Welcome February !
Message from the School
With such drastic weather patterns, we continue to remind students to wear appropriate clothing when coming and going from school, and during recesses. As a suggestion, please send an extra pair of socks to school so your child will have a dry pair in case of need.
Staff are busy completing assessments and evaluations. If you wish to speak with any of your child/ren’s teacher(s) about your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. Remember that open and ongoing communication between home and school is one of the keys to success.
School Council The school council would like to extend a warm thank you to all the families who attended our annual movie night. Your participation and support made the event a huge success. We also want to thank the dedicated staff at John McCrae PS for all the hard work they do in educating and caring for our children. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and we are grateful for all that you do.
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Let’s celebrate and/or acknowledge customs, traditions and days of significance from all around the world!
If you have a suggestion or idea, please contact your child’s teacher, Monsieur Hussain or Madame DiFrancesco . If you are willing to come in and share ideas with us, we would love to hear from you. Please click on the link below to see our Boards “Day of Significance Calendar” .
- Equity Calendar – All dates of significance can be found on the UGDSB website. Calendar
*Days may vary a few days before or after the indicated date due to the moon sightings and timezones for some Days of Significance.* These Dates were taken from UGDSB Equity and Inclusion Calendar.
Black Heritage, Black Brilliance and Black Futures Month
This February, the Upper Grand District School Board is honouring Black Heritage, Black Brilliance and Black Futures Month – celebrating Black Joy. This is a month of celebration and important learning, but it’s important to note that this work must happen throughout the school year, not just in February.
Inclement Weather Procedures REMINDER – A reminder that, as with every winter, inclement weather conditions may result in bus cancellations and/or school closures. Decisions on buses and school operations due to inclement weather are made as soon as key information is available and no later than 6:30am the morning of. To check the status of school buses each morning visit www.stwdsts.ca, and to check the status of school closures visit www.ugdsb.ca. Please click here for important information regarding bus cancellations and inclement weather days in the Upper Grand District School Board for the 2023-2024 school year.
Upcoming Presentation: CMHA presenter Laura McDonald will be in the grade 7 and 8 classes on February 13th discussing Mental Health. This is an introduction to mental health and illness. An overview of stress, risk factors, as well as coping and self-care strategies will be shared. Miss Longtin, the Child and Youth Counsellor will be present in these presentations. This month’s theme in Wellness Works is Self-Compassion. Self Compassion is:
Parents, a great way to teach self-compassion is through gratitude. Encourage your child to reflect on what they are grateful for.This practice helps children to develop self-compassion by changing their attention to recognizing and appreciating the good things in their lives. This can be done through a conversation daily or a few times a week, or even a gratitude journal where they sit down and take a few minutes to reflect on their day. Your important part is you can be their role model by starting these conversations or even having a gratitude journal as well. Positive self-talk is another way of teaching self-compassion. Phrases such as “It is okay to make mistakes,” “I know how to do better next time,” or “I accept the best and worst aspects of who I am, because that’s what makes me me.” We as parents can role-model this to our children; it is an important and life changing skill. “When we give ourselves compassion, we are opening our hearts in a way that can transform our lives” Kristen Neff Community Support for students and parents:
The UGDSB Mental Health website is also packed full of helpful information for you to access anytime. For any questions, please contact Lisa Longtin (CYC). Popcorn Sale Grade 8 students will be selling popcorn. The funds will go toward technology and grade 8 graduation !
Each bag costs $2. Thank you for your support!
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Term 1 Report Cards
Term 1 Report Cards will be online on February 13th at 6pm.
New – Early Reading Screener (ERS)
The Term 1 and 2 Report Card has been updated to include an area on page 3 to indicate whether the Early Screening Tool has been completed for all Grade 1 and 2 students. For the Term 1 Report Card, Grade 1 & 2 teachers will check the NA. More information will be provided for the Term 2 report.
Reminder – Revised Language curriculum
Ontario’s revised Language curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 has been implemented. Here’s a guide for parents : https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/language-guide
Students will be given one mark for Language on Term 1 & 2 Report Cards instead of separate marks for each learning strand.
Accessing the report
- Click on the UGDSB Parent/Guardian Portal button found on our school website (right side menu).
- More information on how to access reports can be accessed here.
- If you do not remember your password, instructions on how to reset your password can be found here.
Please contact your student’s homeroom teacher should you have any questions.
NATIONAL SWEATER DAY
This year, National Sweater Day is on February 1, 2024:
https://schools.wwf.ca/events/primary-sweater-day/
Since 2010, over a million Canadians have participated in National Sweater Day at their schools, workplaces and homes. It is a day to help raise awareness about climate change and modify behaviours around energy consumption.
National Sweater Day is a way to learn about the importance of saving energy and to inspire you to use less energy all winter.
Ideas for your family to celebrate Sweater Day
- Turn down your thermostat and wear a sweater – and every day this winter!
- Ask your children to brainstorm with you about ways to save energy at home. Make a pledge to implement as many as you can. For extra ideas go to:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-use-less-electricity-home
- Read a children’s book on conservation such as: Why Should I Save Energy? by Jen Green. Encourage lots of questions and find the answers together.
- Learn about Green Energy sources. What types of renewable energy are available in Ontario – Wind? Solar? Geothermal?
- Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – use recycled materials to create your cards this year! To learn more about how recycling saves energy go to Alliant Energy Kids:
https://www.alliantenergykids.com/UsingEnergyWisely/SavingEnergyAtHome
“Winter Walk to School Month”
Winter Walk Day (February 7, 2024) is an annual celebration across Ontario that encourages students to be active throughout their school day in the wintertime. We can also celebrate Winter Walk Day throughout the month of February.
Lockdown Drills
This month we will have our second lockdown drill. These are mandatory in all UGDSB schools as a preventative measure. Teachers will be discussing the drills with classes in an age appropriate way prior to the drills.
Pink Shirt Day
On February 28th we will be celebrating Pink Shirt Day. Staff and students are encouraged to wear anything pink and discussions of inclusion and standing up against bullying will be taking place.
Categories: News