March Updates

Please click on the link to view our School Events Calendar for March: Events for March 2023 – Helen Detwiler (hwdsb.on.ca)

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to working with students and families to create inclusive classroom and school environments. As we are approaching the beginning of Ramadan, we would like to remind families that schools are committed to work with you to provide appropriate and reasonable religious accommodations.

The Ontario Human Rights Code provides the right for individuals to be free from discrimination. To protect this right, schools may make accommodations when issues or concerns with school practices relate to a student’s religious or creed-based beliefs.

HWDSB is committed to working with families to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations for students. Some examples of religious accommodations are: absence from class for a holiday observation, following a specific dress code, temporary absence from class to observe daily prayers, fasting or breaking a fast.

If you require religious accommodation for your child(ren), Please contact the teacher or the office to discuss any religious accommodations your child may need.

Family requests for religious or creed-based accommodation should be made annually, as they are unique and considered on an individual, case-by-case basis. If you have arranged for religious accommodation for the last school year, you still need to make a new request for the new school year by contacting your child’s teacher or principal.

For more information about religious or creed-based accommodations, please see the following resources:

• HWDSB Parent Guide: Religious and Creed-based Accommodations. Found at http://bit.ly/2lRnax2
• HWDSB Religious or Creed-based Accommodation Procedure. Found at http://bit.ly/2XQ6Zh5

Our school will be holding a Shelter in Place protocol drill on Wednesday March 22nd so that staff and students are prepared in case of an environmental or weather related hazard outside the school.

We appreciate the co-operation of our students and staff during the drill. It is also important that we all remain aware of secure schools terminology used in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools. You can learn more about HWDSB’s approach to secure schools at https://hwdsb.info/secureschools

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Helen Detwiler is going to be having a book drive starting next week!

This book drive is run by a club at Queens University called On The Same Page. This club is dedicated to integrating literature into healthcare settings by doing things such as book drives for hospitals, selling bookmarks to help raise money for children in literacy programs, and so much more. Feel free to visit their Instagram @otsp.queens.

My brother, Abdullah Arif, is the president of this club. To help him out, I am going to be expanding his book drive to Helen Detwiler.

Starting on Monday March 27th, students are encouraged to bring in books/magazines they may not read anymore, or books that are just taking up space in your home. These books must be in good condition so no writing/highlighting inside and no books with pages torn out.

These books will be donated to Juravinski Hospital, and Kingston General Hospital. Since these donations are for a worthy cause, the student council will recognize the class who donates the most books with an afternoon off involving student council run physical activity and games.

Please help your child/student gather as many books as they can to give to patients at one of our local hospitals and make their days a bit brighter!

Sincerely,

Daania Arif, and the Helen Detwiler Student Council