Principal's Message - Week of March 28, 2024

Hello Falgarwood families,

Please read this message in its entirety as it contains some important information. A reminder to also read all correspondence from the Halton District School Board.

We thank all parents and caregivers for working alongside our educational team. Together we are building relationships with our families, community resources and Falgarwood is a beautiful place to learn and grow. 

Falgarwood Intermediate Choir
We are proud of our choir who attended the Ontario Jazz vocal festival at Mayfield Secondary School. They showcased their musical skills by performing 2 songs.  If you are interested in joining an activity, please do! There is something for everyone!

What Would Ferris Do?
We are pleased to introduce What Would Ferris Do? This is our new school problem solving method. Here, Ferris the Falcon, our school mascot guides our students through various social situations and teaches students how to be the best problem solver they can be!  What would Ferris the Falcon do.pdf 

Friends of Ferris
We welcome Friends of Ferris to Falgarwood Public School. This interactive group of students are trained in problem solving strategies and character development. They will be circulating during nutrition breaks to help educate our students.

X - Twitter
Be sure to join our school-wide X account! Here we post up-to-date events that are happening for our students and community. We are proud of our students and their contributions. @Falgarwood_HDSB

Facilities Update

We are pleased to say the intermediate boys’ washroom will be painted this weekend. We are looking forward to its crisp and clean look. In the near future, we will be receiving additional wood chips and sand for our outdoor learning areas.

Professional Learning Day (PA Day) – Monday April 8, 2024

The HDSB has a professional learning day on Monday April 8, 2024. Teachers will be at Falgarwood learning about math, science, mental health and language curriculum. Our Educational Assistant Team will be learning off-site and our Administrative Assistant Team will be off-site as well. If you call the school that day, please leave a message and the office team will return your call our next business day.

Internet and Technology Safety
We are pleased to say we are hosting an in-person Internet Safety Presentation on Friday, April 26th by Paul Davis for our intermediate students. There will be virtual presentations for our primary and junior students as well!

Upcoming Intermediate Math Contest
The Intermediate teachers will be hosting an optional Gauss Math contest for our Grade 7 & 8 students. Stay tuned as more information is to come!

Fundraising and Donations
A special thanks to parents for donating to Falgarwood Public School. We were able to use these proceeds to support a portion of the busing costs for our Physical Education Program and upcoming Track and Field events. If you would like to donate, please visit our website and click on the donation tab.  

World Book Day
Falgarwood will be celebrating World Book Day as a school the third week in April. We will have author visits, opportunities for reading buddies, ambassadors, designing comic books and a parade where we will dress up like our favourite literary characters. There will be a cashless Book Fair Thursday, April 25th in the evening from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. We will be accepting debit or credit. Please no cash or cheques. For the parade, please no masks, no sharing costumes, no weapons and only costumes that are culturally and politically appropriate. Stay tuned for more information!  

Class Placements 2024-25
Even though this is early, we have a process for class building here at Falgarwood Public School.   Teachers and administration spend many hours building classes. Many factors such as learning styles, gender balances, instructional groupings and the strengths and needs of each individual student are taken into consideration. Our focus is to create balanced classes that allow students to be successful in their learning environment. Within our school organization we may have combined/split classes and reorganizations.  As is the case every year, we want to be clear we cannot honour requests and we ask that ONLY if you have specific concerns regarding placements that you please connect with your child’s current homeroom teacher with a brief note outlining your thoughts and also to pericaa@hdsb.ca up until April 30th, 2024.  Any requests after this date will not be honoured.

PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST SPECIFIC TEACHERS and only make a request if there is a mental health concern. 

Student Transportation

Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) is currently experiencing a shortage of bus drivers, which may result in potential bus delays or cancellations in the coming weeks. At this time, we ask that you regularly check the HSTS website for updates and plan alternative transportation arrangements accordingly. We understand the importance of reliable transportation. HSTS are actively working to address the shortage and we appreciate your understanding. 

Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration is open for the 2024-2025 school year! Families are invited to learn more about Kindergarten in the Halton District School Board, the Kindergarten Program, play-based learning, community resources in Halton and before and after school care through the Kindergarten webpage on hdsb.ca. To register to begin school in Fall 2024, Junior (Year 1) Kindergarten children must be four years old by Dec. 31, 2024 and Senior (Year 2) Kindergarten children must be five years old by Dec. 31, 2024. To identify your child's home school, please use the Find My Local School tool on the HDSB website. Be sure to select the 2024-2025 school year. If you need assistance determining your home school, please contact plan@hdsb.ca. We look forward to welcoming you to the HDSB this Fall! 

Problem Solving Pathway - Student Issues
If there are any student issues, please speak to your child’s teacher first who will be able to help you solve the problem. They are equipped with strategies to help your child learn social skills and how to solve situations between students. Thank you for encouraging your child(ren) to tell their teacher.

School Council
Our school council meets throughout the school year to discuss student success and celebrate ways to move learning forward.  If you have questions surrounding learning, safety and operations, please contact your child’s teacher directly or your principals. We are here to help!

Student Supervision
Student Supervision starts at 9:10am before school and ends at 4:00pm after school.  Staff are outside circulating with supervision vests as well as walkie talkies. 

A reminder that before school the climber and field are closed.  Students are to be on the black top and make their way to their entry doors when the bells ring. This way students are properly supervised.  If you could remind your children of this at home. Please see our supervisors outside if you need assistance.

Kiss and Ride
Thank you for using our Kiss and Ride for dropping students off in the mornings.  We noticed students were still walking in between vehicles. To keep everyone safe, students are to exit from the left-hand side of vehicles and walk directly to the walkway and to their class line ups at the back of the school. The Kiss and Ride is only open in the mornings for drop-offs.

Before and After School Pick-Ups
Just a reminder as we have such a small parking lot with limited space (once the school busses are present).  For this reason, the school parking lot is closed between 3:30 and 4:10 pm every day after school. Parents picking up students should park on the road opposite the school or one of the surrounding side streets.  Students are to use the sidewalks and not to walk across the parking lot.  We encourage families to walk to and from school. If you have access to the bus picking you up in the morning, you are encouraged to use this as well. This will help with the flow during our busiest parking lot time as well as to ensure the safety of our students.  Thank you for working with us on this.

Thanks to our staff and leadership team, our culture here is kind, caring, positive and uplifting.  Together we are putting students and their families first.  We look forward to working with you and continuing this positive, collaborative and enriched learning climate.