JRC News Blast 📣

Hello from the team at JRC and Welcome Back! There are a few items of note below that we would appreciate you taking a look at. As always, should you have any questions please contact the school.

Regular attendance matters. Every school day builds on the last one. When your child misses a day, they miss instruction, connection with classmates, and momentum in their learning.

A reminder for this year: school now starts at 9:10 am. The school day still ends at 3:30 pm.

Here's why attendance and punctuality matter:

• Consistent attendance builds strong reading, writing, and math skills. Gaps slow progress and are hard to close.
• Arriving on time helps your child settle into the classroom routine before instruction starts. Late arrivals disrupt the class and rush your child's morning.
• Regular attendance builds friendships and social skills. Kids learn how to work with others through daily interaction.
• Good attendance habits now build the foundation for good habits later. Employers and future schools expect reliability.
• Teachers plan lessons that build day to day. Missing a day makes the next day harder to follow.

Ontario is also raising the bar on attendance at the secondary level. Starting this school year, Bill 101 folds attendance and participation directly into the grading formula for Grades 9 through 12. Attendance and participation now make up 15 percent of the final mark in Grades 9 and 10, and 10 percent in Grades 11 and 12.

This policy does not apply to our students. It shows a clear direction from the province: attendance habits matter more each year your child moves through school. The habits your child builds now at JRC set the stage for high school and beyond.

What you can do:

• Get your child to school by 9:10 am each day.
• Book appointments and family trips around school days when you can.
• Talk with your child about why school matters. Kids notice when parents value attendance.
• Contact the office if your child is struggling to get to school. We want to help.

Thank you for partnering with us on your child's education. Every day counts.

TheOver the next few weeks, our staff will be reviewing and updating students' Individual Plan of Care (IPOC) plans. An IPOC is a document that outlines the specific medical supports a student may need to be safe at school. It helps ensure that staff understand and consistently provide the accommodations, strategies, and interventions that best support your child.

If your child's IPOC requires updates, please update it through the Parent Portal or speak to Mrs. Hart.

This year the TVDSB is not providing paper copies of the School year calendar. Please click the link below to print a copy for your home.

To help keep our parking lot safe and organized, please note that all parking spaces are now numbered.

All numbered parking spaces are reserved for staff only, with the exception of the following visitor parking spaces, which may be used if available:

24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 35, and 36

We also want to remind everyone that our parking lot operates as one-way traffic. Please follow the posted traffic flow when entering and exiting the lot to help keep students, families, and staff safe.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in maintaining a safe and efficient environment for everyone.

We are excited to welcome new staff to JRC this year. Mrs. Cummings will be our new French Teacher. Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Riesbos will be the new educator team in Kindergarten and Miss Shewfelt will be our new Grade 6 teacher. Finally, we have 1 new Educational Assistant with us this year, Mrs. Versnick. Please welcome them to the Cobra team!

As we head into the 2026-2027 school year, we want to share an important update about how Chromebooks are used at June Rose Callwood Public School.

Over the past year, we have observed students using school Chromebooks for purposes outside of learning. This has included:

• playing video games,
• using messaging apps,
• and accessing inappropriate content during class time.

To address this, we have introduced a formal Chromebook Use Policy for all Grade 3-8 students.

Here is what this means for your child:

Your child will bring home a Chromebook Use Agreement to be signed by both the student and a parent or guardian. This agreement must be returned to your child's teacher before Chromebook access is granted. The agreement outlines acceptable use, how to care for devices, and the consequences for misuse.

Chromebooks at JRC are school tools. They will be used when a teacher directs students to use them for a specific learning task. They are not personal devices. If a student misuses a Chromebook, consequences follow a clear three-level structure, starting with a conversation and parent contact and escalating from there. Serious incidents such as bullying or inappropriate content are addressed immediately.

We believe students do their best when expectations are clear and consistent. This policy gives us the shared foundation to hold that line together.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher or contact the office directly.

The safety and well-being of our students remains our highest priority.

Effective immediately, students will not be permitted to leave school property during nutritional breaks unless they are being signed out and picked up by a parent, guardian, or authorized emergency contact.

This decision has been made for several important reasons:

• The school cannot adequately supervise students once they leave school property.
• Student safety may be compromised when students are off-site during the school day.
• We have experienced ongoing concerns related to student conduct and decision-making in the surrounding community during nutritional breaks.
• Leaving school grounds increases the risk of accidents, conflicts, and other situations that may impact student well-being.
• Students who remain on school property can continue to be supervised by school staff and have access to support if needed.

We recognize that some students have left school property during breaks in the past. However, after reviewing safety considerations and concerns that have arisen within the community, we believe this change is necessary to provide a safe and positive learning environment for all students.

If a parent or guardian wishes to take their child off-site during a nutritional break, they must sign the student out through the main office and assume responsibility for the student while they are off school property. Upon return, students must report to the office before rejoining classes.

We appreciate your support and partnership as we work to maintain a safe environment for all students.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

As we begin the school year, I would like to remind families of the expectations regarding student cell phones and personal mobile devices at JRC.

The Ontario Ministry of Education updated the Provincial Code of Conduct and Policy/Program Memorandum 128, effective September 1, 2024, to reduce distractions and help students remain focused on learning. Under these requirements, students in Grades K-6 may not use personal mobile devices during the school day unless permission is granted by a staff member for educational, medical, health, or special education purposes.

At JRC, students who bring a cell phone, smartwatch, or other personal mobile device to school must:

• Keep the device powered off or on silent mode.
• Store the device out of sight during the school day.
• Use the device only when authorized by school staff for an approved purpose.
• Take responsibility for the security of their personal device.

If a student uses a device inappropriately or has it visible during the school day, staff will follow Ministry and board procedures. This may include requiring the device to be put away or surrendered, parent contact, and other consequences as appropriate.

We recognize that some students carry phones for before and after school communication with families. If you need to reach your child during the school day, we ask that you contact the school office. Likewise, if a student needs to contact a parent or guardian, school staff will assist them.

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a learning environment where students can focus, engage with their peers, and make the most of their instructional time. Together, we can minimize distractions and maximize learning opportunities for all students.

If you have any questions about these expectations, please contact the school office.