2026-01-05 Newsletter

Posted On Monday January 05, 2026

January 5, 2026

Dear Vincent Massey Families:

Welcome to 2026! We enjoyed reconnecting with the students on the first day back after the Winter Break and setting goals for the next part of our school year.

As we begin 2026, we are looking forward to many opportunities to learn and connect.

Today’s Newsletter includes information on the following topics:

Positive School Climate & Winter Safety Newsletter
Spotlight on Safety - Winter Weather Safety
Dressing for the Weather
Bus Information
Parking Lot and Driveway Safety
Positive School Attendance
Spotlight on Health - Gastrointestinal Illnesses, Respiratory Illnesses and Pediculosis
Junior Kindergarten Registration
Tamil Heritage Month - Seeking Volunteers
SCC News - Meeting January 7, 2026
Engagement Speaker Series - January 21, 2026
Hot Lunches at Vincent Massey
Lunchroom Supervisor Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Vincent Massey Spirit Wear
Coming Events at Vincent Massey

Positive School Climate & Winter Safety Newsletter

Please take some time as a family to review the Positive School Climate & Winter Safety Newsletter.

SPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY - WINTER WEATHER SAFETY

During the school day, we are paying particular attention to safe play with snow. While we encourage and promote creative play with the snow, throwing snow and snow balls is not permitted in any way at school.

Students are also not permitted to play on the snow hills. We have some new hills at the East side of the school property adjacent to the Eastdale parking lot.

For the safety of all students, Vincent Massey Public School and Eastdale CVI do not permit play on the snow hills, including at the end of the day, even when supervised by parents. The safety of students is paramount and we want to avoid the potential for incidents between students and moving vehicles.

We encourage families to have conversations at home with their children about safe play in the snow,to prevent student injuries when snow is thrown.

Please review the following for information that was sent in December regarding winter safety, including:

Winter Weather & Inclement Weather - Transportation & School Opening
Winter Weather At School
Bus Safety at Vincent Massey
Reporting Absences

Vincent Massey Winter Weather Safety Newsletter

DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER

We encourage families to be aware of the weather forecast and ensure children are dressed accordingly. Students spend at least one hour outdoors throughout the day, including 40 minutes at lunch.

When the cold temperature reaches the threshold as outlined in the DDSB policy, students will remain indoors.

Students are encouraged to wear the following clothing:

Hat, scarf/neckwarmer
Mittens - preferably water repellant
Boots
Snowpants
Warm coat
Bring extra socks and mittens

Winter Clothing Available

We have a variety of donated winter clothing available, particularly in smaller sizes. If your child requires winter clothing, please contact your child’s teacher for assistance.

BUS INFORMATION

Using the DSTS Family Portal, you can track your child’s bus and also sign up for notifications of delays and cancellations.

Please review the detailed information that is posted on our website and was emailed on December 8 about how you can receive notifications through DSTS and mTransport.

DSTS and mTransport Bus Notification Information

PARKING LOT AND DRIVEWAY SAFETY

We appreciate your co-operation as we prioritize student safety who are walking to school and embarking/disembarking from the buses which come to our school every day.

The driveway at the front of the school is closed to all vehicles except buses at the beginning and the end of the day.

Please refrain from entering the parking lot, particularly the south parking lot adjacent to the Kindergarten play area.

When visiting the school or dropping off or picking up your child, please park at Eastdale CVI.

We are only permitted to use the student parking lot at the back of Eastdale near the track.

The parking on the side of the school near the auto shop is reserved for Eastdale staff and access for emergency vehicles. Please do not park in these side lots.

Finally, we all have a role in ensuring safety in the parking lots. Please exercise extra caution when driving, always prioritizing the safety of the children who are walking by:

driving slowly
stopping for pedestrians
demonstrating courtesy to pedestrians
Demonstrating courtesy to staff who are supporting the safety of the children.

POSITIVE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

We aim to promote student achievement through regular attendance. Arriving at school on time to be present in the classroom by 8:35 a.m. when classes begin and attending school regularly are directly connected to student well-being and achievement.

We recognize that for some students and families, there may be factors that are inhibiting regular attendance. If your child is experiencing challenges with arriving on time or attending school regularly, we encourage you to speak with your child’s teacher as a first step.

Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting the families of our students who have a higher than expected number of lates and absences. The goal of this contact is to collaborate with families to develop a plan to support the student's continued attendance at school.

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH - GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESSES & PEDICULOSIS

At this time of year, we often see an increase in gastrointestinal illnesses (“stomach flu”) and pediculosis (“Head Lice”).

We are providing some information from the Durham Region Health Department on how to prevent these conditions.

Please also be aware that individuals with diarrhea or vomiting should not return to school until symptom-free for at least 48 hours (i.e., 48hrs after the last episode of vomiting/diarrhea and should seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.

Facts about GI Illness

Facts about Pediculosis

REGISTRATION FOR JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN 2026

DDSB Kindergarten Registration starts online on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Kindergarten is a child-centred, play-based educational program that provides children with a stronger start in school and in life.

To be eligible for enrollment in Junior Kindergarten (JK) or Senior Kindergarten (SK):

Children must be four years old by December 31, 2026 to enroll in year one, JK

· Children must be five years old by December 31, 2026 to enroll in year two, SK

We encourage you to register your child prior to June 1. This will allow you the opportunity to connect directly with the school team and help you to prepare for the first day of school in September. DDSB schools are closed during the summer (July-August), families that register after June 1 will be contacted during the last week of August.

For more information on the Kindergarten program and to register your child on or after January 6, please visit the Kindergarten Registration webpage.

Families are encouraged to watch this video for complete information about the Kindergarten program and Kindergarten registration.

TAMIL HERITAGE MONTH - SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

We are proud to recognize January as Tamil Heritage Month. We are creating an informative display for our students in the front foyer. Please contact Mrs. Jones at the office if you are able to provide artifacts for the display.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS

SCC Meeting - Wednesday, January 7, 6:15 p.m.

Our next SCC Meeting is on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:15 p.m. We encourage families to attend in person. For those individuals who would like to attend and who require a virtual option please use this link using Microsoft Teams.

Please check the email message for the newsletter for the link.

ENGAGEMENT SPEAKER SERIES - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 7:00 PM

All families and guardians are invited to the first Engagement Speaker Series event on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

This virtual event features Dr. Susan Hopkins, Executive Director of the MEHRIT Centre. Her presentation “When Behaviour is a Signal: A Self-Regulation Lens” is open to all families.

This 1-hour online session with interactive Q&A is for parent and caregivers of children and adolescents (K-12). Every day, families are trying to make sense of behaviours that can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and personal. Morning meltdowns. School refusal. Hours lost to screens. Anxiety. Disconnection. A child who seems unmotivated, or a teen who’s pulling away. It’s hard to know what to do — and even harder when the usual strategies just don’t work.

In this one-hour online session, we’ll look beneath the surface of behaviour together. We’ll explore how self-regulation differs from self-control, and why rewards, punishments, and sheer effort often fall short when stress is driving the behaviour. We’ll talk about how these stress responses affect motivation, resilience, health, and well-being, and what that means for children, adolescents, and families.

Register using the link below. Participants will receive the link after registering.

Engagement Speaker Series Registration Form

HOT LUNCHES

Our Hot Lunches are back for the school year.

Please visit healthyhunger.ca to register your child’s account and select lunch options from the menu available.

This year we are starting with the following hot lunches. All orders close 5 days before the lunch.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	WokBox	Subway	TBA	Pizza	Frantastic
How To Order	Healthy Hunger	Healthy Hunger		School Cash Online - now available	Healthy Hunger

Please contact the Vincent Massey SCC at SCC.VincentMasseyPS@scc.ddsb.ca with any questions.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES - LUNCHROOM SUPERVISORS

We have paid part-time/casual lunchroom supervisor positions available. Please contact the office for more information.

Both positions require a valid criminal background check within the last 6 month

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We are looking for volunteers to assist with the delivery of our hot lunches. If you have 30 minutes on even one day between 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., please contact the office.

Both positions require a valid criminal background check within the last 6 months.

VINCENT MASSEY SPIRIT WEAR

Vincent Massey Spirit Wear is available for purchase. Visit the online store to purchase your spirit wear today.

Vincent Massey Spirit Wear

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in your child’s education. Please contact your child’s teacher or the school office with any questions.

COMING EVENTS AT VINCENT MASSEY