The Simcoe Star - September 7th to 11th

HELLO JG SIMCOE PS FAMILIES,

We are so excited to be back in the swing of things at JG Simcoe Public School, and we just know that the 2026-2027 school year will bring about so much learning and growth for our students! Each week, we will send out a new edition of the 'Simcoe Star', our school newsletter. Please check it out for information about upcoming events, community supports, and LDSB initiatives.

Just a reminder that Monday is a holiday, so we will welcome students back on Tuesday, September 8th.

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THIS WEEK

• Monday, September 7th:
  • Labour Day - No School
• Tuesday, September 8th: (Day 4)
  • Soccer practices/tryouts will be ongoing this week - please come prepared with running shoes
• Wednesday, September 9th: (Day 5)
  • Grade 7 Off-Property Day - permission forms were sent home last week; students must return their signed form to be able to go off-property at lunch time
  • Girls Inc. after school for those who carried over from last year (off-site). Girls Inc. sign up is now open (please see the poster at the end of this newsletter or pick one up from the office)
• Thursday, September 10th: (Day 1)
  • Grade 8 Off-Property Day - permission forms were sent home last week; students must return their signed form to be able to go off-property at lunch time
  • Girls Inc. after school for those who carried over from last year (off-site). Girls Inc. sign up is now open (please see the poster at the end of this newsletter or pick one up from the office)
• Friday, September 11th: (Day 2)
  • Spirit Day! Please wear blue and yellow to show your Simcoe Star spirit!

 UPCOMING DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE

• Tuesday, September 22^nd:  School Advisory Council Meeting and Elections at 4:00pm
• Tuesday, September 29^th:  Welcome Back BBQ
• Wednesday, September 30^th: Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Thursday, October 15th: Grade 7 and 8 Immunizations
• Wednesday, October 21st: Running and Reading Starts!
• Friday, October 23rd: Glow Dance!!
• Wednesday, October 28th: Picture Day
• Monday, November 16th: Picture Retake Day and Class Photo Day

 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

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 

BACK TO SCHOOL REMINDERS

• Students should bring a backpack, lunch, snacks, water bottle, and indoor shoes (please label all belongings with the student’s first and last name)
• Younger students should bring a change of clothes (please label)
• Medication should be turned in at the office and necessary paperwork will need to be filled out

 BACKPACKS

• United Way and Costco have donated many backpacks to our school! If your student needs a backpack, they are welcome to one free of charge. Just email jgsim@limestone.on.ca or let your student’s teacher know

MAIN OFFICE

• Our office hours are 8:00am – 3:30pm
• You can contact us at jgsim@limestone.on.ca or via phone at 613-544-4087
• Please let us know a head of time if students are being picked up early or require a bus pass
• Data verification forms will be coming home soon. Please ensure we have updated phone numbers, email addresses, and contact information for you and anyone else picking up your student 

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 AMAZING 2026-2027 SCHOOL TEAM

• JK/SK A - Sara Meers
• JK/SK B - Katrina Clissold
• Early Childhood Educators - Sarah Purvis and Abigail Holden
• Grade 1 - Lizzie McCabe
• Grade 1/2 - Eleni Fortis
• Grade 2/3 - Theo Vangelatos
• Grade 3/4 - Paul Gurnsey
• Grade 4/5 - Shane Hardy 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
• Educational Services/Yard Supervisors: 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 Counsellor (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

Note: the number of staff may increase or decrease based on enrolment

 OUR SCHEDULE

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)

 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 22^nd, 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 22^nd. 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!

 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

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

It's going to be a wonderful year! Enjoy your long weekend, Stars, and we will see you on Tuesday!