21184 Erie Street North, Merlin, Ontario, N0P 1W0
519-689-4812
Principal: Tracy VanDenBossche
School Zone 7
Education Week!
We have a busy week in store for Education Week! Beginning on Monday, we welcome social media educator Chris Vollum who will take us on an exciting journey into the world of Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more! You'll leave inspired, skilled and confident to support your family's journey through Social Media. Our kids are already engaged in this space. We need to be engaged too!
On Tuesday, we welcome children's author Alison Hughes who will conduct writing workshops with our students! Our staff and students are excited to learn with Alison! Check out some of her books here:
On Wednesday, families are invited to pick up their flower orders from our Spring Fundraiser with The Flowerbed! Orders will be available for pickup in the gym from 8:30-4:00. Thank you to all who supported our students.
And finally, on Friday, we celebrate our Habit #4 Leaders during an assembly beginning at 12:00 o'clock noon.
Power Off and Play
Power Off and Play week is April 30 – May 6, 2018! Super Kids CK is challenging children and families in Chatham-Kent to put their screens away and to play and be physically active together! All of the students in our school have been given a Power Off and Play Activity Passport to take home with them. The Activity Passport began on April 30 and will run for 10 weeks until July 8. If children complete at least 10 of the activities in the passport, they will be entered in a prize draw for one of five $100 gift certificates for a fun family activity!
Like SuperKidsCK on Facebook for updates about Power Off and Play!
Muskoka Woods
Our Grade 8 students celebrated the end of their final year of elementary school with a 2 night 3 day trip to beautiful Muskoka Woods. They enjoyed an adventure full of exciting activities including Low Ropes, Rock Wall Climbing, Team Building Activities, Broomball, Pickleball, High Ropes, Giant Swing, Escape Room, Floor Hockey, Coding, Zipline, and more! Our students enjoyed time together in a relaxed and beautiful setting. What an amazing experience they had ~ one to remember for a lifetime!
Home & School Association
The next meeting of the Merlin Area Public School Home & School Association is Monday, May 28th beginning at 6:00 in the Exploration Station. New members are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Spirit Days!
Mark you calendars!
School Cash Online
School Cash Online is a convenient, web-based solution that gives parents/guardians the ability to pay for student items online. Parents/guardians can make payments, print or view their receipts and their current account history all in real-time. The LKDSB is piloting the online service in April 2018, with anticipated roll-out across the Board in May 2018. Currently, School Cash Online has been implemented by 48 school boards across Ontario.
School Cash Online provides multiple payment options, including eCheck (direct withdrawal from your bank account) or “MyWallet” (virtually add funds and reload like a gift card). Please note, banking information is not saved in School Cash Online and must be re-entered for every transaction. Unused funds in “MyWallet” will be carried over to the next year for back-to-school purchases unless a refund is requested (more information about refunds will be available on the School Cash Online website once launched).
Please note: There is a 2% administration fee associated with using School Cash Online. This fee is included in all of the pricing provided to parents/guardians, regardless of whether purchases are made using School Cash Online or payment is made directly to schools. All surplus funds collected through School Cash Online’s administration fees will be returned to the school to be used for capital expenses.
The LKDSB anticipates there may be some challenges related to this implementation and staff will be working with schools to mediate any issues experienced during this transition.
Further information about School Cash Online and the pilot is available on our school website.
Track & Field
Our annual Track & Field Day for students in Grades 4-8 will be held on Friday, June 1st with a rain date of Monday, June 4th. Families are invited to come cheer on your favourite athlete!
Indoor Gardens
Through a generous donation from our community partner, Homes James, we were able to purchase one of these super functional Indoor Gardens for each of our classrooms! We hope to augment our snack program by growing our own vegetables! These seedlings will be transplanted into our outdoor garden beds fertilized by our own compost!
EQAO
This year our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students will write the provincial EQAO assessment for Reading, Writing and Mathematics between May 23rd and June 1st. Please help your child to do their very best by marking these dates on your family calendar. Try to avoid appointments that will cause your child to be absent or late, and maintain a positive attitude about your child’s opportunity to shine. The data that EQAO generates ensures that all students are receiving the highest possible quality of education in our province. If you have any questions about this testing, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher.
Graduation
Mark your calendars for our Grade 8 graduation which will take place on Thursday, June 21st at the Merlin Community Hall. More details will be coming home to families of graduating students. We are all looking forward to celebrating with you!
Primary Play Day
Our youngest students will celebrate the end of the school year with their Primary Play Day on Friday, June 22nd. Families are invited to join in on the fun! More details coming soon.
First Time Rider Program!
Current and future FDK students are invited to attend the First Rider Program offered by our shared school transportation services. Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 18th from 9:00 to 11:30 at UCC in Chatham.
Operation Backpack Program
Operation Backpack is gearing up for the 2018 OPERATION BACKPACKS Program. This community-building initiative offers a brand new backpack filled with basic school supplies to help your child begin the new school year with a great start. This program is intended for students who require assistance. Please visit their website at OperationBackPacksCK.ca to access the online referral link. At this web address you will find links indicating Supplies Provided by Grade Level and information regarding where and when you can pick up your requested backpacks. Questions can be forwarded to Mary Symons, the program coordinator at goodneighbours@uwock.ca.
School Bus Info App
Getting information about school bus cancellations and delays just got a little bit easier. CLASS has launched a new mobile app that will provide subscribers with real-time notifications whenever buses are delayed by 10 minutes or more. The notifications will come in the form of alerts, which will also include service cancellations due to adverse weather conditions. The app allows subscribers to quickly select the morning and afternoon buses for which they wish to receive updates from a simple drop down menu. For additional information about using the mobile app, please visit the link below.
Bus delay and weather cancellation information will also continue to be posted on the CLASS website at www.schoolbusinfo.com.
Inclement Weather
A reminder that Merlin Area Public School in is in Zone 7. Please listen to local radio stations, or visit www.schoolbusinfo.com with updates on bus delays or cancellations due to inclement weather.
Important Dates
Please be sure to regularly check our Google Calendar online. The calendar can be found on our school website at the following link.