Please note the date for our Parent Council has changed to Monday September 25th.

Pizza - Toonie Thursday's (1st one on a Wednesday)

We will now offer Cheese Pizza for purchase once a week.  The cost will be $2.00 a slice.  If your child wants pizza all they need to do is bring a toonie (cash) in the day of and we will take care of the rest, Toonie Thursday’s! 

Pizza days will be every Thursday at second nutrition break, except for next week, which will be Wednesday September 20th (the first day to order), and Wednesday October 18^th because we will all be at the Pete’s game. 

Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO)
Winter Weather Newsletter

Dear Families, Parents and Guardians:

Winter weather is fast approaching, and it is very important that everyone using the school busing system is familiar with STSCO’s winter weather procedures.

On winter mornings, inclement weather and poor road conditions may lead to the delay or cancellation of school transportation services. The decision to cancel bus service due to inclement weather is made based on the daily weather forecast and in consultation with area bus companies between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. All cancellation alerts are posted on STSCO’s website www.stsco.ca by 6:15 a.m.
Radio stations and STSCO’s social media accounts are also updated at the same time.

We encourage parents to set up an account with STSCO (Create Account Here) to access their children’s bus information and also to receive delay and cancellation alerts. You may also be interested in downloading the “BusPlanner Delays” APP to use on your smart phone. It will notify you of a bus delay or cancellation.

As a parent or guardian, it is recommended that you use the attached “Inclement Weather Days” reference sheet and that you keep it in a prominent place for quick reference on inclement weather days.

Also, keep in mind that you should:
• visit www.stsco.ca in the morning for delays or cancellations. If you do not find the information you are looking for, call the bus company of your child’s route.
• access STSCO’s Parent Portal at www.stsco.ca to confirm subscriptions to delay and cancellation alerts for your child(ren)’s route(s) and confirm your child’s bus route number, bus company name, and bus company phone number.
• follow STSCO on Facebook or Twitter to learn about Mass Region or County Cancellations.
• Listen to your favourite local radio station for cancellation information.

Other reminders include:
• If a bus is cancelled in the morning, it will also be cancelled in the afternoon.
• Make sure that your child is at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time in the morning. If you meet your child in the afternoon, make sure you are at the stop 10 minutes before bus arrival.
• Review busing procedures with your child so they will know what to do if their bus is late or cancelled.
In keeping the above information in mind, everyone will be better prepared to deal with winter.

Roy Wierenga, C.A.O.

Inclement Weather Days

Wondering if your child’s school bus is running during bad weather?
✓Visit the Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario website at www.stsco.ca and click on “Cancellations & Delays” at the top of the homepage.
✓Visit www.stsco.ca, to create a “PARENT PORTAL” account so you can begin to receive cancellation/delay alerts via email. You will need to use the email address that the school has on file for you as that will link your child(ren) to your account.
✓Download the “BusPlanner Delays” App to your smartphone to receive cancellation and delay push notifications. Instructions for the app are located in the “Bus Planner Media Library”.
✓Listen to your favourite local radio station for cancellation information (see list below).

✓Please remember:
-Schools normally stay open even when buses are cancelled.
-If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not run in the afternoon either.
-If your child rides a school bus and it is cancelled, you do not need to call the school to report their absence.
-If your child does not ride a school bus, you still need to call the school if they are absent, even on an inclement weather day.
-Please don’t call the school to check on buses, as it ties up phone lines needed for possible emergency calls.
-If you do not find the information on STSCO’s cancellation and delay page, please call the bus company of your child’s route for an update.

Peterborough City and County (also including Campbellford and area schools):
CLASSIC ROCK ‐ 107.9 FM
THE MOOSE ‐ 97.7 FM
THE WOLF ‐ 101.5 FM
MY FM ‐ 93.3 FM
FRESH RADIO ‐ 100.5 FM
PURE COUNTRY 105 ‐ 105.1 FM

NEWSLETTER
Kawartha Heights
November 2023 SNOW EDITION

With the weather forecast, it appears that winter might be here! Winter weather changes things around here - read on for several pieces of important snow related information in this newsletter! This is our annual SNOW EDITION to remind everyone of what happens with the change of seasons.

SNOW: Bus Cancellations
Severe winter weather is right around the corner and with it comes the great Canadian tradition of bus cancellations. We know that for many, these quiet days at home are a treasured tradition and we completely understand. There is never pressure to send your child to school on a snow day. Generally the school remains open even if there are bus cancellations, so if parents wish to drop students off
at school it is also your responsibility to pick them up (start bell 9am, end time 3:20pm). Please be on time at pick-up as there is no staff available to supervise students after 3:20. If buses are cancelled and your child is not a bus student, it is absolutely your discretion whether you send your child to school. If your child is a walker and you are keeping your child home during periods of bad weather, you will need to report their absence to the School Messenger system to avoid the computer-generated calls.
Bus delays and cancellation information is posted on the www.stsco.ca website. Local radio stations and media outlets will also be provided with this information to broadcast.

General Tips for Inclement Weather at KH:

• Check www.stsco.ca for bus cancellations.
• If a bus is cancelled in the morning, it will also be cancelled in the afternoon, regardless of the weather.
• If all buses are cancelled, so too are all school events & hot lunches.
• When buses are cancelled, school council meetings are cancelled.
• With older children who get on the bus independently, review a plan with your child so they know what to do if their bus is late or cancelled after they have left for the bus stop.

SNOW: Lost & Found
With the change of seasons, we also see a change in our Lost and Found. We move from hoodies and
sweaters, to mittens and hats in our lost and found. I know we say it all the time, but please continue to label everything that comes to school with your child - every other child in the school also has black snow pants and mittens! This makes these items hard to tell apart for both staff and students and labelling them is essential to avoid mixups.

SNOW: School Closures
In the winter of 2022 we had our first school closure due to very extreme weather. School closures are very rare, but they can happen. If a closure happens, this decision will be made by the people working at the board office, not the school or the bus company. Please know that as soon as we know that our school is closed, we will announce that. In the case of bad weather, the first thing we know is when buses are cancelled. Please understand that on most inclement weather days the current plan is for the school to remain open. In my 15 years with KPR, schools have only been closed twice.

SNOW: Hot Lunches are Cancelled with the Buses
In the event that all bus routes are cancelled on a hot lunch day, the lunch will be cancelled for the day, and will either be rescheduled for another day, or refunds will be issued. Please keep in mind that students coming to school on snow days will always need to bring lunch with them.

SNOW: Mittens, Boots & Snow Pants
Please take the time to make sure your child has multiple sets of dry mittens each day. We go out for 20 minutes of recess twice each day, plus before school and often for Daily Physical Activity. It is miserable to put wet mittens back on little hands! Also, sending snow pants allows students to play outside and not spend the rest of the day wet & cold.

SNOW: Classroom Combinations
Our amazing staff comes from far and wide to work at our wonderful school. Even when our school remains open, many of them will be unable to make it to work on some of the inclement weather days. Therefore students are often combined into different classroom groupings on these days and the usual schedule will likely not be followed.

November 9, 2023

Dear Families of Crestwood Secondary and Intermediate School, James Strath, Westmount and Kawartha Heights Public Schools (PS)

At KPRDSB, we continue to experience significant growth within the intermediate and secondary schools of the City and County of Peterborough. While we are pleased that our schools continue to be a destination of choice for families, our growth within these schools has been uneven. This has led to critical overcrowding in some schools and extra space in others.

While we will be undertaking a broader review of secondary and elementary school boundaries and family of school groupings in the new year to identify long-term strategies to manage this growth, we need to manage immediate space pressures at Crestwood Secondary School (SS) and Crestwood Intermediate School (IS).

Crestwood Secondary School (SS) and Crestwood Intermediate School (IS) are both experiencing significant accommodation pressures. For September 2024, the Intermediate School is forecasted to be at 174% of its capacity, with 320 expected students and only space for 184. Crestwood SS is anticipated to be at 101% of its capacity, with 769 expected students.

In response to this issue, school board administration presented a plan to the Board’s Resource Committee meeting last evening that recommends changes for students at James Strath PS, Kawartha Heights PS and Westmount PS, and we wanted to share this information with impacted families.

The plan recommends that, beginning in September 2024, Grade 7 students from Kawartha Heights PS, and Grade 7 students from Westmount PS (English Stream) would attend James Strath PS for Grades 7 and 8. Grade 7 students currently attending Crestwood Intermediate would remain at the school.

This measure will provide needed space at Crestwood Intermediate School in the short-term as we establish longer term accommodation approaches for the secondary and elementary schools in the City and County of Peterborough.

We recognize that change for students and families can be challenging and we will be reviewing this proposal with families for community feedback prior to a final decision at the February 27, 2024 Board meeting. We are also committed to working with school communities throughout the year to support these transitions.

We are inviting interested families to public meetings at the impacted schools to learn more about the enrolment challenges we are experiencing in the community, and to provide feedback on transition planning to support students through this adjustment.

The meetings will be held at:

• Westmount PS – Thursday, November 30, 6:30 p.m.
• Kawartha Heights PS – Monday, December 4, 6:30 p.m.

Further information, including enrolment projections for the Crestwood Secondary and Intermediate family of schools is available on the dedicated Peterborough City and County Accommodation Planning web page on the Board website, accessible from the home page at www.kprschools.ca

We appreciate your interest in helping us make the best possible choices for the students we serve and appreciate your continued support of our school communities.

Sincerely,

Jodi Sepkowski

Superintendent of Education

Our Lost & Found bin is overflowing! We welcome families to pop in and check out our display in the front entrance and reclaim your kids clothing.  On Friday the 24th we will pack the remaining items up and donate them. Thank you.

Hey Kawartha Heights Families!

We wanted to share that our fundraising efforts have brought us up to 6 iPads for the school.

This is AMAZING! Way to go Cougars. We are awesome.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

We walked the red carpet like celebrities, watched some educational films, and ate popcorn!

We raised $300 with our popcorn sales. Thank you so much!!

Our Winter Bazaar is Back!

When:

Students will have the opportunity to purchase items on Tuesday December 19 & Wednesday December 20 during regular school hours. Families can send items in starting on December 4^th

How:

Families can donate items to our bazaar so we can sell them to our students.

No stuffed animals, clothing or broken objects.

Purpose:

Our hope is that every student will bring an item home as a gift to someone in their family. This is the season of giving so all money made will be donated on behalf of Kawartha Heights to the Youth Emergency Shelter. Last year we donated over $700 and this year we hope to donate $800.

https://www.smore.com/fv0rd

Peterborough Public Health - Routine Dental Screening in Schools

The Oral Healt Screening Team will be visiting Kawartha Heights Public School on Thursday February 22, 2024 and Friday February 23, 2024, rather than originally planned for Dec 20, 2023 and Dec 21, 2023.

If you have concerns about the change of date, please ontact Sharon Hubble, RDH, directly at 705-743-1000 Ext 345, and leave a message if unavailable.

We will continue our fundraising efforts and be selling Cheese Pizza for $2 slice every Thursday.

Thank you for your continued support in reaching our goal of 20 iPads for the school, we're over halfway there.

Dear Kawartha Heights Families,

Please cut and paste for translation: https://translate.google.com/

I hope this letter finds you all well and that the new calendar year is off to a great start for your families. I wanted to take a moment to share some important information regarding school and student safety that requires everyone's attention and cooperation.

Early Pick-Up:
The end of the day is very busy, and staff are finishing up academic tasks, organizing students and making sure that everyone is prepared to go home. With this said we continue to ask for your support that if you must pick up your child, please do so before 3:00 PM.

School Dismissal:
Our school day ends at 3:20 PM, and it is imperative that all students are picked up at this time. Please be aware that there is no supervision available after this time. If you require after-school care, kindly contact Compass Early Learning to explore their after-school programs.

Bus Transportation:
For parents of students who take the bus, please note that drivers will not release children in grades 3 and under at the designated bus stop without an adult present. In the event an adult is not there, the bus company will continue its route with your child on board. Dispatch will then contact you, and if unsuccessful, your child will be returned to the Applewood bus stop at Kawartha Heights. To avoid any inconvenience, please ensure you are at the bus stop 10 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time, as buses may occasionally run early.

Weather-Related Bus Cancellations:
In cases where buses are canceled due to inclement weather, please be aware that these cancellations also apply to the afternoon bus schedule. When buses are canceled, they are canceled for the entire day. Check https://stsco.mybusplanner.ca/Alerts for cancellations and delays.

Visitor Protocol:
For the safety of our students, we kindly request that visitors refrain from entering our hallways or approaching classroom doors. If you need assistance or have inquiries, please proceed directly to the office, and our staff will be happy to assist you.

Your cooperation with these guidelines helps us to maintain a safe and secure environment for all students at Kawartha Heights. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Brooke Ostapek
Principal, Kawartha Heights

Good morning,

I am excited to share with you the latest installment of our KPR Spotlight series, featuring Mr. Davies. This month's video showcases the remarkable impact he has on our school, and we believe it's a testament to his dedication and passion.

Mr. Davies' commitment to fostering a positive learning environment and his ability to inspire both students and colleagues are truly commendable. We hope this spotlight provides a glimpse into the invaluable contributions he makes to our school.

Feel free to share the video and celebrate Mr. Davies and the positive influence he brings to our building and community.  We are so lucky to call him our Head Custodian!

You can watch the video by clicking on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxof6U7VipU

Thanks,

Brooke

https://www.smore.com/0bht3

Good afternoon Families!

Our Lost & Found is overflowing and we want to get your childs items back to you.  The bin will be in our lobby until Thursday.  All items will be donated after that.

Come anytime to claim your stuff.

Thanks!

Hi Families,

Just a reminder that the school and our classrooms are scent-free. Please ensure students are showered and wearing clean clothes but no perfume, cologne, or body spray. Regular deodarant is fine. This also applies to parents/guardians who are coming to the school. We may ask you to remain outside if you are waiting to pick your child up. Several children and adults in our building have sensitivities to smells and this can cause them to be ill.

Thank you for your understanding.

KH council meets almost every month for one hour. During that time, we discuss ideas and activities to enhance our school community. If you wish to attend, we meet again on Tuesday April 16^th at 6pm in the library.  If you cannot attend, that’s ok!  You can read the minutes on our website.

• This year our council has raised enough money to pay for 2 days of lacrosse workshops with Nationwide. They are also purchasing some new equipment for outside use. They have also raised enough money to support the yearly maintenance of our outdoor play structures.

On behalf of our students and staff we wish to say thank you to our dedicated School Council for their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts in fundraising for school-wide initiatives. Their generosity and support are appreciated, and we are deeply thankful for all that they do.

Upcoming Events

• Next Grilled Cheese Day is March 25^th
• Easter Bake Sale is on March 27^th

Who wants to join TEAM KAWARTHA HEIGHTS and raise money for Pedal for Hope with us?? 

Your Team Captains are Mrs. Charmley and Mrs. McConnell!

Here is our school link!

KHPS Pedal for Hope link

We challenge you to beat your teachers in fundraising and earn a chance at winning a great prize!  Top fundraisers can win:  a bicycle, Brimacombe lift tickets for 2, Ripley’s Aquarium passes for 4 or 2 tickets for Canada’s Wonderland!!

Who wants to be a part of the celebration and have their head shaved or ponytail cut during our Pedal for Hope Assembly?

Raising money is super easy!  Once you join the team, you will get a code that can easily be shared on social media, email and text messages.  Donations can be made on line or you can go door to door!  It’s up to you!

Please view this video!  It says it all!

Video

GROUP PHOTO DAY IS APPROACHING!

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

Students will be photographed at school.
• A flyer including a complimentary high resolution digital group photo download code will be provided once your group photos have been processed.
• Our digital groups promote environmental sustainability and provide enhanced security for all students
• Love your group photo? Your group image is available to purchase online with ease!