End of Year 2023/2024 Newsletter
It has been a busy year at Cameron Street with so many events and activities! We have a lot to celebrate and to be grateful for! We send out many thanks to our families. We also thank those who have made monetary donations, tangible items, and gifts of time and service.
Cameron congratulates our graduating students and wishes them well. We also say a fond farewell to our grade 4 French Immersion students who will be heading off to Admiral. Best wishes to students who will be moving over the summer and settling into a new school come September. We welcome our new Cameron Comets and look forward to meeting you!
Here is our final newsletter for the 2024-2025 school year. Hopefully it answers any questions that you may be pondering over the summer and helps you plan for September.
School Council
Thank you to all of our school council members for their commitment to student achievement this year! We hope to see you back in the fall!
School Council members will be elected in the fall. The first meeting will be held on Monday, September 23rd. Council supports student achievement through consultation, fund raising, events and information evenings. All members have a vote in the decision making process, however, everyone is welcome to attend meetings.
For more information please visit: https://www.scdsb.on.ca/elementary/parent/school_councils
Volunteers
We were thrilled to see so many individuals offering to volunteer their time this year. We welcome volunteers in many roles including: reading with students, preparing materials for classrooms, volunteer drivers, fund raising, club/sports coaches, lunch programs, event helpers, etc. All volunteers must complete a vulnerable sector check and be approved by the school board in order to come into the school, assist at school events, or accompany students on trips. The process begins at https://www4.scdsb.on.ca/app/CommunityPass/Welcome on the school board website. Please submit your application early to avoid disappointment. There are many steps to the process and increased volume can result in extended wait times.
Supplies for Fall
The school often gets asked what supplies students need for September. Each classroom is set up differently and sometimes students end up purchasing supplies that they will not need. The school will provide all necessary supplies for a student to complete their work, however, sometimes students prefer to have their own personal items. Here is a list that will help you budget for fall.
Shopping list
Lunch bag with reusable, easy to open containers
Reusable (not glass) water bottle
Back pack
Boxes of tissues (for the classroom)
Paper towels (for the classroom)
Dry erase markers (fine tip and regular sized)
Pencil crayons (optional)
Pencils (optional), eraser
Glue sticks
Markers (junior and intermediate grades only) (optional)
Journal book/ scrapbook for drawing/colouring during break times
Indoor shoes suitable for Phys. Ed. (students should be able to tie or do up their own shoes)
Clothing for outdoor play: students are outside in all weather conditions.
Change of clothing including underwear, socks, pants and a shirt (primary)
Staff Changes
Retirements
Congratulations to Mrs. Lockhart, Mme. McLean, Mme. Gough and Mr. McLean on their retirements! We thank them for their many years with SCDSB and Cameron Street. You will greatly be missed by both staff and students.
Staff Moves
We reluctantly say farewell to Mr. Ready who will be moving to the new Wasaga Beach school to open up their new library! We also extend a warm goodbye to Ms. Goslett who is shortening her commute to school by joining the staff at Clearview Meadows. Mr. Ruban joined our staff just this year. His new school will be fortunate to have him as part of their team. Ms. McInnes will be greatly missed in Kindergarten. She is heading off to Admiral.
We have had a lot of changes in the front office this year with Ms. McFarlane off on maternity leave and Ms. Currie moving to a new role at the Board office. Mrs. Rae and Ms. Bentley met the challenges of a busy office with enthusiasm! We will see Ms. McFarlane and Ms.Kopacz in our office the last week of August.
We have been fortunate to have Ms. Emmett, Mr. Skillings, Mdm. Lesage, Ms. Tebbokkel and Ms. Ross at Cameron Street and have benefitted from their enthusiasm and commitment to teaching. Their time at Cameron has come to an end and we wish them success in their future teaching roles.
We are always sad to see Cameron Comets staff move on. We wish them well on their new adventures, wherever they take them!
Cameron Staff for 2024/25 School Year
Office
Principal: Mrs. Blayney
Vice-Principal: Ms. Stahr
Clerk-Steno: Ms. Kopacz
Senior Administrative Support: Brianna McFarlane
Kindergarten
Ms. Kennedy
Ms. Gervais
Ms. Visscher
Ms. Fawcett
Ms. Honeyball
Ms. Buske
Primary
Mme. Young (French Immersion)
Mme. Fernandez (French Immersion)
Ms. Irion
Ms. Kirkpatrick
Ms. Bumstead
Mr. Brozowski
Ms. Jeffrey
Mme. Colbourne (French Immersion)
Ms. Paul (French Immersion)
Ms. Hammond
Mme. Martin (French Immersion)
Mme. Martin (French Immersion)
Junior
Ms. Hare
Ms. Caines
Mme. Fair (French Immersion)
Ms. Kitchener
Ms. Boote
Intermediate
Mr. McPherson
Ms. Vetrano
Mr. Besley
Mr. Morin
Special Education
Ms. Sims
Ms. Inkpen
Ms. Stahr
Ms. Rumball
Ms. Jackson
Planning time/Core French
Ms. Rumball
Mr. Gray
Ms. Nicholls
Ms. Berger
Ms. Ross
Teaching Librarian
Ms. Carter
Educational Assistants
Ms. Corbett
Ms. Potts
Ms. Cornelisse
Ms. Licharson
Ms. Eberhardt
Ms. Seibel
Ms. Haldane
Ms. Couttie
Custodians
Ms. Mcquarrie
Ms. Wesseling
First Day of School
Students will find out who their teachers are on the first day of school. When students arrive they should look for the sign for their grade and head directly there. Classroom teachers will be at the signs. Planning time teachers and Special Education staff will be on the tarmac to assist new and anxious students.
We kindly ask that parents do not cluster at the entrances and allow space for drop offs. Our bused students will be escorted to the yard. Parents will not be permitted on the tarmac.
Staff are on duty daily at 8:50am and the bell rings at 9:05. Students arriving after the 9:05 bell must sign in at the office and are indicated as a late arrival. The dismissal bell rings at 3:25.
Kindergarten to grade 3 are dismissed out the Cameron Street gate. Grades 4-8 are dismissed out the birchview entrance.
Important: Please ensure that you email [email protected] at the beginning of the day or send a note with your child if they are a bus student and they are not to go on the bus. The busiest times in the office are at the beginning and end of the day and during nutrition/recess breaks. During these times, you may need to leave a message or wait until staff are available.
Junior Kindergarten students start on Thursday, September 5th.
Office Hours:
The office is closed for the summer. Please visit the school board website for information about programs and registration @ scdsb.on.ca. School email and telephones are not monitored over the summer months. During the school year, the office is open from 8:15am - 4:30 pm.
Communication:
- ●Keep up to date: The school sends out information through voice and email messages. To receive updates from the school please ensure that your email and phone numbers are kept current. Subscribe to our website to access the newsletter, link to resources,see school information, and to follow the news feed. https://cam.scdsb.on.ca/
- ●Medical updates: If your child requires a medical plan while at school (anaphylaxis, diabetes, asthma, seizures, epilepsy or other prevalent medical condition), the school requires medical forms to be updated, with a physician’s signature, every two years or as treatment changes. The school can provide you with the appropriate forms so that you have them for summer appointments.
- ●Early dismissals and pick up for appointments: Each classroom teacher will have their preferred method of communication with families. If you are picking students up early during the day or need to change their afterschool arrangements, please include [email protected] in your communication. The busiest times in the office are at the beginning and end of the day and during nutrition/recess breaks. During these times, you may need to leave a message or you may experience a wait time in the office.
- ●School Year Calendar : the school year calendar can be found at: https://www.scdsb.on.ca/
No Idling Zone: Please be aware of environmental and physical impacts of idling while waiting for students at the end of the day. The fumes can be troublesome to those young and old who are waiting at the fenceline to pick up students.
Parking
Cameron encourages active transportation to school. This includes walking, biking, scooters, etc. Bike and scooter racks are located in the school yard. Students must walk their wheels once they are on school property. Helmets must be worn by all cyclists (if your child is in need of a helmet, please contact the school office). Parking is limited at the school and not permitted in the plaza across the street. Families who need to drive to school are encouraged to park on a side street and walk the remainder of the way.
Pets on School Property
Pets are not allowed on school property. This includes the sidewalk areas in front of the school and pickup/drop off gates.
On the Move
Why did kids stop walking to school? Cameron Street Public School will continue to examine this and try to address these issues as we renew our commitment to the On the Move active school travel program in the 2024-25 school year. Let the school office know if you would like to be part of the school’s On the Move team or involved in supporting On the Move activities and events. We welcome you!
As you and your children establish a new school routine this fall, consider the ways you can fit more walking and cycling/wheeling into the school journey…even if it’s just part of the way to school or the bus stop. It may be easier than you think, and every little bit counts to improve health and increase safety for everyone by reducing the number of vehicles at the school. When you need to drive, try parking and walking a block.