Hello Arbour Vista families,
Autumn has arrived, and there's a vibrant energy in the air at Arbour Vista! As we embrace this beautiful season, there's so much to look forward to. This week, many of our students will proudly represent our school in the Junior and Intermediate Cross Country events. We’re confident they’ll shine, not just through their athletic abilities, but also by demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship and school spirit. Go Arbour Vista Vipers!
FYI: October Communications Newsletter from Board
The October Communications Newsletter is out! This is the monthly public-facing newsletter from the communications department, so please feel free to share with your communities.
In this month's issue we have information about:
iWALK & iWHEEL Month
The UGDSB Family Portal
And more!
You can view the newsletter here: https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/communications-newsletter
Get to know the UGDSB’s Family Portal
This fall the Upper Grand District School Board is launching the UGDSB Family Portal to all families in the board. Some families may already have access to the Family Portal as it was soft-launched last year.
The UGDSB Family Portal puts your child’s school information in one secure place. See bus updates, IEPs, School Cash Online, and more—anytime. It’s easy to use, with single sign-on for many tools (and we’re adding more).
Get started: https://family.ugdsb.on.ca/
Need help? Please see this FAQ or contact your school office for support.
Volunteering For Sports & Field Trips
If you are interested in participating as a volunteer for school events such as sporting activities, class trips, and more, please ensure that you have a valid Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). VSCs can be submitted to the office within 6 months of receipt and remain valid on file for 5 years.
If you’re unsure about the status of a previous VSC, please contact Mme Schletz in the main office for assistance.
New VSC applications can be submitted on-line through the Guelph Police website, or you can simply search Guelph Vulnerable Sector Check.
School Council
We’re excited to invite you to our first School Council meeting of the year!
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, October 7
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: School Library
This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and learn more about how you can be involved in supporting our school community. We hope to see you there!
Dance-a-thon- Donations, Snack Order Deadline and Volunteers
EAV is excited to welcome back the same great DJ, Riff Whims (formerly Professor Jamz) to help us fundraise and host a day the students look forward to all year. October 23rd is the day! If you haven’t seen a Dance-a-thon pledge envelope come home yet, check those backpacks. Let’s get fundraising to support the DancED program at EAV. If you’re getting together with family and/or for a holiday or festival, it might be a good time to ask if they would make a donation.
Don’t miss out on preordered snacks for the Danceathon! The last day to order on School Cash Online is this Thursday, October 9th. Kindergarten students cannot purchase snacks at the Danceathon, so make sure to pre-order if you want snacks for your student(s).
Want to be part of the fun? Email jennifer.m.fender@gmail.com. We need volunteers to help from 10:45am - 12:05pm (Juniors), 1:15 - 2:15pm (Intermediates) and 2:15 - 3:15pm (Cleanup). Kindergarten and Primary volunteers slots have been filled.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is on Monday October 13th. This time of year reminds us of the importance of family, community, and the connections we share, both at school and at home.
Wishing you and your family a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving weekend filled with joy, love, and togetherness.
CCAT DATES
Please be advised that the CCAT administration dates have changed, as a result of some shipping issues at the board level. The dates will be as follows:
Week of Oct 20-23: CCAT practice tests
Week of Oct 27-30: CCAT Testing Dates
International Walk/Wheel to School Month
The Upper Grand District School Board is participating in iWALK/iWHEEL. Active travel to school aligns with the UGDSB’s Multi-Year Plan priorities of Championing Health and Well-Being and Leading Through Sustainability. As part of this month, we are encouraging students and staff to walk, wheel or roll to and from school throughout the month, where able and where it is safe to do so.
Walking or wheeling to school contributes to:
Reduced vehicular traffic near the school entrance, which improves road safety.
Reduced noise and air pollution from excessive vehicle use.
Improved levels of physical activity among children.
Improved cognitive development and brain health.
Improved memory, attention in class and academic performance.
Oral Health Survey- from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Public Health is inviting residents of Wellington County, Dufferin County and the City of Guelph who are 15 years of age or older to complete a survey about their oral health and experiences in accessing dental care services.
The survey will gather information about:
the oral health status and dental service needs of WDG residents;
awareness and use of free and low cost dental programs and services;
barriers WDG residents have to accessing oral health services and programs;
gaps in dental services in WDG including populations who may not have access to oral health services.
We are reaching out to community partners who may be interested in sharing the survey with clients or patrons. Your support is valuable to ensuring that the voices of residents across the WDG region are heard.
Here are some ways you can support our efforts:
Print the attached poster and post in your organization. We will also mail/drop off printed posters upon request.
Tooth-shaped postcards (double-sided) for individual distribution. Please request these and we will mail/drop off.
Complete the survey yourself (if you live in WDG)
Please contact dentaladmin@wdgpublichealth.ca to request any of the above printed resources and we would be happy to mail or deliver to you! The survey will be promoted until December 31, 2025.
Halloween
Our school celebrates Halloween with costume dress-up and/or black and orange. We will ask that parents carefully consider the costumes their children wear to school as they will need to wear them all day. If students choose to wear a costume they should come to school wearing it. Please have regular clothes available for your child, as they may need to change out of their costumes part way through the day. Class specific activities may be communicated as applicable by your child’s teacher.
If your child(ren) does not participate in Halloween please inform their teacher and there will be alternate activities available.
Costumes: It is our responsibility to ensure that school community members avoid using identities and cultures as costumes. This includes appropriative costumes/cultural stereotypes (i.e. cultural garments), black/brown face, transphobic costumes, body-shaming and objectifying costumes, and costumes that joke about situations that have caused harm (i.e. COVID pandemic). Such costumes perpetuate stereotypes and can cause harm that can further marginalize and oppress community members.
Also, please note:
Accessories are to stay home
We ask that students not share candy/drinks/treats; however, students may bring a treat for themselves in their lunch
A reminder that costumes should not be scary as we have young students who may be frightened.
Please clearly label your child’s costume with their name
Costumes should not include masks
Peruse the News
Please look to the school website for upcoming information.
Have a great week!