Central Weekly Update – Sept 11-15, 2023
Central Families,
Thank you to all families, staff and students for helping make our first week of school so successful! We have met a lot of new students and families and many that returned. There is a great deal of important information to share in this update as it is the beginning of the school year so please be sure to read and contact us with any questions (905 522-9690 / [email protected]) .As we have a very large number of students in Grades 1 and 2 we have been able to add another Gr 1/2 class starting this Tuesday. We are thrilled to share that this class will be taught by Ms. Turkstra who does a great deal of supply work and has filled in long term for many teachers. This class, Grade 1/2 B will start on Tuesday, Sept 12 in Rm 212 on the second floor. We will be making a few moves in our primary classes (Grades 1-3) to accommodate this new class and will be contacting families on Monday to inform them if their child will be placed in this new class. We are unable to make any other changes to classes at this time but please know that a great deal of work goes into placing students so we will do our best to ensure the lease amount of disruption to everyone. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this challenging process. Given the high volume in the office we are also happy to share that Ms. C. Herring -Muraca has taken on a temporary assignment as our Office Assistant and will work mornings at Central for now. We extend our appreciation to all families for being patient and understanding about occasional delays and wait times to speak to us in the office and are thankful that we have some extra support to help resolve this! A huge thanks to Ms. V. Kilgour and now Ms. C. Herring – Muraca for all of their hard work and efforts keeping things organized and running smoothly in a very busy school !!
Our renovations are almost complete! The gym is still under construction but coming along at a good pace. I will keep you updated but for now out Physical Education classes will take place outdoors where possible and our students in the portables will use the student washrooms on the second floor instead of the washrooms in the gym. A few final touches and repairs are being made to the playground and the City of Hamilton (owner of the playstructure) has repaired the circle steps on the structure to ensure the safety of all students.
A reminder to send water bottles with your children and dress appropriately for weather. In the warmer weather we encourage hats/caps and applying sunscreen each morning before leaving for school. We have some wonderful cool shady spots on the playground and will adhere to all heat warnings by keeping students indoors when necessary or limiting physical activity and amount of time outdoors.
As per our school board Health & Safety policy we will need to practice a number of lockdown, fire and bomb threat drills over the next few weeks so please let your child’s teacher know if there are any sensitivity issues or concerns and like our teachers and staff pleas discuss the importance of practicing these drills with your children to ease any anxiety or stress. Thank you.
Unfortunately the garden at the front of the school is still off limits due to ongoing safety concerns. We are continuing to work towards opening up access to the garden as soon as possible. Stay tuned for updates.
Please support us to ensure the safety of all by exercising caution in our parking lot which becomes a very busy area during arrival and departure. As we have school buses that need to enter the lot and families that need to park in our Accessible Parking spots to drop off students please be sure to not park in these designated parking spots and do not block other vehicles in. If you are dropping off or picking up students please do not block the driveway (either park in a spot or drop off where the entry is at the fence near the front door and then exit as soon as possible). A reminder that there is 10 minute parking on Park St and parking on Bold St. as well.
Please drive in to the school from Bay St. and make an immediate right turn and follow a circle around the parking lot as it is one way traffic only. Drop off /pick up students, make sure that they get to the playground at entry and to your vehicle safely and then circle around the parking lot to exit on Bay St.. Please avoid backing up as this creates a lot of congestion and can be unsafe as many students enter the school through the Bay St entrance. Dismissal is at 3:05pm so please be sure to be at the school to pick up your child or children on time. The alternate is to park on Park St. as there is a 10min drop off zone.
An important safety reminder to families that we have a crossing guard at Bay and Bold Street every morning and afternoon. Please cross where the crossing guard is for everyone’s safety. Thank you!
Please be advised that the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board communications department will send messages directly to families if the weather results in schools closing early and students needing to be picked up.
A reminder that if you need to come to the school please be sure to ring the door bell at the entrance and the office staff will assist you. We ask that parents not enter the building without informing the office. Students and staff have been informed that they are not to allow anyone to enter and as our students from the portables come and go through this entrance we want to ensure the safety of all and secure access to the school at all times.
We 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.
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/
School-wide concerns can be addressed by the principal. Addressing a Concern : click here – Addressing-Concerns-HWDSB .
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.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. G. Carey – Principal, Central Elementary
Updated on Sunday, September 10, 2023.