School Council
Upcoming Council Meeting Dates:
This year, the Council has set a priority of purchasing
BBQs and a deep freezer for the school. These additions will help
better support school clubs, sports teams, community gatherings, and
other school events.
We are committed to raising funds to support student fundraising efforts and to help offset costs wherever possible.
If you wish to contribute to this initiative, donations can be made throughthe QR code below. ***please ensure that in your donation message you identify that yourdonation is for School Council BBQs**
Senior Girls Basketball Team – OFSAA Champions!
A
huge SHOUT OUT and CONGRATULATIONS goes out to our Senior Girls
Basketball team who travelled to Sarnia last week and walked away as the
AAA Girls OFSAA Champions and best team in the province. Even more remarkable was the history created in our region as the first ever Back 2 Back OFSAA Champions. The
ladies season ended with a 33 and 1 record, 4 tournament championships
including Cathedral in Hamilton and the Barrie Showdown, SCAA Champions,
GBSSA Champions and finally OFSAA Champions. The coaching staff could not be more proud of this amazing group.
Keep Reading for SCDSB News
Information and updates from the SCDSB – December 2025
The below information is for SCDSB families for the month of December.
There’s ‘snow-place’ like school! Attendance matters
Winter
weather is upon us. With that comes the potential for bus cancellations
across Simcoe County. We want you to know that when buses are
cancelled, schools remain
open and the learning continues. It is important that students attend
school whenever they are able – every day at school matters. We also
recognize that winter weather can cause delays. Please know that we
welcome students throughout the day, no matter what time they arrive.
For
students in the walk zone and others who are in attendance, teachers
continue with regular school-day activities. Students who are not able to make it to school can access learning materials on the digital platform (Google, D2L, Brightspace) established by their teacher. Students who are not able to access online learning materials will be supported.
We
care about students and their safety and recognize that winters in
Simcoe County can be challenging. We will make every effort to ensure
that your child is supported with their learning.
Curious about how the decision to cancel buses is made?
The Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium, in conjunction with bus operators, makes the decision whether or not to cancel school buses before the start of the school day, usually before 6 a.m. Learn more about how the decision is made.
All information regarding
cancelled buses in Simcoe County is posted on the Simcoe County Student
Transportation Consortium (SCSTC)’s bus information website at main.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca. If you don’t know which zone you are in, you can find out here.
Inclement weather cancellations are effective for the whole day and buses cancelled in the morning will not run at the end of the day. You can follow the Consortium on Twitter @SCSTC_SchoolBus for bus cancellations and other information. You can also subscribe to receive bus delay notifications here: scstc.ca/Subscriptions/Login.aspx.
Provide your feedback on the proposed SCDSB 2026-27 school year calendar
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) invites public school communities to submit input regarding the proposed school year calendar for next year (September 2026 to June 2027).
Provide input by visiting the School Year Calendar page on the SCDSB website.
All staff, parents/guardians,
students, and members of the school community are invited to provide
feedback. The deadline to provide feedback is Jan. 16, 2026, to ensure
the SCDSB meets school year calendar development timelines set by the
Ministry of Education.
High school information events for Grade 8 students
Is
your child starting Grade 9 next year? High school information events
will take place in person this winter! Student leaders and staff at the
school will give an overview of what’s
new and what to expect. Learn about courses offered, as well as
information about teams and clubs. Please visit the SCDSB website at scdsb.on.ca/secondary/planning_for_high_school/high_school_information_nights to find details on your high school’s info night, and contact the school directly for more information.
Registration for Grade 1 French Immersion this December
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) offers French Immersion
(FI) at select schools throughout Simcoe County beginning in Grade 1.
The goal of the FI program is to enable students to communicate in
French with a high level of proficiency,
enabling them to function with ease in both French and English. Upon
graduation from the program, students will communicate in French with
confidence in a wide variety of real-life situations.
The
Grade 1 FI online application form for students entering Grade 1 in
2026-27 will be available starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1 until 4
p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.
Entry into the FI program is determined through a digitally randomized lottery system.
More information and the link to the application form (once available) can be found on the SCDSB website.
Support your child(ren) in learning math
Families
looking for ways to support their child(ren) in learning math are
invited to try Math at Home. Math at Home is an online resource that is
updated monthly with games, problems, and number talk activities that
reflect the math your child may be learning at school each month.
In December, activities in school and on Math at Home may include grade-level tasks related to identifying, describing, and creating patterns, identifying pattern rules, and extending patterns.
Visit www.scdsb.on.ca/MathAtHome to support your child’s math learning at home!
SCDSB families invited to explore math games and activities at Family Math Nights in February 2026
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) invites families to participate
in a Family Math Night. Each event will feature a variety of engaging
math games and activities for families with children from
pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.
Family Math Nights will take place at the following locations:
• Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 – Nottawa ES, Collingwood, from 4:15 to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 – Tay Shores PS, Midland, from 4:15 to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 – Lions Oval PS, Orillia, from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m.
Drop
in with your children to explore math stations hosted by SCDSB
educators and staff. Families will leave with valuable tools and
resources to support learning at home. Families are welcome to attend
any location, regardless of their child’s home school. Register to
attend here.
Subscribe to Kindergarten Connections!
Will
your child be turning four in 2026? If so, the SCDSB invites you to
subscribe to Kindergarten Connections! This is a monthly enewsletter
informing families of everything they need to know about preparing
their child for school, as well as registering them for Kindergarten in
the SCDSB. To learn more and subscribe, visit the Kindergarten page on the SCDSB website: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/kindergarten
Check out the SCDSB News video series
The
SCDSB News is a weekly video series highlighting positive events,
initiatives, and learning happening within school communities across the
SCDSB. Follow the SCDSB on social media to catch all of these weekly episodes, and check out our recent video below featuring this year’s Special Olympics Elementary Sport Festival!
Elementary
students in the Orillia area took part in a Special Olympics event
hosted at Twin Lakes SS. The day was full of joy, inclusivity, and most
importantly, FUN! Watch as we highlight the event: youtube.com/watch?v=VZxfIZjYRvA
Licensed Winter Break school-age childcare programs
Child care programs for children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 are provided by independent, third-party childcare operators in some SCDSB schools. To support your childcare needs, some operators offer childcare on PA days and holidays including over the Winter Break. Registration in advance is required.
Please contact the childcare operator directly to discuss fees and to register. More information and contact numbers can be found by visiting: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/childcare_before_after.
Holiday markets
Schools across the SCDSB host holiday markets throughout November and December. A list of holiday markets is available on the SCDSB website. Check back for ongoing updates to the list of events.
SCDSB offers free Self-Reg Parenting Course – registration now open!
The
SCDSB is offering a free 10-week virtual Self-Reg Parenting Course for
parents/guardians based on The Shanker Method®. This course explores the
connection between stress, energy, and tension, and how these impact
children’s behaviour, mood, and learning. Participants will learn to recognize signs of stress in children, develop strategies for self-regulation and co-regulation.
The course runs virtually via Microsoft Teams on Wednesdays from Jan. 7 to March 11, 2026 at 10-11:30 a.m. or 7-8:30 p.m.
For more information and to register, visit Stuart Shanker Self-Reg Parenting Course - Simcoe County District School Board.
Culminating Task Days and Feedback, Recovery, and Improvement Days
At
the end of each semester, all secondary schools will run feedback,
recovery, and improvement days for students. Culminating assessments
such as portfolios, essays, examinations, and interviews will take place
during instructional days and will be returned to students with
feedback.
Below is
the process and schedule for the culminating task days and feedback,
recovery, and improvement days that will occur at the end of the
semester.
Culminating task days will take place on Jan. 21, 22, 23, and 26, 2026.
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- There will be four culminating task days.
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- Each day will begin with a 120-minute period dedicated to students completing their culminating task.
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- Culminating tasks come in a variety of forms such as assignments, presentations, conferences, interviews, and exams.
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- Teachers will determine the method that best meets the requirements of the course and the needs of the students.
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- The school day will be structured into three periods.
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- There will be no new learning or assessment and evaluation (other than the culminating task) during these days.
Feedback, recovery, and improvement days will take place on Jan. 27, 28 and 29, 2026.
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- These will occur in the remaining three days of the semester.
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- Students can attend to complete assignment(s), receive feedback, or improve an area of missed expectation.
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- Students will be provided with a reflection form that they are encouraged to complete before attending these days.
They will be asked to reflect on their learning and develop a plan to
improve their learning, if they choose, based on specific areas of the course expectations.
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- Teachers will be available to assist students in completing the form, if necessary.
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- All students have the option to attend the feedback, recovery, and improvement days.
School playground structures are closed for the winter
To
ensure the safety of all users, playground equipment is closed and
off-limits as of Nov. 1 until the protective surfacing is tilled in the
spring. This is due to winter hazards, icy equipment, and frozen ground
conditions.
Every
winter, school playground structures are closed. Students are made
aware of this during school hours through announcements and staff
reminders during breaks. This may not be well known throughout the
community, despite signs indicating
that playground structures are a winter hazard and are closed. The
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) regulations make recommendations
for the depth of ground cover required to minimize injuries (e.g., sand, pea gravel, or wood chips). These surfaces cannot be maintained
when the ground freezes. Injuries from falling would be more
significant on frozen ground. Please do not allow your children to play
on any structures while the ground is frozen, until the structures are
re-opened in the spring by the school board.
Winter safety reminder
As winter approaches, we want to ensure the safety of all students. Please remind your child(ren) to wear appropriate footwear
and follow staff instructions to prevent any slips and falls.
Additionally, snow and ice should remain on the ground and not be thrown
to avoid accidents or injuries. Thank you for helping us keep our
school community safe this winter season!
Reminder about sledding safety at school
Student safety is our first priority, and although we do allow soft sleds at our school, we do not allow hard sleds, two-person sleds, or snow racers. We do supervise sledding, and we remind students of safety rules on a regular basis. Snow piles, particularly adjacent to, or in parking lots are off-limits.
We
want to inform parents that if students are sledding at school, Ophea
recommends that they should wear a properly fitted (as per
manufacturer's guidelines) and properly worn CSA-approved hockey helmet
or snow sport helmet certified by a recognized safety standards
association. If you would like your child to wear a helmet, please send one from home.
Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication on Student Devices
Students
travelling internationally must enable multi-factor authentication
(MFA) to access SCDSB online services (email, D2L, Google Classroom)
from outside of Canada.
MFA must be set up at an SCDSB location using a Windows 11 device.
Step 1: Sign in to Office.com
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1. Go to office.com.
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2. Sign in with the student’s school account.
Step 2: Access Security Settings
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1. Once signed in, click the profile picture or initials in the top-right corner.
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2. Select View account
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3. In the left-hand menu, click Security info or Security & privacy.
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4 Choose Update info under Security info.
Step 3: Add a Method
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1) Click + Add sign-in method.
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2) Choose Phone number (SMS or call). 3) Follow the prompts to verify and complete setup.
YouthReach
Every Child should have the opportunity to participate in programs such as dance, music, and sports – but we know not all families can afford the registration fees. YouthReach is a Simcoe County-based charity that helps provide kids with the opportunity to get involved in the programs they want to participate in. For more information and to apply, visit: www.youthreach.ca.
Stay healthy this school year!
Respiratory infections (like colds or the flu) can spread easily from one person to another. This happens when:
- someone coughs or sneezes on another person.
- germs land on things like door handles, desks, or keyboards, and someone else touches them.
Germs can get into your body through your eyes, nose, or mouth.
The best way to stay healthy is to wash your hands!
Use soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds. Try singing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice while washing. If your hands aren’t dirty, you can also use hand sanitizer for 15 seconds.
Also:
- Keep up with your vaccines.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes.
- Stay home for at least one day if you're sick.
If your child is sick
If
your child is sick, keep them at home for at least 24 hours, especially
if they have a fever. Call the school to let them know your child is
away because of illness.
Some
sicknesses must be reported to the health unit. The health unit checks
these reports and gives the school advice if needed, like how to stop
germs from spreading.
To help keep everyone healthy:
- cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
- make sure you and your child’s immunizations (vaccines) are up to date.
For more information, contact the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 1-877-721-7520 or visit: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.