The Simcoe Star - Welcome Back!

HELLO JG SIMCOE PS FAMILIES,

We’re excited! We cannot wait to welcome you back to JG Simcoe PS. We are all geared up for a wonderful year ahead.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL – Wednesday, September 3^rd, 2025

·       Students should arrive at 8:15am on Wednesday, September 3^rd

·       Our wonderful team will meet students outside. All staff members will have class lists and can tell students who their teacher will be

·       Class placements are tentative for the first two weeks of school. Depending on how many students we have in each grade, we sometimes hear from the Limestone Staffing Committee that we need to re-organize to balance the number of students in each class

·       Students with special education needs will be met and supervised by staff as per tradition

·       Kindergarten students should proceed to the fenced in kindergarten area at the left of the school

·       Grade 1 – 6 students should look for their teachers on the front lawn (they will be holding signs)

·       Grade 7 – 8 students should meet their teachers on the basketball courts behind the school

 PICK UP AND DROP OFF

·       Thank you for driving slowly on our street and watching carefully for children. Please only park on the school side of the street. The parking lot is for staff only

·       At the end of the day, students who walk or are picked up will walk with their teacher to their class lineup. Students will be dismissed at 2:50pm when the bell rings. Parents and caregivers who pick up students are asked to meet them at the front of the school. Students in K-3 must be pick up by a guardian unless alternate arrangements have been discussed with the office

·       Students in Grades 4-8 are permitted to walk home on their own with parent/guardian permission

·       No students should walk through the parking lot at any time to ensure their safety

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 AND SUPPLIES

·       United Way has donated so 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 on the first day of school

·       School supplies are provided by the school. If students choose to bring their own, they should label their items with their first and last names

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 three options for families to use to report a student's absence:

o   SchoolMessenger App on your phone

o   SchoolMessenger website portal

o   call the automated attendance phone line at 1-855-257-9349

·       Always enter "lates" as a full day even if the child will only be absent for half a day. It will adjust automatically once the student arrives

·       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. Let us know if you require assistance submitting the request

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 TEAM

• JK/SK A - Ms. Meers
• JK/SK B - Ms. Mazurkiewicz
• Early Childhood Educators - Ms. Naghibzadeh and Ms. Purvis
• Grade 1/2 - Mr. Vangelatos
• Grade 1/2 - Ms. Glassford (Ms. Fortis is on leave)
• Grade 3/4 - Ms. Morris
• Grade 3/4 - Mr. Gurnsey
• Grade 5/6 - Ms. Dowdell and Mr. Niedbala
• Grade 5/6 – TBA (Ms. Hawkes is on leave)
• Grade 7/8 - Ms. Pinho
• Grade 7/8 - Mr. Cox
• French - Mme Morgan, Mme Charlton
• Planning Time - Mr. Niedbala
• Indigenous Education Teacher - Ms. Pilutti
• Multi Language Learner Teacher (MLL) - Ms. Dantzer
• Student Support Teachers (SST) - Ms. Seymour, Mr. Barling
• Intensive Support Teachers (IST) - Ms. Rodgerson, Ms. Smith
• Student Support Counsellor (SSC) - Ms. Hawkins
• Elementary Office Administrator - Ms. Cox
• Head Custodian - Mr. Dwyer
• Evening Custodian - Ms. Lewis
• Educational Assistants - Ms. Givens, Ms. Godin, Ms. McEachern, Ms. Medley, Ms. Penney, Mr. Davis, Ms. Matson, Ms. Prendergast, Ms. Lloyd, Ms. Dowdell, Ms. Morrison, Ms. Bambrick, Ms. Cromwell, Mr. Freitas, Ms. Banks, Ms. Parratt
• Orchid/Yard Supervisors - Ms. Hudson and Mr. Jackson
• Vice-Principal & SST - Mr. Barling
• Principal - Ms. Propper
• Superintendent – Ms. Sartor

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

OUR SCHEDULE

FIRST WEEK SCHEDULE

·       Monday, September 1^st: Labour Day (no school for staff or students)

·       Tuesday, September 2^nd: PA Day (no school for students)

·       Wednesday, September 3rd (Day 1): First Day of the 2025-2026 School Year! Classes begin for all students!

·       Thursday, September 5th (Day 2)

·       Friday, September 6th (Day 3)

UPCOMING DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE

·       Monday, September 22^nd:  School Advisory Council Meeting and Elections at 4:00pm

·       Thursday, September 25^th:  Terry Fox Run

·       Monday, September 29^th:  Bus Safety Presentations

·       Tuesday, September 30^th: Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

FIVE DAY SCHEDULE

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS

·       This summer, there have been many school improvement projects underway. We have a new accessibility washroom, a new ceiling in the gym, a full-court sized basketball net in the gym, additional storage, upgraded safety alarms, and more. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on these projects and to our amazing custodial crew for getting our rooms ready for the new school year

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 2025-2026 school year and SAC elections will take place on Monday, September 22^nd, 2025, at 4:00pm. All are welcome!

·       Positions for election/nomination are:

o   Chair/Co-chair

o   Vice Chair

o   Treasurer

o   Secretary

o   Fundraising Coordinator

o   Indigenous Representative

o   Divisional Representatives

·       Nominations (for others and self) can be accessed HERE and are due by 12:00pm on Monday, September 22^nd. Email jgsim@limestone.on.ca with any questions

ALLERGEN AWARENESS

·       Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class

It's going to be a wonderful year! See you on Wednesday, Stars!