April 2024 Newsletter

Principal Message

Thank you very much to our Parent Council for putting on the Dance-a-thon this past week, and thank you to our community for helping to sponsor our dancers and raise funds for our concrete outdoor play areas. We will be placing the orders for brand new robotics and coding materials for all of our students to explore in their learning. While we continue to tabulate the final total, we wanted to thank you for all your support for our school fundraising goals!

We look forward to a great Spring of learning together. Please continue reading below to learn more about what is happening at our school.

Mr. G. Donaldson

Principal

John T. Tuck P.S.

JTT Family Wellness Evening

Our equity and well-being work continues to be focused on dismantling colonial practices and ensuring that every student and family feels a sense of belonging and connectedness at Tuck. Our staff, student and parent teams are currently working together on planning our JTT Family Wellness Evening which will take place on Wednesday May 1st from 6:00pm-8:00pm. This event will be a chance for us to connect as a school community and sample a selection of wellness activities which will include activities such as Yoga, F45, Robotics, Pickleball and live music performed by our students in addition to sharing some samples of a diverse range of appetizers in our small gym! This event is being led by Mrs. Moskal and Mrs. Shaw and they would greatly appreciate support from any parents who are interested in volunteering for the event or donating a wellness prize (e.g., fidget toys, Yoga mat, gift cards, mindfulness colouring book) for our Family Wellness Basket giveaway. We are also asking families planning on attending this special event, volunteering or donating to RSVP on this form no later than April 22nd. We appreciate the support from our amazing families and we are looking forward to seeing you all there!

April 2nd - World Autism Awareness Day

April is Autism Awareness Month. On Tuesday April 2nd we show our support for Autism awareness by encouraging students to wear a spectrum of colours, symbolizing our celebration of neurodiversity and education about Autism awareness within our school community. Throughout the year, we continue to embrace and celebrate neurodiversity by amplifying the experiences of our students and families living with Autism and celebrate the spectrum of diversity and uniqueness that each person brings to our school and global community.

Solar Eclipse

On April 8th, there will be a solar eclipse heading through our neighbourhood. Classrooms will learn about the solar eclipse and safety with our students. So that you are aware, we will be getting a pair of solar eclipse glasses for each student from an optometrist (cardboard glasses). To ensure they do not get lost or broken, we will be handing them out closer to April 5th. Please see the Solar Eclipse Infographic and the Safety Guidelines for Viewing to help your child enjoy viewing the eclipse safely on the PA Day.

Switch Day & PA Day

Thursday, April 4th is a switch day for our schedule. This means that we will be following the "Monday Schedule" on this day to ensure students do not miss subjects that were scheduled on Easter Monday. Please mark your calendars. The switch day calendar was created to ensure that there is an equal amount of each school day over the year within the student schedule. In addition, we wanted to remind you that April 8 is a PD Day, a changed date from earlier in the year.

Grade 8 to 9 Transition

As we approach the end of the year it is time for our graduating students to think about transitioning to high school. If you would like to connect with Ms Simmelink regarding your child's transitional needs please feel free to reach out. Typically students with specific learning needs would be highlighted, but if you have additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Ms Simmelink at simmelinka@hdsb.ca.

Reminder: Student Sign Out

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 interrupting class time. Times to pick up children that do not interrupt the learning of others to call into the classroom would be 11:00 am, 11:40 am, 1:20 pm and 2:00 pm. If you are not able to notify the teacher in advance, please do not call the school office before arriving at the school for us to get your child out of class. We will call the student down once you have arrived. It is mandatory that all parents come into the office to sign students out – due to safety concerns, we are not able to send your child out to you while you wait in the car.

Power of Pollen Program

Some of JTT's junior classes have been selected to participate in the Nature's NEAR (Neighbourhood Eco Action Rangers) program called "The Power of Pollen". This program aims to showcase the amazing pollinators which exist in our neighbourhoods and the importance of their role in our ecosystems. Students will learn about pollinator biodiversity, their unique adaptations as well as our dependence on them to survive. The program includes both an in-person presentation and an outdoor program that will be led right in our JTT schoolyard. We look forward to hosting Nature's NEAR at our school!

Grade 6 Space Science Fair

This month the Grade 6's will show off a culminating self directed STEM project. Grade 6 students will show off what they learned and built to students across all grades in a "science fair" format in the Junior hallway. Students have researched topics that range from the phases of the moon, the Apollo 11 lander and Binary Code. The students have spent lots of time creating authentic models of their topics so that visitors can SEE their research as well as slideshows to help visitors understand. The glue and paper has certainly been flying in the Grade 6 rooms and we can't wait to show off "The Right Stuff".

Lunchroom Supervisors

As we plan for our student supervision needs we are currently hiring additional Lunchroom Supervisors, as we currently have some new openings. Our JTT Lunchroom Supervisors are responsible for supervising our students both inside and outside during our scheduled break times. This position requires an updated Police Check that includes a vulnerable sector screening. If you are interested in joining our Lunchroom Supervisor Team at Tuck please email Mrs. Klomp at klompm@hdsb.ca.

Personal Technology Use

We are asking all families to please review this Acceptable Use of Personal Technology at JTT guidelines for our students at school. We continue to encounter issues with our students in both the timing of use and appropriateness of use, both at school and at home. An excerpt from that page is;

Parents, you can help us by supporting and modelling appropriate use of technology in order to encourage your child to focus on academics in school. Parents are requested to:

Refrain from texting your children throughout the day, and call the office for emergency messages to be relayed. If your child texts you during class time, please respond with “please go to the office, talk to an adult there and use the office phones.” Trust us. When you text your child during class time and or accept texts from them, you are implicitly teaching them that they do not have to pay attention in class, or use the adults in the building to help them problem solve.
Buy a calculator for your child to use in Math class.
Make after school arrangements with your children in advance.
Remind your children of the appropriate uses of technology and social media, while reviewing and monitoring their online activity outside of school hours.
Encourage your child to keep his/her personal device locked/secure when at school and to not share their combinations or passwords with anyone else.
Counsel their children that devices brought to school are their responsibility. If items are lost, broken, or stolen, the school will do everything it can to help find it and/or solve the problem, but in the end, the replacement cost rests with the student who owns it.

Coyotes in the Neighborhood

As you may already be aware, we coexist with Coyotes in the John T Tuck area. The creek and forest areas are great places for coyotes to live among urban sprawl. Some years, they will come out more than others. We have had a couple of sightings by neighbours in our community at Tuck this year, therefore it is essential for you to have conversations with your children about how to handle themselves if they see a coyote, as well as tips to ensure coyotes do not become domesticated. Please see this link for more information on tips for kids - https://www.burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/Coyotes.asp#

There is a lot of information in the link, but in a nutshell, here is "What to Do If a Coyote Approaches": Coyote sightings are commonplace. If you see a coyote, keep your distance and the animal will most likely avoid you. If you encounter an aggressive coyote:

Shout loudly and wave your arms high in the air.
Use hazing techniques: Air horns, whistles, etc.
Back away slowly while remaining calm. Never run or turn your back on a coyote.
Never feed coyotes

HDSB Revised Land Acknowledgement:

On our April 8th PD day we will be introducing a new land acknowledgement with our staff shared by our HDSB Indigenous Rights and Education Department. Every school will be using this version as we move forward in the important work of honouring our land and territory.

“We begin by acknowledging the land and our responsibility to care for and respect all that provides us with life. This land upon which HDSB is situated is on the ancestral, treaty and title lands of the Anishinaabek Ojibwe Michizaagiig Nation, now known as the Mississaugas of the Credit. Michizaagiig territory in the past and present continues to host both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

The HDSB is committed to continuous knowledge building with respect to actions that address and resolve the ongoing impacts of colonialism. We do this by learning and understanding the true history, treaty obligations, duties and responsibilities and Indigenous Rights while actively maintaining mutually beneficial relationships and collectively respecting and caring for the land”.

PA Day - April 8

Elementary school teams will engage in learning related to student mental health and well-being on the April 8th PA Day. This includes the mental health literacy modules for Grades 7 and 8, which will be released by the Ministry of Education. The activities of the day will also focus on mathematics, science and technology education in elementary schools. Primary educators will explore the Indigenous-focused revisions to the social studies curriculum, and junior educators will learn about the Holocaust education in social studies for Grade 6.

Topic: Curriculum Review and Student Mental Health and Well-Being

Learning/Delivery Method: Whole group presentations and small group work

Facilitators: School administrators and school-based staff, supported with materials and guidance from the School Programs and Equity Departments

PIC Conference

The HDSB’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) welcomes parents/guardians and community members to attend the annual Parent Involvement Committee Conference on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Elsie MacGill Secondary School (1410 Bronte St S, Milton). The theme of this year’s conference is Getting Connected. We look forward to welcoming you to an engaging conference, filled with an outstanding keynote speaker, practical workshops and curated content for parents/guardians and community members. For more information and to register for the conference, visit the PIC webpage on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca).

Days of Significance this Month

Here are the days of significance listed in our HDSB calendar this month. We encourage families to share your traditions and celebrations with your child's classroom teacher, fostering a rich tapestry of learning, celebration and understanding.

1 - Beginning of Sikh Heritage Month

1 - Easter Monday

2 -World Autism Awareness Day (UN)

4-5 - Jumu’atul-Wida

6 - Laylat al-Qadr

10 - Eid al-Fitr

10 - International Day of Pink

13 - Baisakhi/Vaisakhi

13 - Mesha Sankranti (Solar New Year)

13 - Sinhalese & Tamil New Year

17 - Shri/Rama Navami

20 - First Day of Ridván