Please let the office know if you require a hardcopy of our newsletters.

Thank you

Good evening Norwood Students, Parents and Guardians,

As we continue to take part in social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, I wanted to take this opportunity to check in with you and let you know that we miss you all!

We are now in our third week of distance learning and we are starting to feel like we have our feet under us again.  I know there have been challenges as we figure out how to make the learning accessible for our students but, there has been so many successes.  I want to celebrate the learning our teachers have done as well as, the students but most of all, you for being there to guide your child through this process (as a mom I can relate that it isn’t easy all the time).  

If you haven’t already, please visit our website https://norwoodpublic.kprdsb.ca/.  You will find staff contact information and have access to our Twitter feed so you can watch our videos with your child.  Hopefully, some of our videos will make you laugh, at least that is the goal of mine!

Remember we are all in this together and if we continue to follow the direction around social distancing, we will all be together again.

Have a wonderful week,

Brooke

How can families get help or communicate with school staff (for example teacher, ECE, Educational Assistant) during Distance Learning?

During this time of distance learning, ongoing communication between parents/guardians and educators is very important.  The following tips will strengthen our communication:

• Address questions and/or concerns with the educator directly by using their KPR email address.
• To protect your child’s privacy, please do not post questions or comments in a space that all students and parents can see.
• Take advantage of the educator’s posted office hours, a period of time each day when they will be available, for a quick response.
• Where necessary educators may also be available for phone calls.
• In many cases, your child will have more than one teacher. Most questions can likely be answered by the homeroom teacher. If a task was assigned by a different teacher, please direct your question to that individual for a speedier response.

Distance learning creates challenges for all of us. Your positive and respectful approach to communication is always appreciated.

For an information page that includes Distance Learning Tips for Families, please click here.

This was delivered by a Psychologist and was presented by the Psychology Foundation of Canada.  It is a timely episode when parents are feeling the stress of COVID-19.  I thought I would share:

“A Parent’s guide to staying sane during COVID19” - https://youtu.be/Xy4UQ2hFwdA

Dear KPR Parents and Guardians,

Thank you again to our parents for all that you are doing to support your child’s education in these challenging days. We are very grateful to have parents and families as our partners in education.

As we are all experiencing, the measures adopted across the province to ensure our wellness have fundamentally changed our day-to-day lives. Regrettably, this impacts meaningful life moments for our students and staff. In particular, in this week’s update we are sharing important news for students and families around our planning for graduation ceremonies.

Also, for parents looking for extra support for their children, there is information below on a tutoring program we are very pleased to offer in partnership with Trent University. These tutors provide online support and are available to students across our school district.

Graduation Ceremonies – Grade 8 and 12

We recognize that many students and parents are anxious to learn more about these events. As a result of provincial health directives and the physical distancing measures we expect to continue to be in place for some time, we must share that all Grade 12 graduation ceremonies have been postponed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, and spring proms are cancelled. Celebrations of the graduating class will be determined in the fall.

We greatly appreciate that these are momentous occasions in every student’s educational journey. To that end, our school administrators have been planning how graduation ceremonies may take place in the fall. As this planning continues, schools will be providing further information to students and families related to their individual schools.

Elementary schools are exploring a number of possibilities to recognize and celebrate Grade 8 graduations and Grade 6 leaving ceremonies. Again, more information on individual school ceremonies will be shared directly with students and families.

We have made this difficult decision after careful consideration, and we understand that it is disappointing for everyone.

Online Tutors Available – Trent University Partnership

Trent University is offering a free tutoring program to our students! The tutors for this Remote Learning Support (RLS) Program are teacher candidates in the Bachelor of Education program at Trent who have experience working in classrooms as well as tutoring experience. Grade 1-12 students can access up to five hours of tutoring per week. 

Areas of tutoring available are:

Math and Reading for Grades 1-6
Math, Reading and Science for Grades 7 and 8, and
A range of subject areas for Grades 9-12.

For more information or to register, please click this link.

You can also send questions to SOETutoring@trentu.ca.

Mental Health Week – May 4 to 8

We know these are stressful times for our students and parents. As we wrap up Mental Health Week in Canada, we wanted to remind everyone of the many mental health supports and toolkits to support students and families that are available from the home page of our website, www.kprschools.ca.

Kindergarten Registration

Another reminder that while our schools are physically closed, Kindergarten registration continues! School secretaries, principals, educators and school board staff are working behind the scenes preparing for Kindergarten 2020-21. Families can register online with any device connected to the Internet, at KPR School Registration. 

Some printed documents are required to finalize school registration, such as proof of age and address, and these can be handed in once schools re-open. Until then, our Kindergarten web portal www.kprschools.ca/kindergarten includes important resources and strategies to help prepare your little one for school. We look forward to welcoming our new students and families this fall!

Technology Helpline for Students and Families

For parents who are experiencing technical problems, our Parent/Student Helpline is available to support students/families with resolving issues with KPR technology and online learning platforms.  Please contact one of the regional numbers for support:

Peterborough: 1-877-741-4577 ext. 3001

Clarington: 1-877-741-4577 ext. 3002

Northumberland: 1-877-741-4577 ext. 3003

We remain committed to sharing information as soon as it becomes available. You may wish to follow us online through Twitter @kprschools or Facebook (Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board) and visit our website: www.kprschools.ca which includes regularly updated “frequently asked questions”.

Please continue to practice physical distancing.

Be well,

Jennifer Leclerc

Director of Education

Dear KPR Parents and Guardians,

Today, the Minister of Education has announced that, in the interest of student safety, schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year.

The safety of our students and staff is, and must always be, our first priority as we address broader community health and wellness. We also understand, however, that the effects of this decision, and the impact on students who are missing their friends, teachers and normal school life, are significant.

We want to assure you once again that we are mindful of the larger social pressures we are all experiencing in our homes and communities. Our teachers will continue to strive for balance and flexibility in their lesson planning, and be respectful of everyone’s unique family circumstances.

As a reminder, and to support difficult conversations you may be having today, our series of Everyday Mental Health Activities, and toolboxes designed specifically for kids, teens and parents are available on our website: www.kprschools.ca .

We will look forward to more details in the future from the government on the expanded summer learning programs they’ve referenced, and plans for what schools may look like when reopened in September. 

The full announcement from the Ministry is included below.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Leclerc

Director of Education

This coming Friday the 5th is a PA day for our students.  This is a day for teachers to focus on writing report cards and assessment of student work.  You will see this reflected in their plans for next weeks distance learning.

Good Morning Norwood Public School Families,
I hope you and your family are well. We have some important information to communicate to
you in this message.
We know that students and families have been anxious to retrieve personal belongings. We
have collaborated with local health authorities to finalize our process to allow access to student
belongings, in a structured way, which respects physical distancing. Pease limit the number of
people coming to the school at your designated time.
The following process has been developed to allow everyone to safely retrieve their belongings
and return textbooks, instruments, books, or resources that are no longer required for distance
learning in June.
1. Families are invited to retrieve their belongings at specific time slots based on the FIRST
LETTER OF YOUR CHILD’S LAST NAME. A schedule with your time will be sent out
privately by Monday night. The process will be alphabetical with A-H on Thursday June
4
th and H-Z on Friday June 5th
.
2. Please note the COVID-19 notice on the front door entrance. If you or your students
answer “yes” to any of the questions outlined below you may not enter the building.
Please contact the school if this applies to you and we will consider another option. The
questions are as follows:
 Do you have any of the following symptoms: fever, a new or chronic cough?
 Have you returned from travel outside of Ontario within the last 14 days?
 Have you had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID19 within the last 14
days?
If you continue to be uncertain, please utilize this Self Assessment.
3. Entrance to the building will be through the BACK door only (Primary side). There could
be line-ups and a period of time waiting outside so we ask for your patience and
understanding. Please adhere to proper physical distancing for yourself and your
children. Minimize the number of family members that come to the school and if possible
the parent should come alone. Children are not allowed to play on equipment and must
stay with their families if they have to attend.
4. Upon entering the school, there will be a staff member to record the name(s) of your
family coming into the school and the time.
5. Hand sanitizer must be utilized and will be available at entrances and exits.
6. Please note that bathrooms and water fountains will not be available during this visit.
7. Teachers will have gathered individual student belongings and placed them outside the
classroom in the hall. Student belongings and names will be clearly marked. Please
collect your child’s belongings and be as quick as possible to exit the building and school
grounds, touching as few surfaces as you can. Teachers’ names will be visible on the
walls outside classroom doors. It is also important to note that classroom teachers will
not be on site during this process.
8. Please return classroom or school resources no longer required for distance learning at
the identified tables located in the middle hall that connects the primary to the junior hall.
9. Upon entrance to the school you will walk in one direction towards the main exit at the
back of the school on the junior side. Only stop to grab your child’s labelled bag and
then keep walking and following the signs.
10. Upon exiting a staff member will be there to ask your name and note your time of exiting
the building. Please do not use any of our other exits unless directed by a staff member.
11. If you have multiple children, please retrieve all belongings during one visit.
12. Parking: With limited parking onsite, please come to the school just prior to your allotted
time. Once you have gathered your items you must leave property immediately. Do not
stop to talk to anyone as this will back our process up and it is important that we respect
the social distancing and gathering rules.
Thank you for your cooperation with this process, which will help everyone retrieve their
belongings safely. This is a pretty big undertaking and we hope that with your help and
efficiency, we will get through this process and return to focusing our attention on student
programming.
Thank you,
Brooke Ostapek
Principal Norwood Public School

ATTENTION all Norwood Families:

Please read the attached letter pertaining to Report Card distribution next week.

Below are 3 summer learning posters designed to keep the learning moving in the right direction over the summer.  

Please see the attached letter.