Education and Mental Health Week + More Important Information: Please Read
Dear SIB families,
Happy May and we hope that this email finds all of our SIB community safe and well! Here are a few important reminders and links as we carry on in our Distance Learning.
This week is Education and Mental Health Week. During these unprecedented times, Education and Mental Health Week will focus on the well-being of students, staff and community members. This year’s theme is Together We Can / Ensemble Nous Pouvons. The logo this year was designed by a Wellington Heights Secondary School student. Danielle B is a grade 11 student at the school. Her logo focuses on relationships as a school community, together with the board’s wellness work. This year, more than ever, we need to recognize the partnership between education and mental health. During these uncertain times, we know that many students, staff and families are struggling with their well-being due to so many unknown factors. Education and Mental Health week will focus on the Four M’s of Mental Health, a movement created by Dr. Sue Varma. Throughout the week, we will look at one of the M’s per day. The M’s stand for Movement, Meaningful Connections, Mastery and Mindfulness. Find out more by clicking the link: https://www.ugdsb.ca/blog/together-we-can-celebrating-education-and-mental-health-week/
This is a unique time with unique situations, please continue to encourage your child(ren) to engage in his/her class’ distance learning program. We understand that there is a lot going on in everyone’s lives and the routine of the distance learning program helps to build consistency during these uncertain days. It also allows students to connect with their friends and teachers! If you have any questions about the program please contact your child’s teacher. Click on the link to access SIB’s full list of teacher and staff emails. https://www.ugdsb.ca/sibps/staff/
Update regarding students’ belongings in schools: We have received a number of requests for the retrieval of student belongings from schools. Please note that in order to adhere to the provincial school closures order and Public Health protocols around physical distancing, access to our schools is restricted. The board is currently developing a plan for safely retrieving students’ personal belongings from our schools, which will continue to respect the current provincial and Public Health protocols. Once the plan is finalized and approved by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, we will communicate next steps to our UGDSB families and students. Thank you for your understanding.
Children are spending a lot of time online now for school and entertainment. Parents, be sure you are ready to help your child navigate the situations that can and will happen when online. Read the following link: https://protectkidsonline.ca/app/en/blog_202004_digital_diligence for tips on how to keep your child safe while homeschooling online. Also, check out the full website: https://protectkidsonline.ca/app/en/ to find out all kinds of information on helping your child stay safe on video games, social media and the internet. The section on Emerging Issues is always an important read: https://protectkidsonline.ca/app/en/emerging_issues-5_to_7
ClassRequests: Each year we receive class placement requests for the coming school year. If your child has some exceptional circumstances, please contact Mr. Guyitt directly in writing ([email protected]) so that he may take this into consideration when working with staff to create classes. Please know that when placing your child in a class, we consider their academic strengths and needs, personality, friendships, learning style and behaviour. Class building is a lengthy process that is given a great deal of thought by the staff. Thank you for recognizing that we do our very best for each and every student. Requests do need to be in to Mr. Guyitt by May 11th.
Tech Help for Families: To assist our families with tech support related to distance learning, the Upper Grand District School Board has a Tech Help webpage for parents and students. https://sites.google.com/ugcloud.ca/parenthelp/
Support for Special Needs Students: The Upper Grand District School Board has launched a website for parents/guardians with resources and information to support students with special education needs. https://www.ugdsb.ca/blog/ugdsb-launches-parent-website-for-supporting-students-with-special-education-needs/
Stay a safe distance and stay positive!
Categories: News • Newsletter