Welcome to the 2018/2019 School Year!

I hope all of our students and families had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to returning to Dundana next week!

A page has been added to the website showing our full complement of staff, as of August 28th.  We are happy to welcome some new faces to our school team this year:  Mlle Kahana (core french), Mlle Nimeroski (grade 2 FI) and Ms. Donavan (EA, p.m.) are brand new additions.  Several of our existing staff have changed teaching responsibilities, so be sure to check out that page to see all of the changes.

There are a few reminders to note before we start the year:

Grade 1 to Grade 5

All of our new and returning Grade 1 to Grade 5 students will begin school at 8:55 on Tuesday, September 4.  Students are asked to meet on the back playground.  Teachers will come out with clipboards close to bell time to get students organized into their lines.  If your child(ren) is arriving by bus, students will be directed from the bus to the back playground.  Supervision begins on the playground at 8:40 a.m.

We do ask that parents say their good-byes outside on the playground and allow the teachers and staff only to escort students into the school.  This is in keeping with our Safe Schools protocol and to establish appropriate school routines early on.  Thank you for your help with this.

Senior Kindergarten

If your child is beginning Senior Kindergarten, he/she will begin school at 8:55 on Wednesday, September 5.  There is no school for SK students on Tuesday.  They are asked to meet, beginning Wednesday, on the Kindergarten playground at the front of the school.  Supervision begins on the playground at 8:40 a.m.  Students who are arriving by bus will be directed from the bus to the Kindergarten Playground.

Junior Kindergarten

All of our new JK students will be asked to come for a short, small group visit on Tuesday, September 4.  If you haven’t been notified of your visit time, please contact Dundana School (Thursday or Friday, office hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at 905.628.2622.   All JK students will then begin school full time on Wednesday, September 5.

Bus Transportation

Our Transportation department sent notifications to all eligible bus students in August.  Please see that letter for details about drop off and pick up times and locations.  It is certainly possible that there may be delays, particularly early on as students and drivers get settled into new routes.  If you haven’t received notification but believe your child is eligible for transportation (dictated by distance from the school – Kindergarten students over 1.0 km away and Grade 1-5 students over 1.6 km away) please contact the Transportation department at:  905.523.2318 or 1.800.691.6402

If your child(ren) live on a current bus route but are not currently eligible, please fill out a Courtesy Bus form and return it to the school office.  These forms are available in the school office and can be requested by parents via phone, in person or your child’s agenda.  Courtesy bussing will be established as soon as possible for as many students as possible, but will not begin until Transportation’s list is complete.  Families that are approved for courtesy transportation will receive notification from a letter as soon as spots are made available.

Dismissal

All of our students are dismissed at 3:15.  Kindergarten students will be dismissed from the Kindergarten playground and do need an authorized adult to release them to (either in person at the school or from the bus).  Please make sure the school office has a list of all of the authorized adults you would like on your emergency contact list.

Grade 1 to 5 students will be dismissed from our two playground doors and directed to the main playground (walkers), to the bus area (bus students), or to their assigned after-school care meeting space (Umbrella students).  We ask that parents and caregivers coming to pick up wait on the appropriate playground at the dismissal time.

There is supervision on the playground until 3:30.  We do not have supervision for students after this time.  Please ensure you have made arrangements for your child to be in care or picked up every day.

What to Bring

To make your child’s school experience the best it can be, please plan to have your child bring:

– a nutritious, nut-free lunch that can be easily divide between our two nutrition break times.  Please note that students do not have access to a microwave.

– indoor shoes that can be used for students for phys ed and classroom activities.  Students should be able to put on and do up these shoes with independence.

– for younger children, it is advisable to bring a change of clothes clearly labelled in a zip lock bag to be left at school

-we recommend labeling all of your child’s possessions and clothing clearly to avoid items being lost forever.  We empty our Lost and Found bin (located in the front hallway) each month and end up having to donate many unclaimed and unmarked items.  We would be much happier reuniting students with their possessions.

-a water bottle.  Please note that our school is not air conditioned and can become very warm, particularly in September and June.  Maintaining good hydration for our students, staff and visitors is one way we try to help manage the effects of the difficult weather.

We look forward to starting our school year with all of you.