Sydenham P.S. Update
Sept 25th 2023
Principal's Message
Hello Sydenham PS Families,
We have all settled into our new organization of six classes over the past week, supported by French and planning teachers. Empower has begun. Running club is training and students are adjusting to the routine that school offers. We are so excited for another amazing school year filled with learning, wonder, and fun!
We had our first School Advisory Council Meeting which was attended by many families expressing a desire to have an active voice in the school community. See additional details below.
Terry Fox fundraising has begun and as of this morning we have already raised over $1500 for this great cause. A huge thank you to Monsieur Emmerton for his leadership on the Terry Fox campaign.
Classes enjoyed a trip to the Kingston Fall Fair last week. Watching horse demonstration and visiting with agricultural animals.
Hot lunches will begin in October. All ordering is done through School Day. If you require a registration code for your school day account please reach out to Mrs. Thompson at the office.
School property:
- is peanut-free/nut-free
- is scent-free
- welcomes service dogs only
- supervision begins at 8:45am before school; end of the day pick up is at 3:25pm
OPEN HOUSE
We are hosting an open House to meet families on 4th October 2023 @ 4-5:15pm. Come meet other families in our school community.
Pizza and drinks will be sold
Your partners in education,
Mrs. MacDonald, Mrs. Barrett and the Sydenham PS Team :)
Terry Fox Fundraising
Sydenham Terry Fox Walk/Run
Thursday, October 5th @1pm
Donate online to our school page with this link
https://schools.terryfox.ca/SydenhamPSKingston
Fundraising Goals
If the school raises at least $1000, Ms. Onyskiw and Ms. Reid will dress up as a banana and the Cookie Monster for an entire day!
If the school raises at least $1500, students will get to tape Ms. Barrett to the gym wall!
If the school raises at least $2500, 3 lucky students will get to slime Ms. McDonald, Mr. Emmerton and Ms. Warren!
If the school raises at least $3000, the entire school will get 100 minutes of free time and a choice of activities!
“Try Like Terry” Challenge Students in grade 3 and above can attempt this challenge on the day of the walk. They will be challenged to run a course at the Cricket Field for 10 minutes without stopping. Those who complete the challenge will have their name entered into a draw to be the Vice-Principal for an afternoon!
STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAC)
1. Welcome/Roundtable Introductions
2. Approval of Agenda
· Bobbi-Gail moved to approve, seconded by Allison de la Lis.
3. Approval of Minutes (June meeting)
· Pushed to next meeting as minutes weren’t available.
4. Admin Report (provided by Hilda Barrett, VP)
· 147 students registered, currently have 139 officially attending.
· Classes shifted to have an extra classroom in primary.
· Welcomed new staff members Anita Zwicker, primary, and Tom Richards, jr/intermediate.
o Hilda offered some information on Tom and Anita’s background/experience.
Class Breakdown 23-24
o JK/SK – Lori Bryson
o SK/1 – Sarah King
o 2/3 – Anita Zwiker
o 4/5 – Nicole Onyskiw
o 5/6 – Melanie Cronk-Reid
o 6/7/8 – Tom Richards
· Summer Improvements to SPS
o Painting is on hold, hoping for update soon.
o Bathrooms were all re-done with exception of the floors.
o Gender neutral option on main floor in what was the staff washroom, staff washroom now upstairs.
o Roof work on the annex area completed.
· Food Sharing Kingston
o Now housed in gymnasium kitchen.
o Some upgrades completed in the space.
o Hoping to shift this to a teacher work room.
· Field Trips
o 2 classes went to the Kingston Fall Fair, utilized public transit, and walked back.
o Mr. Richards and M. Emmerton will have a combo exercise to expose the 6/7/8 class to the trades and see the complete life cycle of a supply order from start to finish with a trip included to the supply warehouse.
· ELL Teacher – Rebecca Enta
o 40 students under her portfolio
· Hot Lunch
o Starting back, still with Ginos, offering pizza, pasta, and other options
· Grade 7 Immunizations
o Forms and information home with students.
· Terry Fox Fundraiser
o up and running, donation site linked through School Day.
o Incentives for students helping to achieve their goals.
· Open House - Meet n’ Greet
o October 4th, 4:00 – 5:15 pm
o Drop-In
o Not intended for parent/teacher conferences
4. Teachers Report (provided by Lori Bryson, JK/SK)
Funds will be disbursed soon ($200/class x 8), included M. Emmerton and Ms. Warren to assist with their needs
4. Treasurer’s Report (Marnie provided in Kelly’s absence):
· Printout of statement for starting balance provided
5. Elections for 2023-24 Council:
Secretary
Suzanne Dicerni
Fundraising/Events
This will be a combined effort of the council for 23-24
PIC Rep
Bobbi-Gail McCallum
Social Media
Erin Gray
Class Representatives
JK/SK - Lori Bryson/Christine Berry
Zannatin Tazreen
SK/1 - Sarah King
Suzanne Dicerni
2/3 - Antira Zwicker
Vacant
3/4 - Nicole Onyskiw
Allison de la Lis
5/6 - Melanie Cronk-Reid
Bobbi-Gail McCallum
6/7/8 - Tom Richards
Christy Wilson
Members at Large
Jaqueline Monaghan
Marnie Girard
Sarah Walker
Shannon Collins
Dennis Murphy
Erin Burns
Eugene Budnitsky
6. Other Business
· Cathy Warren hoping to have a “Movie Night” to raise funds for library, looking for support from SAC.
· Perhaps a book registry at Novel Idea would also work??
· Priorities for council this year: tech for students, outdoor equipment
Experiential Learning experiences
The Grades 6/7/8 in Mr. Richards class will be incorporating experiential learning throughout the year. The classroom has been set up to have woodworking projects completed safely.
Students are currently presenting design ideas to help with the storage and charging of electronic devices.
We look forward to watching these projects come to life:)
MEDICAL PLANS OF CARE
The Limestone District School plays an important role in supporting students with
prevalent medical conditions to fully access school in a safe, accepting, and healthy
learning environment that supports well-being.
If your child has any significant health condition, such as Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes, and/or Epilepsy, other allergies, or requires medication to be administered and/or medical procedures to be conducted at school, it is imperative that we receive medical plans of care prior to the start of school. Staff need time to become familiar with the information in these plans and may require training from professionals prior to your student starting.
Forms can be found below or on the LDSB website. Please send completed forms to the school or reach out with any questions you may have.
Thank you to those families who have already submitted this information.
SCHOOL MESSENGER APP
Why Use the SchoolMessenger App?
When you join SchoolMessenger, you will be able to:
- receive important information from LDSB
- join classrooms and extra-curricular groups
- report a student's absence (same day and in advance)
Reporting A Student's Absence:
If your student is marked absent and the absence hasn’t been reported in advance, our new SafeArrival system will attempt to reach the student’s priority contact by telephone to confirm the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, school office staff will follow up.
SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
The Ministry of Education has approved the Limestone District School Board’s 2023-2024 School Year Calendar. A print friendly version will soon be available on the LDSB and SPS Websites.
The following key dates have been approved:
First Day of School: Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Winter Break: December 25, 2023, to January 5, 2024
March Break: March 11, to March 15, 2024
Last Day of School: Thursday, June 27, 2024
The 2022-2023 school year consists of 194 days;
Secondary - 177 instructional days, 7 PA Days and 10 exam days.
Elementary - 187 instructional days and 7 PA Days.
Professional Activity Days - no classes for students:
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023
Friday, Oct. 27, 2023
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
Friday, April 12, 2024
Friday, May 31, 2024
Friday, June 28, 2024
Sydenham Public School
Email: sydenhamps@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://sydenhamps.limestone.on.ca
Location: 5 Clergy Street East, Kingston, ON K7L 3H7, Canada
Phone: 613-548-3491