May 2023 Newsletter

Days of Significance this Month

Principal's Message

Is it really only two months until summer? We are humming along with a very successful school year and look forward to some warmer weather for our staff and students to take the learning outside, and to enjoy our break times.  As you may have heard, all Grade 1-8 students are sharing the space outside at break and it is going very well.  It is great to see our older students connecting with younger students and being good role models. We have added some more four square courts, and our outdoor concrete equipment is on order.  We are also looking at adding more basketball nets and other things to do for our students.

We continue to have a lot going on around the school and our staff is really enjoying working with our students both in and out of the classroom.  Take a peek below and all the great things happening at our school this month! Have a magnificent May!

EQAO Dates

Our Grade 3 & 6 students will be participating in the Provincial EQAO Assessments this spring.  These assessments are a snapshot of your child’s learning in the primary and junior divisions. Please ensure that you do not book vacation or appointments during this time to ensure that your child can complete the assessment with the other children in the classroom.  If you have any questions about the assessment, please contact your child's teacher or the administration at the school.

Grade 6 - June 2, 6, and 7

Grade 3 - June 8, 9 and 12

Special Dates

As we head into May and June, there are a lot of dates for things like Track & Field, Soccer teams, Flag Rugby, Field Trips, etc.  As a reminder, if a student is not on the team or registered for the event, it is expected that they are in school and they do not attend an event for something they are not a part of.  Thank you.

Parent Council Meeting

On Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 7:00pm we will be having our final Parent Council meeting of the year in the school library where we will allocate the rest of the council budget to support student learning at Tuck, and discuss year end activities as well as September Start up.  We would like to thank Jessica Charland and Shauna Plawiuk for their leadership as co-chairs this year.  All parents are welcome to attend. 

Class Building Parent Input

The process of organizing students into classes will still take place through May, June and over the summer. Administration, classroom teachers and Special Education teachers spend many hours forming classes. To assist us in making our decisions, we use many sources of data. Our focus is always the creation of balanced classes that are based upon learning style, gender equity, academic balance, instructional groupings and peer compatibility.

If you feel that our staff is missing some information about your child’s class placement, and you would like to provide input for the upcoming school year for your child's class placement, please click here to fill out a form that will go to Mr. Donaldson. This is not a form that all families would fill out, but only for those who feel there is special consideration requiring feedback. We will not consider any requests for teachers by name, as our teachers often change grades and/or move schools right up until the Labour Day weekend as enrollment shifts within the school. Your information will be considered along with all of the other relevant criteria developed by the school for determining class organization.  Please complete the form by May 15th if you would like your input considered.

We will consider all information, however, the final decision rests with the school.

If you are planning to move out of the John T. Tuck Public School area before September 2023, please let the office know as soon as possible by sending an email to Mrs. McComb (mccombs@hdsb.ca) and your child's homeroom teacher, so that we can take that into consideration in class-building as well as update our records. Those students who are moving to Pineland PS due to enrollment in French Immersion do not need to contact Mrs. McComb, as we already have that list of students.

Jump Rope For Heart

Jump Rope for Heart is back! Students from kindergarten to grade six will be participating in John T. Tuck’s Jump Rope event on Monday May 15th. Each class will have a period during the day to get outside and get their hearts pumping using skipping ropes and other equipment. All fundraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation is done online through our school link. On event day each student should come to school with appropriate footwear, sunscreen and a water bottle. Let’s go Tuck! We can have fun and raise money for this worthwhile cause!

Late Arrivals

We have noticed in the office that there has been a large volume of students coming late every day. We ask that parents please make a concerted effort to make sure their child(ren) gets to school on time and ready to learn. When students are late, it impacts their learning and makes for a more challenging transition and can be very disruptive to their teacher and classmates. Our staff begins supervision at 9:05 a.m. Therefore, students should arrive between 9:05 a.m. -9:15 a.m. to ensure a smooth transition to the school day. Thank you for your support.

Rookie League

As our Toronto Blue Jays "Rookie League" wraps up, we wanted to recognize everyone who came out to join our team. It was great seeing so many students trying baseball for the first time! With our last practice around the corner, we are happy to know that everyone is leaving with new friendships, and for some, a new hobby! Way to go team! - Ms. Saundercook and Mrs. Medeiros

Sr. Girls Basketball

The Tuck Girls basketball team completed a rare undefeated season on Thursday, April 20 when they defeated Georgetown's Centennial and captured the Halton Championship title. The team of eight Grade 8s and six Grade 7s demonstrated excellent teamwork and skill development throughout the season. A big thanks to parent Mr Symons for helping out with the squad this year. The girls team was Sadie, Megan, Kaylie, Avery, Mackenzie, Olivia, Taylor, Koltyn, Rachel, Brooke, Madeline, Payton, Ryan and Juliet.

Congrats, girls on a phenomenal season!

Senior Boys Basketball

The Senior Boys' Basketball season was one to remember! The team had a strong regular season with 5 wins and 1 loss. The boys worked their way through playoffs, easily winning their quarter-finals and semi-finals games. Heading into the West Region finals, Tuck faced off against Burlington Central, who handed Tuck their only loss earlier in the year. Strong play from the whole team propelled the boys to a nail-biting 41-37 win, crowning the boys as the best team in Burlington! The boys ended up losing by 2 points in the Halton semi-finals bringing their season to an end (as the 3rd best team in all of Halton). Mr. Collinson and Mr. Fitzsimmons would like to thank all the team members for their hard work and dedication this season. Team members include Matt A., Mateo M., Elijah B., Connor B., Jakob A., Ty L., Mark M., Michael H., Fox K., Maks A., Colten S., and Sam K.

Junior Boys Basketball

Congratulations to all the boys that made the Gr. 5/6 boys' basketball team! These boys will be working hard over the next couple of weeks to develop their basketball skills to be ready for their tournaments on May 11th and May 17th. Mr. Fitzsimmons looks forward to working with this group of boys and seeing them improve over the month of May.

Grade 5 Flag Rugby

John T. Tuck will have a Grade 5 co-ed flag rugby team for the first time in school history! The Burlington Centaurs rugby club is hosting a tournament for junior players on Friday, June 2nd, to help build the sport in this community. Mr. Fitzsimmons is excited to expose our Grade 5's to a new sport that has had such a positive impact on his life. See you on the pitch!

Junior Relays

The Relay Teams for the Grade 3, 4, and 5 students were formed this past week.  Practices will begin May 2, before school at the Gary Allan track.  Students that made the team must return their forms as soon as possible so they can participate in our practices. Our Meet is on May 17th and will be held at Dr. Frank Hayden Secondary School.  Parent supporters are welcome to come and cheer on their participating students. The Grade 3, 4, and 5 school track meet will be held later in May; once the weather improves and our field dries out.  

Book Fair Resources

Back in the fall, we had an extremely successful book fair.  The proceeds from the event have gone back into the school and Scholastic books have arrived! “We have already purchased over 100 titles.” Students are already enjoying many of our new purchases!  Thank you to everyone who helped in any way with the book fair. 

Grade 8 to 9 Transition

On Friday, May 5, our Grade 8's will be heading over to Nelson for their final orientation. As per the permission form, students are being asked to meet us at Nelson (by the front entrance- off the parking lot) by no later than 9:20 as attendance will need to be taken before heading into Nelson.  For those that may feel more comfortable walking to Nelson with a teacher (Miss Simmelink), please ensure that they are at Tuck for 9am so that the small group can head out together. If your child would like to walk from Tuck, please ensure an email is sent to simmelinka@hdsb.ca by Thursday May 4 @ 3:30 so that no one is left behind. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Miss Simmelink.

Summer Learning

This summer HDSB is offering summer school to those currently in grade 6, 7 and 8. If your child has struggled in getting a level 3 in math and/or literacy this year, you may wish to sign them up for a summer refresher course. If you are interested please review the information at: https://garyallan.ca/elementary-students/elementary-summer-school.

For current grade 8's that have consistently received a level 3 or above, you may wish to sign your child up for the "Reach Ahead" credit course. Here students can achieve a high school credit online by successfully completing one of 2 summer school courses.  Participation in these courses will help students transition into a high school environment, and may result in a spare in their senior year of high school. Registration closes on Wednesday June 14 @4pm, so please register before that! Any questions, please feel free to contact Ms Simmelink at simmelinka@hdsb.ca.

HSTS Courtesy Seats

Each year, in accordance with the HSTS Operating Procedure regarding Courtesy Seats, families with children who are not eligible for school bus transportation to and from school, may apply for a courtesy seat. The HSTS Courtesy Seat online application is now open for submissions until Friday, June 30, 2023 at 5 p.m. HSTS will complete the courtesy seat application and review process over the summer in order to allow courtesy riders to begin riding the bus on the first day of school in September 2023. Parents and guardians will be advised of the status of their application by the third week of August via email, to the primary contact provided to the school. Approved applicants can access their transportation schedule via the HSTS Parent Portal (Parent Portal Instructions) during the third week of August. 

HDSB Free Menstrual Products Initiative

Did you know that all HDSB schools provide free menstrual products for students in all female and gender-neutral washrooms? Students can access menstrual products at no cost in our washrooms.  Access and availability of menstrual products in schools impacts the dignity and self-esteem of menstruating students and can impact class attendance and student achievement. The  HDSB Free Menstrual Products initiative  is an attempt to address some of the gaps in access to menstrual products to promote awareness and alleviate the stigma of menstruation. Free access to menstrual products supports both gender and economic equity and raises awareness of and destigmatizes menstruation. The Free Menstrual Products initiative aligns with the HDSB’s Equity & Inclusion and Mental Health & Well-Being goals in the 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan, along with Environmental Leadership goals as the initiative involves the responsible use of menstruation products. We’ve got you. Period.

Road Closures

The City of Burlington would like to give you advance notice of an important road closure that will be occurring this summer between July 2023 to December 2023.  Lakeshore Road between Guelph Line and Walkers Line will be closed to replace the Pine Cove bridge which crosses over Roseland Creek near Sioux Lookout Park.  Local access will be maintained.  This road is required to be closed to replace the bridge and the design of the bridge does not allow the city to stage the construction and keep the road open. You can view further details on the city webpage:  https://www.burlington.ca/en/news/current-city-projects-and-construction/lakeshore-road-resurfacing-and-pine-cove-bridge-replacement.aspx