January 17, 2025
January 17, 2025
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Dear families,
Welcome back to school! We hope you had a good winter break and enjoyed some family time. Our first week back has been fun and eventful.
Jacqui Du Toit, a storyteller who originally comes from South Africa, has been working with our students to create their own stories about who they are and their heritage. She performed for our Grade 1-3 students earlier this week and they really enjoyed listening to her story about the colours of the rainbow. We will hold a storytelling event after the residency concludes where our students will be able to share their own stories! More details to come.
On Thursday we had a Hoop Dancer come to perform for us. His name is Scott Sixkiller Sinquah and he comes from the Phoenix, Arizona area where he represents the Gila River Pima, Hopi/Tewa, Cherokee & Choctaw Nations. His performance included drumming, singing, flute playing and dancing with up to 20 hoops! It was mesmerizing and the students really enjoyed it.
The weather has been very cold this week so we have had some indoor recesses. We try to ensure students get as much outdoor time as possible, but when the weather is dangerous we make sure to keep them inside! Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather at all times - that includes snow pants, mittens or gloves, hats and warm boots as well as a warm jacket.
Thank you, Mrs. Shaver - Principal & Ms. Wawryn - Vice Principal
Make Music, Make Friends with OrKidstra in Heron Gate!
Join OrKidstra’s FREE and fun after-school music program in the heart of Heron Gate! OrKidstra is a social development program that empowers kids and builds community through the universal language of music. Programming includes KiddlyWinks for children ages 5-8 (a fun music and movement program) and KidSingers/KidStarters for children and youth ages 8+ (a fun choir program plus an intro to the world of musical instruments). OrKidstra’s After-School Program in Heron Gate is now accepting applications for our Winter/Spring term which will run on Mondays and Wednesdays between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM from early February through early June 2025 at the Heron Gate Community Hub (2850 Cedarwood Dr., side entrance) – delicious and nutritious snacks included! All families living in the Heron Gate neighbourhood and surrounding areas are welcome to apply.
Want to experience the magic and music of OrKidstra before signing up? Join us for our FREE “OrKidstra Heron Gate Hub Winter Celebration” at 6 PM on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, in the Cafeteria at Ridgemont High School (2597 Alta Vista Drive). Tickets are not required!
Ready to join OrKidstra for after-school musical fun? Apply today at https://orkidstra.ca/apply
If you have any questions about the OrKidstra program or the Winter Celebration, please contact OrKidstra at programadmin@orkidstra.ca
January 16 - Parent Council Meeting, 4:30 pm
January 6 - 28 - Storytelling Residency with Jacqui Du Toit
January 31 - PD Day. No School.
Snowsuit fund
Snowsuit fund
The Snowsuit Fund provides new snowsuits to children aged 0-15 who are residents of Ottawa and in need of snowsuits. Eligibility criteria include proof of the child's age, household income, and address. Families can apply for the program by appointment only through the Snowsuit Fund website. There is a $10 fee to help cover administrative costs.
Prince of Peace school, also has access to some snowsuits. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Please sign up!
Prince of Peace School has partnered with Kids Up Front Ottawa to provide kids (and their families) with free tickets to Ottawa based sporting events, concerts, theater, arts and more!
Interested? Complete this form: Tickets: Kids Up Front 24/25
This is a new form for the 24/25 School Year. Even if you had access last year, please sign up again!
Volunteer with us!
Click here to submit your vulnerable sector check and become a volunteer at the school!
Prince of Peace School Council
School Council meets on the second Thursday of every month. We are looking for new members/parents to help us plan and organize fun events, support fundraising efforts and make decisions on behalf of the school community. For more information or to sign up to get involved, click here. Our next meeting is January 15 at 4:30.
Drop Off and Pick Up by Car
The safety of our community is paramount to the school. To assist in getting all of our students safely dropped off and picked up, we would ask that ALL parents follow these procedures.
No children should be dropped off before 9:00 am. The school does not open until this time. No child should be left outside unsupervised.
Please do not park in the bus lane and do not enter the parking lot at the beginning or end of the day. This is for the safety of all of our staff and students.
Please yield to ALL buses as they have priority to drop off students and continue with their routes.
End-of-Day Pick-Up
Parents must sign out their child at the end of the day by coming into the office and signing out in the binder provided.
Please note that our parking lot is closed and reserved for our vans and special needs families.
Do not park in the bus lane. That is reserved for special transportation vans and buses only.
Knowing Your Child's Plans is Key
To maximize safety and efficiency, we kindly ask that you notify the school by 3:15 PM if your child's dismissal plans differ from their usual routine. After such time we cannot guarantee that messages will be received. This includes:
Being picked up by a parent or another guardian
Going to after-school care instead of a bus
If more than one pickup is occurring during the week, a daily email will be needed
By letting us know your child's plan in advance, our staff can prepare dismissal lists and ensure a seamless transition from the classroom to their designated pickup point.
Benefits of Early Notification
Knowing your child's dismissal plan allows us to:
Reduce confusion and anxiety for students during dismissal.
Expedite the dismissal process, minimizing wait times for everyone.
Ensure the safety of all students by verifying authorized pickups.
How to Communicate Your Child's Plans
There are a few easy ways to let us know about your child's dismissal plans:
Email the school at: prince.peace@ocsb.ca
Call the school office before 3:15 PM.
Dismissal Procedure:
The window for end-of-day pick-up is strictly between 3:40 and 3:45 pm. This is to minimize interruptions to the classroom and allow staff to safely prepare for the end of the day.
Please note that students will not be released before 3:40 pm unless there is a pre-arranged need for an earlier departure (e.g., sports practice, dental appointments, etc.).
If students are being picked up for a special appointment or a sports practice, we ask that you email the school that morning at prince.peace@ocsb.ca. For safety, we ask that you choose a pick-up time of 3:40 pm or before 3:20 pm. Students will not be called out of class between 3:20 pm and 3:40 pm.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and efficient dismissal process.
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