December 16th, 2024

Dear families and caregivers:

Please note that Winter Holidays run from December 23-January 3. We will see everyone back at school on Monday, January 6th. This week we will be having a special week of Spirit Days as we prepare for the Winter Holidays. Your child is invited to participate as they are able! 

Monday – Pattern Day – Wear clothes with a pattern on them.

Tuesday – Wear a hat

Wednesday – Wear red, white, or green

Thursday – Wear bright colours

Friday – Wear pyjamas or cozy clothes

We wish you and your family a warm, comforting, and peaceful holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa, and best wishes in celebrating in all the other special ways our community celebrates in the coming weeks. 

Happy New Year to everyone. We wish you a peaceful and prosperous 2025.

Warmly, 

Ms. Demsey and Mrs. Pullen

Granola Bars and Kleenex

If you are able to donate a box of NUT FREE and chocolate free granola bars for Nutrition for Learning or a box of Kleenex for your child’s classroom, we graciously appreciate your help. With sniffle season here, many classrooms are low on tissues and this item is not provided by the school board. We appreciate your help!

Delays, Closures and Cancellations: 

A reminder that our school webpage will share Delays, Closures, and Cancellations – please make sure to check it often during the winter months.

Inclement Weather Reminders

The snowy and cold weather has arrived! Here are a few reminders from the office.

  • Attendance is taken right after announcements at 9:10 AM. If your child will be late or absent for the day let the office know as soon as possible by emailing the attendance inbox at jfc-attendance@wrdsb.ca. This assists the office in confirming all expected students have arrived safely and on time.

  • Student Transportation Services created a video explaining how bus cancellations and school closures are determined and communicated via fhttps://x.com/STSWR/status/1861782236934062565

  • The inclement weather process can also be found on their website.

  • Students need to be prepared for the weather conditions. Extra socks, gloves/mitts, and pants are good to have in backpacks as they may get wet during outside play.

We’re looking forward to a safe and happy winter!

Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is Looking for New Members

Our Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is looking for new members. We invite parents/caregivers of students currently enrolled in any of our schools to apply. As a member of PIC, you have an opportunity to strengthen parent/caregiver partnership in education and be part of a committee dedicated to helping each student achieve their full potential. The committee collaborates with WRDSB staff to support, encourage, and enhance parent/caregiver engagement in children’s education, to improve student achievement and well-being. 

Help Nutrition for Learning Meet the Growing Need

The WRDSB invites our community to come together and support Nutrition for Learning. They help WRDSB students access food at school that is healthy and nutritious.

This year’s giving campaign runs from Monday, December 2 to Friday, December 20, 2024.

We encourage administrators to share this giving opportunity to support Nutrition for Learning with their staff, colleagues, school community, family and friends!

Everyone is invited to take part!

Winter Reminders: (from last week)

With the winter months ahead of us, I would like to remind our community that all of our playground equipment is closed for the season until the Spring. Also, please remind your children to bundle up appropriately. With snow and cold temperatures, children require a jacket, hat, mittens, boots, and snow pants – snow pants are required if your child likes to play in the snow. For younger children, please label your child’s items to increase the chance of lost items being returned to your child. 

Sledding at JFC: (from last week)

It has been a longstanding tradition for JFC students to sled down our hills during break times. This year, we are only going to have one hill opened for sledding during breaks to ensure safety and adequate supervision of students. The hill we will be using is the long hill that comes down from the pathway/St. Mary’s side of the yard. The schedule will be as follows:

Morning break: Grades 1-3

Afternoon break: Grade 4-6

ONLY Crazy Carpets will be the acceptable mode of transportation for using the hill. Children should slide down the hill on a Crazy Carpet, exit to their right, walk up the pathway, and line up again at the top of the hill. Please leave personal sleds (unless it is a Crazy Carpet) or snow related items at home. We also have a number of school owned Crazy Carpets available for use for our students.

All hills will be open to classes during phys.ed. times or for outdoor daily physical activity times when teachers choose to take their students outdoors during the instructional day. The above arrangement is for Nutrition Breaks only. 

Dates happening this week: 

Yule, December 21, 2024

First Day of Winter, December 21, 2024

Winter Solstice, December 21, 2024

Winter Break, December 23 – January 3, 2025

Christmas Day, December 25, 2024

Chanukkah, December 25 – January 2, 2025

Death of Prophet Zarathustra/Zarathosht No-Diso, December 26, 2024

Kwanzaa, December 26 – January 1, 2025

Tamil Heritage Month, January 1 – 31, 2025

World Braille Day, January 4, 2025

Twelfth Night, January 5, 2025

Birth of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, January 6, 2025

Epiphany / Dia de los Reyes, January 6, 2025

Theophany, January 6, 2025

Orthodox Christmas / Feast of Nativity, January 7, 2025

Lohri, January 13, 2025

Thai Pongal (Tamil), January 14, 2025

Orthodox New Year, January 14, 2025

Makar Sankranti, January 14, 2025

Mahayana New Year, January 14, 2025