JR Henderson Weekly Update #23 - February 20th, 2026
Good afternoon Henderson Families,
Despite today's snow day, we are feeling the warmth creeping in and the sun feeling brighter. We also wanted to share some facts to discuss at home, related to daylight increasing and warm weather coming our way:
- We are only 15 academic days away from Spring (28 calendar days)
- This month, Kingston will gain about 1 hour and 16 minutes of daylight; Each day is getting about 2–3 minutes longer than the day before
- Average March daytime highs reach about 4°C, compared to colder February averages of -5°C
- Kingston averages about 145 hours of sunshine in March, versus 113 hours in February
CARNAVAL!
We are delighted that we are again celebrating Carnaval at Henderson. We have a week-long itinerary, starting next week, which includes some Spirit Days, learning and much more!
Day | Activity |
Monday Feb 23rd | Effigy Decorating in class Educational learning in class |
Tuesday Feb 24th | Bonhomme Carnaval Parade |
Wednes Feb 25th | Pink Shirt Day |
Thurs Feb 26th | Outdoor Fun! |
Friday Feb 27th | Cabin-Vibes Spirit Day |
Temporary Yard Lunch Supervisor wanted
We are looking for a temporary yard lunch supervisor for 5 weeks, starting in March. You require CPIC with vulnerable sector and a willingness to work with kids and have fun. Interested applicants can contact brennanka@limestone.on.ca or call the school to find out more.
Intermediate basketball Update
On Wednesday, Mme MacKay and the intermediate boys played at the Queen's tournament. They narrowly lost the first game, despite returning from being down 15 points, then won again RG Sinclair, then lost game 3 against Truedell. While our intermediate cohort is relatively small, we have some great athletes who did their best and showed great Hawk spirit. Go Hawks!
Parking Reminders
Lately, this has been a topic hot of Henderson families and community members. We would like to share a few reminders, as we want to partner with our neighbours for the safety of all:
- Please be mindful of neighbouring residents, they are often very tolerant of events, traffic and noise. Please ensure we are respecting those living around Henderson
- When possible, please try to park on only one side of a street, freeing up the other for vehicles and pedestrians
- Be sure to always slow down and avoid using the cul-de-sac for high-speed turnarounds
- Consider parking slightly farther away where it is safer and less congested, even if it means a short walk
- Whenever possible, please try to walk or bike to school; this helps alleviate the congestion around the neighbourhood
Black History Month
Each year, Black History Month honours the experiences, achievements and enduring contributions of Black communities in Canada, while deepening our collective understanding of their history and impact on Canadian society. The theme this year is, “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” This theme celebrates three decades of Black History Month in Canada and recognizes the enduring legacy of Black Canadians, whose leadership, creativity, innovation and resilience have shaped our past, continue to influence our present, and will inspire future generations.
At Henderson, a bulletin board has been created in the Junior Intermediate hallway, featuring prominent black Canadians. Classes have been invited to add to the bulletin board, as a collaborative school-wide effort that features the important learning and work. There will be announcements throughout the month highlighting famous quotes and events by Black Canadians. We also have a second display made by the office in the front hallway. We have already begun to share educational resources that will be featured in classes to spotlight this important event.
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.
Cyberbullying Resources for Families
Our Public Health Nurse has shared a website with information and resources around screens, media, and school age children and youth -Centre for Healthy Screen Use at the Canadian Paediatric Society.
There's also a podcast, featuring Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Violence Prevention, that you can access on the main page of the website: Healthy Teens Podcast: new episode on the impacts of cyberbullying.
This 30-minute podcast covers more than cyberbullying, speaks to the power of bystanders, and offers advice to families who learn that their student is being bullied or is bullying.
Free Webinars on Children Well-being
We are excited to share a valuable opportunity to support your child’s well-being. School Mental Health Ontario is offering a free webinar series as part of the By Your Side Learning Hub, designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics to support their children’s mental health.
This expert-led series will provide insights and practical strategies on:
✅ balanced device use
✅ vaping
✅ body image
✅ anxiety
The webinars will also include answers to questions that parents/caregivers can provide ahead of the webinar, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain practical guidance.
📅 Sessions run March to June
We encourage all parents and caregivers to participate in this informative series. Together, we can support the well-being of our children and communities.
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 Wednesday March 25th at 6:30pm. 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: Save the Date: |
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 |