It's a big week ahead! Soccer Club, running club, picture day, hot lunches, Terry Fox event PLUS all the learning that happens in our school day! Get lots of rest Bulldogs so that you can enjoy a fun week ahead.
A reminder to our grown-ups that Parent Council Elections happen this Tuesday in the library at 7:00pm - we hope to see you there! Nomination forms and information can be found below.
PICTURE DAY is coming! - Lifetouch will be coming to do school photos on Friday, September 26th. Information slips are coming home in agendas.
TERRY FOX RUN/WALK/ROLL - Our annual Terry Fox event will be held on Friday, September 26th at 2pm. Our community is encouraged to join us as we move together as a school community and work towards something bigger than ourselves. If you would like to donate to cancer research through our Winston Terry Fox page, you can do so HERE.
HOT LUNCHES
Our hot lunch program run by Parent Council will begin again soon! Orders are placed at through LunchBox at www.lunchboxorders.net and our first orders are DUE Sept. 21st at noon.
Lunch deliveries are Tuesday-Friday at our second nutritional break (1:05-1:25) Council has set up the following options:
- Tony’s on Tuesdays (subs, wraps, chicken fingers)
- Paradiso pasta Wednesdays
- Dominos Pizza Thursdays
- Edo Japan Fridays.
Click here for a full Lunch Box Guide on how to order. How to Order Guide
A HUGE thank you to our Parent Council for setting up this service for kids and families. If there is someone who would like to volunteer to meet lunches here to help with distribution, please contact council at wcps.council@gmail.com
PARENT COUNCIL - WE NEED YOUR VOICE!
We will be looking to increase engagement in our Parent Council and would love for you to consider attending some meetings, or volunteering for some events, if you are able. Our Parent Council is a wonderful support and resource for our school and we appreciate all they do to support students, programming, staff and families. Our first ELECTIONS MEETING will be September 23rd at 7pm. Please consider joining us. A detailed email went home earlier this week. Their contact is wcps.council@gmail.com
SCHOOL SAFETY - Please Close the Gates
We encourage families to drop children off at the school gates, rather than coming onto the school yard in the morning. For the safety of students, we are trying to ensure that the gates remain closed. If you do need to be on the yard, please ensure you close the gate (Earl Street Gate and McDonnell Street gate) when you leave.
SAFE ARRIVAL, School Messenger and School Day
Please continue to call in to Safe Arrival, or mark your students' late/absent in the Safe Arrival App to ensure that you don't get unwanted phone calls. The system will automatically call out if you have not marked your student as being away/late. Current contact information is necessary to ensure you get school emails/texts/calls and aren't missing out. Please call the office so that our Office Administrator can update your information as needed - thank you. Information for Safe Arrival, School Messenger and School Day (online payment and permissions) is below. .
FALL OPEN HOUSE
On October 8th, we will host a drop-in meet and greet with our educators after school hours. We look forward to welcoming families inside to see your child's learning space. We will be hosting a Scholastic Book fair in the library during the week of October 6-9th (10th is a PA Day) and will welcome families into the book fair October 8th from 4:30-6:30pm.
Here's to another wonderful week moving forward. Once again, thank you for your support and collaboration.
Yours in Partnership and Education,
Joanne Borges, Principal
Coming Up for Week 4
Monday, September 22nd - Day 4
- After school running club - pick up at 4:15pm
- Parent council nominations due by noon
Tuesday, September 23rd - Day 5
Soccer Club - 8:00am on the field- Grade 4,5,6 with permission slips. The club will run for 3 weeks Tues/Thurs 8am-8:45am
- Running Club Practice!- 10:45am
- Parent Council Elections Meeting - 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 24th (Day 1)
Thursday, September 25th (Day 2)
- Soccer Club - 8:00am on the field- Grade 4,5,6 who have handed in their permission slips
- Running Club practice- 1:05pm
Friday, September 26th (Day 3)
- Picture Day!
- Terry Fox Walk/Run/Roll School Event! Donation link is here!
Looking Ahead....
September
30th- Truth and Reconciliation - Every Child Matters (Orange Shirt Day)
October
2nd - Brave Education workshops - Primary classes (Boulieris, Gladstone, Powers) -Setting Healthy Boundaries
6th-9th - Scholastic Book Fair (in library)
8th - Meet the Educators Open House 4:30-6:30
10th - PA Day
13th - No School - Thanksgiving Monday
16th - Fort Henry Road Race
Families are invited to participate in the child care and early years service system plan. You can do this by clicking HERE.
Ontario Ministry of Education Human Development and Sexual Health Information
As part of LDSB's commitment to ongoing transparency and communication with families, please follow the link to Form 325-D on the LDSB website. It outlines the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations for Grades 1-8. Families can request to have their child or children exempted from instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations by completing and returning an exemption form for each child (Form 325-B) five school days before the start of instruction. Prior to instruction, your child's classroom teacher will inform parents/guardians when the expectations related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Strand D will be covered. For a more detailed overview of this process, please refer to Administrative Procedure 325: Exemption From Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction (listed under the Policies and Procedures section of the LDSB website), or contact the school.
Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade
Please find below a list of Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education, 2019. The Ministry of Education provides additional information about Human Development and Sexual Health on its website at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html
Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade
Request for Exemption from Instruction in Human Development & Sexual Health
Classroom teachers will be sending home a letter (Form 235-A). Form 325-A is a formal notification to families indicating when instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health will occur.
Daily Schedule
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:45 to 9:05 a.m. | Supervision on the yard |
9:05 a.m. | Bell rings, students enter the school |
9:05 to 10:45 a.m. | First instructional block |
10:45 to 11:05 a.m. | First nutrition break |
11:05 to 11:25 a.m. | Recess |
11:25 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. | Second instructional block |
1:05 to 1:25 p.m. | Second nutrition break |
1:25 to 1:45 p.m. | Recess |
1:45 to 3:25 p.m. | Third instructional block |
3:25 p.m. | Dismissal |
Winston's All-Star Tentative Staffing Line-Up
JK/SK- Ms. Mardicis, Ms. Hawley (ECE)
JK/SK- Ms. Moorehead, Ms. Samas (ECE)
Grade 1/2 - Ms. Boulieris
Grade 1/2 - Ms. Gladstone
Grade 2 - Ms. Powers
Grade 3 - Ms. Johnston
Grade 3/4 - Ms. Rochefort
Grade 4/5 - Ms. Gencarelli
Grade 5/6 – Ms. Koebel
Grade 5/6 - Mr. Pottery (AM)/Mr. Hardy (PM)
Core French – M Fleet/Mme Parson
Planning Time –Ms. van Staaldhuinen
Student Support Teacher - Ms. Lamarche
Intensive Support Teacher - Ms. Abraham
Educational Assistants: Ms. Williamson (Ms. W), Ms. Basconcillo (Ms. Grace), Ms. Raison (Ms. Alaina), Mr. Veley (Chase), Ms. Prosser (Ms. Morgan), Ms. Traynor (Ms. T), .5 EA - Ms. Aiello (Ms. Rachael), Orchid/lunch supervisor - Ms. McPhedran
Student Support Counsellor - Ali O'Hearn-Keogh (1.5 days/week - Wednesday/Friday AM)
Custodial Team - Sean Cockerham/Zach Gauvreau
Office Administrator - Lori Hanley
Principal - Ms. Joanne Borges
School Superintendent - Mr. Mike Blackburn
How Can I get Information From the School?
LDSB schools and school board use School Messenger to send key messages, alerts, and general communication to families. Winston uses this platform and will continue to use our Bulldog Family Bulletin to provide updates to families. This newsletters are where we will share school-specific information and highlights of student work and events in the building and is generated on our school website. This newsletter is also sent out via School Messenger so that you receive it in your in-box (sign up for alerts - email or text).
SchoolMessenger App: Download the SchoolMessenger App to stay connected. Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app. *New families will be able to create their account after the first day of attendance.
The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account.
School Day Online Payments and Permissions
We are paperless and cashless at Winston. We use the platform School Day for online payments (field trips, milkshake days, etc) and for digital permission slip signatures. ALL families are required to sign up using their child's individual match key that will be provided within the first weeks of school. Please direct families to the office if they are having trouble signing up or registering with School Day.
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
Allergen Awareness - Nut-Free School
Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.
Bus Requests are Through Triboard.ca
Most children in our community are within walking distance to our school and we encourage active transportation (biking, walking, scooter). Bike racks are located on the grass outside the gate of the main playground. Please encourage children to NOT cut through the parking lot as this is a busy place in the mornings and after school. Children who are out of school boundary are not guaranteed busing and families should arrange for drop off at 9:05 am and pick up at 3:25 pm. There is no supervision on the yard after 3:25 so it is important that pick ups are punctual. Morning supervision begins at 8:45am.
