December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 4: Progress Conferences/Teacher Professional Practice Day (no classes - PP-12)
December 10: International Human Rights Day
December 14: First day of Hanukkah
December 19: Last day of school for students before holiday break
December 22: Teacher Professional Practice Day (no classes - PP-12)
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Kwanzaa
SchoolsPlus is here to support you
SchoolsPlus is a confidential, free service available in every school in Nova Scotia. Our goal is to build positive relationships between families, schools, and communities.
Parents, guardians and students (12+) can self-refer to SchoolsPlus 12 months a year! Just contact the SchoolsPlus Facilitator at your school.
Call 902-464-2000, ext. 2331 or email schoolsplus@hrce.ca.
Learn more about SchoolsPlus here.
Resources for Parents from Unplugged Canada
If you’re concerned about your kids’ screen time, smartphone use, or social media pressure, there are some wonderful resources below to help parents and caregivers navigate the challenges of raising kids in a digital world.
For parents: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt highlights the research and evidence behind how early smartphone and social media exposure have shaped a generation over the last 10–15 years. Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World by Jean Twenge offers practical, actionable guidance to help parents set healthy boundaries and support their kids’ digital wellbeing.
For kids: The Amazing Generation, written for pre-teens and teens and co-authored by Jonathan Haidt, will be released on December 30. It explains the impact of today’s digital environment in an engaging, age-appropriate way.
All of these books are available at your local library or bookstore.
Unplugged Canada is a parent-led, national movement advocating for healthier childhoods by delaying smartphones and social media until kids are more developmentally ready. Join thousands of Canadian families choosing to delay by taking the Unplugged Canada Pledge at unpluggedcanada.com/sign-pledge.
New educational technology resource for families
We’re excited to share a new online resource designed to help families understand how technology supports student learning in HRCE. This page provides an overview of how tools like Chromebooks and Google for Education are used in classrooms, what provincially approved online platforms students may access, and how student privacy is protected. You’ll also find information about Nova Scotia’s guidance on the provincial cell phone expectations, tips for supporting online safety and digital citizenship at home, and an introduction to how students are learning about artificial intelligence in a thoughtful and responsible way. It also includes answers to common questions about screen time, passwords, communication during the school day, and more.
You can find the webpage here.
Planning for Inclement Weather
Did you know? HRCE takes great care when making the decision to alter the regular operations of schools and school buses in the event of severe or inclement weather.
It is HRCE’s goal to communicate any changes to the regular operations of schools and/or buses as close to 6:00 a.m. as possible. A 6:00 a.m. announcement could be:
- All schools are delayed in opening by two hours and bus pickups are delayed by two hours; or
- All schools are open, but some or all busses are not operating for the day; or
- Some schools (either individually or by family) are closed for the day; or
- All schools are closed for the day.
If weather deteriorates, or is forecasted to worsen throughout the morning, an 11:00 a.m. announcement could be:
- Bussed students will be picked up two hours earlier than their regular dismissal time; and
- Walking students will be dismissed at their regularly scheduled lunch hour.
How will I find out?
- By email to the addresses in PowerSchool
- By text message, if you have opted-in. If you aren’t sure if you have opted-in, text Y to the following number: 978338
- On the HRCE website
- On Instagram
It’s important to always have a plan in place for childcare in the event of any cancellation. Please remember: As a parent or guardian you always have the choice of whether or not to send your child to school.
For more information on how HRCE manages during inclement weather, visit hrce.ca/families/cancellations.
We're ALWAYS hiring!
Did you know that HRCE has more than 10,000 employees serving more than 60,000 students?
Our job postings are updated every Wednesday at noon and feature a wide variety of career opportunities!
As HRCE grows, so does our staff. Check out new opportunities weekly at www.myhrce.ca/jobs.