August 28th, 2025

Principal’s Message:

Hello Owls Families, 

We are so excited to begin the 2025-26 school year in partnership with you at Oak Creek. It’s going to be another wonderful year, and we can’t wait to greet Owl students and families on Wednesday morning.

As a team, we hope to continue to model the importance of community, encourage and create opportunities for parent and caregiver engagement, and foster positive relationships with all of our families. We wish to embody the essence of community in our daily interactions, and in service to you and your child, we will be committed to ensuring that every student feels welcomed, safe, valued, supported, understood, and possesses a sense of belonging. 

We look forward to greeting OC students and families before and after school, answering your questions, listening to your ideas and concerns, sharing successes, and creating spaces for dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. 

Let’s set the direction for an amazing year beginning on that very first morning when we meet on the back field. This is such a special moment, whether your child is coming to school for the very first time or returning for another September as an Owl, as we have the opportunity to shape what happens next. It is a new year and a new beginning.

We are here for you and your child, and we’re grateful to be a part of their educational experience. Collectively, we will be their champion in support of their well-being and academic achievement. 

To our students: bring your smile, confidence, ideas, positivity, kindness, school spirit…and your authentic self. It’s going to be awesome. We got this!

We’ll see you on Wednesday morning: Day 1, 9:10, back field!

Sincerely,

Jeff Johnson

Principal

#OCProud

School Staff Update:

Please join me in welcoming our newest team members!

  • Alexandra Guimaraes- Designated Early Childhood Educator, K3
  • Sabrina Saimoon- Designated Early Childhood Educator, K5
  • Asma Kazi- Teacher, 1D
  • Lauren Seifried- Teacher, 2/3A
  • Krista Merrill- Teacher, 4B and Planning Time
  • Jeff Szpirglas- Teacher, 4/5A 
  • Gary Moorby- Teacher, 5/6A
  • Sarah Barber- Teacher, 6A
  • Emma Galbraith- Teacher, 7-2
  • Sydney McCarthy- Teacher, French and Special Education
  • Melinda Taylor- Educational Assistant, ACE Program

We are also thrilled to welcome back: 

  • Elizabeth Somwaru- Teacher, Grade 4/5B
  • Katie McClanahan-  Teacher, 1A 
  • Makayla Soares- Teacher, K1 
  • Carolyn Perdok- Teacher, 3/4A 
  • Bikrmajit Kaur- Teacher, 1B  

School-Day: 

To stay up-to-date with all the exciting things happening in WRDSB and at Oak Creek, please ensure that you are registered on School-Day and subscribed to our school website: oak.wrdsb.ca. To subscribe: simply provide your name and email address in the “Stay Connected” section at the bottom of the website.

Start-Up Information:

In the coming days, several important school year information documents will be shared through School-Day. Please take some time to read this important information and provide your consent (electronically through School-Day) as appropriate (e.g., Media Release, Concussion Protocol, Responsible Use Policy, Medical Information, Emergency Contacts).

School Hours & Supervision:

  • Instructional Day: 9:10-3:30
  • Supervision will take place daily from 8:55-9:10 and 3:30-3:45; students will not be supervised beyond the 15 minutes before and after school
  • Students arriving after 9:10 (including those in portables) must be brought to the front main doors and sign-in at the office

Arrival/Dismissal Areas and Parking:

  • First Day of School- Line Up Area
    • ACE and K6 students will meet at the front of the school by the front main doors
  • Arrival/Dismissal Map
  • Classes will gather at their assigned arrival/dismissal areas at the beginning and end of each school day
  • Caregivers: please wait in the designated areas; if arriving prior to 3:30, please wait on the field or along the fence by the Community Centre parking lot
  • Oak Creek Parking Map/”Active Travel”
  • Students and families are encouraged to use “active travel” when travelling to and from school; bicycle racks are available at the front and back of the school (please wear your helmet if riding a bicycle/scooter to school)
  • Students are asked to “walk their wheels” until they are off the back tarmac (as this is a congested area); please also bring a lock with you to secure your wheels as they will not be permitted inside the school
  • Authorized street parking is indicated on the Oak Creek Parking Map which was developed in partnership with Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region
  • The school parking lot is for Oak Creek staff and Rising Oaks Child Care staff and families only; the Community Centre parking lot is not to be used for pick-up/drop-off 
  • Student and community member safety is our top priority: please do your part (by reducing your speed, avoiding U-Turns, staying out of the bus lane and parking lot, and being aware of students/families crossing the street)

Nut-Free/Scent-Free School:

  • Please ensure that lunches are nut-free and students are not bringing scented items with them to school

School Council: Seeking New Members!

  • Are you interested in getting involved at Oak Creek? We’d love to have you join us for our first School Council meeting
  • School Council meetings typically take place the second Wednesday of each month beginning in October; the annual School Council election will take place on Wed., September 24th from 6:00-7:00 in the library

Student Class Placements:

Please note: we will not be accommodating requests to switch classrooms. The class building process takes into consideration many factors related to each child’s overall learning profile, and involves input from last year’s homeroom teacher, specialty subject teachers, support staff and administration. Classes are built according to ministry guidelines.

There will be many opportunities for your child to build upon existing friendships and make new connections both in the classroom, outside during nutrition break, and through extra-curricular activities. 

Students who have been placed in split grade classes will be taught the appropriate grade level curriculum. Learning will be differentiated to best meet their learning needs and support their success.

* Student class placements may change up to Wednesday, September 3rd due to ongoing registrations. 

K1 Makayla Soares; Ashlee Wallis
K2 Taylor Lacey; Gurpinder Sidhu
K3 Meghan Raymond; Alexandra Guimaraes
K4 Ellen Nicol; Julynne Nagel
K5 Christine Herner; Sabrina Saimoon
K6 Katie Letourneau
1A Katie McClanahan
1B Michelle Hunter; Bikramjit Kaur
1C Amanda Sherrard
1D Asma Kazi
2A Nicole HIlts
2B Alycia Bingeman
2C Brittany Dixon
2/3A Lauren Seifried
2/3B Melissa Hanlon
3A Chloe Hallman
3B Lindsay Clark
3/4A Carolyn Perdok
4A Brian Dibben; Krista Merrill
4/5A Jeff Szpirglas
4/5B Elizabeth Somwaru
5A Brian Smith
5/6A Gary Moorby
6A Sarah Barber
6B Marisa Mota
7-1 Krista Lundy
7-2 Emma Galbraith
7/8A Mark Baker
8-1 Grant Creech
8-2 Deanna Martynowicz
ACE Sarah Willett Recarte; Caroline Hall; Kelly Samuels; Melinda Taylor

Save the Date: Meet the Family Event!

  • Wednesday, September 10th from 6:00-7:00
  • Further details will be shared soon