March 2020

Principal’s Message:


Dear Families,


I want to thank all of our parents, students and teachers for participating in our Outdoor Survey as we look to enhance the outdoor experiences for our students. Working together as a team ensures that our project truly reflects the values and visions of our school community. We look forward to working together and celebrating the evolution of this new and welcomed space.


I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you our School Council and parent community for your support with our fundraising initiatives. To date we have been able to purchase 30 new chromebooks a Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention Resource and a Sensory Path. Thank you for continuing to support the enhancements of resources that ensure the academic and social and emotional development of our students.


This is also a very exciting time as each year, every school in Halton selects one graduating student to represent their school as the Student of Excellence. This student will have a special ceremony in May, and his picture will hang in the board office in Burlington for the year. This year, we are pleased to announce that Adam Feltmate has earned the title of Maple Grove’s Student of Excellence.


Adam is a very kind student. He is involved in many extracurricular events at school and demonstrates tremendous leadership abilities. He is extremely helpful and will often look for ways that he can assist students and staff throughout his school day. Adam participates in intramurals and leads by example. Adam is dedicated to his academic success and will regularly look for innovative ways to extend his learning.


Looking forward to a very memorable March,


Principal M. McKenzie Wells


A Message from School Council:

  • School Council had our first meeting of the year on February 3rd and we had a full agenda.
  • Ms McKenzie Wells and Ms Lukawecky thanked Council and all MG parents for purchasing the Gold LLI Kit, a comprehensive literary resource which teachers have started to use. They have seen great results from the Blue Kit which was purchased last year (e.g. students going through as much as 10 levels or 1 grade level).
  • Our PIC Rep is organizing Scott Graham to come to the school to speak on anti-bullying in April or May.
  • Outdoor Survey results were presented and were helpful in starting a dialogue on potential areas of concern and improvement. Thank you to those parents and students who participated in the survey. Our next step will be to meet with Town of Oakville and HDSB to gather more information on our options. Please look out for updates on our upcoming, new School Council Bulletin Board in the School foyer.
  • Our Fundraising Rep presented his work on fundraising opportunities for the school. He has gathered and input many possible fundraisers using the Trello software. This platform can be used to review, comment and vote on fundraising initiatives.
  • Thank you Co-Chair Alison Hodd for stepping up and agreeing to organize the Spring Fair this June! Alison has a number of exciting ideas and the fair will have a NEW LOOK this year! Please look out for upcoming opportunities to help her organize the Spring Fair.
  • Council approved $6500 for the purchase of an iPad set (to replace old/run down technology) and a wall mounted projector for the school.
  • We welcome all parents to attend our next School Council Meeting on Monday, April 6.
  • We wish our MG families a happy March Break and hope to see you at our next council meeting.


Days of Significance:

  • Mar. 20 Naw Ruz/New Year (Ismaili)
  • Mar. 20 Navroz (Fasli Calendar)


Spirit Days:

  • March 13 Tacky Tourist Day


Dates to Remember:

  • Spoken Word Workshop for Grades 6 & 7 - March 2nd
  • New to Maple Grove Parent/Guardian Session - March 3rd
  • March Break - March 16-20th


New to Maple Grove Parent/Guardian Session:

  • Our next New to Maple Grove Session will be on March 3rd at 9:30 in our library
  • All parents/guardians who are new to Maple Grove and/or new to Ontario are invited
  • This month, our topics will be Summer School, ESL Summer School, Summer Camps in Oakville, and EQAO
  • The presentations will be made by our Special Education Resource Teacher, ESL Teacher, Youth Settlement Specialist and Vice Principal


Parking Lot and Kiss N Ride:

  • Please remember that our Kiss and Ride is only for use by our Kindergarten students and their siblings. Students in Grades 1-8 should take the school bus, walk to school or can be dropped off in the parking lot at Oakville Trafalgar Highschool.
  • We thank our parent community for refraining from parking in the Maple Grove parking lot before school and at the end of the day. This avoids congestion and helps to keep our students safe.


Blacktop Before and After School:

  • Supervision is provided on the blacktop before and after school from 9:00-9:10 and from 3:35-3:50 after school. No supervision is available for the field and climber area, therefore, students should only be using these areas if they are directly being supervised by a parent.
  • Please remember that balls are not allowed on the blacktop from 9:00-9:10 before school and from 3:35-3:50 after school in order to ensure everyone’s safety as students are exiting the school and property.
  • Bikes, scooters and skateboards should be walked or carried on school property before and after school in order to ensure the safety of everyone.


Indoor Shoes:

  • Please help us keep our school clean and safe by sending your child from Grades FDK-Grade 8 to school with a pair of indoor shoes. This is especially important during the wet and often muddy months of March-May. Thank you for your cooperation!


Allergies:

  • As we have a number of students in our school with life-threatening allergies, please refrain from sending food containing nuts to school.
  • We also have students and staff with life threatening allergies to seafood and shellfish in the Intermediate grades and ask that students in Grades 7-8 not bring food containing these products to school.
  • As well, there are students in FDK 1 and FDK 4 with life threatening allergies to sesame, and we ask that the parents of students in these classes refrain from sending food containing sesame to school.


Kiss N Ride Volunteers:

  • If you would be interested in helping as a Kiss N Ride Volunteer on days when our regular volunteers are absent, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Valerie at: vfbarbuto@hotmail.com


Supply Lunch Supervisors:

  • Our Lunch Supervisors monitor our Kindergarten Classes during nutrition breaks (both inside and outside). They are highly valued members of our school community, who help keep our youngest students safe.
  • Sometimes our Lunch Supervisors are absent and we require Supply Lunch Supervisors.
  • If you would be interested in becoming a new Supply Lunch Supervisor for next year please contact our Vice Principal, Kristine Lukawecky at lukaweckyk@hdsb.ca
  • There is some paperwork to fill out and an up-to-date (within the last 6 months) Police Check is required.
  • This is a great opportunity to help out on an occasional basis in our school in a way that works with your schedule!