The Fleet News
November 2024
Days
of Awareness 2024-25
As you prepare your school’s newsletter package, please review the days
of awareness calendar on the SCDSB website at scdsb.on.ca/about/equity_and_inclusion. Please include what is relevant to your school
community in your November newsletter package.
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 west 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
High
school information events for Grade 8 students
Is your child starting Grade 9 next year? High school information
events will take place in person this winter! Student leaders and staff at
the school will give an overview of what’s new and what to expect. Learn about
courses offered, as well as information about teams and clubs. Please
visit the SCDSB website at scdsb.on.ca/secondary/planning_for_high_school/high_school_information_nights to find details on your
high school’s info night, and contact the school directly for more information.
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 Cameron
Street Public School. The information night for this school will be Cameron
Street Public School on Monday, November 18, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
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 it’s 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 November 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.
Mental health
learning: Student Engagement (100 min.)
Student engagement is an ongoing process
that centres every student’s lived experience and voice, positioning them as
valued experts to influence outcomes that affect them. It requires critical
reflection by school and system staff to dismantle imbalanced relationships and
uplift student voices in mental health planning and programming. This self-directed
professional learning will explore the benefits and foundations of student
engagement in mental health promotion activities at school, offer practical
strategies for supporting diverse student leadership styles, and provide
guidance for creating environments that support student engagement. Staff will
be encouraged to work in small groups to develop an understanding of the School
Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) Student Engagement Toolkit: smho-smso.ca/online-resources/student-engagement-toolkit/.
Assessment (200
min.)
The focus from student achievement will be
on authentic triangulation. Teachers will participate in activities and be provided
with resources to guide their learning in effective triangulation of assessment
to improve student learning. Teachers will be provided with time to review
resources for the newly developed courses in business, technology, English, and
geography. They will collaborate with colleagues to develop effective
culminating activities that align with school board assessment and evaluation
policy and growing success. Math educators will complete 100 minutes of
assessment learning.
Mathematics
(100 min.)
Math educators will engage in math content knowledge learning related to
measurement and algebra, their understanding of the High Impact Instructional
Practices, as well as how universal design for learning (UDL) and
differentiated instruction can be used to support all learners in the math
classroom, but specifically those with special education needs. Educators
will apply their learning to plan responsive instruction, with a focus on
concrete and visual representations, and examine school based key performance
indicators to measure student growth.