Harwich Raleigh Public School

The buses are cancelled today due to weather conditions. The school will remain open for those who are able to safely travel to and from school. Please ensure that if you are out on the roads, you are doing so only if it is safe.

Congratulations to the Senior Girls Volleyball team. This afternoon, on home court, the Wildcats were able to defeat the guests from Tilbury Area Public School in three straight matches. Way to go players and coaches!

We are entering the last month of the year. And it is a big one. Such a busy month, with the hustle and bustle, and then the new year right at the end. So many emotions, so much to think about when we allow ourselves those moments to actually slow down enough to think. Here is hoping that 2025 ends well for you and your families.

The Ontario Ministry of Education asks all school boards to conduct anonymous school climate surveys on a regular basis to help schools:
• Assess perceptions of safety, mental health, and well-being from students, parents/caregivers, and school staff
• Make informed planning decisions to promote safe and inclusive school environments
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current programs
• Build and sustain a positive school climate
• Continue to strengthen parent/guardian voice in school communities

The Lambton Kent District School Board is required to conduct school climate surveys of students, staff, and parents/caregivers at least once every two years, as each group plays a key role in shaping a safe and welcoming school environment.

We invite you, as a parent/caregiver of an LKDSB student, to visit your child’s school website or the LKDSB main website and follow the School Climate Survey link to participate. Your feedback helps us build and sustain a positive school climate within your school community.

🗓️ Survey Dates: Monday, November 24 to Friday, December 5, 2025

Please note that all responses are anonymous and confidential. The results will be used by our Safe Schools team and the Board to guide future planning and support.

Thank you for your time and participation.

https://tejoin.com/scroll/409504139

A quick reminder:

Our next School Council Meeting is scheduled for November 25th , 6:30 PM. You can join in person, at the school, in the Learning Commons, or virtually by using the information below to join TEAMS.
Meeting ID 212 656 573 686 4
Passcode: gN2LH9WM

The calendar is quickly slipping from November into December, and we know there are families within the Blenheim and South-Kent community that could use some extra help with the approaching holiday season. Whether this is in the form of groceries, hygiene items, warm winter gear, or gifts for the holidays, there are always people who could use our support.

We are hoping that you, our Wildcat families, might be able to share some cheer this holiday season and donate to this worthwhile cause. Our school will be accepting donations until December 5th, when they will be picked up.

If you are someone who feels they would benefit from support of this program, please call Annalea Benn at 519-676-8409 between 9:00am and 5:00pm to make your request.

We are hoping that the school community can help some less fortunate families in our community feel the warmth this holiday season.

Wildcat Families:

This is a reminder that on Friday, November 21st, there is a PA Day in the LKDSB. In the morning, families are invited to attend a Student-Led Conference to talk about their student(s)' progress following the Initial Communication of Learning (JK and SK) and Progress Reports (Grade 1-8).

Good afternoon Wildcat Families:

The week of November 17th through 22nd is recognized as Bullying Awareness Week. Within the LKDSB, our teams are committed to ensuring positive, safe, learning and working environments for all students, staff, parents/guardians and visitors. To find out more about the programs and supports within the LKDSB, follow the link below:
https://www.lkdsb.net/o/lkd/page/bullying-awareness-and-prevention


Our school Multidisciplinary Team, consisting of students and staff supervisors, have developed spirit days for Monday through Thursday of next week. Friday is a PA Day. The team will also be sharing announcements at various points. We are hoping that by sharing this information ahead of time, we can have a great level of student participation.

Thanks,
Heather Vander Pol

How many of you are feeling this, especially with the cold weather and snow that moved in recently? All kidding aside, our Lost and Found here at the school is OVERFLOWING, specifically with hoodies and sweatshirts. Parents are welcome to come to the school to look through the L&F to locate things that belong to them.

We, the students and staff, at Harwich Raleigh, took time to reflect upon the sacrifices that those before us have made to allow the freedoms we have today. Here are some snapshots of our Remembrance Day Ceremony, including artwork that is displayed.

Today is "Take Your Kid to Work Day" and we have many 'Jr. Teachers' here to lend an extra hand and learn the ropes from veteran teachers.

This is a quick reminder to all families: Photo retake day will be Friday, November 7th. If you were away for the first photo day, or perhaps your photos didn't turn out well; now will be the chance to try again. Come prepared for retake day later this week!

Well, we are now entering the 2nd last month of 2025. You have 61 days to make great before 2026 comes roaring in!

Out Cross Country runners represented HRPS well at the District Meet on Wednesday in Sarnia at Canatara Park. It was so great to have this ending to their many practices and two meets ahead of this day! Way to go Wildcat runners, you made us proud!

There is much excitement building in anticipation of Hallowe'en tomorrow. We wanted to share a couple quick reminders! Please encourage your student to wear orange and black clothing or that which is Hallowe'en themed. Costumes, masks, props and make up should not be part of what students wear or bring tomorrow. If you are planning to send treats to your child's class, please ensure they are individually packaged and from a "nut free" facility. Homebaked or store bought snacks which don't meet these requirements are not permitted due to student safety. We look forward to some fun Hallowe'en themed activities taking place throughout the day tomorrow.

The Wildcats were fortunate to receive an incredible gift from the BDHS Bobcats recently. As the community secondary school, where our students in the English program attend for their Grade 9-12 years, the Bobcats are forging relationships with future Bobcats. The school provided a custom branded shade tent, featuring both the Wildcat and Bobcat logos and colours. Our athletes and staff will now be able to use this at events such as soccer tournaments, Cross Country meets, Track and Field Day and many more. Mr. Kistulenic and Mr. Bunning, as well as many student leaders from BDHS brought our new tent to us and showed some of our student leaders how to set things up. Thanks so much, Bobcats! 🐾

Our holiday fundraising campaign kicks off today and runs through November 14th. Check out details on the flyers attached. A paper copy of these flyers will be coming home with each student today, in addition to a colouring page for each student to complete at their leisure. If you have questions, you can reach out to the school office.

Check out what some of our youngest learners are up to! Our JK/SK French Immersion learners combined some Phonemic Awareness with some environmental stewardship. They took wrappers from various food items and determined where to place them on the chart based on the beginning sound or "phoneme initial". This is evidence that even our youngest students are working towards literacy goals all of the time! Bravo, mes amis! 👏🏼📣

Parents and Guardians,

Please remember that tomorrow, October 23rd, will be the meeting where nominations and elections take place for the 2025-2026 school year. We are hoping to have a great turn-out Thursday evening. The meeting takes place in the Learning Commons beginning at 6:30pm.

Each day, most of our students come to school and leave school bus riding school buses. We recognize the work of these drivers to be a very important part of the students' days. Bus drivers have a very important job, and they do that job with care and concern.

Today, Wednesday, October 22nd, we recognize our many bus drivers for the work they do.