January 18th, 2019
Dear families,
Thursday, January 24 is “superhero” day. Please be sure to dress as your favourite superhero.
On Tuesday, January 22, high school students from Huron Heights Secondary School will be coming to speak to our Grade 8 students about “Flipping the switch” – changing a negative situation to a positive one.
A special thank you to our pizza volunteers. They spend a great amount of time organizing the program and delivering the pizza. A special thank you to Meghan Smith for her work on this important school project.
Parents are asked to call the attendance line or send an email to the attendance line, when their child will be late or will be absent.
Thank you for another great week.
Sincerely,
Andrea Michelutti – Principal
Secondary School Boundary Information
There is currently a boundary study reviewing the Southwest area of Kitchener which affects the high schools in Kitchener. The Study Working Group met at Huron Heights Secondary School on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The meeting agenda, presentation and approved minutes are now available.
The working group met again on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute. The minutes from the third working group meeting are forthcoming. The next meeting is planned for Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
Please subscribe to Planning News to receive updates on the Boundary Study. Questions and comments may be sent to boundaryfeedback@wrdsb.ca.
It’s time to register for kindergarten
Starting kindergarten is an exciting time for children and families. For many, it’s the first school experience in their learning journey. At Waterloo Region District School Board, we want to assure families that their children will receive the best education for their child’s needs from kindergarten to graduation.
In kindergarten, students learn about the world around them through play. Play-based learning is an essential part of a child’s development. Through play, children build skills that help them develop language to express themselves and their thoughts. Educators in the classroom guide children to help them learn how their words and actions can affect others.
“Often we hear from families ‘how can I prepare my child to start kindergarten?’”, said Loa Ziles, a consultant for the kindergarten program. “We know that parents and caregivers understand how best to support their children through new experiences and transitions, such as starting school. It is important for families to know that we are ready for your child, it’s not them being ready for us. We are ready and will welcome them into our classrooms.”
As a parent or caregiver, you may have questions about the kindergarten program, such as:
What will my child learn and do?
Kindergarten focuses on all five areas of development: social and emotional, cognitive, physical and fine and gross motor skills. Children learn and experience activities designed to enhance these five areas. Educators introduce children to the world of literacy and mathematics by growing their reading and writing skills and showing students new mathematical components, such as patterns. Children show their understanding of these new concepts through play, perhaps by making a pattern with blocks. Educators will also support children in understanding themselves and encouraging them to see themselves as valuable members of their classroom and school community, as well as their home community.
Who is working in the classroom?
Kindergarten classrooms in Waterloo Region District School Board have an educator and an early childhood educator (ECE) working together during the regular school day. These two educators have complementary skills, and their relationship allows for differentiated support for children and their learning.
Early childhood educators know about a child’s development from birth to the time they start school and augment the work already taking place in the classroom. ECE’s support children at various stages and work with them as they move forward learning and understanding new concepts.
Educators know the kindergarten program and elementary curriculum, assessment and evaluation. They are responsible for student learning, instruction and formal reporting to families based on the educator-ECE team assessments of children’s progress.
How can I prepare my child to start kindergarten?
There are many things you can do at home to help your child get ready for kindergarten. Talking and singing is a fun way to help children express their thoughts and feelings. Talking about school and how fun it’s going to be is another way to get your child excited about starting school. Walk or drive by the school, so they become familiar with the building. After March Break, you may visit your school library and take out books. Visiting the library not only introduces your child to their new school but encourages reading and associates learning and going to school as a positive experience.
To learn more about WRDSB Kindergarten programming, visit www.wrdsb.ca/kindergarten
French Immersion Information for SK students
Registration placement into the French Immersion Program will run from January 7, until January 31, 2019. Registration received by January 31 will be used to create the Grade 1 classes for the French Immersion Program for 2019-2020. Interested families may register for the program at the Waterloo Region District School Board website at www.wrdsb.ca/french. Students that register after January 31, 2019, will be placed in classes where space is available or be placed on a waiting list.
For the 2019-2020 school year students will be placed in classes through the following process:
- Registrants who have a sibling registered in the French Immersion Program will be given preference until Thursday, January 31, 2019.
- Registrants who live within the geographical boundary of the school, and have been registered prior to January 31, 2019, will be placed next. Provided the number of residential boundary registrants exceeds the 2number of spaces available in the program (20 per class), and all students with older siblings currently enrolled in the French Immersion Program are placed, a lottery system will be used to determine acceptance into the program.
- If space is available, students from out of boundary will be placed in the program via lottery.
- Any registrations received after January 31, 2019, will be placed in available classes or on a waiting list in the order they registered, regardless of residency.
- Efforts will be made to accommodate as many waiting list students as possible.
A confirmation email will be sent in March 2019 to inform all families of children who registered for the program about the status of their enrollment. If you have any additional questions or require more information about the French Immersion Program or the registration process, please call 519-570-0003, extension 4277.
Upcoming events:
January 24 – Super Hero Day
January 25 – PA Day
February 15 – Hat Day
March 22 – Dress like a teacher day
April 12 – PA Day
April 18 – Pay $1 to break a school rule
May 17 – Crazy hair day
May 31 – PA Day
June 27 – Canada day spirit day