Newsletter #29 - 4/10/26

JR Henderson Weekly Update #29 - April 10th, 2026

Good afternoon Henderson Families,

It is finally starting to feel like spring - ahem, except Tuesday's snowstorm. As we cruise into the sunshine, please enjoy the updates below.

Spring Concert Reminder
We are almost there! As a reminder, our Spring Concert series is next week. We are very excited to showcase our talents for you. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday April 14th - Kindergarten concert at 2pm
Wednesday April 15th - Grade 1 to 3 Spring concert at 2pm
Thursday April 16th - Grade 4 to 8 Spring concert at 2pm

Families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item as a donation for entry.

For dismissal, students cannot be collected from the office. All classes will immediately proceed to their normal dismissal spot following the concert, should families wish to pick up their children before the dismissal bell. For individual queries, please reach out to your child's class teacher.

PD Day Reminder
April 17th is a PD Day and there is no school for students.

Give 30 Food Drive
For the third year running, the Henderson community will be supporting the Give 30 campaign. The Give 30 campaign raises awareness about the local foodbank while also showing students that small ideas can lead to big successes! Our student leaders are helping to educate the community about food insecurity while doing something great within Kingston. You can read more about Give 30 in this media release.

From April 7th to April 16th, we will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Partners in Mission Food Bank. As part of our collection, we are encouraging students to bring food items to school. As well, we are encouraging parents and caregivers to bring donations to our Spring Concert.   

Volunteering at Henderson
As a reminder, in order to volunteer with students at Henderson on field trips, for class support or to work as a yard lunch supervisor, a CPIC with VSC (vulnerable sector check) is required. To complete CPIC requests through Kingston Police services, wait times can be long (months) so please ensure you plan ahead if you are interested in volunteering for upcoming trips. We always appreciate the help!

Mental Health Matters
In response to tragic events, locally or globally, students may experience a wide range of emotions, including sadness, confusion, worry, or questions about what they may be hearing from others. Students may react in different ways depending on their age, experiences, and how connected they feel to the situation. With time, reassurance, and support from caring adults, these reactions often ease.

We encourage families to keep lines of communication open at home, to invite questions, and to offer reassurance as needed. If you have concerns about your student or would like support, please refer to the following resources:

•·       Supporting Your Child’s Well-being

·       Caring for yourself while caring for others: A parent’s guide to self-care

·       By Your Side (parent/caregiver resources to support mental health learning)

·       Maltby Centre

·       One Stop Talk

·       Kids Help Phone (Call 1-800-668-6868 or Text “Connect” to 686868)

·       2-1-1 Ontario

If you are worried about your student’s immediate safety, or the safety of others, please seek urgent assistance by calling 9-1-1, your local mobile crisis service (613-354-7388), or by going to the nearest emergency department.

A Fundraiser Event for Food Sharing Project

Webinars for Parents - School Mental Health Ontario
Supporting Your Child’s Well-Being, a free webinar series created with parents/caregivers, for parents/caregivers. Each session will dive into important mental health and substance use health topics identified by families in Ontario - guided by subject matter experts who offer practical, evidence-informed strategies.

Series dates and topics:
May 7 | 7 - 8 p.m. - Conversations about body image. English language session with simultaneous French interpretation.
June 5 | 12 - 1 p.m. - Conversations about anxiety
For full details on speakers and topics: SMH-ON | By Your Side Free Webinars | Blog

Can't make all dates? No problem! Select one or more of the sessions when you sign up.

Attendance Reminder
As a reminder, attendance is important and is a key indicator of student success. We are always interested in working with families where attendance is low to find creative strategies to overcome barriers. Please reach out if we can support in any way.

Kindergarten Registration
It's already that time of the year! We are delighted to let families know that our Kindergarten registration process is underway for 2026/2027. See here for more information. Please spread the word about the great things happening at Henderson. We saw increased Kinder enrolment last year and want to keep this going!

Hot Lunch Reminder
As a reminder, if you haven't yet, be sure to order hot lunch through https://www.lunchboxorders.net. We are offering subs on Tuesdays and pizza on Thursdays. Money raised from hot lunch goes directly back into our school community to support athletics, learning materials, student initiatives and more. Orders are due Sunday at noon for the following week. Finally, if buses are cancelled because of the weather, hot lunch will be cancelled as well. If you have questions, please email jrhschoolcouncil@gmail.com

School Council 
The next School Council meeting is on Tuesday May 5th from 6:60pm to 8:30pm. Free childcare will be available. Don’t forget - here’s the School Council email address: JRHSchoolCouncil@gmail.com School Council looks forward to hearing feedback and voices from all Henderson community members. Finally, School Council minutes can be found here.

Have a great weekend, Hawks!

Mme Brennan, Mme Rodé and the JR Henderson Staff

2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar

A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.

School Day Schedule