Ross R. MacKay
Public School
35 Trafalgar Road, R.R.# 2
Hillsburgh, ON N0B 1Z0
Website: http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/rossrmackay
Phone: (519) 855-4957
Fax: (519) 855-6901
Principal: Mr. M. Zuk
Office Coordinator: Mrs. E. Lantz
April, 2016
Principal’s Message
Greetings Parents/Guardians:
It’s very satisfying to be back at Ross R.
MacKay Public School (RRM). It has been over
fifteen years since I have been principal here at
RRM and it’s wonderful to return to where I
started my career as a principal.
When asked by the Superintendent to return to
RRM until the end of the school year, I did not
hesitate to say yes. RRM has always been a
school that reflects compassion, respect and a
kindness that is second to none. RRM
continues to be a place where students are
deeply cared for, classroom learning activities
are engaging and reflective of individual
student needs, and students are happy, selfdirected and appreciative of their teachers.
In June, the school Board will be announcing a
permanent principal placement for September,
2016. From now, until the end of June, it will be
my goal to:
 become familiar with the learning profiles of
all students, so as to engage and support
them in their learning and daily activities;
Mr. Mitch Zuk, Principal
 continue to support the learning and student
based initiatives that the RRM staff have
put into practice,
 ensure that students and staff are, and feel
safe, at all times.
I value, respect, and appreciate feedback from
parents and students. Please feel free to drop
by my office any time to chat with me about
any topic, concern or interest that you may
have. No appointment is necessary. It will be
my pleasure to chat with you!
Sincerely,
Mr. M. Zuk, Principal
Concussions
Message from the
Lunch & Milk Program
Concussions can have a serious effect on a
young, developing brain. Proper recognition and
response to concussion can prevent further injury
and help with recovery. Children and adolescents
are among those at greater risk for concussions
due to body trauma at any time.
Spring is Finally Here!!!!
Hope you all had a wonderful March Break!
There is so much excitement this month in
store, especially with Easter around the corner.
MAY ORDER DUE DATE IS:
Friday, April 8th, 2016 (by 3pm)
Can't find your child's Lunch Order Form? Or
need an extra one? There is now a sleeve
outside the office, on School Council Bulletin
Board, for those in need of Lunch Order Forms.
There, you will also see current and upcoming
menus and dates, as well as Breakfast Club
information.
Late on orders? Or always forgetting what the
Friday lunch is? Then "Like" my page on
Facebook. You will receive reminders for
Lunch Order due dates, "Lunch of the Week"
notifications, and other school updates. Just
search "RRM Lunch & Milk Program" page on
Facebook to get your notifications. Be sure to
share this page with fellow parents/guardians
within the school.
Although falls and motor vehicle accidents are the
leading causes of concussion, physical activity
and sports can also cause a concussion.
To address the risk of concussion and to assist
parents and students to identify the signs and
symptoms of concussion, the Board is presenting
free workshops to increase awareness.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
7:00  8:30 p.m.
Westside Secondary School (Library)
300 Alder Street, Orangeville
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
7:00  8:30 p.m.
Norwell District Secondary School (Library)
Main & Cumberland Street (corner), Palmerston
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
7:00  8:30 pm.
Centennial Collegiate VI (Lecture Room)
289 College Avenue West, Guelph
Have an AWESOME April!
Cherie Jardine
Lunch & Milk Coordinator
Ross R. MacKay Public School
519-827-4556
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
Monday, April 25th
No School for Students
Dates to Remember
•
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Vision Screening
(Junior & Senior Kindergarten)
•
Monday, April 25, 2016
Professional Development Day
No School for Students
•
Friday, April 29, 2016
Swim to Survive
Grade 3 (Mr. Gaidies)
Read-A-Thon
Our first, hopefully annual, Read-aThon was a huge success! Ross R
MacKay students joined together to
read, share books and enjoy their imaginations.
Thank you to the parents and other special guests
who attended our "Special Guest Reading Day".
Students enjoyed dressing as their favourite book
characters including, Harry Potter, Fancy Nancy,
Ivy and Bean and so many others. As a
community, over $1450 was raised for our school
library. Thank you to everyone who generously
contributed to our efforts to purchase new books for
our library!
Moving?
We would like to ask any families who might be
moving out of the Ross R. MacKay area before
the next school year begins to please notify the
office. This is important information for us as
we go through our staffing process and
classroom organizations.
Parking Around
Ross R. MacKay
Public School
The eighth annual World Autism Awareness
Day is April 2, 2016. Every year autism
organizations around the world celebrate the
day with unique fundraising and awareness
raising events.
The snow has
disappeared! We would
like to kindly remind
parents, guardians, and
guests that before and
after school, our parking
lot is closed to traffic
during bus time. The safety of our students, your
children, is our number one priority. During arrival
and dismissal times, they sometimes forget to look
closely before crossing the road. Please avoid
entering or exiting our parking lot during these
times. We also request that you do not park in or in
front of private driveways as homeowners who live
near our school need to get to work in the morning
or home at the end of the day.
This year, global landmarks will light up blue to
raise awareness. In Canada the CN Tower will
participate by shining blue to shine a light on
autism and turn awareness into action.
Please join Upper Grand District School Board
in our effort to inspire compassion,
empowerment and hope by wearing BLUE on
Saturday April 2nd, 2016. Use #LIUB to share
your experience across social media and help
light the world up blue this April!
Community Board
Several programmes are offered during the month
of April for residents at the Hillsburgh Branch
Wellington County Library.
Celebrate Earth Day
(all ages)
Please nominate
someone in your school
community – an individual or
a
group - whose actions and efforts foster the
development of a positive learning and working
environment. Deadline for nominations is
Thursday April 14, 2016. For more information,
visit the board website:
http://www.ugdsb.on.ca/community/article.aspx
?id=3546
Let’s go low-tech for Earth Day. Drop in for games,
puzzles and a craft.
DATE:
TIME:
Fri., Apr. 22 – Mon., Apr. 26, 2016
During Branch Hours
Spring
Do you know an
Everyday
Hero?
Triple P
Positive Parenting Program FREE
Four Parenting Discussion Groups
April 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2016
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Parenting is an amazing and rewarding experience, but it does come with its
challenges and we would like to share information to make parenting less
stressful and more enjoyable.
This workshop focuses on applying positive parenting strategies with lots of tips
and strategies for common parenting challenges for children 2-12 years of
age.
Topics include:
•
•
•
•
Promoting cooperation
Managing fighting and aggression
Hassle free shopping with children
Developing healthy bedtime routines
Workshops will be held at:
East Wellington Community Services in Erin – 45 Main Street, Erin
These groups are facilitated by a Public Health Nurse and an OEYC facilitator, of
Children’s Programming. No childcare available.
Please call Jane to register for one or all of the programs.
519-856-2113 or email jane.w@ew-cs.com