École John Diefenbaker Senior School

Hello!

And here we are at the beginning of September.  Time has flown by for most people this summer but it is time to get back to school and friends and extracurriculars and all the other great stuff at JDSS!
The best place to get up to date information about JDSS is our Facebook page and/or to register for School Messenger on the Bluewater DSB board website.

I apologize in advance for the number of items on this message but I thought one long one is better than a whole bunch of short ones.  That said, I am sure there will be things that I have forgotten! 😊

• Attendance!  Students are far less likely to be successful if they are not in class!
  • It is very important that you call in for your student prior to the beginning of the school day.
  • You may text 226 379 8459 or call the school to leave messages.
  • If your student has an unexcused absence, there will be progressive consequences starting with discussions.  Please do not excuse an absence if it is not valid.  Under the Education Act, you may excuse your child for illness/medical, religious observances or court appearances.
• Cellphones.
  • As you may know, there is an Ontario regulation banning cellphones from the classroom as they are a distraction from student learning.  Teachers will ask for cellphones to be kept in backpacks and silent. In addition, we have ‘cell hotels’ in every classroom for students to have a safe space to put them.
  • If a student is told to put their cellphone in the ‘cell hotel’ and refuses, administration is called to take the student to the office.  If the student refuses to give up the cellphone at that time, the parent/guardian is called and consequences are assigned.
  • If you need to contact your child or they need to contact you, there are phones in every classroom and the main office will get them a message very quickly.
  • Please review this procedure with your child. 
• To keep informed, please go to the board website (under Families/Community) for instructions on how to register for:
  • School Messenger
  • School Cash Online
  • School bus and inclement weather announcements
• Laptop loans
  • Included in the package being sent home on the first day is the Laptop Loan agreement.  All Bluewater secondary students will be loaned a laptop for the duration of their time.  Fill out the form and return it to the school ASAP in order to get the laptop soon. 
  • Reminder to Grade 12 students that the laptop must be returned before your final Grade 12 exam in June.
• Student accident insurance
  • Also in your student’s first day package is information on Student Accident Insurance.  While this insurance is optional, we strongly recommend it for all students and especially those involved in athletics and the tech classes.
• Dress code
  • The Bluewater DSB dress code is available on the board website under Policies and procedures.
  • As a reminder, underwear cannot be worn as overwear and should be worn beneath a layer of outerwear.
• Athletic code of conduct
  • All athletes will be given a copy of the Code of Conduct by their coaches. If an athlete fails to follow the Code of Conduct, they may be removed from the sporting activity. Please review this when your student brings it home.
• Cafeteria
  • The cafeteria will be open on Tuesday but the debit machine will not be available for the first week.
  • the cafeteria is run by Chartwells and they have informed us that prices have risen from 4 to 8% due to rising ingredient costs.

Message for parents/guardian(s) from Bluewater DSB:

As you complete back-to-school forms, please ensure documentation is accurate and returned promptly. Missing or incomplete information will impact the ability to communicate important student health and safety information. Please note, only the contacts listed on the 2023-24 back-to-school forms will be active in our student information system.

 Thank you

 

We hope that you enjoy the long weekend!  We are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday.

Andrew Riddick, Principal

The link below is to buy tickets through school cash

https://bwdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/26133/66/False/True

Hello!

It has been a while since my last message and it certainly isn’t because things are dull around JDSS!  Our sports teams are doing an amazing job and continuing on to BAA and CWOSSA despite all of the rescheduling happening with the inclement weather days.  Our Valentine’s Dance was a huge hit and everyone was dressed up in their finery!

Attendance is still an issue in JDSS secondary.  Please please please call or text ahead of time when your student will be away.  The number to text is (226) 379 8459. We are trying very hard to separate legitimate absences for illness and appointments from students skipping.  The aim is not to punish but to reinforce that they can’t be successful if they are not in class. 

If your child contacts you to excuse an absence and you were unaware of that absence, feel free to say no and have the student serve a lunchtime detention.  These small interventions can make our students more reliable and accountable when they enter the workforce. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The Environmental Science class and Green Committee are selling seeds to fundraise for the greening of JDSS!  Here is a letter that explains the program and the benefits to JDSS.  Have a look at the seed catalogue and Plant a Tree bonus.

Elementary report cards are going home Monday February 27^th.

We are hoping to get through next week without a snow day! :-)
Andrew

 

Upcoming events:

• Grey County Regional Job Fair – Tuesday, February 28^th from 1-6PM at JDSS.  All community members welcome. Students will be visiting during the afternoon in their classes.  They are encouraged to have a resume with them to give to prospective employers!
• Along the same lines, Bluewater DSB is recruiting!  Please see the attached letter for more information.  Recruitment Letter to Parents_Guardians-REVISED - JDS.pdf
• Elementary speeches! The GCFA is running their annual event on Tuesday February 28^th at Egremont Community School. 
• High Skills Major students are coming the Season of Field Trips.  These opportunities (and Skills Canada competitions) allow for invaluable experiential learning but students need to make sure that they keep up with missed classes!
• March Break is March 13 to 17 and Daylight Savings Time kicks in on March 12^th.

 

January 11, 2023

Declutter your home of old and unwanted electronics and #DontTrashTech!

The Green Committee at JDSS and Staples are running a campaign to give you a free, convenient and secure way to recycle your unwanted electronics. Our community is invited to bring unwanted electronics to JDSS this week from Monday until Thursday (16th-19th), 2023 for FREE secure recycling.

- No Microwaves
- Floor Standing Printers (regular desk printers are fine)

Happy New Year!

We hope that everyone made it through the blizzard safe and sound and enjoyed an atypically warm Grey County holiday!

We have secondary exams coming up at the end of January.  Your child may or may not have an exam depending on the class but 30% of their final mark will be decided in the last week of the semester!  The formal exam period is as follows:

Period A – Friday January 27, 2023 at 9:30AM

Period B – Monday January 30, 2023 at 9:30AM

Period C – Tuesday January 31, 2023 at 9:30AM

Period D = Wednesday February 1, 2023 at 9:30AM

 

Friday February 3 is a PD day.  Semester 2 will begin Monday February 6.

There is a parent Council meeting this week on Wednesday January 11 at 7PM.  The meeting is by MSTeams and this is the link.  Hope to see you there!

Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 25. We are seeing many of our students in mental health crises but we can’t help if we don’t know about it.  So, let’s talk!

School Cash Online is a nice and easy way to pay for your child's field trips and any other costs.  If you haven't already done so, please join up by using this document (Parent Registration Instructions - 2022.pdf)   75% of JDS families are currently using School Cash Online. Join the crowd!

 

Hello!

Barring any unforeseen announcements, this will be our final message of 2022!  We want to thank all of those who have sent encouraging emails since September as we try our best to get kids in class and learning new things.

Please see the attached letter from me/Bluewater DSB regarding staying healthy over the holidays and into January.  It was this time last year where we were interrupted yet again due to the high number of cases.  None of us want to return to that scenario!

The holiday can be a tough time mentally for many students as they lose the routine of school and do not see their friends. The resource links below gives information on recognizing when your child is struggling with mental health issues and where to go for help.

Noticing mental health concerns for your child - Parents and caregivers - School Mental Health Ontario (smho-smso.ca)

Get support with these mental health resources - Kids Help Phone

The staff at JDSS wish all of you a safe and fun holiday with family and friends as well as for a prosperous (and safe and fun!) 2023!

Andrew

December 6, 2022

Hello! 

Just to mix things up, I thought I would post my Friday message on a Monday… 

We now have a phone number for you to text when your child is going to be absent for illness or a medical appointment! We hope that this will make things easier for you and more accurate for our attendance records.  The number to text is226-379-8459.  Please use this number only to text.  If you are going to call and leave a message, call 519 364 3770 as usual.

 

We have just three weeks to go until the holiday and Student Council and Jack Chapter have many events planned for us.  Mr. Hiltz and his K class have taken on the awesome responsibility for our JDS Annual Food drive.  It started today and will go until December 16.  While the friendly rivalry between classes is not the primary motivator in the season of giving, it benefits those in need and reflects the incredible generosity of the Hanover and area community. 

MOST NEEDED ITEMS Canned Fruit/Vegetables, Stove Top Stuffing, Peanut Butter, Granola Bars, Pasta/Rice, Canned Meat/Tuna, Cereal, Toothbrush/Toothpaste, Soap/Shampoo 

Parents can drop off items as well as they will be in the front foyer as a reminder to students of the need to support people who are struggling at this time. 

November 24, 2022

Hello!

The last message I wrote was with severe weather warnings and a major snowfall and, today, the sun is shining and it feels a little like spring! Very strange.

We have a busy week ahead with Grade 8 night on Tuesday from 5 to 7PM, the JDS Junior Academic Awards on Wednesday at 9:15AM and Kwesi Millington, a guest speaker on resilience and planning for change on Thursday!

Mrs. Bender went around to some elementary classrooms today to talk about the difference between conflict and bullying.  We have some students who do not want to come to school due to the daily verbal, and sometimes physical, treatment by other students.  Conflict is something that we all need to deal with when disagreements arise while bullying is aggressive behaviour that occurs over time.  It’s a good message for our elementary students, secondary students and whole school community to receive!

Dental screening for secondary students is on December 16.  Please see below for more information. The signup sheet is in the office and students can sign themselves up or parents can call in.  The screening takes just a minute and can save a lifetime of pain if issues are found early. 

There is a PD day tomorrow (the November 25, 2023) so we hope that all of our students enjoy a long weekend.  Just four weeks to go to the holiday break!

Andrew

 

The Dental Team from the Grey Bruce Health Unit will be visiting JDSS on Friday, December 16 to offer secondary students free, voluntary dental screenings and assist with enrollment into the Healthy Smiles Ontario Program.

Healthy Smiles Ontario is a free dental care program available to youth up to age 17 and offered to students in need of dental care who would experience financial hardship seeking the treatment required. Treatment covered includes: dental check ups, cleanings, fillings, x-rays, and many other services.

If you would like to have your child seen by the Dental Hygienist at the school, please sign up at the JDSS office and ask your child to attend the screening December 16. Screenings are confidential, take less than a minute to complete and are done on a voluntary basis. Every student who has a dental screening will be automatically enrolled into a draw to win an electric toothbrush!

Parents who would like their child to have a dental screening but not able to attend the screening on the scheduled date, can contact the Grey Bruce Health Unit to make arrangements to visit the mobile clinics or complete a tele-dental consult for emergencies (pain, infection).

Contact by phone: 519-376-9420, press 8 for dental

Contact by email: [email protected]

November 11, 2022

Hello,

Another week done and, like the decreasing daylight hours, time seems to be passing faster and faster!

I hope you have been watching our Facebook page to see the great things our athletes are doing! Clubs like the Green Committee, Indigenous Council, the Musical (and too many others to count) are in full swing!

In the office, we are struggling with student attendance. In order to discourage truancies, we have started a detention room at lunch.  If a student fails to show up for their detention, the path will lead to a one day suspension but we really hope that it won’t get to that point.

We are asking for your help in this.  If your student is going to be away, we really, really need you to phone in to the office so that we can make the absence Parent Approved. Without this, we cannot tell whether the absence is truancy or legitimate.

As a last point, please keep in mind that you cannot give your student permission to miss class to attend a school event like a volleyball game. Permissible absences are for illness/medical appointments, religious holidays and court appearances. We all want students to be successful so it is essential that they be in class! Thanks in advance for your cooperation.  

November 4, 2022

Hello, 

Please see the letter below from Director Wilder regarding the CUPE strike. The school will be open from 8AM to 4PM on Monday.

Have a good weekend!
Parent letter-CUPE update_Nov.4.2022.pdf

November 2, 2022

Please see the attached letter from Director Wilder regarding the provincial negotiations with CUPE. Parent_letter_CUPE-Nov.2.2022.pdf

October 31, 2022 - Happy Hallowe'en!

Photo retake day is tomorrow for all grades.  Students will be called down by grade if they want to have a retake.

This school year, the Grey Bruce Health Unit (GBHU), in partnership with the Bluewater District School Board, will be introducing the Student Health Centres in all secondary schools. The services will be delivered and coordinated by the school Public Health Nurse (PHN). Confidential health education will be provided one-on-one for students who access the PHN/Student Health Centre.

Health education and services provided will include the following:

• Healthy lifestyles (nutrition, physical activity, dental health)
• Healthy sexuality
• 2SLGBTQ+ resources & support
• Healthy relationships
• Tobacco and vaping support
• Harm reduction education and supplies
• Health system navigation/referrals to appropriate community agencies/healthcare providers.

Starting in November 2022, the PHN will offer on-site presence once a week at each secondary school. Please note that the frequency of the PHN visits may vary depending on the size and need of each school.

The GBHU is optimistic that this program will be well received and be impactful on the health and wellbeing of our students.

For further information, please feel free to contact the school health team at [email protected].

Hello!

Here we are at the last week of October and it seems like yesterday that we were just getting going!

Please find attached a letter for parents of secondary students who have to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)(22 10 25 letter to parents re OSSLT.docx.) JDSS will run the test in the fall for all eligible Grade 10. Grade 11 and Grade 12 students.  For this year only, the Ministry is allowing students to go directly into the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC – sorry for the acronyms) without having written the literacy test.  If you think that your child may not pass the test, we can put them right into the course but only for this year.  Contact Guidance if you have any questions.

I am sorry to announce that Take Your Kid To Work Day (TYKTWD – another acronym) is not happening this year.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, this day scheduled has been cancelled this year.  If you choose to take your Grade 9 student to work with you, please call the office for the absence.  Keep in mind that classes will run as normal.

We have had a situation arise with students being sent to the office from their classroom but not arriving at the office.  This results in a large loss of time for the office and school in general as we try to locate the student who does not want to be found.  In some cases, it also affects the parents and Hanover community if we cannot find them. Obviously, this cannot continue. We deliberated over this for some time and have decided to adopt the same policy that other schools in Bluewater have done.  If a student is sent to the office and does not arrive on their own, they will be given a one day suspension for the following day.  It is our sincere hope that having this rule will mean that we will not have to use it.

A few things coming up:

• The First JDSS school newspaper is available! This will be produced monthly and feature a range of topics all centred around the school.  Thanks to Cooperative Education student, Victoria Jarvis, for coming up with the idea, pitching it to staff and producing the whole thing!  You can access the newspaper at https://issuu.com/jarvvic243/docs/jdss_october_newspaper

• The Masquerade Dance is Thursday October 27 from 3:30 to 5 for Grades 7 & 8 and then from 6 to 9 for secondary students.

• JDS Parent Council is having its first meeting on October 26 from 7PM to 8PM.  The meeting is virtual so feel free to click the link below to hear the goings on at JDSS. You do not have to ‘join’ the Parent Council (formally called the SCC- School Community Council) to listen in. See you there! Link

• Waste-free Lunch Day is Wednesday October 26! Our Green Committee has chosen this day to demonstrate how easy it is to reduce waste and our ecological footprint.  Join in on JDSS’ journey to a more sustainable future!

• The Grade 7’s and 8’s have an immunization clinic on Thursday October 27 in the library run by GBHS (Grey Bruce Health Services)

• The OSSLT (see above) will run from November 7 to November 18.  If your child misses it, there will be an opportunity to write it in the spring.

• There is a PA Day on Friday October 28

• Attention graduating students!  A Regional University Fair is October 26 in Kincardine and JDS will be sending a bus.  Along the same lines, there is a Regional College Fair on November 2. There is no cost and it is a great way to shop and compare programs from different universities and colleges.  Please see Guidance for more information.

• Grad photos are coming up fast!  They are the week of November 7 through 10.

• Volleyball and basketball and cross country are in full swing! It is very rare for the gym to be a quiet place!

As you can see, it’s a hopping place!

Have a good week,

Andrew

Trojans on the Track for Terry

 

On Monday, October 3 students from Ecole John Diefenbaker Senior School in Hanover hit the track for an all-day relay in support of the Terry Fox Foundation. This run continues a tradition at JDSS since 1995. In total, the school raised $1382.15 to help find a cure and keep Terry’s dream alive.

The day began with a school-wide viewing of an inspirational video after which teachers accompanied their students to walk or run a couple laps of the track to kick off the day-long event. Students had signed up as individuals or in teams and were given a scheduled run time. The result was at least one JDSS Trojan running the track for the duration of the school day. Runners collected individual pledges, and classes competed to raise money. Ms. Meulensteen’s grade 8 class raised over $500.00 accounting for almost half of the school’s total donation. They were rewarded with a class pizza party to celebrate. Individual runners won prizes for their running and fundraising efforts.

Organizers were thankful for beautiful weather, and stellar participation in this first school event of the 2022/2023 season.

Trojans on the Track for Terry

 

On Monday, October 3 students from Ecole John Diefenbaker Senior School in Hanover hit the track for an all-day relay in support of the Terry Fox Foundation. This run continues a tradition at JDSS since 1995. In total, the school raised $1382.15 to help find a cure and keep Terry’s dream alive.

The day began with a school-wide viewing of an inspirational video after which teachers accompanied their students to walk or run a couple laps of the track to kick off the day-long event. Students had signed up as individuals or in teams and were given a scheduled run time. The result was at least one JDSS Trojan running the track for the duration of the school day. Runners collected individual pledges, and classes competed to raise money. Ms. Meulensteen’s grade 8 class raised over $500.00 accounting for almost half of the school’s total donation. They were rewarded with a class pizza party to celebrate. Individual runners won prizes for their running and fundraising efforts.

Organizers were thankful for beautiful weather, and stellar participation in this first school event of the 2022/2023 season.

He never quit, and neither will we!

Ecole John Diefenbaker Senior School is again, this year, participating in the Terry Fox Run.  Inspired by Terry’s Marathon of Hope, JDSS is going to be running to raise funds for cancer research and help keep Terry’s dream alive.

 “Trojans on the Track for Terry”, our all-day relay, will take place on Wednesday, September 28. Students can sign up by visiting the main office, scanning the QR code on the posters around the school, or clicking this link to register  tinyurl.com/bdefhk53.  Gather your friends and sign up as a team or sign up as an individual!

If you would like to support this fundraising initiative, there are three ways to contribute:

1. Through the Terry Fox Foundation website which will generate a tax receipt. https://schools.terryfox.ca/JohnDiefenbakerSSHanover

2. Contribute through School Cash Online

3. Send cash to school with a student to be given to the student’s homeroom teacher.

Thank you for supporting this long-standing tradition at JDSS!