James R. Henderson Weekly Update
Friday, April 30th, 2021
Dear Families,
We have seen fantastic creativity, engagement and learning in the virtual classrooms this week. We sat around a virtual campfire, where students played vocabulary games, sang songs in French and told stories. Many classrooms are doing daily "Community Circles" where teachers do a wellness-check with students each morning. We listened to some Kindergarten "Storytelling Circles" where students drew beginning, middle and end, and then practiced their oral language skills, and watched children learn new French vocabulary through Bingo games and learn about 3-dimensional shapes by using a variety of household materials to build and construct! Students contributed to whole group lessons through interactive white boards, collaborated on projects through shared Google slides and 'breakout rooms', and participated in guided learning sessions on a regular basis with teachers and Educational Assistants. Some classes are having "Virtual Recess Time" as a way to be able to socialize with friends who they do not see outside of the instructional day. Students continue to enjoy exploring the "Forest of Reading" books, and will vote on their class favourites by May 7th. The Forest of Reading books allow students to not only experience wonderful literature, but to engage in critical thinking, math activities like graphing, and Visual Arts and Drama activities too! We are very excited to see which authors win this year's contest. As always, we are impressed by the resourcefulness and dedication of our staff, and by the resilience and commitment to learning that our families continue to demonstrate.
We will continue to have some Spirit Days next week -- thank you for sharing photos of your children enjoying these fun days:
Tuesday, May 4th: May the Fourth Be With You Day! (you can participate by dressing up, drawing a picture of your favourite character, or sharing any special space-themed toys or items that you have...Star Trek is also acceptable!)
Wednesday, May 5th: Bring Your Pet or Stuffie to School Day! (show off your favourite pet or stuffed animal)
Friday, May 7th: Henderson Hawks Day (wear your Hawks t-shirt, green or yellow!)
Our May Parent Council Meeting will be held next Thursday, May 6th at 6:45pm. Please email Mrs. Davey if you would like to receive a link to the meeting daveyjk@limestone.on.ca
Families of Students in Grade 6 French Immersion: please see details below about a Virtual Open House for Acadie next Thursday.
We miss seeing the students terribly, but do enjoy being able to see their sweet, mask-free smiles when we visit the virtual classrooms. As always, please reach out to us should you require any support: we are here to help. We hope that everyone is doing well, and enjoys the weekend. Take care,
Mme Peart and Mrs. Davey
Grade 6 French Immersion Students: Acadie Virtual Open House is Thursday, May 6th
Dear Families,
On behalf of the staff, students, and administration of Module de l'Acadie, I would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Virtual Open House event! While our preference would have been to host this event in person, we are excited to showcase our wonderful school in a virtual fashion and to answer questions from current and prospective families.
This online event will take place on Thursday, May 6th from 6:30pm - 8:00pm and is accessible via the following link: https://tinyurl.com/wdzj5cmw
The agenda for the evening is as follows:
Welcome address and introduction
Mr. James Bonham-Carter, Principal
Student-produced video
Ms. Sarah Lasko, grade 7 Late Immersion Teacher
Important items for students new to Acadie next year
Ms. Sheri Jones & Mr. Tyler Wilson, Vice-Principals; Elisabeth Sorensen, Acadie
Lead Teacher, Various staff
Q&A session - Participants will be able to submit questions using a chat feature during the event
School admin, and various staff and students will respond to questions
Thank you for your interest in learning more about Acadie! We look forward to seeing you on May 6th.
Kind Regards,
James Bonham-Carter
Principal
Earth Day Creations :)
Making "Shakers" for Music :)
Getting out and getting active :)
Grade 2 students using "Google Jamboard" to explore adjectives!
Grade 6 Students using breakout rooms & collaborative Google slides.
Documenting Kindergarten thinking during a Math Talk!
A virtual campfire on a rainy afternoon!
Le jour des chapeaux et lunettes de soleil!
Grade 8s 5-ingredient Breakfast Cooking Challenge!
What If My Child is Not Going to Be Participating in Remote Learning on a Given Day?
1. Toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
2. School Messenger App
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
- Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
How Can I Best Stay Informed?
Mental Health Supports
FOOD SHARE PROGRAM
We continue to get support from the Food Share program. If your family is struggling, please reach out to the school and we will connect you with support from our local Food Share Program for bi-weekly deliveries to your home.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Kids Help Phone – Children and youth can contact Kids Help Phone 24/7 from anywhere in Canada, via phone, text or online chat.
Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support – Provides free online resources, tools, apps and connections to trained volunteers and qualified mental health professionals when needed
Anxiety Canada - Free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety, including resources specific to COVD-19.
Government Support for Learners
The new COVID-19 Child Benefit announced in the 2021 Ontario Budget will provide direct payments to families and students to help with additional costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you received a payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply. Starting on April 26, 2021, we will begin issuing additional payments of:
- $400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12
- $500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs
If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply for this new round of payment. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.Learn more on the government’s Support for Learners webpage.
Need a Book to Read? Check out Sora!
École James R. Henderson Public School
Email: jrhen@limestone.on.ca
Website: jrhenderson.limestone.on.ca
Location: 361 Roosevelt Drive, Kingston, ON, Canada
Phone: 613-389-2330
Twitter: @jrhen_LDSB