Embedded Files
Hello Gator Families,
We are excited to welcome our students back to school this fall, and look forward to meeting any new students to our school. As we start up another school year, we ask that you take the time to read through our reminders below. We will look to email our monthly "Gator Gazette" to ensure important information gets to parents. We will also update our school website to include past copies of the Gator Gazette for reference. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher. Please see below for September's updates!
Mr. G. Donaldson
Principal
Gladys Speers PS
School Schedule
It is an expectation that all students are at their entry door at the back of the school, no later that 8:45am. Students in Grades 4-6 will enter beginning at 8:35am, and students in Grades 1-3 will enter at 8:45am. No students will be allowed in the front doors of the building until after our Morning announcements, so please ensure that you are on time each day. Any student who comes to school after the morning announcements will be required to sign in late at the office. Entry will be permitted to the building at the back of the school until 8:50am, and morning announcements will likely conclude around 9:00am.
Communication & Social Media
We will continue to send home editions of the “Gator Gazette” electronically at the beginning of each month. Valuable information may also be found on our updated website at gla.hdsb.ca. Also, Please follow us on our new Instagram page @gladysspeers! We will use this as an additional tool to communicate with our parent community about what is happening at the school, as well as celebrate the great things happening at our school.
Multilingual Story Time
Welcome back families to another amazing school year. If you can speak and read another language and wish to come into the school to read a book to some of the amazing students at Gladys Speers, please fill out the Multilingual Storytime form. Our English as an Additional Language Teacher, Mrs. Witton, will reach out to you to set up a date and time for you to come in an read to a small cohort of students.
Parking
Accessible parking is available at the front of the school. Permits are required to use these spots. Our parking lot is reserved for staff and for essential visitors to our school who will be staying at the school for some time. Please arrange drop off/pick up with your child either on a side street adjacent to the school, but we encourage walking to/from school and using the school bus if eligible. As a reminder, please follow signage that indicates no stopping or no parking (i.e., you can stop, but must remain in your car). Our students can enter and exit our school grounds through the sides and back of the school, but must stay out of the parking lot for safety. We also ask that our walking parents and students do not cross through our parking lot as they head to the back of the school for entry and pick up.
Kiss & Ride
If it is essential that you drive your child(ren) to school for drop off in our kiss & ride area, please ensure you only enter on the west side of the school, following the one-way signage. As you pull up, please ensure you come all the way to the end of the kiss & ride area. Do not get out of your car, but have your children exit the car only on the side closest to the building to ensure they are not exiting your car into the laneway. Please note that this area is used for our school buses and if you are behind the bus, please be patient and do not pass the bus (or other cars) in the kiss & ride areas. These expectations are essential to ensure the safety of our students. Please ensure you give enough time to have your child walk to the back of the school after being dropped off.
Start-up Forms
All families were sent an email on Monday, directing them to fill out the first set of Start up Forms online. We currently have 148 of 300 students already filled out - Thank you! If you have not done so already, please take some time to fill it out ASAP. Thank you for your assistance in gathering this information here - https://forms.gle/aoNPHPZdEYwj3FVeA.
Medical Conditions - Plan of Care
All students with a prevalent medical condition (i.e., anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy) are required to have their Plan of Care document reviewed and updated every school year. If you have not yet filled out the annual review medical forms for the upcoming school year please see the forms below and email our Mrs. Risidore (risidorec@hdsb.ca) as soon as possible to ensure that your child’s Medical Plan of Care documents and information have been updated. We also require updated medical prescriptions to be brought with your child or dropped off at the main office. We ask that you leave the prescriptions (e.g., Epi-Pens, inhalers, seizure medication) in the original packaging with your child’s name on it. We also require two prescriptions - one to be stored with your child and one to be stored in the main office. If your child is new to Gladys Speers or has a newly diagnosed medical condition please email Mrs. Risidore (risidorec@hdsb.ca) at the office to arrange a meeting to create a plan of care.
Notification of Bus Delays to Families
Every September, when students and drivers are getting accustomed to new routines, there tends to be a higher frequency of delays. We thank families for their ongoing patience and understanding during this time. We expect Bus Operators to promptly communicate any delays and provide updates so that families have the chance to make necessary adjustments to their plans. We encourage families who have not already done so, to sign up for a Parent Portal account and add their child(ren). This will ensure they are automatically signed up to receive email notifications when delays are posted. For detailed instructions please click here. We highly encourage anyone with a mobile device to download the free Bus Planner Delays app and sign up to receive instant notifications of route delays affecting their family. For detailed instructions please click here.
Terry Fox Walk
We have scheduled our Terry Fox walk on Friday, September 19th at 11:15am. Please keep an eye out for more information on how you can support this charity fundraiser at our school! We look forward to seeing our students walk or run for Terry!
Cross Country Team
Our Cross Country team will start in September to prepare for their race on October 8th in Sherwood Park in Burlington. All Grades 3-6 students are eligible to come out to practices for the team - you don't need to be fast, you just need to try your best, have fun and get involved! We hope you encourage your child(ren) in those grades to listen to announcements and come out to practices!
National Truth and Reconciliation Day
On September 30th, we are asking all students to wear orange to recognize National Truth and Reconciliation Day. The day has been created to give everyone an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, which more than 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were forced to attend between the 1870s and 1997. Our students will also go through some learning within their classrooms about this day.
Dogs on School Property
While we are asking that adults remain off property, if possible, during pick up and drop off we do recognize that many parents find the walk to and from school to be a good time to also walk the family dog. If this is the case, please keep your dog on the grass areas and do not bring the dog onto the blacktop, as some students are allergic and/or fearful. It is also difficult to predict a dog’s behaviour when confronted with a large group of excited children. As students will be entering the school when they arrive, there is no need to remain on the property with your pet.
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
Page updated
Report abuse