September 7th 2021
September 7th, 2021
Message from the Office
Hi Everyone!
Staff has been very busy getting ready for the return of our students. It is amazing to see the extra time and effort our teaching staff has put in to make learning spaces welcoming for our children. We are also grateful to Mrs. Bota and the custodial staff for the hard work and long hours they have put in to ensure a safe and clean environment for our returning children! Staff are focusing on creating safe and welcoming spaces for our students!
COVID protocols – please send your child with a mask and some spares. (We do have some at the school). Hand hygiene will be emphasized for safety as well as mask wearing. Masks are to be worn on school property.
We need your help for safety. Please ensure you complete the COVID Screening (on our website) everyday before your child comes to school. If your child is unwell, for any reason, please keep them at home.
We would like to welcome you to the school and encourage you to get involved! One of our ongoing goals (both the school’s and School Council’s) is to support parents in being a part of the school life; you can join school council, talk to your child’s teacher (or Ms. Holm or Mr. Keesmaat) about volunteering (has to be done online!) or sharing a special talent (singing, playing an instrument, reading, teaching a language or sharing stories of your background, etc.), or signing your child’s agenda and asking them “Tell me about your day?”.
All of this is reflected in our motto: Together: Empathy, Effort, Excellence
Ways to get information:
Please take the time to read our Parent Handbook, Code of Conduct and Safe Schools Anti-Bullying Plans in the “Resources” section of the website.
Follow us on Twitter: @taylorevansps
Visit the website: https://www.ugdsb.ca/tevans/ to view the calendar of events and access the newsletters.
You can also sign up to receive email notifications at the bottom of the school homepage.
Look for my Principal’s Blog at https://www.ugdsb.ca/tevans/category/principal-blog/ for topics relevant to parents, student work and resources. To help the environment, please note that our next newsletter will be sent electronically only. The newsletter is always posted to our website. A hard copy can be obtained by request from the classroom teacher.
We believe in open communication – please email, call us or come and talk to us on the yard!
Ken Keesmaat and Hayley Holm
UGCONNECT
The Upper Grand District School Board has a mobile app that allows parents/guardians to stay connected to their child’s school.
UGConnect is a free parent communication app and a one-stop resource for parents to find important information about their child’s school and the school board.
UGConnect has a number of handy features, including up-to-date information about school news, event calendars, and school closures. Push notifications will alert you to new information in real time.
Parents can access and manage their SchoolCashOnline account through the app in a fully secure environment. Due to COVID19, we are hoping that everyone can transition to online payments ONLY to limit handling cash.
UGConnect also ensures that board-wide news and your school’s social media accounts are right at your fingertips.
UGConnect is one of many ways that UGDSB staff work to keep parents informed. Download the mobile app for Android or iOS devices today!
Important Dates:
Please check our Calendar!
https://www.ugdsb.ca/tevans/calendar/monthly/
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE/MEET THE TEACHER
More information to follow. We will aim for a virtual open house in Early October! Continue to check our website and calendar!
SCHOOL COUNCIL
The first School Council meeting will be held virtually on Thursday, September 16th: 7-8 p.m. The night will consist of a Meet and Greet followed by elections. Check the school calendar for instructions to join us online. We welcome anyone who would like to come and see what council is about.
Every year your child’s life is enriched with support that your School Council brings to Taylor Evans. For those individuals that participate on School Council, their lives are enriched too, knowing that with a little support and effort they are contributing to the success of the Taylor Evans Public School community.
FORMS
Your child will be bringing home a variety of forms that will require your attention. These include:
- White Verification form: Please ensure it is accurate and complete. Make changes as necessary, sign it, date it and return it to your child’s home room teacher as soon as possible.
- Pink Consent to Share Personal Information: Please carefully read the forms. If you do consent to the conditions on the form, specifically the school using school/classroom websites and social media to share videos, pictures and student work with your family online, please check the appropriate box marked “YES”. If you do not consent to the conditions, please check the box marked “NO”. This form must be signed and returned to your child’s home room teacher promptly. Please refer to the back of the consent form for further clarification.
- Blue Educational Field Trips- Parental Information/ Consent Form: Please sign, date and fill out all necessary boxes on the form.
Reminder for parents/guardians: Student Accident Insurance
Parents and guardians are responsible for expenses related to student injuries on school premises or during school activities. Accidents can and do happen and the costs involved might not be fully covered by Provincial health care or employer group insurance plans.
The Upper Grand District School board is empowered under The Education Act to offer Accident and Life Insurance for students.
A Director’s letter will be sent home with students containing information with respect to two Programs available for the purchase of Student Accident Insurance. The Insuremykids Program is offered through Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada and the Study Insured Program is underwritten by Certain Lloyds’s Underwriters through AON Insurance.
Each program offers a variety of options, including family rates at affordable prices. The cost must be paid by the parent or guardian. Paper copies of the application are no longer available. Purchase is done directly online or by contacting the provider:
www.insuremykids.com or call toll free 1-800-463-5437
www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com or call toll free 1-833-560-0527.
For today’s active children, especially those who participate in field trips, co-curricular and other school activities outside the school day, Student Accident Insurance is valuable.
SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY
For the safety of all, skateboards, roller blades, and wheel shoes are not allowed on school property or buses. Please keep these items at home.
BICYCLES and SCOOTERS
Students are encouraged to ride their bikes or scooters to school. A bike and scooter rack is provided at the front of the school. Students MUST wear helmets and are strongly encouraged to lock their bikes to the rack. Please walk your bike while on school property. Maintain physical distancing.
SCHOOL VOICE MAIL
Each staff member has a voice mailbox and the school has a general voice mailbox which directs calls to the office staff. Please follow the instructions of the automated voice attendant to gain access to a particular voice mailbox. See the school website page called “Staff”.
The expectation is that staff check their voice messages regularly, as they do not have immediate access to phones. DO NOT leave attendance, emergency or time sensitive information in voice mailboxes.
IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE ABSENT OR LATE – new COVID protocols
Taylor Evans Public School operates a SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM for all students. Please contact the school prior to 8:15am if your child is going to be absent or late for school. If you know of an absence ahead of time you need to inform the office. We have a voice mail system – please leave your attendance messages in the general voice mailbox, ext 100. Please do not leave attendance messages in staff voicemail boxes.
Our Contact Number is: 519-766-4544, ext 100 or Press “0″
PARKING
We are a walking school. For the sake of wellness, please enjoy the walk to school with your child. The Parking Lot will be open only to staff and buses.
ENTRY AND DISMISSAL
Due to COVID 19 protocols, only essential visitors are permitted in the school and on the playground.
Please call the school number 519 766 4544, to talk to the Office Coordinator if picking up or dropping off your child other than at entry and dismissal times. We will bring your child to meet you outside the front doors.
BYOD
Parents/students please make a cooperative decision about their child bringing technology to school. Laptops, tablets and hand-held devices are allowed within classrooms, for educational use only. These electronic devices are not allowed in areas that are not directly supervised, such as the hallway, school yard, washrooms and the lunchroom. Please review the school Code of Conduct, Use of Technology section for more information which can be found on our website.
Our board has a wonderful resource for all of our students that can be accessed 24/7 from school or from home. It’s called UG2GO and includes Learn360 (educational video streaming), Student Link (a site children use at school that gives them access to web sites that are kid friendly and relate directly to their current units of study), Tumblebooks (a site that has hundreds of books children can click on and have read to them), Overdrive (eBooks and audiobooks), and much more.
When students are at home they can go to this URL:
They will be prompted to enter the same Windows username and password that they use at school to get onto the school network. Once they enter their Windows username/password they will enter the site and they can then click on any of the resources and be taken directly to the individual resource without the need for any additional passwords.
Please take a few minutes to explore the site with your child. It is an important tool that will aid them in their education, and may make your life easier when it comes to homework and projects. We are excited that students will be able to access information from anywhere and at anytime in this information age!
SCHOOL DAY
8:35 am – 10:15 am: Instructional Time
10:15 am – 10:55 am: 1st Nutrition Break
10:55 am – 12:35 pm: Instructional Time
12:35 pm – 1:15 pm: 2nd Nutritional Break
1:15 pm – 2:55 pm: Instructional Time
2:55 pm: Dismissal
PLANS OF CARE – formerly ASTHMA/LIFE THREATENING PLANS
Each year we compile a list of students who have asthma or a potentially life- threatening medical condition. The prevalent medical conditions covered under this policy are Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders. If your child has one of these, or any other life-threatening medical condition, please visit the Board website and look for Policy 518 or contact the school as soon as possible. We will work with you to develop a Plan of Care to support your child. If your child is considered to be one of these students please contact Ms. Holm (519-766-4544 ext 224) so that a plan can be developed in case of emergency.
Life-Threatening Allergies
We have children in our school with potential life-threatening allergies (called anaphylaxis) to various foods and other materials. Please do not send products that contain peanuts/nuts. Anaphylaxis is a medical condition that can cause death within minutes. In recent years, anaphylaxis has increased dramatically among students. Although this may not affect your child’s class directly, we are letting you know so that you are aware that we aim to create an allergy safe environment at our school. If your child is in a classroom with an anaphylactic child, or your child has anaphylaxis, you will be informed by the classroom teacher. Our school has procedures in place for the prevention and management of anaphylactic reactions. If your child has health concerns of any kind, please tell your child’s teacher or the office and we will take the necessary health protection steps. Thank you for your understanding in ensuring an allergy-safe environment for all of our students.
Smoke and Vape–Free Environment
The Upper Grand DSB provides a smoke-free environment for its students, staff and others while on school Board property, in accordance with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. This policy refers to all forms of tobacco, and any processed form of tobacco that may be smoked, inhaled or chewed, including e-cigarettes.
Smudging is the tradition of using sacred smoke from sacred medicines (e.g., tobacco and sage) that forms part of the indigenous culture and spirituality. Smudging is allowed in schools under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Parents will be informed using the school’s usual forms of communication when smudging is going to occur in our school. Participation by staff and students is optional in a smudging ceremony.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS- 2021
As part of the surveillance policy, we are required to notify everyone that we do have surveillance cameras at our school.
These areas are clearly marked with signage and video cameras are not being used in areas where students, staff and authorized visitors have a high expectation of privacy including change rooms, washrooms and staff rooms.
Video surveillance is in place for this reason as outlined in the policy #203 :
4.1 Information obtained through video surveillance will only be used for the purposes noted in this policy relating to the protection of staff, students, the public and property. This information could lead to discipline or consequences for individuals, or assist in the detection or deterrence of criminal activity and vandalism.
Should you have any questions please refer to the Upper Grand School Board’s Video Surveillance Policy #203 https://www.ugdsb.ca/board/policy/policy-203-video-surveillance/ or call the office.
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