Aberfoyle Public School

We need ribbon! Our students are making stuffed bunnies for the Fall Fair. If you have any bits and pieces of any width of ribbon, we sure would appreciate them! Drop them off at the office or send it to school with your favourite student! 

Silent Auction items needed for the Carnival on May 29! Promote your business or donate special items from your family to support our school. Please contact Lindsay Dickerson - lindsay.dickerson@ugdsb.on.ca or Christina Fitzgibbon - christina@cbn.on.ca We really appreciate your support!

EQAO - Grade 3 May 14-June 5, Grade 6 June 2-5

Students in grade 3 and 6 are starting to prepare for the annual EQAO testing. The testing usually takes place over 4 days. The assessment is done in math and language. The students will use computers to complete the tests. If you have a child who will be completing these assessments, kindly please consider refraining from scheduling appointments or student absences on those dates. 

Volunteer Requirements

The safety of the children is most important, UGDSB requires that every volunteer must have a Vulnerable Sector Check and an Agreement form. Information about the process can be found below.

Steps to complete the check:

• Please complete this form so that we can send you the required volunteer letter from the school

• Visit https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=147&lng=en

• Print and send in your completed check

• Print, sign and send in the volunteer agreement form

Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions about this process.

ANNUAL FISH FRY

Takeout available!

Adults $25

Children $15

(ages 6-12, under 6 free)

Thursday, May 8, 2025

5:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Puslinch Community Centre

Brock Rd. Aberfoyle

Tickets can be purchased online at optimistclubofpuslinch.com, from any Optimist Club member, at the door (cash or card) or by calling Lynn at 519-821-4256. Please indicate if you plan to use the takeout option and get your tickets early!

 For more details, visit: optimistclubofpuslinch.com

Dear Aberfoyle Families,

We are very excited to offer our 2024-2025 school yearbook! The yearbook is in full colour and includes all of the year’s best memories. Our yearbook provider this year is Pegasus. 

• The yearbook will be available to order online until May 23rd, 2025. You can purchase the yearbook from your School Cash Online account. Watch for email reminders when the site opens up for purchases. 

• This year, the yearbook will only be available in a softcover option for $27.00 CAD. 

• Your child’s yearbook will be delivered to your child during the last week of school. 

The planning process for next school year has started. Over the next couple of months the staff at the school will spend many hours developing class lists based on a detailed set of criteria, focused on student learning and success for the following year. We take this process very seriously and do our best to plan for the success of all of our students at Aberfoyle.

As in the past we wanted to remind families that we do not take requests for class placements. In this complex process we take the following into account.

• learning partners

• ability groups – learning groups

• needs of students

• separating some students due to relationship issues depending on the number of classrooms.

• balance of gender/non-binary

• behavioural needs/ dynamics between students

• combined classrooms are not streamed (for example, a 2/3 split is not high achieving grade 2s and low achieving grade 3s) 

Thank you for your understanding and trusting the Aberfoyle staff as we build classes for the next school year.

Measles

Cases of measles are on the rise in Ontario and worldwide. Check your vaccine records to make sure you and your family are protected from measles. Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions or to book an appointment. To view your child’s immunization record or report their measles vaccines, visit immunizewdg.ca.

Measles is a very contagious viral infection that spreads from person to person through airborne droplets (coughing, sneezing, etc.). The measles virus can be active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for as long as two hours. You can catch measles by being near an infected person, even if you’re in the same room for a short period. Someone who is contagious with measles can spread it to others from four days before a rash appears to four days after the rash appears. Measles is most common in children but can affect anyone who is not immune. Measles vaccination is highly effective at preventing measles - one dose is 95% effective and two doses is 99% effective.

Symptoms

• Fever

• Runny nose

• Cough

• Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)

• Tiny white spots inside the mouth (Koplik’s spots)

• Red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads downward (generally starts 3-7 days after symptoms begin)

Vaccination recommendations

• Children should receive two doses measles vaccine - MMR at 12 months, and a second dose of MMR-V at age 4-6.

• Those born before 1970 are presumed to have acquired natural immunity to measles.

• Adults born from 1970-1978 may have only received one dose and a second dose is recommended.

• Adults born after 1978 likely received two doses if they attended school in Ontario.

• Adults who were in elementary or high school in 1996 and beyond, likely received two doses of measles vaccine (in most provinces).

• All healthcare workers, students in post-education settings, travellers to destinations outside of Canada and military personnel are recommended to have two doses of measles containing vaccine (or evidence of immunity).

• Adults who are unsure of their vaccination status should speak with their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated with at least one dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR).

Recess Activities at Aberfoyle

Hooray! While the days have been a bit cooler than we would enjoy, there is promise for warm days ahead. As we head into May and June, please consider putting sunscreen on your child before they head to school. Teachers cannot be responsible for putting sunscreen on students. A hat and water bottle are also important additions on warmer days. 

We have been able to open our front playground at recess times. The students are enjoying the climbers and the basketball nets. 

While we have some recess equipment (balls etc), some students may wish to bring their own. If your child brings their own ball or ball glove, please ensure that their name is on it and they know that they are responsible for keeping it safe. The school is not responsible for lost items.  

 Attendance Reminders

Did You Know?

Every day that a student is absent from school is a lost opportunity for that child or adolescent to learn, build social skills, and receive the benefits associated with the sense of community found within our schools. Chronic or prolonged absenteeism can also result in decreased academic success and related employment prospects later in life. Increased feelings of anxiety following long periods away from school are also common as students begin to worry about their grades, lost credits, catching-up on missed assignments, as well as interactions with their peers who may wonder where they have been. 

While Ontario Law states that children between the ages of  6 and 17 must attend school, we do understand that sometimes illness and other circumstances mean that a student must be away for a period of time.

Tips and Strategies for Parents to help with Attendance

School Pickup and Dropoff

While most of our community has found the rhythm of our pickup and dropoff routines, there continues to be some dangerous and illegal driving/parking actions which need to be adjusted. If you feel the need to drive onto Old Brock Rd., please do not pick up or drop off anywhere other than in front of the fence on the school side of the road.  The bus lane (up to the start of the fence) must remain clear in the morning until all buses have dropped off and staff will wave you past the bus lane if we’re still waiting for a bus.  At no time should a pick up or drop off happen behind or beside the buses and never on the opposite side of the street. Please see our regular parking reminders and map below:

• If you are driving your child to or from school, please note that the Township enforces parking regulations in front of the school.  A student drop-off area will is designated on the school side of Old Brock Rd., in front of the fence. This is the only place where stopping is allowed and is meant for quick drop offs (students need to be able to get out on their own).  If you are dropping off or picking up your child during the school day, parking/stopping is allowed on the other side of Old Brock Rd. between 9am and 2pm.

• The best place to park if you need to accompany your child to/from the school is at the Community Centre/Library.  There is a crossing guard who will be there starting on September 6 to help cross Brock Rd.