Weekly Update September 11

Staff Update

JK/SK – Mrs. MacWilliam and Mrs. Falls

JK/SK – Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Metherel

SK/1 – Mrs. Morrison

Grade 1 – Mrs. Kennedy

Grade 2 – Ms. Wilson

Grade 2/3 – Ms. Campsall

Grade 3 – Mrs. Metcalfe

Grade 3 Mrs. Murray

Grade 4 – Mrs. Campbell

Grade 4 – Mrs. Moore

Grade 5 – Mr. Murtha

Grade 5 – Mrs. Carmichael 

Grade 6 – Mrs. Curtis 

Grade 6 – Mr. DeNeve

Grade 7 Mrs. Teel / Mrs. Rainey

Grade 7/8 – Mrs. Beer

Grade 8 – Mrs. Skrabek 

Prep – Mrs. Davies, Mrs. Rainey, Ms. Cotton, Mrs. Wilson 

French – Mrs. Clarke, Mrs. Teel

Special Education – Mrs. Robins 

EA – Mr. Eagleson, Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Bibeau 

Office – Mrs. Chartrand, Mrs. Barker 

Custodial – Mrs. Toni, Mrs. Lexi, Mr. Justin

We are pleased to share that, following a significant increase in enrolment over the summer, we were able to open two additional classrooms at Mariposa Elementary School for the start of the school year. This is exciting news for our school community and allows us to welcome our growing number of students while providing smaller class sizes and more space for students to learn and grow.

To support these additional classrooms, Mr. Murtha and Mrs. Carmichael are joining us as supply teachers. We are very grateful to have them as part of our school team and appreciate the care and commitment they are bringing to our students.

We recognize that changes in educators can sometimes be difficult for students and families, particularly at the beginning of a new school year when students are already adjusting to new routines and expectations. As a staff, we carefully considered our options and felt that opening the two additional classrooms was the best decision for student learning and well-being. By doing so, we are hopeful that we can minimize the need for further student movement between classrooms while providing students with the benefit of smaller class sizes.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we work through the changes that come with a growing school community. Most importantly, we are excited about what these additional classrooms mean for our students and look forward to a successful year together!

Sign-In or Sign-Out Process

To help us maintain a safe and supervised school environment, we want to remind families of our sign-in and sign-out procedure for all students.

If your child arrives late, a parent/guardian must come into the school to sign them in at the office. Students should not enter the building alone if they are late.

If you are picking your child up early, a parent/guardian must come into the school to sign them out at the office before your child will be called down.

We kindly ask that families arrive with enough time to complete the sign-out process. Please do not call ahead to have your child ready in advance. Students will be called down once you arrive and have signed them out. This ensures that we are maximizing the time we spend with students learning. 

We also ask that parents not come to pick up students during our recess times (11:20 – 11:40 & 2:00 – 2:30).

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us ensure the safety and accountability of all students.

Medical Information

Please make sure to contact the school if there is medical information that we should be aware of.  There are forms available at the office that will need to be completed for the administration of medication at school and for specific medical care (e.g. Asthma, Diabetes).  Please do not hesitate to call the school if you have any questions. 

Safe Arrival

If your child is going to be late or absent from school, you are asked to call the school’s Safe Arrival Line before 8:30 a.m. (705-953-9740) or send an email to [email protected]. Please provide the date and reason for your child’s absence, along with their name and teacher’s name.  If a student is marked absent and we have not been notified by you, we will contact the numbers listed on the student verification form to determine the whereabouts of the student. Thank you for helping us to keep your children safe!

Starting in October, for families with students who are absent and have not reported the absence to the school will have a phone call going out both in the AM and PM. This is to ensure that we have accounted for all students.

Student Verification Form

Student verification forms were sent home today. Please review the information we have on file for your student(s) and make any changes directly on the Student Verification Form.  It will need to be signed and dated on the bottom and sent back to the school by Friday, September 18th, 2026.

The Kindergarten Workshop: Creating the Best Conditions for Growth and Learning

Hosted by Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) Mental Health Services, parents/guardians and staff are invited to hear from speaker, best-selling author, and founder of the acclaimed experiential programs Dandelion Dance™ and Tournesol, Hannah Beach, over three FREE virtual sessions.

Wednesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. Virtual via Zoom.

Explore practical strategies you can use to support your children to thrive, while also delving into how play reduces aggression, lowers anxiety, supports learning, and builds resilience.

If you are interested in attending this session, complete the Registration Form to secure your spot and get the link to attend.

Visit our recent Mental health parent/guardians engagement event: Hannah Beach news post to learn about the other upcoming sessions in the series.

School Schedule

Our school day will be starting at 9:20 a.m. and ending at 3:40 p.m. (Supervision begins at 9:00 a.m. on the playground – please do not leave your child(ren) prior to the 9am bell.) 

Bell Time Changes – please note it is recess, then lunch now in the schedule 

Fire Drill – Thursday, September 17th, 2026

We like to make families aware of the first fire drill of the year.  Teachers will also speak to students about what to expect in the event of a fire alarm going being heard in the building.  Future fire drills will not be announced.

Hot Lunches Update

This year we are able to try a couple of new vendors and will offer some options biweekly.  Please sign in to your School Cash online account to view the options available to you via the lunch box program.  We will not be offering lunches on Monday, as we will save those days for special fundraising events our graduating class usually coordinates.  

Tuesday – Pizza Pizza starting Sept 15, alternating with Gino’s Pizza starting Sept 22

Wednesday – Subway every week starting Sept 16

Thursday – Boston Pizza (pasta/chicken fingers) starting Sept 17, alternating with Quesada starting Sept 24

Friday – A&W every week starting Sept 18

 www.lunchboxorders.net

LINDSAY CENTRAL EXHIBITION Fair Entries

School Aged children are invited to enter a variety of homecrafts(based on their grade) and Vegetables and Flowers into the Lindsay Fair for FREE! This can be done online at https://www.assistexpo.ca/lindsayex.  

   To view the PRIZEBOOKS, and find out what is available for each grade level, please visit: https://www.lindsayex.com/prizebooks

IMPORTANT DATES

• REGISTRATION OF INTENDED ENTRIES CLOSE: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

• ENTRY TAGS READY FOR PICKUP: Friday, September 18, 2026 & Monday, September 21, 2026.

• BRINGING ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBITS: ALL Student Arts & Crafts must be delivered to the Commonwell Exhibition Building on Monday, September 22, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

• BRINGING FLOWERS, VEGETABLES & FARM PRODUCE EXHIBITS: ALL Flower, Vegetable, & Farm Produce Exhibits must be delivered to the Commonwell Exhibition Building on Tuesday, September 22, from 3:00 pm to 7:45 pm.

Safe Dismissal

The end of the school day is a very busy time here at Mariposa.  It is a very important part of the day in which to organize our young students to board their respective buses to get home safely.  

For safe dismissal, if you intend on picking your child up for an appointment etc., before the 3:35 dismissal time, please send a note to your child’s teacher to advise them of an early pick-up OR contact the office prior to 2:00 p.m. to arrange for your child to be ready for pick up at/prior to 3:35 p.m. at the designated pick up area. This will eliminate the need for multiple lesson interruptions.

For the safety of your child, please do not wait until the last minute to contact the school or arrive at the office to sign out your child.  

Attendance Matters!  When students miss the end of the school day on a regular basis, this interferes with the teaching and learning in the classroom.  We encourage our families to refrain from early dismissal on a regular basis if possible and thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Insure My Kids

From school playgrounds to sports fields, accidents can happen anytime. Standard provincial health plans and workplace benefits don’t always cover every unexpected expense—such as ambulance rides, emergency dental work, or physiotherapy.

To help protect your family from out-of-pocket costs, our school board makes InsureMyKids® student accident insurance available to all families.

Participation: This program is completely optional.

Review plan options and enroll directly online at https://insuremykids.com/.

Cell Phone Use Reminder

This is just a reminder for parents and students that the student use of cell phones is not permitted throughout the instructional day. These changes were put in place in 2024 in order to:

Help improve student learning in the classroom

Keep kids focussed

Promote better mental health and well-being

In some circumstances, use of a mobile device is allowed during learning time when: 

• it is used for educational purposes, as directed by a teacher 

• it is needed for health or medical reasons 

• it supports special education needs.

If a student chooses to bring their cell phone to school, it is expected that these devices are turned off and stored away during the instructional day. Failure to follow these expectations may result in the student handing their phone into the office.

Bus Loading Area

Important Safety Reminder: Parking Lot Procedures To ensure the safety of all students during the busiest times of the day, please review our drop-off and pick-up rules.

Between 8:40 – 9:40 AM and 3:20 – 4:20 PM:

Do not stop or park in the Bus Loading Area (the curb marked with the yellow line). This area must remain clear for buses and emergency vehicles.

Please use the South End of the parking lot for all student drop-offs and pick-ups.

Keeping the bus lane clear allows for a smooth and safe flow of traffic. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!