Hello Panther Families,
Well, according to the calendar, we are officially halfway through our school year. Hard to believe, isn’t it!! January seemed to be the month where Mother Nature decided to play catch up for winter weather. But that hasn’t slowed down anything in the building. Students have been working away on their literacy and numeracy activities, learning about technology and coding, as well as finishing up assessments and assignments prior to the end of Term 1. Staff members have been incredible at volunteering their time to support students with academic challenges, practicing with Intermediate teams, beginning intramurals with our Junior division, running OPHEA activities and continuing with ECO-School initiatives.
Looking ahead, we will have our Kindergarten Concert this month. A milestone event for many of our youngest learners and their families. Information regarding the performances has been sent home from your childs’ respective teacher. We look forward to those special moments! Madam Dupuis has been busy putting together the Winter Carnivale. There will be lots of activities for families to participate in! Look for the information that has been shared to your email :) Also, February is Black History month. We will be focusing on sharing stories of celebration and joy, highlighting some amazing Black Canadians and their contributions to the world we live in. Ms. Wallace has pulled some awesome library resources for teachers to use, and to allow students to borrow in order to support this learning.
Our Panther Den continues to grow - a place where gently used clothing items can be selected and worn to help those students who might need a winter coat, hats, mitts, or perhaps have hit a growth spurt and need a few items to offset their closet.
Orchard Park is a very busy place and our parking lot is no exception. A gentle reminder that with the hustle and bustle of several buses, many walking families, and our attached daycare parents, our parking lot is a one-way travel experience throughout the entire school day. Please enter via the West Street entrance, and exit via Calverley Street. This will help maintain the flow of traffic while keeping everyone safe. This applies on Inclement Weather days as well.
Thank you to all of our learners, educators, office and custodial staff for making Orchard Park the incredible place that it is - full of opportunities for learning, laughing, and celebrating!
All the best, Mrs. Viherjoki
Important Dates
Feb 2: National Sweater Day
Feb 5: School Council Meeting
Feb 9: Grade 8 graduation photos
Feb 12 to Feb 16: Orchard Park's Carnaval
Feb 14: Valentine’s Day Dance
Feb 15: Kindergarten Concert
Feb 19: Family Day (School Closed)
Feb 22: Pink Shirt Day
Feb 26: Bell Let’s Talk Day
Feb 29: Character Assembly & Beach Day
Parking Lot Procedures
To ensure student safety, please note that our parking lot is closed between 8:45-9:20am and between 3:00-3:30pm.
With the addition of snow, we also ask that you please refrain from parking along the edges of our driveway as the buses try to navigate an already narrow lane.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Orchard Park's Carnaval - week of Feb 12th - Feb 16th
Plans for Orchard Park’s Carnaval are underway. Carnaval activities will begin Monday February 12th, 2024 until Friday, February 16th 2024. Bonhomme means “Good Man” and a Good Man he is. He looks very much like a rolled ball of snow with a “tuque rouge” and a “ceinture flechée”! You can expect there will be many contests, prizes and planned activities.
View the full February 2024 Newsletter here: February Newsletter 2024.pdf