Welcome Back KPR!

Dear KPR Families,

The first day of school is right around the corner and I hope you can feel the energy and excitement in the air as we count down the days!  

I hope that you’ve had a fantastic summer – finding time to connect with loved ones, take in the beautiful weather, and do the things that bring you joy. I am looking forward to a safe and successful return to school and the many #WeAreKPR memories that will be made in the year ahead!

For students who may be experiencing mixed emotions about returning to school, we have a number of great resources to support them as they adapt to new routines and relationships. 10 Tips for a Successful Back-to-School Transition is a resource from School Mental Health Ontario that offers helpful tips to support the transition.

With more students, vehicles, walkers and bicycles on the roads, our priority is to ensure a safe school start-up in the coming days. Please be aware that school zones are busy places, and it’s important to be cautious when traveling to and from school. We sincerely appreciate the contributions of our dedicated bus drivers, transportation staff, crossing guards, local police services and municipalities in keeping our students, staff and families safe.

I will continue to send bi-weekly updates to families this school year, with news and information to keep you informed. Of course, another great source of information and positive news is our KPR social media accounts. Please follow @kprschools on Facebook and Instagram for timely updates and #WeAreKPR stories this year!

Welcome back and wishing each of you a wonderful start to the 2024-2025 school year!

Best wishes,
 

Rita Russo
Director of Education

KPR News

Student Personal Devices

New provincial government legislation has resulted in changes to the use of mobile devices in schools. A mobile device is any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate or access the Internet, such as a laptop, cellphone, tablet or smart watch. 

To help ensure focused and engaging learning environments, all personal mobile devices must be stored out of view during the school day. Students in Grades K- 8 may not use mobile devices anytime during the school day (including recess), except as outlined below. Students in Grades 9-12 may use mobile devices during breaks.

Devices may be used in certain circumstances, including:

• for health and medical purposes,
• to support special education needs, or
• for educational purposes, as directed by an educator.

While these changes may be difficult, please know that creating and maintaining a protected space for learning in classrooms is our goal. Schools will be working with students to educate and support them as they adjust to these expectations. If students need to use their phones for reasons other than those outlined above, families should contact their school administration to discuss a shared solution.

Vaping in Schools

As you know, it has been our long-standing policy that smoking and vaping are not allowed on board property or in schools.

There are new provincial directives this year that support this policy, specifically that students cannot bring electronic cigarettes (vapes), cannabis, tobacco and/or nicotine products to school (including on school transportation).

If a student is in possession of an electronic cigarette (vape), tobacco or nicotine product, it is to be surrendered and disposed of.

As with the cell phone changes, we will work positively with students and families to implement these expectations.

Update from Public Health Partners

Public health partners have asked us to share that there has been a high rate of pertussis (whooping cough) cases over the summer months. They are encouraging families to ensure their children's immunizations are up to date and to get any needed vaccinations, including the pertussis vaccination, as soon as possible.

To read the full letter from public health click here.

For more information about immunizations and other public health updates, please visit your local public health unit’s website:

• Durham Region Health Department
• Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit
• Peterborough Public Health
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit