Updates For December 13-17, 2021
Updates For December 13 – December 17, 2021
Congratulations Alma PS families! We’ve made it to the holiday break and we’re ready to enjoy a well-deserved rest and some much-needed family time. We are very proud of the efforts of students and grateful for the support from families as we have worked through the various challenges along the way and found a way to be resilient and positive!
Here are the 5 things you need to know for the remainder of this week and looking towards our return back to school on January 3, 2022:
- Thanks go out to our staff and students for putting together some amazing acts for our Holiday Concert. We are proud of the efforts they have made and it was wonderful to invite so many families “into” our school so you could celebrate in this way. If by chance you missed it, we will be Google Meet Livestreaming the performance again to all of our students on Friday at 9:30 AM. The link in your child’s Google Classroom should still work if you’d like to view it again or for the first time. Also, a huge thank you goes out to our School Council who has provided us with Warm Winter Wishes goodie bags for each of our students. There are some fun and healthy choices inside to help bring a little holiday cheer.
- Friday is our final day of reading around the Christmas tree and we are going to be learning more about the Winter Solstice, which is held later in the month and celebrated by many in Canada’s Indigenous community. It honours the longest night of the year and recognizes the role the sun plays in giving us light and life. As a show of appreciation for this event, students can dress in bright colours like yellow, orange, and red to celebrate. I was reading this week and learned that between the 20th of November and the 24th of January, there are at least 14 different religious holidays that are celebrated around the world! It has been great to learn a little more about some of them this holiday season as we gathered around the school’s tree this year.
- In an earlier 5 things email, we explained that we were beginning to investigate the availability of offering pizza and milk days once again. As we have been speaking with a variety of vendors for pizza days, many are busy completing the paperwork to be Board-approved food vendors or do not have enough staff currently to meet the needs of our request. We are continuing to investigate options and more information will be coming in the new year as we find more information. Thanks for your patience as we seek to find options for this process.
- This week teachers will be sending home personal items, as we do most years during the holiday break. Shoes or extra clothes may need a wash or students may be outgrowing them. Some “emergency” clothes kits might also need a seasonal change. You may wish to evaluate items in student pencil cases, etc., and determine if they need a top-up. Notebooks, etc. will remain at school for use when we return. Thanks for helping us to do some extra cleaning over the break so we are ready for a fresh return on January 3, 2022.
- As we get ready for January, we will once again be starting the process of Kindergarten registration. It is optimal when planning staffing for the fall to connect with as many families as possible at the beginning of January so we can make plans for 2022-2023. If you have kindergarten children for next year in your home or know of anyone in our area who may have children who would meet the criteria for JK in September 2022, please direct them to contact the school office or find more information at our school website at https://www.ugdsb.ca/almaps/2021/12/09/ugdsb-kindergarten-registration-starts-in-january-here-is-what-families-need-to-know/.
It has been a joy and an honour to serve as your Alma PS principal for these past 4 months. I look forward to a great new year with you all. As always, I am always available to chat about questions or concerns. I hope that you all have a safe and happy holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Jason Boyce
Principal Alma PS
Categories: News