Welcome To the 2017 – 2018 School Year!

WEBSITE: www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwilliamosler
TWITTER: @SWO_HWDSB
INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/swoeagles/
PHONE:  905-628-1588    E-MAIL:  [email protected]

                                       Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day

Hello Parents, Caregivers and Students,

Welcome to the 2017 – 2018 school year.   We hope that you’ve had a restful summer and are ready for a great year of learning together!

Fast facts about SWO:

• We are a JK – Grade 8 school with 590 students and 50 staff.
• The school has two floors of classrooms:  
  First Floor:  Gymnasium, Stage/Activity Room, Office, Learning Commons,YMCA Day Care
  Second Floor:  Art Room, Music Room, Science Room, Learning Pods
• Our school day begins at 9:10 am and ends at 3:30 pm and features a Balanced Day schedule.  
• There are two nutrition breaks. First break is 10:50 – 11:30 am and the second break is 1:10 – 1:50 pm.  Lunches are eaten in classrooms.
• The “Eagles Roost”, our school’s store, has a variety of nutritious snacks available to supplement your lunch. It will be open for business towards the end of September.

Announcing
We extend a warm welcome to our new team members.   For a 2017 – 2018 SWO staff list along with all contact co-ordinates, please visit the school website – https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwilliamosler/staff/

First Day
All students will meet on the playground on the first day.  Staff supervision begins at 8:55 am. Students will locate their homeroom teacher identified by a sign. Staff will be circulating to assist students in finding their homeroom.   
Students need to bring a nutritious nut-free snack and lunch.      

Forms coming home on September 5th
RETURN completed forms by Friday, September 8th, 2017 to your child’s homeroom teacher.

1. White: Media Consent Form – Review information letter and return agreement.
2. White: School Community Educational Excursions – Review, complete the form fully.
3. Red: Emergency School Closure Arrangements – Read, select option for emergency closure and sign.

These forms are very important as they ensure parental consents, accurate data and provide direction to us re: emergency closure procedures.  We appreciate your time in completing and returning them this week to your child’s homeroom teacher.

For your reference coming home:

• • HWDSB School Year Calendar (5 Day Cycle) and SWO School Times Handout 17_18 Please post it in a prominent place.
  • Insure My Kids Flyer and pamphlet – an option to purchase insurance for your child.
  • Growing Together: A Community Guide for Parents, Youth and Children– listing courses, groups and workshops available in Hamilton.

The First Month at SWO, students and staff will be:

• spending time getting to know each other in many different ways
• co-constructing together classroom agreements and norms to support how learning and collaboration will happen in all physical and digital spaces
• sharing and establishing classroom and school-wide routines that support creating a safe, nurturing and orderly environment
• discussing and understanding the SWO Student Code of Conduct

An update on how it is going will be shared via blogposts on the SWO website alongside with teacher communications and newsletters as the first month of school unfolds.

Parents / Caregivers & Students:  Please read Important Information & Procedures 2017 and discuss with your son / daughter.

Safe Arrival & Attendance
All absences from school must be justified by parents/caregivers. Parents / Caregivers must keep the school informed of any absences, lates, or early dismissals to school by either a phone call or a note delivered to the office.
Absences and Lates? Call us at 905 , ext 221 before  am. The line is open 24 hours.
When reporting an absence by phone or note, please include: your name and relationship to the student, student name and homeroom class, reason for absence and late arrival.

NOTE:  All unexplained absences will result in an automated call home.

Let’s Stay Connected @SWO!  Communication is key!
In the office, you will find Ms. Cadman-Cockburn and Mrs. McAuley along with Ms. Neale and Mme Kurtz.
Need to reach the office?     Phone:  905-628-1588 (voicemail 24/7)  E-Mail:  [email protected]

Here’s how to reach individual staff members via e-mail or phone:
Go to this link: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwilliamosler/staff and locate the staff member’s name to find out their contact co-ordinates and other ways they communicate (e.g. blog, twitter, etc.).

How do I learn more about SWO?  
Check out our website: www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwilliamosler
Parents and students be sure to navigate our website now and regularly for news and information.

How will the school communicate school-wide announcements and how will information be shared?

Sir William Osler School Website: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwilliamosler/announcements/  All announcements, flyers, updates, facts, stories and news items will be posted on our SWO School website.  Be sure to check it regularly, there are lots of news items!

Subscribe to the SWO website.   Links go directly to your e-mail inbox!
Using your e-mail address – www.hwdsb.on.ca/sirwiliamosler/subscribe
You will then receive a notification via e-mail with a link to each news item that has been posted.

Synervoice Messages
This is our automated calling system that informs you of the following:
Student Absences (unexplained), important phone messages or events as determined by the school and at times central messages from HWDSB.

Follow us on Twitter: @SWO_HWDSB
Short bursts of information, reminders and happenings are shared via our school twitter account.

Follow us on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/swoeagles/
A picture is worth a thousand words. Come and take a look and experience the SWO story.

On behalf of the SWO staff, we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 5th, 2016!
Ms. L. Neale, Principal  and Mme J. Kurtz , Vice-Principal