November Update 2.0 for Families

November 2.0 Kanétskare Family Update -November 11th, 2024

Temporary Principal:

As of Wednesday, November 13th, I will be going off for a few weeks for a meniscus knee surgery that I have been putting off since starting at Kanétskare. The temporary principal will be Ms. Rowell, who has years of experience within our board. I know during my absence; our students will be amazing like always and I look forward to returning as quickly as possible.

Remembrance Day Assembly:

The entire school participated in our Remembrance Day Assembly. Thank you to class 7B and 7C for being our Masters of Ceremonies and to all classes for creating beautiful paper wreaths that are being displayed in our front foyer. During our ceremony we were proud to also honour Indigenous Veterans Day that occurred on November 8th. Thank you to all of our families past and present who have served and continue to serve for all of us.

EQAO Individual Reports:

Students who wrote EQAO last year at Kanétksare were given a copy of their individual results last week to take home. If for some reason you did not receive a copy, please reach out to Mr. Weir our learning resource teacher. At our February, School Council meeting, we will be sharing our Schools Improvement Plan with a focus on student achievement and engagement. Remember anyone is welcome to attend the meetings. Our next meeting will be on November 28th from 6 to 7 pm in the School Library.

Parent Teacher Interviews:

Homeroom teachers will be sending home an interview request letter by Friday, November 15th at the very latest, if they have not already done so. In the letter we ask families to complete and return to the homeroom teacher so that an interview time can be scheduled and then confirmed. Interviews will take place after school on Thursday, November 21st and during the day on Friday, November 22nd. Teachers have outlined their availability in the letters being sent home.

Progress Reports:

Progress reports will go home with students on November 19th. We ask that families take time to review the information with students and to set goals for the remainder of the school year. If students received a progressing with difficulty, the subject teacher should have reached out to the family in advance as there should be no surprises on the report card. We are very proud of our students for the amazing start to the school year and look forward to celebrating all their successes the rest of the school year.

Homework Club:

In partnership with some McMaster University student volunteers, we are excited to be starting our first Homework Club that will run on Monday and Wednesday nights from 3:00 to 4:15 pm in our school library. The first block will start on November 11th and end on December 11th. If you feel your child would benefit from being part of the club, please complete the permission form and return to either your child’s homeroom teacher or the office. Students are welcome to attend either one night or both nights. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Hall or Mrs. Stanfield for further information.

Positive Culture and Well-being:

We have noticed an increase in unkind interactions among students, particularly through words and jokes. We kindly ask families to talk with their children about the importance of choosing kind words and understanding how certain jokes can unintentionally harm friends and bystanders. At school, we aim to create a space where everyone feels safe and included, and we appreciate your support in reinforcing these values at home.

In addition, we’d like to remind students of our expectations during unstructured times, especially transitions between classes, nutrition breaks and visits to the washrooms and hydration stations. For everyone’s safety, please encourage your child to:

• Keep their hands to themselves,
• Remain seated while eating,
• Use indoor voices and kind words towards others
• Walk calmly through the hallways and stay to the right

These guidelines are especially important as we have some medically fragile students who need our collective care and considerations. Finally, we encourage our students to explore the variety of clubs available during nutrition breaks, since personal devices cannot be used at all during the school day. Thank you for helping to foster an positive, respectful environment for all our students.

Secure Schools:

We will be doing our second Lockdown practice drill on November 12th. Over the coming weeks will complete the rest of our practice drills: Hold and Secure, Shelter in Place and Bomb Threat. In the Spring we will need to complete 3 more practice Fire evacuation drills. If for any reason, we have to leave the school premises our evacuation site is Earl Kitchener Elementary School.

Announcements on Website:

Just a reminder that school announcements are posted daily on our school website by 9:30 am the day off. Please get into the habit of checking these daily as there are lots of clubs and information shared using the website. During the day, announcements can be viewed by students on the television located in the front foyer.

Upcoming Dates

• November 21st – Parent teacher interviews
• November 22nd – Parent teacher interviews
• November 28th – School Council Meeting from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in the library
• November 29th – F6A and F6B at Sound of Music Trip
• December 4th – Grade 7/8s Westdale Musical (Gr. 6 Spirit Day)
• December 19th – School Wide Excursion to Movies
• December 20th – Last day before the Winter Break

Homework Club Permission Form (4).pdf