Parent Peek at the Week
Week of June 14th, 2021
Important Dates
Did you know.....that the day of the cycle (days 1 to 5) is always listed beside the date in the calendar below. That way you never have to go searching to find out what "day" it is!
Monday, June 14th - Day 1
Tuesday, June 15th - Day 2
Wednesday, June 16th - Day 3
Thursday, June 17th- Day 4
Friday, June 18th - Day 5
Upcoming dates:
- June 21st: 23rd: Student belonging pack up by teachers; asynchronous tasks will be provided to students on the day their teacher is working in the school
- June 24th: Baker's Grade 6 class tour
- June 25th: Landry's and VES Grade 6 class tour
- June 28th: Student belonging pick up and goodbyes
- June 28th: Report cards to be sent home electronically
- June 29th: Last day of school
- June 30th: PA Day
School Organization 2021-2022
It's that time of the year! I know everyone is very anxious to hear news of our staffing for next year. We're almost there....This week, I'll be sharing some of the key information about how our school will be organized and a few people that are leaving and returning. I hope that by next week I'll be able to share who is teaching what. Please remember, this year more than ever, that the organization and staffing is very tentative. We have preliminary numbers for our face-to-face and virtual students, but that could easily change over the summer. This is our best guess for the time being!
Here are some things to know about September 2021:
- we are expected to have 10 homerooms, up one from this year, but still about 2 less than we would be if all students were attending face to face
- we are projected to have approximately 224 students face to face
- we have received a reduction of SERT time from 1.0 to 0.75
- we are one of 20 schools in our board who will have an additional support for reading and self-regulation, in the form of an Early Intervention Teacher. This position is a 0.4 and will support primary teachers through an in-class collaboration model to focus on reading and self-regulation skills
Some initial staffing information:
It is with mixed emotions that I share that Noel Pilley will be leaving our staff this year. I am very excited for her as she beings new adventures teaching French at the Virtual Elementary School, but sad for our school as she is such an important member of our community. Her passion for teaching French and connecting with students has been such a gift to Kawartha Heights. She will be greatly missed!
Kawartha Heights would like to welcome Jordan Rodrigues, who will be taking on the Core French position with us in September. Please see more information below.
We are thrilled to be welcoming back Yvonne Rees from the Virtual Elementary School and Jessica McConnell from her maternity leave. Carolyn Ross will continue her maternity leave until March 2022, when we'll welcome her back.
At this time, our school is allotted 1 Child and Youth Worker and 5 Educational Assistants as shared support for our students (same as this past year). The final placement process for these staff does not happen until the week of June 21st, so we are all keeping our fingers crossed that our wonderful team continues together!
With any luck, next week I'll be able to share tentative teaching assignments. Stay tuned for more information!
Please join me in welcoming.....
Picking up belongings and saying goodbye....
We are excited to be sharing our Kawartha Heights plan for the pick up of student belongings and a chance to say “goodbye”. Please see the flyer below and make sure you save the date!
For families who cannot stop by on June 28th, we will still be available at the school through July 5th for pick up of items. Just come to the front door and buzz and we'll bring your child's belongings to you.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
If by any chance you have a large canopy tent (the size that a large folding table could fit under) that we could borrow - please let me know. It the day is as hot as they've been, we want to make sure all our staff our safe and cool. I'm happy to pick it up and return it to your when we're done.
We look forward to seeing everyone on June 28th.
School Council Follow up
For your reference, attached below are the minutes from our meeting. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
Can we help?
If your family would benefit from a grocery voucher or gift card, please just email me. All emails will be kept strictly confidential. In addition, please see the calendar below of local food bank times.
We're only a call, email or message away. Please reach out if you need us!
From our ICT Department
Attention Families with Grade 7 to 12 Students for the 2021/2022 School Year
To help improve situations when students forget or lose their passwords, the KPR ICT department will be enabling a Self Service Password Reset process for Grade 7 to 12 students (2021/2022 School Year). Once students complete the registration process they will be able to reset their passwords on their own.
From now until June 14th, 2021, students will be able to voluntarily complete the process. On June 15th, students who have not completed the process will be prompted to do so when they log into a KPR application or service.
Please follow the below steps to complete the process ahead of June 15th to avoid interruption.
- Navigate to KPRWeb.kprdsb.ca/students
- Select the gear icon and then SSPR Registration
- Choose “Set it/them up now” for either the Phone or Questions option then follow the prompts to complete the process.
From the Board Office.....
KPR NEWS
Graduations and Year-End Activities
Last week, the provincial government announced school boards may consider limited, outdoor end-of-year events. Based on ongoing public health restrictions, however, schools have spent months planning and creating meaningful virtual graduation ceremonies. Given the ongoing health directives and the risks posed by large gatherings, we remain concerned for the safety of students, families and staff. We also know from experience that it simply is not possible to organize large, in-person events in the last couple of weeks of school.
In light of the safety concerns, and after discussion with our local public health units, we are regretfully confirming that:
- All Grade 12 graduation ceremonies in KPR remain postponed until Fall 2021
- Elementary schools will celebrate Grade 8 graduations and Grade 6 leaving ceremonies virtually in June.
We also recognize that schools must arrange for students to be able to pick up any belongings left behind, and to drop off electronic devices and materials. Principals will be scheduling different times for students to come and pick up their belongings, on either Monday, June 28 or Tuesday, June 29 in most cases. Where possible, schools may arrange that process by grade or cohort, so that students can have an outdoor opportunity to say goodbye to staff and classmates as an end-of-the-year farewell.
Please watch for details from your school.
Youth Vaccinations
Ontarians aged 12-17 are now able to book an appointment for a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Details on booking vaccinations in our public health regions, including updated information on youth only clinics, are available here.
The government also has a dedicated webpage on booking and preparing for vaccination appointments. It outlines the province’s plan for youth vaccinations, answers questions about safety and effectiveness, and provides links to external sites for more information.
Rita Russo
Director of Education