March Newsletter

***SAFETY CONCERN***

We have noticed in recent weeks that parents are parking in front of the main entrance door and in the wheelchair accessible parking space. This causes congestion in the parking lot, which has the potential for accidents to occur. Therefore, we are asking parents to be very cognizant of this during drop off and pick up. Please park your vehicle in a designated parking space if you come into the school for/with your child and do NOT block the main entrance. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter as we strive to ensure the safety of our students.

****Please note that our school parking lot is an IDLE-FREE ZONE.****

Follow us on Twitter @ staaSTALLIONS for the most up-to-date information on events, school closures, etc.

TEACHER/STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK –THANK YOU!!!

A sincere thank you to parents and community members/ organizations who sent in treats/meals/prizes for staff and/or volunteered your time in any way during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week! We were absolutely amazed by the special treatment we received! Your generosity was greatly appreciated!

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Friday, February 28

Deadline for Valentine’s Fundraiser/Supply Drive for Local Animal Rescue Groups

Friday, March 6

Professional Development Day (No school for students)

Sunday, March 8

Daylight Savings Time

(Clocks Go Ahead 1 Hour)

Sunday-Saturday, March 8-14

Education Week: 2020 Vision

(Memo to follow next week regarding activities)

Friday, March 13

Kinderstart Session (No school for kindergarten students.)

Monday, March 16

St. Patrick’s Day Holiday (No school for students and staff.)

Wednesday. March 18

Term 2 - Report Cards go Home

Thursday, March 19

Parent-Teacher Conferences

1-3 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m.

**Students will be dismissed at 11:45a.m. and there will be no cafeteria services.**

Thursday, April 2

Kindergarten Pictures

Thursday, April 9

Last Day of School before Easter Break

Monday, April 20

School Reopens

Monday, May 18

Victoria Day Holiday (No school for students and staff.)

Friday, May 22

Kinderstart Session (No school for kindergarten students.)

Thursday, June 25

Last Day for Students

Friday, June 26

Administration Day

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT SURVEYS

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have released the 2019-20 School Development Surveys online. The primary purpose of these research-based surveys is to support the school development process. The survey results will be provided to our school and used with other data to identify the school’s strengths and challenges, thereby allowing us to create and implement a plan to build on our successes and address any areas of challenge.

We ask that you complete the family survey before March 20, 2020 at https://www.research.net/r/SDFamily1920EN

If you do not have internet access, you may contact the school to arrange access to a school computer or mobile device for survey completion.

DROP OFF NOTICE

Please note that our doors open at 8:15 a.m. to allow students to enter the building. Teachers do not begin supervision until 8:15, so we ask that students are not dropped off at the school until that time.

OUTDOOR PLAY

As much as possible, students will be going outdoors during recess (primary) and lunch (elementary). Therefore, please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather each day.

SCHOOL VISITORS

All visitors to the school, INCLUDING PARENTS OF STUDENTS, are requested to CHECK INTO THE OFFICE UPON ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOL. Assistance will be provided upon request. This will help to reduce interruptions of students’ work in the classroom and control the large numbers which are in the corridors prior to, during, and following classes. Most importantly, it helps ensure the safety of our students.

RECYCLING INITIATIVE

The top recyclers for January were:

Alisha Healey

Alanna O’Keefe Donahue

Chase Murray

AJ Power

Brooklyn Williams

Jordan Traverse

Mikel Park

Carter Miller/Victoria Traverse

Rory Griffin

Anna Ryan

Students were treated to lunch on Monday, February 10. Alicia Healey won a $20 gift card for being the top recycler and Max Callahan won a $20 gift card for the random draw. Congratulations to all!

The deadline for February is Friday, February 28. We thank you again for your continued support of our recycling fundraiser!

**Please be advised that we have had to make a slight change to our recycling initiative to follow District policy. On a go forward basis we will be awarding students with $20 gift cards, not $20 cheques, each month and the year-end prize for the top recycler will be an item or combination of gift cards valued up to $300, not a cash prize. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.**

ELECTRONICS POLICY

This is a reminder that electronics (including ipads, cell phones, etc.) are not permitted to be used in school. If students bring such devices to school (for the bus ride), they must be stored in their lockers during the day. Please note that we are not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen devices.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

March 1 – Paige Pomroy

March 2 – Jayden Leonard

March 3 – Jack Careen

March 4 – Ethan Fitzpatrick

March 8 – Owen Bennett

March 11 – Laila Walsh

March 13 – Williams Ryan

March 14 – Cameron Leonard

March 14 – Destiny Pomroy

March 16 – Nathan Keefe

March 16 – Shyanne Sawers

March 17 – Makena Van Puymbroeck

March 18 – Saif Alfiya

March 18 – Andrew Picco

March 22 – Gabriella Allen

March 22 – Miles Glover

March 25 – Hannah Allen

March 29 – Rachel O’Keefe

March 29 – Savannah Ryan

March 30 – Kaison Gollop

March 30 – Logan Mulrooney

THANK YOU!

Thank you to the Town of Placentia for Winter Carnival Activities on February 13, and to Provincial Ready Mix for providing transportation to and from the Dunville Ball Field, to the Dunville Lions Club for providing hot chocolate, it was greatly appreciated!

Thank you to Ms. Melanie Whyte and Ms. Megan Traverse for preparing popcorn for Valentine’s Day.

Thank you to Parker O’Reilly for his donation of books to the school library.

Thank you to AJ and Sam Power for their donation of $20 to the Breakfast Program.

Thank you to Gracie Wiseman for her donation of juice to the Breakfast Program.

Thank you to our Placentia Lions Atom team for their donation of Juice, Cheese Strings, Cheese Whiz, and Nuitgrain Bars to our Breakfast Program.

Thank you to Melanie Whyte & Megan Traverse and Danielle Caul, Veronica Power & Debbie Smith from Eastern Composite Services for preparing pancakes for our students & staff on Pancake Day.

Thank you to Nathan Palfrey for the pizza lunch for his 302 class.

***We are so grateful for the many donations we received this month! If we have missed a donation, we apologize. Please let us know so that we can include it in next month’s newsletter.***

SKATE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Due to the generosity of our school community, we have a large number of skates here at the school that are available for children to borrow (whether for a day, a week, or a season). Drop by the office and we will direct you to skate room where children can try on a pair to borrow.

STAMPS

Mrs. Whiffen would like to thank all students and parents who have been sending in used stamps in memory of her mother, Mary Moore. These stamps are sent away to help children who are less fortunate than us. Please continue to send in your stamps.

PLACENTIA PUBLIC LIBRARY WORKSHOPS

Placentia Public Library will be offering free writing workshops for students in grades 4 to 8 in

coordination with the Ripple Foundation and their annual Kids Write 4 Kids Contest. These

workshops will take place on Tuesday, March 10, and Thursday, March 12 from 3:00-5:00p.m. and Saturday, March 14 from 1:00-2:00p.m.. Space is limited, so students must register in advance by calling the Placentia Public Library at 227-3621 or online at ripplefoundation.ca.