As we approach Halloween, we anticipate the excitement of all who will celebrate and I hope that parents will assist in helping to maintain safety at the school on this fun day by following these requests.
- No food or candy should be shared on Halloween.
- Students are invited to wear a costume to school. Culture is NOT Costume: Please refrain from using costumes that represent a cultural group or ethnicity. (e.g. First Nations, Chinese, Arabic, etc.)
- Costume Masks are NOT Necessary: Wearing costume masks during the school day can compromise the safety of the community. We should always be identifiable in our community so we can avoid having unwelcome guests. They may also hinder the sight of students at school.
- Weapons as Part of Costumes: Wearing Replica Weapons presents a possible compromise to the safety and wellbeing of staff and students. Costume weapons should not be part of their costumes for the day.
- Grade 4-8 students must wear a mask throughout the day and grade JK-3 students are encouraged to wear a mask. Students will be expected to wash their hands with soap and water or sanitize their hands regularly throughout the day and they will be reminded to maintain physical distancing at all times.
Many of our students will enjoy receiving treats if they go Trick or Treating! As always, we discourage students from bringing candies to school for snacks. Many candies and treats, especially the small chocolate bars that the children receive may contain peanuts or other nuts. These are great to enjoy at home. Given the variety of allergies we have throughout our building, we ask all families to be vigilant when selecting which snacks to bring to school. Fruits and vegetables are a recommended option. It is also important that students don’t trade snacks with each other. Again, we do ask that no food be sent into the school from families for celebrations (i.e. cupcakes or loot bags containing food). Your continued support of student safety is greatly appreciated.
Cross Country Meet at St. Mary
On Thursday, October 29th, classes will be invited to participate in the St. Mary Cross Country Meet. Classes will participate by maintaining physical distancing at all times. Students who participate in the Cross Country run will receive a participation ribbon. Thank you to Ms. Ceci for organizing this event for us and thank you to classroom teachers who helped train students throughout the month of September and October to participate in the run.
Safety Protocols for Drop Off and Pick Up
We respectfully remind parents to adhere to health and safety protocols when picking up and dropping off child(ren) at school. Safety is a shared responsibility. Parents/guardians must follow Government of Ontario’s mandates regarding physical distancing of 2 metres/6 feet and mask wearing. Parents are advised to drop off children as close to the bell time as possible. This will prevent unnecessary congregation or mixing. Parents are asked to leave school grounds promptly after drop off and/or pick up. To accommodate for this, we continue to follow a staggered dismissal schedule. Students in Grades Kindergarten to 3 are dismissed at 3:20pm and students in Grades 4-8 are dismissed at 3:30pm.
Active School Travel Program encourages parents to drop off children a block away from school and safely walk students to school. This will help avoid congestion at the school and will help keep our school zone safe. This will also support students’ physical and mental well being.