Happy October! September was an exciting month full of community building activities and special events, such as Open House, the Terry Fox Run, and Truth and Reconciliation Week.
We enjoyed meeting families on Open House and we look forward to getting to meet many more parents and guardians through upcoming school events.
School Council Message
School Council will meet in the learning commons (library) this year. Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. We are lucky to belong to a great supportive community. If you are unable to attend meetings, we are always looking for volunteers for various fundraising events throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering, please watch for our volunteer calls or email us at johnmccraeschoolcouncil@gmail.com
Executive Positions 2024-2025
Erin Corstorphine (Co-Chair)
Jeff Bennett (Co-Chair)
Tim Fish (Treasurer)
Khaleed Khalfan and Kathy Kaye (Secretary)
School Council will be running a Dance-a-thon on October 31st. More information to come.
Add information about Fresh for the Farm, Wreaths and Poinsettia; milk and juice supplier; October meeting – fundraising goals and allocations.
Dress Up Day K to 8 – Thursday, Oct 31st
On this day:
wear orange and black
dress in a costume
wear your everyday clothes
If students wish to wear a costume, here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts:
Costume Do’s | Costume Don’ts |
– follow the John McCrae PS Dress Code – follow our school code of conduct found on our website – wear black and orange – appropriate for school – dress up as a character from your favourite book or movie – use makeup or face paint – make sure you can get your costume on independently – check that your costume is safe (i.e. not too long) – be creative! – have fun! | – no costumes that are representative of another culture, religious beliefs, or gender, socioeconomic status – any costume related to COVID – no dress up masks – no toy replica weapons – no props – no violent references – costume contact lenses |
Please note that our younger students may be sensitive to scary images. Accessories are to stay home.
Dogs on School Property
Please note that there are children who have allergies to animal hair, and who have a fear of dogs. There is also a possibility of a child being scratched or bit by a dog (perhaps excited by all the children who enter and leave the school at the beginning and end of the day). In order to prevent a potential concern for our students, please do not bring your dog onto school property during school hours.
Please note that this does not apply to Service Dogs.
Parking
Reminder that our parking lot is not accessible between 8:20 – 8:40 a.m. and from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Thank you for keeping our students safe.
UGDSB Pathways for Grade 8 to 9 students
Eco Club
Boomerang Lunch – We encourage students to help reduce waste! The idea is simple: bring your lunch in reusable containers, and whatever waste you generate, like food scraps, wrappers, or packaging, you take back home with you. This helps cut down on the waste we send to landfills and encourages more mindful, sustainable habits. Let’s work together to make a difference, one lunch at a time!
Our Eco Club will be starting soon. Information will be shared over the announcements. For any questions, please contact Morgan Elias (morgan.elias@ugdsb.on.ca), the Eco Lead for our school.
October is International Walk/Wheel to School Month
The Upper Grand District School Board and John McCrae School are participating in International Walk/Wheel to School Month this October as well as IWALK Day (Wednesday, October 2). As part of this month, we are encouraging students and staff to walk, wheel, or roll to and from school throughout the month, where able and where it is safe to do so.
If walking, wheeling, or rolling to school is not an option due to the school location, you can set aside some time during the day to get outside and be active.
Fresh from the Farm Fundraiser
Grade 7 & 8 students will be participating in the Fresh from the Farm fundraiser to raise funds for their Grade 8 trip. Orders are due by October 11th and will be submitted through School Cash Online.
Food Drive
JMC will be hosting a Fall Food Drive for Chalmers Community Services from Tuesday, September 24th to Friday, October 11th. Donations can be sent to the school with your child or dropped off during the school day. Donations will be picked up on Friday, October 11th at 3:30 pm. Click Here
Extracurriculars at JMC
Take a look at the great things that are happening at John McCrae!
CYC Message
This month’s theme in Wellness Works is Building Relationships. Building relationships can be defined as applying a combination of skills, such as interpersonal skills and communication skills to connect with others in a positive manner. People who have healthy relationships are more likely to feel happy and be satisfied with their lives. Healthy relationships can increase our self worth, belonging, and help you feel less alone.
Benefits of Building Relationships:
Relationship building requires us to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable helps build trust, improves self-acceptance, encourages growth, teaches us empathy, etc.
Building strong relationships helps us to develop our own sense of who we are and at times, challenges our thinking and helps us to reflect on our biases.
Building relationships is important in building a strong foundation within ourselves
Quality relationships provide emotional support, contribute to work-life balance, and enhance happiness.
When we nurture personal relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, we also foster our own emotional well being.
How can we as parents build positive relationships with our children?
Listen and empathize
Play together
Eat meals together
Say ‘I love you’ often. It is often implied we love our children, but be sure to tell them every day, no matter what age they are
Create parent-child routine,traditions, etc
Set boundaries, rules, and consequences (teaching moments)
“Great relationships aren’t built in a day, great relationships are built daily”
~ Barb Betts ~
Please know that there are fantastic additional supports within our community:
Guelph/Wellington: 1-844-437-3247 (HERE247) or
COMPASS Distress Line at 1-888-821-3760
KidsHelpPhone: 1-800-668-6868
2SLGBTQA+ support line: call or text 226-669-3760.
The UGDSB Mental Health website is also packed full of helpful information for you to access anytime.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone and am excited to be back at John McCrae!
Mme Longtin
Receiving Bus Notifications
In order to receive notifications of bus delays or cancellations. Go to http://stwdsts.ca/home/ and download the “BusPlanner Delays App”.
Creating a Culture of PrivacyIt is the responsibility of everyone to protect students’ personal and confidential information All parents, guardians, and visitors to the school are reminded that the privacy of all our students must be maintained at all times. We are ultimately responsible for the safety and security of our students and the security and confidentiality of our students’ personal information, including first and last names, images and any other identifying information.
Thank you for being respectful of the privacy rights of our students. Fire Prevention Week Fire Prevention Week 2024 – Poster Fire Prevention Week occurs this year from October 6-12 and the theme this year is “Smoke Alarms, Make them Work for you”. Smoke alarms, along with a well-practiced escape plan, are so vitally important to ensure that families are safe in their homes and are provided with early detection so that they may safely escape their home in the event of a fire. Resources for Parents: |
Occupational Therapist in Schools
During this school year, an Occupational Therapist (OT) and Physiotherapist (PT) from KidsAbility Centre for Child Development will once again be working with teachers and students in our school.
Read more at:
English OT P4C Parent Consent Letter
Lost and Found
When you are in the school, please make a point of checking out our lost and found which is located in the front foyer of the school.
Classroom teachers take their students to retrieve items on a regular basis.
At the end of each month, items are donated to non-profit organizations (Hope House, Women’s crisis center).
M. Ellis