Three more weeks to go and the calendar is filling up! We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Fling on Tuesday at 5:30 -7:00 pm. This will be a fun event, and also an opportunity to meet other families and also to check out the Lost and Found tables for missing clothing items. We also hope you are able to join us at the Kingston Pride parade on June 18th. All are welcome!

It is with mixed emotions that we share the news that Mme Janice Moncrieff will be retiring at the end of this school year! Mme Moncrieff has been a dedicating teacher for 29 years, currently teaching grade 1 French Immersion at KEES. She has done an excellent job of providing a strong French foundation for students and has also taken the time to instill a love of music through her leadership in singing club. We know that she will pursue her creative interests after retirement, and we wish her much joy. Congratulations, Mme Moncrieff!

It was another beautiful day for students across LDSB to run, jump and cheer!

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our athletes!

A special shout-out to the following students and team:

Oliver Graham: Atom TRIPLE JUMP - 2nd place

Emily Youngman: Atom TRIPLE JUMP - 5th place

Jacob Bell: Bantam BRONZE Medal (100m - 5th; 200m - 3rd; LONG JUMP - 1st)

Bantam Boys 4X100 Relay Team: 1st place:

Jacob Bell, Chris Gagne, Hunter Uppal, & Quintin Gaudreau

A sincere thank-you to all of our track coaches and staff volunteers who have helped out this year, and to Mrs. John for her leadership and excellent organizational skills!

We ask that all students return MAJORS JERSEYS for any sport that they have participated in this school year that may be somewhere at home. Thanks for your help with this, parents!

Our staff is organizing a Spring Fling family event on June 14th 5pm - 7:30 pm (Rain date: June 15th). If you can help volunteer for some of the activity stations, please contact the school. Please RSVP to the invitation sent home with students. A copy for download can be found below.

June is National Indigenous Peoples Month & Pride Month

Monday, June 13th Day 5

• Bowling at Garrison Lanes (Toffolon/Silver) 11-2

Tuesday, June 14th Day 1

• Splash Pad (Toffolon/Silver) Middle Block

• Dance Force (Hegarty/Dorsey first block)
  

• Spring Fling 5-7:30 pm (rain date June 15th)

Wednesday, June 15th Day 2

• Grade 6 Visit to La Salle 1:00 pm -2:15 pm

• AM Moncrieff/Bishop Dance Force,

• PM Fairbairn/Mundell Dance Force,

• Splash Pad Rain date(Toffolon/Silver) Middle Block

• PM Rain Date Spring Fling

• Regular Board Meeting 6 pm

Thursday, June 16th Day 3

• Gr. 6 French Immersion students visit to Vanier
  

• Pottier/McNaughton splash pad 2-3
  

Friday, June 17th

• RED FRIDAY!
• Ontario Wild Bird Presentations (Grades 1-2) am
• Father's Day Picnic (Zirpolo/Manon) 12:30 pm
• McNaughton/Pottier splash pad rain date
• Pita Pit Day for EKEES families-see info below

Looking Ahead:

June 18: Kingston Pride Parade 11:00 am

June 20: World Refugee Day

June 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day & Summer Solstice

June 21st Piano Recitals 1st recess (library)

June 23: Grade 6 celebration 12:15 pm

June 23-Pizza Pizza Day for EKEES families-see info below

June 24-Singing Club Presentation 10:30-11:15 am

June 28: Report Cards Go Home

June 29: Last Day of Classes

June 30: PA Day

In June, we recognize Pride Month at LDSB Schools and we also celebrate National Indigenous History Month. During this month we take time to recognize and honour the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity, of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. We also look forward to the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21st. We encourage everyone to take time during the month of June to celebrate Indigenous nations and 2SLGBTQ+ people.

If you have a student in grade 6, it is the time of year when we begin to plan for transitions to grade 7. No matter what school they will be attending next year, we want to celebrate their time at EKEES. Please mark Thursday, June 23rd in your calendars. The event will take place during the school day at 12:15 pm. More details will be confirmed and shared with Grade 6 families when planning is finalized.

We love going outside to play and learn! A reminder that it is the time to wear hats, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect students against sun damage. If you send your child with sun screen to apply at school, please avoid sprays and also strongly scented products. We are a scent and allergen aware school. Classroom teachers will review sun screen routines for their class. Please also see the Tick Bite prevention tips below.

At the last LDSB Board Meeting, Trustees with the Limestone District School Board decided that the new name for our school will be École Maple Elementary School.

Maple Elementary School was chosen from a short list of four names provided to Trustees by the École Kingston East Elementary School (ÉKEES) Committee. The final four names – École Butternut Creek Elementary School, École Forestview Elementary School, École Maple Elementary School and École Mapleview Elementary School – were selected from a variety of suggestions provided through considerable consultation and work within the community.

The naming process was overseen by the ÉKEES Renaming Committee which includes student, parent/guardian, staff and Indigenous community representatives. The committee sought input from students, families, staff and the broader Kingston community through a year-long consultation, including three online surveys.

With the new name decided, the school will now work on a redesign of the school logo. The Majors athletic crest and school colours of red and black will remain. Over the summer, the school’s exterior signage, web and social media accounts will be updated to be completed by September 2022.

Thank you to members of the Renaming Committee for their diligence and commitment to the renaming process and much appreciation to students, staff and families for your input and engagement.

As we look to planning for next year's school organization, please let us know if you are moving so that we can update your contact information. If you do not plan on attending EKEES this coming school year, please notify us as soon possible by email kees@limestone.on.ca or call the main office. This information will allow us to support student moves and transitions, and it helps us organize classes for September.

Many families have registered and set up this secure portal to complete permissions and payments online. If you have any questions, or if you need the school to resend the registration code for your student, please contact the main office.

Once in use, the new 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. Let's get our families registered!

We have received an additional grant from the Pittsburgh Township for $10,000 towards our yard improvement projects. We are looking forward to having the first phase of outdoor classroom nodes with seating and chalkboards and storage units for outdoor learning materials storage. Please refer to the plans below for details. As well, tree planting will be an ongoing aspect to improve the shade and natural elements in the school yard. This fund will be added to the funds that SAC has already raised (about $30,000) and will be matched by Board funding that has been allocated. Construction for this phase is expected to occur over the summer. Many thanks to the Pittsburgh Community Development Fund for their continued support of our school community!

General Info about Kindergarten Registration:

If you are registering a student for Kindergarten for a new school year (September), children must turn age four (Year 1 Kindergarten) or age five (Year 2 Kindergarten) by December 31 of that year. Those students who are already enrolled in Year 1 Kindergarten do not register again.

In accordance with Board policy, students will be enrolled in the school designated within their boundary area, based on their home address. Proof of address must be provided to finalize the registration application.

To register, the legal parent/guardian (or the student if they are older than age 18) is asked to complete a registration application. You must complete all sections and provide the school with original documentation as required.

Instructions on how to register a new student using Aspen Online Registration Process

To find the name and location of your local school, enter the student’s home address into the Locate A School tool, or call our Planning Office at 613-544-6925 ext. 305 or 1-800-267-0935 ext. 305.

As we resume in-person activities in our school, we will be welcoming volunteers, presenters, and other visitors. A reminder that if you are interested in volunteering at the school or on a field trip, you are required to provide a valid CPIC with a vulnerable screener check for the school to have on file. CPICs are good for three years with Offense Declarations completed in interim years. Please contact the main office if you have any questions.

Although pick-ups and drop offs will continue to be done outside, you may have an appointment scheduled with educators or support staff. All visitors must use the main entrance and must report to the main office where you will sign in and receive a visitor's tag. Please do not proceed into the building until you have reported to the main office for further direction.

Masking and cohorting mandates for schools and on school transportation have been lifted as of March 21st. Please be assured that all students, families, and staff who choose to continue masking are encouraged to do so. All individuals with underlying health issues are also encouraged to continue to wear a mask. Please note that family members of symptomatic individuals in their household must wear a mask for 10 days and not participate in school-based activities where wearing a mask is not possible. Masking is also required upon return to school following isolation due to symptomatic/positive case and also upon return from international travel. Please refer to the daily screener for isolation and masking requirements.

• Screening daily for COVID-19 symptoms continues to be a requirement. Staff and students are directed to stay home if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
• Rapid Antigen Tests will continue to be available for students and staff for symptomatic testing or returning from an unplanned absence.

For more information, please follow the links below.

When you choose to bring a vehicle into a school zone or onto school property, you must be more mindful about safety and how you operate your vehicle. Please be present and watchful when you pick up or drop off children. Always drive slowly and watch for students at all times in our school zone. Thank-you for modelling safe and respectful interactions and respect for posted parking restrictions.

• The one-way visitor parking lane is a no parking zone. Please do not park in the drop-off and fire lane in our round-about. This causes significant congestion at arrival and dismissal times.
• Please consider parking in Park & Stride zones to reduce vehicle congestion.
• Please do not drop off children in the main parking lot and school bus zones at arrival and dismissal.
• Please encourage walkers to go to crossing guards and areas with staff supervisors to assist them and to choose paths that keep them clear of traffic at arrival and dismissal.

Thank-you for working with us to keep all students safe.

Safe Arrival/Dismissal Reminders:

• School supervision begins at 9:00 am on the schoolyard and the start of the school day 9:15 am. Dismissal is at 3:35 pm. Please follow the school day schedule as much as possible to establish good routines.
• Please note, although students often take the time to greet and socialize with students from other classes, this is not a recess since all students are out at once. To ensure safety, students are encouraged to go to inner field and pavement as they arrive and should proceed to line up spots as it gets closer to 9:15 am.
• Dogs are not permitted on school property.

Early Pick-Up

• If you arrive between 3 pm and 3:35 for an unplanned pick up, please allow your child to remain in class learning until their class is dismissed and pick up at the class dismissal spot on the school yard.
• If your child would usually take the bus, and you have arrived for an unplanned pick up, please notify the main office of this change so that the office can alert the teacher that you will meet the student at their class meeting spot.
• As always, please communicate directly with your child's teacher about appointments or changes in dismissal procedures in advance.

Late Arrivals:

• When dropping off young students, please ring the main entrance doorbell for assistance so that the main office can record their arrival and provide assistance. Please let office staff know if they will require staff assistance to get to their classroom. Visitors may not proceed into the building unless they have signed in at main office and have been provided a visitor's tag.
• Older students who arrive a few minutes late are still usually able to find their classes on the school yard during staggered entry time. At all other times, they should be dropped off at main entrance.
• Please be aware and respectful of parking restrictions in the school zone and parking lots. Please do not park in the Fire Lane.

Thank-you to this year's SAC Council!

Chair: Goldie Brigden

Vice Chair: vacant

Treasurer: Allision Brehm

Secretary: Laura van Staalduinen

Volunteer Coordinator: vacant

Fundraising Coordinator: Emily Edwards

Communications Coordinator: Sonja Taylor

Indigenous Family Representative: Melanie Howard

Division representatives (up to 2 each for Kindergarten, Primary, Junior)

Kindergarten: Erin Caudle and Melissa Grant

Primary: Kayley Miller

Junior: Tammy Hardy

PIC rep: Christine Innocente

Winter weather may result in bus cancellations or delays. Families should ensure they are signed up to receive direct notifications, either by email, or Tri-Board’s app. Delays and cancellations are also posted to Tri-Board’s Twitter account. Please have a back-up plan including transportation home if your child's bus is cancelled! A reminder that supervision of students is not available until 9:00 am. Please do not drop off your child at school before that time.

· Subscribe by email to specific bus routes

· Instructions on how to download the BusPlanner Delays App

· Follow TriBoard on Twitter

A reminder that we are an allergy aware school. We have many students with peanut/tree nut allergies that have life threatening reactions. Thank you for not sending any peanut or tree nut products in your child's lunch. In addition, we have some other class specific allergies in some of our classes. This information will be shared where applicable. Please refrain from sending homemade treats for the class. On special occasions when you may wish to send treats for the class, these must be pre-packaged and allergen safe. Teachers will communicate protocols for their class.

Lastly, we also have several staff and students with scent allergies and sensitivities. Thank-you for not sending any heavily scented hand sanitizers to school with your child.

Our school day schedule is as follows for primary and junior classes:

9:15-11:15 - 120 mins

11:15--11:55 - recess/nutrition

11:55 -1:35 - 100 mins

1:35-2:15 - recess/nutrition

2:15-3:35 - 80 mins

Our main office administrators, Aimee Hodder, Lisa Wright, and Meghan Uzenko will be happy to assist parents and families. If you have any questions, or need to speak to a staff member, please send us an email kees@limestone.on.ca or call or (613-650-5478) between 8:30 am-4:00 pm.

Email: kees@limestone.on.ca
Website: www.kees.limestone.on.ca
Location: 529 St. Martha Street, Kingston, ON
Phone: 613-650-5478
Twitter: @Kees_LDSB