Our family update has accessibility features that allow you to select your language of choice for translations and also to enlarge fonts for better viewing!

Dear Families,

March Break is just a week away! Enjoy quality time with one another when it comes. March Break often feels like the arrival of Spring is nearby!

Movie night, organized by our School Council was on Friday, was a blast! We watched Lightyear, Strange World, and we ate copious amounts of pizza, cotton candy, chips, and so much more at the canteen! Thank you to our amazing SAC for organizing such an amazing night. It was a great turnout from our community - thank you to families for making Ecole Maple your Friday night out at the movies!

Students who missed Rocks and Rings on February 23rd had their make-up day on March 2nd. To date, all classes have participated in this learn to curl program! What a great opportunity for students to learn a new sport!

Thanks to mother nature, we once again had so much snow last week! And, we look forward to having so much snow from our weekend snow! Students were determined to build the biggest snow ball of all time...and they did not disappoint!

Over the last few week, families have been invited into classes to play with their students in Kindergarten, learn about their social studies projects, and participate in field trips. It has been great to have so many wonderful visitors throughout the day engaged with their student! Our families are rockstars!

It was a sad week as we said goodbye to our Teacher Candidates on Friday! They will be missed dearly, but we wish them all the best in their next placements.

Our yard pals will be starting games with our primary and Kindergarten students this week! See an orange vest on the school yard? That's probably one of our many amazing Grade 5 & 6 volunteers!

Families! You can help with discussions at home about your students using their WITS (Walk Away, Ignore, Talk It Out, Seek Help) on a regular basis. There is regular messaging at school, but extra messaging at home goes a long way. Please have a discussion your student about the power of positive words and actions - the Ecole Maple way!

This week, students with special education needs identified in an IEP (Individual Education Plan) engaged in the Special Education Review. Students were provided with access to a device to participate in the survey. Students were supported by staff, as required, to ensure they had the best opportunity to offer their feedback and thoughts about what best supports their access to learning and success in the school environment. A direct link was sent to families once the survey opened on February 27, 2023. If families do not have access to the internet or a device to complete the survey at home or work, they are welcome to use a computer at Ecole Maple ES. The information gathered through the Thought Exchange will be reviewed and analyzed by the Educational Services Team and key ideas and input will inform future planning, priorities, services, and supports within Limestone. Final results and findings will be shared with students, families, and the public in the fall of 2023.

Thank you for your continued efforts to avoid picking up your student during recess/nutrition breaks (11:15-11:55 and 1:35-2:15), as well as at the end of the day (3:15-3:35). If your student has an appointment during school hours, please do not email teachers the morning of or throughout the day to inform them. Our educators are busy teaching and learning with your student and often don't have an opportunity to check their emails. Instead, please email maple@limestone.on.ca or notify your student's teacher in advance.

Please continue to screen your students before school for any symptoms of illness. If you do not pass the screener, please stay home, rest, and get well! Masks help stop the spread of illnesses - they are encouraged but not mandatory.

Enjoy this week and be safe next week, Majors!

Mrs. Fox, Ms. Stephen, Mme Panet & The Major Team

Limestone District School Board’s Educational Services Leadership Team is embarking on a Special Education Review between February 2023 and April 2023. The purpose of this review is to:

• Examine our current special education supports and services and identify areas for refinement and enhancement to meet the needs of learners within an inclusive learning environment.
• To gather student, family, staff, and community partner voices to identify priorities and key areas which may impact the success of students with special education needs.

As the needs of our students change, it is necessary to review and sometimes revise resources, supports, and services that are provided to students. As with previous Special Education Reviews, a goals of this review are to examine resource allocation, strengthen partnerships, leverage supports, and identify professional learning opportunities for staff.

Limestone students, staff, families, community members, and community stakeholders will be consulted through an online survey platform, Thought Exchange, in an effort to collect a wide variety of qualitative data on the question “What key supports and services are important for students with special education needs to experience success at school and reach their full potential?”.

The Thought Exchange will be available for students with special education needs and their families between February 27 and March 3, 2023, and then it will be available to Limestone staff and community members and partners starting April 24 to April 28, 2023. The information gathered through the Thought Exchange will be reviewed and analyzed by the Educational Services Team, allowing key ideas and input to inform the future planning, priorities, services, and supports available in Limestone. Final results and findings will be shared publicly in the Fall of 2023.

Additional information on Limestone’s Special Education programming, Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Special Education Plan 2022-2023, previous Special Education Reviews, and our Special Education Support Model is available on our website.

Welcome to Kindergarten!

This is an exciting time for both you and your student. Kindergarten offers a wonderful new world of learning and growing. We learn how to read, how to write and we make new friends. At [insert school name], we offer both French Immersion and English Kindergarten programs that help children get the best possible start in school. Your student will be challenged and encouraged to do their very best.

We are now accepting new student registrations for this September 2023. If your student is four or five by the end of December, now is the time to register.

The Kindergarten program allows children to develop emotionally, socially and physically: to grow creatively, and to engage in rich oral language opportunities and celebrate their learning. In Kindergarten classrooms, a teacher and an early childhood educator work together as a team. This partnership helps to create a nurturing learning environment; giving every student the opportunity to learn in the way that is best suited to their individual strengths and needs. Our caring team of educators is with them every step of the way!

In Limestone, students can begin French Immersion in Year 1 Kindergarten, Year 2 Kindergarten or Grade 1. The French Immersion program is designed for students who are learning French as an additional language. The program is an inclusive environment for rich language development and designed for students who do not speak French at home. Parents and guardians are not expected to be French speaking themselves. There is nothing extra that you need to do to prepare your student for French Immersion. All students are welcome!

We typically welcome new families to orientation events in May of each year. We will share more about these opportunities soon.

We want everyone to see themselves in Limestone. You can feel confident your student will be cared for in a safe and inclusive environment.

Starting Kindergarten is an exciting time for everyone, and we are ready to welcome your student to a wonderful new world of learning and growing. Thank you for choosing Ecole Maple Elementary School, it a wonderful place and community.

We look forward to meeting you!

KFPL has updated membership categories! Youth ages 14 and older may sign up for a library card independently (without caregiver signature). Students attending schools within the boundaries of Kingston and Frontenac County are eligible. KFPL invites secondary schools to contact Cheyenne Stewart, the Teen and New Adult Librarian. Cheyenne can arrange visits to the schools to sign students up for cards. Info for SMOREs/newsletters: Explore a world of books, video games, movies, and more. Teens 14 and older can now get a free Kingston Frontenac Public Library card on their own. Get started with a temporary card online at https://register.kfpl.ca/ come into any branch for a full membership. Learn more about getting a library card: https://www.kfpl.ca/gettingstarted/getting-a-library-card What can teens do with a card?

● Borrow books, comics, graphic novels, video games, music, movies and so much more

● Pick out what you want to borrow online, then have it sent to your nearest branch

● Download or stream eBooks and comics, digital magazines, movies and music

● Research and learn with online databases, courses and newspapers

● Reserve computer time in our branches

● Borrow passes to parks and museums in Kingston and Ottawa

● Enjoy activities and events just for teens

UPDATED Links for MS Teams Virtual Tutoring (beginning Jan. 9)

Limestone Tutoring Resources January 9 – March 30

Monday – Thursday 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

As part of the Ministry of Education Tutoring Grant, LDSB is extending an afterschool drop-in Virtual Tutoring Program through the winter months for Limestone students in Grades 1 to 10.

Grade 1 to 6 - Build literacy and/or math skills. 3 tutors per night. (20 min sessions)

Grade 7 to 10 - Math skills and support. 3 tutors per night. (30 min sessions)

Grade 7 to 10 – Homework help. 2 tutors per night. (30 min sessions)

· Student must be logged in to MS Teams using their Limestone account.

· Click on link for age group and subject support. (links below)

· Sessions are on a first-come, first-served model.

· Wait in virtual lobby until tutor invites student into the session.

For the links, visit:

https://www.limestone.on.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=352782&pageId=27481883

See below for Guidelines.

1. The student must be logged in to MS Teams using their Limestone account. The student’s camera and microphone should be on so that the student and tutor can communicate effectively.

2. The student should have the materials they need with them (e.g., students should have their homework assignment). The student should try to set up in an area in the home with minimal distractions for the tutoring

3. If a tutor is already working with a student, subsequent students will be placed in the lobby of the meeting and then be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis once the tutoring session for the previous student is completed. Tutoring sessions for Grades 1-6 will be about 20 minutes long and may be extended, if no other students are waiting. For Grades 7-10 sessions will start at 30 minutes and may be extended if no students are waiting.

4. No tutoring on PA Days or Holidays.

In addition, TVO continues to provide curriculum-based, free digital learning resources for all Ontarians this year. This brochure provides an overview of TVO’s Digital Learning Resources (2022). Included in the resources available are:

Mathify Online Math Tutoring for Grades 4-12 https://www.tvomathify.com/students

• Free 1:1 online math tutoring support with Ontario Certified Teachers. Available Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 3:00 to 9:00 pm. Students/families can sign up, select a tutor and start immediately.

TVO Learn https://tvolearn.com/

• Over 2,100 curriculum-aligned, grade and subject-specific learning activities from Kindergarten to Grade 8 (including for the new Science and Technology curriculum
• Grade 9 to 12 searchable high school content for over 140 secondary school courses

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