The holiday season is fast approaching and with this comes plenty of time spent together with family and friends to celebrate and indulge in some delicious foods. Murray Centennial Public School is hosting a MacMillan’s fundraiser to help make hosting and celebrating easier! Not only will you have ready to go food items, you will also be contributing to a great cause – Murray Centennial!  We are currently in need of some new equipment to support our athletics programming, school teams, outdoor recess activities, along with some iPads and/or chrome books for our classrooms. In order to make these purchases a reality for our school, we need some help from our outstanding community. Please consider investing in some yummy treats to celebrate the holiday season and help our school! Bon Appetit!

Don't forget to select Murray Centennial PS when you make your purchase and check out!

Dear KPR families, 

Welcome back to another exciting school year in KPR!  

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and senior administration, we are pleased and excited to welcome students, staff and families back to our elementary and secondary schools on Tuesday, September 5.  

We hope during the summer that our students and families have found ways to rest, recharge and spend time together. There is nothing that brings us greater joy than welcoming thousands of students back to our schools, and sharing in their excitement and energy. 

Our schools are safe, inclusive and vibrant places where we set high expectations for success. We continue to focus on seeing all students as capable learners, sparking their curiosity and elevating their voices. We know how important it is for students to feel seen, heard and reflected in the learning resources, spaces and people around them.  

Together, we will continue our work to create equitable conditions for positive learning, well-being and success for ALL students.  We remain committed to our mission in all we do - we inspire our students to excel in learning, succeed in life, and enrich our communities.  

As you prepare your child and your family for the excitement of the first day and all of the learning and firsts for the year ahead, please know that we are as excited as you are, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership to support student success.  

Well-being is just as important as learning, and is foundational to all types of success. In closing we are sharing the Mentally Healthy School Support Package, as a valuable resource to support student mental health and well-being as we enter the 2023-24 school year. 

Please check out the KPR website, or contact your school office, if you have questions about school or need more information. If you are on social media, you can follow us @kprschools. 

Best wishes for the year ahead!  Together #WeAreKPR 

Sincerely, 

Steve Russell                                                Rita Russo 
Chairperson of the Board                         Director of Education 

KPR NEWS 

Student Busing 

As you may know, bus driver shortages have been an ongoing issue for many school boards for several years, including here at KPR. 

We are very excited that our bus operators have shared that, at this time, all KPR bus and transportation routes currently have drivers for the start of the school year, and that they continue to recruit and hire spare drivers. This good news is thanks to a targeted recruitment campaign, to attract more bus drivers in our area.  

Our thanks to staff at Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO) who have been working with bus operators on a regular basis and throughout the summer to monitor ongoing recruitment and training efforts. 

We are pleased to be in this positive position as we begin the school year. For more information about bus routes and transportation, please visit the Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario website. 

PA Day Learning 

Throughout the upcoming school year, we will be sharing more information about how KPR staff are learning and working together on Professional Activity (PA) Days to support students’ success.   

Staff at elementary and secondary schools will be engaged in a full day of learning during the August 31 PA Day.  Among the areas of learning for staff on this day are: School Improvement Planning, Workplace Violence Awareness, Curriculum Implementation and Mental Health. 

Further details on PA Day plans can be found on our website.  

The learning focus for the month of September is Truth and Reconciliation. To access weekly activities, reflection questions and resources to support your learning, visit the resource at the following link: September Passport to ReconiliACTION - Google Slides

Hello everyone,  

Just two weeks into the new school year, students are becoming more familiar with routines and school is back in full swing. I have had the pleasure of visiting schools over the last couple of weeks and I continue to be inspired by the curiosity and determination of students, and the innovation and passion of staff. KPR truly is an awesome place to be! 

The start of the school year provides many opportunities for students to make new connections, build meaningful relationships and get involved in their school and community. Participating in activities at school and learning new skills can contribute to student well-being in many ways.  

Next weekend, KPR is participating in the Peterborough Pride Parade. Everyone is welcome to join us to show pride and allyship, and to support and celebrate people of all sexual orientations and gender identities; to honour those who have paved the way for equal rights; and to contribute to building accepting attitudes, safe and inclusive spaces in our schools and communities. Peterborough Pride Parade is Saturday, September 23, at 1:30 pm, beginning at Peterborough City Hall.  

Lastly, with several important days of significance coming up in the days ahead, including two Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and Powley Day recognized by Métis communities, I invite you to visit KPR’s Events Calendar to learn more about these important observances and others.  

Wishing you a lovely weekend. 

Take care, 

Rita Russo 
Director of Education 

KPR NEWS 

Curve Lake Pow Wow 

The 70^th annual Curve Lake Pow Wow takes place tomorrow and Sunday. Everyone is welcome to attend the annual celebration of ceremony, dance, and song. The Curve Lake Pow Wow website contains important cultural information to inform your participation. 

Annual Parent Conference 

Save the date – KPR's Annual Parent Conference is returning the morning of Saturday, October 21 as a virtual event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Jean Clinton!  

Through the context of building resilience and healthy relationships, Dr. Clinton will share practical strategies to empower parents and caregivers to support their children during important transitions and create conditions to help them thrive throughout their educational journey and beyond!  

More details and registration information are coming soon!  

Report IT! 

The Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility (COHREA) is fully accessible and available to all students, staff and families to report any issues of concern, and in particular human rights-based issues of discrimination and harassment that involve a breach of the Human Rights Code, and barriers to accessibility under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The Commissioner’s Office promptly reviews, assesses and determines necessary next steps for addressing all complaints.   

While we continue to encourage students, staff and families to first address concerns directly with those involved in the situation, e.g. the teacher, principal, manager or superintendent, concerns may also be reported confidentially, through the online reporting tool – Report IT!  More information about the COHREA is available on the Board website or by contacting the office directly at cohrea@kprdsb.ca  

New Language Curriculum Grade 1 to 8 – A Guide for Parents 

Ontario’s language curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 was updated last spring by the Ministry of Education for implementation beginning this September. The parent guide below provides an overview of the knowledge and skills that students will learn in each grade. Language, Grades 1 to 8: a guide for parents (gov.on.ca)  

Grade 9 English – A Guide for Parents 

A new de-streamed English curriculum was recently released. More details about the new Grade 9 English course are available on the Ministry of Education website. 

Dear KPR Families,

September is always a flurry of activity at KPR, with many students, staff and families participating in events and community-building opportunities such as the annual Terry Fox days, school council meetings, open houses and so much more.

While this month has been filled with much energy and excitement, our school communities have spent this week engaging in reflection and age-appropriate learning and discussion about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is recognized on September 30.

This is a solemn day of remembrance, and a time to recognize the tragic history and harm caused by residential schools. We honour First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children and communities impacted by the residential school system and remember those who never returned home.

In recognition of this observance, flags will be flown at half-mast at KPR schools and education centres this weekend. As a learning institution, we remain committed to Indigenous knowledge, culture, and perspectives and applying a lens of reconciliation to all that we do. More information about this day is available from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Government of Canada.

This year, we are sharing more information about how KPR staff are learning and working together on Professional Activity (PA) Days to support students’ success.

The September 29 Professional Activity (PA) Day will focus on the following areas:

• Student Safety and Well-Being (Anti-Sex Trafficking, Cyber Security and Privacy Awareness)
• Curriculum Implementation Elementary – Literacy  
• Secondary – Literacy, Assessment and Evaluation, and
• School Improvement Planning

Thank you to everyone for supporting a successful start to the school year – and especially to all KPR teachers, custodial, maintenance and trades staff who we will be highlighting in social posts next week on National Custodial Recognition Day on Monday, October 2, and World Teachers’ Day on Thursday, October 5.

For more information on days of significance coming up next month, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit Peoples (MMIWG2S) Honouring and Awareness Day on October 4, please visit KPR’s events calendar.

Sincerely,

Rita Russo,

Director of Education

KPR NEWS

Parent Conference - What My Child’s Behaviour is Telling Me

We are excited to announce that registration is NOW OPEN for KPR’s annual Parent Conference! Join us on Saturday, October 21, from 9:30am – 11:30am for this FREE virtual event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Jean Clinton.

Through the context of building resilience and healthy relationships, Dr. Clinton will provide parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn about self-regulation strategies, how to overcome and manage challenging behaviours and tips for supporting healthy, positive, social behaviours.

For more information about this event, and to register, please visit our website.

Rowan’s Law Concussion Awareness

The last Wednesday in September every year is Rowan’s Law Day – a day to increase awareness about the dangers of concussions. These Concussion Awareness Resources can help students and families recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions.

The learning focus for the month of October is film. To access weekly activities, reflection questions and resources to support your learning, visit the resource at the following link: October Passport to ReconciliACTION - Google Slides

Dear KPR Families,

I hope each of you had the opportunity to rest, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy the beautiful fall colours this past long weekend.

We continue to be deeply saddened by the violent, tragic events in the Middle East. This week has been very difficult, and our thoughts continue to be with all those mourning the loss of loved ones in the deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, and the devastating impacts of ongoing violence for all those living in the region. We recognize, for the Jewish, Israeli and Palestinian communities, the impacts are profound and deeply personal. Many KPRDSB students, staff, and families are directly affected by these horrific acts through family, community, identity, and history.

We are deeply committed to providing support and care for students, staff and families.

To help guide challenging conversations or questions, families may wish to review this resource to Support Youth Following a Traumatic Event, from KPR’s Mental Health services.

As we look ahead to next week, school communities will have the opportunity to learn more about the important role of school board trustees during Local Government Week. Students and staff are invited to visit our Board website for information about KPR’s Trustees or follow the hashtag #LocalGovWeek on social media to learn about local government.

Next week is also Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation Day, on October 17. This day recognizes the significant commitment, hard work and dedication of ECEs and all staff who work with young children. Thank you for everything you do to support students along their educational journey.

Lastly, we share a special thank you to bus drivers and transportation staff as we recognize School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on October 18. Our schools rely on the dedicated service of bus and transportation drivers each day – and we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who plays a part in school transportation!

Wishing everyone a good weekend.

Rita Russo, Director of Education

KPR NEWS

Immunization Notices

Families with students who are not up-to-date on required immunizations may have already received, or can expect to receive, an immunization reminder letter from their local public health unit.

Children who receive a letter are overdue for immunizations required for school under the Immunization of School Pupils Act. Students who do not have the required immunizations could be suspended from school if they do not provide a record of vaccination to local public health departments.

Families can visit their local public health unit’s website for more details on how to update their records or where to access upcoming immunization clinics.

Durham Region Health Department

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Peterborough Public Health 

Parent Conference - What My Child’s Behaviour is Telling Me

KPR’s annual Parent Conference is Saturday, October 21, from 9:30am – 11:30am. Join us for this FREE virtual event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Jean Clinton!

Through the context of building resilience and healthy relationships, Dr. Clinton will provide parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn about self-regulation strategies, how to overcome and manage challenging behaviours and tips for supporting healthy, positive, social behaviours.

For more information about this event, and to register, please visit our website.

The learning focus for the month of December is music. To access weekly activities, reflection questions and resources to support your learning, visit the resource at the following link:

Passport to Reconciliation - Music (google.com)

Dear KPR families, 

Leading up to the winter break, our schools will continue to be filled with vibrant energy as students, staff and families come together in different ways, taking part in learning activities, events, concerts, performances, and spreading kindness through community involvement, food drives and other charitable activities. 

With many different cultures and backgrounds in our KPR community, we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about and share in each other’s celebrations and traditions. To those currently observing Chanukah, and those looking forward to celebrating Winter Solstice, Christmas and Kwanzaa in the coming weeks – we wish you all a joyful celebration! KPR’s Events Calendar is a great resource to learn more about these days of significance and others.  

While many of us may be feeling the excitement of the holiday season, I want to acknowledge that for some people, the holiday season may be a stressful or difficult time of year for many reasons. Let’s be kind to one another and check in on friends and neighbours.  

Lastly, it is my pleasure to share with you a small glimpse into the dedication and passion of our Student Trustees, Jillian Thomas and Albatoul Alshraideh. In their message to fellow KPR students, they share insight into their leadership journey and encourage all students to continue to reach out and share their voice! Keep an eye out for future #WeAreKPR spotlight videos highlighting the amazing contributions of our students, staff and volunteers. 

Wishing everyone an enjoyable and restful weekend.  

Rita Russo 
Director of Education 

KPR NEWS 

Change to April PA Day  

The Board has approved a change to the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar, reflecting that the scheduled April 26, 2024 Professional Activity Day has been moved to April 8, 2024. 

A total solar eclipse will be affecting all regions of the Board on April 8, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., causing diminished levels of daylight as it progresses. The peak of the eclipse will occur during dismissal time across the school board, increasing student safety concerns for safe travel and potentially damaging eye exposure to the sun at that time. Resources to support learning and student safety on that day will be shared throughout the school board community.   

High School Grade 8 Information Nights  

KPR secondary schools are hosting information sessions for parents, caregivers and students between November and January. Grade 8 families can learn everything they need to know about schools, programs, courses and the many exciting opportunities that are available! For event details, including a list of dates and times, students and families can visit the Board website.