Roger Neilson P.S. Review
Family Edition - Oct. 28 - Nov. 1, 2024
Weekly Principal's Message!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope you enjoyed a nice fall weekend and that students enjoyed their PA day on Friday while staff were engaged in professional learning at RNPS. Over the past few weeks, we have been enjoying a variety of weather including crisp mornings and some warm daytime temperatures. Please encourage your child to dress in layers during this time of year and remind them to take home items like jackets and sweaters at the end of the day if they happen to take it off outside. Our Lost and Found has plenty of items and students should check it regularly!
A Big thank you to School Council parents for hosting the Halloween Dance for our Jr. students on Thursday evening last week. It was well attended and students seemed to have a lot of fun! School Council would also like to thank everyone who has helped with the "Chocolate Fundraiser", cases of World's Finest Chocolate! This fundraiser has come to an end. Please see the message below that speaks to sending back all money on Monday Oct. 28th between 3:30-5:30pm.
There is a lot of excitement in the air for Hallowe'en on Thursday. Please check the newsletter sections below for "What to Wear" at Roger Neilson PS and also about a Community Event run by the local Lions Club in our school parking lot on Thursday evening.
Have a great week,
~Mr. Coulter
Looking Ahead!
Oct. 28th - Chocolate Bar Fundraiser Money Due Back!
Oct. 31st - Hallowe'en - "Wear What you Want Day"!
Nov. 11th - Remembrance Day
Nov. 15th - Primary Movie Night - 6pm
Nov. 19th - Picture Re-Take Day
Nov. 20th - Progress Reports Go Home
Nov. 22nd - Jr. Volleyball Tournament
Nov. 28th - School Council Meeting @ 5pm
UPCOMING DAYS OF SIGNIFICANCE THIS WEEK For October:
Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 - Samhain (Pagan)
Nov. 1 - First Day of Indigenous People's Awareness Month
Nov. 1 - Diwali (Hinduism)
Nov. 1 - Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikhism)
Nov. 1 - Diwali/Lord Mahavir (Jainism)
Nov. 1 - All Saints Day (Christianity)
The month of October is recognized as 2SLGBTQIA+ History Month, German Heritage Month, Islamic Heritage Month, Latin American Heritage Month and Women’s History Month
What to wear for Hallowe'en at RNPS!
Not everyone celebrates or recognizes Hallowe’en at Roger Neilson P.S. and not everyone likes to wear a costume. So once again this year, in trying to be more inclusive, all of our area schools are having “Wear What You Like Day” on Thursday, Oct. 31st. Costumes are one option (please no masks or weapon props). However, students may also choose to wear pajamas, a themed shirt or a silly hat. Or students may just want to wear their regular clothes. We are happy with whatever your family is comfortable with. Please remember, that whatever they wear, students need to be comfortable for a day at school. We also ask that you don’t let them wear anything precious or expensive and remember that the regular dress code still applies - be appropriate, be safe & be kind.
Below are some RNPS-wide Spirit Day and/or Halloween Costume Considerations:
1. Are you using makeup to alter your natural skin tone?
Such uses of makeup cannot be separated from their historical context.
2. Does the name of your costume include an ethnicity in the title?
These are caricatures of a group of people, not costumes.
3. Are you wearing clothing that is clearly from a culture not your own?
Wearing regalia that belongs to another culture is appropriation. Wearing a culture is not a fashion statement. There is a fine line between appreciation and appropriation.
4. Are you dressed as an offensive historical figure?
Dressing as offensive historical figures can be construed as glorification, even if your costume is meant to be satirical.
5. Is your costume “funny” because it mocks the real-life experiences of others?
Belittling the struggles of marginalized groups is never okay.
6. Does your costume reinforce binary notions of gender?
Gender is part of people’s diverse identities and not a costume.
7. Does your costume mock diverse abilities?
Diverse abilities are not costumes.
8. Is your costume offensive?
Answer “yes” to any of the aforementioned questions and it likely is. If your costume raises any of these red flags, you should reconsider wearing it.
Hallowe'en Community Event!
School Sports Update:
Up Next...Jr. Volleyball!
School Council Update
Our next school council meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 28th at 5:00pm in our school Library. Any parent interested in being part of school council is welcome to attend this meeting. We are always looking for new members. We meet once a month and there are a variety of roles and tasks that we need support with. Some don’t require much commitment at all. We will also offer a virtual drop in if you can meet the first meeting via "Microsoft Teams" as the platform. If you do not have the use of a computer, a free app can be downloaded to most Smart Phones. To access the meeting, please use this link: RNPS Virtual Council Option at 5pm on the 28th.
If you have any questions please contact Mr. Coulter. We hope to see you!
School Council Chocolate Fundraiser Continues this week!!
Our chocolate campaign has come to an end, all monies are due back to school Monday, October 28th. There will be a council member at the school from 3.30pm until 5.30pm. We do have 8 cases left to meet our goal if there is anyone who can sell more, please let the office know.
School council would like to thank everyone who participated in the fundraiser your support is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for our contest winners!!!
Primary Movie Night - Nov. 15, 2024 - Hosted by School Council
Holiday Shopping Spree!!!
Hot Lunch Opportunities:
This year we will offer, through Lunchbox on School Cash Online a different “hot lunch” every Wednesday. Up next, Papa John’s on October 9th. All money raised from our hot lunch program will go to our school nutrition program. LINK TO SCHOOL CASH ONLINE
We Love Volunteers!
If you are interested in volunteering at Roger Neilson PS, this is great news! However, you do need to have a police check on file with us. These last for one year from when they were issued. We have a letter that you will need from us in the school office. The link to get a police check can be found here: Link for Police Check
The Children's Breakfast Club! - PLEASE consider a $5 donation!
We would like to thank the "Children's Breakfast Clubs" for their support with our morning nutrition program. This started last week! Each day ALL students are offered something to eat in the morning when they come into the school. Not all students choose to take something to eat, but many do. We recognize the importance nutrition has on learning. However, running a school wide program comes with a cost. We are hoping that families can donate to our program if their child is accessing it in the mornings. Look for this opportunity on school cash online this week. $5 per month, which is roughly 25 cents a day would really help us out. Thanks for considering!
If your child is going to be Absent...
A reminder, if your child is going to be absent, you can use the "very user-friendly" School Messenger app (a free download), to let us know. You can also call the student absence reporting system at 1-844-434-8119. This number is available 24 hours a day. Complete attendance information can be found at this link: https://www.kprschools.ca/en/our-schools/attendance-and-absences.aspx
Our Parking Lot Before and After School
We recognize that our parking lot is a concern. We sometimes do not have enough spots for our staff. The bus company has also asked that we continue to have room for them to safely enter our parking lot. We kindly ask families to not enter our parking lot with your car as it becomes crowed and unsafe for our school buses. We know this is not ideal, especially in inclement weather, but we thank-you for your support with this!
Before and after school can be very busy with picking up and dropping off students with many little ones around. We have also been asked to remind everyone to watch the language we use during this time around our students. Thank-you!
ARRIVING AT SCHOOL...
Arriving by car? Cars will not be permitted in the school parking lot BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL. Students are to be dropped off on one of the side streets and can use the sidewalks to walk to a designated entrance.
Arriving by bus? A staff member will be at the bus drop-off location to assist students getting off of the bus and to greet students. Students will go directly to their designated entrance.
Arriving by foot? Students are to use the marked crosswalks when arriving at the school. A staff member will be monitoring the entrances.
Arriving by bike or scooter? Please park your bike/scooter at the racks on the left side of the front of the school and then proceed to the sidewalks to enter the yard. For safety reasons, students are NOT ALLOWED to ride bikes or scooters in our parking lot. Please make sure to walk them to the rack when on school property.
Late to school? If you arrive after the gates have been locked, please go directly to front of the school, press the buzzer and wait for further instructions.
Busing Information
Visitor Protocol at RNPS
Please ring the buzzer when arriving at the front door of the school and sign-in at the main office. We kindly ask that parents and caregivers not be in the hallways or going to classrooms during school hours unless they are volunteering.
Should you wish to speak with a teacher regarding your child’s progress, an appointment can be made by contacting the office or the teacher directly by email. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Your child’s safety and education is our number one priority.
Needing Backpacks??
All students should bring a refillable water bottle to school labelled with their name. We have water bottle filling stations and drinking fountains throughout the school. We have few water bottles available for those students requiring one, but supply is very limited.
Information about School Cash Online
Communication from Roger Neilson P.S.
Most communication from Roger Neilson and our KPR board office is delivered via text messaging or email. If you have not opted into these services and would like to, please do so. For text messaging, your cell number must be in our system. You can opt into text messages by simply texting the word “yes” to the number 978338. If your phone number or email is not registered in the school system, or you have changed your number, please call the school to update: 705-745-6456.
This Weekly Newsletter will be sent via email every Sunday evening, please check it for weekly updates!
NEWS FROM OUR KPR BOARD OFFICE!
Parent Involvement Committee Seeking Community Members
KPR’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is seeking three community members with an interest in public education, to serve on the committee for a one-year term, effective November 4, 2024. Those interested are invited to submit a letter of interest by 4:00pm on Monday, October 28, 2024. To learn more about this volunteer opportunity, visit our website: https://www.kprschools.ca/student-and-family-support/parent-corner/parent-involvement/
Code of Conduct:
Here is a link to our: School Code of Conduct
From The Community!
School Bell Times this Year!
9:10am - Morning Bell - Students Enter School
10:50 - 11:30 - Nutrition Break #1
1:10-1:50pm - Nutrition Break #2
3:30pm - Leaving Bell (Gates Open for Parents to Pick Students up on Yard)
Key Contacts:
Kevin Coulter
Email: kevin_coulter@kprdsb.ca
Website: rogerneilson.kprdsb.ca/
Location: 550 Erskine Avenue, Peterborough, ON, Canada
Phone: 705-745-6456 Twitter: @rogerneilson_ps
RNPS School Council Chairs 2024 - 2025:
Amanda Bush
Superintendent of Student Achievement:
Jodi Sepkowski
(705) 742-9773 ext. 2061
Trustees:
Rose Kitney
Steve Russell