December 2024 Newsletter

Principal Message

With cooler weather approaching, we are writing to provide you with information on how decisions are made on days of inclement weather. If your child is bused to school, please ensure you know which transportation zone you are located in.  We encourage all families to review the HDSB Inclement Weather Reminders. A printable version of this information is also available.  


In addition, we wanted to remind families to continue to use active transport when coming to the school such as walking or riding a school bus if eligible.  This helps keep our streets more safe with less cars at entry and dismissal.  If you must drive your child(ren) to school, please park on a side street and walk the rest of the way and obey all posted traffic signs on our roads. Our parking lot is built with spaces for staff to park, but is not intended as a drop off or pick up zone for students, as there is no supervision in the parking lot.  For these safety reasons, we appreciate dropping off on side streets where it is safe to park and walk the rest of the way. We will be putting up additional signage shortly to reiterate this expectation. Thank you for your diligence in helping to keep our students safe as they come to and from school.


Please see below for a plethora of announcements about what is happening at Tuck this month.  Have a delightful December!


Mr. G. DonaldsonPrincipalJohn T. Tuck P.S.

Early Dismissal Day

On Friday December 20, 2024 all elementary and secondary schools will dismiss 90 minutes early prior to the Winter Break. We are scheduled to return after the break on Monday, January 6th. Our schedule on December 20th will be as follows:

9:05-9:20 - Entry

9:20-10:30 - Learning Block 1

10:30-11:10 - Lunch

11:10-12:20 - Learning Block 2

12:20-1:00 - Nutrition Break

1:00-2:10 - Learning Block 3


5th Annual Fill the Tuck Truck – December 11th

Fill the Tuck Truck is happening the morning of Wednesday, December 11. Bring your donations to the trucks on the blacktop from 8:50-9:30 am! The generosity of our school community has helped the Fill the Tuck Truck event collect nearly 4,500 lbs in donations over the past four years. This year’s donations are going to the Burlington Food Bank. The food bank provides close to 1,750 lbs of food directly to Burlington residents that need assistance each day. Children represent the largest group served by Burlington Food Bank. In addition to diapers, toiletries and cleaning supplies and non-perishable food, the most needed items are:


Holiday Spirit Week- Mark your calendars!

As we finish up the month and head into a two-week break, we plan on having some fun with a Holiday Spirit Week.  Mark your calendars, celebrate the holidays and join in the fun:


Holiday Giving Collection

For our Holiday Giving Collection this year, we have decided to support local charities that aim to build diverse and inclusive communities to support shared dignity and well-being. We have decided to support two specific local charities: The first is The Community Food Programs - Wellington Square. This program provides food support to friends in our community. This charity will be collecting $10 Tim Hortons gift cards to bring holiday cheer to families in need. These gift cards will be packaged along with a chocolate treat. The second charity is Open Doors, which is a volunteer-driven organization located in Burlington, that offers a gift-giving program over the holidays. They tend to get a lot of gifts for very young children, but they feel that they need more for teens and could use our support in this area. This involves a collection of $25 gift cards for places that teens might like to shop, such as Dollarama, Walmart, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Sephora, Old Navy, Sport Chek, Cineplex, Amazon, Garage, American Eagle, H&M, Indigo, and more.  As a school, Tuck will be collecting gift cards and will divide the donations accordingly.  We will collect on the following dates:


Monday, December 2nd

Tuesday, December 3rd

Wednesday, December 4th


We ask that students bring their gift cards to school on these mornings and grade 5 students will come around to collect them. It is very important that you write the value of the gift card on the back or attach a receipt. This allows the organizations to distribute the gifts fairly. Thank you for your generosity and for supporting those in need this holiday season.


JTT’s Winter Concert Showcase 

This year we will have two different show times for a variety of performances on Wednesday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 18th to share some Winter Concert fun with parents and guardians. 


Band and Choir Showcase - December 11th

On Wednesday December 11th at 7:00pm, Our Grade 3/4 Choir Club is excited to share some winter concert music with you. In addition, the concert will include performances from the concert band and rock and roll club. We hope you will join us for the evening. 


Kindergarten - December 18th

Our Kindergarten students have been working hard to rehearse 2 songs for JTT’s Kindergarten Winter Concert. Kindergarten parents/guardians are invited to join us at 9:30am on Wednesday December 18th, to pull up a seat and watch our youngest Tuck students take the stage! All daytime concert guests are invited to begin to take their seats in the Large Gym at the 9:12am morning bell. 


Grade 7 & 8 Ski Trip - January 14th

On January 14th, our Grade 7 & 8 students will be heading to Horseshoe Resort for a fun-filled day of skiing. This is an exciting day for both skiers and non-skiers alike! Last week, we sent home permission forms that include both the HDSB consent slip and the Horseshoe Resort waiver. Both forms need to be signed and returned, as both consents are required to ski. Please note that students will not have access to the terrain park. All skiers and snowboarders are required to wear a helmet. If your child needs a helmet, please indicate this on the permission form. If your child is renting ski equipment, please include their height (in cm) and weight (in kg) on the form. Only students bringing their own snowboard will be allowed to snowboard; unfortunately, rentals will not be available for snowboards this year. 


We will leave school at 6:30 am to ensure we arrive at the resort by 8:30 am. We will leave the resort around 4:00 pm, and expect to be back at Tuck at approximately 6:00 pm. As in previous years we will keep parents updated with our progress, so please check instagram for updates. If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Mrs. Shaw at shawl@hdsb.ca. We’re looking forward to a fantastic day on the slopes!


Grade 8 to 9 Transitions

As we approach the new year, Grade 8 students will begin working on My Blueprint to select their courses for High School. During this time, Mrs. Shaw will be reaching out to families who may be considering a GLE (General Learning Environment) or GLS (General Learning Support) course for their child. These are support courses designed to replace a regular class in your child's schedule. Please note that any course replaced by a GLE/GLS in Grade 9 will need to be made up later in high school (e.g., if the Arts course is replaced, your child will need to take another Arts class in Grade 10/11, such as Photography or Drama). 


If you are considering applying to a specialty program (e.g., ISTEM, AP, or IB) at a different school, please connect with me as soon as possible. Applications for these programs are due by Monday, December 2, 2024. As we prepare paperwork for transitions, it is important to be aware of all student plans. If you need support with any grade 9 transitions, please connect with Mrs. Shaw as soon as possible. We look forward to supporting you and your child through this exciting transition!


Intermediate Boys Volleyball

While the season didn’t unfold the way we hoped, Mrs. Mayo and Mr. Geddes would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Senior Boys Volleyball Team.  Every game was an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve, and they did just that.  Remember, success isn’t always measured by wins and losses, but by the effort you put in and the resilience you show in tough times.  The following boys represented the team this year: Knowl B, Josh K, Jordan C, Marko R, Liam E, Luka R, Aniken D, Charlie R, Dylan H, Cohen D, Jude W, Declan L, Elvis N, Lachlan W, and Brayden P.


Grade 6 Space & Flight

On December 5th at 2:00 pm, Grade 6 classes will join a virtual session with David Saint-Jacques to learn about his experiences and work. David Saint-Jacques, a Canadian astronaut, physician, and engineer, joined the Canadian Space Program in 2009 after careers in medicine, astrophysics, and engineering. He flew to the International Space Station in 2018 as part of Expedition 58/59, conducting scientific experiments, robotics tasks, and performing a spacewalk. Since returning to Earth, he has worked on projects like Canadarm3 for the Lunar Gateway and the Health Beyond initiative. We are VERY lucky to have time with him to ask questions in this virtual session.


Grade 6's will be building model planes out of wood. We got these awesome "Cub kits" from the MAAC "Model Aeronautics Association of Canada" here in Burlington. These intricate models will fly with rubber band driven propeller and require some fantastic STEM skills.


Grade 2 French Immersion

In the Halton District School Board, the entry point for the French Immersion program is Grade 2, where 100% of the instructional day is taught in French. Students from John T. Tuck can enrol for Grade 2 French Immersion at Pineland PS if they wish. In the Halton District School Board, the entry point for the French Immersion program is Grade 2, where 100% of the instructional day is taught in French. To help address any questions you may have before registering your Grade 1 child(ren) for the French Immersion program, we have posted information about the French Immersion program on the HDSB website, along with the following resources for your perusal.

Registration opens Dec. 1, 2024 and can be completed through the Google Form. The deadline for submitting the registration form is Jan. 31, 2024. No registrations will be accepted after this date.

Calling all 3-year-olds!

Starting school is a big step for children and parents/guardians, and we want to make that transition as smooth as possible. This fall, the HDSB is welcoming future students and their families to a virtual Kindergarten experience at kindergarten.hdsb.ca to learn more about making the first school experience a happy one. Due to current public health restrictions, traditional in-person Kindergarten Open Houses are not possible this year. Instead, we have created a virtual experience for three-year olds and their families.


At kindergarten.hdsb.ca, three-year olds can explore a Kindergarten classroom to see what their future classroom might look like next September. There are videos to watch, pictures to view and fun activities for kids. Parents/guardians can learn about the Kindergarten program at the HDSB, play-based learning, community resources in Halton and before-and-after school care. Families can also sign-up to receive a welcome package from the HDSB including a free children’s book. 


Registration for Kindergarten begins in January 2024 through our school office. Further information will be shared in the new year. To begin Kindergarten in September 2025, children must be four years old by Dec. 31, 2025 for Junior Kindergarten (Year 1) and must be five years old by Dec. 31, 2025 for Senior Kindergarten (Year 2). 


Out of Area Requests

Halton students seeking placement at schools other than their home schools, do so by way of Out of Area transfer requests. Applications for other schools are being accepted at your home school from December 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025. Not all schools are open to Optional Attendance.  John T Tuck is a closed school to optional attendance. For a list of schools open to Optional Attendance and to obtain a copy of the registration form you can go to the HDSB website at www.hdsb.ca and view the Transfer Schools within Halton page. For an up to date listing, you can put your address in the HDSB School Finder. 

Multi-Year Strategic Plan

The HDSB has a new Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP)! The 2024-2028 MYSP will guide our work throughout the next four years to support students’ academic success, well-being and growth. Shaped by the collaborative efforts and voices of our community, each of the six commitments within this plan works in tandem to create supportive and effective learning environments. Stay tuned for more updates as we bring this plan to life inside and outside the classroom. Learn more: bit.ly/3NVuYrl\


Bullying Prevention Protocol

John T Tuck PS, along with all schools in the #HDSB, is committed to taking immediate and proactive action to prevent and address all incidents of bullying to create safe, inclusive and welcoming environments for all students. Our Bullying Response Protocol guides us to address every incident of bullying quickly and with care. Through our online reporting tool, students and families can confidentially report bullying. Visit the HDSB website to learn more about the Bullying Response Protocol, access the online reporting tool and explore resources for families to support bullying prevention. Together, we can create a safe school environment for all. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4fHook2 


City of Burlington Feedback

The City of Burlington’s Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee (ITAC) is requesting feedback from parents/guardians through a Student Transportation survey. The ITAC is a citizen committee that has been appointed to provide feedback to City staff and council on policies, initiatives and strategies relating to transportation (walking, cycling, transit, road safety, driving, and more). Through this survey, this committee hopes to learn more about our community's needs and priorities around transportation to share the information and recommendations to Council and City staff.  Please complete the voluntary survey by Friday, Nov. 29: https://forms.gle/hCfwzuicPTsRozLZ6. This survey is being administered by the City of Burlington’s ITAC. All results and data provided through the survey are anonymous. Further information: In addition to filling out the survey, if you have more questions or comments about student transportation, please connect with your School Council. School Councils are encouraged to connect with ITAC on opportunities to collaborate. School Councils who wish to review their own school’s data may request the anonymous data that their school’s parents/guardians submitted. ITAC can be reached via Committee Clerk Lisa Palermo at Lisa.Palermo@burlington.ca. 


Days of Significance

As you may have noticed last month, our newsletter will now include all days of significance listed in our HDSB calendar at the bottom of each month's issue. 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 - First Day of Advent

2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities

6 - National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

10 - International Human Rights Day

11 - Halton EA Appreciation Day 

13 - Birthday of Imam Aga Khan (Salgirah)

21 - Yule – Winter Solstice

24 - Christmas Eve

25 - Jan 2 - Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)

25 - Christmas Day

26 - Jan 1 - Kwanzaa 

26 - Boxing Day

26 - Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra)