JR Henderson Weekly Update #27 - March 27th, 2026
Good afternoon Henderson Families,
It is truly starting to feel like spring! The weather is slowly warming, rain is replacing snow, and we have even noticed lots of daffodils popping through our front garden! As we roll into spring, we continue to maximize each day and ensure learning occurs throughout all classes. In addition, there are many updates below. Enjoy!
Autism Awareness Day - We All Shine Differently - Linked by Our Strengths
On Thursday April 2nd, Henderson will again observe and celebrate World Autism Day. Not only today but everyday we engage in conversations around the importance of differences and celebrating our individual strengths. For April 2nd, we will be creating 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. We look forward to sharing photos with you.
Together, we are stronger! We want all Hawks to know:
- We all have unique strengths!
- Different brains think in different ways (that's okay!).
- Inclusion means celebrating every kind of strength.
- When we link together, our school becomes kinder and stronger.
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.
Save The Date
On Thursday April 30th, we are having a Family Board Game Night here at JR Henderson. This free, family-friendly evening will have bingo in the gym, trivia, and many rooms of board games. We hope all Henderson families can attend. Join us from 5pm to 7pm for lots of excitement and laughs.
Grade 8 Graduation - Save the Date
We are pleased to announce our Grade 8 Graduation date. Graduation for Grade 8s will be held on Monday June 22nd. It will take place in the Henderson gymnasium. Doors will open at 4:30pm and the ceremony starts at 5pm. Following this, there will be a boat cruise. Students must arrive by 7:30pm downtown for an 8pm to 10pm sail.
Grade 6 Celebration of Learning - Save the Date
We are also pleased to announce our Grade 6 Celebration of Learning date and time. This will take place in the Henderson gymnasium on Tuesday June 23rd. Doors will open at 4:30pm and the ceremony starts at 5pm. The celebration will last approximately 40 minutes, then students are free to leave with their families.
Dressing for the Weather
The rainy season has FINALLY arrived and students love being outdoors and exploring. Please ensure your child has the appropriate rain gear for the weather. Here's a few photos of Mme Doherty's class engaging in outdoor learning, Cinq jours, cinq ponts ("Five days, five bridges"). Each day, the students create bridges out of differing materials and in different places.
Conner Vreeken - A Motivational Guest Speaker
On Thursday, junior and intermediate classes had the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Connor Vreeken, a Kingston native who shared valuable lessons both on and off the court. He highlighted how success in basketball- and in life- comes from passion, consistency, and setting clear goals. To learn more about Connor and his basketball camps, please visit his website: yxubasketball.com.
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
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 |