October 2023 News

Principal Message

We have a great month of September, and it is amazing to see our students transition to their new grades and get involved across our school.  It was also great to see all of the parents come into the school for our Open House to check out all of the neat things our students have been up to, and show off their classrooms. The school is alive and buzzing, and it is awesome to be back!

We are, however, struggling with many interuptions by parents through the school day to sign students out for appointments, extra-curriculars, etc.  While we ask families to try to schedule appointments outside of the school day, we recognize that this is not always possible.  When signing out your child, we ask that you first communicate with your child's homeroom teacher and have them ready to leave at the beginning or end of break time only, rather than interuppting class time.  Times to pick up children that do not interupt the learning of others to call into the classroom would be 11:00am, 11:40am, 1:20pm and 2:00pm.  By picking up a little earlier than needed and having students come to the office on their own at that time, it helps keep classroom disruptions at a minimum. All parents will need to come into the office to sign students out, and we will only call students down once you arrive at the office to avoid students spending time out of class waiting. If you come into the office during break time, and your child is not already at the office, we may have difficulty tracking them down outside so planning in advance is always appreciated. Thank you for your assistance in ensuring less interuptions to the teaching in our classrooms.

Please see below for some important updates for the week.  This is a lengthy newsletter and we appreciate your attention to each item.  Have an outstanding October!

School Council

We will be holding our first School Council meeting of the year in the Library at school on Monday October 2nd at 7:00pm.  At our first meeting, we will share our financial records from last year, update parents on start up, and complete the nominations and formation of the new council.  All parents are welcome to attend.

Pizza Sales - Due Oct 3

PIZZA DAYS are back and starting soon! We are pleased to offer Pizza Days every Thursday starting on Thursday, October 12, 2023 (at first nutrition break). The first Pizza Term will be 17 weeks long, commencing each THURSDAY from OCTOBER 12, 2023 to FEBRUARY 15, 2024 inclusive (excluding the 2 week holiday break in December). PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR PIZZA ORDER ON SCHOOL CASH ONLINE BY: Tuesday, October 3 at midnight; late orders will not be accepted. https://hdsb.schoolcashonline.com 

The fees for 17 weeks (at $2.50 per slice) are as follows:

ONE slice $42.50 - TWO slices $85.00 - THREE slices $127.50

Should your child be absent on a pizza day, please note our appreciation in your child's pizza slice donation to the school. All school fundraising proceeds will be directed to support student based initiatives at John T. Tuck through our School Council. We thank you for your support!

Halloween Parade

This Halloween season, we plan to continue our tradition of having a Costume Parade for all of our students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 on Tuesday, October 31.  Students can come to school dressed in their costumes for the first two periods of the day, or can wear Orange and Black.  It is expected that students in costume have a change of clothes so that they are out of their costumes by the end of first nutrition break. As a rule, students should not be wearing any masks during the morning, except for during the parade itself.  In addition, please think carefully about the props that you send with costumes to ensure that nothing gets damaged, or nothing is too scary for our younger children, could be used as a weapon, or is insensitive to ethnic, religious, racial or gender identity groups. If you do not wish to have your child participate in the Halloween parade, please let your child's teacher know in advance so that we can organize an alternate activity.  More details will follow closer to the date on how parents can watch the parade of students.

Cross Country Running Team

On Tuesday, September 26th, 2003, the Grade 3-8 students of John T. Tuck Public School showed sportsmanship and unwavering effort at the cross country meet. It was a day marked by impressive achievements, as our young athletes showcased their dedication and determination in every race. We would like to extend our gratitude to the staff members who played an important role in organizing and coordinating this eventful day. In addition, it is days like these that remind us of the supportive character of our school community. Thank you to all who came out and cheered on our students. Our school teams placed very well, with  the following results: Grade 3 girls - 1st overall, Grade 3 boys - 1st, Grade 4 girls - 2nd, Grade 4 boys - 1st, Grade 5 girls - 1st, Grade 5 boys - 2nd, Grade 6 girls - 5th, Grade 6 boys - 3rd, Grade 7 girls - 5th, Grade 7 boys - 3rd, Grade 8 girls - 6th and Grade 8 boys - 6th.

Community Donation Collection

Over the past few years, John T. Tuck has shown their overwhelming generosity and kindness by donating a variety of items to Halton’s “Friday Night Community” which since the pandemic has changed and is now known as the “Community Food Programs”.  In past years, we collected over 55 bins of items! This year, students in Grade 4 will be organizing our annual collection to support this wonderful initiative that will run from Tuesday October 3rd to Thursday October 5th. A detailed email has been sent to families with more information about donations.

Traffic Safety

We would like to remind our parents to be extra careful if they are driving in the school zone.  While we hope you can walk to and from school with your children, we ask that you follow by-laws and street signage if in your car. Please note that the front of the school is a no stopping zone and we ask that you park on side streets and walk to grass area to meet your children after school or drop them off in the morning.  Not only is our parking lot on the wrong side of the school for pick up and drop off, it is only built to accomodate staff cars and volunteers who are working in the building. Thank you for your diligence in keeping our roads, and our students, safe!

Equity and Well-being

Our commitment to our Equity and Well-being work at JTT remains steadfast. We believe that by empowering our staff, students, and families with resources and opportunities, we can create a safe and inclusive school environment where students feel a sense of connectedness and belonging. We are excited to announce that our Intermediate Student Leadership and Well-Being Team will be convening for the first time on Monday, October 2nd, during the first nutrition break. This meeting will focus on how we can collectively support the Harmful Language Protocol within our classrooms. Additionally, our Leadership Team will provide valuable feedback and ideas to strengthen our ongoing efforts in bullying prevention and intervention as a school community.

As we look ahead, we are excited about the numerous events and initiatives that will shape the coming year. Throughout the year we will continue auditing our classroom resources to ensure that we have a more diverse and culturally responsive selection of books, materials and resources available for students to see themselves and others in their learning. We welcome our parents and families to actively engage with us as we work together to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. In addition, our students will continue to lead important initiatives aimed at promoting equity, inclusion, and well-being. Their creativity and passion are inspiring! We are poised for a year of great learning and growth as a school community, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support from home in our Equity and Well-being education initiatives!  

Child & Youth Counsellor

At John T. Tuck Public School we look for opportunities to enhance student skills in the area of mental health and well-being that reflect their ability to sustain good relationships with one another.  We are very lucky to have a Child & Youth Counsellor (CYC) attached to our school to work with educators to enhance our students' well-being. Our CYC, Celina Gillis, supports staff and students in the implementation of mental health and wellness initiatives, as well as the development and co-facilitation of class and school wide learning opportunities.

School Cash Online

In the HDSB Multi-Year Plan, it states a goal that “90%+ of all funds received through schools will be collected through a Board approved online system.” Here at John T Tuck, we have dropped below this threshold as new families have arrived. If you are one of those families, please contact the office for instructions on how to get registered.  By collecting school funds online, we eliminate the risk involved in collecting money at the school through loss or theft, or NSF cheques. In addition, it frees our teaching staff up to focus on teaching each morning, rather than collecting money and forms.  We will no longer be sending home forms, unless we require a signature, and ask that all parents register at https://hdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ to ensure that you don’t miss out on anything this year!  Thank you, John T Tuck, for your prompt attention to this.  We have started with some field trips already to be paid online, as well as food service days with more to come soon! 

Library Volunteers Needed

Would you like to volunteer in the library for this school year?  No experience necessary! Your child’s school library needs you. It would be great to have your help at shelving books and keeping the library tidy.  You would need a police check which needs to be given to the office, or an Offence Declaration if you have a police check on file already.  If you would like to find out more please contact our Library Technician Blanche Mills (millsb@hdsb.ca) who is at the school on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Thank you!

Notification of Delays to Families

Every September, when students and drivers are getting accustomed to new routines, there tends to be a higher frequency of delays. We thank families for their ongoing patience and understanding during this time. We expect Bus Operators to promptly communicate any delays and provide updates so that families have the chance to make necessary adjustments to their plans. We encourage families who have not already done so, to sign up for a Parent Portal account and add their child(ren).  This will ensure they are automatically signed up to receive email notifications when delays are posted.  For detailed instructions please click here.  

We highly encourage anyone with a mobile device to download the free BusPlanner Delays app and sign up to receive instant notifications of route delays affecting their family. For detailed instructions please click here.

Prescribed Medication

There is a board policy on dispensing prescribed medication to students.  As with epiPens and inhalers, all prescribed medication to be dispensed at school requires a Physician’s signature.  Therefore, if you are heading to the doctor’s office, and think that your child may require medication at school, please ensure you get the physician’s signature on the correct form before you leave.  These forms can be found in the Student Health Page of our school and board website.  If you are not sure which form to use, please contact the office.  Over-the-counter medication (e.g., tylenol, advil, cough syrup) will not be dispensed by school staff at any time.  If you wish to provide this to your child, please come to the front doors of the school and we will call them down for you to administer.  Students should not be carrying any medication on them while at school, other than epiPens and inhalers.

Run Club 5K

The School Run Club is planning to participate in the "Frightening 5k Halloween Race" at the Hamilton Royal Yacht Club. Any interested Run Club students and their families are welcome to join us. We have secured a special $20 discount code for race registration. The discount code "Tucksters" can be used when registering for the event. Please follow these simple steps to take advantage of the discount:

1. Visit the race sign-up page (you can easily find it through a quick online search).

2. Enter the code "Tucksters" during the registration process to receive your $20 discount.

3. Prices go up at the end of the month, so register soon to save more. 

This event is a chance for students to have fun, win prizes, or simply challenge themselves to complete their first 5k race. Participants will receive a commemorative medal and a race t-shirt as a memento.

Please note that we will not be providing supervision on race day. Each student must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents and other family friends and members who are interested in running can also take advantage of the same discount code, "Tucksters." This code is exclusively for the Tuck community.

Race Details:

Date: Saturday, October 28th, 2023 (RACE DAY)

Location: Lakeland Center, Royal Hamilton Yacht Club

Address: 555 Bay St. N, Hamilton, ON

Time: 8:00 AM - 9:45 AM

Race Start Times:

- 9:30 AM - 1KM Start Time

- 10:00 AM - 5KM/10KM Start Time

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Mills at millsch@hdsb.ca or Mrs. Hill at hillla@hdsb.ca if you have any questions. 

Mental Health Matters

The Halton District School Board has created 16 parent videos sharing how HDSB staff roles support student’s mental health and well-being including the role of a Guidance Counsellor, how does an ECE assist students, and what teachers doing in the classroom to support elementary students' mental health and well-being. See here for all 16 videos and learn more about how our school supports students in an area of interest. 

PA Day Summary of Activities - October 6, 2023

The HDSB, along with all school boards in Ontario, have several Professional Activity (PA) Days throughout the school year. The purpose of these days is to enhance student success. Staff focus on professional development activities, participate in training or planning sessions. There are no classes for students on these days.  As required by the Ministry, we are sharing our plan with you for October 6th.

Topic: Learning and Growth: Student Literacy and Mathematics

Length: Full-day

Format: In person

Description: Elementary school teams will engage in learning related to effective practices and strategies for student literacy and mathematics learning and growth. Educators will review the new Language Curriculum and plan for implementation. They will also focus specifically on reading instruction strategies aligned with the new curriculum and recommendations in the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)’s Right to Read Inquiry Report. Educators will work collaboratively to develop a greater understanding of high impact instructional strategies for mathematics as detailed in the curriculum as well as the HDSB Math Plan. Our dedicated staff will also participate in a professional development session led by our esteemed HDSB Human Rights and Equity Advisor, Pardeep Nagra. This session will provide a platform for dialogue and engagement on crucial equity topics and resources. This will be a valuable opportunity for our staff to deepen their understanding and commitment to equity in education.

Presenter(s)/Facilitators(s): The learning will be led by school administrators and school based staff, supported with materials and guidance from the School Programs Department. Learning/Delivery Method: Whole group presentations and small group work

Days of Significance this Month