Principal update – April 13

Happy Friday the 13th,

This week Ancaster Meadow joined schools and workplaces across Canada in paying respects to the victims of the tragedy in Humboldt. Students and staff wore jerseys on Thursday and our flag has been at half-mast.

Students and staff also participated in the International Day of Pink of Wednesday looking to bring awareness to the importance of promoting kindness and inclusivity.

Overall, the new entry and exit procedures are working well. I realize that it is a change but brings the school practice in line with provincial and board policies. Parents are reminded that they must use the front door buzzer and report to the office every time they enter the building. Parents are not allowed to go directly to classrooms or wait in the hallway.  At the risk of being too repetitious, I have to remind parents to be aware and courteous in the parking lot. Ideally, parents should park on a side street and walk in; if you are not in a parking spot please stay with your car.

The school continues to have a lot of activities both in and out of the classroom. Currently junior basketball is wrapping up the regular season and moving on to playoffs. We also have a very popular option for a flag football event organized by the Hamilton Ti-Cats. Our first trip quickly gathered a large waitlist as it was so popular. Through the hard work of staff, a second date has been organized.

On Tuesday April 24  from 5:30- 7:00pm.  Class 4/5  is involved with The Learning Partnership and are planning a Family Financial Literacy/ Coding Night in conjunction with our School Council. There will be 2 Certified Public Accountants coming to give a workshop to parents about “How to talk to your child about money” and a workshop to students about “How much does a pet cost”. There will also be a showcase of student math games created with the Scratch coding platform. Class 4/5 will also be selling pizza and drinks before the workshops on this night with all proceeds going to McMaster Children’s Hospital and the SPCA.  Please register on the link below to be entered to win prizes and take home a re-usable shopping bag filled with resources: https://goo.gl/forms/dSSPtk5WJlPEU86q2

A letter from Hamilton Public Health also went home about dental screening that will be occurring at the school for K- 2 classes.

I hope everyone has a good weekend despite the weather forecast.

Thank you,

Simon Goodacre, Principal