Northumberland Hills Newsletter

September

WELCOME BACK NORTHUMBERLAND HILLS

The start of a new school year always brings a sense of fresh possibilities and excitement, and this year is no exception. I’m thrilled to be joining the Northumberland Hills community, where I’m confident it will be an amazing year filled with enriching experiences. With our fantastic community of students, educators, and families, I look forward to diving into a year of engaging learning, new discoveries, and plenty of fun. Here’s to a year full of growth and memorable moments for all of us!

Bell Times

This is a friendly reminder that bell times at Northumberland Hills PS are 9:30 AM start time and 3:50 PM end time. It is important to note that supervision on the schoolyard begins at 9:15 AM. To help us ensure the continued safety of all students, please do not drop off your child(ren) prior to this time.

The First Day of School: Tuesday, September 3, 2024

On the first day of school, all students will be greeted by staff at the back of the school. Teachers will have signs with their names and grades on them located where students will line up. There will be adults with orange vests and class lists to help your child find their teacher.

JK Staggered Entry

To families of our new JK students: staggered entry for JK students will commence during the first week of school. All JK students will begin full-time attendance on Friday, September 6, 2024. Classroom teachers have already communicated detailed information about timing and schedules for the JK staggered entry process with families, but don't hesitate to contact the school with any questions. As always, all SK students will commence full-time attendance on the first day of school.

Plan of Care Medical Forms

Plan of Care Medical Forms will be sent home to families this week. An updated Plan of Care is crucial as it provides the staff at Northumberland Hills PS with reasonable precautions and actions to support the health and/or medical needs of your child(ren). Please ensure all the information is correct and have your family Doctor sign the form before returning it to the school as soon as possible. If we have any further questions, we will contact you to discuss your child(ren)'s medical needs. If your child(ren) requires a Plan of Care Medical Form, and you do not have one, please contact the school.

Please also watch for a package in your child's backpack this week, which includes the following:

Student Registration Verification – Please review the information and mark any corrections/updates that are needed and sign.
Information and Communications Release – Please select Yes/No as appropriate, sign and date.

Please return the document package to the school as soon as possible.

School Code of Conduct: Updates and Interim Guidelines

Please click the following link to review the KPR Code of Conduct Interim Guidelines. In addition to addressing a variety of other topics, this document provides new information on personal mobile/electronic devices in schools. As you may have already heard, new provincial government legislation has resulted in changes to the use of mobile devices in schools. A mobile device is any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate or access the Internet, such as a laptop, cellphone, tablet or smart watch.

In order to ensure a focused and engaging learning environment, KPR elementary schools will require all personal mobile devices be stored out of view and powered off (or set to silent mode) throughout the full instructional day, except when explicitly permitted by an educator or under specific circumstances outlined within the provided guidelines. While we understand that these changes may be difficult, please know that creating and maintaining a protected space for learning in our classrooms is our goal. Please don't hesitate to contact the school with any questions or concerns.

All school websites have been updated with the Code of Conduct – Interim Guidelines.

STSCO - Transportation Opt-In

This message is from STSCO ~ to Opt-in for transportation, please continue to visit our website www.stsco.ca to determine your eligibility for transportation and to create a parent portal account (using the email address that you provided to the school when you registered your student). It takes about 72 hours for the student information to be transferred from the school to STSCO and be reflected in the parent portal. Once you can see your student in the parent portal, you can proceed with submitting an Opt-in request. For further information, or if you have any questions, please check the STSCO website or reach out directly to STSCO at Info@STSCO.ca or at 1-800-757-0307 or (705) 748-5500.

School Messenger App/Website

Please continue to use School Messenger to report student absences. School Messenger is a quick and convenient way to sign students out, in a manner that also ensures student safety throughout morning arrival procedures and daily attendance. Please see the following resource to help set up and use School Messenger: School Messenger – Parent Resource