Curriculum Night: Save the Date / Sept 18th
Families will be invited to a curriculum night on Sept. 18th. The times to be determined and published as soon as confirmed. Our staff will share information regarding routines and procedures and the curriculum your child(ren) will learn this year. This will be an opportunity for families to see the school, visit your child(ren)’s classroom, meet the teachers and other educators. We look forward to seeing you then.
Interruptions to the School Day:
We would like to keep interruptions to the children’s school day to a minimum. Please make every effort to book appointments and extra-curricular activities outside the school day. When that is not possible, and you need to pick up your child(ren) from school at a time other than regular dismissal times, we kindly ask that you write a note to the child’s teacher or a note to the office. When our office staff need to call a student down from the classroom, we are interrupting instructional time for the entire class. Letting the teacher know about early dismissal helps us minimize distractions and allow students to maintain their focus on their learning. We thank you for your assistance with this request.
Cell Phone/ Mobile Device Use at School:
Below is a summary of the requirements for cell phone/mobile device use in schools, effective Sept 1, 2024.
All members of the school community:
All members of the school community must not use personal devices during the instructional time except under the following circumstances; for educational purposes ( as directed by an educator) , for health and medical purposes , to support special education needs
Students in Grades 6 and below:
Students’ personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode throughout the full instructional day, except when their use is explicitly permitted by the educator under the circumstances outlined above.
If an educator sees a personal mobile device that is not stored out of view, they must require the device be handed in for the instructional day and the device must be placed by the student in a storage area in a location designated by the Principal.
Students in Grade 7 and 8 :
Personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode during instructional time, except when their use is explicitly permitted by the educator under the circumstances outlined above.
If the educator sees a personal mobile device that is not stored out of view, they must require the device be handed in for the instructional period and the device must be placed, by the student, in a storage area in a location in the classroom designated by the educator.
Volunteers Needed:
Our volunteers are very important to us! In so many ways, our volunteers are the heart and soul of our school. We hope that you will consider volunteering your gifts and talents at some point during our school year. If you are interested in volunteering at Runnymede for the 2024-2025 school year, we ask that you obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screening ( VSS) through Toronto Police Services. If you already have one on file, you can complete the Declaration Form ( which is online) indicating that you have had no convictions since your last screening. Please contact the school office and we will help you if you have any questions. All volunteers , both new and experienced must have an updated police reference check on file at Runnymede. Check the Volunteer page on the website!
Student Enrolment:
Please note that we are a growing and changing community ( 990) students, we anticipate class and staffing changes right up to the first day of school and perhaps after the first couple of weeks into September. Please note that class lists are tentative until after the first couple of weeks of school as student numbers are changing daily. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
A Note about Combined Grades: ” Split Grades”
Many schools have combined classes and Runnymede is no exception. Due to the continued changes in enrolment, it will be necessary to reorganize some classes this year. Combined classes sometimes cause concern for families. Recent research in Ontario concluded that students in split grades perform as well academically, emotionally and socially as students in straight grades. Combined classes require that the teacher is highly organized, but they do not mean that your child(ren) receive less care and attention. Class lists are made under stringent criteria in order to ensure the best possible placement for your child. We want all our students to achieve success and be happy in school, and our class organization reflect this. Thank you for your trust in us!
Lunch Protocols:
Families are asked to provide their child(ren) with a nut free lunch and snacks in the morning before students enter the building. Unless your child(ren) are enrolled with the lunch program with RAC.
Lunch Lady : Hot Lunch Program / Starts Sept 24th
The lunch lady will be providing a hot lunch option to our families starting Tuesday Sept. 24th for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are interested please order directly with Lunch Lady. See below.
The Lunchlady Hot Lunch Program
Delivered every Tuesday
Starting Sept 24th
Facility Update: Roofing and Windows
Our building is receiving a significant upgrade. The upper and lower flat roofs above the gym are being repaired and replaced , and we will also be getting all new windows in the gym. Over the summer, we got a lot of painting done and will continue to have more painting of hallways, doors and classrooms. I would like to extend my thanks to the caretaking team for their hard work in ensuring our school is ready to receive our students on Tuesday, Sept 3rd.
School Council:
With a new school year comes a new School Council, and an opportunity to build on what is already an amazing community, a community that embraces and celebrates each other, with a strong foundational relationship between home and school!
Each year families are invited to join our School Council and be a voice for the hopes and needs of the school community.
If you are interested, please reach out to the Runnymede School Council or HSA for information on how to get involved or contact the school office.
Code of Conduct:
At Runnymede we encourage our students to be on their best behaviour always and everywhere. To this end, there is a code of conduct that appears in the front pages of each school agenda. Students will gather for an assembly during the first week of school in order to familiarize themselves with the expectations in the code of conduct. All adults and students are expected to abide by the code of conduct when on school premises and in the school building.
Thank you for you help in this matter.
Important Dates:
Sept. 3rd – First day of school and Senior Welcome Back Student Assembly ( period 1 &2)
Sept 6th – Assembly for Gr 1-5
Sept. 18th – Curriculum Night / Times to be determined
Sept 23rd – School Council meeting
Sept. 24th – Photo Day
Sept. 27th – PA Day / no school for students
Sept. 30 th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ( Orange Shirt Day)
Oct 9 th – Grade 8 Graduation trip information night / Transitions
Oct 11th – PA Day / no school for students
Oct. 14th – Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Oct . 30th – Photo Re-Take Day
Oct. 31st – Halloween
Nov. 4th – Grade 7 Immunization Clinic
Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day assembly
Nov. 12th – Progress Report Cards go home
Nov. 14th – Parent/Guardian/ Teacher evening interviews
Nov. 15th – PA Day / no school / Parent/Guardian /Teacher Interviews AM
Nov. 29th – PA Day
Dec. 2 – 6 – Grade 6 students to Island School overnight trip ( more details to come)
Dec 20th – Last day of school before Winter Break
Runnymede Home & School Association 