Our fall Fresh from the Farm fundraiser was a success: Our school ordered 92 bundles of apples and vegetables, supporting Ontario farmers and raising nearly $900 for our school. Win-win!

Thank you to everyone who placed an order.

Our delivery is arriving at the school on Thursday, November 20th. If you placed an order earlier this fall, please mark your calendar to come to the school 

Pick-up details:

• Time: 12:30pm to 6:00pm
• Location: Dovercourt Public School, main entrance (off Bartlett)

Good to know:

• Our volunteers will have a list of all orders handy. Please indicate your name and/or email when you arrive and we'll get you your order. If you have your order confirmation handy on your phone, that will help speed things up!
• Orders can be heavy: Each apple bag is 8lbs, and each vegetable bundle is 14lbs. Please plan your transportation accordingly!
• Because the produce is perishable, we cannot keep it past 6:00pm on the 20th. If you cannot pick up your order on delivery day, please arrange for a friend or neighbour to do so on your behalf. (If you're really stuck, email us at [email protected] and we'll sort something out.) We will donate all orders not picked up to Oasis Dufferin Community Centre.

​Thanks again for supporting our school!

Dovercourt is an English school. As a result, Dovercourt SAC meetings take place in English.

That said, we know Dovercourt families speak many languages, and we want every parent or guardian to feel informed and equipped to have their say. 

To reduce the language barrier as much as possible, we are:

• Investigating TDSB-supported translation tools that can be used during meetings, and
• Encouraging any parent who wants to get involved or share ideas to do so by emailing us at [email protected]. Using online translation tools (like Google Translate) we will do our best to communicate back and forth.

Dovercourt SAC is bring back our popular Super Swap during Meet the Teacher night on October 7th.

This is a great opportunity to clear out stuff your kids have outgrown, and/or pick up some gear that fits them now--all at no cost.

This year’s swap will include the following clean and gently used donated items:

• Kids' winter outdoor gear (coats, snow pants, boots, mittens, gloves, scarves, etc.);
• Kids' Hallowe'en costumes; and
• Gently used Dovercourt Spirit Wear.
  
  

To donate items:

Please look through your closets and drop your gear off before noon on October 7th. You can donate your items in the boxes located at the main school entrance, off Bartlett Ave.

Please ensure all items are clean, in good used condition, and appropriate for school.

To take items:

Simply come to the main gym at the school during Meet the Teacher night and, browse what’s available, and take what you like.

You do not have to donate items to take items. All Dovercourt families are welcome.
​
Volunteers needed:

​Can you help us sort gear, set up, or clean up on October 7th? Please sign up for a volunteer shift using this form, or email us at and we'll put you to work! We're at [email protected].

We'll have new Spirit Wear, too:
​
While gently used Dovercourt Spirit Wear will be available for free in the Super Swap, we will also be selling a selection of new Dovercourt Spirit Wear t-shirts for $20 each at the event, as a fundraiser for SAC initiatives.

Please join us this Thursday, September 25th for the first Dovercourt School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting of the year.

The meeting will take place from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the staff room at Dovercourt Public School. (If you’re unfamiliar with the interior of the school, come in the main entrance off Bartlett St., turn right at the top of the stairs, and turn right. The staff room is between the main office and the gym.)

Childcare will be available.

Agenda:

Here’s some of what we have planned for the meeting on Thursday:

• We’ll meet our new principal, Jodi Greenwood, and get a report on the start of the school year;
• We’ll share ideas and discuss some plans for what SAC will do in the year ahead; and
• We’ll hold elections for our leadership roles. (You can read more about the elections and open roles here. Most roles can be shared, and any parent or guardian can pursue one—no SAC experience required).
  
  

You can see our full working agenda here, and add the event to your calendar here.

Why come?

Dovercourt SAC is made up of parents and guardians from the Dovercourt community who engage with the school on a variety of issues and activities. We’re a group of passionate, committed, and fun volunteers who work hard to make Dovercourt as great as it can be—for everyone.

We meet once a month throughout the school year, and coordinate events and fundraisers in between, including the annual Spring Fling festival.

Any Dovercourt parent, guardian, caregiver, or grandparent can join SAC. It’s as much of a commitment as you want it to be: if you're interested in volunteering at events or pursuing a leadership role, that’s great! But if you simply want to come to meetings to find out what’s going on at the school, that’s great too. 

The more people get involved, the more we can do for our school community. 

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] and one of our volunteers will be happy to help.
​
We hope to see you on Thursday!

We're excited to bring back our Fresh from the Farm fundraiser!
​
Fresh from the Farm is a unique fundraising partnership between the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and our school community. By purchasing fresh apple and vegetable bundles, you can enjoy healthy, local produce for your family while also supporting Ontario farmers.

Why participate?

• Get fresh, healthy, Ontario-grown fruit and vegetables at a great price;
• Support Ontario farmers and our local economy; and
• Help raise money for our school: Dovercourt will keep 40% of every sale!
  
  

How it works:

• Order:
  • Place and pay for your order before October 17th, 2025 using Dovercourt's dedicated Fresh from the Farm site.
  • Simply click on the Apple bundle and/or Vegetable bundle icons below the text and follow the checkout instructions.
  • You can pay by credit card, Shop Pay, and Google Pay. 
• Pick up:
  • Pick up your order at Dovercourt Public School on delivery day, which will take place between November 3rd and December 4th.
  • We will find out our exact delivery date 10 days in advance, and will email you details as soon as they are available.
• Eat! Enjoy delicious, fresh Ontario produce—for a great cause!

That's it! If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

​Thank you for supporting Dovercourt!

Happy September, everybody!

To all returning Dovercourt families: Welcome back!

To all new Dovercourt families: Welcome!

For those of you who don't know us: We're a group of volunteer parents, caregivers, and guardians who work with the school on a variety of issues and activities related to student achievement, enrichment, curriculum goals, school budget priorities, school safety, renovation plans, after-school activities, and more. We also organize events (including the annual Spring Fling) and fundraisers throughout the year.

We care deeply about making our school as great as it can be—and we have a lot of fun doing it.

We're looking forward to a great 2025/2026 school year, and we'd love for you to get involved. 

In the immediate term, here are three initiatives we have planned for the next few weeks:

1. Welcome back coffee
   Friday, September 12th, 8:00am - 9:00am (Add it to your calendar.)
   We'll be hosting a coffee social in the west schoolyard to celebrate the start of the school year. Come grab a free coffee and/or snack, chat with other Dovercourt parents and caregivers, learn a bit more about what we have planned at SAC, and meet our new principal, Jodi Greenwood. 
   
   
2. September SAC meeting
   Thursday, September 25th, 6:00pm - 7:30pm (Add it to your calendar.)
   Throughout the school year, SAC holds monthly meetings in the Dovercourt staff room. We learn what's going on in the school, plan fundraising initiatives, organize events, and determine how our school community can best support our amazing students, teachers, and staff.
   
   This will be an important meeting: It's our first of the year, and our first with our new principal. It will feature elections for SAC leadership roles (read more here!), high-level planning for the year ahead, and updates on how the first few weeks has gone. All parents, caretakers, and guardians are welcome to attend. 
   
   Come if you want to get more involved with the school. Come if you want to work with your fellow parents and caregivers to make Dovercourt as great as possible. Come if you're simply curious about what goes on all day. (We promise, yours are not the only students who answer "nothing" when you ask what happened at school each day.)
   
   
3. Fresh from the Farm fundraiser
   Coming soon!
   Heads up that we're bringing back the popular Fresh from the Farm fundraiser this fall, which allows you to order bags of top-quality Ontario produce—and Dovercourt gets 40% of the proceeds! Our school order page will be up and running soon—keep an eye out for more info.

And here are a few quick links to keep handy:

• This website: We try to keep it up-to-date with news, meeting details and minutes, and events. You can also see our 2024/2025 year in review there.
• Our Dovercourt Spirit Wear shop, where you can order custom Dovercourt gear any time—and the school gets 10% of all sales. 
• A list of all open SAC leadership roles, with responsibilities, for 2025/2026.

We're looking forward to a terrific year at Dovercourt. If you have any questions, or would like to get involved, please email us at [email protected].

SAC will be holding elections for leadership roles at the September SAC meeting, taking place on September 25th, 2025, at 6:00pm, in the staff room at Dovercourt Public School. 

The open positions are listed below, along with descriptions. Please join us and get involved!

Good to know: 

• You do not need any previous SAC experience to take a leadership role. We welcome new energy, experiences, and ideas.
• You can self-nominate for roles, or nominate other caregivers who may be interested in playing a more active role on the School Advisory Council.
• You don't need to be a parent to get involved. Grandparents, caregivers, and guardians are welcome.
• Most leadership roles can be shared. Bring a pal and split the job. Many hands make lighter work!
• The role can be what you make it. Concerned about time and responsibility? Many leadership roles primarily require attendance at meetings. It's OK if you only have a few hours to give here and there. There's plenty you can do.

Please come out on September 25th and vote to help shape the future of SAC and of Dovercourt Public School.

Open roles for 2025/2026:
​
Co-chairs (Executive)
Available positions: 1-2
Held last year by: Deborah Aarts and Peggy Gibbons
Responsibilities:

• Arrange for School Council meetings.
• Prepare agendas for School Council meetings.
• Chair School Council meetings.
• Ensure that minutes of School Council meetings are recorded and maintained.
• Ensure that the Annual Report is completed.
• Facilitate conflict resolution.
• Communicate with the Principal on behalf of the School Council.
• Consult with senior board Staff and Trustees as required on behalf of the School Council.
• Act as Joint Signing Officer.
• Act as ex officio member(s) of School Council (sub)committees and any school committees, including but not limited to School Budget Committee, school Improvement Plan Committee, School Staffing Committee and Caring and Safe Schools' Committee.
• Ensure completion of the School Statements of Needs (SSON) in collaboration with parents/caregivers.
• Observe the School Council’s and/or the Board's Code of Conduct and these By-Laws.

Treasurer (Executive)
Available positions: 1 (+ 1 Alternate)
Led last year by: Matt Zulawski (alternate: Sarah Weaver)
Responsibilities:

• Act as custodian of the funds of the School Council.
• Handle receipts and disbursement of School Council monies.
• Keep proper records of all financial transactions.
• Arrange for verification of the School Council’s financial records in June of each year.
• Act as a Joint Signing Officer.
• Adhere to the financial protocol instructions outlined in the School Council Financial Guide.
• Prepare the annual Public-Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) report.
• Observe the School Council’s and/or the Board's Code of Conduct and By-Laws.

 
Secretary (Executive)
Available positions: 1 (+ 1 Alternate)
Led last year by: Hilary Hall (Alternate: Deborah Walsh):
Responsibilities:

• Complete records of all meetings in a timely manner
• Assist the Chair/Co-Chair(s) in the distribution of minutes to all School Council members, ensure minutes, once approved, are available to the parent/caregiver body.  
• Responsible for the upkeep of all School Council social media and communications to the parent/caregiver body (e.g. blog, social media, email, newsletters, etc.).
• May act as a Joint Signing Officer.
• Observe the School Council’s and/or the Board's Code of Conduct and By-Laws.

 
Communications
Available positions: 1-2
Led last year by: Paul Tichonczuk
Responsibilities:

• Creates and coordinates overall communications strategy.
• Manages SAC’s website, making sure that it is updated with current information on activities and events and our membership.
• Draft SAC content for SAC News and for Dovercourt’s Friday File.
• Website updates.
• Track community engagement with site (website traffic stats) and via volunteer signup form.
• Responsible for [email protected] account (i.e., ensuring any requests, questions sent to this address are answered in a timely manner).

 
Community Outreach & Ward Rep
Available positions: 1
Led last year by: Chris Antonik
Responsibilities:

• The Community Outreach Representative will be responsible for representing the school community’s perspective in the wider community generally, and more specifically at the Ward Council and with the local Trustee.
• Attend Ward Council meetings to represent the school and communicate information back to the SAC.
• Establish contact with trustee and with parent organizations (e.g. PIAC, People for Education).
• Help build partnerships and links between the school and organizations in the community to enhance educational opportunities for students (for example, the Boys and Girls Club, the SACs of other local schools).
• Bring in topical speakers.

 
Events Team
Available positions: 2-4
Led last year by: Nahum Mann and Lisa Kotsopoulos
Responsibilities:

• Helps lead on SAC-led activities (e.g. dance-a-thon, movie nights, Spring Fling, etc.).
• Organize in-class school spirit activities as well as remote/virtual events to engage the school community and achieve fundraising goals.
• General responsibilities: a) Review regulations re: fundraising and TDSB policies and advise council of any conflict in proposed spending and b) Develop a fundraising plan for the year, based on goals and priorities set by the SAC at its first meeting.

    
Enrichment
Available positions: 1-2
Led last year by: Katie Quach
Responsibilities:

• Work with teachers, principal, and SAC to develop ideas for fieldtrips, extra-curricular activities and educational programs.

 
Greening/Eco Team
Available positions: 1-2
Led last year by: Deborah Walsh
Responsibilities:

• Responsible for enhancing environmental awareness of the school community and supervising school’s outdoor green initiatives.
• Key task: maintaining the school’s official ECO status.
• Greening Representative will be responsible for enhancing the environmental awareness of the school community and supervising the school’s outdoor green initiatives.
• General responsibilities:
• a) Assemble a group of volunteers to assist with maintenance of the school gardens, with a priority given to student involvement
•  b) Attend Eco-Team meetings and assist with Eco Day events
• c) Participate in the annual Eco Schools Status Review process
• d) Maintain contact with the TDSB Eco Schools Department regarding new Board-wide environmental initiatives
• e) Keep abreast of advances in ecological/outdoor education
• f) Work with teachers to take advantage of opportunities to use the school’s gardens as a teaching tool and as an outdoor classroom

 
Student Rep
Available positions: 1-2
Held last year by: Vacant

Community Representative
Available positions: 1-2
Past representatives: Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club, Oasis Dufferin Community Centre
Responsibilities:

• This position is appointed. 
• contribute to the discussions of the School Council.
• Represent the community's perspective.
• May participate on any School Council committee.
• Help to build partnerships and links between the school and the community.
• Observe the School Council's and/or the Board's Code of Conduct and By-Laws.

  
Role of all council members:

• Solicit the views of other parents/caregivers to share with the School Council
• Represent the views and the opinions of the parent/caregiver community.
• Attend and participate in all meetings.
• Participate on School Council committees.
• Help participate in and to facilitate any events that the School Council holds during the school year.
• Observe the School Council’s and/or the Board's Code of Conduct and By-Laws.

What a year 2024/2025 was for SAC!

​Please check our our year-end newsletter below to see some highlights of what we accomplished this school year, a preview of what's ahead for 2025/2026, and a few extremely well-deserved thank yous.

On behalf of everyone on the school council, have a safe and happy summer! To our departing Dovercourt teachers, staff, students, and families, thank you for contributing to our school, and please don't be strangers. To everyone else: We'll see you in September!

Have you noticed all the beautiful plants and flowers surrounding our school?

None of that appears by accident! It's the hard work of the Dovercourt students, staff and volunteers, led by the amazing Deborah Walsh (who would never ask for credit but who deserves all of it).

Here's a sample of what the Deborah and her team have done this year.

Bulb planting

In October and November of 2024, five classes had the opportunity to plant 400 bulbs supplied by Bulbs for Kids. Ms. Tsilka connected us with this opportunity and generously helped us out. Mr. Deottos’ class did the heavy lifting, by moving paving stones from the front of the school to Hallam Street, creating a walkway for the children who enjoy exploring this garden area. (Shout-out to Dovercourt parent Paul Tichonczuk for helping move these stones!)

Months later, in April and May, the bulbs popped out! They were beautiful and made a big impact within the community​.

Volunteers needed: Summer weeders

We're looking to organize a few dates in the summer to weed the planters and gardens around Dovercourt. would like to help, please email us at [email protected]. (High school students looking for volunteer hours are welcome!)

We're organizing a breakfast potluck on the last day of school (June 27) for our teachers, our staff, and our amazing Principal Caitland Ellis! 

We want to:

• Thank all our teachers and staff for their incredible work;
• Celebrate our retiring and departing teachers;
• Share our thanks and appreciation for Principal Ellis on her last day at Dovercourt.

Please contribute if you can!

Details:

• Date: Friday, June 27th, 2025
• ​Time: 8:00am - 9:00am. Drop off items starting at 8:00am. (Feel free to come say farewell to Ms. Ellis and departing teachers!)
• Location: Dovercourt staff room. (If you need directions, ask in the office).
  
  

Please note:

• Clearly mark all containers you will be picking up at the end of day on Friday the 27th. We cannot keep containers over the summer!
• ​You don’t have to make anything yourself! Store-bought is welcome, and appreciated.
• Please label any items that are gluten-free or vegan.
• ​Not sure what to contribute? We welcome all nut-free goodies, but are especially looking for:
  • 1-2 gluten-free options
  • ​Coffee and tea (e.g. Local coffee shop or Starbucks/Tim Hortons carriers)
  • Cold juices/sparkling waters (ideally in cans)
• Ensure all goods are nut-free!!
  ​

You can sign up here.