Sept 29th – Weekly

Posted September 29, 2023

Orange Shirt Day 2023

Hello Harris Mill families, 

What a great week at Harris Mill! A giant shout out goes to everyone who participated in and donated to the Terry Fox run we had at our school on September 22nd, our school raised $459.00 to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation, THANK YOU!!!

Also a giant thank you to everyone who was able to attend the Open House, it was a great way to get the school year started. Please check out these important reminders and have a great weekend!

#1 Harris Mill Bullying Prevention Plan: Harris Mill’s Bullying Prevention Plan has been updated for this school year with input from many different voices including the most important – our students! Please take a look at the completed document here as it fully explains why the plan has been created and provides more information on how bullying can be addressed. The Bullying Prevention and Equity & Inclusive Plan also outlines the responsibilities for staff, students and parents/guardians.  Click the link for full information: https://www.ugdsb.ca/harrismill/resources/bullying-prevention-plan/

#2 Harris Mill Open House: Thank you to everyone who attended this great event. It was so awesome to see so many families exploring the school and meeting the staff. For anyone who wasn’t able to attend, homeroom teachers will be reaching out to connect if you haven’t had a conversation with them yet. 

#3 Harris Mill School Council meets Tuesday Oct 3rd at 7:00 pm at the school or on Google Meet. Click here for more info and the Google Meet link: https://www.ugdsb.ca/harrismill/2023/09/28/parent-council-meets-october-3rd-7pm/ 

#4 Cross Country Team and Meet:  The Harris Mill Cross Country Meet was a huge success on Thursday. Our athletes ran hard and we couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments. A huge thank you goes out to all the parents who volunteered to make the Meet a success. THANK YOU!

#5 Concussion Awareness: On Wednesday we remembered Rowan’s Law Day by becoming more concussion aware. More information about Concussion Safety and how the UGDSB is prepared to help can be found here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/parents/concussions/

#6 September 30th Truth and Reconciliation Day: The UGDSB and Harris Mill school acknowledged National Truth and Reconciliation Day (formerly Orange Shirt Day) on Friday September 29, since the 30th is a Saturday. Staff and students were encouraged to wear orange shirts on the 29th and to learn about this important day and why it is recognized. 

#7 Subway Fridays are back! Order now for a weekly treat delivered fresh on Fridays. Lunchbox by School Cash Online makes it easy to receive subs on Fridays. Place your order by Sunday at noon each week, or order in advance for several weeks at a time. Cancellations can be made up until the Wednesday before the delivery day. Click on the Lunchbox icon within School Cash Online to order now!

#8 Pizza Days!:  Just a reminder that Pizza days, if you ordered for your child(ren), start next week. The days will run on Wednesdays at second break from October 4 through December 13. There are 11 pizza days in this ordering period. Pizza days are: October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, December 6, 13. If there is an inclement weather school CLOSURE on a Wednesday, that pizza day will be moved to the end of the schedule (December 20th). If buses are cancelled but school is open, pizza day will run as scheduled unless otherwise communicated. If your student is absent on a day when they would have received pizza, refunds will not be given.

#9 UGDSB’s FALL PIC EVENT: The Upper Grand District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is inviting UG parents/guardians to join them at the free PIC event on October 25, 2023. Please click the link for full information – https://www.ugdsb.ca/harrismill/2023/09/18/inspiring-engagement-with-parents-school-councils-ugdsb-pic-invites-you-to-its-fall-event-2/

#10 Morning Drop Off Safety: To help us ensure the safety of all our students at Harris Mill, parents are asked to stay on the edge of the tarmac close to the yellow posts when dropping off their grade 1-5 child(ren) before school starts. If parents are dropping their child off late (Kindergarten to Gr.5) Please go to the front office doors and connect with the Office staff. Thank you!

#11 Wanting to Volunteer at Harris Mill?: We really appreciate and value all our parent and guardian volunteers who give up some of their time to help us out, whether that be in the school or on a field trip. To get started volunteering this year there are a couple of actions to take. 

  1. Anyone who is new to the volunteer role at Harris Mill must first contact Ms. Evans, our Office Coordinator, for full information on how to submit a vulnerable sector check. 
  2. Those volunteers who have already submitted a vulnerable sector check to the school previously must also see Ms. Evans to complete a quick annual offence declaration. Please note: Following the UGDSB Policy 205: School Volunteers, your vulnerable sector check remains valid for 5 years, as long as you sign a yearly Volunteer Agreement with Annual Offence Declaration.

#12 UGDSB Needs Noon Hour Supervisors: Harris Mill PS and other UGDSB schools are always looking for parents or community members who are willing to help out as a Noon Hour Supervisors, click here for more information – https://www.ugdsb.ca/harrismill/2023/09/18/ugdsb-career-opportunity-noon-hour-supervisor/

#13 ILLNESS PREVENTION: KEY PROTECTIVE MEASURES – As a school, we want to remind everyone of the importance of many standard protective strategies to help keep staff and students safe and healthy. Strategies such as frequent hand washing, respiratory etiquette and making the most of our outdoor spaces for learning continue to contribute to the health and well-being of students and staff. Classes in the UGDSB will continue to have a standalone HEPA filter unit, with more than 2500 units deployed across the system. In addition to these measures, the UGDSB will continue to support students, staff and visitors to our schools and respect their individual choices about masking. 

Management of Illness in Schools – The UGDSB will continue to follow the direction of WDGPH for appropriate responses to illnesses in our community. Please visit their website for the most current information about COVID-19: https://wdgpublichealth.ca/covid-19/covid-19-information-public/status-cases-wdg

#14 The New BusPlanner Delays App is now available : If your child(ren) ride the bus this app will display:

  • Delay and cancellation notices for specific routes or runs
  • School closure announcements for weather-related shutdowns
  • General notices for all subscribers.

Click the link for more information: https://www.ugdsb.ca/harrismill/2023/09/12/harris-mill-bus-families-stay-connected-with-the-new-app/

Harris Mill Important Upcoming Dates:

Friday Sept 29th – Harris Mill’s day to honour Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day on Sept 30th (wear orange in support) 

Tuesday October 3rd – School Council Meeting 7pm

Monday October 9th – Thanksgiving Day (School is Closed)

Wednesday October 18th – School Photo Day

Friday October 27th – PA Day (School is Closed)

Categories: News • Newsletter