JR Henderson Weekly Update #35 - May 22nd, 2026
Good afternoon Henderson Families,
Where did May go? This month has flown by, as Hawks remain diligent in their learning and activities. We are also gearing up for the excitement of Spring Fling, June and year-end Lakeshore trips (more to come on this!)
PA Day Reminder
As a reminder, next Friday May 29th is a PA Day and there is no school for students.
Guest Speaker Event
LDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) has organized a guest speaker/event on Friday June 5th focused on cyber safety and emerging issues. See flyer and registration link here:
2026 05 20 PIC Paul Davis Flyer
Learning Commons Update
As summer break approaches, library book borrowing is coming to an end! Students have done an amazing job reading this year, borrowing an astounding 7,000+ books from the library. The last day to borrow books is May 28. Let’s work together in June to return all outstanding library books so we can wrap up another great year of reading!
Garden Volunteers
With the sunny spring here, we would LOVE to have a few volunteers help weed and tidy the front garden. Our Eco Committee is starting a lunch time weeding for parents/guardians - rain or shine! Bring your own gloves and weeders :-)
May 25th from 12pm to 1pm
June 8th from 12pm to 1pm
Soccer Champs!
What a week to be a Hawk! Our boys’, girls’, and co-ed junior soccer teams all went undefeated at the tournament — a clean sweep across the board! Special recognition goes to our girls’ team, who didn’t just win every match — they didn’t allow a single goal all tournament long. We couldn’t be more proud of every player from each team who made this incredible achievement possible. Soar on, Hawks!
EQAO Update
EQAO is finally upon us! Our grade 3 and grade 6 students will spend a few periods in class over the next two weeks, taking part in the Ministry mandated EQAO assessments. Teachers have been diligent in teaching the curriculum through meaningful and explicit practice to build student growth and understanding in all topics related to Literacy and Math. We are confident that our students are always well prepared at Henderson to undertake these assessments. Please note that EQAO will not be scheduled for Monday, June 1st as it is Ontario Day.
Class Placements
Our team ensures that exceptional care and thought are put into every student's class placement. This process involves months of observation and understanding about academic and social learning. In June, all staff get together and add insight into each child's placement, including academics, peer groups, dynamics, etc. Should parents/guardians have information they feel is key when placing their child, they are invited to submit remarks or requests to brennanka@limestone.on.ca. While requests are not guaranteed, we may use information from families to support decision making. The deadline for submitting a class placement request is Friday May 29th.
Spring Fling is Coming!
If you're a seasoned Hawk, you may know that this event is one to attend! Our School Council requires the support from our community to make this amazing event happen.
Bake Sale
We are looking for donations for our bake sale! If you are able to contribute, baked goods can be dropped off at the school gym doors between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. To help with serving and safety, we kindly ask that items be individually wrapped whenever possible. If drop-off is a challenge, volunteer pick-up may be arranged. Please complete the following link to let us know if you are able to donate: https://forms.gle/ZFoNwEb8cqLAmKEm7
Spring Fling Volunteers
We are currently hoping to recruit a few more volunteers to help everything run smoothly throughout the evening. Shifts include setup, activity supervision, and cleanup, and even a short time commitment goes a long way. If your schedule allows, you are welcome to sign up for more than one shift. For longer shifts, we do our best to build in breaks whenever possible. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/je16FBiyxfhmir2q8
We are looking for donations for our bake sale! Bake sale items are also a great way to spend spring fling tickets!
If you are able to contribute, please complete the following link to let us know if you are able to donate: https://forms.gle/ZFoNwEb8cqLAmKEm7.
Baked goods can be dropped off at the school gym doors between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. To help with serving and safety, we kindly ask that items be individually wrapped whenever possible. If drop-off is a challenge, volunteer pick-up may be arranged.
Milkshake Wednesdays Continue!
We hope you've been enjoying Milkshake Wednesday thus far. Here are the remaining Milkshake Wednesdays:
- Wednesday May 27th (orders due by TODAY - May 22nd)
- Wednesday June 3rd (orders due by May 29th)
- Wednesday June 10th (orders due by June 5th)
- Wednesday June 17th (orders due by June 12th)
Be sure to check out School Day to purchase! We will be opening all events at once and then closing the events at their designated date above. Thank you for supporting our Grade 8 boat cruise, grad and trip!
Public Health Reminders
Upcoming Red Shirt Day Walk
We are pleased to share the details of the upcoming Red Shirt Day Walk happening at James R Henderson on Sunday May 31st. We hope we can get as many people as possible out to support this very important day! The link to get more information and registration is https://redshirtday.org/walk/
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
Our Kindergarten registration process is still underway for 2026/2027. See here for more information. Please spread the word about the great things happening at Henderson.
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
Kingston Pride
For anyone interested in attending, we are delighted to share the Kingston Pride information. We hope to see you there!
School Council
The next School Council meeting is on Tuesday June 16th from 6:30pm 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
Important Dates: |
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
School Day Schedule
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:55 to 9:15 a.m. | Supervision begins on the yard |
9:15 to 10:55 a.m. | 100-minute learning block |
10:55 to 11:35 a.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
11:35 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
1:15 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
1:55 to 3:35 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |