May is upon us, as we gear up for the fun in Fun Fair and the music in Seussical the Musical. The weather is bright and fresh and we are excited about the coming weeks and all they will bring.

The grade 2 food drive was a huge success, with 1,111 items donated and $340 raised with the jelly bean guess. Thanks for your support of the food drive! The class learned so much about food distribution, the Red Cross and importance of action during the unit. When they went shopping at Valumart, customers were so inspired by their action project that they contributed to the class purchases with their own donations.

The Red Cross also came in to accept a cheque from the grade 6 class for $986, towards the Malaria Bites mosquito net program. The Red Cross has expressed a deep appreciation for the supportive relationship with SBS over the years. They have brought it to our attention that we have been contributing to their Food Bank with our Care & Share program for 15 years! The reciprocal relationship has become a regular part of life at SBS and our families can be very proud of their contributions.

At the end of April, I was in Atlanta for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the IB. At the meetings there I was appointed to the IB Board of Directors and will begin serving my term in August at a retreat in Stockholm. It is very exciting to be able to take the voice of Sunnybrook School and our colleagues in Toronto and Canada to this level of decision making in the IB. These are exciting times for the IB and we will continue to be a part of the growth and development of the programs.

As you know, tickets for Seussical the Musical will go on sale next week. We are pleased that the venue is larger this year so that we have more flexibility with tickets and don't have to be quite so strict with sales. The format for sales will be:

Tuesday, May 6
8 - 9 a.m., 3:30 - 4:15
All families with students in grades 1-6 may purchase up to 4 tickets for one night, or 2 tickets for 2 nights

Wednesday, May 7
8 - 9 a.m., 3:30 - 4:15
All families with students in grades 1-6 may purchase up to 4 tickets for one night, or 2 tickets for 2 nights

Thursday, May 8
8 - 9 a.m., 3:30 - 4:15
Open ticket sales, including JK and SK for both shows.

Our thanks go to the parents who are selling the tickets for the show this year. Your assistance at this busy time is truly appreciated! You have received the information about showtimes in previous notes. It will, once again, be spectacular, you are in for a real treat.

Remember that May 16th is Grub Day and early closing for all students from JK to grade 6. Please pick up your children between 12:00 noon and 12:15 on Friday May 16th and get an early start on the long weekend.

Volunteers contribute to our school in so many ways. Fun Fair, the musical, SPA, Lice Check, the Terry Fox Run, our Library, Founder's Day, Field Trips, the Gala, coffee mornings, Birthday Books, skating, skiing, and many other moments of the year would be diminished or even impossible without your valued assistance. You are special people and we look forward to thanking you for all this help. You are invited to an afternoon get together on Tuesday May 20th in the library from 2:30-3:45 p.m. This is the day after the long weekend, so please remember to come and visit and feel appreciated!

An important graduation tradition for our grade 6 class is S@GE Camp. Once again, we will be taking the children to Guelph for their 'Science at Guelph Experience' from May 21 - 23. Three days on campus, sleeping in dorms, eating in the university cafeteria and learning in lecture halls and science labs is an invaluable experience for our students. I am thrilled that I will be able to join the class again this year. It is a wonderful experience for Mr. Rossiter and me, along with the students.

Our plans for the addition are coming along, we are in consultations with the city planning department, which have been fruitful and positive. Since we have to apply for rezoning, things will take longer than we had hoped. Nevertheless, in preparation for the addition, we will be doing interior work this summer. This involves preparing the rear stairwell landings for the entrance to our new 'wing' and building cabinetry for grades 1 and 3. It will be exciting to have this first step complete. It will and will allow us to attach the addition without disrupting playground access during the process.

Mark the SPA Wine and Cheese evening, on Monday June 2nd, on your calendars. It is our last social get together of the year, and is always a lively community event. The Art Show, which showcases student work from the school year, will take place the same evening. A selection of each child's art from this school year will be on display in the gym; the art show, the company and the wine and cheese evening will provide a special finale to a wonderful year.

Fun Fair promises to be simply splendid, as Michele Hayhurst and her team prepare last minute details. We are still accepting jars and are look forward to receiving your baking in on Friday. Be sure to come wearing big smiles on Saturday morning! It will be a splendid fair, rain or shine and I can't wait for the big day!

Irene Davy, Ph.D.
Director