Principal's Update:

Leadership is alive and well at Chalmers. Throughout the month of October, members of our Chalmers Leadership Council have been working very hard to promote, collect, and count the non-perishable and canned food items that have been donated as part of our We Scare Hunger initiative. All donations raised will be given to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank to support families in our community.

I would like to thank all of our students, staff, and families for participating in this important initiative. I also commend our student leaders for coming up with this event and carrying out all of the hard work and organization behind the scenes.

While we are still collecting hard candy items for the Canadian Food for Children initiative, we have raised 1132 food items for the Self-Help Food Bank. Thank you to all Chalmers staff who were involved in guiding our students through this action project.

As it relates to visitors in the school, thank you for your continued cooperation with signing-in at the office. If you’ve made arrangements to meet with a staff member or are volunteering in the school, we will provide you with a visitor’s pass. Please remember to submit your Vulnerable Sector Check to the main office. Your VSC will be valid for twelve months and will enable you to participate in a wide-range of volunteer opportunities that will positively contribute to the student experience at Chalmers. Thank you for being a valuable member of the Cougar team.

School and board communication has shifted to an electronic medium. The WRDSB is promoting the use of School Day to share information related to school events and activities. At Chalmers, we are working towards getting more families signed-up to ensure that everyone is staying informed and connected. Creating an account on school-day.com is quick and easy. All it requires is an email address and your child’s OEN number (this can be found on your child’s Report Card or you can contact the office for assistance). In addition to sharing our monthly Cougar Report on School Day, we will also be introducing the sale of Chalmers’ spirit wear in the near future, as well as special food days (e.g., Pizza Day).

Now that we’ve reset the clocks, we know that cooler weather is on the horizon. With the shift in seasons, we are excited to share with you that we are in the early planning stages of our winter concert. Stay tuned for further details! Similar to other school events, we will be opening our doors to families and invite you to enjoy this experience with staff and students.

Go Cougars!

Jeff Johnson, Principal

Progress Report Card/Parent-Teacher Interviews/November 16th PD Day:

Friday, November 16th will be a PD Day for all students in WRDSB. The morning portion for staff will be devoted to professional learning in relation to School Improvement Planning. In the afternoon, staff will participate in parent-teacher interviews focused on the Progress Reports. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are interested in arranging an interview. Progress Reports will be sent home on November 12th.

Drop-off and Pick-up Routines:

Our instructional day begins at 9:20am and concludes at 3:40pm. It is important that your child gets into the routine of arriving on time, engages in our morning routine on a consistent basis, and participates in the full learning experience for the purpose of supporting their overall well-being and academic development. When possible, please try to book appointments outside of the school day. In addition to the busyness of dismissal, regularly signing-out a child within the last twenty minutes of the afternoon is disruptive to the learning that is taking place in the classroom.

We also kindly ask that during dismissal, parents and family members wait behind the gate beside the gym doors or at the end of the portapak. We have several kindergarten classes engaged in outdoor play during the last period of the day, and it is imperative that staff and students are able to interact and learn within a safe and secure learning space. In the coming weeks, you will notice line markings painted on the ground outside of the primary doors and also at the end of the portapak (in addition to signage). We appreciate your cooperation in waiting in these designated areas to pick-up your children.

Staff Changes:

As a school team, we are excited to announce that Ms. Katelyn Cook (who has been the teacher in 3A since October) has been hired as the LTO teacher in 3A for the remainder of the school year. Please join us in welcoming, Ms. Cook!

Immunization of School Pupils Act:

Please ensure that your child’s immunization records are up to date. Public Health will be sending home notices between November and January, and suspension orders will be issued three weeks before the suspension date. Final reminders will be sent one week prior to the beginning of the suspension. Immunization information must be submitted directly to the Region of Waterloo Public Health.

Remembrance Day:

On Friday, November 9th at 9:40am we will be holding our Remembrance Day ceremony in our gymnasium. Family and community members are welcome to attend our service on Friday. Please arrive prior to 9:30am to sign-in at the office and to ensure that sufficient seating is available.

Parent Group:

Our next Parent Group meeting will be taking place on Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30pm in the library. Participating in these discussions is a great way to connect with other parents in our community, and stay informed of everything that's happening throughout our school. It's also a chance for you to share your perspective and ideas in relation to the student learning experience at Chalmers.

I would like to thank our Parent Group for their organization of this year's Chocolate Bar Fundraiser. If you have any remaining chocolate bars at home, please ensure that the product or money is returned to the office by Tuesday, November 13th. Outstanding product not returned will become an expense to the school and will take away from the fundraising money raised by this initiative.

“Fill a Bag for $5” in Partnership with Value Village:

Once again we will be hosting a fall used clothing sale in partnership with the local Value Village. The event will be held after school on Thursday, November 15th in our gym (3:40-6:00pm). Proceeds raised by our “Fill a Bag for $5” clothing sale will not only support our families and community members but will also serve as a Parent Group fundraiser.

Scholastic Book Fair at Chalmers:

Parent Group will also be running our Scholastic Book Fair in the library from during school hours from Monday, November 12th to Monday, November 19th. The Book Fair will also be open on Thursday, November 15th in the evening and in the afternoon on Friday, November 16th from 12:00-3:30pm.