Dear Families,
The spooky season is upon us, and we welcome the fun and excitement of Halloween in our school! We encourage students to show their Halloween spirit by wearing Black and Orange this week. Please leave all costumes and costume pieces at home to ensure students have everything they need for the big night. We have had a few requests for class treats to be brought to school. While we appreciate the generosity, we are encouraging additional class treats to stay at home. We will still be celebrating in fun and festive ways through activities and themed learning. Any class treats that do come to school must be pre-packaged and nut-free.
Congratulations to all our cross-country runners who represented Newburgh at our regional and district meets. We are proud of you!
Thank you to SAC for another successful Halloween Dance. Many parent volunteers spent their time preparing and supervising a fun Halloween dance for junior and intermediate students. Money raised at the dance through admission and the canteen went directly back to SAC funds, which are spent on student activities, materials, bus transportation, and trips. Thank you for supporting our SAC by participating in the Halloween dance.
Last week, some families received Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). IEPs looked a little different this year. LDSB is now using the Aspen IEP platform. Although the content of your student's IEP remains the same, you may have noticed the layout may appear different. IEPs are working documents and can be edited, revised, and updated as needed. Whenever we make revisions, your family will be notified and consulted. Thank you for taking the time to review and return the consultation page with your signature, and as always, reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions.
Newburgh students have a few guest presenters scheduled in the coming months. On November 4th, Joe's Music Mill will bring a diverse range of musical instruments into the classroom for students to hear and explore firsthand, deepening their understanding of the wide variety of sounds and styles available to them as budding musicians. On November 11, guest presenter Lieutenant Colonel Rory Moore will share his knowledge about the importance of Remembrance Day before our Remembrance Day Ceremony. On November 12, there will be a school-wide School Bus Safety Presentation in the gym to teach about bus safety. On November 19th, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters' guest presenters will be visiting junior classrooms with an interactive presentation about invasive species. On November 28, our student will be immersed in an interactive concert featuring Taiko-Japanese Drummers, showcasing a high energy style of drumming that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Finally, the Napanee High School (NDSS) band will visit our school on December 3.
With the cooler weather approaching, please ensure your children have warmer clothing for outdoor play. Classes sometimes have a Physical Education class outside or spend time learning outdoors, so coming prepared with extra clothes/socks/mitts will help your children be comfortable throughout the day. On rainy days, students will be outside, unless it is raining hard or there is lightning and thunder. Even with the colder weather, students will be outside for short periods each day unless the temperature is below -25 degrees C. Students should come prepared for outside time each day. As the weather gets chilly, it will be important for students to have hats/mitts, warm footwear, and warm coats. Please let the school know if you require assistance with winter clothing.
With November right around the corner, we will be focusing on the following throughout the month:
- National Indigenous Education Month
- Holocaust Education Week
- Veterans Week/Remembrance Day
- Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Bully Awareness and Prevention week/Pink Shirt day
- Student Census Week
Wishing all of our families a fun, safe and spooky Halloween week!
Yours in Education,
Jennifer Osborne, Principal, and Tanyelle VanderSchoor, Vice-Principal
Yard Supervisor Needed
In the coming months, Newburgh School will be looking for a Yard Supervisor to supervise our students while eating lunch and while playing on the yard daily between 11:45 and 12:45. If you are interested in this paid position, please contact the school.
Important Reminders
When dropping your child(ren) off in the morning, we kindly ask you to drop your child(ren) at the gate with Ms. VanderSchoor and not in the yard area or the front of the school where the buses are unloading. This will ensure a speedy drop-off and allow supervising staff to supervise students in the yard. If you have a message for the teaching staff, please use your child's agenda or contact the school directly. Thank you for your help with this.
Important Dates
Monday, October 27 - Grade 3 Swim to Survive
Friday, October 31 - Hallowe'en - Wear Black and Orange to School
Monday, November 3 - Grade 3 Swim to Survive and SAC School Fundraiser Wreath and Planter Orders Due
Tuesday, November 4 - Joe's Music Mills Experience for Students
November 3-7 - Holocaust Education Week
Saturday, November 8 - SAC School Fundraiser Children's Thrift Sale and Indigenous Veterans Day
November 10-14 - Veterans' Week
Tuesday, November 11 - Remembrance Day Ceremony 11:00 - All Families are welcome.
Wednesday, November 12 - School Bus Safety Presentation
Thursday, November 13 - Progress Reports and Kindergarten Communication of Learning - Initial Observation sent home to families. SAC School Fundraiser Wreath and Planter Order Pick Up Day
Friday, November 14 - PA Day (no school for students)
Monday, November 17 - Kindergarten and Grade 2/3 Trip
November 17-21 - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
Wednesday, November 19 - Picture Re-Take Day and SAC 6:15 @ NPS and Invasive Species Presentation
November 20 - Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday, November 21 - LDSB Pink Shirt Day to Recognize Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week
Monday, November 24 - 28 Student Census Survey Grade 4-12
Thursday, November 27 - Grade 7/8 Immunizations
Friday November 28 - Interactive Concert: Taiko-Japanese Drumming
Wednesday, December 3 - NDSS Band @ Newburgh
Monday, December 22 - Winter Holidays Begin
Newburgh Hot Lunch Days
Newburgh School will be offering pizza lunches and now hamburger lunches! Monies raised will go back to the school to support students. If you would like your child to participate in pizza or hamburger days, each can be ordered through School Day.
When there is a tri-board announcement that all buses are cancelled in the Limestone District School Board and it falls on a hot lunch day, the hot lunch day will be rescheduled. If your child attends school on that day, please prepare them a lunch.
November 5 - Pizza Day
November 19 - Pizza Day
November 21 - Hamburger Day
December 2 - Pizza Day
December 17 - Pizza Day
In November, we honor National Indigenous Education Month at the Limestone District School Board (LDSB). During this month, we are encouraged to engage, learn, and teach about Indigenous perspectives, histories, and realities. We take this time to celebrate the unique cultures and languages of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) peoples across Turtle Island (North America) and to reflect upon the diversity and brilliance of Indigenous communities.
Remembrance Day
Newburgh will be honoring Remembrance Day with a ceremony in the gym with guest speaker Lieutenant Colonel Rory Moore. On Remembrance Day, we pause to honor the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who have served and continue to serve our country in times of war, conflict, and peacekeeping. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and learning, as we remember the individuals who gave so much so that we may live in peace. Our ceremony will commence at approximately 10:55 and should last approximately 20 minutes. Parents are welcome to join us in the gym to observe this solemn occasion.
School Advisory Council Fundraisers
Our first School Advisory Council meeting and election for Executive Positions was held on September 17th. Here are your 2025-26 SAC executive members:
Chair: Stephanie Cornish
Secretary: Patty MacDermaid
Treasurer: Maria Evans
We warmly welcome all parents to be a part of any and every council meeting, whether you are an elected member or a parent who would just like to listen in and hear more about what is going on at Newburgh PS. Meetings usually include an administrator's sharing component, reports from members in particular positions (treasurer, chairs etc) and some discussion items. Babysitting for school age children will be available.
Our next meeting we will take place on November 19 @ 6:15
Important Information to Share
Student Census - See Yourself in Limestone
Limestone is committed to creating safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for all students. To help us better understand how students’ identities and experiences relate to their achievement and well-being, we are launching our second See Yourself in Limestone Student Census Survey this fall.
The census is a voluntary and confidential survey for students in Grades 4 to 12, running from November 24 to 28, 2025. It gathers information about students’ identities and their experiences at school. This data is then paired with academic information to help us understand what school is like for different groups of students.
Important information for families:
- The survey is optional.
- Responses are confidential and students can skip any questions they do not wish to answer.
- Students will complete the survey during class time.
- Students who do not participate will be provided with an alternative activity.
Families who do not want their student(s) to complete the survey must contact their school principal by Friday, November 14, 2025. Opting out means the student will not receive the survey in their e-mail inbox.
By better understanding students’ identities and experiences, we can remove barriers and better support students in accessing what they need to succeed.
Learn more about the Student Census and how it supports equity in Limestone: limestone.on.ca/student_census
O
Help Shape Our Accessibility Plan
The Limestone District School Board is committed to fostering accessibility and inclusion for all. We are currently developing our next Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and invite feedback from students, staff, families, and community members.
Your input will help ensure our goals reflect the diverse needs and lived experiences across our school communities. Please visit bit.ly/LDSB2025-2029AccessibilityPlan to provide input. The survey is open until November 10, 2025
Newburgh continues to offer our families a new secure portal to complete permissions and payments online. With School-Day: Permissions & Payments, you will be able to complete permission forms and payments from any web browser using your SmartPhone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
Through this online portal, you will be able to pay for items such as:
· Field trips
· Sporting events
· Student cards/athletic fees
· Hot lunch (where applicable)
The new easy-to-use portal will remove the risks associated with sending money to school with students, the frustration of lost or missing permission forms, and significantly reduce the amount of paper our school consumes.
If you have not yet signed up for School day, please call the main office and a secure code information sheet will be sent home with your child. Use the instructions in it to sign up for a School-Day account at www.school-day.com and connect to your child’s events and activities.
How Do I Report An Absence
Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If your child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. If your child will be late, please report a full day absence and then we will sign them in when they arrive. You cannot indicate a half day absence.
How to report your absence:
1. Toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
2. School Messenger App
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
3. SchoolMessenger SafeArrival Website Portal
- Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
Important School Information
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:45 a.m. | Supervision begins on the yard |
9:00 a.m. | Entry to school |
9:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. | 100-minute learning block |
10:40 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. | Recess |
10:55 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. | 50-minute learning block |
11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. | Lunch (20 minutes) and recess (40 minutes) |
12:45 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
2:25 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. | Recess |
2:40 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | 50-minute learning block |
3:30 p.m. | Dismissal |
Newburgh PS Staff 2025-26
Principal: Jennifer Osborne
Vice-Principal: Tanyelle VanderSchoor
Office Manager: Vicki Clement
(JK/SK) Leah Birk & Chantelle Shook (ECE)
(1/2) Hannah Sutherland
(2/3) Brianna Ziehl (Stephanie McEwen on leave)
(4/5) Ashley Morrow
(5/6) Cathleen Caza
(6/7/8) Olivia Cotman
French: Faith Moore
Student Support Teacher: Tanyelle VanderSchoor
Student Support Counsellor: Jamie Lopes
Special Education Coordinator: Matt Aylsworth
Planning Time Teacher: Karla Tynski
Educational Assistant: Crystal Blanchard
STEA (Short Term Educational Assistant): Jessica Crouse
Head Custodian: Erin Hickey
Night Custodian: Sonja Wood
STUDENT MEDICAL PLANS
We ask families to notify the school about their child's emergency medical conditions and complete the Plans of Care linked below. Updated Plans of Care for students with existing medical conditions will be sent home with your child on the first day of school.
https://www.limestone.on.ca/medical-procedures
DATA VERIFICATION
Carefully review this information and make updates and/or corrections as necessary. Please return to your child’s teacher as soon as possible.
STUDENT ACCIDENT PROTECTION PROGRAM
The Limestone District School Board makes available Student Accident Insurance. Various affordable plans are available. Parents may enroll on-line at www.insuremykids.com or by completing the Student Accident Insurance package and mailing it directly to the company. Please note: participation in extra-curricular athletic activities requires parent signature verifying student accident insurance coverage through some insurance carrier.
AGENDA BOOKS
Agendas are provided by the Newburgh Public School to students in all grades to help students stay organized and instill a sense of responsibility. The expectation is that students record their homework and important events in their agenda daily,. Each night parents should confirm that homework has been completed by signing. Teachers will check the agendas for correspondence from parents.
MARTIAL ARTS LESSONS!
Terry Langevin Educational Systems is offering classes starting on Tuesday, September 9th during the lunch break (11:45-12:45). Please contact the office for a registration package.
BUS INFORMATION
Students may ride an alternate bus home to a friend’s house providing there is room on the bus and they have a note approved by the school. Please record in the agenda and include in your note the person’s name and address of the intended destination and bus number.
ALLERGEN AWARENESS
Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.
CPIC
If you intend to volunteer in any capacity this school year, please complete a CPIC via the OPP website. Please feel free to pick up a form from Mrs. Clement. It is free of charge if you are volunteering with the school.
TRI-BOARD TRANSPORTATION
If your child rides the bus, Tri-board should have sent confirmation of your child's route. If you were on a bus last year at the end of the year, you are set up for busing this year. You can also sign up for bus status alert emails at the Tri-board website to ensure you are notified of any late runs or cancelled routes.
If you are new to Centreville Public School and require transportation, you will need to fill out the bus form at https://triboard.ca
STUDENT ACCIDENT PROTECTION PROGRAM
The Limestone District School Board makes available Student Accident Insurance. Various affordable plans are available. Parents may enroll on-line at www.insuremykids.com or by completing the Student Accident Insurance package and mailing it directly to the company. Please note: participation in extra-curricular athletic activities requires parent signature verifying student accident insurance coverage through some insurance carrier.
PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM
The Limestone District School Board (LDSB) is committed to delivering health and physical education to all elementary students, using the Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8, 2019. LDSB is committed to building positive school cultures that support student achievement and wellness. The Exemption from Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction, Grades 1 to 8 Procedure (the “Procedure”) was developed in response to the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No. 162 which requires school boards to develop a procedure that allows for students to be exempted, at the request of their parents/guardians, from instruction related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations found in Strand D of the Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8, 2019 (the “Curriculum”). Classroom teachers will inform families of the timeline for delivering Strand D Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction, and an exemption letter will be provided. Below is a link to the expectations by grade.
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
Check out the School Mental Health Family Resources following the link below
DON'T FORGET YOU CAN ORDER NEWBURGH WEAR ALL YEAR LONG WITH THIS LINK
https://newburghpublicschool.entripyshops.com/
