The Rideau Report
Mid-April 2024 Newsletter
Mid-month update for April
Bonjour Rideau Families,
The month of April is filled with activities and there is a lot of information to share with you.
On Wednesday, we had Mme Gemma work with some grade 2 and 3 students on navigating friendships and conflicts at school. She will be back on April 16 at 6:30 for a parent workshop. This approach is wonderful in building resilience in our children and help them deal with conflicts at schools. The skills are also transferrable to the home setting, which would help with sibling rivalry.
Today was our in-school chess tournament. Students from Winston Churchill joined us and everyone had a lot of fun. We liked it so much that we will host it again next year!
Wednesday April 17 is our Kindergarten Open House from 4 to 5. Join us in the gym if you have a child born in 2020 who is coming to school in the fall.
Before the winter break, the board released a document titled "Prohibition of the N-Word". They have since developed a PowerPoint presentation that includes a video explaining why we don't want the use of the N-word at school. Principals have been asked to share this presentation with every students in grade 4 and up. This is something I will do over the next few weeks by visiting each of the junior classes. We anticipate that students might have questions around this policy and we will do our best to answer them. The board will share more information with families toward the end of April, beginning of May.
A group of Mr. Baker's students want to host a Bake Sale next week during recesses. The proceeds will go toward the purchase of new books for their English library. Students can bring in a loonie or a twonie to purchase something. This year, we have split the sales times as follows:
April 15 - AM recess for kindergarten, PM recess for Grades 1 and 2
April 16 - AM recess for Grades 3 and 4, PM recess for Grades 5 and 6
April 17 - AM recess for Kindergarten, PM recess for Grades 1 and 2
April 18 - AM recess for Grade 3 and 4, PM recess for Grades 5 and 6
April 19 - Open to everyone
School Climate Survey - The 2023-2024 School Climate Survey will be available to all LDSB students in Grades 4 to 12 from April 22 to May 3, 2024, to help LDSB understand more about student experiences at our schools and learning centres. The survey is voluntary, anonymous, and should take 20-30 minutes to complete. If families or students have any questions, please contact me.
Last week at Parent Council, we took a little time to talk about all the activities our students can take part in. In case you did not know everything the school offers, here is a list of our various clubs: chess, running, math, basketball, Lego Robotics, dodgeball, Rideau Tribune, floor hockey, Dungeons & Dragons, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country. Please note that most activities are for students grade 3 and up. We also discussed a end-of-year picnic for families. Please pencil in June 26 for this event. Families can bring their dinner and a blanket and enjoy some fun at the school.
Upcoming
April 15-19 Bake sale for H.A.L. resources
April 16 - BRAVE workshop for parents at 6:30
April 17 - Kindergarten Open House at 4:00
April 23 - Grad pictures retakes
April 26 - Rideau Express Yourself (Your Style Fashion) Spirit Day
April 29 - Ringette for grade 3 - 6
May 2 - Parent Council Meeting
May 8 - Track and Field Day at Invista
May 11 - Clothes sale at school
May 20 - Victoria Day
May 31 - PA Day
June 25 - Grade 6 celebration at 11:30 in the gym
June 26 - Report Cards go home and Family Picnic at school (5:00)
June 28 - PA Day
Have a wonderful weekend!
Valerie Arsenault
Principal
Parent Council
Next meeting -> May 2 at 6:30 in the staff room.
The last meeting will be on June 3.
Baby sitting available
Our Website page has information about parent council as well as previous meeting minutes when they become available.
Chair - Jim Jodoin (jjodoin1@hotmail.ca)
Co-Chair - Sarah Phinney (tierney_sarah@hotmail.com)
Call for Nominations: Mayor's Award for Youth Volunteerism
Do you know a youth in the community who deserves the spotlight for their volunteer contributions? Nominate them for the City of Kingston’s annual Civic Awards!
The Mayor’s Award for Youth Volunteerism recognizes youth in three categories – elementary, high school and post-secondary youth up to age 24 – who demonstrate leadership, care and compassion and/or ability to overcome personal challenges, motivate others or use special skills to improve the community’s quality of life.
How to nominate someone:
Learn more about the awards and submit your nomination online in less than 15 minutes at CityofKingston.ca/CivicAwards. You can also submit a completed nomination form in person at one of the following locations:
· City Hall, 216 Ontario St., or
· City of Kingston recreation centre: Artillery Park Aquatic Centre, Rideau Heights Community Centre, Kingston East Community Centre or INVISTA Centre.
Completed nomination forms must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, April 19. All submissions will be reviewed to confirm eligibility and sent to the selection committee.
Civic Award recipients will be celebrated at a City Council meeting in June.
Thank you for helping us recognize youth in Kingston who are making a positive impact!
Best,
Iain Sullivan, MLIS (he/him/his)
(Iain is the Scottish way of spelling Ian!)
Committee Clerk
City Clerk’s Department
City of Kingston
216 Ontario Street Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3
613-546-4291 ext. 1864
Second Hand Clothing Swap
Rideau is hosting a second hand clothing swap to help keep items circulating locally in the Kingston community. Good for your wallet, good for the planet! See info, posters, and links below for details!
DONATE
May 9-10, 8:30am-4:30pm
Clean clothing (sz 0-14), Books, and Tiny toys (smaller than your fist)
Drop off donations @ Rideau Public School (look for signs near Toronto St entrance)
SHOP
May 11, 8am-1pm
All sales are pay what you can. All $$ goes to the school
Pre-loved kids clothing 0-14 & Book
Rideau Public School Gym
Open to everyone, help us spread the word in the Kingston Community!
Volunteer: We need help! Come for a "power hour" of sorting on Friday May 10th before (2:30-3:30) or after (3:30-4:30) school pick up. Find us in the gym! Hot tip: The kids who came to help last year had a great time, bring your kids so they can be a part of this event that supports our community and the environment. We will be there 2-8pm so come anytime, even just for a 15 minutes! Many hands make light work. May 11th: Swing by the school at 2pm to pick up a few boxes of leftover items to donation locations
Yard Sale: IF the weather cooperates and we can get volunteers, we will also host a yard sale outside (Saturday May 11) for items not included in the clothing sale (larger toys, household items, furniture, sporting goods, etc). Stay tuned for more details and book the date if you are able to help set up, supervise, and/or clear up after the sale and drive leftover items to thrift shops (1pm)
Receiving communication
Rideau Public School
Email: ridea@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://rideaupublicschool.limestone.on.ca/
Location: 9 Dundas Street, Kingston, ON, Canada
Phone: (613) 546-5901
Twitter: @RideauPS_LDSB