1. education
2. school

Maitland River Elementary School
Alice McDowell – Principal Marie McDade – Vice-Principal
250 John St., E., Wingham, ON N0G 2W0
Tel: (519) 357-2551
Fax: (519) 357-2174
Web: maitlandriver.amdsb.ca
Email: mre90@fc.amdsb.ca
November 2014 Newsletter
Principal’s Message
Dear Families:
The autumn colors have quickly come and gone, and as always, school continues to be a very
busy place. We thank you, the families, for the time and efforts you have put into helping our
students achieve their potential. Please remember to check out our school website and the
great information located there. I have and will continue to include our website address on our
letterhead. I am sure that November will be as busy as every other month thus far.
Alice McDowell,
Principal
Virtue for November: Courage
Courage is personal bravery in the face of fear. It is doing what needs to be done even when it
is hard or scary. Courage is going ahead even when you feel like giving up and quitting. It is
doing what you know is right even if other people laugh at you or call you names. Courage is a
quality of the heart.
School Council News
We have had a very large number of participants attend our first two school council meetings.
We are working on finalizing our fundraising plan and addressing many other items that are
directly related to the start up of our new school. We are always interested in hearing as many
new ideas as possible and would welcome your participation. Hope to see you at our
December meeting.
Drive Away Hunger & Fill The Bus
From October 1st-17th, Maitland River Elementary School held a food drive to
support both the North Huron Food Share and The Salvation Army. MRES
collected a whopping 1117 pounds of food. Great Job MRES!!
Parent Teacher Interviews
Interviews will be held on Thursday, November 6th from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. as well as
Friday, November 7th from 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. It is the expectation that all parents and
teachers will discuss their students’ progress at this time. If you are unable to meet with
teachers during that time please contact the teacher to set a time convenient for you. Interview
Request/Appointment forms have been sent home with report cards.
Safe Pedestrian Procedure
Walking students are asked to travel to and from
school on the North Side of John Street, so that
pedestrians are safely away from the bus and car
traffic in and out of the Maitland River ES and FE
Madill bus loops.
Crossing guards at Summit & John Sts and Carling
& John Sts, and in front of MRES will assist in
crossing.
We continue to receive complaints about traffic congestion at arrival and dismissal times and
have met with municipal representatives and the town police to address the issues that have
been identified. Please follow the posted signs on our property regarding no parking zones, fire
lanes, and drop-off zones. Town police and council are in the process of amending a bylaw
which would allow for tickets to be issued for vehicles parked illegally.
Medication At School
With cold and flu season approaching, we would like to remind parents that if medications are
sent to school with your child there are required forms that need to be filled out for both
prescription and non prescription medications. They can be filled out at the office when
medication is brought to the office by the parent.
Gluten Free Snacks
Gluten Free snacks are always available. If your child requires gluten free items please inform
the office of this request.
Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the library from November 3rd through
the 7th. This is a BIG fundraising event for the library. All money raised through
the sale for books, is re-invested in NEW resources for the library. The Family
Event will take place on November 6th from 4 PM- 7:30 PM and on Friday
November 7th from 8:45 AM - 11:00 AM. Parents, grandparents and other care givers are
invited to attend the Family Event to purchase items and see our great assortment of new
books. There will be great ideas to perhaps help you with some of your Christmas shopping!
Hope to see you during the book fair.
MRES is Nut Free
Maitland River Elementary School has adopted a school-wide ban on nuts and will work with all
parents to provide the safest possible learning environment for all students.
Regional Cross Country
Courageous and determined would be the best way to describe nearly all grade 4-6 Maitland
River cross country runners at Regional’s at North Woods Oct. 7. We were Junior champs
overall.
Our grade 5 girls were dominant, with 8 of them in the top 12. Maya medaled in 2nd. Darah
4th, Sarah 5th, Alycia 6th, Eden 8th, Mary 9th, Tyra 10th, and Emily 12th.
The grade 5 boys saw Troy Coultes 6th, Parker Gillespie 7th and Ian Stainton 9th.
The grade 4 boys were nearly as dominant as our grade 5 girls. Liam was the champion with
Tyler on his heels with silver. Carson was 5th, Paul 8th, Ewen 9th, and Evan 11th.
The grade 4 girls had Charlotte in 8th and Savannah in 10th.
Our most experienced group made us proud as well, and they won their divisions. Mackenzie
received silver for the grade 6 girls, and Caleb gold for the boys. Alex earned a 7th, Alissa 8th,
and Megan 13th. Wade won a 4th place, Simon 9th and Braeden 10th.
District Cross Country
On October 22nd at District Cross Country, individually, Mackenzie and
Caleb ended their junior cross country running careers with more brilliant performances just as
they have since grade 3. Both finished with silver medals, Caleb after passing 2 runners in the
home stretch, and Mackenzie, after setting a scorching pace from start to finish.
Mackenzie led her 11 year old girls to a first place finish. Aliya, Alex and Brie helped get the
necessary points for the championship. Alissa, Julia, and Megan were right behind them.
Caleb's performance helped get the 11 year old boys a 3rd place ribbon. Wade definitely
deserves special congratulations on a 5th place medal in that race. Simon and Spencer helped
round out the points.
Troy had a top 20 finish in the 10 year old boys race.
Our 10 year old girls continued their tradition of strong performances, also champions like the
11 year olds. Darah, Sarah, Maya came in the medals from 5th to 7th. Alycia at 13th provided
the points necessary for the win. Eden, Mary and Tyra weren't far behind, all in the top 25 out
of 77 runners.
Our 9 year old boys came in 2nd overall, thanks to medal performances by Tyler and Liam at 4th
and 5th. Carson had 15th. Paul and Ewen were fast enough to help secure 2nd.
All races were run at paces far faster than practice times and the regional races. Our runners
displayed a lot of courage throughout some painful moments to do their personal bests. As a
school we were 2nd just behind Little Falls.
Soccer
Maitland River 1:
It was a great effort by all members of our soccer team on October 15th at Elma Township PS.
MR1 had an excellent day. All team members played their best soccer in each game. They had
excellent teamwork, positive attitudes and great sportsmanship. Great scoring ability by Blake
and Parker. Many assists by Ian, Troy, Sarah and Aliya. Ty represented us well in goal along
with Parker. Great defending by Cameron, Eden, Max, Alex and Sierra. Thanks for a great
effort by Carson and Caleb. We went 2 and 1 for our regular games and made it to the B finals.
Despite an excellent effort and hard work we lost by 1 point. Way to go MRES 1, so proud of all
of your hard work.
Maitland River 2:
Despite giving it their all in the tournament, MR2 just didn’t have the scoring punch needed to
make it into the finals. However, they were champions when it came to respectful play and
sportsmanship. Honourable mentions go to Wade for demonstrating leadership on the field
through his excellent play and positive attitude, to Alycia for her ‘no fear’ attitude to get right in
the action, to Tyler for never giving up despite getting almost no rest during games, and last but
not least to Austin for his excellent goaltending throughout the day.
Mr. Gole and Mrs. Gillespie would like to thank all of the players for their hard work and
commitment to the team. You represented MRES very well.
Messages To Students
Please help us ensure the safety of your child(ren) by following these few, simple guidelines:
• Arrangements for babysitting, after school activities and pickup times for appointments
should be made outside of school hours and a notation made in the student’s planner. This
will ensure that there is no confusion as to your message. This also provides your child’s
teacher with an opportunity to prepare your child for the lessons they will miss and, your
child can feel secure in knowing what their day will hold.
• Instructions for students must come from their own parent/guardian as this is the only
person we are authorized to take instruction from. Please do not ask us to deliver
messages to any child other than your own.
• While we recognize that there are emergencies and unforeseen circumstances that
necessitate a message being delivered to a student during the school day, please limit
these messages to true emergencies. This will limit interruption to classes, help your child
organize his/her day, and reduce the anxiety children feel when plans change
unexpectedly. We are more than happy to help out in extenuating circumstances.
• Writing instructions in your child’s planner ensures that your instructions are followed out
exactly as you intend and eliminates confusion, misunderstanding and the possibility that
your message does not reach your child.
• If your bus student is not riding the bus home, please indicate this to the teacher who will
then pass the message to the office….it is important for the teacher to know this as they
are the ones that are dismissing your child. The office needs to know so they can be taken
off the afternoon bus list.
Safe Arrival Telephone Program
If your child is going to be absent from school, please contact us at 519-357-3551 ext 1 and
leave a message or e-mail MRE90@fc.amdsb.ca anytime. The Safe Arrival Telephone Program
is used in the event that your child is absent and we have not been contacted. This is to insure
that your child is safe and not home alone (as a result of missing the bus, having an accident at
home while waiting for the bus to come, etc.). Please be assured that we will make every effort
to contact you in the event that your child is not at school and you have not contacted us.
Please advise the office of any changes to phone numbers addresses, names, etc. Also, please
remember when you are bringing your children late or picking your children up early, to make
your first stop at the office since we must know where your children are at all times during the
day.
Late Students
When students arrive late they are interrupting class instruction by the teacher and the
learning of the other students. School starts at 9:00 am – please ensure your child/ren are here
on time. Thank you.
Remembrance Day Assembly
Our Remembrance Day Assembly will be held on November 11th in the gym. We will begin at
12:40 and parents are invited to attend. We will observe a school wide moment of silence at
11:00am, but our assembly will not begin until 12:40pm.
Visitors To MRES
Visitors are always welcome at Maitland River Elementary School. We would ask, however, for
the safety of all, that you use the front door and report to the office upon arrival. We will be
glad to deliver a message or package to your child.
We would also ask that if you need to speak with a teacher for any reason that you make an
appointment at the office. We will have the teacher call you to set a time up with you that is
convenient for both parties. Please sign in as soon as you enter the building.
Thank you in advance for this courtesy.
Report Cards
Report Cards went home on Monday, November 3rd. Please return the envelope at the time of
the interview, if not before.
Lost and Found
As our Lost and Found grows, we encourage students to have their items of clothing tagged
with their name for easy returns. Please remember that the Lost and Found is cleaned out
during the breaks and will be sent to the Salvation Army. Please check it for your child’s lost
items on a regular basis.
Communication
Throughout the fall, the Maitland River Elementary School staff has been working very hard to
improve communication and the flow of information between home and school.
Our planners, class newsletters, telephone calls and meetings have been very effective and we
are pleased with the response we have received. Communication between home and school is
perhaps the most important relationship to establish early in the year. Please keep in mind the
importance of checking planners, mailbags and backpacks to ensure you receive all information.
We also encourage prompt responses to all requests that the school has made. Your response
ensures that we have the most updated information on your child(ren), as well as your opinion
on current events and initiatives in our school and community.
Thank you for your support of the school Agenda program. Families donated $444.00 towards
the cost of the agendas. The total cost of the agendas this year was approximately $2000.00.
Thank you for your time and effort on behalf of our students. Please remember our doors are
always open should you require information.
PBS
Positive Behaviour Supports are still going strong.... students are now working towards an allschool goal of earning an extra recess. Also, PBS will now be extended to our bus drivers, who
will award tickets for positive behaviour both on regular routes as well as charters (field trips).
Way to go, Maitland River students, and keep up the great work!
Christmas Bureau
Wingham United Church will be the site for the 2014 Christmas Bureau for the northern part of
Huron County and surrounding areas. This is a joint effort by the community and the Children’s
Aid Society to provide every child of needy families with an article of clothing, a new toy and
waterproof mitts at Christmas, as well as providing the family with Grocery Voucher Cards. Each
year many families receive help through our communities and schools.
**No Collection of food this year. Please support your local food banks**
We have a supply of Angel tree tags available upon request, available in the office.
MRES is running the school drive from November 17—26th
Thank You for your continued support for this wonderful project.
Maitland Munchies
Maitland Munchies snack program would like to thank all our families that supported us by
purchasing Tupperware. The fundraiser was very successful. If there is anyone that was missing
items, our back-orders have arrived.
Could the families that bought the Tupperware Impressions Classic Small Blue Bowls please
contact me to receive their second bowl. Thank you. Karri-Anne Cameron, 519-357-4557.
Preventing Head Lice
Please check your child’s head on a regular basis. If your child does have head lice, please let
the school know. We know tackling this problem is time consuming, but it is a necessary
process and we thank you for your efforts. Notify any person who may have come in close
contact with you so that other cases can be found and treated in the same time frame.
Below are some tips to avoid re-infestation:
• Soak brushes and combs in hot water (about 54 degrees C) or in undiluted
shampoo/conditioner for 5-10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with hot water.
• Articles such as clothing, towels and bed linens may harbour lice or nits. To clean: Wash
all clothing, towels, bedding, etc. in very hot water and dry in the dryer by using the hot
cycle for at least 20 minutes OR seal in a plastic bag for two weeks.
Inclement Weather
Please remember to send your child(ren) to school with appropriate clothing as the weather
begins to get colder. Boots, hats and mitts will be a must. Please ensure that your child has a
pair of indoor shoes to wear. A change of clothes is always a good idea. Please label all
clothing with your child’s name.
Getting Ready for Winter!
How do I know when buses are cancelled and/or my school is closed?
We all know that winter is just around the corner and with comes it the occasional winter storm. Huron
Perth Student Transportation Services is making it even easier this year to get your school bus delay and
cancellation information. Already you can follow the announcements by going to our website
ourschoolbuses.ca or by following your school’s twitter account. You don’t need to have a twitter
account to get this information, as the latest Tweet appears on the main page of your school’s website.
HPSTS has a smart phone App - called HPSTS. This App is available for iPhones, Android Smartphones
and Windows OS Smartphones and is absolutely free. This App will bring you all the latest
announcements regarding school bus or school delays and cancellations.
The HPSTS App is available in the Google Play Store for smartphones using the Android OS. For iphones
and Windows OS phones go to the following link to install the app: http://hpsts.wompmobile.com/ or
you can use your smartphone to scan the QR code at the beginning of this story to install the app.
As in the past, you can also monitor local radio stations during inclement weather for the latest
announcements on cancellations or delays. For further information please contact Huron Perth Student
Transportation Services at 1-888-871-7722 or visit our website at ourschoolbuses.ca.
Wednesdays
Bus Contacts
Questions or concerns about the bus? Please contact:
Montgomery Bus Lines: 519-357-9191 /1-855-557-9191
Newry Bus Lines: (519) 356-2611
Milk Program
Milk tickets are available at the office; $20.00 for 20 milks. A purple sheet of milk
tickets will be sent home with your child upon purchase.
Like us on Facebook!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maitland-River-Elementary/472797539493921
Absent from School?
Please call 519-357-3551 ext 1, leave a message or e-mail MRE90@fc.amdsb.ca if your
child(ren) are going to be absent from school!
Thanks!
Campbell Soup Labels!
Please save your Campbell Soup Labels! Bring them into the school (preferably counted), we
can redeem them for school equipment for free!
Calling All Three Year Olds - 2015-2016 School Year
A reminder that Maitland River Elementary School Kindergarten registration for next year will
be held Tuesday, November 25th. Registration will be by appointment, which will last for about
1 hour. Please call the school to book your appointment. Registration packages are available
in the office. If you know of any families that have three year olds please have them call the
school.