JR Henderson Weekly Update #28 - April 2nd, 2026
Good afternoon Henderson Families,
What a week! The school was buzzing with excitement, with the warmer weather and long weekend ahead. We continue to be impressed with the hard work our Hawks are putting in every day. We are so fortunate to be a part of this community. With the arrival of April, there are lots of exciting events on the go. Please be sure to read the newsletter weekly to keep updated.
Long Weekend Reminder
As a reminder, JR Henderson is closed tomorrow, Friday April 3rd, as well as Monday April 6th. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday April 7th.
As well, April 17th is a PD Day and there is no school for students.
Autism Awareness Day - We All Shine Differently - Linked by Our Strengths
On Thursday April 2nd, Henderson celebrated World Autism Day. Not only today but everyday we engage in conversations around the importance of differences and celebrating our individual strengths. Today, we created a display board and a whole-school paperchain. When we link our strengths together, we create a beautiful display of diverse talents in our school. This school-wide activity helps us understand and include everyone -including friends who may think, learn, or experience the world differently. Autism Ontario is also fundraising and families can get involved by donating here.
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.
Volunteers Support our Spring Clean Up
Fix 'N Clean is a non-profit, twice-yearly event run by the Queen’s University Engineering Society (EngSoc) that connects student volunteers with Kingston community members for free yard work to strengthen town-grown relations. On Saturday March 28th, we had 20 volunteers come to Henderson to tidy the gardens, and lay mulch.
A huge shout out to Natalie and Brock, our parent volunteers who made this happen, as well as RONA who kindly offered a discount on the 100 bags of mulch.
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!
Public Health Southeast
Each month, Public Health Southeast focuses on an important topic to share with families. This month, they are focusing on protecting children from harmful substances. As a reminder:
• Store all substances out of sight and reach in locked cabinets or containers.
• Keep substances in their original packaging and away from food and drinks.
• Close child resistant packaging tightly.
• Dispose of unused medications safely at a pharmacy
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)
· Kids Help Phone (Call 1-800-668-6868 or Text “Connect” to 686868)
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:
April 10 | 12 - 1 p.m. - Conversations about vaping
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
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 |