Thomas Street Middle School
2640 Thomas Street, Mississauga, ONT. L5M 5G8
Website: thomasstreet.peelschools.org ≈ Twitter: @thunderwolves98 ≈ Instagram: tsmspride
ATTENTION GRADUATING STUDENTS
In the second week of May, the Graduation Committee will send a letter to Grade 8 families about
Graduation. It will include information about the dress rehearsal (students only and during school hours), the
Graduation Ceremony, an optional celebration for the students after the ceremony (pizza and dance), tickets
and the timing of these events. Parents should plan to arrive between 9:00 am and 9:15 am on June 26th for
the Graduation Ceremony, leave their child following the ceremony for their end of year Grade 8 pizza party
and dance (optional), then return to pick up their child at 1:45 pm.
An end-of-year trip is being planned and will be taking place in the last weeks of June and information will be
available in the coming weeks.
Grad Milestone Pictures – May 2nd and May 3rd
Edge Imaging will be at our school on two dates for our Grade 8 students to take pictures to commemorate
this milestone in their lives. While students often take extra care to make themselves camera ready, there is
really no need to buy anything new as we will be giving them a gown for their photos - a bit of care and a
smile is all they need to make this moment memorable.
Please see schedule below for the details:
May 2, 2023: 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 814, 815
May 3, 2023: 807, 808, 809, 810, 811, 812, 813
EQAO Assessments – Grade 6 Students
Between May 10th and May 24th, Grade 6 students will participate in EQAO Assessment. Communication
about EQAO was sent to families on Thursday, April 27th . Please let us know if you need us to send this
information to you again or if you missed the email communication. We would be happy to resend it to you.
The next Parent Council Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm on May 9th at Thomas Street Middle School.
Everyone is welcome to attend to lend their voice to the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there.
MUSIC NEWS
As we round the corner to the end of school, the music department and students have been hard at work on exciting and
challenging pieces. Our diverse collection of instruments come together in four different bands: The Festival Band, The
Concert Band (7/8), The Grade Six Band and The Jazz Band.
On April 25th our students in the Festival Band attended the Peel Music Festival at the Living Arts Centre where they
performed "Dance Celebration" composed by Robert Smith and Majestica by Brian Balmages. We are thrilled with how
they performed; their hard work and dedication was clear during this wonderful event.
On May 18th, we invite you to join us at our Spring Concert starting at 6:30 p.m. where we will celebrate our entire
repertoire of instruments as all four bands, as well as our choir, rock band and a ukelele assemble perform pieces that
show their skill in challenging melodies that are sure to make you proud of all they've accomplished this year.
On the horizon we are also looking forward to our students performing at Canada’s Wonderland Trip on June 16th for
our Concert Band and Choir. Please keep an eye out on School CashOnline to register your child to be part of this
tremendous day.
NEXT YEAR’S MUSIC PROGRAM
For information on our instrumental music program for students entering into Grade 7 and 8 next year, we invite you to
email us at thomasstreet.ms@peelsb.com and we will have a member of our music department respond.
HANDS ON HISTORY
Thomas Street was lucky enough to secure a free loan of artifacts from the Canadian Museum of History called a History
Box. Thank you to Ms. Baines for arranging for us to have artifacts on loan from May 15th to May 26th at our school for
our students to engage with. For more information about this project, we invite you to go to their website. History Box |
Learn | Canadian Museum of History (historymuseum.ca)
H.O.P.E. and Hoops School Program Thomas Street welcomes United Elite to our school for the H.O.P.E.
and Hoops School Program from May 1st to May 12th. See below for details.
“The H.O.P.E and Hoops school diversity and inclusion program helps
students address and tackle social issues such as (but not limited to)
bullying, rejection, depression, identity, violence, and oppression in an
engaging and interactive way.
Their amazing team of pro-athlete speakers and coaches challenge these
barriers through the comfort of conversation and the playfulness of
basketball.”
Earth Month Activities
Earth month provides a chance to participate in a meaningful way with our community and take steps to make a difference
in our environment. At Thomas Street, our team of earth conscious students, comprised of members of student
parliament and class representatives, plan initiatives that help make an impact on climate change and our
community. For this year’s Community Cleanup event, our classrooms were invited to gather up waste in the community
that had accumulated over the winter months while enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having. As students
become citizens of the world and responsible members of the community, they begin to understand the important role we
all play in maintaining our environment for ourselves and each other. Thank you to Mrs. Rocchetti, Mr.Aldana and our
Greenteam for organizing this activity and for helping make our world a better place to live.
Fire Safety Presentation with Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services
On April 3rd, two members of the Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services visited Thomas Street to deliver some
important fire and life safety information to students. Fire prevention and risk reduction are key to ensuring the safety of
our communities in Mississauga.
Presentations were given on four main fire safety topics: Prevention, Detection, Escape Planning and Calling 9-1-1
In the presentation the following was discussed:
• The different roles of fire service members who work for Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services and the jobs
they do
• Fire safety behaviours that we can practice to prevent fire from happening in our homes. (Stand by your pan while
cooking, Don’t overload your electrical outlets. Don’t play with matches or lighters.)
• The importance of testing our smoke alarms once a month to ensure they work and replacing batteries when
needed
• How to make a home escape plan with your family and practice that plan with everyone in the home so that they
know how to get out quickly and safely when the smoke alarm goes off
French Cultural Assembly
We were pleased to have Njacko Backo here at our school for our bilingual cultural presentation on April 13th. In this
interactive performance, students learned the important role that music, dance and storytelling play in everyday life in
Cameroon, Central Africa. He walked into the audience and showed off different instruments, showcasing their unique
sounds. Students learned about the history of these instruments and listened to a traditional story. Njacko is a talented
performer and has released ten full length albums and received awards for his songwriting. In this presentation Njacko
taught students and teachers how to play the instruments, taught the audience to sing a traditional song and taught more
volunteers to perform a traditional dance. It all came together as each group played together in this interactive end to the
presentation.
Autism Ambassadors Program
Thank you for all the students who signed up for the Autism Ambassadors program to support our Autism Acceptance
Month. We hope that this is just the beginning to help others better understand autism. One student in class 808 was so
pleased with her experience that she came to tell the Office. “I made a bracelet for one of the students and it made me feel
so proud. It made him feel good and he showed his bracelet to everyone.” We continue to strive for acceptance,
inclusion and advocacy throughout the school year.
GR. 8 FUNDRAISING - Henna Appointments
Over the past month, students were given the opportunity to have henna done in celebration of Ramadan and to help supplement
the cost of our Grade 8 year end trips. The students planned, promoted, bought materials and did henna on many students in our
school and we are pleased to announce that they successfully raised $300.00. Thank you to our Art Department (Mrs. Wiles and Mrs.
Gorcsi) and our students who are learning important life skills as they work towards their goal. Many of these students don’t often
handle physical money and it’s a good opportunity for them to practice that skill. This month the team is putting on a craft sale and
we hope that you will continue to support their goals by donating a bit of money to the cause.
News from our Athletics Team
TOP RIGHT: LIFT - DROP - SMASH! Congrats to our
2022/23 Badminton Team for a perfect showing. They
represented The Wolfpack with excellence through their play
and teamwork.
MIDDLE RIGHT: Jr Girls Ball Team bounces back after a
one-point loss in their 1st game to win three in a row. We are
proud of their growth and support for each other on that day and
during our basketball camps. It wasn’t easy but they worked
hard. We can’t wait to see your skills continue to grow.
MIDDLE LEFT: Congratulations to our Jr. Boys Basketball
team as they went undefeated at the SPESPHEA Division 1
basketball tournament. Our boys showed amazing team spirit &
basketball play. Great job Thunderwolves!
BOTTOM LEFT: Coed Ball Hockey Team played an
outstanding tournament in April. Each game was a hard
fight with everyone working as ONE PACK. Good work
Thunderwolves!
We Welcome the World Centres and MSEP Partnership
There are three We Welcome the Centres:
1. Welcome Centre Brampton - Bramalea S.S., 510 Balmoral Drive, Brampton
2. Welcome Centre Mississauga - Erindale S.S., 2021 Dundas Street W., Mississauga
3. Welcome Centre Malton - Morning Star Middle School, 3131 Morning Star Drive, Mississauga
For any questions or concerns parents can call 905-366-8791 ext. 6037 for the main reception; ext. 6001 for Malton; ext. 6025 for
Brampton and ext. 6010 for Mississauga or email welcomecentre@peelsb.com.
The We Welcome the World Centres provide registrations and assessments as follows:
Families with at least one child born 2009 or earlier who are:
• New to Canada
• Or transferring to PDSB from another Board or home-schooled, whose first language is not English, they have new time-
sensitive documents, e.g., work permits, study permits, refugee claimants, convention refugee
• Or Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents whose first language is not English and live in another province for less than
five years
• Or returning students to Canada whose first language is not English, if they have been out of the country for more than 12
months
• Or International fee-paying Visa students remaining in province for 6 (six) months or longer.
• Missing Immigration eligibility documents
Settlement Services for Schools
The Peel Board offers settlement services to support families who are new to Peel. Through the Multicultural Settlement and
Education Partnership (MSEP) Program, School
Settlement workers are assigned to over 135 elementary, middle and secondary schools in the Peel District School Board.
Additionally, on call support is available through PDSB’s itinerant School Response Settlement Workers, who work out of the three
locations of We Welcome the World Centres (Mississauga, Malton, and Brampton). The School Response Settlement Workers speak
a variety of languages and can provide direct support to families and are available to assist any school within Peel District School
Board.
Please note that the Settlement Workers under the MSEP program and We Welcome the World Centres have returned to in-
person support at schools. It is essential that schools provide a location in the school where the Settlement Worker, family
members and student(s) can meet privately. Assigned settlement workers will be contacting schools through email to confirm their
schedules.
For further information:
For general information, please contact Angela Nijhar – Coordinator (Acting), We Welcome the World Centre, 905-890-1010, ext.
6026, angela.nijhar@peelsb.com or Nora Hachemi, MSEP Facilitator (Acting) at 905-890-1010 ext. 6012;
nora.hachemi@peelsb.com
WWTW Centre Supervisors:
Jatinder Saggu, Supervisor WWTWC Brampton (Bramalea S.S.) – Jatinder.saggu@peelsb.com
Mays Alazzawi, Supervisor WWTWC Mississauga (Erindale S.S.) - mays.alazzawi@peelsb.com
TDB WWTWC Malton (Morning Star M.S.) – Claudia.escobar@peelsb.com
School Response Settlement Workers
This team can be accessed by schools on an itinerant basis. Contact Nora Hachemi, MSEP Facilitator (Acting) at 905-890-1010 ext.
6012; nora.hachemi@peelsb.com
May 10 – Celebrate Peel IT Support Staff and Media Support Services Appreciation Day
This year, Peel District School Board will recognize the contributions of its IT support staff and media support
services on May 10, 2023. The Peel board appreciates the important work of these individuals to ensure that
innovative, reliable and adaptable solutions are available to support student success through equitable access to
technology. We thank them for providing quality service and for supporting students and staff every day
USING SOCIAL MEDIA SAFELY
With the growing number of social media sites, it is no surprise that social media is the most common form of
communication for children and teenagers. Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets and
texts have become a regular part of their lives. While there are many positive benefits to using social media, including
staying connected with friends and expressing your interests, students must be cautious in their use of these networks.
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp Messenger are among the most popular social
media platforms. These platforms are free and available on smartphones and other electronic devices. They are easy to
navigate and often allow information to be shared instantly with friends and strangers. On social media, it is important to
remember that the world is watching.
Here are some tips provided by the Canadian Safe School Network and GetSafeOnline.org, to keep your children safe and
help them make smart choices when using social media:
· Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games
console). Once they have it, changing how they use it or the settings can be more difficult.
· Discuss appropriate online behaviour and what actions could have huge repercussions that could damage their reputation
and harm others.
· Talk to your child about the kind of websites they look at. Encourage them to speak to you if they find something
worrying or upsetting on websites, games or social media.
· Discuss with your child what is safe and appropriate to post and share online. Written comments, photos and videos all
form part of their ‘digital footprint’ and could be seen by anyone and available on the internet forever, even if it is
subsequently deleted.
· Explain to your child that being online doesn’t give them anonymity or protection and that they shouldn’t do anything
online that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. Children should only accept invites to follow from people they know to protect
themselves from spammers, strangers and others who may be using social networking sites to commit crimes.
· Unlike meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re talking to online, even if they think they
do. Tell your children they must never email, chat, or text with strangers, and it’s never okay to meet strangers in the real
world.
· Ensure your children set their privacy settings appropriately. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your
children’s favourite sites and teach them how to control their privacy.
· Tell your children never to share personal and private information with anyone online. This includes but is not limited to
their full name, age, birth date, address, phone number, social insurance number, credit card information and parents’ full
names.
· Limit the time your children spend on social media platforms and talk about the importance of healthy and appropriate
use of technology.
Celebrating Mental Health Month in May
From the PDSB Mental Health Resource Team
NEW! PDSB is pleased to share “BeWell”, a mental health information and resource site for students.
Families are encouraged to explore the site together (student credentials are required to log in):
pdsb.me/BeWell
Join Us for Mental Health Month Events:
Families are invited to join us as we learn and grow together in support of well-being for all.
● Caregiver virtual presentation: “Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of Our Kids”. May
18 from 6:00-6:45 p.m. PDSB Social Work and Psychology staff will share practical strategies,
resources and information on services/supports available. View details and register.
● Virtual speaker series for grades 6-12 students/classes, featuring Jack.org and Kevin Rambally.
View details and register.
May is Mental Health Month at PDSB!
Indigenous teaching reminds us that mental wellness is a
balance of the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional parts
of ourselves and is enriched when individuals experience
purpose, hope, belonging and meaning in their lives (First
Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework).
Mental health is a positive state of flourishing and balance,
grounded in welcoming, affirming families, communities and
schools where each person can thrive and reach their full
potential.
If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health visit
peelschools.org/mental-health-parents for further information
about school and community resources.
A compiled resource guide including identity and ability-
specific mental health resources can be found here:
bit.ly/Student-MH-Supports.
For updates and to follow along with the work of the PDSB
Mental Health Resource Team, find them on Twitter:
@MHRTPeel.
