Click here to read our December newsletter.
School News
Our 2024-2025 School Council
Tracy Toner, Chair
Kayla Faria, Vice Chair
Cristal Martyniuk, Secretary
Tyler Tkachyk, Member at large
Randi Long, Member at large
Kimberly Holden, Member at large
This year’s remaining School Council meetings will be held on January 20, February 24 and May 26.
We encourage all parents/guardians to come out to our meetings. We particularly want to invite parents representing the increasing diversity in our community to come out in order for us to have all voices heard.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie such a success. Every cookie you bought helped us. Special thanks goes out to Tracy Toner for getting us all pumped up to do this and to leading all our wonderful staff, student and parent volunteers to make it happen. Elmvale Tims won for the highest amount of sales and donations in the Georgian Region. A total of $14,937.45 was raised. Our Mindful Morning program will receive 50% of this. The remaining 50% will go to the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps. The cheque presentation will happen at the school on December 18 at 2:30 pm. We are so grateful for this support.
Attendance
School attendance is very important. Living in south-central Ontario, we have the challenges of bus cancellations on wintry days. Except on rare days when the school board declares our schools closed, our schools remain open for student learning even when buses are cancelled.
It is always a parent’s right to decide if it is safe for their child to make their way to school on any given no-bus day but oftentimes, buses are cancelled because they are travelling on backroads when in fact, the main roads are fine for travel. Programming continues for students who attend.
To give a sense of what happens at HCES on a no-bus day, we’ll give you a little snapshot. Last week we had 3 no-bus days and on each of the days we saw increasing numbers of students attending school. By Friday, we had over 50 percent of our students at school. The flow for the day remains somewhat flexible depending on how many students arrive in each class. Decisions are made as to how to best accommodate the students so they have a productive and enjoyable day. You won’t see any extended movie watching or piles of crossword puzzles to be completed.
In the primary division, sometimes classes join together for learning activities. Frequently there are enough students in primary classes, that teachers are able to continue with just their somewhat smaller group of students for the day of learning. In the junior division, staff fire up our no-bus day planner as soon as the announcement is made. Students are kept with their class peers and join with other junior division students for the day of learning rotations. Each teacher takes a turn with the group teaching curriculum-based lessons. You often see the teacher’s personal passion shine through when they select their plan for the day. When asked what they like about no-bus days, students tell us they enjoy working with students from other classes with teachers they do not normally work with and in spaces that they may not have accessed before. We recognize that there are students who are unable to attend due to their home’s location and these students can access learning activities on their Google Classroom. If you ever have any questions about no-bus days, please feel free to contact the school. Safe travels.
Mindful Morning
All students are welcome to attend Mindful Mornings brought to our amazing parent/guardian and staff volunteers. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:45 students can join us in the front hall and gym for healthy food items and time to relax before beginning a busy day of learning. Special waffle mornings happen sporadically throughout the year as a special treat. December’s waffle day will be December 20. We thank our volunteers and donors. If you are interested in donating to support this program or would like to volunteer, please contact the school office.
Nuts, Peanuts and Sesame
Please do not send food items with nuts, peanuts or sesame to school. We have children with food allergies who could have a very serious allergic reaction. Please remember that products like Nutella contain nuts. Do not send these products to school. Anyone wishing to send something to school to celebrate an event must remember that items must be store-purchased and nut-safe. Please ensure that the items do not contain sesame. We are not able to accept and distribute homemade food items. Please talk to your child’s teacher before sending in food for the class.
Staffing updates
Congratulations to Mrs. Kelly who was promoted last week to Vice Principal at Bayview Public School. We will miss Mrs. Kelly’s leadership here at Huronia Centennial and wish her well as she pursues her career in school administration. Mrs. Mekhail, who filled in this past week while we went through the hiring process, has been hired and will be teaching the class until the end of the school year in June. Welcome back Mrs. Mekhail.
We also welcome Mrs. McMann who is the new teacher in Kindergarten Room 131 in the partnership with Mrs. Sokach and Rita. Welcome to Mrs. McMann! As well, Tipper, Rita’s younger brother is joining HCES and will be coming to school on the days that Rita takes as pre-retirement rest days. All of the students who were at school on Friday got to meet Tipper and the rest will get to meet him soon.
The Literacy Partnership
Last year, many volunteers came out to help our students become better readers through the work of the Literacy Partnership. It was such a wonderful program and students’ reading improved significantly with the extra practice time with a caring adult. We have just started the program again. If you have even 50 minutes per week that you can volunteer at the school, you can make a difference. Contact Dianne Gibson in the office if you have any questions.
Upcoming Dates
Tuesdays Subway Sub/milk Day of the year (order through Lunch Box)
Wednesdays Little Caesar’s Pizza/milk Day of the year (order through Lunch Box)
Thursdays Quesada/milk Day (order through Lunch Box)
Tuesdays and Thursdays Mindful Mornings 8:45-9:00
Lions Club Vision Screening Grades JK, SK and 4 December 11
Band and Choir Performances December 17 at 6:30 pm. Please note the change of date.
Assembly for Cheque presentation from Tim Hortons December 18 at 2:30
Treasure Sale--last week of school (details are being sent out through classroom teachers)
Grade 5 and 6 students will be attending the Lost Heroes of Oro production on January 23. Details will follow.
School Board News
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 main.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca. Our school is in the NORTH 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.
Provide your feedback on the proposed SCDSB 2025-26 school year calendar
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) invites public school communities to submit input regarding the proposed school year calendar for next year (September 2025 to June 2026).
Provide input by visiting scdsb.on.ca and selecting ‘Elementary’ or ‘Secondary’, then ‘Planning for School’ and ‘School Year Calendar’.
All stakeholders including staff, parents/guardians, students, and members of the school community are invited to provide feedback. The deadline to provide feedback is Jan. 15, 2025, to ensure the SCDSB meets school year calendar development timelines set by the Ministry of Education.
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.
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. Visit the SCDSB website to learn more: scdsb.on.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=210982&pageId=12587752
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 PRI views social and emotional development as crucial to well-being.
Learn more about PRI by visiting their website at pineriverinstitute.com.
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
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, and check out our recent video below featuring Assikinack Public School’s Meet the Families Night!
When community becomes family! This fall, schools across the SCDSB hosted ‘meet the teacher nights’, where students have the exciting opportunity to share their learning space with their families. These events create a strong sense of community and belonging amongst SCDSB families. Watch as we highlight Assikinack Public School’s Meet the Families Night: youtube.com/watch?v=VZxfIZjYRvA
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 by visiting: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/childcare_before_after
School playground structures are closed for the winter
To ensure the safety of all users, playground equipment is closed and off-limits until the protective surfacing is tilled in the spring. This is due to winter hazards, icy equipment, and frozen ground conditions.
Every winter, school playground structures are closed. Students are made aware of this during school hours through announcements and staff reminders during breaks. This may not be well known throughout the community, despite signs indicating that playground structures are a winter hazard and are closed. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) regulations make recommendations for the depth of ground cover required to minimize injuries (e.g., sand, pea gravel, or wood chips). These surfaces cannot be maintained when the ground freezes. Injuries from falling would be more significant on frozen ground. We strongly recommend that you do not allow your children to play on any structures while the ground is frozen.
Winter safety reminder
As winter approaches, we want to ensure the safety of all our students. Please remind your child(ren) to wear appropriate footwear and follow staff instructions to prevent any slips and falls. Additionally, snow and ice should remain on the ground and not be thrown to avoid accidents or injuries. Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe this winter season!
Support your child(ren) in learning math
Families looking for ways to support their child(ren) in learning math are invited to try Math at Home. Math at Home is an online resource that is updated monthly with games, problems, and number talk activities that reflect the math your child may be learning at school each month.
In December, activities in school and on Math at Home may include grade-level tasks related to identifying, describing, and creating patterns, identifying pattern rules, and extending patterns.
Visit scdsb.on.ca/MathAtHome to support your child’s math learning at home!
Looking for an engaging online resource to support your child’s learning at home?
TVO Learn is an online digital learning environment that offers comprehensive resources to support learning for elementary (K-8) students. Access free and engaging resources to support your child’s learning. Visit tvolearn.com and click on the grade, then select the subject area and language for literacy activities to do with your child.
December cyber awareness topic: Keeping your information private
This month we want to highlight the importance of protecting your personal information online. In our increasingly digital world, it’s crucial to understand how to keep personal data secure. This topic provides practical tips on managing privacy settings, avoiding oversharing on social media, and recognizing the risks of public Wi-Fi.
It’s important to engage in conversations about these topics to ensure everyone understands the significance of online privacy and how to protect it. Open discussions can help reinforce good habits and make sure we are aware of the latest threats and how to avoid them.
Access the ECNO cyber awareness tip sheet for December to stay informed about this month’s theme: ecno.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ECNO-CAM-24-Infosheets-E-_Part4.pdf
Stay healthy this school year!
Respiratory infections, like a cold or influenza, can spread easily from person to person. These germs can spread quickly when someone coughs or sneezes directly on another person, or when germs land on hard surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and keyboards. These germs can then enter the body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. The most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and stop the spread of germs is wash your hands! Wash with soap and warm running water for at least 15 seconds (or try singing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice). If your hands are not visibly dirty you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 15 seconds. Also, make sure you and your children are up to date with your immunizations, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home for at least 24 hours if you are sick.
For more tips to keep you and your family healthy this school year, contact Health Connection at 1-877-721-7520 or visit simcoemuskokahealth.org.
Information provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
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.