École Fred A. Hamilton

October Communication to Families

Posted October 2, 2023

Bonjour!

September is a wrap and the briskness of fall is in the morning air! We have had a smooth transition back to school with staff and students falling quickly into routine.  We have enjoyed a regular return to school and the excitement is evident as we plan for October field trips and Junior sporting events!

September 14th was our first School Council meeting.  Thank you very much to our outgoing School Council Executive members, Co-Chairs, Catrina Watson and Ryan Gibb.  Welcome to new School Council Executive members Mary Marrocco and Liz Martineau who are our Co-Chairs.  Please join us for our next meeting on Thursday, October 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the school library.

Please see below for important updates and information from the school.

Terry Fox

On Friday, September 22, staff and students participated in our annual Terry Fox assembly.  The assembly took place in the gym and was hosted by Mme Mui’s Grade 6 class and Mme Brown and Mme Kieswetter’s JK/SK class.  Following the assembly, students walked and/or ran for an hour.  Terry once said, “Anything is possible if you try.”  Thank you for supporting our Terry Fox Run/Walk.  Our school raised $353 for the Terry Fox Foundation.

School Photo Day

Pegasus will be visiting the school on Thursday, October 12 for individual and class photos. Please note this date on your family calendar and be sure to bring a smile! 

Contacting Educators during the School Day

Please note that if you are picking up your student early, or if there is a change of plans for after school dismissal, please contact the office by calling 519 836 0080.  During instructional time, educators are engaged with students and unable to check their email.  The office will inform your student and their educator(s) of the change in plans.  Thank you for your understanding.  

School Lunch Program and Milk Delivery

Once again this year, our school will feature several lunch options for students.  Mondays will be Subway, Wednesdays will be pizza and Fridays will alternate between Harveys and Quesada.  White and chocolate milk boxes are available every school day.  Orders are placed via LunchBox on School Cash Online. Several times throughout the year, we also feature special options like Marble Slab frozen yogourt or Terra Cotta cookies.  Ordering instructions can be accessed here.

Funscrip

Holiday season is around the corner!  Fred A. Hamilton is using Fundscrip, a gift card fundraising program, to raise money for the arts programs at Fred A. Hamilton. Gift cards may be purchased year round on your own schedule for everyday purchases or as gifts for special occasions. They are sold at face value, but earn rebates for the school ranging from 2%- 10% of the purchase price of the cards at no extra cost to you. There is a wide array of Canada’s largest retailers to choose from; please consider purchasing gift cards for groceries, gas retailers, home improvement, department stores, restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores etc. Gift cards are available in plastic, electronic or reloadable versions.  Please consider supporting our school by following the steps below:

• • log onto  www.fundscrip.com
  • Select SUPPORT A GROUP
  • Enter Group Invitation Code ZNQUYK

• Select the delivery method you would prefer (gift cards can be delivered to your home free of delivery charges)

Dogs on School Property

When dropping off or picking up children, dogs must be on a leash and kept on the  sidewalk off school property. This is the expectation for all Upper Grand District School Board parents/families. Some students have allergies to animal hair/dander or have a fear of dogs and there’s potential for people to be scratched or bitten. Dog walking is not allowed on school property during the school day.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Upcoming Opportunities

Children’s Reading Room – Booktoberfest on October 7th. Please see the flyer for more information.

A Guide to Supporting French Immersion at Home

Thank you for supporting your child’s literacy development and joy of reading at home.

In the Upper Grand District School Board, we are focusing on the Big 5+ Ideas that support reading & literacy development. These Big 5+ Ideas include, Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension and Written Expression. These Big 5+ ideas are important components of literacy

instruction in the classroom as well as support at home. This document provides suggested ideas that require little to no preparation to help support foundational literacy skills at home.

Please feel free to engage in these activities in French, English or the primary language that is spoken at home. There are many skills and abilities that transfer between different languages. These skills can include phonological awareness skills, phonetic skills, comprehension strategies, higher-order thinking skills and familiarity with text formats, such as books, manuals, recipes and websites. For more information on how to continue to support your child’s success in French at home, please visit the parent guide “Supporting Your Child’s Success in French Immersion and Extended French”. For multilingual learners, it is important

to foster and support these early literacy skills in a child’s first language. 

Enjoy the reading journey!

What do I do if I don’t speak French?

This is a very common question asked by French Immersion parents.  Please feel free to engage with these activities in French, English or in the primary language that is spoken at home. Practicing these skills in any language will be beneficial and will help develop foundational reading skills and early literacy skills.

This slide deck is a helpful demonstration of how each sound in French is pronounced as well as the hand gestures that are associated with each of the sounds. You can review and practice the pronunciation and gestures associated with each sound with your child at home. Please refer to the phonics section of this document for activity ideas and ways in which you can reinforce French phonics at home.

UGDSB Equity and Inclusion Calendar

Starting this school year, the Equity and Inclusion Calendar will be offered in a digital format.  All dates of significance can be found on the UGDSB public facing website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/calendar/monthly/.

Important Dates in October

The École Fred A. Hamilton school calendar can be accessed from our school website.  The UGDSB school year calendar and cycle day calendars are located on the UGDSB website. Please see below some important dates for October.  (Please note, these dates are subject to change, however the school calendar on the school website will be updated as required).  

School Council Update

The School Council will meet on October 19th from 6:30-7:30pm. Families are welcome to join in-person in the school library or via Google Meet.  The School Council Minutes from the September meeting and the October Meeting agenda, including the virtual link to join the meeting are available on the School Council page of the school website. 

We are looking forward to resuming the milk program in October which is organized by School Council volunteers. If you are available to volunteer for a few minutes at morning drop-off, let us know by emailing [email protected].

New to our school this year is the big box card fundraiser, featuring a box of 35 all occasion cards for $35. You get high quality cards for a low price and a chance to raise much needed funds for our school! More details to come soon. 

The School Council is beginning to plan our December event: the Soirée d’Hiver. If you are looking to get involved in an event, this is a great opportunity! In the past, the Soirée d’Hiver has been a chance for families to gather at the school before the winter break for refreshments, crafts, and activities. We can’t run events without family volunteers so let us know if you can lend a hand by emailing [email protected].

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