This Week

Monday~ School Council Meeting 6:30PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

20/09 Terry Fox Run (raindate~ Sept. 23rd)

23/09 Hot Lunch Orders open

24/09 PRPS Open House 5-6PM

27/09 Grade 1, 1/2 and 3 trip to Fruition Berry Farm

30/09 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange shirt Day

School Council AGM and new Council meeting

01/10 Hot Lunch begins

11/10 PA Day

14/10 Thanksgiving

The school organization process is a complicated annual process that is finalized in September once we have a good sense of our student enrolment numbers. Our enrolment numbers have not shifted significantly from the School Board's original spring projections. Therefore our School's classroom organizations will remain as is for this school year and we will not be re-organizing our classrooms and students. Our School organization is listed below. All highlighted names are link to email addresses should you need to connect with your child's teacher.

Principal - Allison Croth
Office Administrator- Morgan Fisher
Head Custodian - Josh Sauve
Night Caretaker - Julie Dier

Student Support Teacher-Megan Dingwall

Intensive Support Teacher-Megan Telford

JK/SK- Amanda Burns and Tara Shire, RECE

JK/SK- Mandy Aylesworth and Pennie Hilliard,RECE

Grade 1- Jeff Lloyd

Grade 1/2-Lindsey Brooks

Grade 2/3- Tegen Halfpenny and Steve Dobiech

Grade 3-Jannah Rines

Grade 3/4-Sarah Andre

Grade 4/5-Jessamyn Samson-Jackson

Grade 5-Calista Vogelzang and Tegen Halfpenny

Grade 6-Christina Aylesworth

Grade 6/7-Scott Martin

Grade 7/8-Brendon Robb

Grade 7/8-Mike Depew

P/J French-Jenny Hollinsworth

J/I French-Phil LeBlanc

French-Jeff Miller

Planning Time Coverage- Tegen Halfpenny and Steve Dobiech

Educational Assistants- Susanne Casement, Geoff Burns, David Smith, Becky Plumb, Kelsey Lloyd, Caroline Bootland

Break Supervisors- Sandra Ratz, Cathy Lloyd, Claudia Slack, Heather Roebuck

Classroom communities are created by placing students with diverse backgrounds together allowing students opportunites to see, understand and appreciate the different perspectives of others. Educators assign students to classes in an effort to create a balance of ability levels, learning styles, leadership opportunities, gender and friendships; while following the Ministry guidelines and Board directives.

Sometimes, students would prefer a different classroom placement than the one they are assigned to. It might seem that a simple solution would be to move that student to their preferred class, however that is not always the case or the best solution. We encourage families to work with teachers and support staff to help students adjust to their new classroom. Below is a list of things we are doing at school to support students as well as some ideas that families can do to support this transition.

School staff are:

• Getting to know your child. Learning about a students' strength and their interests takes time. Teachers design initial activities that help them understand how your child learns and how to create meaningful engaging lessons for them during the school year. When they know students they are able to make those connections and help students connect with other likeminded peers in their classes.

• Beginning to build meaningful relationships with students. Educators make time every day to strengthen those relationships, build empathy, and develop rapport with their students

• Creating a strong classroom culture. Teachers set up rules early in the school year for how the classroom should function and how students should treat each other. They are setting protocols for when things don’t go as planned for the group or when challenges arise between individuals. These steps provide a common language for students to hold one another accountable and support each other.

• Pairing students strategically to facilitate new peer connections and foster existing friendships.
• Establishing 'Buddy' protocols so students can use their strengths to support each other.
• Using sharing activities to give students opportunities to talk about their interests and opinions during lessons.
• Praising positive behaviours that help students thrive socially. And in turn, teaching students how to appreciate and praise each other.
• Giving students time to connect during school. Finding time in the school day for classes to work or be social together to build relationships and a sense of belonging.
• Remembering the "fun stuff". Teacher organize and structure fun activities that purposefully connect students. Structured fun activities and games are a great way to support students that are looking for help "fitting in" and needing support to connect to new peers.
• Starting slow. Allowing students time to tend to their friendships at the beginning of the school year. Having these connections supports students' mental health and their ability to learn.
• Providing support for those students that need it.
• Working with families to develop transition plans for those students that are finding the transition to their new classroom challenging.

Ways families can support their child during transitions:

• Stay calm. Emotions spread fast. If your child is anxious, you’ll probably feel anxious too. Stay as calm as possible and share your concerns with trusted adults. If children get a hint you’re worried, they’ll hop on the worry bus with you. This doesn’t mean you act like you don’t care, or indicate there’s no reason for your child to care. Staying calm will help your child stay calm.
• Be patient. Building relationships with a new teacher or peers takes time. Being in a new class may feel hard at first for your child but they will not always feel that way. There are many things you can do below that will help the situation.
• Acknowledge your child's feelings. With kindness, acknowledge their uncertainty. You can simply say, ‘I know there are some unknowns right now and that feels scary– I understand.’ If you talk too much they might think it’s so serious it needs a lot of discussion. By listening, saying little and acknowledging their feelings you’re letting them know they are safe and you trust they have the skills to cope. You’re also letting them know a degree of doubt is natural when you’re entering the unknown.
• Focus on the positives . Talk about the new students in their class, things you know about the new teacher do that you like and so on. People naturally focus on negatives and need help sometimes to keep perspective.
• Try to avoid a 'fixing' stance. When you’re there for them by listening, loving, caring and acknowledging their thoughts and feelings, they are in the perfect space to find their own solutions to their problems. They will also grow courage from this to handle doubt. Worry, doubt and uncertainty are part of life. Children need practice coping with these feelings to prepare them for more complex challenges as they get older.
• Remind your child of opportunites to see preferred peers. There are times in the school day when student can connect. Some of these times are at recess, at lunch, outside of school, and during extracurricular clubs, activities and teams.
  
• Talk to your child about how to make new friendships, and strategies for strengthening existing ones. In addition, being a friend is just as important as having a friend. Showing up to support a friend, and reaching out to make a new friend are important social skills. Being a friend can be very rewarding and the start of a beautiful friendship!
• Work through anxious feelings as an opportunity to teach coping skills. Asking questions like, ‘how can you handle that feeling if that does happen?’ can help students feel more prepared. Teaching your children breathing techniques, how to talk about feelings and when to ask for help are all great whether your child is struggling with big feelings or not.
• Remind your child to focus on THEIR experience with the teacher and students in their class. Each school year the mix of students is different. When students are worried about things they have heard, help them understand this is how OTHER people felt and that’s THEIR opinion. Reassure your child that their experience will be unique to them based on their personality, temperament and skills.
• Help them keep it all in perspective. Schools are a great place to practice mixing with a variety of personalities. Life relies on flexibility and the ability to adapt to different people and circumstances.
• Show your confidence in your child’s ability to handle anything that comes their way. Assure them there will always be people there to listen and cheer them on. Maintain the message that life can throw in challenges but they’re smart enough and tough enough to handle them!
• Support your child to come to school. Sometimes changes can lead to anxious feelings that can be overwhelming for a child. Missing school when they feel this way reinforces their fears and can make it harder to go to school the next day. Let your child know that you will work with the school to help them with the transition to the new classroom.
  

• Contact the school for support. We will work with you and your child to help them with this transition to their new classroom.

As always, if there are significant things you’re concerned about, we are happy to work through them to find a solution.

Soccer Tryouts have started! As with all school teams, there is no guarantee everyone who tries out will make it and be able to attend the tournament. However, everyone who does tryout will gain valuable experience, have fun and develop their skills. Classroom behaviour and how individuals act within our school community will also factor into who attends the tournaments. Tournaments are held towards the end of September. As soon as the coaches receive the information they will pass it on to guardians/parents.

At the start of the school year, it is alway worthwhile to review some of the existing School and School Board policies. In this edition of the Panther Peek of the Week, I have included the the following information for your reference. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions.

The Limestone District School Board’s school clothing policy emphasizes the importance of allowing students to express themselves through their clothing choices while ensuring a safe, welcoming, and respectful school environment. The policy applies to all schools and educational programs, including off-campus activities. It encourages students to be neat, clean, and well-groomed, and to comply with specific health and safety requirements in certain areas like gymnasiums and laboratories. For specific guidance about the LDSB School Clothing policy, please click the tab below. Families are encouraged to communicate with school staff if they have concerns or need clarification about the policy.

The Limestone District School Board’s concussion policy outlines procedures for identifying and managing concussions in students. If a student receives a blow to the head, face, neck, or body that might cause a concussion, the activity is immediately stopped, and an action plan is initiated. The policy includes guidelines for recognizing symptoms, ensuring proper medical assessment, and following a structured return-to-learn and return-to-physical-activity plan. Families are required to monitor their child for 24-48 hours after a suspected concussion, complete, sign and return to the school, the necessary documentation for the return-to-learn and return-to-physical-activity steps, and ensure their child follows the prescribed recovery plan. For specific guidance about the LDSB Concussion Protocol and links to concussion awareness resources, please click the tab below. Families are encouraged to communicate with school staff if they have concerns or need clarification about the policy.

The Ontario Ministry of Education recently updated Policy/Program Memorandum 128 (PPM 128) Provicial and School Boards Code of Conduct as part of its “back-to-basics” plan. Here are the key changes:

1. Mobile Device Restrictions: Strengthened restrictions on the use of personal mobile devices during instructional time. Students can only use their device for educational purposes as directed by an educator.
2. Vaping and Smoking: Prohibited the possession and use of vaping and smoking products on school property.
3. Social Media Access: Required school boards to implement technology to restrict access to social media platforms on school networks and devices.

Given the new expectations that cell phones are NOT to be used in the classroom unless the educator(s) explicitly allow students to use their personal devices for learning purposes, we recommend the following:

• Reassure students that if you need to relay information to them during the school day you are able to call the office and office staff will relay information to your child as appropriate.
• Establish a clear transportation plan for your child in advance. Share this plan with your child and their teacher at the start of the school year. Remind your child as necessary about the plan for the day before they leave home. Any changes to after school transportation plans need to be recieved by the school office before 3PM so we can communicate this information to teachers and students before the end of the school day.
• Facebook, Messenger and 'X' are social media platforms that have been used in the past to support home/school communication. These applications are examples of social media apps that are now blocked on school devices and internet during the school day. If you have questions for the school or your child's teacher, please call the school at 613-353-2151, email the school at pertr@limestone.on.ca or email your child's teacher directly. A list of staff emails can be found on our school website.
• School staff will be modelling the expectations of appropriate moblie device use throughout the school day and will check emails when possible. Any urgent messages should come through the office so that we can ensure educators recieve them in a timely manner.

These updates aim to create a more focused and healthier learning environment for students. Additional information is available on Limestone’s website, as well as the Ministry of Education’s website. If you have any questions regarding PPM 128, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school.

Administrative Procedure 146 from the Limestone District School Board outlines the norms of responsible behaviour related to the appropriate use of technology. This procedure emphasizes the importance of digital citizenship, which includes understanding and practicing safe, ethical, and respectful online behaviour. It applies to all users accessing the Board's network or services, ensuring they adhere to the terms outlined to maintain a safe and productive digital environment.

Under Administrative Procedure 146, students are responsible for several key aspects of digital citizenship:

1. Adhering to Policies: Students must use technology in accordance with the Board’s policies and procedures.
2. Security: They are required to change their default system passwords to secure ones and keep them confidential.
3. Respectful Use: Students should use technology resources responsibly, ensuring their actions are safe, ethical, and respectful.
4. Compliance: They must comply with the School Board's Code of Conduct while using digital tools and resources.

This Administrative Procedure applies to all Board technology and to all personally owned technology. The policy also applies to using personally owned technology when off-board property. Inappropriate use of personally owned technology while on or off school property that has a negative impact on school climate will result in an investigation, and necessary disciplinary action will be taken, where appropriate. It is everyone's responsibility to help create a safe and productive digital environment for all. Please click the button below for addtional information.

The Limestone District School Board has a policy to mange head lice (pediculosis in a way that respects students' privacy, dignity and cultural sensitivity. Head lice infestations are common in school-aged children. Having head lice is not a health hazard, nor will it transmit disease, but it does require that treatment be given immediately to stop the spread to other children or adults.

It is recommended that you check your child’s head regularly (every day is ideal) for signs of head lice and/or nits. Should your child become infested with head lice and/or nits, it is extremely important that you administer treatment as soon as possible, and that you check all family members and to treat anyone who is found to have head lice. It is also important to notify the school so that we can let families know to do a head check. As long as children are in treatment, they are welcome at school.

Although head lice is not associated with serious disease, repeated episodes can be costly, time consuming and frustrating. DID YOU KNOW that if you contact your primary care provider such as a doctor or nurse practitioner for a prescription, it will be covered at no cost to you thanks the new OHIP Plus Plan? Your pharmacist, nurse practitioner or doctor will be able to help you decide which treatment is best for your family. If you are unable to access the recommended treatments, please contact the school for support. We must work together so that we can stop the spread.

School Councils are important partners in education. School Councils provide a forum through which parents and other members of school communities can contribute to improving student achievement and well-being and enhance the accountability of the education system. The school values the role and contribution of our School Council members and their commitment to help boost parent involvement and serve as an ongoing mechanism for effective two-way communication and consultation between the school and the school community.

Perth Road Public School Parent Council would like to invite you to our Annual General meeting (AGM) September 30th, 2024. The meeting will be held at Perth Road Public School in the library @6:30 pm.

At this meeting there will be an opportunity to get involved in your child's school whether it be sharing ideas on a committee, donating some free time to help with fundraisers, or holding a position as an executive member. Please click the link below to complete the nomination form or to express interest in supporting the school in one of these ways. Nomination forms will also be available at the AGM. The following positions are available: chair/co-chair, secretary, treasurer, as well as various committee leads.

Being a part of Parent Council is a fun way to be more involved in your child's school and a great way to meet and collaborate with fellow parents. Below are some links of the current positions and a brief description of those positions. We hope to see some new and old faces for this school year so that we can do amazing things for our kiddos! After the AGM we will move onto our first meeting of the 2024-2025 school year. We look forward to seeing you.

The Annual General Meeting and School Council elections will take place on Monday September 30th at 6:30PM at the school. The first meeting of the new council will happen immediately following the AGM.

For more information please email prpsparentcouncil@gmail.com

Visitors

The school office is open between 8:30AM and 4PM. Please call or email if you need assistance with a matter.

Student Emergency Information Forms

A hard copy of the information we have on file will be sent home this week for your review. Please review this information, make any necessary changes and send this information back as soon as possible. This information is important so that you receive school communications and we can reach you in case of an emergency. These forms must be returned not later than September 30th. Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Medical Plans of Care & Medication at School

If your child requires special care for a medical condition or takes medication while at school, please notify the school's office so that the appropriate arrangements and paperwork can be completed or updated. If you have already informed the school of your child's medical condition, you will be contacted, if needed, to establish or update a Plan of Care for your child while at school.

If your child needs to take prescription medication while at school there are forms that need to be completed and returned to the school each year before the medication can be administered. Please click on the links to access those forms. Also, please check the expiry dates on all medications (ie. Epipens, Inhalers) to ensure they are current before sending them to school.

Medical Forms

Please let us know if you have any questions. We are always happy to help clarify information.

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!

Some content in this newsletter has been created with the assistance of AI.