Community Weekly Update - May 4 - 8
May 4, 2026
WEEK OF MAY 4 - 8
Coming Up This Week:
Monday, May 4 - Rotary Day 1
Tuesday, May 5 - Rotary Day 2
- Pita Pit Lunch Day (Pre-orders only)
Wednesday, May 6 - Rotary Day 3
- Kernels Popcorn Day
Thursday, May 7 - Rotary Day 4
- EQAO for Ms. Brown and Ms. Riga’s Grade 3s
- Pizza Lunch Day (pre-orders only)
Friday, May 8 - Rotary Day 5
- Umbrella Before Care, Day Care, and After Care Programs Closed all day
- EQAO for Ms. Brown and Ms. Riga’s Grade 3s
- TerraCotta Cookie Day
Words That Build
Word of the Week will be COURAGE! Announcements this week will support students in understanding and sharing this message.
School Council Fundraiser
Thank-you to those families who were able to support the School Council Satellite Gardens fundraiser. Gift cards will be sent home with students this week.
Open House
Thank-you to all those families who were able to attend our Spring Open House. We also appreciate the support for our library, through participating in the book fair and our grade 8 commencement, though purchasing ice cream cookies.
Open Doors Along the Grand
Open Doors Along the Grand is an opportunity to learn more about the Mohawk Institute in Brantford hosted at the Woodland Cultural Centre (formerly a residential school). The Woodland Cultural Centre will be the future location for the memorial garden being built by residential school survivors. Please see the attached poster.
Website Update
HWDSB has updated all websites. Our new school website is gatestone.hwdsb.on.ca. The school board’s main website is hwdsb.on.ca.
EQAO
Between May 7 and May 27 (see detailed chart below by homeroom teacher), grade 3 and grade 6 students will be participating in the Education Quality and Accountability Office’s (EQAO’s) Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
If possible, please avoid booking any appointments for your child during this period.
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May 7, May 8
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Ms. Brown’s grade 3s, Ms. Riga’s grade 3s
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May 11, May 12
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Mrs. Johnson’s grade 3s
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May 13, May 14
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Ms. Thompson’s grade 3s
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May 19, May 20
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Ms. Webster’s grade 3s
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May 21, May 22
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Mme. Chiasson/Mrs. Christensen’s grade 6s, Mr. Feudo’s grade 6s, some of Mrs. Abdin’s grade 6s
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May 26, May 27
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Ms. Whittle’s grade 6s, some of Mrs. Abdin’s grade 6s
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In a total of 4 hours over 2 days, students will complete a variety of assessment activities designed to allow them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge relating to reading, writing and mathematics as described in The Ontario Curriculum. The assessment will be administered on-line. All students will have access to a Board device, earbuds and manipulatives. Parents/Guardians can also sign-up for a voluntary Live Webinar from www.eqao.com (scroll down the page to Upcoming Webinars).
Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions.
Parent, Guardian, and Caregiver Voice Survey 2025-26
The HWDSB Parent, Guardian, and Caregiver Voice Survey for 2025-26 opens April 27. An invitation for you to participate has been sent directly to your email from HWDSB.
Kindergarten Registration for September 2026!
Now is the time to register all children born in 2022 for Kindergarten for September. Please follow the link below for all information regarding registration.
Recess and Outside Times
Time spent outdoors is an integral part of the school day. There are great benefits when children experience fresh air, exercise and time spent time outside. Outdoor play is also a break from the structure of the classroom.
It is important for all students to come to school dressed ready to be outside everyday.
Lost and Found
A reminder that our Lost and Found is located in the school office. If your child has lost something at school, please stop remind them to stop by the lost and found to have a look for their items. Any items remaining will be donated to a local charity at the end of each month.
Parking Lot
A reminder that, for student safety, our school parking lot is closed during entry and dismissal times. We encourage families to walk with their children to and from school, set up a buddy system for older students, or Drive to Five - rather than drive to the school to limit congestion on Gatestone Drive and improve safety for students traveling to and from school.
At times when parents/caregivers need to drop their child off by vehicle, please park on the streets adjacent to the school (where it is unsigned).
Please be sure to respect our neighbours by not blocking driveways. Also, a reminder that by-law does regular parking enforcement on the street in front of the school. Do not park in no parking areas.
Please do not block the fire lane.
Early Pick-Ups
We understand that sometimes end of day arrangement for students need to change in cases of emergency. The end of day can be quite busy for classes packing up and accessing different areas of the school so it is not always possible to get messages to students after 3:00pm. For student safety, if end of day arrangements for your child need to change, please call the school office before 3:00pm.
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