Welcome Back, Dundana!

As summer winds down, the school year is almost ready to begin.

The staff at Dundana are excited to welcome new and returning students and families beginning Tuesday, September 3. (Kindergarten students begin Wednesday, September 4).

Our bell times will remain the same as last year, with an entry bell at 8:55 a.m. for all students and a dismissal time of 3:15 p.m.  There is supervision on the playground beginning at 8:40 a.m. and until 3:30 p.m. to support student transitions.  Our nutrition breaks will be from 10:35 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:55 to 1:35 p.m.

Check back on the website all week for more information, as it becomes available.  Our offices will be open the week of August 26, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 2 p.m., with the exception of Tuesday afternoon due to off-site training, if you need more information.

A few key points to get you started:

First day entry:  We ask all of our grade 1 to 5 students to meet on the playground for 8:55.  Posters will be set up indicating line numbers for each class.  Classroom teachers will come out at 8:55 to greet their students at their line.  Students who come in by bus will be directed from the bus to the playground by staff members.  For students who do not know their class assignment, a few staff members will be on the playground with class lists beginning at 8:40 a.m.  Once teachers have organized their line and checked in with waiting parents about end of day plans (e.g. bus vs walking students), they will take their classes into the school to begin the day.  We do ask that parents and other well wishers remain outside the school so we can begin our school routines right away.

Kindergarten Start Up:  Classes for Kindergarten students do not begin until Wednesday, September 4.  If your child is new to kindergarten, you and your child will be invited to attend a short, scheduled visit on September 3 with a small group of incoming students.  Please contact the school if you did not receive information about this visit.  All JK and SK students can meet on the Kindergarten playground on Wednesday, September 4 at 8:55 for entry to their classrooms.

Transportation:  If you are eligible for busing, you should have received notification from Transportation in August, giving you a bus number, pick up and drop off times and bus stop location.  If you believe you are eligible but didn’t receive notification, please contact Transportation at hamiltonschoolbus.ca  or at 905.523.2318 .  We encourage you to ensure your child knows their bus number information, and that you also write a note to the teacher indicating your information.  Transportation updates our lists throughout the first week of school, but you are the first to know specific busing information for your child.  Please note that there may be transportation delays during start-up, your co-operation and understanding is greatly appreciated during this transition time.  To stay up to date with any delays or changes, bus student families are encouraged to create an account to receive updates:  https://www.hamiltonschoolbus.ca/parents/default.aspx

Courtesy Transportation:  We will begin to take courtesy bus applications at the school in September, however applications will not be reviewed or processed until late September/early October with final approvals/notifications not issued until November.   We apologize for this delayed process.  For more information regarding courtesy busing, please see:  https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/about/september-start-up-frequently-asked-questions/