Goulbourn MS

POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER This year, our GMS poinsettia fundraiser will be supporting the Art for Aid Project. Art for Aid helps to ensure that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and youth have access to quality art supplies. There are so many benefits to art activities and expression and often so few opportunities in remote communities. We are so proud to be supporting the Art for Aid Project. You can help by purchasing a poinsettia or plant through SchoolCash Online or by contributing to our art supply drive. For a list of items we are collecting, follow this link Art for Aid Project Wishlist Plant orders will be accepted until November 27th. Art supplies will be collected until November 30th. Join us as we take action to make a difference!

GRADE 7/8 IMMUNIZATION CLINIC AT GMS: Ottawa Public Health (OPH) nurses will be onsite from Dec 12-14 to vaccinate grade 7 students against Meningitis, Hepatitis B and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Approximately one week before the clinic dates, a consent form package will be sent home with all Gr 7 students. Please see the attached Gr 7 parent letter from OPH. Grade 8s who missed last year’s clinic are also eligible to receive any of the three vaccines; please read the attached Gr 8 Parent memo for more details. If you have questions about the vaccines, please call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 and ask to speak with a nurse.

OPH Gr 7 Vaccination info.pdf

OPH Gr8 Vaccination info.pdf

PICK UP AND DROP OFF SAFETY:  This an important reminder to all families that NO STUDENTS ARE TO BE DROPPED OFF OR PICKED UP ON HUNTLEY ROAD. The speed limit on Huntley Road is 70 km/h and there are many trucks and large vehicles driving quickly past the school at all times of the day. With this onset of snow and cold weather, the road is often slick and there is no sidewalk on Huntley for the students to use.

Supervision does not begin until 7:40 am and buses and specialization transportation vans must unload/load prior to parent vehicles being granted access to the property. All vehicles dropping off or picking up students are to wait on the shoulder of Huntley until GMS staff direct you onto the lot.
Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe.
 
There may be daily cancellations of bus routes so it is vital that parents and guardians regularly check the posted cancellations lists for OCDSB on the OSTA website to confirm the routes’ status. Review your child’s information on OSTA’s Parent Portal (Bus Stop Finder) Login and then check the posted list below to confirm the route’s status. The list will be updated daily with any new cancellations reported the morning that service occurs. Click here to find out how student pick up and drop off is organized at GMS.

PROGRESS REPORTS: On Thursday, November 17th, GMS parents/guardians received their children’s progress report cards by Secure Document Delivery (SDD) through School Messenger (email). The OCDSB sent report cards to students in grades 7 and 8. Students in grades 7 and 8 received the report card link in their OCDSB student email address.

You will need your child’s OEN number in order to access and open the report. The OEN number can be found on previous report cards in the top box, to the right of your child’s name. If for some reason you are unable to find the number, please contact our Office Administrator Mrs Hutchison at [email protected]. When entering the OEN, please include the hyphens (dashes). The format should be XXX-XXX-XXX.

TUTORS IN THE CLASSROOM: The Ministry of Education has provided funds for Boards to develop in-class learning tutor support. Here at GMS, we will have one tutor join us in the near future for additional in-class Math support. We are in the process of identifying students who might benefit from some additional support with Math and will be in contact with parents/guardians of selected students regarding having your child work with the tutor. The tutors have been trained and will work in collaboration with the classroom teachers to target numeracy skills.

STUDENT ABSENCE: We kindly ask parents and guardians to report absences or late arrivals by emailing [email protected] or by phone at 613-836-12312 by 8:15 am as we begin calling parents for students who are absent without reason as part of our safe arrivals program. Also, we request that students leaving early be picked up at recess/nutrition break whenever possible as it minimizes interruptions to instructional time.

LATE ARRIVAL: If you are late arriving at school (after 7:55 AM), your child must come through the front doors -main office. The back of the school doors are locked and supervision ceases at the 7:55 AM bell.

REPLACEMENT STAFF AND CLASSROOM CLOSURES: School boards across Ontario, including the OCDSB, are struggling to find replacement staff for absent teachers. As we are heading into the cold and flu season, we anticipate additional stress on the system. We will make every effort to communicate needed classroom closures on the evening prior, however we do, at times, need to make the call on the morning of.

If you receive a call/email that your child’s classroom is closed, they can check Google Classrooms for asynchronous activities posted. We understand the impact involved with closing classes and we do appreciate your understanding and flexibility when we are faced with no other options for staff coverage.

PLEASE STAY HOME IF YOU ARE ILL:  Please use the OPH screener every morning and follow the directions given based on your responses: screening tool. 

Ottawa Public Health notes that anyone who is experiencing COVID-like symptoms or tests positive for COVID is to isolate until symptoms have been improving for 24 hours (or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea) and you do not have a fever. If you require a rapid test, we still have some available; please call Ms. Hutchison in the office at 613-836-1312.

GMS SPIRIT WEAR: Visit our Spirit Wear shop to place your order. If you wish to order now, you can pick up at Gadar Promotions (1-1120 Morrison Dr, Ottawa ON | 9am-4:30pm)

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER AND PHYS ED: A gentle reminder that we head outside at recess as often as possible, including under light rain, so please have your child dress for the weather. As winter approaches, the OCDSB threshold to remain indoors is -25C with the windchill. Otherwise, we are outside on winter days. That said, there may be instances where our yard is compromised due to ice and/or excessive water but we will try to get everyone outside as often as possible all school year.

Proper gym attire is required to participate in Phys Ed class. This includes indoor running shoes. No boots, high heels, sandals, flip flops or bare feet are allowed as this is a safety issue. Students are welcome to keep their indoor shoes in their locker, backpack or classroom.

CELL PHONE USE:  Students do NOT need a cell phone at school. We have a nearly 1-1 ratio of available technology for students to use, and cellphones have proven to be a terrible distraction from learning as well as a catalyst to conflict among students. If you allow your child to bring a phone, it must be stored in their locker or backpack during instructional times and recess, or it can be safely stored on a shelf in the office.

Students can call a parent when needed from an office phone, and if you need to reach your child, just call the main office. 

SCENT-FREE SCHOOL:  A friendly reminder that GMS is a scent-free school. Some of our students are experimenting with perfumes and colognes that are very strong. This can trigger headaches, asthma, and lead to nausea and other sensitivities for those who are easily affected by strong scent. While we appreciate their investment in smelling good, we ask that students and visiting caregivers refrain from strong scents.

STUDENT SUCCESS SITE:  The GMS Guidance Team is here to help. Click on the link to access the  Student Success Site. Fill out the Guidance Form if you would like to speak to an adult about social, personal or academic concerns.

2022-2023 CALENDAR: print or view
STUDENT HANDBOOK: Click on the link to check out the student handbook.

ELECTRONIC FORMS: 
MEDIA RELEASE: https://forms.ocdsb.ca/Forms/Media-School-Website-Consent-Form
ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY: https://forms.ocdsb.ca/Forms/Use-of-Technology
MEDICAL CONDITIONS: https://forms.ocdsb.ca/Forms/Plan-Of-Care-For-Students-With-Life-Threatening-Medical-Conditions

WELCOME TO GMS: Click on the link to take a virtual guided tour of Goulbourn Middle School.