Centreville Chronicle November Family News

Dear Families,

As the cooler weather settles in, November brings many important opportunities for learning, reflection, remembrance, and community connection.

Throughout November, students will engage in learning connected to Indigenous perspectives, Treaties Recognition Week, Remembrance Day, and Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week with Limestone recognizing Pink Shirt Day on November 17th. These important opportunities encourage our students to learn about our shared responsibilities, reflect on the past, and consider how each of us can contribute to a respectful, inclusive, and caring community.

On November 11, our school community will honor the significance of Remembrance Day with our students. We will come together as a school community by our flag pole to remember those who have served and continue to serve.

A heartfelt thank you to the many parent volunteers and members of our School Advisory Council who helped make the annual Halloween Dance a success. Money raised at SAC events is used to support classroom events, supplies and field trips. Please check out your child's School Day account for any upcoming events, hot lunches and/or field trips.

Centreville is very proud of our cross-country runners and senior soccer players who represented our school this fall. Congratulations to all of our athletes for their commitment, perseverance, and school spirit!

In October, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) were sent home for family review and input. IEPs are working documents that can be adjusted, revised, and updated throughout the year as needed. When revisions are made, families will be notified and consulted. Thank you for taking the time to review your child's IEP and return the signed consultation page.

Similarly, Progress reports will be coming home on November 13th for you to celebrate your child's success and progress this far in the term. As always, please reach out to your child's teacher if you have questions or information you would like to share about these important documents.

With colder weather arriving, please ensure students come to school prepared for outdoor learning and play each day. Classes may have Physical Education outdoors, participate in outdoor learning, and spend recesses outside. Please consider sending your child with:

• a warm coat
• hat and mittens
• warm, weather-appropriate footwear
• extra socks and clothing when needed
• rain gear on wet days

Students will continue to spend time outdoors on rainy and colder days when conditions are safe. Our practice is for students to remain indoors when there is heavy rain, thunder and lightning, or when temperatures fall below -25°C with the windchill. If your family requires assistance accessing winter clothing, please contact the school. We are happy to help.

Finally, with cooler weather comes school bus delays and cancellations. Information for families regarding preparing for winter-related bus delays and cancellations has been added to the LDSB district site and all school sites as a news item: https://www.limestone.on.ca/news/preparing-for-winter-related-bus-delays-and-cancellations-2026-2027-

Thank you for your continued support, communication, and partnership. Whether you are volunteering, cheering on our students, supporting a fundraiser, reviewing school documents, or simply helping your child arrive each day ready to learn, your involvement makes a difference. As we move into November, we look forward to another month of learning, reflection, leadership, kindness, and connection together. Below are some important dates we will be recognizing as a school community.

Centreville PS Staff 2026-27

Principal: Jennifer Osborne

Vice-Principal::Tanyelle VanderSchoor

Office Manager Jodi Hillier

(JK/SK) Shauna Whiteside & Sarah Green

(1/2) Heidi Tyler

(2/3) Kate Minielly

(4/5) Mary-Lynn Kimmett & Karla Tynski

(5/6) Katie Semark

(7/8) Ben Clapp

(French) Susan Raddon

(Planning) Brianna Ziehl

(Student Support Teacher) Mary-Lynn Kimmett

(Educational Assistant) Tonya Duffy

(Head Custodian) Gord Cota

November Dates:

Fri Nov 6 K-2 Dental Screening

Wed Nov 11 Remembrance Day ceremony

Fri Nov 13 Progress Reports go home

Tues Nov 17 LDSB PINK shirt day

Wed Nov 18 Grades 1-8 Field trip

Fri Nov 20 PA Day (No school today)

Tues Nov 24 Picture Re-take Day/ Let's Talk Science Presentations

Thurs Nov 26 Tyler/Kimmett Field trip

Mon Nov 30 SAC meeting 6:15

Centreville PS Schedule

Main Office/Pick up and Drop Off

Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-3:30 pm. We can be reached through our email ctrvl@limestone.on.ca or by calling the school at 613-378-2578. Emails and phone messages will be answered within 48 hours. For immediate assistance, please call back and speak to someone.

Please note some changes to our end-of-day dismissal routines. As we work to ensure that all students are dismissed safely and efficiently, a few small adjustments can make a significant difference during this busy time of day.

To help us manage dismissal smoothly, we kindly ask that:

1. If you need to make a change to your child’s end-of-day pick-up plan, please make every effort to call the school before 2:45 p.m. This allows staff adequate time to locate and communicate changes to students and teachers before dismissal preparations begin.
2. If you are arriving to pick up your child from the main office after 3:00 p.m. without a scheduled pick up, we encourage you to wait until the 3:30 p.m. dismissal bell whenever possible. At dismissal, students are released under staff supervision, making the process much more efficient and less disruptive to classroom and office routines.

Beginning around 3:15 p.m., our office becomes extremely busy as staff coordinate dismissal procedures, answer phones, communicate transportation changes, and welcome families arriving for pick-up. Frequent requests for early dismissal during this time can be challenging to manage and may increase the risk of delays or miscommunication. Your cooperation helps us maintain a safe, organized, and efficient dismissal process for all students. We greatly appreciate your understanding and support.

Personal Toys

Thank you for monitoring personal toys, such as stuffed animals, squishy toys, Pokémon and hockey cards, coming into the school as these items cause disruption to our learning. While we understand how comforting or exciting these items can be, they are easily lost or misplaced or damaged during the busy school day. We want to avoid upset students, missing belongings and disruption to our learning; we ask that these items continue to stay at home.

2026-2027 LDSB School Year Calendar

CURRICULUM CONNECTION

CREATING BALANCE IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Digital wellness helps children develop healthy, balanced habits with technology and screen time. As students explore digital wellness at school, we want to share a few simple ideas families can try at home. By listening, learning together, and keeping communication open, we can help children develop a healthy relationship with technology.

WHY DIGITAL WELLNESS MATTERS

Digital wellness can help children:

• Develop healthy habits and daily routines
• Get enough sleep and enjoy restful evenings
• Balance online activities with offline experiences
• Build face-to-face connections
• Make time for physical activity, hobbies, and outdoor play
• Reflect on their technology use and make thoughtful choices

SUPPORTING DIGITAL WELLNESS AT HOME

• Monitor screen time: Use built-in device features to help track and manage screen time.
• Create a screen-free zone: Choose a time or place, such as mealtimes or bedrooms, where devices are put away.
• Try a 60-minute wind-down: When possible, aim for screen-free time during the hour before bed. Encourage relaxing alternatives such as reading, talking, or listening to music.

RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS

• Centre for Healthy Screen Use - Canadian Paediatric Society
• Helping Your Child Manage Digital Technology
• Digital Literacy Resources for Parents

Human Development & Sexual Health

Parents/guardians play an important role in their children’s learning. As such, the Ministry of Education requires the Limestone District School Board to inform parents/guardians when instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health will occur. Please read the list of expectations by grade before exempting your student from this strand in the Ontario health curriculum using Form 325-B.

Form 325-A - Notice of Period of Instruction Grade 1 to 8

Form 325-B - Exemption Letter Parent Request

Form 325-C - Principal Acknowledgement of Exemption Request

Form 325-D - List of H.D. and S.H Instruction Expectations by Grade

School Council

Here are your 2026-27 SAC executive members:

Chair: Michelle Cornacchia

Co-Chair: Paul Adam

Secretary: Carmen McElligott

Treasurer: Katelyn Lockridge

We warmly welcome all parents to be a part of any and every council meeting, whether you are an elected member or a parent who would just like to listen in and hear more about what is going on at Centreville PS. Meetings usually include an administrator's sharing component, reports from members in particular positions (treasurer, chairs etc) and some discussion items related to Fundraising for the school. Babysitting for school age children will be available.

Our next meeting we will take place on Monday, November 30th @6:15pm.

Important Information

CONCUSSION AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND CARE

The Limestone District School Board is committed to supporting healthy, safe, and active learning environments for all students. An important part of promoting healthy living is concussion awareness, prevention, and care.

The Ontario Ministry of Education requires all school boards to follow established concussion protocols to help prevent, identify, and manage concussions.

Please take a moment to review the information and resources below to learn more about concussion awareness, prevention, and care.

https://www.limestone.on.ca/concussion_protocols

DATA VERIFICATION, COMPUTER USE, AND CONCUSSION FORMS

Data Verification Forms will be coming home the first day of school with your child. Carefully review this information and make updates and/or corrections as necessary and return to your child's teacher as soon as possible. New this year, Computer Use Agreement and the New Concussion Procedures and Policy Forms will be available through School Day for you to sign.

STUDENT ACCIDENT PROTECTION PROGRAM

The Limestone District School Board makes available Student Accident Insurance. Various affordable plans are available. Parents may enroll on-line at www.insuremykids.com or by completing the Student Accident Insurance package and mailing it directly to the company. Please note: participation in extra-curricular athletic activities requires parent signature verifying student accident insurance coverage through some insurance carrier.

MOBILE DEVICES IN SCHOOLS

Students must not use cell phones and other personal mobile devices during instructional time except under the following conditions: 

• For educational purposes, as directed by an educator 
• For health and medical reasons 
• To support special education needs 

When can students use a mobile device: If a student is in Grade 6 and below, they can bring a mobile device to school but will need to remain in their backpacks and powered off.

If a student is in Grades 7-12, they must keep their personal mobile devices stored out of sight and either powered off or set to silent mode during instructional time, except when an educator grants explicit permission for use under the specified circumstances.   

What parents/caregivers can do:  You can teach your student about finding a healthy balance in using technology by limiting screen time at home. You can also: 

• Read Media Smarts’ tips for managing your kids’ screen time 
• Explore Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH’s) services and resources if you have concerns about your child’s use of technology 
• Explore School Mental Health Ontario resources to help you manage your child’s screen time 

More information is provided in the link below.

https://www.limestone.on.ca/news/new-requirements-regarding-cell-phones-and-vaping-20240822182044

Prevalent Medical Plan of Care

This message is intended for the families of students with prevalent medical conditions where documentation is needed by the school:

Parents/guardians of returning students with known medical plans of care will receive a package with a medical plan of care to update with the student verification packages. These need to be updated and returned as soon as possible.

If you are new to the school, or do not receive the package, to help us gather important medical information about your child, we ask that you select the correct Plan of Care form from the link below, complete it and return it to the school as soon as possible. You may request a printed copy as well. If you require us to administer daily medication, you will also need to complete the necessary paperwork for us to be able to do this. Completed forms can be printed and sent in with students or scanned and emailed to ctrvl@limestone.on.ca

Daily medication will need to be dropped off by a parent/caregiver at the school and will be stored at the office. Students cannot carry medications in their backpack, at any time. You may drop of labelled medication this week.

**Be sure to also include the supplementary forms if medication may need to be administered by school staff.

Health and safety of our students is our first priority. Thank you for helping us stay informed on your child's medical conditions and Plan of Care.

Here is the link: Medical Procedures

Allergen Awareness - Nut-Free School

Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.

Tri-Board Transportation

If your child rides the bus, Tri-board should have sent confirmation of your child's route. If you were on a bus last year at the end of the year, you are set up for busing this year. You can also sign up for bus status alert emails at the Tri-board website to ensure you are notified of any late runs or cancelled routes.

If you are new to Centreville Public School and require transportation, you will need to fill out the bus form at https://triboard.ca

CPIC

Individuals wishing to volunteer must have a recent police record check completed (within 6 months of start date).  To facilitate this process, prospective volunteers must be provided a school letter to take to the police detachment that covers the area in which you reside.  Once received, volunteers must upload their completed police record check to LDSB Police Record Check Portal.  Human Resources will notify the school if any follow up action is required based on the results of the police record check.

STUDENT ACCIDENT PROTECTION PROGRAM

The Limestone District School Board makes available Student Accident Insurance. Various affordable plans are available. Parents may enroll on-line at www.insuremykids.com or by completing the Student Accident Insurance package and mailing it directly to the company. Please note: participation in extra-curricular athletic activities requires parent signature verifying student accident insurance coverage through some insurance carrier.

STUDENT AGENDAS

Agendas are provided by Centreville Public School to students in grades JK-4 to help students stay organized and instill a sense of responsibility. The expectation is that students record their homework and important events in their agenda on a daily basis. Each night parents should confirm that homework has been completed by signing. Teachers will check the agendas for correspondence from parents.

How Do I Report An Absence

Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If your child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. If your child will be late, please report a full day absence and then we will sign them in when they arrive. You cannot indicate a half day absence.

How to report your absence:

1. Toll-free telephone

• Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.

2. School Messenger App

• Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
• The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

3. SchoolMessenger SafeArrival Website Portal

• Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
• The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

DON'T FORGET...SPARTAN WEAR IS AVAILABLE ALL YEAR WITH THIS LINK:

Centreville Public School