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Hello Gator Families,
As we get into the colder weather, we have noticed a few things that need reminders for our parent community about parking lot safety. Please note that the parking lot is designated for staff and visitors to the school who are staying at school. Please ensure you park in the cut out on Samway drive, or another side street close to the school and walk the rest of the way, if not taking advantage of the Kiss & ride area, where parents do not get out of the car. When walking, it is essential for student safety that you do not walk through the parking lot to the back, but that you use the path on either side of the lot. For those visiting the school, please note that the entrance and exit are one way- the west side is enter only, and the east side is exit only.
As an example, last week we had a parent walked their child across the front lawn then right through the line of cars in front of the school. Drivers are not expecting pedestrians in our lot and someone could easily be hit. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to student safety during morning drop off, and ensuring students are on time to enter at the back of the school at 8:45am.
We have a busy November, so please take some time to read our updates below, including some exciting community events such as Family Portrait Night, Family Skate Day, and our Halloween Parade! Have a nifty November!
Mr. G. Donaldson
Principal
Gladys Speers PS
Progress Report Cards
Progress Report Cards and Kindergarten Communication of Learning will be coming home on November 17. This snapshot will help parents understand their child's early progress so far this year, with a more fulsome report card coming in February to capture the learning from Term 1. Your child's homeroom teacher will also be in touch with you to set up a time for an in-person student-led conference during the week of November 24-28. This Student-led conference is an opportunity for our Kindergarten to Grade 8 students to show off the great things they are doing in their classrooms this fall, in addition to self-reflecting on goals for the year. If you would like to discuss any concerns with your child's classroom teacher, please connect at a time outside of the Student-led conference. We look forward to celebrating our learning with you!
Parent Council Update
At our first parent council meeting, we had some great discussion and formed the new council for this year. Please check our website for more details about the group who is on the council this year. At the October meeting we also looked at a variety of events planned for this year. The group has decided to no longer participate in the Holiday market after it has lost money in the past. In place of this community event, we are looking to add other events such as Family Skating, Movie Nights in the Gym, and other events throughout the year for students and families. Our next meeting is on Monday, November 3rd at 7:00pm in the school library. Please note that all parents are welcome to attend any parent council meeting.
Family Portrait Night
Pegasus Images is pleased to partner with our school to host a family portrait night! With less options in the community, we felt that some families might look for an opportunity to make memories through a Family Portrait, in time to share with friends and families this holiday season! Each family will receive 6 poses to choose from, and can order a variety of packages. Due to possible allergens, family pets are unable to be accommodated in the sitting. We have limited sessions for Wednesday, November 5th at the school from 3:30pm to 8:00pm, so book your 10-minute session online today. A $10 non-refundable fee will be charged at the time of booking to secure your spot: https://pegasus-si.com/school-appointments/21gsper2727/. Bookings are first come, first serve, and only a couple of spots remain.
Family Skating Day
We are pleased to offer in partnership with our Parent Council, and opportunity for students and families to attend a free Gladys Speers Family Skate at Sixteen Mile Arena on Sunday, November 9th, from 2:00pm-3:00pm (Pad #2). Please note that no student should be attending the family skate without their parent present for supervision, and all participants under the age of 18 must be wearing a properly fitted (as per manufacturer's guidelines) and properly worn CSA approved helmet. Please do not drop students off, as there may not be supervision from the Gladys Speers staff for the hour, therefore the Gladys Speers staff would not be responsible in case of injury. Lastly, please keep in mind that you need to reiterate with your child the need for extra caution and control on the ice, including common procedures, such as skating in same direction during a free skate. In addition, students should be wearing wearing properly-fitted skates, gloves or mitts and need to transport skates safely. We look forward to a fun community event together.
Monthly Spirit Days
After consultation, we have decided to hold monthly Spirit Days this year, rather than a spirit week before a holiday break. We hope this creates less stress in households at a busy time, while also allowing our school to show their spirit while focusing on community and connection as part of our Board Improvement Plan. Our first Spirit Day will be the costume day on October 31st, but in November we will be having a "Patterns Day" on November 21st. We ask students to wear Plaid, Stripes, Polka dots, you choose - maybe wear as many patterns as possible! Patterns don't match? Even better! All Spirit Days are listed in the calendar on our website and we encourage participation to help develop school spirit, community and connection.
Costume Parade
On Friday, we plan to have a Costume Parade for all of our students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 who choose to wear their costume to school on Friday, October 31. Students can come to school dressed in their costumes for the first two periods of the day, or can wear Orange and Black. It is expected that students in costume have a change of clothes so that they are out of their costumes by the end of first nutrition break to ensure the costume does not get damaged before the evening events at home. As a rule, students should not be wearing any masks during the morning, except for during the parade itself. In addition, please think carefully about the props that you send with costumes to ensure that nothing gets damaged, or nothing is too scary for our younger children, could be used as a weapon, or is insensitive to ethnic, religious, racial or gender identity groups. If you do not celebrate Halloween and do not wish to have your child participate in the Halloween parade, please let your child's teacher know in advance so that we can organize an alternate activity. Parents are welcome to watch the parade from our Gymnasium. We will have benches and chairs set up in the middle of the gym and the parade will go around the outside of the gym. We will have the front door open for parents to access the gymnasium, and parents will not need to sign in at the office. We plan on starting the parade at 9:00am, just after announcements.
Remembrance Day
On Tuesday, November 11th, Gladys Speers will be recognizing Remembrance Day with a whole school assembly. Our assembly will begin at 9:00 am in the gym with the singing of O'Canada and reading of the Land Acknowledgement. Poppies will be available in the office with a donation and each student will receive a poppy sticker, which they will wear during our assembly. Our assembly will be about 45 minutes in length with different classes contributing, including our choir. Through our assembly and various classroom activities our students will gain an understanding of the contributions and sacrifices made by various groups of people toward providing the freedoms we currently enjoy.
Picture Retake Day
We have Pegasus Imaging coming in on Friday, November 14th for Picture retakes. If your child was away for the original picture day, or if there was an issue with the first picture, students who require a photograph will have the opportunity on November 14th in the morning.
JungleSport
Just a reminder that Junglesport is coming to our school November 24-27! Junglesport is a mobile climbing jungle that all students from K-6 will have access to throughout the week as they Physical Education for the week. The schedule will be slightly different than normal Phys Ed days, and homeroom teachers will let students know their times. We thank Parent Council for supporting this initiative in our school. Permission forms will need to be signed and returned to school in order for your child to participate, and will be sent home later this month.
Bullying Prevention Week
The month of November is a time where we highlight the importance of Bullying Awareness and Prevention during the week of November 16-20th. At Gladys Spear, and within the HDSB we have a commitment to our ongoing work in anti-bullying and fostering a safe, inclusive and caring environment for all of our students and families. We have invited The Sadait Show to visit our school to facilitate a bullying prevention session for our students on November 19th. We appreciate the support from home to continue the conversation about the importance of anti-bullying work as a school and in our community.
Music Updates
Our choir has been busy practicing each week, and students in choir from grades 1–6 will perform “Peaceful” by Teresa Jennings at our Remembrance Day ceremony, sharing a heartfelt message of kindness, unity, and hope through song—a reminder that peace begins with each of us. Students in grades 1–6 will also come together to perform “O Canada” in sign language at our Remembrance Day ceremony, offering a heartfelt and inclusive tribute that honors those who served and celebrates unity and respect. Lastly, students in grades 4–6 are beginning their recorder unit in music. Please check your child’s Google Classroom for an important letter with details about materials and expectations.
Flag Football Team
For the first time, Gladys Speers had a Grade 5/6 Flag Football Team. The team prepared well, practicing for a few weeks after the Grades 4-6 Flag Football Intramural was complete. They opened up the tournament on October 15th with a tough match against Mohawk Gardens PS, taking the loss. However, the team rebounded very well and finished with three straight wins against Makwendam PS, Maplehurst PS and Munn's PS to finish the day with three wins and only one loss - good enough for a tie for 5th place out of 20 schools. Way to go, Gators!
Cross Country Team
Congratulations to our Cross Country team, who travelled to Sherwood Forest to compete in our meet this year on October 8th. Students in grade 3 to Grade 6 worked hard and represented our school well. Below are the team results for the Gators who earned a ribbon for a top 6 place:
Grade 3 boys: 1st place
Grade 4 boys: 2nd place
Grade 5 girls: 4th place
Grade 5 boys: 3rd place
Grade 6 girls: 3rd place
Grade 6 boys: 2nd place
Doodle Club
Grade 1 and 2 Doodle Club has started! Do you like to draw and colour? Then this is the club for you! Each week you will be shown a cartoon doodle of an animal which you can use in your drawings or draw your own thing. Please bring a pencil/eraser. Paper and colouring materials will be available for you to use, or feel free to bring your own markers, crayons or pencil crayons. We started last Tuesday with a puppy doodle. I wonder what it will be this week? If students want to join in, it will be on Tuesday during the second half of the second break in room 18 (Mr.s Johnson's room). See you there! -- Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Morton, Mrs. Agada, Mrs. Torano
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
Parent Involvement Committee Conference
The HDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) invites parents/guardians and community members to attend the upcoming Parent Involvement Committee Conference on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Elsie MacGill Secondary School in Milton. The theme for this year’s event is Embrace. Engage. Celebrate: Building Welcoming Communities Together. This free event will feature informative workshops, community partners and displays and a keynote address by Pardeep Nagra, Human Rights & Equity Advisor at the HDSB. Lunch will be provided and child minding is available at no cost for Kindergarten-age children up to 12 years of age. Morning refreshments and a light lunch are also provided. Transportation may be available for attendees who require it to travel from various areas within Halton to the conference. Learn more and register by Friday, Oct. 31: https://tinyurl.com/az3tmdx6
Coyotes in the Neighborhood
As you may already be aware, we coexist with Coyotes in the Gladys Speers area. Creeks and forest areas are great places for coyotes to live among urban sprawl. Some years, they will come out more than others. We have had a couple of sightings by neighbours in our community this year, therefore it is essential for you to have conversations with your children about how to handle themselves if they see a coyote, as well as tips to ensure coyotes do not become domesticated. Please see this link for more information on tips for kids - https://www.oakville.ca/home-environment/pets-wildlife/coyotes/. There is a lot of information in the link, but in a nutshell, here is "What to Do If a Coyote Approaches": Coyote sightings are commonplace. If you see a coyote, keep your distance and the animal will most likely avoid you. If you encounter an aggressive coyote:
Shout loudly and wave your arms high in the air.
Use hazing techniques: Air horns, whistles, etc
Back away slowly while remaining calm. Never run or turn your back on a coyote.
Never feed coyotes
For quick tips and more information, please visit the Coyotes page on oakville.ca or watch this short video.
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