March 1st, 2017
Dear families,
We are encouraging families to register for kindergarten next year. We currently have 40 students registered for Kindergarten for next September. We are hoping to have as many students registered by March 30 as our numbers for next year need to be submitted. Please encourage your neighbours and friends to registered as soon as possible.
Thank you to the members of our School Council for their support of student learning. During the next few months, school council will be busy planning an upcoming movie night on April 28 and the Fun Fair on June 8. If you are interested in volunteering for these events, please contact Kelly at kellywildi@gmail.com.
We continue to have parents leaving their vehicles unattended in the parking lot. Please remember this area is meant to for students to be dropped off not for cars idling. We are limited with parking spaces, and we remind parents that they are not to park in the school’s parking lot as we need those spaces for Jean Steckle staff. Let’s work together to keep all of our students safe.
The school yard is supervised 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after school. To keep all students and families safe, we are reminding students that games on the tarmac are not allowed, and this is due to the number of people on school property. We are also asking parents that if they would like to remain on school property after school, please wait until 3:05 p.m. until the teachers clear and sweep the yard. It is challenging for teachers to know which students are being supervised by parents and which ones are on their way home.
Andrea Michelutti, Principal
School Day
With feedback from parents, staff members, and other schools, we will be making changes to the current School-Day program.
Effective immediately, all permission forms and payments will be completed online (payments to be made using debit or credit cards). This system is secure, and the payments are processed directly by your online bank or credit card company. We will no longer have the cash option on School-Day. The reason for this change is that there were too many outstanding unsigned permission forms and field trip payments uncollected and it has been challenging for the staff to continue to call parents for missing permission forms and payments. If your child is unable to attend the field trip, we kindly ask if you, please indicate no on the field trip form on School Day.
If you do plan on paying cash, please contact the office to make an appointment between office hours 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
All field trips and products will also have a firm deadline. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any late payments or permission forms.
We recognize this may be a challenge for some and we will work with families during this transition.
Changes to the Extended Day Program
To create consistency for families, we would like to inform you of a change to the operation of the Extended Day Program for Junior Kindergarten to Grade Two students. The Waterloo Region District School Board is pleased to confirm YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo will be offering both the Before and After School Programs at your school commencing for the 2017-2018 school year.
Programs will continue to offer:
- Availability Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., conveniently located at your school
- Ongoing registration
- Program operates during staggered entry days, P.D Days, March Break, and Winter Break
- Program is subsidy eligible
- Nutritional snacks
- Age-appropriate, high-quality programming
Please be assured we will work to create smooth transitions for families, and we will work collaboratively through this transition.
Please register by Friday, August 21st, 2017 to ensure your child[ren] can begin in the program on the first day of school, September 5th, 2017.
The YWCA is pleased to share that they will have an information booth at Jean Steckle on the following dates:
Thursday, March 23 – after school
Wednesday, April 5 – before school
Tuesday, April 18 – after school
Thursday, May 4 – before school
Tuesday, May 16 – after school
Thursday, June 1 – before school
For more information on the programs, please visit http://www.ywcakw.on.ca/school-age-programs or contact the YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo at 519-744-3199. If you have questions regarding this program, please contact Jennifer Marshall (Coordinator of the School Age Program) at 519-744-3199, ex. 209 or through email at jennifer.marshall@ywcakw.on.ca.
Kindergarten Registration
We are delighted to welcome your child to Kindergarten. The purpose of Kindergarten is to help build a strong foundation for learning in a safe and caring play-based environment. Kindergarten promotes the social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development of all children. The Kindergarten program is based on the understanding that children develop at their own pace. Children in Kindergarten are provided with a secure, respectful and nurturing environment, where their developmental needs can be supported through varied experiences.
We are asking that all families register their children before March 30 to ensure we have the correct number of classes for the upcoming school year. Please share the registration information with your neighbours.
The online registration is open for students born in 2013 for Junior Kindergarten. Please visit this website https://www.wrdsb.ca/kindergarten/its-time-to-register/#.WJOniNIrJeM.
After you register online, please call the school to book an appointment for the week of February 13 to February 17. Appointments are available between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. You will need to bring the following documents when you come to the school to complete the registration:
- Proof of address: utility bill, proof of Ontario Property Assessment Notice, or lease agreement
- Proof of birth: birth certificate, Canadian Passport, birth registration, citizenship card or statement of live birth
- Proof of custody where applicable: custody orders, court-ordered guardianship
Please submit your child’s immunization information online directly to the Region of Waterloo Public Health http://chd.region.waterloo.on.ca/en/healthyLivingHealthProtection/ivpd.asp
We are excited to meet all of our new students on March 23 between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Upcoming dates:
March 7 – Grade 7 Jump information night 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
March 9 – 3C & 3D swimming; 6A Museum
March 10 – Jersey Day
March 13 – 17 – Mid-Winter Break
March 23 – Kindergarten information night 6 p.m.
April 7 – PA Day
April 14 – Good Friday
April 17 – Easter Monday
April 15 – School Council meeting at 6:00 p.m.
April 26 – KW Symphony concert for students in Grade 4-6 (10:00 a.m.)
April 28 – Movie Night (film to be determined)
May 2 – Memory Boosters concert 1:30 p.m.
May 5 – PA Day
May 16 – School Council meeting at 6:00 p.m.
May 22 – Victoria Day
June 2 – PA Day
June 8 – Fun Fair (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
June 30 – PA Day