August 31st, 2019

We are so excited to welcome our returning students to Smithson, as well as all our new students, whether they are joining us for their first year in school as a JK student, or if they are new to the Smithson community! Smithson is an amazingly vibrant school community and I am so very lucky to be a part of it.

There are a few important updates for everyone to be aware of:

 

Student Class Assignments:

Student class assignments will be posted on School Day on Aug. 31st (see previous posts and the WRDSB website for access information).  Please note that classes can and often do change in the first weeks of school as enrollment adjustments are made.  If you are unable to see your child’s assignment on School Day, class lists will be posted on Tuesday morning on the windows facing the playground – close to the main office and also by the junior entry door.

Here are the classroom teachers for each class, for your information when you look at School Day:

  • K1 – Mrs. Maloney
  • K2 – Ms. Perston
  • K3 – Mrs. Shimazaki
  • 1A – Mrs. Clarke
  • 1/2A – Mrs. Arnott & Mr. Bergen
  • 2A – Mr. Stafford
  • 3/4A – Mrs. Harper
  • 4A – Mr. Beitz
  • 5A – Mr. Daub
  • 6A – Mrs. Mousseau

Students in Kindergarten will meet their teachers in the Kindergarten area at the beginning of the day. Please note that there is NO staggered entry for Kindergarten this year, so all JK and SK students will be able to attend every day the first week of school. Extra supports are in place to help support this transition for our youngest learners.

Extended Day programs will also run before & after school right from the first day of school.

Students in grades 1 – 6 will meet their teachers on the playground, near the primary end of the yard (i.e. close to baseball diamond).  Teachers will have a yellow sign with their name and class on it so that you can find them a bit easier.  In case of rain, we will meet in the gym.  We will be jumping right into a regular day 1 schedule on Tuesday.  Students will need to bring a backpack, their lunch, a pair of indoor shoes, etc.  Any other items that a student may need will be communicated to you by their classroom teacher.

 

Timetable Update:

We have made a change to our daily timetable / schedule, moving our 2nd Nutrition Break back a little bit in the day, as follows:

  • Period 1: 8:55 – 9:25
  • Period 2: 9:25 – 9:55
  • Period 3: 9:55 – 10:25
  • Period 4: 10:25 – 10:55

1st NB: 10:55 – 11:35

  • Period 5: 11:35 – 12:05
  • Period 6: 12:05 – 12:35
  • Period 7: 12:35 – 1:05
  • Period 8: 1:05 – 1:35

2nd NB: 1:35 – 2:15

  • Period 9: 2:15 – 2:45
  • Period 10: 2:45 – 3:15

Nutrition Breaks will still be run the same way – 20 min. to eat inside, in their classrooms, followed by 20 min of outdoor play time (weather dependent).

 

Attendance:

Attendance is critical to your child’s success, and even a missed / late day or two every couple of weeks  can have a significant impact on their success.
If your child will be away from school or will be late, please contact the school, preferably by email <126>smi-attendance@wrdsb.ca or by phone 519-578-3890 x1.

If you need to talk to the main office, please call 519-578-3890 x3.

 

Important Upcoming Dates:

Our “Meet the Teacher” night will be on Wed., Sept. 11th, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Come and drop by to say hello, put a face to a name and see your child’s classroom.

Our first School Council meeting will be on Wed., Sept. 18th, from 6:00 – 7:30. If you are interested in participating as a parent, contributing to the amazing Smithson community and finding out more about Smithson PS, please consider joining us. All are welcome!

 

Pizza Days:

Will be starting in late September. Please stay tuned to School Day, as ordering and payments will be done through School Day. We will be looking for volunteers to help with our Pizza Days. Please contact the office if you are able to assist with this – it takes about 30 – 40 min once a week (typically on Wednesdays).

 

Volunteers:

We are always looking for volunteers at Smithson, but in particular we are looking for help with our Pizza Days (30 – 40 min / week). We will also be running the Strong Start program again this year. For more information about volunteering for this incredible reading program for our youngest students, please visit: https://www.strongstart.ca/get-involved/volunteer/ and if you are interested, please contact the school (519-578-3890).

 

Agendas / Planners:

Planners will be available for purchase through School Day for students in Grades 1 – 4 only. The cost for these planners is $8.00, and will be handed out to students once payment is received.

Students in grades 5 & 6 will be using primarily electronic communication with parents (i.e. School Day, Google Classroom, Twitter, etc.). If you would like to purchase a planner for a student in grades 5 or 6, please contact the office (very limited quantities available) or purchase one at WalMart, Staples, etc.

 

Facilities Updates:

Our Facilities staff has been hard at work over the summer, and you may notice that we have new pavement in the parking lot and around the back of the school, as well as a new basketball court and nets. Thank you so much to the WRDSB for this addition to Smithson!

In our Kindi play area we now have a “mud kitchen” and will soon have a wooden playhouse set up. These great additions to our outdoor learning area are courtesy of the construction classes at KCI, who built these for us during their spring semester last year.

In addition, we have a new GaGa Ball pit that was installed near the end of the summer. Not sure what GaGa Ball is? Check out this video on how to play the game. Junior students will be able to play this at recess (providing they play safely and without incident), and all students will have access during PE times at teacher discretion.  https://gagaandbeyond.com/what-is-gaga-ball/

 

Parking Lot Safety:

Just a reminder that our parking lot is for staff only, and not for student drop-off and pick-up. There is street parking around the school, if it is necessary to drive your child to school. Please ensure that students use the paths, sidewalks, crossing guards, etc. to get to school safely, that they don’t cross through the parking lot, and that they know how to cross a road safely if that is necessary. If students are riding bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc. to school, they must get off and walk once they are on school property.

The front entrance of the school is for bus drop-off and pick-up only. We have a significant number of busses that come and go throughout the day, so this area must be kept clear so that they can maneuver through the driveway safely.

Please stay posted for further updates on School Day and the website as the school year gets underway!  See everyone on Tuesday morning!