Follow this link to read about all our upcoming events.
School News
Our 2024-2025 School Council
Tracy Toner, Chair
Kayla Faria, Vice Chair
Cristal Martyniuk, Secretary
Tyler Tkachyk, Member at large
Randi Long, Member at large
Kimberly Holden, Member at large
This year’s remaining School Council meetings will be held on November 18, January 20, February 24 and May 26.
We encourage all parents/guardians to come out to our meetings. We particularly want to invite parents representing the increasing diversity in our community to come out in order for us to have all voices heard.
Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign
We have been chosen to receive 50% of all proceeds from this year’s Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign at the Elmvale Tim Hortons. Buy cookies and support our Mindful Morning program. Forms are available to preorder larger quantities of cookies (for your friends, relatives, colleagues) or you can help out by buying a cookie or 2 each time you visit Elmvale Tims from November 18-24.
Parent/Teacher/Student interviews
Last call to sign up for Parent/Teacher/Student interviews online
We are using an electronic sign up system this year. Please go to this booking link to sign up for interviews with your children’s teachers.
https://schoolinterviews.ca/code/sdc24
Attendance
School attendance is very important. We urge all healthy students to attend school every day. We urge all students to aim for attendance of at least 90% (no more than two days a month absent). Working together, we can improve the attendance of students in our school. We know that some medical and dental appointments must occur during the school day. We have a number of students who are frequently signed out during the school day. Unless it is for a medical appointment or due to a family emergency, please try to avoid these sign outs. Missed time from school interrupts student learning. Please look at your child’s report card when it arrives home on Friday, November 8. If your child has missed more than 4 days so far this year, they are exceeding the target threshold.
Mindful Morning
All students are welcome to attend Mindful Mornings brought to our amazing parent/guardian and staff volunteers. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:45 students can join us in the front hall and gym for healthy food items and time to relax before beginning a busy day of learning. Special waffle mornings happen sporadically throughout the year as a special treat. We thank our volunteers and donors. If you are interested in donating to support this program or would like to volunteer, please contact the school office.
Nuts, Peanuts and Sesame
Please do not send food items with nuts, peanuts or sesame to school. We have children with food allergies who could have a very serious allergic reaction. Please remember that products like Nutella contain nuts. Do not send these products to school. Anyone wishing to send something to school to celebrate an event must remember that items must be store-purchased and nut-safe. Please ensure that the items do not contain sesame. We are not able to accept and distribute homemade food items. Please talk to your child’s teacher before sending in food for the class.
Staffing updates
We welcome Ms. Mekhail back to HCES as a planning time teacher. She will be working with several primary classes on Days 3 and 5.
Upcoming Dates
Tuesdays Sub/milk Day of the year (order through Lunch Box)
Wednesdays Pizza/milk Day of the year (order through Lunch Box)
COMING SOON! A NEW HOT LUNCH DAY! QUESADA/MILK ON THURSDAYS. KEEP YOUR EYE OUT ON LUNCHBOX FOR THIS ADDITION!
Tuesdays and Thursdays Mindful Mornings 8:45-9:00
Report Cards go home November 8
Remembrance Day Assembly November 11
Interview week November 11-15
Professional Development Day November 15 (no school for students but students are to attend their Student-led conference if scheduled on this day)
School Council November 18 at 6 pm
Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign November 18-24
Vision Screening forms due for Grades JK, SK and 4 November 18
Lions Club Vision Screening Grades JK, SK and 4 November 20
Photo Retake Friday November 22 2024
School Board News
Inclement weather and bus cancellation information reminder
All information regarding cancelled buses in Simcoe County is posted on the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC)’s bus information website at www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca. Our school is in the NORTH zone. When buses are cancelled, schools remain open for student learning, unless otherwise noted. School staff are expected to plan for such emergencies in order to transition students who are unable to attend due to inclement weather to their online platforms (Google Classroom and/or SCDSBhub [Brightspace by D2L]) and continue with academic programming. It is always a family decision whether or not it is safe for their child(ren) to leave for school under severe weather conditions.
The Consortium and bus operators try to make the decision to cancel school buses before 6 a.m. and make every effort to post announcements before 7 a.m. Inclement weather cancellations are effective for the whole day and buses cancelled in the morning will not run at the end of the day. You can follow the Consortium on Twitter @SCSTC_SchoolBus for bus cancellations and other information. You can also subscribe to receive bus delay notifications here: scstc.ca/Subscriptions/Login.aspx
Subscribe to Kindergarten Connections!
Will your child be turning four in 2025? If so, the SCDSB invites you to subscribe to Kindergarten Connections! This is a monthly enewsletter informing families of everything they need to know about preparing their child for school, as well as registering them for Kindergarten in the SCDSB. To learn more and subscribe, visit the Kindergarten page on the SCDSB website: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/kindergarten
How is your infant, toddler, or preschool child developing?
Is your child meeting their milestones? Age-appropriate speech and language skills are critical to your child’s ability to read, write, and be successful in school as well as to their ability to engage with their peers. Free services are available to support you with your child’s development. Preschool speech and language programs are located across the County of Simcoe. Call 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979 to complete a developmental screen. The earlier we work together the better!
Licensed Winter Break school age child care programs
Child care programs for children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 are provided by independent, third-party child care operators in some SCDSB schools. To support your child care needs, some operators offer child care on PA days and holidays, including over the Winter Break. Registration in advance is required. Please contact the child care operator directly to discuss fees and to register. More information and contact numbers can be found at scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/childcare_before_after
Check out the SCDSB News video series
The SCDSB News is a weekly video series highlighting positive events, initiatives, and learning happening within school communities across the SCDSB. Follow the SCDSB on social media to catch all of these weekly episodes!
The Indigenous Lodge at Eastview Secondary School opened with a special ceremony for students, staff, and community. Join us as we explore this new space designed to welcome and support students while encouraging learning about Indigenous culture and history. Creating spaces like these in SCDSB schools is how we are taking steps towards the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation. Watch this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=a_qhy_2SksA
Grade 1 French Immersion information
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) offers French Immersion (FI) at select schools throughout Simcoe County beginning in Grade 1. The goal of the FI program is to enable students to communicate in French with a high level of proficiency, enabling them to function with ease in both French and English. Upon graduation from the program, students will communicate in French with confidence in a wide variety of real-life situations.
Grade 1 FI family information nights are held annually in advance of the application process for the following school year. This year, FI family information nights will be held in person throughout the month of November at the respective FI school locations. The designated Grade 1 FI site for our school is Mundy’s Bay in Midland.. The information night for this school will be at Mundy’s Bay on Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.
The SCDSB board-wide electronic applications for the Grade 1 FI program for all sites will open Monday, Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Entry into the FI program is determined through a digitally randomized lottery system.
Math learning at home
Practice math anywhere with Math at Home, an online resource for parents/caregivers of SCDSB students from pre-school age to 16. This resource is updated monthly with games, problems, and number talk activities that reflect the math your child may be learning at school each month.
In November, activities in school and on Math at Home may include grade-level tasks related to measuring objects and identifying and sorting shapes, figures, and angles.
Visit scdsb.on.ca/MathAtHome to support your child’s math learning at home!
Join us! A learning series for parents/guardians with Pine River Institute (PRI)
Mental health and well-being continue to be a key strategic priority within the SCDSB. We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Centre for Family Initiatives at Pine River Institute (CFI@PRI) to provide several curated learning sessions focused on student mental health and well-being to SCDSB families.
There are four webinars planned for parents/guardians and other caregivers during this school year. To join in this learning, please visit the SCDSB website to register: scdsb.on.ca/about/well-being___mental_health/pine_river_institute_learning_series
Emotional development
Dec. 5, 7-8 p.m.
Gain a new perspective on how children maturate and its significance for mental health. Learn how Pine River views social and emotional development as crucial to well-being.
Learn more about PRI by visiting their website at pineriverinstitute.com
Nov. 19 is Eat Well to Excel Day in Simcoe County
Eat Well to Excel is a Simcoe County non-profit community partnership that supports our school’s student nutrition program. The funding provided by Eat Well to Excel allows us to supply students with access to healthy snacks during the school day.
The pandemic and increasing food costs have caused a significant financial strain on many families in our region and new data shows that one in three kids in Canada are at risk of going to school hungry. Kids that are hungry struggle to retain knowledge and keep focused throughout the day. They are also at an increased risk of experiencing poor mental health and a compromised immune system. With your support we can maintain and hopefully improve our program to provide a consistent supply of healthy food to our students.
You can make a donation by visiting eatwelltoexcel.ca. You can either support the county-wide program or direct your donation to our school. Please include our school name in the comment box to ensure the donation goes directly to our program. A tax receipt will be emailed to you.
For more information about Eat Well to Excel visit eatwelltoexcel.ca
I Read Canadian Day
I Read Canadian Day is celebrating its third year on Nov. 6, 2024. This day is a nationwide initiative that celebrates the richness, diversity, and scope of Canadian literature by encouraging individuals to read Canadian books for just 15 minutes. Schools, libraries, bookstores, and other organizations may host activities and events on this day to highlight Canadian literature. For more information visit ireadcanadian.com/day and sign up for free to participate.
A curated list of Canadian titles can be found on Sora, the SCDSB’s digital library. To access the desktop version visit soraapp.com/welcome or use the Sora app.
Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions in need of foster homes
Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions is in need of families in our communities to open their homes to children and youth requiring foster homes. By opening your home, you can make a difference in their lives by keeping them close to their family, school, and community. Help us keep kids close to home. If you or someone you know is interested in fostering, please visit familyconnexions.ca or check out a few of our videos to better understand what it takes to become a foster care provider: familyconnexions.ca/fostering-resources/
Information provided by Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions.
Outdoor play
Active play supports development in many ways, especially when the play is outdoors, self-directed, and fun. Students can explore boundaries and problem-solve, develop social skills, resolve conflict, and practice controlling their emotions and behaviours. Active play outdoors in the fresh air and nature helps to improve mood and lower stress. Support your child in playing outside with friends in the neighbourhood and in your local green spaces.
For more information, visit simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/PhysicalActivity/Active-Play/After-School
Information provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
November PA Day
Please note that Friday, Nov. 15 is a PA Day for all SCDSB students. Please refer to the 2024-25 School Year Calendar on the SCDSB website for more information: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/school_year_calendar
Below is a summary of the activities planned for the Nov. 15 elementary PA Day:
Length: Full day
Topic: Communication to parents/guardians about student progress through parent/guardian-student-teacher conferences
Host: Simcoe County District School Board elementary schools, including Grades 7 and 8 in Grade 7-12 secondary schools
Presenter(s)/facilitator(s): Elementary educators
Elementary educators will meet with students and parents/guardians to discuss student progress thus far this school year, including areas of strengths and next steps for improvement.
Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECE) (150 min.)
DECE staff will engage in learning to build their expertise in ensuring students receive the necessary foundational reading skills that are critical to future success. A portion of the time will be led synchronously by the Early Years team, and follow up work will be completed asynchronously.