March Communication to Families

Posted March 1, 2024

Bonjour!

February was certainly an interesting month with drastic weather patterns! Welcome to the month of March!  While we are hoping that the weather in March will be less messy and muddy, please consider checking the weather before school to ensure students are dressed warmly and sending an extra pair of socks in case a dry pair is required.

March will be a special month for many!  Ramadan begins. Naw Ruz and the first day of Spring, as well as Holi will be celebrated. Easter weekend is observed at the end of March this year. 

If you wish to speak with your student’s teacher about their progress, please do not hesitate to contact them.  Open and ongoing communication between home and school is one of the keys to success. 

Please see below for important information and updates from the school and from the School Council.

Bonne journée et bonne fin de semaine!

 

School Yearbook

Our school will once again have a yearbook. Thank you Mme Carter, Mme Abraham and Mme Kleovoulos for championing this project.  If you wish for your student(s) to opt out of the yearbook (i.e., for their images and name to not be included), please let the school know by emailing [email protected] prior to March 28, 2024.

Early Pickups

When picking up a student early for an appointment or another commitment, please come into the office and allow 5 minutes for your student to be called down and to prepare their belongings.  There is no need to call the office ahead of time.  Please feel free to continue to notify teachers should you wish to do so, but note that during instructional time, teachers are unable to check and respond to email. During breaks, staff are often on duty, running clubs and activities and/or eating.  Thank you for your support and understanding.

Nutrition Break Supervisor 

Our school is in need of lunchroom supervisors to support the school on an as needed basis to fill vacant positions.  Please note that there isn’t a set schedule.  If you are interested in this paid work opportunity, please contact M. Bodiam at 519-822-9271 ext. 224 for more information. 

April-June Pizza Order

The April – June École Guelph Lake pizza orders will be facilitated by Lunch Box through your School Cash Online account.  We will continue to receive pizza from our local Gino’s location.  Our first scheduled pizza lunch delivery day through Lunch Box is Friday, April 5th.  The ordering calendar opened Friday, February 23, 2024. The ordering deadline for the first scheduled lunch delivery is Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 12:00 PM.  Orders may be placed weekly or in advance for any number of days within the school year.  Please see the LunchBox Parent FAQ document for further information.

Kiss and Ride

We have recently received complaints from concerned families about the Kiss and Ride loop in the parking lot.  The Kiss and Ride program is intended for parents who are dropping off or picking up their child(ren).  It is NOT intended for individuals who want to leave their vehicle to walk their child(ren) to the door or to assist their child(ren) to leave the car. If you want to accompany your child to the door please park your vehicle in a legal parking spot and walk your child to the school or Kindergarten yard.  In an effort to make drop‐off and pick‐up as orderly and safe as possible we ask that drivers respect the following guidelines: 

  1. Obey the road rules, crosswalks, and speed limits. 
  2. Have your student(s) enter and exit the vehicle from the curb side of the loop (i.e., exit from the right side of the vehicle: all the children in the vehicle must exit from the PASSENGER SIDE).
  3. Your student(s) should have their backpack on their lap to enable them to exit the vehicle quickly. 
  4. Please do not leave your car parked, idling or unattended. 
  5. Pull your vehicle all the way forward to allow as many cars to enter our kiss and ride. 

We thank you for paying close attention to these safety measures. 

Very Important Reminder: Immunization Records and WDGPH 

In January, some families may have received letters from Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) if their student has incomplete records on file.   Please note the revised reporting deadline is March 15, 2024, by 4pm.  Should you have any questions, please call the WDGPH Client and Community Support Line: 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006 (Monday–Friday 9am-4pm).  Families can report immunizations: 

You can also view current, overdue and upcoming immunizations.

Occupational Therapist Newsletter – Keyboarding Skills

Please see the newsletter “Keyboarding Skills” from our Occupational Therapy partners at KidsAbility Partnering for Change Program.

Important: April Professional Activity Day Date Change

The Upper Grand District School Board has made the decision to move the PA Day originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024, to Monday, April 8, 2024.  We are making this adjustment due to the fact that the solar eclipse is set to occur during school dismissal, when students will not have full supervision and will be traveling home. This decision is being made by the UGDSB and Wellington Catholic District School Board, and is in line with similar changes announced by other school boards.  The Ministry of Education recognizes the importance of this adjustment and has encouraged school boards to prioritize safety in such unique circumstances. We understand that this change may impact families’ plans for the April PA Day, which is why we wanted to provide as much notice as possible, so families have time to make alternate plans. 

This rare event provides a great opportunity for learning. Please see below for learning resources and information about the April solar eclipse. 

Elementary Cycle Day Calendar Revisions:  Please see the link here for the revised Elementary Cycle Day calendar to reflect the  PA day move to Monday, April 8th.   The changes impact days from April 9th to April 19th only.   

Grade 8 End of Year Trip Fundraisers

To fundraise for the Grade 8 end of year trip, students are welcome to purchase Subway sandwiches, Marble Slab frozen yogurt or Terra Cookies via School Cash Online.  Delivery dates are as follows:

April 11  Terra Cotta cookies via School Cash Online
April 15 Subway via LunchBox Orders on SchoolCashOnline
April 17 Marble Slab via LunchBox Orders on SchoolCashOnline
April 24 Terra Cotta cookies via School Cash Online
April 29 Subway via LunchBox Orders on SchoolCashOnline

Safety drills for second half of the year

Each September, families receive a letter which outlines safety drills that will occur throughout the school year.  The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority.  Although we hope that an incident that requires a response from emergency personnel will never occur in our school, we must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively.  From March until the end of June, the following safety drills will take place:

  • three fire drills 
  • one lockdown drills
  • one tornado drill
  • one bomb threat/evacuation drill

For each of these drills, there is an education component to explain why they are necessary.  All drills are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of our students.

Important Dates in March

The École Guelph Lake school calendar can be accessed from our school website.  The UGDSB school year calendar and cycle day calendars are located on the UGDSB website. Please see below some important dates for March.  (Please note, these dates are subject to change, however the school calendar on the school website will be updated as required).

March 4  Great Big Crunch – all students will receive an apple
March 6   Junior girls basketball tournament at Ken Danby and Junior boys basketball tournament at Guelph Lake
March 7  Island Lake field trip for M. Gallagher and Mme Black’s classes
March 7  School Council meeting in the school library at 7:00 p.m.
March 8  Comfy, cozy spirit day and Snowless Carnaval activities
March 11-15  March Break – no school this week
March 15  WDG Public Health’s revised immunization reporting deadline
March 20  WDG Public Health’s revised immunization suspension day
March 22  Guelph Lake spirit wear/school colours day
March 25  Officer Natasha – Patrol recruitment meeting for next school year
March 27  Pizza Perfect field trip at Grand River Agricultural Society for Mme Booth, Mme Freychet, Mme Gill and Mme Savoie’s classes
March 28  Alectra Utilities presentations to students
March 29  Good Friday – no school today
April 1   Easter Monday – no school today

School Council Update

The School Council Dance-A-Thon took place February 14.  Thank you families for your support!  The School Council’s Playground Planning Subcommittee met virtually February 15.  The next School Council meeting will take place, in person, on Thursday, March 7 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the school library.  The School Council minutes, including committee meetings, from the previous meetings are available on the School Council page of the school website.   Please save the date for the Parent Engagement Event with unlearn on April 15 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

 

Categories: Newsletters