December 2022 Newsletter
Principal’s Message
Winter is upon us, and it is such a joy to watch Victory students playing in the snow! They love to build, slide, climb and make snow angels and snowballs! This also means that it’s time to send in extra mittens and socks! We love our outdoor time at Victory and we will be going outside for recess unless the temperature is extreme. It is important that students dress for the cold conditions. Remember there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!
It was wonderful to see so many parents coming out to participate in parent-teacher interviews. We want the lines of communication open between home and school as we work as a team to help support all students. Please know that you can always contact teachers or myself if you have any questions or concerns.
I want to thank Cynthia Lean who is organizing our Holiday Craft Sale this year. Countless hours go into organizing flyers, volunteers, tables, and set-up. This sale gives our students an opportunity to pick out special gifts for loved ones. Many students look forward to this event all year. We greatly appreciate all that you do Cynthia. I would also like to thank all of the parents and volunteers who donated items to be sold and/or who are coming out to help run the event. The sale is on Thursday, December 1st. Students are encouraged to bring a list of family members’ names and ages and of course some money. Volunteers will be on hand to assist students in finding the perfect item and they will gift wrap them on the spot. This event helps students experience the wonderful feeling one gets when they are able to pick out something special and give it to a loved one….the spirit of giving. Cynthia has also organized an evening market again this year for parents/families/community members to shop at. She has invited different crafters in the area to sell their crafts at an evening market. This is a fundraiser for School Council as they rent a table. We hope you will come out to shop at the sale; this can be a family event
With the festive season upon us there will be much excitement in the air! Although our focus will be to work hard towards accomplishing our personal goals and next steps, we will take time to come together as a school community to celebrate the season of giving. During the last two days of school before the holidays we will begin our day by coming together as a whole school to sing and perform.
I wish you all peace and happiness. Time is one of the best gifts we are given. Enjoy family time over the holidays. Take time to snuggle up and read together, play board games, drink hot chocolate, build a snowman and just be together!
Carla Anderson
Religious Accommodations
If at any time your child requires accommodations for reasons of religious beliefs or practices, please do not hesitate to contact the office to see what arrangements can be made. With many celebrations approaching we want to ensure we are meeting the needs of all of our children. If we can assist with planning around absences for Religious Holy Days, dietary requirements, fasting or other accommodations, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
JK Registration
Parents, Mark Your Calendars…
Kindergarten Registration for September 2023 will be coming soon!
Registration will begin on January 10th, 2023.
Stay tuned, as more information will be coming!
Progress Reports and Parent-Teacher Interviews
Progress Reports went home on November 17, 2022. Interviews will take place on Friday, November 25, 2022 during the day.
As always, parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they have any questions or concerns about their child’s progress. Teachers remain committed to ongoing communication with individual parents/guardians regarding student progress and development.
Visitors to our School
We ask that all visitors to the school check in at the office. If you are picking up your child from school early, please allow enough tine to come into the school and sign your child out. We will call your child down to the office once you arrive. If your child is arriving late and you are dropping them off at school, please let the office know and sign your child in. In both cases, we will collect/deliver your child safely to the appropriate location.
Thank you for helping to ensure the safety of our students!
Inclement Weather
Students benefit year-round from fresh air and exercise, and we have outdoor recess breaks whenever possible. Please be sure that your child has appropriate outerwear and boots, as well as extra socks and mittens for those inevitable soakers!
We also stress the importance of safety when walking to and from school by crossing streets with patrollers and walking with an adult or buddy.
If your child comes to school by bus, please note that we are in Division 1 – the yellow card zone (City of Guelph). If the bus is cancelled in the morning it will not run in the afternoon, so parents who drive their children to school will need to pick them up at the end of the day. Parents can check on the status of bus cancellations by checking www.stwdsts.ca .
Safe Arrival Program
If your child is going to be absent or late, please call the school at 519 822-6931 x100 to let the school know. Our answering machine is ready to accept your call any time after 4:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m., if it’s more convenient to leave a message. If your child is marked absent we will call all numbers we have on file to make sure that your child is safe. If we do not hear from you, our next step would be to call the police.
Please be sure to let us know if your work or emergency contact information changes during the school year. Thank you for continuing to phone the school at (519)822-6931 to let us know when your children are going to be away.
School Council
Please join us in the Victory School Learning Commons on Wednesday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m. for this month’s School Council Meeting. This is a great way to find out what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’ at your child’s school. Please find the agenda on our website under the School Council tab. Also check out their website at: [email protected]
Drawstring Concerns
Health Canada has issued its annual warning about the potential danger of children being seriously injured or strangled by drawstrings on outerwear. Drawstrings, especially on snowsuits, jackets and sweatshirts, can become caught on objects such as fences and can cause serious injury.
Health Canada advises parents and caregivers to check all children’s outerwear for loose drawstrings and:
– Remove all drawstrings from the head and neck area of children’s outerwear.
– At the bottom of children’s outerwear, either remove the drawstrings completely or trim the exposed length to 8 cm, with the garment fully stretched.
– Make sure the end of the drawstring is free of knots, loops or toggles, as they can also get caught.
– To keep it from slipping through its channel, make sure the drawstring is tacked to the garment.
-Ensure that new purchases of children’s clothing have alternate closures to drawstrings. These include elastics, buttons, velcro or snaps.
Creative Playground Structure
This is a reminder that all creative playground equipment areas (slides, climbers, etc.) are closed now for the winter. This includes before and after school. Please listen for announcements in April as to when they are open again.
School Spirit Days
We will be having the following Spirit Days in December: Wear green and red on December 19th, Wear a Holiday Hat December 21st and wear Holiday Comfy Wear on December 23rd.
Facts about You and the Flu
The flu can knock you off your feet for days and leave you feeling exhausted. But by arming yourself with more information about this common ailment, you can get through the experience with minimum discomfort.
Tips at-a-glance:
- The flu is caused by influenza viruses and is infectious three to seven days from onset
- The virus is transmitted through air (coughing, sneezing) and surface contact (doorknob or telephone)
- Most sufferers experience a sudden onset with headache, chills, cough, fever, runny nose, sneezing, throat irritation
- Flu season is commonly November through to May
- Frequent hand-washing helps prevent its spread
- Treat symptoms with fluids and rest
About the Flu
While the term “flu” is often applied to almost anything that makes us feel unwell, the flu is really a specific infection caused by influenza viruses and is usually a more severe illness than the common cold.
There are two main types of “flu”: influenza A and influenza B. Influenza A usually causes more severe illness than influenza B and can result in pneumonia, hospitalization or even death, especially in the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
Symptoms similar to the flu can also be caused by respiratory infections such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza viruses. These viruses primarily affect young children but can re-infect adults. They tend to be present in varying degrees every winter.
Flu Transmission
The flu virus is transmitted from person to person through droplets of saliva or phlegm that travel through the air, usually propelled by coughing or sneezing. This mode of transportation is especially effective in confined or enclosed environments, typically experienced in the winter months.
The flu can also be passed through surface contact, for example touching an object like a doorknob or telephone receiver that has been recently handled by an infectious person.
How Can I Avoid Getting Sick?
Hygienic practices such as hand washing, especially after contact with persons who may have the flu and after handling soiled tissues may, to some degree, reduce the risk of being infected. However, the only proven effective method of prevention is vaccination, preferably two weeks before the beginning of the active “flu” season.
The influenza vaccine is also recommended for people who are capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk (health care workers and household contacts) and those providing essential community services. Anyone older than six months who wish to protect themselves against influenza should also consider vaccination even if they are not in a high-risk group.
Coping During a Flu Outbreak
While everyone reacts differently, it is important to build your emotional resilience so you can use your energy to fight the virus instead of responding to stress.
To build resilience, try to:
- Be sure to eat a healthy diet, get as much rest as possible and try to exercise or at least stretch out muscles that may become tense due to stress
- Monitor yourself and other family members for flu symptoms
- Find healthy ways of managing your stress. This may include setting aside time each day to, for example: quietly face your worries (write them down or talk on the phone to a close friend or family member); practice yoga; find a quiet place to read undisturbed, etc.
Whenever flu season approaches, remember to be sure to wash your hands often, and if you are at risk, or would like to be vaccinated, to speak to your doctor or local clinic to make those arrangements. If you or someone you know does catch the virus, know that flu symptoms are only temporary, and that there are ways to alleviate them. If you experience severe symptoms or have deeper concerns, be sure to contact a medical professional.
Looking for additional support? Your Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) can help. You can receive support through a variety of resources. Call your EFAP at 1 800 387-4765 or visit workhealthlife.com
© 2019 Shepell. Material supplied by Shepell, the leading provider of integrated health and productivity solutions that address the mental, physical and social health issues affecting the workplace. This content is meant for informational purposes and may not represent the views of individual organizations. Please call your EFAP or consult with a professional for further guidance.
December 10th is HUMAN RIGHTS Day!
““You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall
Celebrate Human Rights Day on December 10th!
Human Rights Day calls on everyone to stand up for someone’s rights. It starts with each of us. Step forward and defend the rights of someone whose voice is not being heard. Recognize that human rights include the right for everyone to have access to clean water, unpolluted air and healthy food. http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/
Simple yet meaningful ways for your family to celebrate the rights and responsibilities that we all share as human beings!
Learn about how children live in other parts of the world. Find out about their schools or traditional food and language.
- Read the book: We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures by Amnesty International.
- Read the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights. Decide if there is a cause your family wants to support, or an Ecojustice action you want to take on.
- Make a World Wishes Dove with your family. Cut feathers from white paper. Have everyone in the family write their wish for the world on a feather. Cut out the body of a dove and glue all the feathers on it.
- Start a tradition of doing a family service project on Human Rights Day.Find an opportunity to volunteer in your local community and make a difference.
“For the bigger picture we can (and should) do what we can to fight injustice. But on a smaller scale, in the day-to-day, practicing kindness can help knit a web of compassion to give humanity a boost of resilience” by Melissa Breyer
STRESS BUSTERS PROGRAM
Click on the link for details about this program.
Head Lice
The beginning of the winter weather often seems to be a time when we discover a higher number of cases of head lice. Thank you to parents for checking your child(ren)’s hair frequently and letting us know if and when you find these pesky creatures. If head lice is found we encourage you to treat your child(ren) prior to them returning to school the next day and to retreat 7-10 days after the initial treatment or as recommended by the product you use.
For more information, please go to: http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/head_lice
Categories: News