Page 1Peanut & Scent Free Environment – Somerset School is a nut free school as we do have students with severe allergies to all nuts so please refrain from sending any products that contain nuts to our school. Somerset has also had a “scent free” policy for several years. We have staff and students who are highly sensitive to scents so we would ask that you have this conversation with your son/daughter and also to respect this policy when visiting Somerset.

Perfect Attendance – Congratulations to the students who had perfect attendance for the 2016-2017 school year. The students that received gifts last June for this accomplishment were: Aiden Cameron, Evan Murray, Lucas Stetson, Alex Trainor, Emma Harris and Allie Keough.

Canteen – Somerset’s canteen will be open starting the week of September 25th and is open each day from 12:20 – 12:40. Grades K, 1, 2 and 3 will have the opportunity to go to the canteen on Thursdays only.Milk Prices as set by the PEI School Milk Foundation are as follows:Sm. White - .50; Sm. Choc. - .80 and Lg. Choc. – $1.50Water and Juice Boxes - $1.00 Peanut Free Frozen Treats $1.00Cheese Strings - .75 Chips - $1.50

Toast Program – The toast program at Somerset this year will begin on September 25th. If they wish, students can come into the multi-purpose room at 8:20 a.m. for a couple of pieces of toast and some fruit and cheese. All students are welcome. Donations of fruit, cheese and toppings (reminder of no peanut products) are always welcomed. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Hot Lunch Program – This year the Hot Lunch Program will start on September 25th. Last year was our first year and it was very successful and convenient for both parents and staff at Somerset. The hot meals that will be provided each week will be as follows:Tuesdays – Greco will supply a pasta dish; Thursdays - O’Sheas will supply plain hamburgers and other week ¼ chicken & cheese quesadilla; Friday – Greco will supply Pizza/Garlic Fingers. Prices will be posted when Hot Lunch Program goes live. Orders must be done online every Monday morning by 8 a.m. even if Monday is a holiday.

Newsletter – To conserve paper, we will not be sending home a paper copy of the newsletter each month. It will be on our webpage at www.edu.pe.ca/Somerset

Toys, Electronic Games & Devices – We ask that these items remain at home as they may get broken or lost while at school. We encourage students to play and interact with each other at

Somerset School September 2017 Newsletter

Upcoming EventsSept. 20th – Parent Info NightSept. 25th – Toast begins & Canteen opensSept. 25th – Hot Lunch Online Orders beginSept. 29th – Terry Fox Run @ 1:15 pmOct. 3rd – Cross Country Meet @ Cabot ParkOct. 5th – Rain date for Cross Country MeetOct. 6th – PD Day – No classesOct. 9th – Thanksgiving – No classesOct. 11th – Home & School Meeting @ 6:30 pmOct. 16th – School Photo DayOct. 19 & 20th – Staff Conventions – No classesOct. 21st – Cross Country Provincials Meet

WELCOME BACK TOSOMERSET SCHOOL

30 Somerset St., Kinkora, PE902-887-2505

www.edu.pe.ca/Somerset

Somerset is a peanut free & scent free school

September Superstars –Good Start to a School Year

K – Briar RandallGr. 1 – Evelyn TrainorGr. 3x – Mason GaudetGr. 4x – Michael WoodGr. 5 – Jesse MurphyGr. 6 – Hannah CallaghanGr. 7 – Landon DuffyGr. 8 – Morgan McLeanPrincipal – Rushil SainiTech. – Mia Grace PayneFrench – Kailee ClowMusic – Brooklynn GallantPhys. Ed. – Oliver MacFarlane

Page 2Bus Passes – A reminder that students must have a signed written note from parents to obtain a bus pass if they are not going to their usual drop off. Also if your child is to take an alternate form of transportation after school or is being picked up by someone different, please advise your child’s homeroom teacher with a signed note. These policies help to make dismissal much easier with less confusion and error. It also helps the student have less anxiety at the end of a school day.

Plastic Bag Challenge – Congratulations to everyone in the Somerset community who helped us collect plastic bags for the Grocery Bag Challenge last spring. Somerset School was awarded $1000 to use towards an Environmental Initiative. Our school is planning to participate in the Plastic Bag Challenge again this spring of 2018. Once the contest is announced, we will let everyone know when they can drop off the bags to school. Start saving now and stay tuned for more information!

Reporting to the Office – If you are picking up your child, please report to Mrs. Wervers in the office and she will get your child for you. Also if there are any items to be dropped off to your child, please leave it in the office and we will make sure it is delivered to the student during a break so that we will have as little disruption during class teaching time.

Forms – Please ensure that all the forms that have been sent home are completed and sent back to the home room teachers so that we can have accurate up to date information on file regarding your child/children. Also throughout the school year if phone numbers etc. have changed, please call the office or email Mrs. Wervers at dmwervers@edu.pe.ca so that we will be able to reach you in case of an emergency.

Welcome – Somerset school would like to welcome a new EA this year – Glenda MacDonald.

Reminder – If you are planning to drive any children (other than your own) to events, it is a policy requirement from the Public Schools Branch for each school year to have proper documentation from your Insurance Company showing the vehicle is covered by a minimum of $1,000,000 passenger and public liability. It will be kept in the school office for the entire school year.

Kinkora Public Library Upcoming Events - Our preschool storytime has started! Join us each Thursday at 10 am for stories, songs, fingerplays and lots of fun! We will be starting up two junior book clubs…one for Grades 3 and 4 and the other for those in Grades 5 and 6. The first Grade 3/4 book club meeting will be on Tuesday, October 10 at 3:30 pm, with the Grade 5/6 meeting the following Tuesday, October 17 at 3:30 pm. Drop in at the library during open hours to pick up a copy of the book that we’ve chosen or call for more information 887-2172.

The library will have a display set up on Parent Information Night…stop by to grab a library card application, to see what programs we are offering this fall/winter or simply to say hello!We are open:Mondays 11 am – 3 pmTuesdays 3-7 pmThursdays 9 am – 1 pm

Lost and Found – It would be extremely helpful if you put your child’s name on the inside of jackets and sweaters etc. so if it is brought to the office and the name is inside, we can return it immediately and that would eliminate such a large quantity of lost items.

Cross Country – The Cross Country Meet for grades 3 - 8 will take place on October 3rd at Cabot Park and the rain date will be October 5th. Provincial date is October 21st

at Mill River Resort and students must have their own transportation there and back. Practices for Cross Country is at lunch recess.

Leadership – The Grade 7 students from last year recently received their Leadership Certificates for the 2016-2017 school year. Congratulations to Mya Moffatt, Bridgette Linkletter, Charlotte Schofield, Daniel Arsenault, Brianna Hughes, Alex Trainor, Griffin Thomson and Chloe Trowsdale.

Leadership application forms were sent home on September 11th and are due back on September 15 th. We are hoping to have a team building activity afterschool for the leadership team sometime late September.

Page 3Home and School Federation News1. Time to get involved: Home and School seeks to engage parents and school community membersLisa MacDougall, President P.E.I. Home and School Federation writes a monthly Home and School news column for The Guardian newspaper. Read the September 2017 column pasted below and online at: http://peihsf.ca/content/time-get-involved-home-and-school-seeks-engage-parents-and-school-community-members2. Federation to provide leadership training The federation is available to provide leadership training, facilitate meetings, and to help bring people together around common goals and visions. This year, leadership training opportunities will be offered that are tailored to the needs of local associations. Facilitators can help bring community members together to discuss common concerns, define their visions for their schools or develop plans for action on school food. Contact the Federation office at 902-620-3186, toll free 1-800-916-0664 or peihsf@edu.pe.ca for more information and to book a leadership and engagement event.3. #LearnDay to shape future of learning The Learning Partners Advisory Council is organizing #LearnDay, a free, full-day conversation on learning. Keynote speaker George Couros will share the ideas presented in his book, The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. #LearnDay takes place on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at Holland College’s Centre for Community Engagement in Charlottetown. Registration is now open at: http://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/register-learnday4. Home and School start-upA Home and School start-up package was mailed to Association presidents on Sept. 1st. To get us off to a quick start, it would be appreciated if presidents and treasurers would fill out and send the documents enclosed in that envelope to the Federation office a.s.a.p.: 1. Presidents - Contact Information Form 2. Treasurers - Membership Fee FormNOTE: If you received a package in the mail and are not the president, pass it on to the new president and call Shirley at the Federation office with the new information a.s.a.p. 5. Semi-Annual Meeting - Save the date: Semi-Annual meeting. Tuesday, October 17th. This meeting is

open to all parents, guardians, teachers and staff in your school. A complete registration package will be circulated to presidents in September.

Somerset Home and School – There will be a meeting on October 11th at 6:30 pm in the Library at Somerset School. We are looking for parent volunteers to join the Home and School Committee. A detailed discussion will happen at this meeting regarding committee openings.

A book is a gift you can open again and again. —

Garrison Keillor