Walnut Grove PS
June 2020 Newsletter
Walnut Grove PS
Principal: P. Lone
Vice Principals: S. Rofaiel, S. Stephen
Superintedant: Patrika Daws
Trustee: Carrie Andrews
Email: walnutgrove.ps@peelsb.com
Website: http://schools.peelschools.org/1416/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 10 Pinestaff Road, Brampton, ON, Canada
Phone: 905-796-4572
Twitter: @WalnutGrovePS
Goodbye, from Mrs. Lone
Dear Walnut Grove Families,
As many of you already know, I will be retiring from the Peel District School Board on June 30th of this year. I had made this decision earlier in the year, long before the pandemic hit. Who knew then that things would be where they are now? It breaks my heart to not be able to say goodbye to the students, staff and families of my beloved Walnut Grove school community.
Seven years ago we began this amazing journey of building the Walnut Grove school community together. It is not simply a school building. It is a place where our children are free to learn and grow, a place where they feel safe, and where they are valued. Our staff members, right from the start, knew that this was our foundation, and it remains so today. Our students thrive academically, and have tremendous opportunities to develop skills and passions beyond the classroom. They are modern learners who continue to meet and exceed the challenges presented to them. I am so very proud of what we have built together.
I cannot think of a better place to finish my career than Walnut Grove. It has been such a privilege working alongside parents, staff and students over the last 7 years. I am so very thankful for your support, and the trust you have placed in me. I look forward to my retirement and enjoying life at a much slower pace. My husband and I will eventually settle closer to our little grandchildren out west, but for the next few years, I will enjoy my surroundings until it is safe to travel again.
As I say goodbye, I want to wish all of you good health and much happiness. These are trying times, and it is necessary now, more than ever, to take care of our loved ones and remember that life is precious. Thank you for the best seven years of my career.
Welcome Mrs. Casciato
I am very pleased to welcome Mrs. Casciato as the new Principal of Walnut Grove. Mrs. Casciato is an experienced Principal, coming from Fairlawn P.S. She has a strong background with French Immersion as well. I am very excited to have Mrs. Casciato join the Walnut Grove family, as she is very familiar with all of the initiatives happening here, and is eager to continue all of the amazing work that we do. I am certain that she will continue to move the school forward, while focusing on the most important thing - our students.
I know she is looking forward to meeting all of the families and students at Walnut Grove, so please take some time to stop in and meet her in the fall.
Principal's Message
Well, it certainly has been quite a year! I almost wish we could start over, only change the ending. More than anything else, I hope that all of our families stay safe and healthy throughout the summer, and when we return to school, however, that looks, that there will be joy in seeing friends and teachers again.
As the school year comes to a close, I’d like to share a few things to keep in mind:
If you are moving, please let the office know as soon as possible – students must attend the school within their home address boundary
If you will be on vacation when school starts on September 8th, please let the office know in June, either by phone or email, so we know that you haven’t moved and that your child/children have a class placement
Bussing information will not available until the last week of August/first week of September and parents can access this information from home by going on to the Peel Board website, clicking on STOPR, then following the prompts and O.E.N. 9 digit number from the Report Cards
Courtesy Seating requests will be collected in the office – no seats will be assigned until mid-October, based on availability
once again, we will NOT be purchasing student Agendas next year – we encourage all families to use Classroom websites that teachers set up and maintain (e.g., Google Classroom, See Saw)
Please sign up for School Cash Online for next year if you haven’t yet done so – it is the preferred method for payment, and easiest (cash will always be accepted if you choose not to use this format)
GOODBYE TO OUR GRADE 8 GRADUATES! It is with mixed emotions that I say goodbye to our amazing Grade 8 graduating classes. They have been such as joy to have at Walnut Grove over the past several years. They have become wonderful leaders in the school and in the community, and we are so proud of each and every graduate. They will be moving on to a variety of different Secondary Schools, based on the programs that they have chosen, and we wish them every success in this new phase of their lives – they are ready, they are excited and they will be successful!
WELCOME to our new Junior Kindergarten students and their families! The “Start With a Smile” event will be happening in the fall, due to the school closure in June– we are very excited to welcome these new children to Walnut Grove.
STAFF CHANGES
Every year, schools experience changes in staff, and with Walnut Grove being such a large school, with such a large staff, we are no exception.
I am so thankful to have had such amazing LTO teachers this year, and in June, we say Thank You and Goodbye to the following long term occasional teachers/T.A.'s: Ms. G. Johal Gr. 5FA), Ms Yue (Gr 3/4 and Gr. 4/5), Ms. Bissoon (K1), Mr. Deacon (Gr. 8FA), Mr. Iafrate (Gr. 7-8 French), Ms. Strachan (K4), Ms. Yasin (TA)
I would also like to say Thank You and Goodbye to staff members who are moving on different schools and assignments: Mr. Kuehn, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Fouracre. We wish you well in your new schools!
Welcome to the following teachers who will be joining the Walnut Grove Staff:
Ms. Wong (Gr. 3), and Ms. Jakobsmeier (Gr. 2)
We still have a few more positions LTO positions to hire for, but we will definitely be ready for September.
I wish all of our Walnut Grove families a safe, happy and healthy summer vacation, and we look forward to seeing everyone back refreshed and ready for learning on September 8th!
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
Mrs. Lone
School Council
Thank you to our School Council members who served our school community this year: Bob Nagra, Neha Marwaha, Nicole Anderson and Shawn Gilchrist, We truly appreciate the work that you have done to support Walnut Grove.
2020-2021 TENTATIVE School Council Election Information:
Sept. 14 - Nomination Packages to be sent home to all families
Sept. 21 - Completed Nomination forms to be returned to the school no later than 4:00 pm
Sept. 25 - School Council Nominee Biographies to be sent home to all families
Oct. 1- School Council ELECTIONS to be held during the day and evening
Oct. 2 - Winners of the Elections will be notified by the Principal
Oct. 14- First School Council Meeting for the 2020-2021 school year
Goodbye to Ms. Lone from Walnut Grove School Council
As part of the school council we are saddened to see a great Principal, Teacher, leader and mentor leave us all. Though we know that this is only an end to one chapter and a start to another for Pam. On behalf of the school council we wish Pam all the best as she heads into her retirement and enjoys the time with her family and loved ones.
Thank you for all you have done Pam and for all the memories you have given us over the years. Congratulations on such an achievement and good luck with whatever the future may hold.
On a personal note, our co-chair Bob has been part of the parent council since its inception from our first days at James Grieve and I can tell you, it's been a fun tlme serving when you have such a great person like Pam on the other side. It will feel really odd and sad when I walk into the school and not see you around. We are losing a one-in-a-million Principal and may God Bless you in your retirement always.
As the saying goes “After climbing the mountain you can finally enjoy the view.”
Parent Council