Cross Country Meet Postponed Until Wednesday October 3rd

Due to inclement weather, Monday's (Oct. 1) Cross Country meet has been postponed until Wednesday (Oct. 3). 

The Book Fair is Coming Next Week

Monday, October 1st to Friday, October 5th

Monday and Tuesday- Preview Days

Students will have the opportunity to view the books and make a list of any they would like to purchase.

Wednesday to Friday

Open at morning OR lunch recess for students in grades 4-8.

 K-3 students will come down during class time.

Family Events

Open from 6:00 - 8:00 pm during Curriculum Night on Wednesday. 

Open after school Thursday until 3:30.

Curriculum Night - October 3rd

We will be opening our doors on October 3^rd for the annual JRPS Curriculum Night.

Curriculum Night is a valuable opportunity to meet the staff, learn what your child will be learning, and other important information that will support your child(ren)’s success in the 2018-2019 school year.

The evening will be divided into two half hour sessions in order for parents with more than one child to visit both classrooms.

Date: October 3^rd

Time: 6:30-7:30 

(session 1 - 6:30-7:00 p.m., session 2 – 7:00-7:30 p.m.)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Markham Fair Free Admission for Elementary Students

It's time for the Markham Fair! Are you planning to attend this exciting and historical event with your family this coming weekend (Sept. 27-30)? If so, kids receive free admission if they submit a colouring contest page at the front gates. Colouring sheets can be downloaded here:

Pre-Planned Student Absences

Thank you to the families who indicated student absences on the Student Start-Up package that went home on the first day of school.  

As these dates sometimes change, we ask that parents still report their child’s absence by using the new Edsby system or by calling into the school office.

Lunch Assistants Needed ~ Paid Position

If you are interested in joining our Lunch Assistant team, please call our main office at 905-294-3484. Lunch assistants work one hour per day, supervising students during our indoor and outdoor lunch period.

Parent Pizza Day Volunteers Needed

James Robinson has had a weekly pizza day in past years. Pizza Sales support our fundraising plan and also help parents who are in need of a break from making lunches daily!

In order for us to continue Pizza Days, we need additional parent volunteers who are willing to meet at lunch time and distribute the pizza to homeroom classes on a weekly or rotational basis. 

If you are interested in becoming a Pizza Day Parent Volunteers, please contact Mrs. Main at mhmain@bell.net

JRPS Library Update

We are looking for library volunteers to check in books for primary students and assist with shelving 8:30-9/9:30 and/or 2:15/2:30-3:00.  If you are a parent or family member who drops off or picks up a child at school and have some time to offer once a week (or once every 2 weeks), we would love to add you to our schedule.  High School students could also volunteer with shelving after school for an hour (email Tara.truscott@yrdsb.ca)

Lanyards/name tags - Do you or someone in your family attend conferences?  We are looking for lanyards/badge holders that we can use for SPARC Library/Makerspace passes.  Our Library Learning Commons is designed to spark creativity and excitement and we have named it SPARC (Students Participating in Action Research Collaboratively/Creatively)!  If you have any hanging around your home that aren’t being used, please send them into the library and we will put them to use.  Thanks!

Walking or Cycling to School

As we start the 2018-2019 school year, we would like to remind and encourage families in the vicinity to consider walking or cycling with children to and from school. There are many benefits to walking and cycling to school. It:

• Improves student academic performance by making children more alert and better prepared to learn.
• Contributes to the daily goal of 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity for children, improving their health and overall fitness.
• Reduces traffic congestion and improves safety for everyone in school zones.
• Promotes life-long habits that foster independence and active lifestyles, preparing children for their future.

Consider parking a block away from the school and walking the rest of the way. Include active travel as part of your daily routine!

Welcome Back!

WELCOME TO THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR

We hope that everyone had a restful and relaxing summer holiday and that students took the time to reflect on last school year and set new goals for 2018-2019.

We look forward to welcoming over 370 students, and 47 staff through our doors on September 4th. We have had a lot of staff changes over the summer, and would like to welcome Mrs. Tait, Mrs. Keirstead, and Mrs. Lo to our main office, Ms. Wong to our transition class, Mr. Cote and Ms. Kirubahar to our community class, and finally Ms. Drinkle, Ms. Palmer, Mr. Spano, Ms. Lue, and Ms. Kastanis to the primary division.

As a team of lead learners, we plan to support all of our children in our building to reach their fullest potential.  We will set goals together, support the learning for all while continuously challenging each other throughout this coming school year.  Along the way, we will recognize the individual and the group successes throughout the year – successes in academics, athletics, the arts, and those who lead by example in their day to day interactions.  

This James Robinson Register blog  (will be our main parent communication tool, along with our Twitter feed @JRobinsonPS. Stay up to date instantly and have access to the school calendar of events from your computer, smart phone or other devices! You can subscribe to The Register by entering your e-mail address in the "Follow us on e-mail" box on the right of the screen when viewed on a laptop or other computer. If you choose to enter your e-mail address, a summary of new posts will be sent to your e-mail regularly. 

OPENING DAY SEPTEMBER 4^th

On the first day of school, students will be sorted into their homerooms on the back tarmac, weather permitting. Grade number signs will be posted on the building and teachers will have the class lists for their grade(s). Several support staff will be circulating with a master list to expedite the process.  In order to have the process go smoothly for everyone, grade 4-8 parents please allow children the independence of getting to their homeroom teacher on their own. Grade 1-3 parents should drop their child directly to homeroom teachers to explain pick-up arrangements and can leave their child with the teacher to wait with the rest of the parents so their child can begin a successful first day independently. Kindergarten parents may drop their children at the kindergarten enclosure to meet their teacher.

In the event of rain (fingers crossed this won’t happen!!), students will be directed inside and supported by our staff to get to their new homeroom.

SCHOOL START-UP PACKAGE

On the first day of school, students will receive a start-up package containing some pertinent forms that need to be returned to the school by September 7^th. If your child has a medical condition or life-threatening allergy, please let our office staff know immediately. An information package will be sent home on the first day for any student with medical needs of which we are aware. 

AGENDAS

Agendas are available for purchase from gr. 1-8 homeroom teachers at a cost recovery of $5.00. Payment can be made in cash or using SchoolCashOnline. Purchasing an agenda from the school is optional. If students wish to use a personal device, or other form of agenda, that is certainly okay. It is important that each child in grade 1-8 use some tool for organization and communication to develop skills necessary for success.

OPEN ENTRY ROUTINE

James Robinson is an morning open entry school. This means that students may enter the building at any time after 8:15 a.m. in order to prepare for the beginning of the day at 8:30. this format cuts down on traffic congestion in our bus loop, reduces the number of morning lates, and preserves instructional time. 

Students are expected to enter the building, using their regular entry doors, upon arrival on school property. Morning indoor supervision begins on Wednesday, September 5th. 

MORNING DROP-OFF 

Although all non-bused students are encouraged to walk, in order to keep our students safe, all parents need to be familiar with drop-off routines in the community.  

Teacher supervision begins at 8:15, students may be dropped off at any time between 8:15 and 8:30.

There is no parking on Robinson in front of the school during the morning or after school, but many families use this as a “Kiss ‘n’ Ride” where they quickly stop to let their child(ren) out to make their way to the yard. There is no private vehicle drop-off on Galsworthy, as we need this area clear for our 11 buses that arrive between 8:15-8:30.

Parents cannot use the parking lot for student drop off/pick up before school, at lunchtime, or at dismissal.  The parking spaces are for our staff members or for parents who need to enter the school to meet with a staff member. 

We must all pull together to ensure the safety of our students. Please help all students arrive and dismiss safely.

SAFE WELCOME AND SCHOOL VISITORS

During the school day, all exterior doors will remain locked. Any visitors to the school must enter through the front doors. This includes parents visiting classrooms, dropping off lunches, joining classes on field trips. 

For the safety of our students, it is important that parents in the building check in at the office and obtain a visitor/volunteer badge that identifies them as a “safe” adult. 

Parents picking up children at the end of day or during the lunch hour should remain outside of the building and meet their child at an agreed upon rendezvous location. Let’s keep our kids safe and aware of routines for unfamiliar adults. 

LUNCH DROP OFF

Lunch time is a busy time at JRPS. Parents who wish to drop-off their child's lunch after the start of the instructional day are asked to leave the student's lunch labelled with their name and homeroom on the table in the front foyer. Secretarial staff will not be calling individual students down to retrieve lunches, so please ensure your child is aware of lunchtime arrangements in the morning.

NUT-SAFE SCHOOL

Many of our students and staff have a life-threatening allergy to nuts. For this reason, we are a nut-safe school. Please help us ensure the health and safety of all of our students by:

• Letting the school know immediately if your child has a life-threatening allergy or medical condition and complete the appropriate forms.
• Practicing measures to avoid allergens, such as:
• Checking the ingredients label on any food students bring to school.
• Avoiding sending nut products or peanut butter replacements.
• Helping students understand why food sharing at school poses a risk to students with allergies.
• Encouraging handwashing with soap before and after eating.

FRAGRANCE FREE ENVIRONMENT

Many of our staff and students have extreme sensitivities to fragrances such as perfume, cologne or strongly fragranced soaps. Please be mindful that all YRDSB schools are designated as fragrance free environments.

SAFE ARRIVAL

Ensuring a safe environment at JRPS includes our Safe Arrival Policy. Please call the school office when you know your child will be late or away from school. You will receive a phone call home in the morning or after lunch if your child is absent and their absence has not been reported.

Attendance is taken immediately following the National Anthem which is played each day at 8:32 a.m. – the beginning of our instructional day.  Our office staff make it a priority every morning to check on the safe arrival of each of our JRPS students.