Jack Donohue Public School101 Penrith Street, Kanata, Ontario, K2W 1H4

613-271-9776, fax 613-271-7331jackdonohueps.ocdsb.ca

24 hour - School Attendance – 271-9910, press 1

Message from the Principal & Vice-principalsPrincipal Julie O’Connor

Vice-principalsBruno Kondric

Mary Jane Johnson

Office Administrator

Catherine Ford

Office AssistantLise Bishop

Stacey Hearne

Chief CustodianCarl Seifert

Superintendent Jill Bennett

School Hours9:15 – 3:45

Attendance Mailbox

613-271-9910,Press 1

Office Hours8:30 – 4:30

With sunshine and milder temperatures, the snow and ice are melting in our school yard. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately with splash pants and rubber boots. At this time of the year it is a good idea to pack extra pants and socks on the bottom of the backpack in case of accidental soakers!

Jack Donohue P.S. is proud to present Pinocchio Rehearsals and other preparations are well under way for the 2012 JDPS musical ‘Pinocchio’. Come and join the fun on April 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.Tickets will be going on sale March 26th – March 30th. More details will come after March Break.

Just a reminder if your child is going to be away for an appointment or if your child is sick, please call our attendance line at 613-271-9910, then press 1 to leave a message. Please include your child’s name, teacher’s name and reason for absence. This attendance line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We have had a number of cases of lice in our classrooms. Parents should routinely check their children’s hair for lice. What to Look For: Lice are small, flat, hard to see insects about the size of a sesame seed, greyish brown in colour. Look for nits (eggs) on hair shafts very close to the scalp. They are oval in shape, about the size of a grain of sand, will be glued to the hair shaft and will not brush away or flicked off like dandruff or sand. Nits found more than 1 cm from the scalp are dead or hatched. If you find lice or nits, a shampoo treatment should be completed. We also ask that you inform the school office.

With March break only a few hours away, we are certainly excited to see that the weather has warmed up a bit and that the snow is starting to melt. Hopefully, our school yard will be mud-free after our week away from school. If not, please be aware that splash pants and boots would be a really good idea for our younger students, as our yard can certainly be quite muddy during the spring.

We prepare our Grade 3 and 6 students for EQAO testing throughout the grades, but we certainly focus more particularly on these sessions during Grades 3 and 6 in the months of March, April and May. The dates for the writing of EQAO for our students at JDPS will be between May 22nd and June 1st. Please try and book appointments for your children outside of those dates as the scheduling of all of the components of the provincial testing is quite intricate. More details about specific dates will be provided soon.

Thank you to a few teachers who will be leaving us this month. A fond farewell to Mme Oueslati, to Mrs. Elgie and to Mrs. Hindle. Thank you for all of your work on behalf of our students.

Have a wonderful, restful break and see you soon for the last part of the 2011-2012 school year!

24 hour - School Attendance – 271-9910, press 1

Important Dates

March Break March 12-16April 4 JDPS Musical - Pinocchio 7:00 pmApril 6 Good Friday – no schoolApril 9 Easter Monday – no schoolApr. 20 Earth Day Spirit Day – Support our Planet, wear blue, green, brown or Earth logo/sloganApril 23-27 Book Fair

In the next month we will be starting to plan for September with regard to staffing and classroom assignments. Requests for class placement, outlining supporting reasons for your request, should be submitted in writing to the Principal by no later than April 1, 2012. All requests will be reviewed, however it is difficult to anticipate if accommodations can be made.

Healthy Lunch

It is always a good idea to pack a healthy lunch. This helps kids have energy to learn and grow. Here are some tips to pack a healthy lunch and snack:Fruits and veggies should be a part of every lunch. Try some dips like hummus, cottage cheese, and yogurt.Select whole grain breads and crackers.Buy different types of cheese (cheddar, swiss) in different forms (cubes, strings, balls).Last night’s dinner can make a quick lunch for the next day.Pack water, milk, or 100% fruit juice for drinks.For more information about packing healthy lunches go to http://ottawa.ca/en/health_safety/living/nutrition/index.html or call Ottawa Public Health at 613 580-6744.

Library News!  Our Spring Scholastic Book Fair is quickly approaching. April 23 to 27 you will see the library transformed into a wonderful store of new books for sale. Mark the dates on your calendar for this special event.If you are able to help with the book fair, please contact Mrs. Johnstone in the library or email martha.johnstone@ocdsb.ca .

Safety in Our School

In the interest of student safety, we ask that parents dropping

off children, materials, or lunches enter by the front doors and report to the office. Please help us minimize disruptions by not entering the classroom or teaching area during the instruction day. A late slip will be issued to students arriving late. They can then make their own way to the classroom.

Bronze Medal Winners - The junior boys played in the Junior Boys’ Volleyball Tournament last Friday at Stonecrest E. S. They played hard and finished in third place. Congratulations - Coach Biggs

The junior girls’ volleyball team played their best at the Junior Girls’ Volleyball Tournament, made it to the semi-finals, played a very tough game and walked away with fourth place. Excellent job girls, we're all very proud of you - Coach Saint-Jacques

Congratulations to the Intermediate Girls’ Basketball team for representing Jack Donohue PS with pride at the regional tournament on February 28th. The team won one game and lost three hard-fought games throughout the day. We are proud of you – Coach Houston