Grade 8 students are in the process of getting ready for high school.  Parents and students need to be aware of important dates and times pertaining to the transition from elementary school to high school.  Please remember that J. Clark Richardson will be hosting their Grade 8 Parent Information Night on January 31st.  Parents and students are encouraged to click on the link (picture at left) that will take you to the Grade 8 Information page on the Richardson website. 

It is that time of year when the weather can change dramatically over the course of the day.  Students will be going outside during the winter for recesses so it is imperative that the proper clothing be worn to school.  We will keep a vigilant watch over the temperature with particular attention paid to the windchill factor.  When the windchill factor reaches -28 degrees the students will be kept inside.  To that end, the following are some suggested guidelines for clothing for outdoor play.

All winter activities require warm dry clothing that includes:

- a hat:  (warm, close fitting and covering ear lobes, not a fashion hat or baseball cap)

-mittens:  (gloves do not keep hands warm as effectively as mittens, an extra pair in the backpack is helpful)

- loose layers (an absorbant synthetic fabric next to skin, a warmer middle layer and water resistant/repellent outer layer)

-socks (an extra pair or two in the back pack will assist should feet get wet)

-boots (be sure boots are dry, water repellant and not too tight)

Jackets need to be zipped up and tube shaped neck warmers are preferred to avoid the possibility of strangulation.

We will make decisions about outdoor play on a day to day basis based on temperature, precipitation and windchill factors.

The cancellation of school bus service is a decision that is made in cooperation with information and advice from many local service providers. Starting as early as 4:30 am Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) is in contact with the following groups: road crews for Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships, weather watchers in various parts of Durham Region along with representatives from the school bus companies.

Between 4:30 and 6:00 a.m., the group monitors the weather and road conditions closely. Ongoing updates are forwarded to DSTS during this time period. Weather stations, TV and radio stations are consulted for current weather forecasts and ongoing updates.

Before 6:00 a.m. DSTS reviews the information gathered and determines if the road conditions may warrant cancellation of the school bus service. DSTS then contacts representatives from both the Durham Catholic and Durham District School Board with a recommendation.

In cases of extreme weather, please listen to one of the local radio or TV stations below for notices of school bus cancellation:

CFTO, GLOBAL AND CITYTV

CKDO-AM 1580, KX96-FM 95.9, CFRB-AM 1010, CBC/CBL 99.1, 94.9 The Rock, CKDO 1580AM/107.7FM

Q107-FM 107.1, CHFI-FM 98.1, CHUM-FM 104.5

EZ ROCK 97.3, CICX 105.9, Bob-FM 91.9

Pre-registration for Junior Kindergarten and New Kindergarten students for September 2012, will take place on Tuesday, January 17^th, 2012 starting at 9:30 a.m., by phone only 905 686-KIDS (5437.) This will be a ‘preliminary registration’ only. We will require the student name and birthdate, parent names and contact information. At a later date, the ‘formal registration package’ will be mailed out to you. To attend Jr. Kindergarten, students must be 4 years of age by December 31, 2008.

This week, pamphlets were sent home with our Senior Kindergarten students about the French Immersion Program, which begins in Grade One.   The pamphlet, which is purple, outlines the goals of the immersion program and information about our area school , Cadarackque P.S., which hosts  the French Immersion program.   If you are interested in your child attending the French Immersion program in September, there is an important Parent Information Night on Wednesday February 1st, 2012 at 7 pm at Cadarackque PS.   The school address is 15 Miles Drive  Ajax. (905) 428-2347.