J.R.Henderson P.S.
September 6, 2016
Welcome to a new school year!
Dear Parents/Guardians & Students,
Welcome to the 2016-17 academic year! I extend a warm welcome to our families new to the Henderson community and a sincere welcome back to all returning families! I hope you enjoyed a fun and restful summer vacation. I know the students all have stories from their summer that they will want to share and I hope to hear from many of them this week!
I would like to take this opportunity to share how excited I am to take on the role of Principal at James R. Henderson P.S. Our school is committed to promoting personal and collective excellence in a caring, supportive environment and I feel fortunate to be part of such a school culture. It is my intent to continue to carry out the important traditions and practices that help make Henderson such a wonderful school!
A lot of hard work goes into preparing for the first day of school, and I extend a special thank you to all of our staff members for their part in making this happen. Indeed, our custodians spent the summer cleaning the school, teachers and ECEs have been planning their program and organizing their classrooms, and Mrs. Hoover, our Office Manager, has been very busy getting all of the paperwork ready for the new school year. I feel very privileged to be working with such a committed group!
You will see a few new faces around the school. Joining the Henderson team this year are:
- Ms. Dawn Diamond, our new Vice-Principal
- ECEs, Ms. Cheri St.John and Mrs. Julie Tuskovich-Sauvé, joining our FDK team
- Mmes Marie Kimmerer & Chantal Oleschuk back from leave and teaching Primary French Immersion
- Mr. Chris Schukei (filling in for Ms. Gibson who is on leave this year) joining us full-time this year as our Gr.6/7 teacher
- Mr. Michael Higginson, our Intermediate French teacher (filling in for Mme vanessa Graymason, currently on maternity leave)
- Ms. Jacquie Rowe (filling in for Ms. Kivistik who is on leave this year) and Ms. Michelle Wilson-Brushett joining our team of English to Immersion teachers
To view the complete staff list, please click on the tab "about our school", on our website, at: jrhenderson.limestone.on.ca
At James R. Henderson P.S., we know that by working together, staff, students, and parents/guardians help build a strong community. We truly appreciate your support as your child enters their new classroom and learns & grows throughout this school year.
We look forward to meeting you over the next few weeks and hope to see you at our Open House/Pizza Party Picnic on Thursday, September 29, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm!
Sincerely,
Ms. Jacqueline Prenevost
Principal
CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION
As usual, class lists are tentative at this time and will be finalized within the next few weeks. We have had a number of new students join our school and as part of the Board’s staffing process, we may have to re-organize.
Note that families of any affected students will be informed promptly. We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding this process.
School Schedule
Again this year, we have made some slight changes to our timetable, as we try to balance out the amount of learning time in both the mornings and afternoons:
8:55-9:10 Outdoor Supervision
9:10 Entry Bell
9:10-10:50 Learning Block
10:50-11:10 AM Recess
11:10-12:10 Learning Block
12:10-12:30 Lunch
12:30-12:55 Lunch Recess
12:55-2:15 Learning Block
2:15-2:35 PM Recess
2:35-3:35 Learning Block
3:35 Dismissal
Please note that Kindergarten classes have staggered recesses to accommodate the number of students. Please consult with your child’s teaching team for their class’ specific schedule.
Communication and Notices
Later this week, you will be receiving a collection of school and classroom information, and numerous forms to fill out and return. We aim to share as much detail as possible to help start the year off successfully!
Our goal this year is to design and distribute the majority of our school communications in an electronic format. As such, our school newsletter which includes school wide news, updates, reminders, and event dates, will be posted on our school website ( jrhen.limestone.on.ca ) and our Twitter feed ( @JRHenPS_LDSB ). Note that print copies will be sent out only if specifically requested.
Instead, we would like to send you our newsletters and updates directly to your personal inbox. To set this up, please email us at jrhen@limestone.on.ca with Electronic Mail as the subject line.
Henderson's Driving & Parking Guide
At Henderson, student safety is always a priority! To ensure a safe arrival, parents/guardians are reminded that there is no parking allowed directly in front of the school in the morning. Instead, you will find a STUDENT DROP OFF zone. Please use this area to make a stop, of no more than 3 minutes, to let your child safely out of the car and then continue on your way.
As well, given our large staff, the parking lot is reserved for staff use between 8:30 and 4:00 pm. For your convenience, our Driving and Parking Guide, which will be sent out later this week, includes detailed information on the numerous parking spots available within a 3 minute walk of our school yard. Thank you for your cooperation!
Advance Absence & Late Arrivals
When your child is absent or will arrive late for school, please call the school (613-389-2330) to let us know. The answering machine is available 24 hrs a day, so the call can be made at any time! We ask that you leave the name of your child, their class and the reason for their absence. In the event that we have not received a call, our Office Staff will contact you to ensure that your child is safe.
If your child arrives late, please sign them in on the clipboard at the office window and have them pickup their green card from the secretary.
Agendas
Agendas will be distributed to students in many classrooms this week. If your child’s teacher chooses to use this communication tool, please review and sign your child’s Agenda daily. We believe that their use helps build skills for academic success and lifelong learning. They also help facilitate and strengthen home-school connections in the elementary years.
For the students using Agendas this year, we would most appreciate a donation of 5$ to help defray the cost of the Agenda. Thank you!
School Sports' Teams
Board policy requires that students must have accident insurance coverage in order to participate in school-sponsored extra-curricular athletic events.
Before students will be allowed to participate in any school teams, students must either purchase the basic plan from the Board’s recommended insurance or indicate that they have equivalent coverage through an alternate plan.
Please make sure to carefully read the Student Insurance information package, going home this week, and complete as needed the required forms should your child plan to participate in ANY school teams during the school year.
For more information, please visit the LDSB website at: http://www.limestone.on.ca/Student_Accident_Insurance/
Important Dates
Thursday, September 8
- School info package sent home
Friday, September 15
- 8 Primary/Junior classes to Agricultural Fair
Thursday, September 29
- Open House/Pizza Party Picnic
Friday, September 30
- P.A. Day
Young Ghoristers Limestone
Who are we?
This choir, representing schools in the Kingston area, promotes enjoyment of music by providing opportunities for students in Grades 3 to 8 to develop their musical expertise through the learning of exciting and varied repertoire and giving the students the opportunity to perform in several different venues in our community. The choir is directed by Margaret Moncrieff.
Auditions
Held at Cataraqui Woods Public School from 4:00 – 5:30 on Tuesday, September 13 and Thursday, September 15.
Other audition times can be arranged until the end of September by e-mailing youngchoristers@gmail.com
Rehearsals
Tuesdays from 4:30 – 5:30 at Cataraqui Woods Public School beginning September 20. The choral season ends the first week of May. There are holidays during school breaks.
More information?
Contact Margaret Moncrieff at youngchoristers@gmail.com
Margaret Moncrieff
Director, Young Choristers Limestone, Kingston Area Choir
James R. Henderston P.S.
Email: jrhen@limestone.on.ca
Website: jrhen.limestone.on.ca
Location: 361 Roosevelt Drive, Kingston, ON, Canada
Phone: 613-389-2330
Twitter: @JRHenPS_LDSB