Mary Hopkins News – Mar 6

Upcoming Dates

March 11 – Bye Bye Winter Spirit Day – Bring on the Warm Weather – Dress in your summer attire as we cheer on the return of warm weather
March 13 – Spring Forward – Move your clock forward on hour
March 14-18 – March Break

Updated Provincial COVID-19 Screening Tool (Travel) – The provincial screening tool has been updated. The key change aligns the provincial screening tool with the Federal guidance for returning travelers that went into effect on February 28. Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated traveler can return to school upon their return. Unvaccinated travelers aged 12 to 17 do not qualify as fully vaccinated travelers. These children would be expected to follow all testing and quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travelers.

100th Anniversary – Although we are expecting a reduction in Covid-19 protocols over time, our team has decided to postpone our 100th Anniversary celebration until the 2022-2023 school year.  Postponing the event will allow us to plan with fewer parameters as well as ensure inside access to the school.  Thank you to those expressing interest in being part of the committee.  We will certainly be looking for support next year.

EQAO – EQAO testing has resumed and our Grade 3 students will be writing the test this spring.  The purpose of EQAO testing is to provide educators with a snapshot of our students’ academic strengths and needs.  We use the results to look for trends and patterns to inform instructional practices.  The results are not used to gauge individual student progress and there is no preparation required by families. More information will be provided to Grade 3 families as we near the date.  Parents can visit the Ministry site for further details and sample tests.   Grade 3, Primary Division – EQAO

Supporting Students During World Conflict – We know that even the youngest children in our school may have questions or a connection to the recent conflict in Eastern Europe as well as ongoing conflicts around the world.  To support families, our board has created a tip sheet and resources for families.  Please visit the following message.  The resources can be found in a link at the bottom of the page.  Supporting School Communities During Conflict | Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (hwdsb.on.ca)