Ding dong! For those of you who have visited the school this week you will notice that we finally got a camera and a buzz-in system at the front of the school. Should you come to the school during the day you will need to press the buzzer located to the right of the front door. One of our office staff will respond and will remotely open the door for you. You should hear a click to let you know the door is open. Please note that the front door will remain locked at all times. Additionally, the doors at the back of the school will be locked throughout the day, with the exception of recess when students need regular access to the washrooms. The portable students will have a keyless entry system so that they are able to access the washroom, but the door will remain locked. We are happy to have this system up and running.
This week we sent information letters home to families of students in grades four to eight about the WHY Survey. This anonymous online survey is a partnership between the Upper Grand DSB and Public Health to find out how kids are feeling about school and life in general. The survey will be conducted in class in the coming weeks. Look for the information sheet in your child’s backpack. I will be sending home a parent survey via the Google Classrooms to students in grades 4-8 next week.
In honour of World Food Day our Spencer Ave Allies are running a community food drive. See the attached flyer for more information:
At the end of the month many of our students will be celebrating Halloween. Students are welcome to wear costumes, wear black and white, or just dress like they do for a regular school day. We do want to make sure that all students feel respected in our community. To that end, if you are sending your child with a costume please remember the following:
Students must be able to get in and out of their costumes independently
No weapons of any sort
No covering of the face - we like to see our students
Students need to remember that culture is not a costume. We ask that costumes depicting the elements of someone’s culture be avoided (e.g., cowboys and Indians, gypsies, Day of the Dead, darkening skin).
Costumes must be modest and in line with our dress code
Just a reminder that next Friday is a PD Day and the school is closed to students. Teachers will be working on AI Cyber Security, Keeping Schools Safe and Upholding Human Rights in the morning. In the afternoon teachers will be working on Progress Reports and Initial Observations.
Upcoming Dates:
October 21 - ECE Appreciation
October 21 - FTP Presentations - MacLaren, Edwards, Hunter and Lowrie
October 22 - Ultimate Frisbee Tournament - After School
October 23 - Kindergarten to Erin Hills Acres
October 23 - Final You’re the Chef
October 27 - Grade 3 CCAT Testing (all this week)
October 27 - School Council Meeting @ 6:30pm
October 28 - FTP Presentations - MacLaren, Edwards, Hunter and Lowrie
October 28 - Engineers in Residence Presentation
October 31- FTP Presentations - Geniole, Sy, Mistry and Kennedy
Have a great weekend!