August 30th, 2019

Dear families,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year. A big welcome to our newest families, thank you for joining us. To our returning families, welcome back. We are fortunate to have a few new teachers this year, and I encourage you to say hello to them when you see them. 

Please follow the school on Twitter and Instagram – @jstwrdsb. Many teachers are using social media to share the great learning that is taking place in their class, and I encourage you to follow them as well.

School begins on September 3rd at 8:30 a.m. Our staff will greet students at their designated entry door to begin our new school year. Teachers will be holding signs with their names.

Please remember that class changes may still occur during the first few weeks of school due to changes in enrollment.

We are very excited to begin the new school year. See you on September 3!

Sincerely,

Andrea Michelutti – Principal

Staff list and class information:

Staff Member	Class	Class code, room number and entry
Kate MacLeod Christine Nafzinger	Kindergarten	K1 – Room 1 Exit 6 (left of door, along the wall)
Judi Armitage Christy Olivier	Kindergarten	K2 – Room 2 Exit 6 (left of door, first line, lower case letters)
Justin Martin Nikki Brito	Kindergarten	K3 – Room 3 Exit 6 (left of door, second line, stars)
Lucy Jozefowicz Jennifer Whiteing	Kindergarten	K4 – Room 4 Exit 6 (left of door, third line, numbers)
Becky Baechler Melissa Baker  Sheila Botbyl	Kindergarten	K5 – Room 5 Exit 6 (right of door, third line, shapes)
Angela Gamble Roxanne Wolff	Kindergarten	K6 – Room 15 Exit 6 (right of door, second line, capital letters)
Kayla Stengel	Kindergarten	K7 – Room 16 Exit 6 (right of door, first line, paws)
Sherry Karcher	Grade 1	1A – Room 9 Exit 5 (right of door)
Anita Rich	Grade 1	1B – Room 7 Exit 5 (right of door)
Audrey Kehler	Grade 1/2	2A – Room 10 Exit 5 (left of door)
Jennifer Jessop	Grade 1/2	2B – Room 12 Exit 5 (right of door)
Jeannine Vinke  Melissa Baker	Grade 2	2C – Room 14 Exit 5 (left of door)
Deanna Corner	Grade 2	2F – Room 11 Exit 5 (left of door)
Kathryn Hotham	Grade 2/3	3B – Room 29 Exit 7 (line 5)
Jan Laffin	Grade 3	3C – Room 31 Exit 7 (line 6)
Fiona Morrison	Grade 3	3D – Room 28 Exit 7 (line 7)
Natasha Roth	Grade 3/4	4A – Room 24 Exit 4
Stacey Pacheco	Grade 4	4B – Room 23 Exit 4
Martin Vermeer	Grade 4	4C – Room 21 Exit 4
Kim Austin	Grade 5	5A – Room 27 Exit 4
Nadia Mushani	Grade 5	5B – Room 26 Exit 4
Matthew Jermyn	Grade 5	5C -Room 20 Exit 4
Shannon Becker	Grade 6	6A – Room 17 Exit 7 (line 3)
Becky Riche	Grade 6	6B – Room 18 Exit 7 (line 2)
Rachele Young	Grade 6	6C – Room 19 Exit 7 (line 1)
Disa Hansen Jennifer Evans	Grade 1 FI	1C FI – Room 6 Exit 5 (left of door)
Renee Billiau	Grade 2 FI	2D FI- Room 33 Exit 7 (along the wall)
Leanne Berman	Grade 2 FI	2E FI -Room 34 Exit 7 (line 4)
Andrea Kurzawa-Esmlie Tracey van Willigen	Grade 3 FI	3E FI – Room 32 Exit 7 (parallel to line 7)
Jessica Daniells	Grade 3/4 FI	4D FI – Room 22B Exit 4
Shaun Seupersaud	Grade 4/5 FI	5D FI- Room 22A Exit 4
Sherie Eckhardt	Special Education
Tracy Asher	Special Education
Tracey van Willigen	Special Education
Noy Phaboriboun	Core French
Kristina Culley	Core French
Disa Hansen	Core French
Karina Meier	Physical Education
Jessica Tilt	Physical Education
Jennifer Evans	Kindergarten Planning
Melissa Baker	Kindergarten Planning

Keeping all students safe – birthday treats

This year we will be continuing a “no birthday treats” guideline. There are a variety of reasons to eliminate birthday treats, the main one being the number of students with food allergies. It is our responsibility to ensure all students are safe at school. Secondly, for some families, it is a financial strain and an unfair stress on their children to feel they are being left out. Finally, it is important that our school promotes and protects students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating, physical activity, and healthy choices.

Please know we are not trying to take the fun out of birthdays, we want to create an environment that is safe for all of our students. Thank you in advance for your flexibility and for caring about the health and safety of our students.

What do I have to pay for?

As parents, you know that September can be a drain on the pocketbook. Better to know in advance what to expect. At Jean Steckle, we make every attempt to manage how many times we have to ask for money for items or events. 

This year, a few classes will be using planners. If your child’s class are using school planners, please purchase the planner for $7 through School-Day by Friday, September 13. 

Field trips are another expense for parents, and although we attempt to book only the most modestly priced ones, we have noticed an increase in what some of these venues or experiences cost.

Sometimes families struggle financially at different times along the way. If you find that your family is in a tight spot, please don’t hesitate to call Ms. Michelutti to discuss how we might help to support your child’s school activities. We are always here to help!

We will communicate the fundraising initiatives organized by school council later this Fall. Many families have shared they would prefer an opportunity to donate directly to Jean Steckle Public School, and then not participate in fundraising for the rest of the year. You can make your donation by following this link: https://www.wrdsb.ca/wefi/#.WbHZbBmGO00. Please be sure to indicate your donation is given to Jean Steckle Public School and a tax receipt will be issued to you.

Meet the Teacher Night

Please join us on Thursday, September 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We are excited to see all of our students and their families.

News from the Library

Students may borrow books for up to a three-week loan period and may exchange them during their classroom library visit.

Our loan standards are as follows:

JK & SK – 1 book

Grades 1 & Grade 2 – up to 2 books

Grades 3 & Grade 4 – up to 3 books

Grades 5 to Grade 8 – up to 4 books

Students are responsible for the books that they sign out. To avoid loss or damage to books, students are encouraged to carry library books in a book bag or knapsack, keep food and drinks (liquids) away from books, store the book in a safe spot at home, away from young children and pets. Please return all borrowed books on or before the due date and return overdue books before borrowing another item.

Should a book become lost or damaged, please notify our librarian, Mrs. Haines. A small fee will be charged:

Soft Covered Item: $5.00 Hard-Covered Item: $10.00

We encourage students to use the Library Learning Commons at home and at school to complete their school work. Students are invited to visit the Library Learning Commons http://library.wrdsb.ca at any time from home or from school to continue their learning online.

Mission statement

Our mission at Jean Steckle Public School is to develop healthy, well-rounded individuals who are prepared to face a challenging world, who will grow academically, socially, and contribute positively to the community. Our educators are committed to fostering the highest standards of academic excellence, responsible citizenship and personal growth within a safe, caring environment. Our school’s success is built on the foundation of strong partnerships between students, staff, parents, and community.

S.T.I.N.G. Attributes

S- Speak with good purpose

T- Teamwork

I- Integrity

N- Never Give Up

G- Gratitude

Upcoming events:

September 5 – Meet the teacher night (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

September 6 – Pep Rally (wear blue, green or Sting wear)