PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS:
Dear families,
It’s hard to believe that it’s May already! We are starting to talk about end of year trips and
celebrations!
Our students have been lucky to participate in several events! Mr. Maxwell’s class attended a
presentation about vaping. All of our students participated in the planetarium experience and
also a visit with Elder Dave. Our grades 5-8 students will also be attending a presentation by
Darrell Fox (Terry Fox’s brother).
Our grades 3 and 6 students will be writing EQAO between May 25 and June 9. Students will be
writing the language or math sections portions each day. EQAO specific details will be sent to
grades 3 and 6 students on May 8.
We continue to have a mix of cool and warm weather. Please continue to check the weather and
send your child with outdoor gear for the day. Our younger students especially need extra
clothes (socks and pants in particular).
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
Erin Hills, Principal
Attendance
Establishing consistent daily routines—such as set bedtimes, morning preparations, and
punctual arrivals—helps students feel ready and confident to engage in their learning each day.
We understand that there are times when getting your child to attend school can be challenging,
and you are not alone in this. If you are experiencing difficulties, please reach out to your child’s
teacher or the school team so we can work together to support your family. Open
communication allows us to better understand your child’s needs and ensure they feel safe,
supported, and motivated to attend school regularly.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
4th to 8th Canadian Mental Health week
4th – Grade 8 Skills Ontario Team to Toronto
5th – Parent council virtual meeting 7pm
7th – Grade 3 Swim to Survive (afternoon)
14th – SK and Grade 8 graduation photos
14th – Grade 3 Swim to Survive (afternoon)
18th – Stat holiday – No school
20th to 22nd – BOGO Book Fair (open during our BBQ)
20th – Mrs. Hall and Mr. Maxwell to Pioneer Camp
20th – Parent Engagement BBQ 5-7
20th – Welcome to Kinder (for new JK families next year) 4:30
25th to June 9th – Grades 3 and 6 EQAO
SKILLS ONTARIO:
Two teams of Grade 8 students competed in the TLDSB Build Challenge at IE Weldon in Lindsay in early April.
One was a team of 2, with Olivia Niezen and Michael Dawson. The other was a team of four with Hugo Lajoie,
Maya Jurchison, Harper Haley and Ryder Simm. Both teams had amazing builds and were complemented by
the judges for their teamwork and build quality. You made Irwin PROUD!
PARENT COUNCIL:
We have some exciting things happening this month and are really looking forward to connecting with
the Irwin community and celebrating spring together!
On Wednesday May 20th from 5-7pm, we will have our annual FREE BBQ dinner and parent
engagement evening at Irwin for all families! During the evening, there will be games to participate in,
a photo booth with a tripod so you can take selfies, and cotton candy to enjoy! We hope everyone is
able to come out and have some fun!
Hot lunches continue to be a huge success at Irwin, and last month we were able to have the Ontario
Planetarium at the school from the funds we have raised this year!
Thank you to all who supported the chicken nugget hot lunch and thank you to our amazing monthly
sponsor, Baysville Country Store/ Robinsons General store for their generous support throughout this
school year!
The hot lunch crew will be paying it forward again to ALL Irwin families and providing a FREE
Kidcuterie lunch for our track and field day this spring. This has been extremely enjoyed these past
few years and we are excited to bring it back!
Irwin students have begun planting seeds inside for the vegetable garden at our school, thanks to the
help of Sarah Roberts and Sabrina Scott. Some of these veggies such as carrots, potatoes and
squash will be served at our Annual Thanksgiving Feast in the fall and we love that our students are
able to participate in the full seed-to-plate experience! We will be planting outdoors in late May and
will be looking for families to help water the gardens over the 2 summer months when students will
not be at school.
If you would like to water the gardens, or if you have any questions, feedback or ideas for the Irwin
parent Council. Thanks everyone and enjoy the spring! [email protected]
MENTAL HEALTH:
Happy spring everyone! I’m back with another mental health moment.
Did you know?
Grounding techniques help us stay in the present moment and interrupt our stressful or anxious
thoughts. By paying attention to what is around us, we can help to calm the nervous system.
The 5 Senses grounding technique is a skill we practice in schools. Give it a try at home!
Ask your child(ren) to name the following:
5 things they can see
4 things they can hear
3 things they can feel
2 things they can smell
1 thing they can taste
By practicing skills, students can build resilience and better manage emotions over time. Check out
more skills at School Mental Health Ontario.
Until next month,
Korri
