Welcome to the 2018-19 School Year!

The back to school season is upon us! To welcome returning families, and help orient new families, this post will provide information to assist you. We hope you have enjoyed the summer!

Whether you are new to Buchanan or a returning family, our hope is that the year ahead will be a rewarding, positive experience for everyone.  Our commitment toward working with, understanding, and nurturing each and every child are some of the many reasons why Buchanan Park School is such a wonderful place for children to learn and grow.

Staff Updates

We have a number of staffing changes for the start of the year:  Please join me in wishing our sincerest congratulations to Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Smith who are both retiring as of August 31, 2018! Both Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Smith have been valuable members of the Buchanan staff for a long time and we wish to thank them for their many years of service. We will miss them terribly.   We welcome new staff members, Mr. Wardell as our new Head Caretaker, Ms. Neil, our grade 3/4 teacher, Ms. Di Salvo who will teach our second FDK Class in Room 131.  Ms. Neil is a permanent staff member, but Ms. Di Salvo is just filling in until February when Ms. MacDonald comes back from Parental Leave.  We welcome Ms. Loughridge into our Grade 5/6 class for the month of September until a permanent teacher is hired by the board to replace Mrs. Baker. We also welcome Ms. Sweet to our Kindergarten Team.  Ms. Sweet will be at Buchanan in the afternoon on Days 2 and 4.  We have two new Educational Assistants on staff who will be supporting many of our students in Kindergarten. Ms. Upper and Ms. Deary.  Ms. Upper will be with us all year, but Ms. Deary will only be on staff temporarily filling in until a permanent EA is hired to replace Ms. Smith.

Office Hours-Week of August 27th – August 31^st

The office will be open 8:30am-2:30pm.  If you are aware of any new families with children that have moved into the neighbourhood over the summer, please encourage them to come in and register!

First Day Procedures-Tuesday Sept. 4, 2018

First Day Information for Grades 1-6
All students in grades 1-6 will proceed to the back playground on the first day and will be greeted by staff when the bell rings at 9:00.

Students new to Buchanan who are not sure who their teacher is are asked to drop into the main office first and will then proceed to the playground to find their teacher.  There is usually a great deal of excitement on the first day which can lead to a bit of chaos.  Thank you in advance for your patience as we work through this process. Please ensure that your children clearly understand the end of the day arrangements for getting home.

Information for Full Day Kindergarten Families

All JK’s and SK’s who are NEW to SCHOOL have a one hour visit with their parents on Tuesday, Sept. 4th.  This gives staff the opportunity to meet you and your child.   The postcards outlining each child’s teacher and visit time were mailed at the end of June.  Please follow the information provided to you on your postcard.  If you are unsure of your visit time, please call the office.   On Wednesday, Sept. 5th ALL students (both JK and SK) attend school full time, every day.

Busing Information

Only students that received bus information via a letter through the HWDSB’s Transportation Dept. are permitted to ride the bus beginning the first day of school.

Parents/Guardians, please be aware that students who were granted Courtesy busing in the 2017/2018  school year are NOT automatically granted Courtesy busing for this school year and therefore, are NOT permitted on the bus.   Please ensure that you have made alternative arrangements until this process is completed, which is usually not until the end of September.  Courtesy busing must be revisited yearly with priority given to children in our primary grades. 

See you soon!