HELLO JG SIMCOE PS FAMILIES,
Thank you to our Simcoe families for your patience and understanding as we work through our school reorganization based on enrolment. We know that changes can take some adjustment, and we appreciate your continued support as we combine kindergarten classes and switch some teacher placements. Thank you. Please see below for more information.
We have lots to look forward to this week! Our Simcoe Stars will be representing us at the co-ed and boys junior soccer tournaments, and we can’t wait to cheer them on! Thank you to Mr. Niedbala for coaching! Some classes will also be going tree planting with Ms. Cassidy, our Indigenous Education Teacher, at a nearby park. They prepared the area for planting in the spring, so it's great that students can see the process come full circle.
We will also be celebrating Spirit Week in honour of Terry Fox. We look forward to seeing our Stars show their school spirit while learning about Terry’s incredible legacy of courage, perseverance, and hope.
Here’s to another great week of learning, teamwork, and Simcoe spirit!
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THIS WEEK
- Monday, September 21st: (Day 3)
- Spirit Day: Canada Day (wear your red and white proudly to celebrate Terry Fox being a national hero!)
- Girls Inc. after school
- Tuesday, September 22nd: (Day 4)
- Spirit Day: Costume Day (dress up like a hero just like Terry! Costumes cannot have full face masks or accompanying weapon props)
- Note: the Tuesday YMCA Program will start back up at the end of September
- Co-ed Soccer Tournament
- School Advisory Council Meeting and Elections at 4:00pm - ALL ARE WELCOME!
- Wednesday, September 23rd: (Day 5)
- Spirit Day: Jersey Day (Terry was an athlete and you can be too!)
- Grade 7 Off-Property Day
- Girls Inc. after school (off-site)
- Thursday, September 24th: (Day 1)
- Spirit Day: Dress In All One Colour Day (hopefully we will look like a rainbow!)
- Grade 8 Off-Property Day
- Girls Inc. after school
- Friday, September 25th: (Day 2)
- Spirit Day: Blue & Yellow (wear your Simcoe colours while we walk for Terry Fox)
- Terry Fox Run, Walk, and Roll Day!
- Boys Soccer Tournament
UPCOMING DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE
- Tuesday, September 29th: Welcome Back BBQ
- Wednesday, September 30th: Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Monday, October 12th: Thanksgiving - School is closed for the day
- Wednesday, October 14th: Bus Safety Presentations
- Thursday, October 15th: Grade 7 and 8 Immunizations; IEPs are sent home
- Friday, October 16th: Harvest Feast Celebration
- Wednesday, October 21st: Running and Reading Starts!
- Friday, October 23rd: Glow Dance!!
- Monday, October 26th: PA Day - School is closed for the day
- Wednesday, October 28th: Picture Day
- Monday, November 16th: Picture Retake Day and Class Photo Day
2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
SCHOOL REORGANIZATION AND STAFFING CHANGES
- As mentioned in last week's newsletter, it is the time of year where each school submits their enrolment numbers and based on Ministry of Education class size standards, schools may be instructed to go up a class, down a class, or maintain the same organization structure
- This year, these are the changes taking place at JG Simcoe PS:
- We are combining our two kindergarten classes into one class with Ms. Meers at the teacher
- Ms. Clissold will now teach our Grade 1 class
- Ms. Lake will join the JG team and teach Grade 4/5 for half the day (with Mr. Niedbala teaching the other half)
- Ms. McCabe and Mr. Hardy will be teaching at other schools
- We know change can be hard, especially for our youngest friends, but we started the transition process last week to make things as smooth as possible. Please let us know if you have any questions
- This is a regular part of the staffing process, and similar staffing reorganizations will be taking place at a number of schools on this date and is a normal part of the annual staffing process. With that being said, we still apologize for the short notices as these changes will take place on Monday, September 21st
OUR AMAZING 2026-2027 SCHOOL TEAM
- JK/SK- Sara Meers
- Early Childhood Educator - Sarah Purvis
- Grade 1 - Katrina Clissold
- Grade 1/2 - Eleni Fortis
- Grade 2/3 - Theo Vangelatos
- Grade 3/4 - Paul Gurnsey
- Grade 4/5 - Jade Lake and Jamie Niedbala
- Grade 5/6 - Brianna Dowdell
- Grade 6/7 - Mackenzie Cox
- Grade 7/8 - Theresa Pinho
- Educational Assistants - Shruti Lalakiya, Heather McEachern, Sam Banks, Danielle Kwarciak, Dylan Davis, Len Marlow, Savannah Medley, Makayla Penney, Jen Matson, Nicole Cromwell, Erin Dowdell, Eric Freitas, Tracey Bambrick, Dimpalben Patel, Colleen Hudson, and Juju Zhang
- French - Amanda Morgan and Amanda Charlton
- Planning Time - Jamie Niedbala
- Indigenous Education Teacher - Cassidy Pilutti
- Multi Language Learner Teacher (MLL) - Laura Blackburn
- Student Support Teachers (SST) - Angela Seymour and Seth Barling
- Intensive Support Teachers (IST) - Kristin Rodgerson and Abby Smith
- Student Support Counselor (SSC) - Becky Hawkins
- Elementary Office Administrator - Jenn Tartof-Cox
- Head Custodian - Scott Dwyer
- Evening Custodian - Rachel Lewis
- Vice-Principal - Seth Barling
- Principal - Carrie Propper
- Superintendent – Stephanie Sartor
FREE THURSDAY LUNCH: SIGN UP NOW FOR THE LUNCH IS READY PROGRAM
- Great news! The "Lunch Is Ready" program is starting back up! We will send home registration forms on Monday, or you can sign up by using this link starting on Monday, September 21st: https://foodsharingproject.store/
- Registration opens on Monday, September 21st and closes on Friday, October 9th
- Every child will get a sample lunch on Thursdays for the next 4 weeks!! We are so thankful to our partners at The Food Sharing Program
SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
As students navigate the school year, they experience a wide range of emotions and situations. Help is accessible through community resources. We encourage families to check in with their students, offer opportunities to talk if needed, and reach out for support whenever necessary. We also have a Student Support Counselor at our site from Monday-Thursday who can help support your student while collaborating to see which resources will be most useful. Please contact the office with inquiries.
Resources
- Supporting Your Child’s Well-being
- Caring for yourself while caring for others. A parent’s guide to self care.
- By Your Side (parent/caregiver resources to support mental health learning)
- Maltby Centre
- One Stop Talk
- Kids Help Phone
- 211
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT) SUPPORT
DATA VERIFICATION FORMS
- Wow! Thank you to everyone who has already updated their student's data verification forms and returned them to the school. This information helps keep our school system up to date
- Please let us know if you need another copy of your form or if you haven't yet received one. Also please let us know if you received an incorrect form in error. Thank you!
REPORTING ABSENCES
- There are four options for families to use to report a student's absence:
- SchoolMessenger App on your phone
- SchoolMessenger website portal
- call the automated attendance phone line at 1-855-257-9349
- call the school at 613-544-4087
- On the apps, always enter "lates" as a full days even if the student will only be absent for half a day. It will adjust automatically once the student arrives and signs in at the office
- For more information on how to report an absence, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/IW205rwkYsc
TRIBOARD
- To apply for bus transportation, please go to www.triboard.ca and click on the "Apply" tab and choose "Apply Online". Please let us know if you require assistance submitting the request
- Sign up on the Triboard website to receive bus delays and cancellations. They will get emailed or text directly to you. This will be especially important during snowy weather.
MEDICAL PLANS OF CARE
- Our primary goal is to keep our students safe. If a student requires medication at school (daily medication, inhalers, EpiPen, etc.) or if a student has medical needs that we should be aware of (allergies, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, etc.), please connect with the office right away to complete the necessary paperwork
OUR SCHEDULE
Time | Activity/Learning Block |
8:15am – 8:30am | Arrival and outside time |
8:30am – 10:10am | 100-minutes of instruction |
10:10am – 10:50am | Recess and nutrition break |
10:50am – 12:30pm | 100-minutes of instruction |
12:30pm – 1:10pm | Recess and lunch break |
1:10pm – 2:50pm | 100-minutes of instruction |
2:50pm | Dismissal |
INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
- Each week, we will share our "Words of the Week". You can check them out by clicking on the links below:
- Listen with these links (14th - 18th): Ojibwe Mohawk
- Listen with these links (21st -25th): Mohawk: https://www.firstvoices.com/kanienkeha-mohawk-en/words/c1a3e239-4a93-4152-9116-0c38d855e9c5 and Ojibwe: https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miigwech-pc-disc
- Smudging: Each morning, our Indigenous Education Teacher, Cassidy Pilutti, leads a voluntary smudge that is open to any students and staff who would like to participate. Smudging is a traditional Indigenous practice that involves the burning of sacred medicines and is used as a way to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, encourage positive thoughts, and prepare for the day ahead. We are grateful to Ms. Cassidy for providing this welcoming opportunity for our school community to gather, reflect, and begin the day in a good way.
INDIGENOUS SELF-IDENTIFICATION
- The Limestone District School Board (LDSB) invites students to voluntarily and confidentially self-identify as Indigenous. Elementary and secondary students with First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit ancestry can self-identify.
- School board self-identification is based on any degree of Indigenous ancestry (Status, Non-Status, Métis citizenship, etc.). Self-identification can be withdrawn at any time. LDSB, in accordance with the Ministry of Education, Ontario, does not require proof of identity to self-identify.
- https://www.limestone.on.ca/indigenous-self-identification
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
- Every school board has a concussion protocol to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. Please check out LDSB's protocol here: https://www.limestone.on.ca/concussion_protocols
- 2025 11 03 Concussion Code of Conduct for Interschool Sports Parent Guardian
- 2025 11 03 Concussion Code of Conduct for Interschool Sports Students
CELL PHONES
- Just like last year, students are not permitted to use cell phones during school hours (this is a province-wide mandate). If needed, students can use the office phone to call home, and you can call the office at 613-544-4087 if you need to pass along a message to your student
INSURANCE
- The LDSB requires that students have student accident insurance in order to participate in extra-curricular activities. Before students will be allowed to participate in these events, parents/guardians must confirm their own coverage for items not covered under the Provincial Health Plan, or purchase an insurance plan (www.insuremykids.com)
**THIS WEEK** - THE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAC) NEEDS YOU!
- Our first SAC meeting of the 2026-2027 school year and SAC elections will take place on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026, at 4:00pm. All are welcome!
- Positions for election/nomination are:
- Chair/Co-chair
- Vice Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Indigenous Representative
- Divisional Representatives
- Nominations (for others and self) are due by 12:00pm on Tuesday, September 22nd. Please email jgsim@limestone.on.ca to make a nomination or if you have any questions
ALLERGEN AWARENESS
- Our school is NUT FREE
- Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class, just in class there is a student-specific allergy
SCENT-FREE SCHOOL
- Please note that we are a scent-free building, and all staff and students should refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes, or using strong fabric softener. We have multiple members of our school community who get migraines and/or other ailments when they are around strong scents. Thank you for keeping our community safe!
PARKING:
- Please avoid parking in the red or yellow zones as noted in the image below. This will help us keep our students safe :) Please remember to drive slowly through our zone and allows buses time to load students appropriately. Thank you for helping to keep our Simcoe Stars safe!
SO THANKFUL TO PLAY! CHARITABLE GAMING ASSOCIATION!
- JG Simcoe PS is proud to be part of Charitable Gaming. Funds raised at Play! Gaming & Entertainment Centre help support our programs and make a difference in our community. #CharitableGaming #CGaming #OntarioCharities #Ontario
- Did you know that our school benefits greatly from Play! Charitable Gaming Association? Through Kingston Play!, we can afford sporting and outdoor equipment, additional craft supplies and books, additional Lexia accounts, and more! We are SO THANKFUL to this community partner for supporting our Simcoe Stars in so, so many ways!
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
