Central Weekly Update – October 30-November 3, 2023
Central Families,
We will have a Halloween parade out on the playground on Tuesday, October 31 starting at 9:00 am. Parents/Guardians can attend from 9:00am-9:30am and gather on the turf and then students will parade around the outside of the turf area one time and then return to their classes so please be sure to be there on time. Our gymnasium renovations are almost complete other than the stage which is still under construction so if it is raining we will have the parents in the centre of the gym bordered by pylons and have the students parade around the outside of the gym while the parents gather in the center of the gym.
If your child’s class is having a class party students may bring in ONLY store bought items with ingredients on the packaging. All treats must be nut free and free of any specific allergens in your class. Many of our students do not eat gelatin, please carefully check ingredients for this. Students are permitted to bring treats to share for any class parties on Tuesday, October 31 but be sure to check with your child’s teacher to see if they are asking students to bring in snacks/treats for that day.
Masks are not permitted at school, nor are any costume weapons. Students must arrive to school in their costume and wear it for the day as staff will not be able to put your child’s costume or take it off.
Halloween and Cultural Appropriation: Cultural appropriation means taking or borrowing a look or trait from a culture that is not your own. Costumes that are based on people’s culture are offensive, harmful and insensitive. The following are suggested questions to reflect on when choosing a costume to avoid being disrespectful or offensive: • Is my costume making fun of a group of people, their culture, religion and/or belief systems? • Does my costume reinforce jokes and stereotypes about certain groups, cultures, religions and/or belief systems? • Am I altering my skin color, facial/body features to make it like a particular race, ethnicity, or cultural group? • Am I dressing up as a culture or borrowing from a religion that is not my own or is not part of my background?
A reminder that some students may not participate in Halloween events for religious or cultural reasons. Please be sure to let your child’s teacher know if your child is not participating. We will be sure to have a plan to accommodate these students.
Upcoming Events at Central:
Tuesday, October 31 – 9:00-9:30 am – Halloween Parade – On the playground – parents/guardians may meet on the turf and students will parade around the outside of the turf. If raining we will have the Halloween Parade in the gym – Parents/Guardians will meet in the center of the gym and students will parade around the outside walls.
Wednesday, November 8th – Picture day for all students and staff
Friday, November 10th – Remembrance Day Assembly for Staff and Students at 11:15am in the gym
Monday, November 13th – Progress Reports sent home with students
Wednesday, November 15th – Royal Botanical Gardens Trip for Mr. Sinke’s Gr 4/5A class
Thursday, November 16th- Parent Teacher Interviews – 3:15-6:00pm – Scheduled interview times with classroom teachers – Interpreters will be available but timeslots may be limited due to interpreter availability
Friday, November 17th – Parent Teacher Interviews – 8:45-11:55am – Scheduled interview times with classroom teachers – Interpreters will be available but timeslots may be limited due to interpreter availability
Friday, November 24th – Pizza Day – Cheese only – $1.00 per slice – cash or cash online (contact the office for support using Cash Online
Our next school council meeting will be on Monday , November 13th from 3:45-4:45pm in person (Rm 215) and remotely. We are hoping that this earlier time will make it easier for some parents/guardians to attend as we continue to need more members to fill positions on the council and parent representatives. Please come out and join us as we are hoping to have input from as many of our families as we can. If you are interested and have any questions please contact the school at 905 522-9690 and I can answer any questions you may have. A link will be shared the week before the meeting and we will have Childcare available with an school employee Designated Early Childhood Educator.
Please contact the school using SafeArrival (click for more details) to report student absences or if you need to pick up your child from school early for an appointment. We are experiencing a high level of families arriving late and leaving early without using the Safe Arrival system and this is causing a lot of disruption to student learning and in the office and delays for families that are waiting for their children. A reminder that we are unable to answer the door during announcements at 9am so please support us by having students at school by 8:45 am.
- Go to the website go.schoolmessenger.ca or
- Call the toll-free, interactive telephone system at 1-844-506-4350.
- Download and install the free SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at go.schoolmessenger.ca).
Please be sure to update our school office at 905 522 9690 and your child’s teacher if any of your contact information (phone numbers, emails or addresses) has changed or if you would like to add a contact to your emergency pick up list. This way we can ensure the safety and supervision of all of our students. Thank you.
A reminder students are not to be on the play structure during morning entry and must have an adult supervising them at the end of the day. Our day begins at 8:45 am so please support us by coming on time to prevent disruptions in the office and classrooms. We do have supervision on the playground and in the Kindergarten area from 8:30-8:45 am and from 3:05-3:20 pm and we ask that parents be sure to arrive on time at dismissal as we have very limited supervision after 3:20pm. Thank you.
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].
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, October 29, 2023.