The Simcoe Star - June 1st to 5th

Dear Simcoe Star Families,

🌭🎉 End of the Year BBQ & Welcome to Kindergarten Night – June 2nd! 🎉🌭

We can't wait to celebrate another amazing school year with our Simcoe Stars community! Join us on Tuesday, June 2nd from 4:00–6:00 p.m. for our End of the Year BBQ.

Every attendee will receive one free hot dog and one free raffle ticket for a chance to win some fantastic prizes! Additional treats and snacks will be available for purchase.

There will be plenty of fun for the whole family, including:
🎨 Face Painting
🎯 Games and Activities
💦 Dunk Tank Opportunity
🫧 A FOAM PARTY!

We will also be hosting our Welcome to Kindergarten event during the same time. Families of our soon-to-be Junior Kindergarten students are invited to stop by the Kindergarten classrooms, explore the learning spaces, and meet the amazing Kindergarten team.

We are looking forward to celebrating with our students, families, and community members. We hope to see you there!

We can't wait to see everyone for a fun-filled evening! ⭐️

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THIS WEEK:

• Monday, June 1st: (Day 4)
  • Ontario Day
  • Girls Inc. after school
  • Regional Track and Field Meet
  • Spirit Day! Wear blue and yellow or any JG Simcoe PS swag :)
• Tuesday, June 2nd: (Day 5)
  • End of the Year BBQ from 4:00-6:00
  • Kindergarten Open House from 4:00-6:00 2026 Discover Kindergarten Resources for Families (3)
  • YMCA Group for Grade 3 and 4 students after school from 3:00-5:00pm
• Wednesday, June 3rd: (Day 1)
  • Grade 7 Off-Property Day
  • Girls Inc. after school (off-site)
  • Red Shirt Day of Action for AccessAbility Week
• Thursday, June 4th: (Day 2)
  • Choir at afternoon recess
  • Grade 8 Off-Property Day
  • Girls Inc. after school
• Friday, June 5th: (Day 3)
  • Dance Club at afternoon recess

UPCOMING DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE

• June 11th:
  • Grade 4 SIS Trip
• June 12th:
  • Grade 5-8 SIS Trip to Gould Lake
• June 13th:
  • Kingston Pride Parade (meet at 11:30)
• June 24th:
  • Grade 8 Graduation!
• June 25th:
  • Kindergarten Showcase of Learning

ACCESSIBILITY WEEK:

National AccessAbility Week is celebrated each year starting on the last Sunday in May. Founded in 1988 as National Access Awareness Week and inspired by Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour, it is a time to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities and advance accessibility and inclusion in our communities, workplaces, schools, and public places. This National AccessAbility Week, you can help remove the barriers that quietly exclude people every day.  For people with disabilities, barriers decide what’s possible and what isn’t.

Information and Resources from the Rick Hansen Foundation can be found at the link below. 

National AccessAbility Week | Rick Hansen Foundation

LDSB is proud to join with Easter Seals and promote National Accessibility Week and the Red Shirt Day of Action.  This year’s National Accessibility Week takes place from June 1st – June 5th, with the Red Shirt Day of Action taking place on Wednesday June 3rd.  

BIKE HELMETS - FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!: 🚲🪖 Free Bike Helmets Available Soon! 🪖🚲

We are excited to share that 45 brand-new bike helmets have been generously donated to our school by ThinkFirst Kingston in collaboration with Southeast Public Health. The helmets will arrive later this month and will be distributed to students who currently do not have a helmet.

If your child is in need of a bike helmet, please let us know by:
📧 Emailing jgsim@limestone.on.ca
📞 Calling the school at 613-544-4087
🏫 Notifying the school office

Helmets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. We are incredibly grateful to ThinkFirst Kingston and Southeast Public Health for helping keep our students safe while enjoying the outdoors!

SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES:

As students navigate the school year, they experience a wide range of emotions and situations. School-based supports are available, and 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.  

Ways to support your student when they are navigating difficult situations: 

• Maintain normal routines as much as possible. 
• Ask questions to determine their understanding of the event and emotional state.  
• Give them permission to grieve. Avoid reducing the loss.  
• Provide age and developmentally appropriate answers/support.  
• Connect them with professionals and other trusted adults. 
• Help them adopt healthy coping strategies. 

Difficult events can affect adults as well as students. Paying attention to your own well-being—by taking breaks, connecting with trusted supports, and allowing yourself time to process—can help you feel more steady and better able to support your student. 

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 

Supports continue to be available for students and staff at J.G. Simcoe Public School. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you feel your student may benefit from additional support. 

END OF THE YEAR BBQ:

Mark your calendars! Our JG Simcoe PS End-of-Year BBQ will take place on Tuesday, June 2nd beginning at 4:00 pm! Families are invited to join us for a fun-filled afternoon celebrating another amazing school year together.

There will be a FREE BBQ for families, games and activities for students, delicious treats available for purchase, and an exciting FOAM PARTY to help us kick off summer in style! We hope to see all of our Simcoe Stars there for an afternoon full of fun, laughter, and community spirit.

KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE:

We are so excited to welcome our newest Simcoe Stars at our Kindergarten Open House on Tuesday, June 2nd from 4:00–6:00 pm! New kindergarten students and their families are invited to come meet staff, explore the school, and check out their soon-to-be classrooms.

Students will also receive a FREE LDSB shirt to help them get ready for their exciting kindergarten journey! We know starting school is a huge milestone, and we cannot wait to meet our future Stars and celebrate this special time together. Families are also encouraged to join us for our school BBQ happening the same afternoon!

PRIDE PARADES:

• Kingston Pride Parade
  Saturday, June 13
  Meet at 11:30 a.m.
  Kingston Memorial Centre, 303 York Street, Kingston

STUDENT PICK-UP AND DROP OFF AND BUS ZONE SAFETY:

• Please only park on the school side of the street. Bus drivers are having difficulty getting down the road when cars are parked on both sides. That side is a No Parking zone. Thank you!
• Our parking spaces are VERY limited. For ease of drop off and pick up, we would encourage you to do so on Drennan Street. There is a crossing guard to ensure student safety, and using this street will eliminate congestion in front of the school
• **Important**: We have designated bus and student loading zones. Please do not park between the pylons so we can safely load/unload our students into vehicles and onto buses
• To ensure student safety and ease of flow, please wait on the main sidewalk along the road when picking up Grade 1/2 students from the kindergarten area. This will allow our kinder team to better hand-off our kindergarten students in a safe and calm fashion
• Thanks for keeping our students safe!

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN:

2026 Discover Kindergarten Resources for Families (3)

• Kindergarten registration is now open! https://www.limestone.on.ca/kindergarten You can also ask at the office for a paper registration form :)
• Registering early helps us ensure we staff for the correct number of students. Please register ASAP and stay tuned for the kindergarten open house date

A NOTE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH:

THE IMPORTANCE OF ARRIVING ON TIME AND STAYING ALL DAY

• At JG Simcoe PS, we believe every student deserves the best chance to reach their full potential - and that starts with great attendance and being on time!
• Did you know that missing just 20 minutes of class a day adds up to 100 minutes a week, 400 minutes a month, and over 4000 minutes a year? That’s equal to 66 hours—or 11 full school days of lost learning time!
• Did you know that missing 20 school days is the equivalent of missing a month of learning? Let's help set all students up for success by getting them on a good routine :)

FOOD SHARING PROJECT:

• Let us know if you would like your student added to our list to receive free lunches. Thanks!

GRADUATION AND END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATIONS:

• Our End of the Year BBQ will be on June 2nd :)
• Our Grade 8 graduation will be on Wednesday, June 24th at 4:00pm
• Our Kindergarten Showcase of Learning will be on June 25th (time to be determined)

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!

SMOKING AND VAPING

• Please do not smoke or vape on school property. You must be 20 metres away from school property. We have many staff and students with asthma, other respiratory disorders, and who are medically fragile. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe!

 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SEXUAL HEALTH

• As part of LDSB's commitment to ongoing transparency and communication with families, please follow the link to Form 325-D on the LDSB website. It outlines the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations for Grades 1-8.
• Families can request to have their child or children exempted from instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations by completing and returning an exemption form for each child (Form 325-B) five school days before the start of instruction.
• Prior to instruction, your child's classroom teacher will inform parents/guardians when the expectations related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Strand D will be covered.

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).

 ALLERGEN AND SCENT AWARENESS

• Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.
• We have some staff and students alike who get migraines triggered by strong scents. Please avoid wearing perfume and cologne and using strong scented laundry detergent. Thank you!

 LICE CHECKS

• Note: We have heard of active cases of head lice amongst students - please check students thoroughly and reach out if you need support.
• Head lice are common among school-aged children, and early detection and treatment help prevent them from spreading to others. Regularly checking your child’s hair and treating right away avoids unnecessary discomfort.
• By working together as a school community, we can keep everyone healthy and comfortable. Please reach out to the school if you have any questions or need assistance.

 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

INDIGENOUS NEWS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES