Days of Awareness 2024-25
Please review the days of awareness calendar on the SCDSB website at scdsb.on.ca/about/equity_and_inclusion.
Inclement weather and bus cancellation information reminder
All information regarding cancelled buses in Simcoe County is posted on the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC)’s bus information website at www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca. Our school is in the West zone. When buses are cancelled, schools remain open for student learning, unless otherwise noted. School staff are expected to plan for such emergencies in order to transition students who are unable to attend due to inclement weather to their online platforms (Google Classroom and/or SCDSBhub [Brightspace by D2L]) and continue with academic programming. It is always a family decision whether or not it is safe for their child(ren) to leave for school under severe weather conditions.
The Consortium and bus operators try to make the decision to cancel school buses before 6 a.m. and make every effort to post announcements before 7 a.m. Inclement weather cancellations are effective for the whole day and buses cancelled in the morning will not run at the end of the day. You can follow the Consortium on Twitter @SCSTC_SchoolBus for bus cancellations and other information. You can also subscribe to receive bus delay notifications here: scstc.ca/Subscriptions/Login.aspx.
Subscribe to Kindergarten Connections!
Will your child be turning four in 2025? If so, the SCDSB invites you to subscribe to Kindergarten Connections! This is a monthly enewsletter informing families of everything they need to know about preparing their child for school, as well as registering them for Kindergarten in the SCDSB. To learn more and subscribe, visit the Kindergarten page on the SCDSB website: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/kindergarten
How is your infant, toddler, or preschool child developing?
Is your child meeting their milestones? Age-appropriate speech and language skills are critical to your child’s ability to read, write, and be successful in school as well as to their ability to engage with their peers. Free services are available to support you with your child’s development. Preschool speech and language programs are located across the County of Simcoe. Call 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979 to complete a developmental screen. The earlier we work together the better!
Licensed Winter Break school age child care programs
Child care programs for children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 are provided by independent, third-party child care operators in some SCDSB schools. To support your child care needs, some operators offer child care on PA days and holidays, including over the Winter Break. Registration in advance is required. Please contact the child care operator directly to discuss fees and to register. More information and contact numbers can be found at scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/childcare_before_after.
Check out the SCDSB News video series
The SCDSB News is a weekly video series highlighting positive events, initiatives, and learning happening within school communities across the SCDSB. Follow the SCDSB on social media to catch all of these weekly episodes!
The Indigenous Lodge at Eastview Secondary School opened with a special ceremony for students, staff, and community. Join us as we explore this new space designed to welcome and support students while encouraging learning about Indigenous culture and history. Creating spaces like these in SCDSB schools is how we are taking steps towards the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation. Watch this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=a_qhy_2SksA
High school information events for Grade 8 students
Is your child starting Grade 9 next year? High school information events will take place in person this winter! Student leaders and staff at the school will give an overview of what’s new and what to expect. Learn about courses offered, as well as information about teams and clubs. Please visit the SCDSB website at scdsb.on.ca/secondary/planning_for_high_school/high_school_information_nights to find details on your high school’s info night, and contact the school directly for more information.
Grade 1 French Immersion information
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) offers French Immersion (FI) at select schools throughout Simcoe County beginning in Grade 1. The goal of the FI program is to enable students to communicate in French with a high level of proficiency, enabling them to function with ease in both French and English. Upon graduation from the program, students will communicate in French with confidence in a wide variety of real-life situations.
Grade 1 FI family information nights are held annually in advance of the application process for the following school year. This year, FI family information nights will be held in person throughout the month of November at the respective FI school locations. The designated Grade 1 FI site for our school is here at Cameron Street P.S.. The information night for this school will be Monday, Nov. 20, 2024 at 6 pm.
The SCDSB board-wide electronic applications for the Grade 1 FI program for all sites will open Monday, Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Entry into the FI program is determined through a digitally randomized lottery system.
Math learning at home
Practice math anywhere with Math at Home, an online resource for parents/caregivers of SCDSB students from pre-school age to 16. This resource is updated monthly with games, problems, and number talk activities that reflect the math your child may be learning at school each month.
In November, activities in school and on Math at Home may include grade-level tasks related to measuring objects and identifying and sorting shapes, figures, and angles.
Visit scdsb.on.ca/MathAtHome to support your child’s math learning at home!
Join us! A learning series for parents/guardians with Pine River Institute (PRI)
Mental health and well-being continue to be a key strategic priority within the SCDSB. We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Centre for Family Initiatives at Pine River Institute (CFI@PRI) to provide several curated learning sessions focused on student mental health and well-being to SCDSB families.
There are four webinars planned for parents/guardians and other caregivers during this school year. To join in this learning, please visit the SCDSB website to register: scdsb.on.ca/about/well-being___mental_health/pine_river_institute_learning_series
Emotional development
Dec. 5, 7-8 p.m.
Gain a new perspective on how children maturate and its significance for mental health. Learn how Pine River views social and emotional development as crucial to well-being.
Learn more about PRI by visiting their website at pineriverinstitute.com.
Nov. 19 is Eat Well to Excel Day in Simcoe County
Eat Well to Excel is a Simcoe County non-profit community partnership that supports our school’s student nutrition program. The funding provided by Eat Well to Excel allows us to supply students with access to healthy snacks during the school day.
The pandemic and increasing food costs have caused a significant financial strain on many families in our region and new data shows that one in three kids in Canada are at risk of going to school hungry. Kids that are hungry struggle to retain knowledge and keep focused throughout the day. They are also at an increased risk of experiencing poor mental health and a compromised immune system. With your support we can maintain and hopefully improve our program to provide a consistent supply of healthy food to our students.
You can make a donation by visiting eatwelltoexcel.ca. You can either support the county-wide program or direct your donation to our school. Please include our school name in the comment box to ensure the donation goes directly to our program. A tax receipt will be emailed to you.
For more information about Eat Well to Excel visit eatwelltoexcel.ca.
I Read Canadian Day
I Read Canadian Day is celebrating it’s third year on Nov. 6, 2024. This day is a nationwide initiative that celebrates the richness, diversity, and scope of Canadian literature by encouraging individuals to read Canadian books for just 15 minutes. Schools, libraries, bookstores, and other organizations may host activities and events on this day to highlight Canadian literature. For more information visit ireadcanadian.com/day and sign up for free to participate.
A curated list of Canadian titles can be found on Sora, the SCDSB’s digital library. To access the desktop version visit soraapp.com/welcome or use the Sora app.
Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions in need of foster homes
Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions is in need of families in our communities to open their homes to children and youth requiring foster homes. By opening your home, you can make a difference in their lives by keeping them close to their family, school, and community. Help us keep kids close to home. If you or someone you know is interested in fostering, please visit familyconnexions.ca or check out a few of our videos to better understand what it takes to become a foster care provider: familyconnexions.ca/fostering-resources/.
Information provided by Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions.
Outdoor play
Active play supports development in many ways, especially when the play is outdoors, self-directed, and fun. Students can explore boundaries and problem-solve, develop social skills, resolve conflict, and practice controlling their emotions and behaviours. Active play outdoors in the fresh air and nature helps to improve mood and lower stress. Support your child in playing outside with friends in the neighbourhood and in your local green spaces.
For more information, visit simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/PhysicalActivity/Active-Play/After-School.
Information provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
Caffeine, energy drinks, and teens
Caffeine is a stimulant which can increase alertness and give you a boost of energy. It can be found in tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and some foods. Some side effects include insomnia, irritability, headaches, and nervousness. Energy drinks are not recommended for children and teens because of their high caffeine content. Caffeinated energy drinks are now required to have a supplemented food facts table, caution identifier, and cautionary statements. These products may not be suitable for those under 14 years old, pregnant, breastfeeding, or sensitive to caffeine.
For more information, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-5720 to speak with a public health nurse, or visit the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s website at simcoemuskokahealth.org/.
Information provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
November PA Day
Please note that Friday, Nov. 15 is a PA Day for all SCDSB students. Please refer to the 2024-25 School Year Calendar on the SCDSB website for more information: scdsb.on.ca/elementary/planning_for_school/school_year_calendar.
Below is a summary of the activities planned for the Nov. 15 elementary PA Day:
Length: Full day
Topic: Communication to parents/guardians about student progress through
parent/guardian-student-teacher conferences
Host: Simcoe County District School Board elementary schools, including
Grades 7 and 8 in Grade 7-12 secondary schools
Presenter(s)/facilitator(s): Elementary educators
Elementary educators will meet with students and parents/guardians to discuss student progress thus far this school year, including areas of strengths and next steps for improvement.
Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECE) (150 min.)
DECE staff will engage in learning to build their expertise in ensuring students receive the necessary foundational reading skills that are critical to future success. A portion of the time will be led synchronously by the Early Years team, and follow up work will be completed asynchronously.
School Conferences at Cameron
School conferences are an opportunity for your student(s) to showcase their strengths and highlight their progress to date. Students are supported to set goals in the areas of Learning Skills and Academic achievement. Student success is a collaborative approach with staff, parents/guardians and students. Students are expected to attend conferences with their parent/guardian.
To sign up for a conference please follow this link:
https://schoolinterviews.ca/code/r5pfh
Or go to https://schoolinterviews.ca and enter code r5pfh
MacMillan’s Fundraiser
Treat yourself to something sweet and help us raise money for resources for our Cameron Street reading volunteers! Our school is running a fundraiser through MacMillans online fundraising shop. Choose from delicious desserts or savory snacks and get yourself stocked up for the holidays! Visit the following link: https://macmillansfundraising.online/store/ and select ‘Cameron Street Public School’ at check out! The online shopping portal closes at midnight on Friday, November 22nd.
Pizza cancellation reminder
We understand that pizza day is an exciting day for many of our families and that many of you order pizza for the entire school year. When it comes to students being absent on Pizza Day, we kindly ask parents to either a) cancel their order on School Cash Online no later than 48h prior to Pizza Day or b) contact your child’s classroom teacher to inform them that you would like to have your child pick up their pizza the next day (Wednesday). Unclaimed pizza will be put in our Snack Shack.
Late Arrivals
We have noticed a recent uptick in students arriving late in the mornings. Continued late arrivals are not only disruptive to the classrooms as a whole, they can also impact the individual student’s academic performance. Students arriving late miss out on morning routines that include learning skills and academic instruction. Morning yard supervision begins at 8:50am with the morning bell ringing at 9:05am. We understand that sometimes late arrivals cannot be avoided due to things like appointments and so we ask, where possible, to notify the main office of any late arrivals. Families can do so by calling the dedicated Safe Arrival phone line at 1-888-885-8065 or they can email [email protected]. We thank our families for their continued support with our Safe Arrival program.
BOOK FAIR
The countdown to the Book Fair is on! From Monday, November 11th to Friday, November 15th, the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Cameron Street! Get ready for your favorite characters, cool posters and fun pencils and erasers. Students will have an opportunity to come to the book fair with their class during the week. The fair will run during the school day and close at 4 pm Monday-Wednesday, Thursday until 7:30 pm and Friday morning 9-10:30 am.
Book Fair website:
A Note from School Council:
Hi Cameron Street Families
Wow! November already!
KM Club
Thanks to everyone that came out to support KM Club. We had some rainy and cool weather for a couple of the days, but that didn't stop our walkers and runners! Go Cameron Street!
Congratulations to Mme Martin's Class for winning the Golden Shoe Award and a prize for their class.
Pumpkin Stroll
Thanks to all the families that came out and had some fun at the Pumpkin Stroll!
Poinsettia Fundraiser
Our annual Poinsettia Fundraiser gets underway next week. Watch for notifications from School Cash Online. We are hoping to start on Monday. All the pricing and details will be included in the form on School Cash Online.
This fundraiser will run from Monday November 4th to Friday November 15th. All plants will be delivered to the school for pick up on Thursday November 28th and Friday November 29th. The poinsettias are from Bradford Greenhouses and they are really lovely.
***NEW*** Cameron Street Holiday Market - December 5th
Our first Annual Cameron Street Holiday Market will take place on Thursday, December 5th 2024 from 4:30-7:30 pm. There will be lots of great local vendors to shop from and crafts for the kiddos!
If you, your child or someone you know would like to have a table space at the Market, please contact [email protected] for more information. Tables for Cameron Street Students are free!
We are also looking for volunteers to help run this event. If you know of any high school students who need their hours please let us know. Thanks!
SCHOOL COUNCIL Meeting - Everyone welcome
The November School Council meeting is on Monday, November 4th from 6pm to 7:30pm in the school library.
Calling all intermediate parents! We need your input! Help us help them to make these last years of elementary school the best yet! What is going to encourage them to do their best? What events would they look forward to? Please join our meeting to give us your support! Our focus for this meeting is all about your kids! SO PLEASE COME OUT.