Central – Welcome Back to the 2023-24 School Year

Dear Central families,

We are excited to welcome students back to class for the 2023-24 school year! We know that the past few years have been challenging, and we are thrilled to see students, staff and families again. Each new year is a new opportunity for students to reach their full potential, make new connections and learn and grow with their school community. A friendly reminder that the first day of school will be Wednesday, September 6, 2023. We are looking forward to welcoming students back on Wednesday, September the 6th! We also invite families to keep up with communications from HWDSB by subscribing to email updates on our website:   https://[email protected] . Check out the HWDSB Back-to-School page for general information about the start of school at: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/back-to-school/ If you have school-specific questions, please reach out by calling us at 905 522-9690 or emailing us at [email protected].

Here are some important points to remember as students prepare for the start of the school year:

We know the return to school can be stressful but we are here to support every student’s back-to-school experience. If you think your child might struggle with school, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Supporting a Positive Return to School, HWDSB will continue to offer a wide variety of mental health supports for students. This is especially important during the return to school, which can be stressful for some students. See some supportive tips in our recent We Help Update on our blog. Explore our We Help web page for more evidence-based and timely school-based mental health services and supports at : https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/blog/we-help-update-back-to-school-2023-24/

Across HWDSB, we are also reintroducing a welcoming, inclusive initiative to help students as they return to school. Reimagining Wellness 3.0 is a series of lessons and activities for elementary students which address needs that have arisen in the past few years.

Elementary Remote Learning –  Elementary families interested in switching between in-person and remote learning will have an opportunity to register students starting Monday, August 28. The 2023-24 Remote Learning Registration form is now available on Parent Portal and will close at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6. Families can complete this form if they wish to transition from in person to remote learning, or transition from remote learning back to in person. Families selecting a new learning option will be choosing this for their student for the entire 2023-24 school year. Students will begin attending their new classes when the re-organization process takes place in early October. Go to : http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/elementary/programs/remote/  for more information on remote learning.

Transportation If your child qualifies for transportation, please follow the steps listed to access your child(ren)’s information via the online portal. Please keep in mind that last minute changes sometimes do occur and that it is important to re-check the information prior to sending your child(ren) to their assigned pickup location on Wednesday, September 6, 2022. Go to: ww.hamiltonschoolbus.ca and click on the “Parent’s Portal” on the Home page, OR “Bus Stop Finder” on the landing page. Learn more here: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/blog/new-student-transportation-portal/

First Days of Kindergarten Kindergarten families should have received an email once their Parent Portal account was created. If you have not received your email, please contact your child’s school at 905 522-9690.

Before this weekend, every new Kindergarten family should be notified by their school team when their child’s Kindergarten orientation visit is scheduled on Wednesday, September 6. All Kindergarten students will begin their first full day on Thursday, September 7. Go to: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/kindergarten/ for more information about Kindergarten. Addressing a Concern Students and families with classroom concerns are encouraged to contact their student’s classroom teacher. School-wide concerns can be addressed by the principal. Addressing a Concern : click here – Addressing-Concerns-HWDSB .

Right to Disconnect Healthy work-life boundaries, including the ability for all employees to disconnect from work after hours, is an important part of maintaining one’s health and well-being. HWDSB has implemented a Right to Disconnect Procedure to support educators, administrators and other HWDSB staff. While all urgent communication will continue to be shared after hours, please note that families communicating with educators and administrators may receive a delay in response to all non-emergency inquiries received after hours. Click here – Right-to-Disconnect-Procedure-May2022

Here at Central we send out weekly messages to our families on Sunday evenings or early Monday mornings.  Please be sure to subscribe to our school website for update and notifications. You will automatically receive emails though our school messenger account if you have provided our office staff with your email address. Please be sure to keep updated by checking your emails for messages from the school.  For assistance using the parent portal or the website please contact our school office at 905 522-9690. We look forward to a wonderful 2023-2024 school year with all returning and new students! A reminder school starts on Wednesday, September 6th.  Students may enter the playground at 8:30am. School starts at 8:45am and ends at 3:05pm

Yours sincerely,

Mr. G. Carey – Principal, Central Elementary