Balaclava Update – Week of October 21

I hope you get some time to enjoy this stellar fall weather!

Pasta Day – Bring a Fork

Monday has the Home and School’s first special food day. It is pasta day (second nutrition break). If you signed up for your child to get Pasta, please remember to send him/her with a fork. Thank you H&S volunteers for this highly anticipated event!

A reminder to our swim team that there is NO practice this week. There is one more practice the last week in October before the meet.

Looking ahead to October 31st

Thursday October 31st is Hallowe’en and it is also Diwali. We will be recognizing both events in our school on that day. We invite students to wear/bring a costume, wear black or orange, or come in whatever they are most comfortable. Our Kindergarten to grade 4 classes who are interested in participating in the parade are encouraged to wear their costumes or black and orange to school because our parade will occur at 9:30 a.m. If the weather is fair, we will invite family members to wait outside at entry and our parade will make a special loop on the playground (east side). All families are reminded to carefully consider costumes that are appropriate for school. This includes:

-no masks that cover the face

-no weapons of any kind

-we encourage you to leave any smaller accessories at home so they don’t get lost before the big night (e.g. wands) and larger accessories that can be cumbersome (e.g. hockey sticks and gloves)

-no using borrowed identities and cultures as costumes.  This includes appropriative regalia / cultural stereotypes (e.g. cultural garments) that are not part of your own identity, black / brown face, transphobic costumes (e.g. man dressed as a woman), body-shaming and objectifying costumes and costumes that joke about situations that have caused harm or include weapons. Such costumes perpetuate stereotypes and can cause harm that can further marginalize and oppress community members.

-students need to be able to move freely within the school and for the school day events (including recess). Your child may feel more comfortable if they have a change of clothes and a bag to store their costume in safely.

Individual classes may have other special plans for that day. Classroom educators will contact families directly with any additional information.

Upcoming P.A. Day – November 1

Just a reminder to mark your calendar for our next P.A. Day on Friday November 1st. There is no school for students that day. Educators will be on professional development learning.