Mary Honeywell ES

Dear Parents and Guardians, in an effort to help with preparation for next school year, we are providing detailed information in this message.

Please inform the office, if you have not already done so, as soon as possible if your child will not be returning to MHES in September or if you have decided to change programs (e.g., French Immersion to English). Also, if you know that you and your family will be returning to MHES later in September, then email kimberley.sturrock@ocdsb.ca with this very important information.

Our school office will be closed as of Friday, June 28th as of 4PM and will reopen as of 8:00AM Monday, August 26th. Our School Board office is open during the summer at 133 Greenbank and information can be retrieved at the District Website.

As the school year comes to an end, we would like to congratulate all MHES students on their successes and accomplishments. We applaud their achievements and contributions to making MHES a respectful, caring, and safe space for all. We send special wishes of goodbye to our leaving grade 6s and their families.

We bid a very fond farewell to the following staff this year: who are moving on to new schools and/or different assignments next year. Kris Nickerson, Vicki Wood, Jessica Davis, Jessica Fleury, and Amanda Boult are moving on to different schools and adventures. Nicole Blais and Jessica Rose will be off on maternity leave. We would like to thank each of them for their contributions to the learning of MHES students and they will be missed greatly by colleagues, students, and parents alike. Best wishes in your future endeavours.

Class placements for 2019-2020 require a great deal of thought and time. As of this time, changes to student placements will only occur due to a school reorganization. Families will be notified on Friday August 30^th after 4pm via email of their class placement, teacher and room.  

Opening day for school 2019-2020 occurs on Tuesday, September 3rd and yard supervision begins at 8:15AM.

On personal notes, Denise and I would like to thank the Mary Honeywell E.S., students, School Council, School Council Chairs Robert Crampton and Mark Diamond, and our whole parent community for making our year here at MHES enriching, engaging, and joyful. We truly look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you and being your very proud Principal and Vice Principal!!!

Please enjoy a safe and relaxing summer vacation and always remember that MHES ROCKS!!!

Kind regards,

Pete and Denise

Kindergarten Entry Process:

School Supplies, Voluntary fees, and Agendas:

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has developed a common list of recommended personal use items for students in grades JK-3 and grades 4-8.  This list of supplies is strictly voluntary; parents/guardians are not required to purchase or provide the items listed. However it would be appreciated if the following items for use by your child were sent on the first day of school in September.

Running Shoes for Physical Education Classes:

Physical Education classes are an important part of your child(ren)’s school day. To enable your child to participate safely in all the activities, it is recommended that they have a pair of well-fitting running shoes, which have non-marking soles, and are suitable for running, jumping and playing indoor games.

News from OSTA

Transportation Services for 2019-2020 School Year

As the end of another school year rapidly approaches, please note of the following information regarding transportation services for the 2019-2020 school year. We encourage you to include any of this information in newsletters or correspondence to your school community. Feel free to share OSTA’s website address: www.ottawaschoolbus.ca.

2019-20 Student Transportation Information:

Route information will be available to parents as of August 19, 2019 via the online Parent Web Portal.  Schools may have access to some routes prior to this date, through the school web portal.

Student Transportation Information can also be found using the “Stop Finder” located on the main page of our website, which will link to the “BusPlanner - Parent Portal”. The parent must enter the student’s last name, birthdate, school and grade in order to access route and stop information. 

The “Stop Finder” feature returns bus stop and route information for eligible students who are assigned to regular yellow school bus or small school purpose vehicle service, or for eligible grade 7 and 8 students who are assigned to OC Transpo Service.

OC Transpo route schedules will also be made available through the OSTA website or can be found directly through the OC Transpo website at www.octranspo.com. More information on routes to specific schools can be obtained on OC Transpo’s Quick Planner under High Schools and Middle Schools.

Transportation for students in a joint custody arrangement with two homes

OSTA has developed a new policy & procedure to deliver transportation services to students in a joint custody arrangement and having two homes. An application process and other requirements need to be met for parents to receive this service, and the homes or daycares in question must meet all other eligibility requirements. The deadline for new applications or changes to existing applications for September start up transportation was June 1.  Renewals of current schedule calendars (no other changes) are due June 30.  All other applications will be reviewed after September 15, and prior to October 1.

More information can be found on our website:

http://www.ottawaschoolbus.ca/policies-procedures/variable-transportation-for-students-in-a-joint-custody-arrangement-and-having-two-homes-copy/

Kindergarten Staggered Entry and ID

School bus routes are planned according to the number of registered students in the data system from May to July.  We continue to make changes in transportation throughout school start up. Routes are driven as planned as of the first day of school in September and drivers will stop at each stop, regardless of whether KG students are beginning that day or whether they are beginning later on in the week. 

Please remind parents of new and returning KG students that they MUST make arrangements to have the SAME person meet their child at their stop every afternoon. Parents may identify one alternate person only.  Failure to meet their child may result in termination of transportation services and/or their child being dropped off at the nearest police station.

****OSTA will only accept 2 names and the driver will only release the child to 1 of 2 people on file****

OSTA will be providing bright yellow plastic tags that should be attached to any KG student’s back pack (preferably on the lower left side).  These will assist the drivers in making sure a responsible person designated by the parent, or the parent, is at the stop to collect the student at their drop off point, per policy.  We kindly request that teachers remove the plastic tags from any students NOT in kindergarten.

School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day

School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day (First Rider Program) has been expanded and will run on Sunday, August 25, 2019.  This important safety program is geared primarily for parents and children new to school bus transportation and/or who walk to school, although all elementary students are welcome to attend. Families can register online or call to attend one of the following sites:

Parents/Guardians can find more information on School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day on our website athttp://www.ottawaschoolbus.ca/helpful-resources/school-bus-pedestrian-safety-day/.  A flyer is attached for your convenience. 

Applications for Empty Seat Availability – NEW DEADLINE

Students who had been approved to access service under the Seat Availability provision for 2018-19 will need to re-apply for service for the 2019-20 school year. The “Application for Access to Empty Seats on School Bus Vehicles” form is available on the OSTA website athttp://www.ottawaschoolbus.ca/policies/empty-seat-provision and should be sent to OSTA directly.  The application deadline is September 20, 2019 for the October review period.  Students are prioritized based on age, distance and other factors.  A waitlist may be created and new applications throughout the year will be added to the waitlist.

We ask that parents and school staff NOT put students on the bus prior to assignment to a bus route, for the students’ own safety.

Transportation Information During the Summer Months

Please note that the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority will be open during the summer months from 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

OCDSB parents should contact OSTA directly during the summer months if they have questions about transportation or changes to their children’s address or caregiver information.

Transportation Information During the Fall

As of September, parents should be advising schools directly of any changes to student home or caregiver address. Please remind parents that OSTA will require a minimum of three business days to implement a change to transportation services, longer for transportation to two homes in a joint custody situation. During the month of September, we ask for your assistance in advising parents of new transportation information, due to the volume of changes processed through OSTA at the busy start-up period.  You may also direct them to the online Parent Portal www.ostabusplanner.ottawaschoolbus.ca. 

Students with medical conditions

All medicine that has been in the office during the school year has been sent home with your child.  In addition, new medical forms have been sent home with students. These forms need to be completed by your doctor and sent with your child during the first week of school.  If you have any questions please contact Pam Amlani in the office, pamela.amlani@ocdsb.ca.         

School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Day August 2019.pdf