EJPS Week at a Glance (Jan 16 – 20)

Posted January 13, 2023

EJPS Week at a Glance (Jan 16 – 20)

Chers parents,

Happy New Year and welcome back! We’ve had a great transition back from the holidays as our students continue with their learning at a strong pace. As the weeks go by, more and more school activities will be organized and we will share information in a timely fashion. This week we had a special visit by our Director, Peter Sovran, and our Superintendent, Matt McCutcheon. They continue to share words of encouragement and are impressed by your children’s progress and the learning environment fostered by our staff. 

There is a famous saying in French, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. With the new year here we are all ready to embrace new changes. One of those changes will be exciting for our superstar EA, Carla Scheffold, who will be moving up in the UGDSB into the very highly regarded role as a Transitional EA. The cream rises to the top! Carla will be working with students and schools throughout the board who are in challenging situations and provide support and consultation on a short term basis to help those situations improve and move in the right direction. Carla being the successful candidate for this role is a testament to her unique skills and talents. She has made a huge positive impact on the lives of so many students, parents, and staff over the years. I have learned so much from her in my short time as her Principal. We will all miss her very much, but we are also cheering for her in her new role and wish her all the best. Next Friday will be her last day with us at EJPS. There will be giant shoes to fill as we look for a new EA staff member to join our team. Our staff has learned lots alongside Carla over the years and we will continue to evolve and develop as we always do in the ways we support and include ALL students. 

I also wanted to share an exciting opportunity that some of our students will benefit from thanks to a well written experiential learning grant application by our Phys Ed. and Science planning teacher, Barb Connell. Experiential learning is an approach to student learning that provides students with opportunities to actively participate in experiences; reflect on those experiences to derive meaning from them; and apply their learning to their decisions and actions in various aspects of their lives. Experiential Learning is and always has been happening all over UGDSB, including at EJPS! Mme Roberts, Ammon, Smith (Hill), Stolfi and Connell are grateful for Experiential Learning funding awarded from the board to do extra activities with their classes this school year. Some examples are a grade 6 trip to the Guelph Civic Museum for STEM week and welcoming the Guelph Outdoor School to guide Mme Roberts, Mme Ammon, Mme Smith (Hill) and Mme Stolfi’s students in experiencing science and physical activity in nature, in January and February.

I wanted to share an awareness building opportunity with you to support the issue of human trafficking that is a tragic reality in our region and around the world. Please join Women In Crisis Educator Cindy McMann and Jaseth Purcell, Human Trafficking Counsellor for an informative webinar which will provide information to parents and guardians about human trafficking: what it is, how traffickers operate, red flags and risk factors and ways to talk about this issue with young people.  January 31st 6pm-7pm on Zoom. Registration link

Below are some important dates: 

  • January 20th – Spirit Day: Be yourself day (wear something that’s soooo you!) Assembly at 10:00 AM. 
  • Ongoing – If you have not already, please ensure you fill out and hand the parent volunteer form found here to the office before engaging in any volunteer activities at the school including field trips. 
  • KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Opens Tuesday, January 10, 2023 and closes on Friday, January 27, 2023 at 4:00 pm. https://www.ugdsb.ca/blog/kindergarten-registration-is-back-heres-what-parents-caregivers-need-to-know/ 
  • January 24th – EJPS School Council 6:30 – 7:30
  • Jan 27th – PA Day/Family Literacy Day
  • Feb 16 – Term 1 Report Cards available online
  • Feb 20 – Family Day
  • Feb 21 – EJPS School Council 6:30 – 7:30
  • March 13-17 – MARCH BREAK

Once again, thank you for your support and partnership in making EJPS an awesome community!

Sincerely, 

Olivier Cutz (Principal)

 

 

Categories: Newsletter