Panther Peek @ the Week

This Week

Monday 23rd-

Tuesday 24th-Swim to Survive (Gr. 3s only - Rines/Andre)

Colouring Club (Gr.3-5) at afternoon recess

Wednesday 25th- Colouring Club (Gr. 1-2) at morning recess

Thursday 26th-Pride Assembly 2PM

Colouring Club (Gr. 6-8) at afternoon recess

School Council Fall Dance for Grades 5-8, 3:30-5:30pm

Friday 27th- PA Day

UPCOMING EVENTS

30/10 Bus Safety Presentations

31/10 Swim to Survive (Gr. 3s only - Rines/Andre)

Halloween

07/11 Swim to Survive (Gr. 3s only - Rines/Andre)

08/11 Picture Retake Day

09/11 Remembrance Day Ceremony

10/11 PA Day

14/11 SK/SK/2 Dental Screening

20/11Grade 7/8 Immunizations

Huge congratulations to our cross country runners who represented us at the District Championship yesterday. It was a beautiful day for running and our panthers demonstrated our panther pride. On a special note, our top 4 Bantam Girls got a gold medal for their outstanding performance! We had 3 finish in the top 10! Olivia came 2nd, Paisleigh came 5th and Hunter came 6th! We are so proud of our whole team! We look forward to seeing you all back in the Spring for running club and track.

Our SR Girls volleyball team has a home game this Tuesday, Oct 24th at roughly 4pm

Our school council will be running a Fall dance on Thursday October 26th for grades 5-8 from 3:30-5:30pm. All students in this group have been added to an event on school-day where we will require the student attending have a completed permission form with their parent or guardians name, who is picking up the student and contact number for pick up.

• Donations to the Food Bank and the PRPS Family impacted by a house fire will be collected in lieu of an event fee
• There will be a canteen with items for sale for $1.00
• Select parents and staff will be supervising
• NO phones will be allowed
• There will be a photo booth where staff and parents will be taking the photos

If you have any questions, please contact the school council prpsparentcouncil@gmail.com

A special shout out to our wonderful Parent Council who provided a snack day for staff on Thursday. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a yummy day!

Who: Students in JK, SK, Grade 2

Where: Perth Road Public School

What: Dental Screening, see additonal info below

When: November 14th

Please take a moment to review the Bus Safety Rules listed below with your children. This is important not only for our young riders but also for our older students that act as role models. Thank you for your help with this.

Rules for Riding the Bus Safely

• Take your seat promptly and sit properly, facing forward at all times.

• Place bags and backpacks on your on your lap.

• Keep the aisle of the bus clear at all times.

• Windows should only be opened with the permission of the driver.

• Always keep your head, hands and arms inside the bus.

• Throwing objects inside or outside of the bus is not permitted.

• Talk quietly; the driver needs to concentrate to safely drive the bus.

• Fighting, shouting, or use of obscene language is not permitted.

• Be absolutely quiet when approaching a railroad crossing.

• Participate in all bus evacuation training procedures.

• Dangerous, disturbing, or annoying objects are not permitted on the bus.

• Eating and drinking (this includes chewing gum) is not allowed on school buses at any time. This rule protects students or drivers that have food allergies and anaphylaxis, prevents choking, and maintains bus cleanliness.

• Be aware that other students, including the bus driver, may have allergies to scents such as perfume, etc.

• Smoking or vaping is not permitted on the bus.

• Students are not allowed to take pictures or videos on the bus.

• Always follow the bus driver’s instructions.

• Always treat your driver with respect and courtesy.

Students will be participating in an online workshop at school regarding safe riding practices. The Bus Patroller program has also been reinstated. We will be looking for older students in the near future who might like to take on the Bus Patroller role.

Also, please be aware that some of our buses are at capacity this year. Guest riders will only be allowed to ride on a bus if there is space available. Families are asked to make alternate transportation arrangements for birthday parties, sleepovers etc. as there is no guarantee that space will be available for guests to ride the bus.

Digital technology use significantly increased for students during the pandemic. In fact, close to one third of Grade 7 & 8 students in Ontario report spending five hours or more per day on social media. While there are some benefits to using digital technology, it is also associated with negative effects on mental health and well-being, including increased feelings of anxiety and depression, decreased attention span and social connectedness, and increased incidents of cyberbullying.

To help students understand and manage their screen use, public health has selected lesson plans by MediaSmarts Canada that promote the balanced use of digital technology and align with the Social-Emotional Learning and Healthy Living strands of Ontario's Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Lunchbox is a convenient, online ordering platform featuring local vendors. An ordering calendar has been coordinated for the school community at www.lunchboxorders.net.

The ordering calendar is open on now and will feature the following options:

How to Order:

1. Go online at lunchboxorders.com and click “ORDER LUNCH”.

2. New to Lunchbox Orders? Click “Create an Account” to register your family’s account.

3. Already registered? Please login directly with your current username (e-mail address) and password.

4. Add your child to your account by clicking “add a student” and register your child with their new teacher and grade for the current school year. **Please ensure the correct teacher and grade are selected to prevent errors on delivery days.

5. Click “Order Now” (beside your child’s name) to access the school’s ordering calendar.

6. Proceed with ordering your child’s lunch by clicking on the blue date for the scheduled vendors.

7. All orders are submitted on the website and payment is processed on-line by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Debit MasterCard or Visa Debit. Visa and MasterCard prepaid cards are also accepted.

Important Dates:

• Orders may be placed weekly or in advance, for the full length of the program.

Things to Remember:

• The ordering deadline is Sunday at 12pm (NOON) for the upcoming delivery period.

• New orders will not be accepted after the Sunday deadline.

• If buses are cancelled due to inclement weather, and if there is a school closure, lunches will be cancelled and a credit will be issued within 3 business days.

One of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all students arrive safely to school every day. To improve our safe arrival process, Limestone District School Board has made some changes to our SafeArrival absence reporting management system. The most significant of which is the addition to report half day absences.

Parents/caregivers now have two new options for the type of half day absence being reported:
Late Arrivals - If your elementary or secondary student will be away for the morning, report a Late Arrival, with the arrival time being the expected time the student will arrive at the school.

Early Departures - If the secondary student will be picked up early before school dismissal, report an Early Departure, with the departure time being when the student should be signing out of the office. This option is only available for secondary student absences.

Please note, each student signing in or out of the school will still need to do so from the main attendance office.

Updated Weather/Transportation options:

All parents/guardians are asked to report their student’s absence regardless of the reason, including during bus cancellations. Often, bused students find alternative ways to school and we want to ensure we know the whereabouts of every student to ensure their safety and well-being. Knowing who is supposed to be at school will allow school office staff to best ensure all students are accounted for. Students are asked to ensure they report to their first period class for attendance.

The reporting tool has two options regarding transportation:

• Inclement Weather (all transportation types and walkers) for any inclement weather days when your student will not be attending school.
• Transportation (not weather-related) for any non-weather-related transportation reason when your student will not be attending school (e.g., when a bus is cancelled due to a driver shortage).

We recognize this is a change in practice but one we are making to ensure student safety and well-being. Thank you for your support and understanding.

If your student is marked absent and the absence hasn’t been reported in advance, the SafeArrival system will attempt to reach the student’s priority contact by telephone to confirm the absence. If you receive a call regarding your student’s absence, you can enter the reason for the absence during this call. If the system is unable to reach the designated contacts, school office staff will follow-up.

We continue to need your help. Since the safety of our students is a priority for all of us, parents are requested to use the Student Drop off & Pick up parking (to the right at the entrance) when driving children to and from school.

The school driveways and the bus loading zone in front of the school need to remain clear of traffic and parked cars.

Finally, please use the Pick up and Drop Off parking if there is space. If it is full, and you are parking along Walsh Road, please be mindful when parking that the buses need room to navigate the narrow roadway. We would hate to see anyone’s vehicle get damaged by accident. Thanks again for your attention to this matter.

The Limestone District School Board requires that students have student accident insurance in order to participate in extra-curricular activities. Before students will be allowed to participate in these events, parents/guardians must confirm their own coverage for items not covered under the Provincial Health Plan, or purchase an insurance plan.

UNDER THE EDUCATION ACT THE BOARD IS NOT PERMITTED TO PROVIDE INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR ACCIDENTS TO PUPILS. THEREFORE, the Board recommends consideration of The insure my Kids plan to any parent/guardian, who wishes to obtain this kind of insurance. Although the policy has all the advantages of a group plan, it is essentially a direct contract between the parent/guardian and the insurance company.

For more information please visit the LDSB website.

Perth Road PS is excited to offer our families a secure portal to complete permissions and payments online. With School-Day: Permissions & Payments, you will be able to complete permission forms and payments from any web browser using your SmartPhone, tablet, laptop or desktop.

Through this online portal, you will be able to pay for items such as:

• Field trips
• Athletic team fees
• Fundraising offerings

The easy-to-use portal will remove the risks associated with sending money to school with students, the frustration of lost or missing permission forms, and significantly reduce the amount of paper our school consumes.

The School-Day Introduction Letter will be sent home with new students and those not registered soon. Use the instructions in it to sign up for a School-Day account at www.school-day.com and connect to your child’s events and activities.

With your support, we look forward to a successful implementation of this practical application!