Welcome Back to an Exciting 2025!
We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday break and are ready to embark on a year full of growth, learning, and new opportunities. As we begin 2025, we are excited to continue building on the foundation of positive relationships that create a sense of mattering, belonging, inclusion, and safety for all.
Our commitment remains steadfast in supporting the mental health and well-being of our students. We aim to foster safe, healthy, and meaningful connections that promote teaching and learning while affirming the diverse lived experiences of each student. These efforts are vital to ensuring that every student feels valued and empowered.
As a school, we are deeply grateful for your continued partnership. Together, we will work to build a stronger, more vibrant environment for everyone in our community.
Let’s make 2025 a year of collaboration, achievement, and kindness. Together, we can accomplish great things.
Dress for the weather
Winter is here! We want all of our students to enjoy the winter weather. Please ensure that students come to school dressed appropriately for the weather and for outdoor play. Students can stay warm by wearing layers of loose-fitting clothing, a hat, scarf, jackets, snow pants, and mittens or gloves. Students may also want to bring extra pants, socks, and mittens in case they get wet.
Recess
If students are well enough to come to school, they are expected to go outside for recess. Our students benefit from spending time outside and being active. We monitor weather conditions throughout the day. If there are extreme weather conditions, we may consider a shortened or indoor recess.
Important Notice: When temperatures and/or wind chill reach minus 20 degrees Celsius, we consider an indoor routine for recess/events. Please see additional information from our board website.
Appropriate Footwear for School
As we enter the new year, we kindly remind families to continue sending students to school with both indoor and outdoor shoes. To help maintain the cleanliness of our school, please ensure that outdoor shoes have non-marking soles. We have noticed an increase in scuff marks on the floors, which require special equipment and cleaners for our caretaking team to remove. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation in helping us keep our school looking its best. Thank you for your continued understanding.
French Immersion Information
Information Session
This year our Information session for Grade 1 entry into the French Immersion (FI) program will take place in our gym on January 16, 2025 at 7pm. Program locations and additional information is available on the Board website.
Registration
FI registration will begin on January 17, 2025. Parents or guardians of Senior Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2025, and wishing to enrol in the FI Program, can email or call their home school office. For our SK families, you will call our office and indicate their intention to enrol. You are asked to register by February 10, 2025. Any registration after February 10, 2025 will be considered late registration. Late registrations will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis and will be considered subsequent to registrations received during the registration period should overflow be necessary. Families registering students who do not currently attend a YRDSB school will need to complete full registration paperwork at their designated FI school. Please contact the school to make an appointment.
Kindergarten Registration for 2025-2026 School Year
Kindergarten registration for the 2025/2026 school year begins on Friday, January 17, 2025. Families can register using the following options:
- Online - Families can access the online Kindergarten registration information at www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten. It is recommended that families use a laptop or a desktop computer, rather than a mobile device to complete this registration.
- By email - Families can download the Elementary School Registration Form at www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten and email the completed form to their school email address.
- By phone - Families can request support to complete the registration form on their behalf by collecting the required information by phone. Families can request an interpreter, if needed.
- In-person at the school - Families may visit the school office to drop off or complete a registration form.
Registration Verification Process Following submission of a registration package, schools will contact families to schedule an appointment for Document Verification.
Our Kindergarten programs are caring and welcoming where children learn through exploration, play and inquiry. You can learn more at www.yrdsb.ca/Kindergarten We look forward to welcoming our new students and families to the school.
Tamil Heritage Month
January is Tamil Heritage Month. Tamil Heritage Month aims to celebrate the richness of the Tamil language and its literature, and highlight Tamil Canadians’ vibrant traditions, history, arts, and cultures. In addition, it seeks to recognize the significant contributions of Tamil Canadians in key areas of social, cultural, economic, and political spheres.
Days of Significance: Pongal - The Harvest Festival (January)
Pongal is one of the most important festivals in Tamil culture. It marks the harvest season and is a thanksgiving celebration to the Sun God for a bountiful crop. Homes are adorned with colorful kolam designs, and freshly harvested rice is used to prepare a special dish called "Pongal." The festival exemplifies gratitude and community spirit.
After School Literacy and Numeracy Program at Clearmeadow PS
Clearmeadow PS will be having an After School Literacy and Numeracy Tutoring program for students in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to receive additional support in their areas of need. Students will explore a variety of activities with a focus on higher order thinking with a hands on/minds on learning approach.
The program will run on Mondays and Wednesdays, after school for one hour. Ms. Campbell and Ms. Burrows will be teaching the program with support from Ms. Mcrae and Ms. Willemse. Students’ achievement will be tracked and shared with the classroom teachers.
These after school sessions will begin January 20, 2025 from 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. and will end on February 26, 2025. During this time, students will receive a healthy snack. There is no cost for the program.
Important Notice - Students have already been selected for the program. We are no longer taking new students in the program as we have reached our coda. Please reach out to Ms. Sterling if you have any questions at angue.sterling@yrdsb.ca or via phone.