Monthly Archives: September 2022

Good morning Angels,

Please note that the bus has been delayed by 40 minutes this morning.

Thank you for your patience!

Good afternoon Angels, 

We are off to a fantastic start at St. Michael School! It was wonderful to see the smiles in the school this past week. Our Angel Staff made our students feel welcomed and engaged and we thank them for all the care they have put into the start of this year. We would also like to share our gratitude to YOU for preparing your children for the start of school. We have also returned to the whole school being on one schedule so our yard at recess is full of energy and excitement. Students are greatly enjoying our new GagaBall pit and Creative Playground. Students are quickly adjusting back to all the familiar and new school routines. We have many new students and families that have joined St. Michael and we are happy to welcome them as part of our Angel Community. We are rooted in the examples and teachings of the Gospel values which are a core aspect of our Catholic Education. We look forward to another year together.

As you have heard, Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 years old. The flags at our school have been lowered in recognition of this historical event.

Mandatory Forms ~ School Cash Online
There are many mandatory school start-up forms posted in School Cash Online for you to complete for EACH child in addition to those sent home in papercopy. Please return forms to school, and complete those found on SchoolCash Online, as soon as possible. 

If you are NOT registered for School Cash Online please sign up:  School-Cash-Online-Register-Login-Instructions    

Spirit Wear Wednesdays
Staff and students are encouraged to wear their Angels spirit wear or Blue & Gold each Wednesday! Show your St. Michael school spirit! 

Save the Date: School Picture Day
SMILE! Our school picture day is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th. 

PARKING and DROP-OFF REMINDERS
Our parent community is incredible when it comes to supporting student safety.  Thank you parents for helping this past week with drop-off and pick-up and following all protocols, including not coming onto the yard. Also please be reminded that the parking lot is not open for student pick up or drop off.  This helps to keep our Kiss and Drop area a safe place for our Kindergarten families.  Additionally, there is no supervision on the yard until 8:45am.  All students are asked not to be dropped off before this time to ensure optimal safety. Please note that the creative playground is closed 15 minutes before and after school to ensure safe arrival and dismissal routines. The safety of your child(ren) is our main concern.

St. Michael School is a great place to be! We thank you for your support as we continue to provide your children with a vibrant, healthy, Faith-based environment that will encourage them to be actively engaged and responsible in their learning. We look forward to working with you and seeing all the students at St. Michael excel spiritually, academically, and socially this school year.

Coming Soon:

September 27th ~ School PHOTO DAY!

September 27th ~ First School Council (CSAC) Meeting

September 29th ~ St. Michael Feast Day and Open House (more details to follow soon!)

September 30th ~ Every Child Matters ~ Orange Shirt Day

October 10th ~ Thanksgiving Monday

October 24th ~ P.A. Day

Good Afternoon,

Please note that our school bus has been delayed by approximately 15-20 minutes this afternoon. Please wait at stop for your child(ren).

Thank you!

Bus Transportation 

We just received word from the Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region:
“Due to a software malfunction, STSWR and our bus operators will not be able to post late notices on websites for transportation routes that are not running on schedule.  Further, late notices cannot be sent to parents via e-mail or text message as normal. We apologize for this late notice and the issues it will create to your schedules.”

We will aim to send Newswire communications from St. Michael if we are aware of delays, as was the case yesterday after school.

STSWR continues to navigate challenges related to a shortage of school bus drivers in some parts of Waterloo Region. This will have an impact on school bus operations in September. Please see information on their recent post:

https://www.stswr.ca/blog/2022/09/01/anticipated-transportation-service-delays/

If you have any questions related to bussing, please visit the Student Transportation website https://www.stswr.ca/ for more information.

PARKING and DROP-OFF REMINDERS

Just a reminder that the Kiss and Drop at the front of the school is for our JK/SK families only. These families will receive a pass to display in their windshield to allow access. All other families are asked to park on side streets or Winterhalt Ave and walk children to designated pedestrian drop-off areas.

Also a reminder that the Langs parking lot across the street is not to be used for pick-up/drop-off for St. Michael.

Thank you for your continued support, understanding, and attention to these reminders.

Good afternoon St. Michael,

The school bus has been delayed by approximately 20 minutes. Please wait at stop for your children.

Thank you!

Happy Long Weekend Angels!

As we all look forward to Tuesday, we wanted to give you a few important back-to-school reminders and updates. We can’t wait to see our Angel students this coming week!

A very special warm welcome to our new families who are joining the St. Michael school community!

Please join us in welcoming: Ms. Forte (Early Years Teacher), Ms. Nantel (Early Childhood Educator), Ms. Junior (Early Childhood Educator), Mr. Najm (Gr 2/3), Ms. Welsh (Gr 7), Ms. Taylor (7/8), Ms. Kaur (Educational Assistant), Mr. Tchigio (French), Mr. Bassin (Lunch Hour Supervisor). 

Thank you to our AMAZING teaching staff and support staff who have been planning and preparing for the new school year. They have created welcoming learning spaces for all our students, and we are grateful to be working with such amazing educators.

Thank you to Mrs. Best, Mrs. Starr, Mr. Gibson, and Ms. Newell who have been working to ensure that we have a smooth start and transition to the 2022-2023 school year!

Class Placements:
To support our transition back to school, families will have received classroom teacher information on Friday, September 2nd through SchoolCash online. Please know that class lists continue to be tentative due to ongoing registrations which impact enrollment and staffing. Staffing and classroom changes will be directed by the Board office and may occur during the first two weeks of school. Our staff takes great care in considering students’ needs when creating class placements. Together as partners in education, we can ensure a positive start-up for our Angel students.

Class Assignment Instructions:

1. If you have multiple children you will need to log onto each cash online account to see who their teacher is.
2. Please no parents/guardians/caregivers on the school yard, staff and students only.
3. On the first day of school, children are to go to the back school yard. Their teacher will be waiting with a sign that has the grade and teacher name. 
4. Please review with your child(ren) what they will have to do and who their teacher is. Please know that additional staff will be on the yard to assist students locating their class.
5. All bus students will be supported by staff.
6. After school, all students in the school building will be dismissed out the back of the school. No parents/guardians/caregivers on the school yard. Exception: Parents of Grade 1 students are allowed on the grass area the first day of school to discuss dismissal routine with the classroom teacher. 
7. If your child is not a bus student, remember to arrange your after school meeting spot/pick-up location. 
8. When on your child’s Cash Online Account please complete all back to school forms for each child. 

We have a lot of staff that will help your kiddos find where they need to go. Can’t wait to see you Angels!

Reminder: Kindergarten SK students do not start school until Wednesday September 7th.

NEW Covid-19 Procedures:
Please take a moment to review the NEW and UPDATED COVID-19 information here:
COVID-19 INFORMATION & RESOURCES  

We will still ask that everyone – staff and students – complete the COVID-19 School Screening each day before coming to school and closely follow the instructions. This will be the tool that is used until the Ministry of Education tells us otherwise, to determine if someone is healthy enough to attend school on any given day.  Please follow the school screener found at: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening

At this time, masks will not be mandatory for students, staff, and visitors in schools, or on student transportation. Since masking is optional and some individuals may choose to wear, or not to wear a mask within their school communities, we strongly encourage everyone to be respectful of individual choices.

Medical Plans of Care:
If your child has medical concerns or a life-threatening condition you will be receiving their Medical Plan of Care the first week of school. Please read the Verification Copy of the Plan of Care carefully, sign, and return it to school as soon as possible. Please note that students with anaphylaxis require two current Epipens for school. Please label the Epipens, send to school with your child(ren), or drop off at the office. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Also a reminder to all families that we are a NUT-FREE school. 

School Supplies:
Please do not go out and purchase large quantities of school supplies.  If you are looking at getting something, please get a sturdy backpack, a lunch bag, a reusable water bottle, and a pair of indoor shoes.  Anything else can be purchased AFTER being in the classroom and seeing what may be required.  Most of the school supplies will be provided by the school.

Transportation:
Please find important information from STSWR in this communication: https://www.wcdsb.ca/important-student-transportation-update/

• Any student/family who changed their address in June, July, or August will have their transportation services begin on September 19th, 2022.
• Families can visit STSWR website to find their students’ transportation route information. 
  
• If your child is bus eligible but they are not riding please fill out the DO NOT RIDE form online as soon as possible.

STSWR continues to navigate challenges related to a shortage of school bus drivers in some parts of Waterloo Region. This will have an impact on school bus operations in September. Please see information in their most recent post:
https://www.stswr.ca/blog/2022/09/01/anticipated-transportation-service-delays/

If you have any questions related to bussing, please visit the Student Transportation website STSWR website for more information.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, September 6th!

Mon. Sept. 5th: Labour Day (No School)

Tues. Sept. 6th: Welcome back Angels (Grades 1 – 8)  

Tues. Sept. 6th: JK scheduled visits

Wed. Sept. 7th: All SK students attend school 

Wed. Sept. 7th: SPIRIT DAY! Wear your BLUE & GOLD!

Thurs. Sept. 8th: Pre-scheduled groups of JK students will begin

Fri. Sept. 9th: Pre-scheduled groups of JK students will begin

Fri. Sept. 9th: All CashOnline Forms Due 

Dear Waterloo Catholic Families,  

We are excited to be welcoming you and your family back for the start of the 2022-23 school year. We offer a special welcome to all families joining us for the first time this year. We hope that all of you had a great summer and are looking forward to the new opportunities this year will bring.

If you need information about registering for school, please CLICK HERE .

We look forward to joining with you this year in the name of Catholic education to support the academic success and faith formation of all of our students.  We are thankful for the opportunity to work together with you to provide the very best educational opportunity possible for your child and family.   

I am writing to you today to provide important information to assist with your planning as we approach our first day of school next Tuesday, September 6, 2022. 

COVID Health and Safety Protocols

On August 5, the Ministry of Education released the Health and Safety protocols for the start of the school year.  Most protocols and guidelines remain unchanged to those that were in place at the end of June. We continue to work with our local public health officials to ensure we are aligned with the most up-to-date guidance and hope to minimize any potential disruptions to learning throughout this school year.  

The following is a summary of what you can expect in September:  

Ventilation – Over the past several years, significant upgrades have been made in school ventilation systems to support a healthy learning environment.  Our custodial and maintenance staff have been working throughout the summer to ensure our schools are safe, clean and that the ventilation systems have been inspected and properly maintained to welcome staff and students back. UV or combination UV/HEPA filtration units will continue to be present in all classrooms and learning spaces throughout this school year. 

Daily Screening – Staff and students are asked to continue to screen each morning before school using the COVID-19 school screening (ontario.ca) resource, and stay home when feeling unwell or exhibiting symptoms.  We ask that screening become part of your personal daily routines.  The daily screening requirements and related guidance may change throughout the year and notification of any changes will be communicated to our community.    

Masking – Continuing with the protocols in place in June – and based on the advice of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health – masks will remain optional for students, staff and visitors in schools, and on student transportation.  We continue to support a mask-friendly environment in our schools and workplaces and recognize there are times when staff or students may need to wear masks in alignment with provincial or federal guidance or may choose to wear masks if there is a high incidence of illness in our community. Masks will continue to be available upon request to staff and students in the 2022-23 school year.  

Rapid Antigen Tests – Rapid Antigen Test kits will continue to be available to staff and students in schools as needed.     

For more information about school start-up routines, please watch for updates from your school this week.   

Thank you for your ongoing support of Catholic Education.  We look forward with anticipation to the new opportunities this year will bring.

I wish you all the best as we begin this school year in the coming week.

Sincerely,

Tyrone Dowling

Director of Education