September 29th, 2024

Cougar Chronicles – Principals’ Report

 

Dear families and guardians, 

We are ready for another great week ahead! A few updates…

-One week ago, our bus patrollers had an opportunity to travel to Budd Park with Ms. Quart in order to receive training and they began supporting their fellow bus peers last week. 

-Some classes participated in ESQube presentations this past week where they were able to do some STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.) Thanks to Ms. Passalidis for organizing this special learning experience!

-Popcorn in support of Nutrition for Learning and Grade 6 Camp fundraising is being sold every Wednesday for $2

Orange Shirt Day

Tomorrow is Orange Shirt Day and we will be having a school-wide assembly to recognize and acknowledge this important day. We observe Orange Shirt Day to honour the survivors of residential schools and remember those who didn’t return. Don’t forget to wear orange on Monday to show your support! Students have been reading books, and doing some learning in their classrooms with their teachers through the month of September.

Please read our newsletter to stay up to date with all the wonderful things going on at JFC!

Warmly, 

Ms Jaime Demsey (Vice Principal) and Mrs. Leah Pullen (Principal)

 

Pizza Orders for October

Pizza days are back! Our pizza provider this year will continue to be Gino’s Pizza.  Pizza will be delivered for the first nutrition break each Friday. To order, go to Products on School Day and select Pizza Orders. Select each date you wish to order pizza using the drop down arrow within the product and select how many slices you would like to order. Make sure you order for each child and each week using the appropriate drop down menus, adding to cart after each selection. Once you have added all your items, click the cart in the the top right corner of your screen to view all your selected items. Take a moment to review your order and make sure that your selections are correct.

  • Slices are $2/each  Cheese or pepperoni is available.
  • Order deadline for this period (October 4th, 10th, 18th, 25th is this Wednesday, Oct. 2nd.  **please note that Friday, Oct. 11 is a PD Day. Pizza day for that week will be on Thursday, Oct. 10 instead **
  • Payments must be made on School Day. 

PLEASE NOTE: If your child is absent on pizza, they will miss their order that day. The pizza will not be saved or re-distributed to friends or siblings.

 

School Day ** PLEASE REGISTER**

All of our important communication is shared via School Day. (https://www.school-day.com/) . In order to access your child’s class-specific information, you need a special code called a Secure Match Key. If you don’t already have one, please ask your child’s teacher if they can help you or call the office at 519 578 8450 and press 3. We encourage all of you to join us on School Day so that important messages, field trip information, pizza days, and other exciting events can be shared. 

 

Nutrition for Learning

Did you know that there is a Nutrition for Learning program right here at JF Carmichael?  Nutrition for Learning works in partnership with youth and educators striving to elevate the experience of universal food access at schools in ways that promote optimal well-being, healthy relationships, and food literacy, so that all students are nourished at school in order to learn, connect, participate, and thrive. This past school year, Nutrition for Learning noticed a growing need for student nutrition programs. When students are well-nourished at school, they are given the chance to learn, participate, and thrive.

If you would like, you can become a donor to help students access food while at school. Go to https://www.nutritionforlearning.ca/sponsor/ to donate directly to our school (use drop down to find JF Carmichael PS).  Even small donations can make a big impact. Donate today!

Thank you for supporting JFC’s student nutrition program. The permanent link for donating will be under Resources on our website.

Early Reading Screening Process

Reading is a vital skill for the achievement and well-being of students.

In the coming weeks, Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) educators will assess the early reading skills of young students using a screening tool. This will include all students in:

  • Senior Kindergarten
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2

Early reading screening supports the WRDSB Structured Literacy Multi-Year Plan (SLMYP) and is in line with guidance provided by the Ministry of Education.

Learn more: Supporting Student Literacy – Elementary Early Reading Screening Process

 

Food Supports Available for WRDSB Students (ongoing, from last week…)

With the new school year underway, the WRDSB recognizes that food insecurity is affecting our communities at unprecedented levels. In addition to local food banks and pantries, we wanted families to be aware of nutrition supports in place specifically for children and youth in Waterloo Region, both during and outside of school hours.

For more information on these programs and how to receive them, please visit: Food Supports for WRDSB students. If you have any questions, please reach out for more information. 

WEFI information

Our school is partnered with WEFI (Waterloo Education Foundation Inc.) to support student learning opportunities. Please visit the donation page to understand more about the foundation, and to find all the right links if you wish to contribute and help make a difference. You can specify our school by using the drop down menu. Here is the link.

National Custodial Workers Recognition Day (October 2nd)

Please remind your children to say a BIG thank you to Mrs. Lister, Ms. Brenner, and Mr. Spiropoulos for their hard work in keeping our school clean and safe! They are incredible custodians, and we would love to see our students showing them the appreciation they deserve.

World Teachers’ Day is on October 5th: 

As we approach World Teacher Day on October 5th, please take a moment to express our gratitude for the incredible dedication and hard work our teachers invest in every day. They inspire, support, and nurture our children, shaping their futures with patience and care.

School Council (ongoing, from last week…)

Welcome to JF Carmichael School Council for the 2024/25 school year! Please feel free to contact us anytime at jf-carmichael-school-council@googlegroups.com. Our first meeting and election will be on October 7th at 7pm in the library or via a Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/idn-tvha-uap

There are two volunteer opportunities as part of the JF Carmichael School Council, as well as additional opportunities throughout the school year. Any parent or guardian of a student at JFC can be part of Council. Collaboration and input is valued for all of the positions listed below.

The first opportunity is a “Member-at-Large” position on Council. This offers flexibility as Members-at-Large attend meetings as they are available and/or volunteer for events and activities. This is not a voting position. WRDSB employees can be a Member-at-Large.

The second opportunity is a “Parent Member” position. Parent Members are expected to attend every meeting to ensure quorum is met if a vote is required. Parent Members also may volunteer for any event or activity. WRDSB Employees can be Parent Members if they are not employed at JFC and have made their employment status clear to people qualified to vote.

Elected Parent Members vote for executive positions including Chair or Co-Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

To express your interest in being a part of the JFC School Council for the 2024/25 School year, please fill out this Google Form  Please click on the following live links to read more about our BYLAWS and about the WRDSB School Councils. We look forward to welcoming any interested JF Carmichael family to our School Council! 

WEFI & Lenscrafters OneSight Program (ongoing, from last week…)

We believe when more children can see the board in school, we can all fight illiteracy. This is why The Waterloo Education Foundation Inc. (WEFI) has partnered with Lencrafters through OneSight’s OnSite Voucher Program so that eligible patients can receive glasses free of charge. If you know a student that would benefit from this program, please contact our school to request a referral letter. Together, WEFI believes that as a whole communities gain access to eye exams and glasses, we can all resist inequality.

Community Flyers

The WRDSB offers community organizations and not-for-profits the opportunity to share information on their programs and services with our schools on our Community E-Flyers website. Each week we will share the most recent flyers shared with the Board in this newsletter in hopes that you share this information with your community if you deem it appropriate.

Dates happening this week: 

  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day), September 30
  • National Custodial Workers Recognition, October 2
  • World Teacher’s Day, October 5