The land on which we gather is traditional unceded Omamiwininiwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki territory, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. Today, this place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to gather on this land.
Principal's Message
I have three special requests for all parents, which will help to ensure a productive and safe school year.
- We would like all parents to attend the “Open House” (Meet the teacher) on Wednesday, September 11th at 5:30 p.m. This evening is of great importance for you to know the routines and outline of the curriculum for the year. Meeting your child’s teacher will help form the important relationship of school and home. We will have staff members at school to watch your school-aged children in the gym and in the yard if you are unable to find childcare for the evening. If you bring a child under the age of 5 years, they will need to go with you to the Open House. All parents should meet in the gym at 5:30pm.
- Sign-up for the REMIND app. All parents must sign up for the app as this is the way that the school communicates to parents (newsletters, school closure, transportation cancellation, emergency situations, etc.) Please only sign up for one REMIND class, even if you have more than one child. Please sign up with the code of your youngest child. There is not enough room in each class for you to sign up for more than one; and all messages sent are sent to the whole school (all classes).
- Sign up for the WQSB app to hear updates directly from the WQSB regarding transportation delays; Check out the notice How to install and setup the WesternQC app
We will have monthly assemblies recognizing certain students. We ask students and staff to wear their purple or black GG shirt to the assemblies. We do not yet have shirts for our kindergarten students. We will distributes them when we receive the new order.
We are looking forward to a fun-filled year of learning.
Wishing everyone a fabulous year!
REMIND APP
It is important for all families to sign up for our communication tool. Please see the instructions at the end of the newsletter or click the link here.
SCHOOL FEES
We will be collecting school fees for 2024-2025 soon. Preferred method of payment is online. Parents who used this method last year will be able to use their existing account. Amounts will be available on the parent portal shortly.
Events at School
SCHEDULES
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 2
Buses Arrive | 7:45-7:55 |
Homeroom | 7:55-8:05 |
Period 1 | 8:05-8:55 |
Period 2 | 8:55-9:45 |
Recess | 9:45-10:05 |
Period 3 | 10:05-10:55 |
Period 4 | 10:55-11:45 |
Lunch -Eat 25 minutes -Play 25 minutes | 11:45-12:35 |
Period 5 | 12:35-1:25 |
Recess | 1:25-1:45 |
Period 6 | 1:45-2:35 |
Buses Depart | 2:35-2:45 |
GRADE 3 TO 6
Buses Arrive | 7:45-7:55 |
Homeroom | 7:55-8:05 |
Period 1 | 8:05-8:55 |
Period 2 | 8:55-9:45 |
Recess | 9:45-10:05 |
Period 3 | 10:05-10:55 |
Period 4 | 10:55-11:45 |
Lunch -Play 25 minutes -Eat 25 minutes | 11:45-12:35 |
Period 5 | 12:35-1:25 |
Recess | 1:25-1:45 |
Period 6 | 1:45-2:35 |
Buses Depart | 2:35-2:45 |
IMPORTANCE OF DAILY READING
We encourage every student in the school to read every night. Start the year off right by setting aside time where the TV, video games and computers are shut off and you have time to enjoy reading with your child. It will make a huge difference in the success they have at school.
VOLUNTEERING AT THE SCHOOL
If you would like to volunteer at the school, or for a field trip; you must provide a security background check to the school. Security background checks are good for 2 years.
If you would like to arrange for a background check please contact Amanda Wells at awells@wqsb.qc.ca to start the process.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
We have held assemblies for all students to review our emergency procedures at school: Fire Drill, Code Red, Lock-In, Tornado, Earthquake.
Teachers have been practicing with students asn we will have school-wide practices as well.
OPEN HOUSE
On September 11th parents are invited to attend this year’s open house. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. and parents will meet in the gym for announcements and a presentation from administration, including information about Governing Board elections and our Home and School parent committee.
Teachers will give one presentation from 5:50 p.m. – 6:20 p.m., and a second one from 6:20 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. to accommodate parents who have more than one child in the school.
The homeroom teachers will outline the programming and routines for the year. The French teachers will also be available for you to meet and ask questions.
We would like for all parents to attend the open house.
TERRY FOX FUNDRAISER
We are excited to announce that our school will be proudly taking part in the 2024 Terry Fox School Run/Walk, scheduled to take place on Friday October 4th. This event will support cancer research while also building incredible school spirit for our students. Let’s all show the great strength and resiliency of our school community by supporting one of our greatest Canadian heroes, Terry Fox.
Details to follow. Link to Donate
SCHOOL PHOTOS
Get your smiles ready for school photo day!
We will have our photo day on September 27th.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Wednesday, September 25th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
- 8:55 – Grade 3 + 4
- 10:05 – Kindergarten, Grade 1 + 2
- 10:55 – Grade 5 + 6
Please remember to wear your GG shirt for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school. New students will receive their shirts soon. You can wear a regular purple or black shirt for now.
September is KINDNESS month. We hope to see students showing us how kind they can be. You can show this by being kind to others and yourself.
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
MUTUAL RESPECT
What does it look like, sound like and feel like to respect others, yourself and things around you?
Talk about this with your family to set the tone for the school year.
APPRECIATIONS
Give compliments not put-downs to others. This applies at school and at home.
Share ways you can do this with your family.
ATTENTIVE LISTENING
Show people you are listening by stopping what you are doing and looking at them when they talk.
Listen to understand not to respond.
PARTICIPATION
Things are better when everyone participates. What does each person need in order to take part? Do you need to modify things in the environment or the activity itself?
ORANGE SHIRT DAY
September 30th is a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of those schools. We invite everyone to wear an orange shirt on September 30th.
Breakfast Program - Snacks - Lunchtime Choices
BREAKFAST PROGRAM
We are pleased to bring you a breakfast program so that students can have access to wholesome food in a nourishing and comforting environment for a healthy start to the day. The program is designed specifically to comply with public health guidelines and will be operated in collaboration with Breakfast Club of Canada.
Each morning, an assortment of food items are delivered to each class, for all students to enjoy. If a child forgets their lunch one day, or needs additional snacks, we can provide this as well.
See additional information about the Breakfast Program here.
SUPPORT A CHILD BY PURCHASING A LUNCH
We have some students who could benefit from a lunch provided at school. If you would like to donate money for this cause, please send in an envelope marked “Student Lunch Donation” and send it to Amanda at the office.
GOOD FOOD CHOICES
The Greater Gatineau School staff encourages students to bring nutritious snacks and lunches. We want our students eating healthy food throughout the day. We encourage you to send snacks in reusable containers and to avoid heavily packaged prepared items. All staff will monitor snacks and lunches daily. Let’s make this a community effort.
Some suggestions for snacks:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cheese and other dairy products
- 100% fruit juices and snacks
- Granola Bars (no chocolate coating)
- Healthy cereals
Foods to stay away from:
- Chocolate
- Candy
- Chips
- Processed fruit snacks and juices
- Soft drinks
Reminder that we are a nut free school. Please make sure that the products you choose respect this.
Some classes may receive more specific instructions regarding other items of concern.
MAZZOLA HOT MEAL PROGRAM
We offer our hot meal program on Mondays and Fridays. The meals are provided by Mazzola and delivered to the classes at lunch time.
Click the Mazzola link to order. Be sure to select Greater Gatineau when you create your account.
SUBWAY LUNCH PROGRAM
The first Subway Lunch Program begins on Wednesday, September 18th.
You can sign up for your child to receive a sandwich, juice box, and cookie combo each Wednesday.
SAY NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTIC
Here at Greater Gatineau, we would like to promote minimal waste with single use plastic.
We encourage everyone to bring a set of metal cutlery in their lunch box and a reusable water bottle daily.
Home & School
We are always looking for new members to join us or ideas for upcoming events, please contact us via email gghomeandschool@gmail.com or through our Facebook page.
We will continue to post on our Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already, please follow us to stay up to date on upcoming events facebook.com/GreaterGatineau.
We hold monthly meetings, please reach out to us via email if you would like to attend.
Daycare
We are still accepting registrations for our before and after school daycare program. If you would like more information either on PD days or to register your child, please call Jennifer at (819) 663-4842 X3 or e-mail jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca.
The deadline to secure your spot at daycare is September 30th.
We have one PD day this month on Friday, September 13th. Registration was due September 6th to reserve a spot. PD days are open to all Greater Gatineau students, registration is needed for each day. New families please sign up for @ggdaycare2 on the Remind app to get the notifications regarding PD days. Returning families can remain in their existing class as messages will be sent to both daycare classes.
Special Notes
MORNING DROP OFFS
If registered daycare parents are dropping off their children for morning daycare you must bring them through the school yard entrance of the school off Guillemette or Napoléon-Groulx between 6:45 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. You ring the bell at the daycare door located near the play structure with the purple slides, and wait until a staff member has responded.
If you are dropping off your child in the morning and are not registered in Daycare, you can bring your child to the side gate on Guillemette between 7:45 – 7:55 a.m. Staff members will greet the children when it is time for supervision to begin.
Supervision begins at 7:45 a.m. Children must remain in your care until then.
PICKING UP AFTER SCHOOL
If you are picking your child up anytime throughout the day, please do one of the following before 1:30 p.m.
-Call the school secretary Amanda Wells at 819-663-4842 ext. 1
-Send an e-mail to awells@wqsb.qc.ca and cc: jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca if it changes anything for daycare.
It is very important that you communicate with the school before dropping in to pick up your child and please do not call us when you are on your way to the school.
Daily pick up will be at the side gate between 2:35 and 2:45. Staff members will greet the parents and send your children out to your car.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
It is extremely important that parents/guardians call the office if their child is going to be late or absent, it is very important that you report their attendance to Amanda Wells by contacting the school at (819) 663-4842 ext. 1 no later than 8:30 a.m.
It takes a lot of time to call parents, who have not reported an absence, so please help us out by calling the school. You can leave a message the night before as well.
GOVERNING BOARD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Governing Board: A True Decision-Making Team. Bill 180 created a form of partnership between users of the school (i.e. parent) and the school staff and also recognizes that the school must maintain links with the community. The Governing Board makes important decisions regarding the school, and gives input to the School Board about their policies. The Governing Board meets approximately 5 times a year in the evening.
Elections for Governing Board will take place on September 11th following the open house. Please come to the meeting to run for a position, or to elect a parent member. We will also be nominating a parent for the school board special education advisory committee (SEAC). Any parent of a child with an IEP can put their name forward for this committee and one parent will be elected. The meeting will be at 6:50 p.m. in the staffroom.
ANTI – BULLYING PROGRAM
Greater Gatineau staff members have been trained in anti-bullying initiatives, and we are committed to ensuring the safety and security of students at school.
If your child complains about an act of violence, or bullying at school, please contact us so that we can address the issue. Please check our website for more details.
SCHOOL RULES ABOUT BULLYING
- We Help
- We Include
- We Tell
- Don’t Bully
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES
Our school follows the Peace Learning Circles program. The program is designed to create a safe and caring learning environment. The 4 pillars of the philosophy are:
- Mutual Respect
- Appreciations – No Put Downs
- Listening
- Participation
ELECTRONICS/PHONES/SMART WATCHES
These devices are NOT permitted at school, or on the school bus. Please ensure that your child does not bring an electronic device to school.
ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR PARENTS
Every year, our school holds a General Assembly for parents in September. At the meeting, parents in attendance elect their representatives to the school’s governing board and elect a representative to the school board’s Parent Committee, as well as an alternate in case the Parent Committee rep cannot be present at the meeting. Parents at the general assembly also decide if they would like to form a Parent Participatory Organization (PPO) for the upcoming year. Finally, there is also an opportunity for interested parents who are eligible, to submit their names to be considered as candidates on the Special Education Advisory Committee.
- Elections for Parent Representatives to Governing Board
On September 11th at 6:50 p.m., parents are invited to our parents’ General Assembly in the staff room to elect their representatives to the school’s governing board. Candidates will be elected from among the parents in attendance. The Governing Board is comprised of parents, teachers, support staff, the principal, and community representatives.
Parent members serve for two consecutive years. The purpose of the Governing Board is to make decisions about the aims and objectives for the school and to monitor how these are being achieved. This includes voting on policies, fundraisers, the school’s Code of Conduct, Anti-bullying and Anti-violence Plan, budget, school fees, school trips and other important items. The governing board also oversees the implementation of the school’s Educational Project and is consulted on a variety of topics by the school board.
There is a minimum of five meetings that must take place each year. Some schools organize governing board meetings to take place one evening per month. If you are interested in becoming part of this organization, please ensure that you attend the parents’ General Assembly. All parents who are present will be able to nominate themselves or another parent who is present, and then vote for the candidates of their choice to fill the vacant positions up for election this year.
- Elections for Representatives to Parent Committee
Once governing board parent representatives are elected, one of the parents (on governing board) will also be elected to represent our school on the school board’s Parent Committee. An alternate will also be elected. Only parents in attendance are permitted to vote.
- Special Education Advisory Committee
The Special Education Advisory Committee is an advisory committee on services for students requiring special education services in our schools. More detailed information on the mandate is available within the SEAC Internal Procedures document or can be found on the WQSB website https://westernquebec.ca/interested-in-joining-seac/ .
Parents who wish to take part in the school board’s Special Education Advisory Committee (S.E.A.C.) have an opportunity to submit their names for consideration during the parents’ General assembly. For those interested in being part of SEAC but cannot attend the Annual General Meeting, it is possible to submit their name electronically by accessing a short form available at the SEAC page (see link directly above).
Interested parents must have a child with an Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.). Selection of parents for this committee will be made later by the school board’s Parent Committee.
SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SEAC)
For information regarding special needs students please see our Special Needs Information Page and the link to the SEAC Overview.
If you would like to join SEAC see the SEAC Parent Poster
CONNEXIONS
Connexions links the English-speaking community of the Outaouais to health and social services by:
- Fostering community links with public and community health and social services organizations.
- Providing information and referrals to community members.
- Actively supporting research and awareness on the needs of the community.
- Developing and delivering health promotion programs and activities.
- Promoting access through partnerships and representation.
Connections offers FREE workshops throughout the year. They range from Reducing Anxiety to Container Gardening for Seniors and Cooking for the Whole Family.
See all their upcoming workshops on their website here –Workshops
They are a great resource to our English-speaking community here in Gatineau. We have a permanent link to their website under “Principal’s Message” on the “Workshops” menu.
Sign up for the REMIND App
We use the REMIND app as a tool for communication here at Greater Gatineau. It is important for all families to sign up to get reminders about school events, bus changes or cancellations, special activities, and important updates. You can get the app on your smartphone or sign up to receive emails. Follow the instruction below to sign up.
1. On your cell phone go to the app store. Look for the “Remind” app
2. Download the app. Click on the “Join a Class” button.
3. For school reminders from Mrs. Link there are classes created based on your child’s grade level.
Codes for 2024-2025
Kindergarten student = gges2024
Grade 1 student = ggs2023
Grade 2 student = ggs2022
Grade 3 student = ggs2021
Grade 4 student = ggs2020
Grade 5 student = ggsr2019
Grade 6 student = ggsr2018
4. For daycare reminders from Jennifer Plaxton the class is called ggdaycare2. This is for daycare specific reminders only, you will also need to sign up for a school class code as well. Returning families can remain on their existing class.
You only need to sign up for one school class as the messages will be sent out to all classes. The class code will follow your child as they move up at our school. Please sign up for your youngest child’s class so you will continue to receive the messages for the duration of their time here at Greater Gatineau.
To get reminders by email
Go to www.remind.com/join you will be prompted to find your class. The class codes are the same as above for school and for daycare.
You will then be prompted to enter your name and e-mail address or phone number. We suggest email because there are some phone carriers who do not support text messages from remind. If you have signed up for remind in the past you can go to your account settings to modify how you receive your messages. Push notifications will come up in the app and the email option will send an email to the address of your choice.
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
As we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, Greater Gatineau School is committed to fostering a deeper understanding and respect for First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures and histories. Classrooms will dedicate time hold meaningful discussions and participate in activities that reflect on the impact of residential schools. We encourage our school community to wear orange to show solidarity and honor the survivors and their families. Together, let’s walk the path of reconciliation and commit to ongoing learning and reflection.
September 2- Labour day
Labour Day is an annual celebration of workers’ achievements, rooted in the Labour union movement’s eight-hour day campaign.
September 5- International Dot Day
International Dot Day, is a global event that encourages creativity and self-expression, inspired by the children’s book “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds.
September 8- International Literacy Day
International Literacy Day raises awareness about the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and a foundation for lifelong learning.
September 15- International Day of Democracy
International Day of Democracy, promotes and upholds the principles of democracy and encouraging governments to strengthen democratic institutions.
September 21- International Day of Peace
International Day of Peace is dedicated to promoting global peace and non-violence, encouraging individuals and nations to work together towards resolving conflicts and fostering harmony.
September 22 – September 28 – Gender Equality Week
Gender Equality Week is a time to focus on and promote equal rights and opportunities for all genders.
September 23- Celebrate Bisexuality Day
Celebrate Bisexuality Day is dedicated to recognizing and supporting the bisexual community, raising awareness, and promoting understanding and acceptance of bisexual people.
September 30- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, honours the survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, and aims to raise awareness about the history and impact of residential schools and its ongoing impact on Indigenous peoples.