Principal Update – Feb 2

Hello,

Winter routines are in full swing at Ancaster Meadow. There is a variety of information to share this week. For families looking for information about extra-curricular programs around the school, the morning announcements are displayed on the school website. The Basketball teams have started and have done well in their early games. We also have a ski trip upcoming on Feb 16th. Ancaster Meadow will host our in-school science fair this coming Tues Feb 6, parents are able to visit from 3:20 – 4:00pm.

Report Cards come home Wed Feb 13 for gr 1-8, Kindergarten Communication of Learning will come home on Friday Feb 16. The report card is an excellent time to formally review the progress of your son or daughter; if you have any questions you should contact your child’s teacher.

Kindergarten registration for the 2018-2019 school year is now open. Families can find information on the HWDSB website  https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/kindergarten/ You can print and complete registration forms at home and bring to the Main Office during school hours. The website will indicate the various documentation that you will need to bring. Registration forms are also available at the office.

For our grade 8 students, the option sheets for grade 9 are due on Fri Feb 9th. Families should talk to the homeroom teacher if you have questions about course selections. For students who expressed interest in attending Westmount, you should be receiving notification regarding acceptance.

Along with snow and cold weather, winter also brings an increase in illness. If a student is sick it is best if you can leave a message on the school voicemail  before 8am; phone messages can be left at any time of day. Early notification allows our office staff to more effectively handle morning attendance and saves families receiving unnecessary phone calls.  The school also tracks reports of the flu and follows some procedures for reporting spikes in illness to Public Health, if your child is exhibiting “flu-like symptoms” please leave that in the reason for the absence.

At the beginning of the year, the HWDSB and school shared information about making sure vaccination information is updated with Public Health. In the coming weeks, Public Health will be sending out suspension letters for students who do not have current immunization information on file. While the letters will come home from the school, they are issued by Public Health.  Please report all vaccines and the dates your child received them to Public Health. Online vaccine reporting is now available. Visit www.Hamilton.ca/vaccines for information on how you can report vaccines to Public Health. Parents need to direct questions regarding these letters to Public Health, the contact information will be contained in the letter.

February is Black History month and a number of classes will have assignments highlighting  Canadian Black history into the curriculum. Families interested in more information can start with the Government of Canada website https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

EQAO planning has started for our grade 3 and 6 students. This provincial tests have specific timeframes that the tests must be administered within.  Ancaster Meadow will be running the tests on Wed May 23, Thurs May 24, Mon May 28, and Tues May 29. Parents of students in grade 3 and 6 are asked to avoid any absences during these dates.

For students in grade 7 and 8 Homework Helps https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/ provides a variety of supports for students in regards to support with math. There is the ability to connect online with certified Ontario teachers at various  after hour times.  Students can use there HWDSB computer accounts to access Homework Helps through the HUB and save time having the login information automatically completed. Parents and students should connect with their math teacher for further information. The service is also available for students in grade 9 and 10.

The HWDSB has a couple of topics open for parent consultation https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/about/public-consultation/ Feedback is being sought for both the 2018-2019 school year calendar and the budget priorities for next year.

I also thought that I would highlight a feedback opportunity at the provincial level in regards to school transportation. I thought it would be a topic of particular interest to some of our families. www.Ontario.ca/page/consultation-new-vision-student-transportation

Have a great weekend,

Simon Goodacre, Principal