EJPS Week at a Glance (Oct 16-20)

Posted October 13, 2023

EJPS Week at a Glance (Oct 16-20)

 

Chers parents,

 

Thank you for a great week! We are still looking for donations of new or gently used soccer balls to replenish our supply for Phys Ed classes at school. We go through them pretty quickly and have found that we are very low in stock this fall. If you would be willing to donate, please have your child bring the ball directly to Mme Mizutani in the library and she will make sure it is put to good use in our Phys Ed program.

 

As we transition from the Fall to Winter seasons there are many days of significance observed by the myriad of cultures and religious groups that make up our wonderful EJPS community. For example, October is Islamic Heritage Month. Diwali, the Hindu Festival of the Lights is celebrated all around the world on Oct 24th. The founder of the Sikh religion is celebrated on November 8th. December is a time when Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice celebrations all converge. It would be wonderful for our school to reflect all of these celebrations in the learning in the classroom and in the products displayed throughout our school. Our teaching staff is always open to collaborating with EJPS parents who are willing to visit the classroom and share in their own voices their first-hand knowledge and appreciation for some of the cultures outside of the dominant majority. If you are interested in contributing to widening our recognition of cultural diversity please contact me directly at [email protected] so I can help coordinate learning opportunities for our staff and students. 

 

Halloween and Black and Orange Day will be occurring at EJPS on October 31st as done in previous years. Many schools celebrate Halloween with costume dress up and/or black and orange.  Halloween is a day that is not observed by all students or staff. With this, it is considered a choice to participate as are all spirit days. Alternate and supportive accommodations are to be provided for students if school events take place (e.g. parade). Also, I want to reassure parents that when treats are brought into the school to celebrate that we will ensure that Halal and Kosher options (e.g. gelatin free) will be available.    

 

Costumes:  It is our responsibility to ensure that school community members avoid using identities and cultures as costumes. This includes appropriative costumes/cultural stereotypes (i.e. cultural garments), black/brown face, transphobic costumes, body-shaming and objectifying costumes, and costumes that joke about situations that have caused harm (i.e. COVID pandemic). Such costumes perpetuate stereotypes and can cause harm that can further marginalize and oppress community members. 

 

General Guidelines:

  • Participation is optional
  • Wear black and orange if you prefer
  • Costumes must be free of replica weapons, masks are not encouraged (students must have full vision for safety), no valuable items
  • Costumes must be respectful of all cultures and beliefs.  (For example, a costume depicting indigenous peoples would be inappropriate).
  • Have regular clothes available for your child, as they may need to change out of their costumes part way through the day.
  • Kindergarten teachers will communicate additional information directly to parents around the logistics of having a successful experience with Halloween costumes in Kindergarten classrooms with up to 28 students!

 

If students wish to wear a costume here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts:

Costume Do’s

  • Follow our school code of conduct found on our website
  • Use makeup or face paint
  • Make sure you can get your costume on independently
  • Check that your costume is safe
  • Be creative!
  • Have fun!

Costume Don’ts

  • No costumes that are representative of another culture or religious beliefs
  • No gruesome masks or gore
  • No violent references
  • No weapons
  • Must be appropriate for school

 

Some items from your School Council:

 

Oct 15 > Garden Clean Up and Clothing Swap (10 AM – 12PM)

 

Below are some important information items and updates: 

 

 

One request from our Office Coordinator, Mme McLeod, is to ensure that you leave a message on the absence line (ext 100) should your child be away or arriving at school mid day. Doing this saves precious time in the office as Mme McLeod must call homes to verify absences when messages are not left. 

 

Merci beaucoup!

 

Olivier Cutz

(Principal)

 

** This and all past EJPS Week at a Glance emails are also posted on our school website here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/johnson/category/newsletter/ 

 

 

 

Categories: Newsletter