Welcome Back!
Welcome to Granite Ridge Education Centre!
We are very excited to kick off another exciting school year filled with learning and growth!
**Please read through this newsletter carefully as it includes important information about school start-up and first day information - in particular for our elementary students**
Our staff have been busy getting ready for 2025 in many ways! Educators have been setting up their spaces and planning for learning, office staff have been busy with many tasks including new registrations and ensuring tools are in place for a positive start up, and our custodial team has been busy with summer cleaning and repair projects. A huge thank you to the whole team for working tirelessly to ensure GREC is ready for the 2025-2026 school year!
Friendly Reminders for ALL students and families (K-12):
The GREC school property:
- is NUT FREE
- is SCENT FREE
We have a number of staff and students - particularly elementary aged students - who have anaphylactic allergies and sensitivities to scent. Please help us keep our students and school community safe by ensuring lunches and snacks are nut-free, and by refraining from the use of scented products.
Elementary Welcome/Placement Letter to Families:
Every year, elementary schools experience movement in and out of the community due to family moves. In September, the elementary school organization may change once we have true enrollment numbers to work with, and as such, teacher/grade/student placements may require rebalancing in the first few weeks of school. On the PA Day, Tuesday, September 2nd - families of elementary students will receive an email from your child's classroom staff.
This email will include:
- your student's class placement
- classroom-specific information as needed
School Supplies & Labelling:
Our school will provide the necessary supplies that every student needs for learning. However, if you are looking for back-to-school suggestions from LDSB, here are a few things to think about bringing with you on the first day:
- Backpack
- labelled water bottle
- Lunch bag with a nut-free lunch and snacks
- personal pencil case to hold any supplies that the student may want to bring (pencils, erasers, scissors, ruler, etc.)
- Indoor shoes (with non-marking soles) to be left at school
- extra clothes (for our kinder/primary students)
To avoid your student's clothing from ending up in the lost and found, please consider LABELLING YOUR ITEMS, such as indoor and clothing, indoor and outdoor shoes, containers, school supplies, etc.
First Day of School Welcoming Committee!
Many school staff will be outside to greet students as they arrive and get off of the buses to help ensure that students find their way to their class line-ups (elementary), or their home room classes (secondary).
It is going to be a wonderful year!
As always, should you have questions about your child's learning, please connect with classroom educators. If you have any general questions or wonderings about the school, don't hesitate to reach out!
The school email address is gredc@limestone.on.ca
Best wishes for the best start up!
Ms. Moore, Mr. Czermak, and the GREC staff team
Important Dates:
- Monday, September 1st - Labour Day
- Tuesday, September 2nd - PA Day, class placement emails sent to elementary families
- Wednesday, September 3rd - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!
Elementary School Organization & Class Placements
All students have been placed into a tentative classroom organization, that is subject to change based on overall enrollment in the first week. This means that the class and teacher your child starts out with on the first day of school may not be the same class/teacher in mid-September. Should there be a reorganization of staff and students, information will be shared with families. Classes and staff changes take place based on actual enrollment, which is sometimes different from the projected enrollment that staffing is based on in the spring. Student and family moves impact how many students are at GREC. We always do our best to minimize disruption to student learning and will take direction from the LDSB should changes be required. Changes may be needed if classes are too small or too large, based on Ministry of Education class size requirements, which are mandated from the province.
Once school starts, class numbers will be reviewed by a central committee of the LDSB to determine what, if any, changes need to be made. Any reorganization will happen after the second week of school. Families are encouraged to speak to children about the potential for change. As adults, we have the opportunity to model healthy emotions and mindsets around change, helping students to work through the emotions that may arise is an important life skill.
Thanks to all GREC students and families, in advance, for your understanding and flexibility as we determine class sizes and placements.
Elementary Teaching Staff:
JK/SK - Ms. Cronk & Mrs. Hole
JK/SK - Ms. Wallin & Ms. Greene
1/2 - Ms. Gale
1/2 - Mrs. Lees
2/3 - Mrs. McPhee
3/4 - Mr. Flegal
4/5 - Mr. Hopkins
5/6 - Mrs. McDonough
6/7 - Mr. Gilbertson
7/8 - Ms. Montero
Planning Time - Ms. Dehoop
French - Mme B & Mme Conboy
This week:
Monday, September 1st
- Labour Day
Tuesday, September 2nd
- PA Day - No school for students
- Class placement email sent to families
Wednesday, September 3rd (Day 1)
- First Day of School!!
Thursday, September 4th (Day 2)
Friday, September 5th (Day 3)
- GREC Spirit Day! Wear your GREC Gear and school colours!
Upcoming Dates:
September 2025
- 1st - Labour Day Holiday
- 2 - PA Day - No school for students
- 3 - First day of school for students
- 15 - Parent Action Council Meeting: 5:30pm
- 23-26 Scholastic Book Fair
- 24 - GREC Meet & Greet: 5 - 7pm (book fair open!)
- 26 - Terry Fox Run/Walk (tentative)
- 30 - Orange Shirt Day
October 2025
- 2 - School Photo Day
- 6-10 - Safety Week
- 10 - PA Day - No school for students
- 13 - Thanksgiving Holiday
- 15 - Grade 7/8 Immunization Clinic
- 27-31 - Spirit Week
November 2025
- 11 - Remembrance Day Asssembly
- 13 - Elementary Progress Reports go home
- 14 - PA Day - No school for students
- 17 - Bus Safety Presentations (JK-8)
December 2025
- 3 - Christmas Store
- 11 - Christmas Dinner (Tentative)
- December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break
January 2026
- 5 - Back to school!
- 30 - PA Day - No school for students
February 2026
- 13 - Term 1 Report Cards Go Home
- 16 - Family Day Holiday
March 2026
- 16-20 - March Break
April 2026
- 3 - Good Friday Holiday
- 6 - Easter Monday Holiday
- 17 - PA Day - No school for students
May 2026
- 18 - Victoria Day Holiday
- 29 - PA Day - No School for students
June 2026
- 9 - Athletic Banquet - 5:00pm
- 16-17 - Grade 12 Final Summative Evaluations & Exams
- 18-24 - Semester 2 Final Examinations
- 23 - Grade 8 Graduation - 6:30pm
- 24 - Kindergarten Celebration - 1:30pm
- 24 - Final Elementary Reports Home
- 25 - Grade 12 Graduation - 11am
- 25 - Last day of school
School Year Calendars
Parent Council
Dear Parents & Guardians,
We invite you to join our first Parent Council meeting on Monday, September 15th, 2025, which will take place in the GREC Library from 5:30-6:30pm.
We will hold elections for the 2025-2026 Parent Council Executive on September 15th, 2025.
The Parent Council is a group of parents, guardians, staff, and community members who work together to support and enhance our school environment. Through these meetings, we discuss important topics, share updates, and make decisions that shape our school community.
Your insights and ideas are invaluable to us. We believe that a range of perspectives strengthens our efforts, and we would love to see more voices represented. Whether you have suggestions, or questions, or simply want to listen in, your involvement makes a real difference!
Please consider joining us. We look forward to welcoming new and returning faces.
Executive positions on Parent Council include:
- Co-Chair/Chair
- Treasurer
- Fundraising Chair
- Secretary
- Indigenous Representative
If you would like to run for an executive position, please contact Carrie Moore, Principal at mooreca@limestone.on.ca
Physical Plant Updates
Air Conditioning
After what we know has felt like a long wait, GREC had significant updates over the summer to set up an air conditioning system for the school. Facilities folks were hard at work ensuring that the internal infrastructure and roof infrastructure had all that it needed to receive the air conditioning units which, with any luck, will be installed on the roof this fall so that we will be ready for the spring and summer months in 2026.
Kinder Yard
Our natural play space for the Kinders also got an upgrade this summer. Our courtyard has been re-done to include a new large sand box, stepping logs, and what now looks like tall posts but will soon become a play house! We are excited to continue to build the outdoor space for our kinder and primary students.
Prevalent Medical Conditions
Schools are required to have a plan of care on site for any student with a prevalent medical condition. If your student has a prevalent medical condition, please take the time to fill out the appropriate form below and return the form to the school. Forms must be updated annually so that the school is aware of changes to plans.
If your student requires daily medications, these should NOT be carried in backpacks, but rather stored in the main office. If medications are to be administered by school staff, additional forms are required. Please reach out to the school if you have any questions, or to make arrangements for administration of medications.
- Asthma Plan of Care
- Anaphylaxis Plan of Care
- Epilepsy Plan of Care
- Diabetes Plan of Care
- Generic Plan of Care
Late Arrival? Early Dismissal?
As you can appreciate, the office can be very busy at the beginning and end of each day. We ask that you notify your student's teacher (Elementary; note, email) or the main office (Secondary) about changes to regular routines ahead of time wherever possible. If there are unforeseen changes, please notify the office before 1:30pm. This will allow us to relay the information to the classroom in a timely manner.
All doors of the school building remain locked during the school day. Please continue to buzz at the front door for pick ups and drop offs during the day.
Reporting a Student Absence
Reporting Absences: There are three options to use to report a student absence:
- use the SchoolMessenger App on your phone, select "Attendance", then "Report an Absence"
- use the SchoolMessenger website portal
- Call the main office of the school
