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Principal Message
As we embark on 2026, we reflect back on 2025. For me, a year of change as you know I moved to Gladys Speers in the fall. In reflection, I am so thankful for and proud of the students and staff at our school who continue to work hard at both academics and being kind human beings. We have a very special school and I thank you for sending us such great kids each and every day. We hope that this newsletter finds you well, and you are enjoying the holiday season with your family.
As winter hits us, please ensure that your children are appropriately dressed for outdoor play at school. This includes our youngest and oldest students. As a reminder, if the temperatures dip below -20, we are required by board policy to keep students inside during break, however we will try to get students outside and active as much as possible. In addition, please keep in mind that supervision starts at 8:35 am, so students should not be arriving before then, and will not be permitted to enter the school until the 8:35 am bell. Please give yourselves extra time in the morning to ensure you are at school no later than 8:45am.
Please see below for several reminders, announcements and celebrations as we head into 2026.
Mr. G. Donaldson
Principal
John T. Tuck P.S.
Dance-a-thon
We are planning for our school's Dance-a-thon on Friday, February 6th this year. Parents and family members can make pledges using this link for their child to dance, dance, dance! All funds raised will be used by our Parent Council to support initiatives in the school that support students and their learning, including technology, robotics, outdoor play items, science materials and more! In honor of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano & Cortina and the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the parent council would like to host the Gladys Speers Parade of Nations Glow Dance on February 6th! This dance-a-thon will include an internationally represented parade, dancing (of course), Olympic themed dancing games, and snacks will be available to purchase. Details to follow over the month of January. We want to encourage students & staff to show their team spirit by dressing as an athlete, wearing a country’s colours, or wear Gladys Speers gear. Thank you to parent council for putting this event together for the students, while raising funds for the school.
Grade 5/6 Ski Trip
We are excited to share that Gladys Speers students in grades 5, & 6 will be invited to learn to ski at Chicopee Resort in Kitchener. It is our sincere hope that all students participate in ski lessons, and we know that most students have never skied before. Chicopee is a great learning facility for students. This year, we look forward to giving junior students the opportunity to continue to develop their skills, as each year they learn a little more! The trip has been booked for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and we will leave at 9:15am and return to school at approximately 6:45pm. The cost of the trip is $65, which includes the bus, lift ticket and ski rentals and is now available on School Cash Online (https://hdsb.schoolcashonline.com/). There is not a separate cost for students who choose to bring their own skis, and we encourage all students to rent to ensure there are no issues with lost or damaged personal items. A paper copy of the field trip form and OSBIE ski form has been sent home with students. Parents are welcome to come on the trip as a volunteer, however, they will need to pay $45 for their lift ticket and rentals. Should you be interested in volunteering, please email langdonk@hdsb.ca and we will create a fee on School Cash Online for parent volunteers, as long as you have a current police check and offence declaration on file at the office. If you have any questions, please connect with Mr Langdon, Mrs. Austin or your child's classroom teacher. Payment is due by January 20, 2026
Spirit Day
We had a blast seeing some great mittens to celebrate Winter on our December Spirit Day. Thank you to the Parent Council for also providing some hot chocolate and treats for the students too! In January, we have a Stuffed Animal spirit day on the last Friday of the month, January 30th. Students are invited to bring their favourite stuffed animal to school to show them all the learning they do at school while their stuffie is at home - mark your calendars! We hope our students enjoy the day.
School Council Meeting
On Monday, January 12th, we have our School Council Meeting at 7:00pm in the Library. All parents are welcome to attend. We will be looking at the council and school budgets, allocating Council Funds, finalizing the dance-a-thon plans and reviewing our Parent Involvement night for parent events. We look forward to connecting with our Parent Council!
Hero Burger Orders
At the end of the Mr. Sub session, we will be switching our Tuesday Lunch offering to Hero Burger. Parents are able to order on School Cash Online, and orders close on January 19th. Orders will remain the same for 10 weeks and be delivered on Tuesdays from January 27 to April 7th. All student orders are individually packaged and every student order includes ketchup, mustard, mayo packets, and napkins. The orders are 100% Halal and made with 100% Seasoned Angus Beef – free-range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free. The Grilled Chicken is Canadian-sourced and hormone-free, while the Soul Burger is a plant-based burger that is vegan-friendly. The buns are whole wheat buns with no sesame or poppy seeds. Please see below for a list of items you can purchase:
3oz Beef Burger ($7.00 per week)
3oz Beef Burger with a Gluten Free bun ($8.00 per week)
4oz Beef Burger ($8.00 per week)
4oz Beef Burger with a Gluten Free bun ($9.00 per week)
Grilled Chicken Fillet Burger ($9.00 per week)
Grilled Chicken Fillet Burger with a Gluten Free Bun ($10.00 per week)
Plant Based Soul Burger ($10.00 per week)
Plant Based Soul Burger with a Gluten Free Bun ($11.00 per week)
Chicken Fingers ($8.50 per week)
Hero Beef Hot Dog ($9.00 per week)
Potato Bites (10 pcs) ($3.00 per week)
EQAO Results
Each spring our grade three and grade six students participated in the Provincial Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. EQAO assessment questions are directly based on the expectations set out in The Ontario Curriculum, which is what teachers teach in the classroom every day. In December school results were made public, and we are proud of our students for consistently scoring above the board and province. The results are:
Grade 3 Reading: School: 83%, Board: 80%, Province: 74%
Grade 3 Writing: School: 60%, Board: 71%, Province: 65%
Grade 3 Mathematics: School: 77%, Board: 71%, Province: 64%
Grade 6 Reading: School: 96%, Board: 92%, Province: 86%
Grade 6 Writing: School: 98%, Board: 91%, Province: 85%
Grade 6 Mathematics: School: 66%, Board: 62%, Province: 51%
EQAO results are only a snapshot that shows trends in student learning, which are useful to consider when talking about ways to support a student’s success. The results are considered alongside other information, such as report card and classroom assessments, to help our staff focus on continuous school improvement. We look forward to June, when our current Grade 3 and 6 students have the opportunity to show off their skills!
Junior Volleyball
After a month of practicing the girls and boys volleyball teams are excited to put all their hard work to the test and play in some tournaments. The girls and boys team will both play January 8th at Emily Carr and the girls head to Maple Grove January 29th. The boys will play at River Oaks on January 15th and Maple Grove January 28th. More tournaments to come in February, go Gators!
PA Day - January 26
Elementary educators will be engaged in assessment and evaluation activities including report card writing on January 26th, and there will be no school for students. Please mark your calendars.
Pediculosis
As we come back from a winter break, and in the winter months, it is very important that parents/caregivers check their children’s heads once a week for head lice. Please do not wait for itchiness as a sign of head lice. Children can have head lice for many weeks before they feel itchy. You know you have head lice if you see:
Live lice in the hair. Head lice are tiny, wingless, greyish brown insects. They are difficult to see, as they move quickly when you part the hair.
Eggs of the head louse. Freshly laid eggs are glued to the shaft of the hair and are laid very close to the scalp of the head. The eggs are smaller than the head of a pin, oval in shape and grey to brown in colour. These eggs will hatch in 7-10 days.
Although head lice can lay eggs anywhere on the head, favourite spots are around the ears and the nape of the neck.
Head lice have nothing to do with lack of cleanliness – anyone can get head lice. They are a nuisance, but they do not cause illness. Head lice are not a public health problem because they do not transmit disease.
Live head lice:
○ Are greyish, six-legged insects that are 2 mm – 4 mm in length (as adults)
○ Can be difficult to see because they move quickly on the scalp
Head lice eggs:
○ Are very small – about half the size of a pinhead
○ Can be whitish-grey, tan or yellow in colour
○ Are glued to the hair shaft less than ½ inch away from the scalp
○ Can take about 7 - 10 days to hatch
Should your child have pediculosis, please let the school know and get treatment as soon as possible.
Inclement Weather Reminders
With the arrival of winter weather, families are encouraged to review the HDSB Inclement Weather Reminders to know how we communicate important updates about school closures and bus cancellations. A printable version of this information is also available. If your child is bused to school, please ensure you know which transportation zone you are located in. Let’s stay connected and safe this snowy season!
Kindergarten Registration
Do you have a child starting school in September 2026? Registration is underway for Kindergarten in the HDSB! The HDSB’s Kindergarten program provides children with a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success by developing curiosity, problem-solving and early literacy and math skills in a welcoming environment. Parents/guardians can register online or in-person. Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/8wnn9uv9
Out of Area Requests
Halton students seeking placement at schools other than their home schools, do so by way of Out of Area transfer requests. Applications for other schools are being accepted at your home school from December 1, 2025 - January 31, 2026. Not all schools are open to Optional Attendance. Gladys Speers is a closed school to out of area transfers. For a list of schools open to Out of Area requests and to obtain a copy of the registration form you can go to the HDSB website at www.hdsb.ca and view the Transfer Schools within Halton page. For an up to date listing, you can put your address in the HDSB School Finder.
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