THE RUPS REPORTER
RAY UNDERHILL PUBLIC SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER, 2013
Dear Ray Underhill Families:
Welcome to a NEW school year! I look forward to reconnecting with students who are returning to Ray Underhill, as well as meeting those who are new to our school community. It is an honour and privilege for me to be the principal of this dynamic community.
I am pleased to report that the renovation of our twonew Kindergarten classrooms, which started in July, is on schedule to be finished by the end of October. In the interim, some classes have been temporarily relocated, and some students will use alternate entry/exit doors. All Kindergarten students will use the Kindergarten doors at the north end of the school. All students in grades 1-5 will enter/exit through the junior hallway door at the back of the school. Students who come to school by bus will be directed to their appropriate doors for entry. Parents who drop off or pick up children are also asked to meet students at their designated door, not at the front door of the school. Student safety is a priority at all times, especially during construction, and fencing has been put in place around the tarmac area that is out of bounds. Staff will be supervising the playground at recesses and noon hour.
Beginning this year, the front doors of our school will be locked during the school day - from 9:00 a.m to 3:30 p.m. This is part of the Safe Welcome program announced by the government in December 2012 for elementary schools in Ontario. A camera and buzzer unit has been installed by the front door and is linked to a monitor in the office. Once the school day has begun, all visitors must request entry by pressing the buzzer. Staff in the office will be able to see and speak to the person and release the door lock to provide entry. Thank you for your patience as we adjust to this new system, and for your continued support of the safety of all students and staff in our school.
Please see page 2 of today's newsletter for a list ofstaffing updates. Throughout the school year, your child's teacher and I will be making a special effort to stay in touch with you. We will keep you informed of your child's progress and school activities through newsletters, invitations, updates, tips and reminders. Your communication with us is very important. Please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher, or me, whenever you have a question or concern.
If Reorganization is required due to high or low enrolment in our current structure of classes, all students affected by a change will be notified by Monday, September 23 and will be placed in their new classes by Wednesday, September 25. There is no PA Day for Reorganization in Septemberas there has been in past years.
A new school year has begun! We thank our school custodians who moved furniture, cleaned desks and polished floors this summer in preparation for September start-up. RUPS teachers and support staff have prepared lessons and created inviting classrooms, ready to meet their new students. Our school mission is to provide a safe and caring learning community that encourages academic excellence and personal growth, while working in partnership with our parents. On behalf of the entire Ray Underhill staff, we look forward to working with you and your child(ren) to ensure that positive attitudes are maintained and potentials are achieved.
Sincerely,
C. Buchner
Principal
PICTURE DAY
Mark your calendar!! Individual student photos and class photos will be taken on Wednesday, October 2. Please do not send money on picture day. Parents will be able to see proofs before making a purchase. A flyer from our school photographer will be sent home in September
LUNCH PROGRAMS
Our Friday pizza lunch program and hot lunches offered on Wednesdays by LUNCH MOMS have been very popular in the past. We plan to begin both lunch programs in October and will keep you posted.
UPDATE STUDENT INFORMATION
Parents may call the school office at any time to update student information such as phone numbers, emergency contacts, or health issues. A verification form will be sent home by the end of September to ensure that all information currently entered in our Student Information System (SIS) is correct.
ANAPHYLACTIC ALLERGIES
We have established safety protocols for several RUPS students with severe life-threatening food allergies. Please keep all students safe by choosing lunches and snacks for your child that are free from peanuts or nuts. Please call the school office if you have any questions.
PLASP AT RAY UNDERHILL
The PLASP program provides child care at Ray Underhill before school (from 7:30 a.m.) and after school (until 6:00 p.m.). PLASP operates two separate programs at RUPS:
JK / SK Miss Quinney (Director)
Located in Room 10
Grades 1–5 Mrs. Mamoon(Director)
Located in the staffroom / gym
PLASP provides nutritious snacks and recreational activities for students before and after school. For more information, you may visit the PLASP directors in their respective locations, call the PLASP Head Office @ 905-890-1711, or visit Fee assistance is available.
SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Becoming a member of Ray Underhill’s School Council is an important way to offer input into a variety of school happenings. A nomination form will be sent home later this month. All parents are eligible to nominate themselves or another RUPS parent. The first School Council meeting, including the election of officers, will take place on Wednesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. A schedule of meetings for the rest of the school year (approximately 6 meetings in total) will be established at the first Council meeting. Get involved ... every voice counts!!
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Peel Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that occur on school premises or during school activities – this includes extracurricular sports. If a student is injured, parents are responsible for any costs not covered by provincial health care or their employer’s health care plan.
To help protect your family, the Board has arranged to have student accident insurance available exclusively through Reliable Life Insurance Company. Participation is voluntary but strongly recommended. The program offers a variety of plans and benefits at affordable prices. Please refer to the envelope included with our September newsletter package. You can apply for coverage online at For more information, call Reliable Life Insurance Company at 1-800-463-5437.
TERRY FOX RUN – SEPTEMBER 27
In 1980, Terry Fox embarked on the Marathon of Hope to make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer. He ran 42 miles every day to find a cure for cancer. Our school will help keep Terry's dream alive by participating in the Terry Fox Run on Friday, September 27 in the afternoon.
Students will participate by walking, running or jogging around a course set out in the Credit River ravine. We are asking that each child donate a toonie, or two, to this worthwhile cause. Parents who would like to join this event and serve as volunteers, please contact Mrs. Henshaw.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
The assistance provided by volunteers is greatly appreciated by teachers and students. All parents are required to have a Criminal Record Check completed before volunteering in the school. Processing a CRC may take a few weeks. Forms are available in the school office.
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
Again this year, Plainsman Drive has been identified as a “safe walking route”. We will be reminding bus drivers and parents to use Suburban Drive before and after school when transporting students. Students walking to school are asked to use the walking lanes on Plainsman Drive as they make their way to and from Ray Underhill. (Particular caution should be used while the curbs along Plainsman are being replaced.) Students riding school buses will be reminded of bus safety rules during our bus safety assembly, and the parents of all bus students will be required to sign and return a Bus Safety form. Trained student bus patrollers will be on each bus helping to seat students and reminding them of the importance of appropriate behaviour while riding the bus.
PARKING LOT SAFETY
With so many students being driven to school each day, our school parking lot is a potentially dangerous area. Parents who drive their child(ren) to and from school have three options:
OPTION 1Use the driveway drop off lane, using the designated DROP OFF ZONE
to unload students.
OPTION 2Use the Suburban Drive drop off area which extends along the west side
of Suburban Drive between the school’s driveway entrance and exit.
OPTION 3Use one of the two walkways leading to the playground at the rear of the school
from Ellesboro Drive and from Swanhurst Blvd.
IMPORTANT BUSING INFORMATION
Busing routes are posted on the bulletin board near the front doors. Parents may also check eligibility and specific busing information for their child at All eligible students will receive a colour-coded bus tag the first day of school: BUS #1 – BLUE BUS #2 – GREEN BUS #3 – ORANGE
KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS – YELLOW (regardless of which bus they ride on)
Bus tags should be attached to the student’s backpack with the plastic tie provided. If an eligible student will NOT be using the bus, please return the bus tag and send a note to your child’s teacher or to Mrs. Churchill in the office. If your child is NOT ELIGIBLE for busing, information about COURTESY SEATS will be available later in September. Courtesy seat riders, once approved, may not start riding the bus until October. Parents may make general inquiries about busing to the Transportation Department @ 905-890-6000 or 1-800-668-1140.
STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES and AGENDAS
As the result of a parent survey by our School Council, parents voted overwhelmingly to pay a School Activity Fee, instead of participating in various fundraising activities each school year. This one-time annual fee covers the cost of special performances and educational enhancements for our students, as well as subsidizing field trips. A more itemized breakdown of the activities and costs is included in the Student Activity Fee letter.
As per the Ministry of Education’s guideline on fees for learning materials, the purchase of a Student Agenda is optional. At Ray Underhill, we believe that the agenda is an important organizational tool, as well as a means of daily communication between home and school, and we encourage parents to purchase a Student Agenda from the school at a cost of $6.00 each. Agendas will be given to students as payment is received. If parents do not purchase a pre-printed agenda, students will be given a notebook for the purpose of recording homework and communicating between home and school, and a Parent Handbook that outlines policies/procedures at Ray Underhill and the Peel Board of Education. Please be sure to sign the Positive Behaviour Code on page 6 and the Student Permission Form on page 8 in the Parent Handbook or Student Agenda and return it to your child’s teacher.