Parent Peek at the Week
Weekly news from #AwesomeArmour 19-20
Highlights as we start up!
https://twitter.com/ArmourHeightsPS/status/1167465540669059074
A big thank you to a terrific team!
https://twitter.com/ArmourHeightsPS/status/1167582306170736641
Working together - finding connections!
https://twitter.com/EastCitySchool/status/1167444477948112897
Safe and active travel to school highlighted out front!
https://twitter.com/ArmourHeightsPS/status/1167641132999806976
Stay in touch with us at Armour Heights through Edsby and our website:
https://twitter.com/ArmourHeightsPS/status/1168002637406658560
Welcome Back to the
2019- 20 School Year!
We continue to work to build partnerships and relationships with King George PS as we grow ... two schools, one community!
Look at these halls!
All set for learners!
From the office
On behalf of the staff at Armour Heights Public School, I am so excited to welcome back all returning students, our new Kindergarten and Grade 7 students and their families, and also the new students and staff who have recently joined our school. We hope that all members of the school community have enjoyed a safe and memorable summer!
The year ahead will provide students with wonderful learning opportunities. Working closely with families, we will continue to make decisions based on what is best for our students and further the great things happening here at Armour in an effort to make a positive difference for each child in our school. We continue to believe in the value of all members of the school community having a growth mindset, and remembering the importance of being innovators and risk-takers. Everyone who enters our school is a learner!
Our ongoing partnership with King George will continue as we work towards the amalgamation of our two East City schools. Our staffs worked collaboratively on the recent PA Day and we will continue to build relations between students, staff and parents in our communities throughout the coming year. We continue to use our joint twitter account, @EastCitySchool that we encourage you to follow us there!
We always welcome visitors and volunteers in the school, and kindly thank you in advance for ensuring you always sign in at the office during all visits. For volunteers, we require a current police record check. To avoid disappointment, please contact the school to verify if your police record check has expired over the summer. Many classes are already planning trips and hope to have the invaluable support of parent volunteers.
Speaking of volunteers, please consider sharing your time with our School Council. We have had incredible leadership over the past several years and sometimes the tasks that Council takes on are huge tasks for smaller once for just a few people. They have found a way time and time and again, but if you are considering sharing your time as a volunteer, please consider serving on our 2019 -20 School Council. The first meeting of the year, as well as the elections evening will be September 25th @ 6:00 pm in our school Library. If you have questions, please connect with our Council from last year during the evening of our Open House or feel free to contact me through the office! Thank you for considering this opportunity to be involved and supportive of our community.
With the start of a new year, we will be reviewing the school code of conduct with our students. During our first assemblies, we will highlight some of the key aspects of acceptable behaviour and promote safety, including cell phones being off and away during instructional time (unless otherwise directed by a teacher), respect towards students and staff, using appropriate language and following recess expectations. All of this can be found in our Code of Conduct resource founds on our school website until "Student Life".
Our school website, and these new "Parent Peek at the Week" flyers will be posted on Edsby each Friday. Please also check our school website regularly (http://armourheights.kprdsb.ca/) and follow us on Twitter (@ArmourHeightsPS) as these will be great ways to keep in touch and be knowledgeable about all events at #AwesomeArmour! As always, please never hesitate to reach out to our school office should you have any questions.
Let's keep in touch,
Ms. McIlmoyle Parsons
Our #AwesomeArmour 2019-20 Team
Teaching Staff:
- Year 1/Year 2 Kindergarten - Cathy Boothby/Melissa Coreno
- Year 1/Year 2 Kindergarten - Brenda Mills (covering LTO for Susan Newberry)/Roberta Peever
- Year 1/Year 2 Kindergarten - Amanda Wilson (covering LTO for Lisa Fuller)
- Year 2 Kindergarten French Immersion - Katrina Behr/Karen McKnight
- Grade 1 - Marcia Campbell
- Grade 2/3 - Jordyn Kennedy (covering LTO for Jamie Leeder)
- Grade 2/3 - Jennifer Hill
- Grade 3/4 - Erika Mark
- Grade 4/5 - Sarah Thomson
- Grade 5/6 - Jamie Lotton will start the year/TBA (covering LTO for Kim MacDougall)
- Grade 6/7 - Audrey Nowicki (covering LTO for Nikkilee Coones)
- Grade 7/8 - Jaime Muldoon
- Grade 7/8 - Heather Rielly
- Grade 7/8 - Kristen Farace
- SERT - Melissa Casselman
- Core French - Dera Oram
- Planning - Andrew Corbett
- Library/Planning - Jennifer Biederman (covering LTO for Trish McAdam)
Support Staff
- Head Secretary - Katie Ronan
- Head Custodian - Jim Robbins
- PM Custodian - Jody Lindsay
- Child & Youth Worker - April Bolton
- Child & Youth Worker - Reg Adamson
- Educational Assistant - Elsa Dervishi
- Educational Assistant -Sarah Edge
- Educational Assistant - Rocket
- Educational Assistant - Marilyn Foster
- Educational Assistant - Chantelle Watts
- Educational Assistant - Chantal Collins
- Educational Assistant - Kate Wells
- Educational Assistant - Brittany Pyche
- Educational Assistant - Kate McPhail
Dates of Importance
Sept. 3 - Welcome back to all students in Year II Kindergarten -Grade 8!
We are excited to have Year II French Immersion beginning at Armour Heights this year! Bienvenue!
Sept. 4 & 5 - Year I Kindergarten students visit (1 hr visits on Wed, 1/2 day visits on Thurs)
Sept. 6 - All Year I Kindergarten students attending full day!
Sept. 11 - Verification and all other forms sent home Day 1 due back to the office please
Sept. 17 - Open House/Pizza Party – Times to be shared in the next PPW!
Sept. 24- Junior Soccer Tournament @ Beavermead & Eastgate
Sept. 25 - Int. Soccer Tournament @ Beavermead & Eastgate
Sept. 25- Armour Heights School Council Meeting & Elections @ 6:00 pm
Sept. 27 - PA Day (no school for students)
Oct. 2 - Cross Country Meet (Nichols' Oval)
Key information
New Schedule, Supervision Times and Arrival/Departure Routines
Parents/guardians are reminded that this year supervision on the yard begins at 8:55 am, with our first bell ringing at 9:10 am. When students exit the bus, or arrive on property from a walk to school, they will be met by school staff and will make their way to the lower playground. With the introduction of the portables on the upper tarmack we are moving all play to the lower yard for this school year as for safety reasons we would prefer to avoid student play around the portables. At the end of the day, students will move toward the bus area and staff will support them in accessing the appropriate bus.
We have made some changes regarding our parking lot access similar to many schools across town. Beginning on Tuesday, Sept 3 the parking lot will be closed to traffic in the morning before school and after school from 8:40 until 9:20 in the AM and then again at the end of the day from 3:00 - 3:50 pm. During this time cars will not be permitted to enter or exit the limited parking area we have, the obvious exception would be if there are any accessibility needs. With so many students and families navigating the front of the school, this area has become challenging to keep safe and so we appreciate your support while we endeavour to monitor and maintain a safe, entry and exit area for our children and our families. You will notice a number of pylons near the front of the school as well, indicating this should be a car free zone as we work to maintain clear sight lines for walkers in the area. Should you have any questions about these changes, please don't hesitate to contact Ms. McIlmoyle Parsons.
So where can you drop off your child? We will have a new area at the front of the bus zone called our "Kiss 'n' RIde" which means families pull in, stop their car there for enough time to allow their child to disembark and then they drive away. Children will be met by staff in this area and supervised on their walk toward the gate entering the yard. Families are asked to not park in this area and get out themselves as this will create congestion to this zone. Another option is to "Park and Stride" which would mean a family would park in either St. Lukes' parking lot or a side street and "stride", bringing students to the gate at the front of the school where they will then be supervised on the yard. Please note that there will be no supervision along the west side of the school nor in the St. Luke's parking lot. At dismissal time, 3:30 pm, please meet your child at a prearranged location near the playground gate.
Should parents be coming to pick students up during the school day, please note that you will need to meet your child in the office area. Once you arrive we will request your child to come to the office to meet you so as to minimize interruptions in the classroom.
Parking, Crossing the Road and Bus Zone Info
The crossing guard will aid in safe travel for students and families as they cross the road. Please remember that buses need more room to enter and exit the bus lane beside the school. The bus lane is strictly reserved for our buses. Please also be considerate of our community and do not park in, or block, our neighbours’ driveways. We appreciate your assistance with student safety!
For walkers, we ask that parents and students alike always make use of the crossing guard. We do not support anyone crossing the road directly in front of the school as this poses a variety of safety concerns. We greatly require the support of parents to help us with this important request, and to teach our students about crossing safely with the crossing guards.
Special THANK YOU to St. Luke’s for kindly permitting our staff and visitors to safely park in the church parking lot to the west of the school (entrance off of Armour Road). We greatly appreciate St. Luke’s generosity in sharing this space and we look forward to continued relations between our two sites.
Edsby and Agenda Use
This year Edsby will take on an enhanced role in terms of communication with home. Students will be encouraged to use the calendar, assignments and information posted there and share this with families. With modelling and consistent use, students will make gains with some of their Learning Skills, including organization and responsibility, as they track classroom tasks and special school events on Edsby. A few classes will use a notebook as an agenda, but in the interest of reducing paper, you will likely see a growing use of electronic communication. For this reason, we are no longer purchasing formal agendas nor asking for a financial contribution for these.
Student Information Verification Sheet, Consent Form and Indigenous Student Self-Identification
A Student Verification sheet will be sent home with all students this week. It is very important that you please check over the information and make any changes clearly (preferably in coloured ink) and return the form to the classroom teacher by September 11th. It is critical that we have up-to-date information concerning your child for their safety and well-being. Please also ensure that your family’s local emergency contacts and telephone numbers are up to date and current. Please remember, if you move, change telephone numbers, change employers etc., or if your emergency contact information changes during the school year, you must inform the school office immediately. Although we hope emergencies don’t occur, there are occasions in which we do need to contact parents/guardians/ emergency contacts.
Nutrition Breaks and Lunch Notes
To help us ensure the safety of all our students with the least amount of disruption to the school day, we require students who have permission to go home for lunch during only the second nutrition break to provide us with a note signed by the parent or guardian. This note is to be brought to the office before announcements and kept on file. We ask students to make these plans ahead of time as we might not be able to accommodate last minute requests to seek permission to leave school property. Thank you for helping us to encourage our students to make alternate plans ahead of time.
In the interest of student safety…
Please note that Armour Heights Public School strives to be a nut and scent aware environment. Please be sure that your child does not bring food to school that may contain nuts, and please avoid the use of strongly scented products.
In addition, if you have a pet on a leash - no matter how large or small - please arrange to meet your child off school property. Some students are particularly uncomfortable around dogs, and we also want to keep our yard free from any animal waste.
As always, the safety of students and staff is a priority so if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks to all for your support!
Cell Phones and Toys
Again this year we ask that students who bring cell phones to school keep these off and away during the day. If a call home is needed, students will always be permitted to use the office phone. We also ask that with the exception of sports equipment (like soccer balls, skipping ropes, tennis balls etc.), toys stay at home as these often create difficulties throughout the day, both in-class and on the yard. We appreciate families understanding this rule. We endeavour to provide items for students to play with and enjoy!
Message from the Bus Company (STSCO)
“In accordance with School Board Policy, from time to time during the year, it may be necessary for a video camera to be installed on a bus to deal with concerns regarding route operation or student behaviour. The information recorded is reviewed by the principal and supports his/her investigation of the concerns. The information is treated confidentially and the principal oversees use of the same. Students and families are hereby given notice of the fact that such recording equipment may be installed on the bus serving their route and used for the stated purposes during the school year.” For more information, or to make requests for your son/daughter regarding the bus/route (e.g., out of boundary requests, day care/babysitter alternate address requests), families are asked to visit the bus company on their website, www.stsco.ca .
Information Regarding Search and Seizure
School administrators will respect the privacy of each person but do have the authority to search school property such as desks etc. without notice or permission of any person, as directed by the Education Act. Personal property such as knapsacks, purses, etc. may become subject to search according to Board Policy. The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is committed to providing safe learning environments for all students, staff, school visitors and community members. When students behave inappropriately, principals may use progressive discipline to help students take responsibility for their actions, change their behaviour, learn from their mistakes and make things right. The Community Threat Assessment Protocol outlines how a school responds immediately to serious threatening behaviour. In situations where there is a concern for safety due to serious threatening behaviour, the principal may choose to utilize the Community Threat Assessment Protocol to gather information/seek appropriate supports.
OPEN HOUSE - September 17th
Positive and frequent relations between home and school are important factors with regards to student achievement. Please save the date and plan to come to our Open House/Pizza Party on September 17th to meet your child’s teacher, to tour the school and re-connect with the community. We kindly remind you that this is an opportunity to visit the classrooms, and if there is a need to discuss individual student progress, our teachers welcome setting an appointment to meet at an alternate time. More details regarding timing will be sent home this week.
Welcome to our families using Trent Child Care!
In the morning, Kindergarten - Grade 1 students will be in the library (turn left when you enter the front doors) and students in Grade 2 - 6 will be participating in the program in Rm 12 (turn right when you enter the front doors). After school the Kindergarten - Grade 1 students will be using Rm 5 and Rm 6 , which are two of our Kindergarten classrooms (again left when you enter the front doors) to begin the year and Grade 2 - 6 students will continue to use Rm 12 as their primary space.
We look forward to welcoming our King George families into Armour Heights as part of this program as well - it provides us with a wonderful opportunity to begin to introduce a wide variety of students to one another before we are all together in the new East City School.
The TCC team are available for inquiries at any time and will be on site from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, and again from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Please contact Robin Finch, at 705-875-2856 and she will be happy to answer your questions.
What's Happening at King George?
Introducing your new office & custodial team - Mr. Sanchez-Soto, Ms. Masterson, Ms. Lutz & Mr. Garbutt!
https://twitter.com/KingGeorge_KPR/status/1164688257709481984
Staff from #KindKingGeorge & #AwesomeArmour continue to set the tone and build connections between our two schools and all that is yet to come!
https://twitter.com/EastCitySchool/status/1167444477948112897
Everyone has been working hard to ensure the King George North site is ready to received students on Tuesday, September 3rd!
https://twitter.com/PtboThisWeek/status/1164923136850190338
Building back to school routines.
https://twitter.com/swiftdeanna/status/1032279377806077953?s=12
We now offer French Immersion for Year 2 Kindergartens and Grades 1 & 2! For families of students enrolled in French Immersion, check out these parent resources.
https://twitter.com/KingGeorge_KPR/status/1035942622727163910
UPDATES FROM EAST CITY SCHOOL!
We want to make sure we keep students, staff and parents up-to-date with the developments of our new school! This summer, Principal Masterson and I have begun attending site visits and meetings every two weeks to stay on top of the exciting happenings and to be able to share these with our community at various key stages during the process of the construction.
For those who have driven past the area, you will have noticed that there are various tools, machinery and crew members working to move the dirt, and continuing to prepare the construction site. At the moment, excavations are moving along, with footings and foundations coming soon. Thank you to Everstrong Construction, Moffat and Duncan and KPR for helping to keep us all in the loop.
KPRDSB and Community Partner News
FREE KPR Parent Conference October 19
Calling all parents and caregivers: join us the morning of Saturday, October 19 at Port Hope High School for KPR’s free, annual Parent Conference! Dr. Michael Ungar, world renowned expert on building resiliency in children and youth, will talk about The Risk-Taker’s Advantage: How to Make Kids More Resilient by Not Bubblewrapping Them. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear his engaging advice, while also enjoying free child minding, light refreshments and information booths staffed by local organizations serving families. Stay tuned for more information and registration details later in September at www.kprschools.ca
Let's Keep In Touch!
Principal
Email: jennifer_mcilmoyleparsons@kprdsb.ca
Website: http://armourheights.kprdsb.ca
Location: 245 McFarlane Street, Peterborough, ON, Canada
Phone: 705-742-6001
Twitter: @ArmourHeightsPS
Key Contacts
School Council Co -Chairs 2017 -18:
Chantelle ClarkeAndrea Plumley
School Council Co -Chairs 2018 -19:
Chantelle Clarke
Andrea Plumley
Superintendent of Student Achievement:
Anne Marie Duncan
(705) 742-9773 ext. 2060
Trustees:
Rose Kitney
Steve Russell
Website: www.kprschools.ca
Twitter: @kprschools