First Week & What’s to Come

Dear G.L.A. Families, 

We are thrilled to share that our first days of school have been wonderful! Students have had numerous opportunities to collaborate, rekindle old friendships, and spark the beginnings of new ones. 

At GLA we prioritize student leadership. Our morning announcement team is already in action, and our nutrition program team is up and running, with classroom snacks beginning Monday, September 8th. Our Grade 8s are eager to host our first Pizza Day on September 25th – more details to come! Throughout the year, students will have many opportunities to engage and contribute to our school community in various ways. 

Here are a few upcoming events:

Tuesday, September 16th Q-Mack Performance 

We are excited to welcome Quincy Mack to perform for our students (Grades 3-8). Here is a video glimpse of the excitement to come: 

Tuesday, September 16th 6:00 – 7:30 pm:  School Council 

All are welcome to our first School Council meeting in the library (Learning Commons). On this first day, we will hold elections, map out the meeting dates for the year, and share ideas about 2025-2026 opportunities for students. 

Thursday, September 18th 4:30 – 6:00 pm:  Meet the Staff 

We invite you to visit the school on Thursday, September 18th to meet your child’s teacher, grab a slice of cheese pizza ($2.50/slice), take a peek at the Book Fair, and share in the excitement of this new year. We are happy to show off our new roof (summer construction) and new playground paintings (thanks, School Council)! 

Friday, September 26th – Terry Fox Run, Walk, & Roll! 

Thanks to Mr. Forman for organizing our Terry Fox event for September 26th! Information was sent home earlier last week, and here is the link if you wish to donate online:  https://schools.terryfox.ca/105248 

Secure Schools Information 

During this term, G.L. Armstrong School is required to conduct 3 Fire Drills, 1 Lockdown Drill, and 1 Evacuation Drill so that students are prepared in the event of a real emergency. Please don’t be alarmed if your child tells you that an alarm went off at school – this is all part of our Emergency Plan of Action. 

Volunteers

It takes a village! If you are willing and interested in volunteering in any capacity, we look forward to having you! To be a volunteer, each individual must obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screening. Each year the HWDSB clarifies processes related to Vulnerable Sector Screening with Hamilton Police Services. Based on this review, the following updates are important to note regarding these checks:

• Section 4.0 of the Volunteer Procedure has been updated. It now states – The applicant is required to present a Vulnerable Sector Screening specific to HWDSB before they will be able to begin their volunteer activities.
• An Offence Declaration is required for the subsequent years until a new Vulnerable Sector is required (after 3 years) (see Appendix C). Only the Principal or designate shall have access to this
  confidential information. The Vulnerable Sector Screening form is the property of the Volunteer. Vulnerable sector screening forms must be specific to HWDSB. Forms that an individual may have
  received through volunteering with another organization (e.g. local sports team) cannot be accepted. This is due to different levels of screening that is performed for different types of volunteer opportunities.

If you would like to volunteer on a school trip, you will need to have the above screening in place – we encourage you to do this well in advance of trips as it often takes several weeks to obtain the screening.

Sincerely,

K.Dunford & J. Sired