist Workshop Friday, April 25 – Grade 6 – this is related to the Grade 6 science curriculum.

March 2025

Happy March!

February has proven to be a unique month. The amount of snow in Toronto has been quite out of the ordinary with respect to the snowfalls of recent years. This is only the second Snow Day experienced at Hudson since I joined the school 14 years ago. As we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month, February 2025.

• The 2nd Grade 8 Career Workshop on Monday, February 10 was a huge success. Thank you, Mark Knight, Darryl Spector and Aisling Whitaker for taking the time to speak to our Grade 8s. Our student feedback was very positive!

• Grade 7 Friendship Dance Wednesday, February 12. Our Grade 7M students hosted the Friendship Dance for their Grade 7 peers. The Grade 7s enjoyed the dance.

• Black History and Anti-Racist Workshop Thursday, February 13. This workshop was cancelled due to the snowstorm and is rescheduled for Monday, March 31st.

• Grade 8 HarbourFront Centre Trip on Wednesday, February 19. Students learned a lot about textile art and its representation in society. 

• Annual Lower School Science Fair on Monday, February 24. The science fair is a school-wide demonstration of our focus on science. It was very successful. Every year I raise the expectation in a specific area of the skills and knowledge based on feedback from the previous year. This year, the expectation was to have well-presented boards that were legible and informative and represented the scientific method accurately. We are very proud of our student’s achievements!

• Term 2 Report Cards for Lower School students were released to parents on Tuesday, February 25. We are proud of the work accomplished by our students.

• Character Award Assembly Wednesday, February 26. We celebrated the recipients of the Trustworthiness Award. I spoke at the assembly about the origin of Pink Shirt Day, about what bully behaviour looks like and what we can do to stop bullying behaviour. We also had a presentation from our Huskie Kitchen Dietitian (Clare Barker) on healthy eating.

March 2025:

Medieval Times Trip for Grades 3 to 5 on Friday, February 28.

Rehearsals for the Jr Play, Murder on the Orion Express (Director, Mr. Minty) and the Sr Play Mean Girls (Director, Mr. Veleno) continue. Students and staff are very committed to the success of these plays.

Friday, March 7: International Women’s Day. Teachers will be asked to speak about International Women’s Day.

AGO Art Trip for Grade 7 students Thursday, March 6. This trip is related to the Grade 7 art curriculum.

Character Award Assembly Wednesday, March 26. Students in JK to Grade 8 will assemble to celebrate recipients of the Honesty Character Award.

Black History and Anti-Racist Workshop Monday, March 31. This workshop is attended by our Grade 5 to 8 students.

March Break for Lower School Students: Monday, March 10 to Friday, March 21, 2025. Return to school on Monday, March 24. Day 6 on the 8 Day schedule.

February 2025

Dear Parents,

Happy February! January has proven to be a ‘true winter’ month. This is the first winter in a long time with indoor recess because of -20C (windchill) temperatures. We hope February will not be as cold!

First, as we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month, January 2024.

• The Grade 8 Career Workshop on Monday, January 13 was a success. Thank you to our parents who took the time to talk about their careers.

• We have provided our Grade 8 Babysitters with paid babysitting opportunities during lunch recess in January. 

• $3800 was raised for the Grade 8 charity, Abbeyfield Canada. Our Grade 8 students (Lucy, Gaelle, Ahana and Freya) presented Bill Statten, Director and Treasurer of Abbeyfield Canada, with a cheque for his organization on January 29 during our Character Award assembly.

• Our Grade 7 students participated in the Inclusivity Workshop on Tuesday, January 14. This is an annual presentation for our Grade 7 students. Student feedback on the workshop, presented by Get REAL on 2SLGBTQIA+ is always positive.

• The Spelling Bee on January 16 was exciting. Our students are always very excited to participate and to see their friends participate. Congratulations to our first-place winners: Mark, Gr 7 and Matthew, Gr 2; second-place winners Saif, Gr 8 and Audrey, Gr 4; and our third-place winners, Jocelyn, Gr 8 and Matthew (Gr 3).

February 2025: we will accomplish the following:

The 2nd Grade 8 Career Workshop Monday, February 10 – Nikki Seaton, our Grade 8 parent who leads this initiative will be joined by three Hudson parents who will speak about their careers and the journey to achieve these careers.

Grade 7 Friendship Dance Wednesday, February 12 – Our Grade 7M students will host the Friendship Dance for their Grade 7 peers. We are ensuring an expansion of our leadership opportunities to our Grade 7 students this year.

Black History and Anti-Racist Workshop Thursday, February 13. This is an annual workshop for our Grades 5 to 8 students. More information to come!

Grade 8 HarbourFront Centre Trip on Wednesday, February 19. Students will learn about: Textile Art and the Changing Social Fabric. This is related to their Grade 8 art curriculum.

Annual Lower School Science Fair on Monday, February 24. The science fair is a school-wide demonstration of our focus on science. Student projects focus on experimentation and the use of the scientific method. Students are judged by scientists who work in a variety of STEM occupations. Parents are welcome to attend.

Term 2 Report Cards for Lower School students are released to parents on Tuesday, February 25. Report cards can be viewed in the QuickSchools parent portal. 

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday, February 26 and Thursday, February 27. Teachers will send parents sign-up sheets with times for attendance.

Character Award Assembly Wednesday, February 26. We will celebrate the recipients of the Trustworthiness Award.

Pink Shirt Day, Wednesday, February 26, will focus on anti-bullying. Students and staff will wear pink shirts in support of this day. Anti Bullying will be discussed in the classrooms and at the February Character Award Assembly.

Medieval Times Trip for Grades 3 to 5 on Friday, February 28.  

Rehearsals for the Jr Play, Murder on the Orion Express (Director, Mr. Minty) and the Sr Play Mean Girls (Director, Mr. Veleno) begin the first week of February. We look forward to these plays in May 2025.

January 2025

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year! We hope that your holidays were joyful and restful. We look forward to seeing our students on Monday, January 6, 2025, Day 4 on the 8-day calendar. There is much to accomplish as we move forward in 2025.

First, as we do every month, we reflect on what was accomplished in the previous month, December 2024:

• First-term report cards demonstrated the success of our students and the extensive amount of curriculum covered in the first term - we are so proud of them.

• Our Grade 8 Babysitter Initiative has proven to be helpful to our afterschool programs - I hope to find more employment opportunities for our certified babysitters.

• More than $1500 for the Grade 8 charity, Abbeyfield Canada was raised through a variety of initiatives: bakesale, Family Movie Night, Grade 7 Movie Night and money collected at the Winter Concert. 

• The annual Door Decorating Contest and Spirit Week were so much fun!

• The Holiday Food Drive was a success, raising an impressive amount of food and demonstrating Hudson's commitment to the wider community.

• Both the Family Movie Night (JK to Gr 5) and Grade 7 Movie Night were fun evenings. Thank you for the parent and teacher support on those initiatives. 

• The Holiday Concert once again displayed the talent we encourage our students to display. 

We move forward into the new year with much to accomplish:

First Day Back: January 6, 2025. Welcome back, students! Parents, please make sure your children have proper outdoor clothing. Boots cannot be worn in the classrooms - the floors would be a mess. Please make sure your children have indoor shoes.

Grade 8 Career Workshop Monday, January 13 - Nikki Seaton, a Grade 8 Parent is heading our Grade 8 Career Workshop for the second year. Parents in our school volunteer to present their careers and how these careers were accomplished to our Grade 8 students. The workshops take place one Monday every month and provide an opportunity for students to ask questions about interesting careers in science, liberal and creative arts. We hope this is a first step in career planning as they move towards high school. 

Inclusivity Work for Grade 7s Tuesday, January 14 - Presenters from Get REAL will be visiting again to give a workshop for the grade sevens on 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion. This is an annual event in Hudson's Middle School. More information to come :)

Annual Spelling Bee Thursday, January 16 - The school Spelling Bee will be held with a live audience. Parents/families of these class winners may attend in person in the gym.  We will have 2 groups - Grades 1 to 4 and then Grades 5 to 8. 

December 2024

Dear Parents,

November, the third month of school is almost complete. Our new students have truly turned into Huskies – from JK to Grade 8, we can hardly tell who the new students are. Clubs and sports are in progress. First-term has been completed and report cards are available for parents to review by end of day on Tuesday, November 26. We are proud of the accomplishments of our students!

Much has been accomplished by our students and teachers in November: 

• The Grade Charity Project was a success with the winning Charity: Abbeyfield Canada (helps to provide housing and support to the elderly)

• Halloween, the Grade 8 Haunted House and the Pumpkin Carving Contest were so much fun!

• We held three well-attended Open Houses 

• Remembrance Day concluded with beautiful artwork displayed in the foyer

• The annual Talent Show demonstrated how talented our students are 

• Grade 8 students received The Study Skills workshop and booklet

• Toronto Public Health held their Grade 7 Vaccine Clinic on November 21

• The Parent Workshop with speaker Dr. Eldridge from OISE was well attended for a Thursday evening, and three of our Grade 8s were hired as 'babysitters' for the evening

December (and this last week of November) will also be a busy month:

Grade 8 High School visit: On Monday, November 25, our Grade 8 students spent part of their morning experiencing Hudson’s Upper School.

• Our Grade 8s said they enjoyed their visit to the Upper School. They were impressed with the Upper School program and teachers.

Term 1 Report Cards, Tuesday, November 26

• Lower School Reports Cards (JK -Gr8) will be posted on QuickSchools for parents to review. 

Parent Teacher Interviews Wednesday, November 27 and Thursday, November 28

• Parents will have an opportunity to meet with their child's teacher to review and discuss their child's progress and achievements as identified on the report card. 

Character Awards for November (Citizenship) Wednesday, November 27

Grade 5 Legislative Assembly Trip Friday, November 29

• As a complement to the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum, the Grade 5s will travel by TTC to visit the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Daily Food Bank Drive Monday, December 2 to Friday, December 6

• Families are asked to donate non-perishable foods to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Boxes will be located in the foyer.

JK to Grade 4 Earth Rangers Workshop Friday, December 6

• Students in JK to Grade 4 will attend a workshop with live animals. Earth Rangers focuses on environmental education and conservation for children and families.

JK to Grade 5 Family Movie Night Tuesday, December 10, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

• Family Movie Night for JK to Grade 5 will show Encanto. Pizza and Popcorn can be purchased. Proceeds will go to our Grade 8 Charity. The movie will take place in the gym on the big screen.

 Grade 7 Movie Night Wednesday, 4:15 to 6:30 pm

• Our Grade 7M girls are hosting a Grade 7 Movie Night – pizza and popcorn. The movie 2004 Mean Girls was voted upon by the Grade 7 students. The movie will take place in the gym on the large screen.

Grade 8 Spirit Week for the Lower School, Monday, December 16 to Thursday, December 18

• As Leaders in the Lower School, our Grade 8s will lead the events of the Lower School Holiday Spirit Week. A Bake Sale on Tuesday, December 17 will raise money for the Grade 8 charity. The specific events the Grade 8s decide upon to follow:)

Lower School Door Decorating Contest, Monday, December 16

• The annual holiday-themed door decorating contest is a ‘big’ event for the lower school. All homeroom teachers and their students design and decorate a holiday-themed door decoration. The first prize is a pizza lunch!

 Lower School Holiday Concert, Thursday, December 19

• Families are invited to join us in the gym for a musical celebration. A Zoom link will be shared for those who cannot attend in person. Formal Dress uniform is required. Time to be confirmed.

 PD Day, Friday, December 20 and Winter Break Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 6, 2025

• We wish our families a safe and joyful holiday! 

November 2024

Dear Parents,

October, the second month of school, is almost complete. Our students have settled into the routine of their school day. Clubs and sports are underway with excellent participation. I also see the many friendships that have blossomed among our returning and new students.

Much has been accomplished by our students and teachers in October:

• Orange Shirt Day - National Day of Truth and Reconciliation 

• Students wrote the Canadian Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) 

• We held Curriculum Night October 8 and were pleased to the majority of our parent's attend

• 22 of our Grade 8 students completed the SOS - CPR Babysitting Course

• Our Grade 5-8 heard Holocaust survivor, Nate Leipciger speak 

• Our Grade 7-8 students listened to Officer Mike (Division13) speak on internet, cell phone safety and bullying. he spoke about street and TTC safety as well.

• Our Grade 4-6 students went to Camp Muskoka 

• Principal's Breakfast for our Parent Ambassadors

November (and this last week of October) will also be a busy month:

Character Awards for October (Responsibility) and the Grade 8 Charity Project Wednesday, October 30

Our Grade 8 students will work in groups to research and present a charity they would like Hudson’s Lower School to support in 2024-25. The groups will present their charity to the lower school student body who will vote (grades 2 -8) on the charity group they want to support. Grade 8 leadership projects/events conducted throughout the year will raise money for the winning charity.

Halloween and the Pumpkin Carving Contest, Thursday, October 31

Halloween is a big deal at Hudson. Our students can wear costumes to school. Costumes should not interfere with their ability to participate in class, gym or recess. No weapons (fake or real) are allowed. The Grade 8s design age appropriate Halloween games and there is a spooky Haunted House. Each homeroom competes in a Pumpkin Carving Contest. Winning classrooms are treated to a free pizza.

Remembrance Day, Monday, November 11

Hudson honours those who gave their lives to serve our country. After an assembly, each student will contribute a symbolic piece of artwork to a shared Remembrance Day Display in the main foyer. Students must be in Formal Wear.

Hudson's Lower School Talent Show, Thursday, November 14

Students in Grades 2-8 have an opportunity to display their talents to the staff and students of the lower school. Judges involved in the entertainment field will provide feedback to the students performing. Parents of students performing in the Talent Show are welcome to attend. A Zoom  link will also be shared with all parents.

Grade 7 Vaccine Clinic Thursday, November 21

Hudson College with Toronto Public Health  will hold the Grade 7 Vaccination Clinic in the gym. The clinic will begin at 9:oo am and continue until we have completed the vaccination. The vaccines are for: Meningococcal vaccine, Human papillomavirus vaccine and Hepatitis B vaccine.

Dr. Eldridge Parent Workshop, Thursday, November 21, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Dr. Eldridge will provide a workshop for Hudson parents on: raising Emotionally Intelligent and Resilient Children and Helping our Children Develop a Growth Mindset. These topics were chosen as a result of the parent survey. Childcare will be provided for parents that need childcare in order to attend. 

Grade 7 Girls Movie Night, Friday, November 22, 4:15 to 7:00 pm

This is an initiative by the Grade 7M girls. They will host a Grade 7 girls Movie Night with pizza and popcorn. There will be a nominal fee to attend. 

Grade 8s Visit the Upper School, Monday, November 25

Hudson will provide our current Grade 8 students an opportunity to visit Hudson's Upper School. They will meet our highschool teachers and sit in on classes. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Grade 8 students to experience our highschool.

Term 1 Report Cards, Tuesday, November 26

Lower School Reports Cards (JK -Gr8) will be posted on QuickSchools for parents to review. 

Parent Teacher Interviews Wednesday, November 27 and Thursday, November 28

Parents will have an opportunity to meet with their child's teacher to review and discuss their child's progress and achievements as identified on the report card. 

Character Awards for November (Citizenship) Wednesday, November 27

October 2024

Dear Parents,

The first school month is almost over. September was a busy month, and we begin October with much to look forward to. It has been a pleasure to have our students return to school – overall, they have settled into the routine of their classrooms, reunited with old friends and made positive connections with their teachers. Our new families will soon become accustomed to the continuous stream of events that happen each month. Below is an overview of October events in the Lower School. 

Orange Shirt Day – National Day of Truth and Reconciliation: Monday, September 30, 2024

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, is the day that Canadians recognize the experiences suffered by our Aboriginal Peoples in the Canadian residential school system.

• Bake Sale: The Truth and Reconciliation Committee will run a Bake Sale on Friday, September 27. To contribute nut-free baked goods, contact Ms. Humphrey: jhumphrey@hudsoncollege.ca

• Orange Shirt Day Raffle: Raffle tickets for 1 of 4 Orange Shirts designed by Gwitch’in artist Jeneen Frei Njootli to be drawn on Friday, September 27. Raffle tickets are cash only, $2 for one ticket or three tickets for $5. Tickets can be purchased on Thursday and Friday in your child’s homeroom.  

The Canadian Test of Basic Skills (CTBS): October 7–10

Our Grade 3 to Grade 8 students will be writing the CTBS on Monday, October 7 – 10, 2024. The test is written during one or two periods a day. The CTBS is a standardized test that will focus on the assessment of our students’ language (reading, written expression, vocabulary, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation) comprehension, and math (mathematics and computation) skills and knowledge. It assesses our students against their peers in the same grade across Canada on curriculum content that is shared across Canada. 

The results of this information are used to inform our teaching practices, enable us to identify the learning needs of individual students and see how our students compare with their Canadian peers in curriculum strands that are common across Canada. Students cannot study for this test.

Curriculum Night: Tuesday, October 8

Parents can meet Hudson teachers in person in their homerooms to learn about their teaching philosophy, homework expectations, after-school homework club (Grades 5 to 8) and upcoming trips or events. Teachers provide handouts that include a summary of their year-long curriculum plans, as well as handouts from specialty teachers (gym, music, French). Handouts will be shared through Google Classroom or email for parents who cannot attend. 

We hold two sessions to accommodate families with several children: 6:30–7:00 PM and 7:00–7:30 PM.

Cyberbullying and Internet Workshop Wednesday, October 9

Officer Mike from Division 13 will speak to our Grade 7 and 8 students about Cyberbullying and internet safety. I will ask him to talk to students about street and TTC safety as most of our Grade 7 and 8s travel to and from school on the TTC and almost all of our Grade 7 and 8 students leave the school premises at lunchtime.

SOS Babysitting Course: October 21

Twenty-two Grade 8 students have the opportunity to participate in a full-day Babysitting Course as part of the Grade 8 leadership Program.

Holocaust Survivor Presentation: Wednesday, October 23

Grade 6 to 8 students will have the opportunity to listen to a Holocaust survivor, Nate Leipciger. He survived seven different concentration and death camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. Nate and his father were liberated from Dachau and came to Canada.

Grade 8 Charity Project: Wednesday, October 30

Grade 8 students will work in groups to research and present a charity they would like Hudson’s Lower School to support in 2024-25. The groups will present their charity to the lower school student body who will vote (grades 2 -8) on the charity group they want to support. Grade 8 leadership projects/events conducted throughout the year will raise money for the winning charity.

Halloween and the Pumpkin Carving Contest

Halloween is a big deal at Hudson! Our students can wear costumes to school. The Grade 8s design Halloween games and there is a spooky Haunted House. Each homeroom competes in a Pumpkin Carving Contest, and winning classrooms are treated to a free pizza lunch.

September 2024

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2024–2025 school year! We are excited to see our students on Tuesday, September 3, 2023 – the first day of school. Welcome to our 62 new Lower School students and their families! We know you will soon be part of a caring, child-focused community. We are committed to providing your children with a positive, exciting school experience. As Principal of the Lower School, I am committed to an ‘open door’ policy. I welcome feedback, ideas and questions from parents and students. 

And so…we begin again – a new year!

• Teachers are excited to meet this year’s goal to increase experiential learning opportunities for all students, as well as the number of field trips and in-house workshops this year. We are also focused on offering more exposure to the creative arts, and leadership opportunities for our Grade 8 students.

• The homeroom calendar was a success again last year and is now an established norm for each class. Homeroom and specialty teachers will post daily homework, assignments and tests in the classroom. Parents have access to this calendar.

• The Green Bin program through our Eco Club was a success last year and will continue this year. This demonstrates Hudson’s continuous commitment to the environment. We continue to reduce our use of paper by reducing its use of paper photocopying in grades 5 to 8. Assignments are increasingly provided and completed on Google Classroom.

• Transparency and communication are fundamental to our school’s success. Each classroom is provided with a parent representative who will connect with you soon.

New Staff

• Ms. Melissa Budning has returned from maternity leave and will teach Grade 5. Ms. Budning is an OCT qualified Primary-Junior teacher with several years of private school experience.

• Ms. Mary Maida will assist Ms. Fisher in the Senior Kindergarten program and the Extended Care Program as an Assistant. She has expensive experience working with children of various ages. Our students are familiar with “Ms. Mary” as she was a frequent supply teacher at Hudson last year.

• Mr. Michael Farrell will also assist Ms. Fisher in the Senior Kindergarten and After School Program. Mr. Farrell is completing his teacher qualification at the University of Toronto, and is a graduate of Hudson College!

Entry Guidelines and Extended Care  

The Lower School school day starts at 8:55 a.m. 

Before and after-school care begins Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Students in Grades JK to Grade 6 need to register in advance for the Extended Care Program. Please contact our Extended Care Coordinator Dolly Chandriani to register.

Registered Extended Care Program students: 

• JK–Grade 1 will remain in the SK classroom until 8:55 a.m. 

• Grades 2–6 will remain in the extended care classroom (the Grade 3 or 4 classroom) from 8:00–8:40 a.m. These students are released to the playground at 8:40 a.m. where two teachers are on duty until the 8:55 entry time.

All other students: 

• JK–Grade 1 should arrive between 8:45–8:55 a.m. and proceed to the SK classroom. They will be taken to their homeroom at 8:55 a.m. If arriving at 8:55 a.m., please go with your child directly to their homeroom.

• Grades 2–5 can enter through our front entrance starting 8:45 a.m. and then proceed to the field. 

• Grades 6–8 can enter from our Dufferin Street gate to the field. The Dufferin Street gate opens at 8:45 a.m. and closes at 9:00 a.m. Entry after 9:00 must be through the front entrance, and students must report to the office as a late arrival.

Students cannot stay in the school hallways, foyer or classroom before 8:45 a.m. because teacher supervision cannot be guaranteed at this time. Teachers are on assigned duty, in meetings or preparing their lessons and are not available for supervision.

If students arrive after 9:00 a.m. they will be marked as ‘tardy’ or late. Please email the homeroom teacher and Natalie Crane (our Lower School Administrator at ncrane@hudsoncollege.ca) if your child will be late. 

Exit Guidelines

The Lower School school day ends at 3:45 p.m. 

• For the first two weeks, JK parents are asked to collect their children at 3:35 from the JK classroom unless they are in the Extended Care program.

• JK, SK and Grade 1 parents are asked to collect their children from the classroom no later than 3:45 p.m.

• Grade 3 and 4 teachers will bring students to the front of the school at 3:45 p.m. for pick up as well.

• Grade 5 to 8 students are released at 3:45 p.m. from their homeroom.

If students in JK to Grade 4 are not picked up by 4:00 p.m., they will be brought to the Extended Care program and parents will be billed for the care. If you will be later than 4:00 p.m. to pick up your child, please contact the Lower School Main Office to let us know. 

Parent Volunteers

We welcome parent volunteers for field trips and as presenters of information. Please email me if you are interested in participating:

• Parent Career Workshops will be held again this year for our Grade 8 students. This is always an amazing opportunity to inspire our students as they prepare to enter high school.

• Workshops on religious or cultural celebrations, finance, science, and social justice issues are another wonderful way for parents to contribute to our academic program directly.

Dress Code

Uniforms are part of the private school experience and aid in the feeling of belonging to a school. It limits a focus on the material status of clothing and in the long run, is economically efficient for parents. This year we are again committed to enforcing our uniform rules – particularly for Grades 5 to 8. At this age, students should be responsible for their clothing and are capable of adhering to a dress code. The Dress Code is outlined here.

If students are not in their proper uniform, they will be asked to go to the office and we will contact parents to bring in the proper uniform pieces. The students will not return to class until they are in their proper uniform, including for gym classes.

Students can wear black dress shoes or running shoes with their uniforms. It is strongly recommended that a pair of black runners or shoes remain at school.

Email Updates

We are aware of the number of emails that parents receive from the school. Admin will try to lessen the number of emails this year with timely updates.

Finally, and as always, thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation!