Greetings Families!
The time and the weather have changed but the determination and joy for learning from our Central Bears has not. We see resilience and hard work on display daily in the classrooms, gym, choir and on the yard. Our students know that they CAN do hard things!
We had a beautiful and poignant Remembrance Day ceremony last week with the talents of students on display during this solemn occasion. The voices of our school choir rang out with song, students read about the poppy 'en francais', poems were shared and each class was represented in the laying of wreaths to remember our fallen soldiers. Huge thank you to all who attended the ceremony.
Our cross country team enjoyed a wet and blustery district meet at Fort Henry with many student achieving a personal best in their race. We had a student make a top ten finish:) Many thanks to the dedication of Mdm. Shelley and Ms. Sheriff for coaching our runners.
Volleyball is our next sport and practices have begun for our junior and senior teams on Tues & Thursday mornings at 8am. We have some upcoming exhibition games in the next week.
Students enjoyed a Halloween dance- our grade 7/8 class provided leadership, glowsticks, music and ensured that all students enjoyed the event. Thank you to Mr. Wood and Mr. Scott for organizing the event.
Classes have taken trips to Grand theatre, City Hall and Molly Brant (culinary class) we continue to ensure that students receive a wide range of experiences in all areas of the curriculum. Four classes will trek (by bus!) to Gould lake in early December for a full day of learning on the land.
Initial Progress reports were sent home on Thursday, 13th November. We celebrate the success and learning journey of every student.
We look forward to continuing our learning together,
H. Barrett & Central Team
Holiday show
Our holiday show showcasing Central PS talent will take place on 16th December @ 6:30 pm. We look forward to this event.
SAC
We appreciate all that our School Advisory Council does for our school. Our next meeting is January, 13th 2026.
Current updates from SAC...
Holiday greenery is now closed. Delivery of items ordered on 25th November after 2:45 -4pm. If you are walking please remember to bring a wagon to transport your purchases home.
Wilton cheese fundraiser will be open on SchoolDay before the end of the week. Consider ordering some cheese for the holiday season or as gifts for friends and family. Delivery on December 17th.
SAC is meeting with Mr. Cotton to offer support for on-going stage productions.
Bingo raises monies to support our school. They need volunteers to ensure that our shifts are covered each week. If you can commit to a two hour shift once a month please reach out to Zoe Bradley to get more details.
Drop by for a coffee and a chat at Central Perk (front of school) the first Monday of each month. Huge thank you to The Elm Cafe for their generosity in supporting this event all year.
Hot Lunch orders on SchoolDay
Hot lunch orders are now on School Day.
You can order cheese pizza on Tuesday for $4 & Chicken tenders on Thursday for $7.
Orders are available online until the holiday break.
Orders need to be placed on Sunday evening before.
Update on Learning:
LITERACY
Another big focus in most of our classes this fall is reading fluency! This is something you can easily practice at home! When reading to your child try some of the following to support reading fluency:
PRACTICE TOGETHER:
- Model reading aloud: Read to your child with expression and clear phrasing to show what fluent reading sounds like and to make it enjoyable.
- Echo reading: Read a sentence or passage with expression, and have your child repeat it back, mimicking your pauses and voice pitch.
- Choral reading: Read a book or passage together at the same time. You can read slightly ahead so your child can follow your lead.
- Take turns: Read alternating sentences or pages to make reading a collaborative activity.
REINFORCE WITH REPETITION:
- Reread favorite books: Encourage your child to reread books they enjoy. Repetition builds confidence, speed, and accuracy without the pressure of new material.
- Practice with familiar texts: Reread familiar short texts like poems, nursery rhymes, or song lyrics to help them get comfortable with rhythm and flow. It doesn't always need to be a story book or novel!
MATHEMATICS
Mathematical reasoning at home - try these examples below with your Storm Kiddo! It's all about the thinking and the discussion - not about who is right!
Attendance Matters
Regular attendance at school is vital for student success both academically and socially. Students thrive on routine. We know that cold and flu season is upon us and with that comes absences from school. We monitor attendance as part od our ongoing school data; please reach out if you are experiencing difficulty getting your child to school. There are resources to assist available.
If you are planning an extended vacation please let your child's teacher and/or the office know.
Mental Health Resources for Youth and Families
We continue to work together to build an awareness amongst our student population with regards to feeling a sense of belonging and to resources available in our community should they need to reach out.
How Do I Report An Absence?
Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; if you need to call to report an absence, please call 1-855-257-9349 (see instructions below)
If your child will be late, please report a full day absence and then we will sign them in when they arrive.
Computerized call outs occur around 9:30 for students absent with no reported absence in our system. This call out system is a mandatory safety feature to ensure you know your child is not at school and can follow up as needed. For this reason, if your child is late, it is important that they stop into the office so that Mrs. Thompson can change their absence to 'Late' so that you don't receive an unnecessary and worrisome phone call that your child is not at school
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.