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Parent Update Dec 4, 2020

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Parent Update Dec 4, 2020

Hello Ray Lewis Families and Friends,

I hope this message finds you warm and well as we enter December. The temperature is staying consistently cold now and we’ve had our first real blanketing of snow. Winter is here and our kids are enjoying the snow during their Nutrition Breaks.

As we enter December and approach the winter break, I’d like to share some information items with our community.

With winter weather here and temperatures staying consistently on the cold side, it is important that students dress appropriately for outside times during the school day. A suggested list is; a winter jacket, snow boots, snow-pants, hats and gloves/mittens. Inside shoes that stay dry are also a good item to have. It is an expectation that students are outside for half of nutrition break and PE class continue to be outside for much of that program. Teacher’s are also encouraged to take their classes outside for DPA so that students can get fresh air and take a break from their masks.

To reduce clutter and dirt in already packed classrooms from jackets, boots, snow pants, etc., students have been assigned individual lockers or hooks to store their jackets and other outerwear. A staggered team and coloured system supervised by teachers is in place to reduce hallway traffic. Backpacks and lunch bags will continue to be brought into the classrooms.

School pictures are an important keepsake as students move through the grades of elementary school. Working with our school vendor Edge Imaging, school pictures will be taken on Friday February 26th. Grade 8 grad pictures are more involved and need two days’ top complete so March 24th and 25th have been booked for those pictures. Picture Day(s) will align with HWDSB COVID safety protocols.

Winter SPIRIT Day Week – We will be celebrating the WINTER months everyday from Dec 14th-Dec 18th. Each day will be a different SPIRIT Day event. Please see the schedule below.

Monday – Blue & White Day – Students are encouraged to wear these colours to school!
Tuesday – Scarf & Sock Day – Students are encouraged to wear their FAVORITE winter socks and scarfs
Wednesday – Toasty Toque Day – Students can wear their favorite toque in school ALL DAY!
Thursday – Thinking About Others Day – Staff and students can do something small to brighten someone’s day – hold a door, write a nice message, say or do something kind.
Friday – Dreamer Day – Wear your favorite JAMMIES to school

Just to put a few dates on your radar. Our last day of school is December 18th and we return from holidays on January 4th. I know teachers are planning class celebrations within their cohorts which will be a lot of fun. Similar to Halloween, following HWDSB safety protocols, we are asking that no treats or gifts are brought to school to be exchanged amongst students and staff.

While respecting the COVID attestation and daily screening protocols, I would like to remind our community about the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Everyday teachers build lessons that stack upon each other from one day to the next. Missing several days in a row can be very impactful for a child’s learning. Our school day runs from 9:10am to 3:30pm. Please have your child ready to line-up with their class/cohort on our school’s blacktop at 8:55am or later. If your child needs to miss school, please let us know by using the School Messenger App.

It is important that we maintain our efforts to keep the school safe for students, staff and families at home. Please continue to reinforce with your child the importance of following our school’s layered approach to COVID-19 community safety. Our layered safety protocols are:

  • Daily screening and attestation
  • Do not send your child to school if they are sick.
  • Wear a mask – Wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth keeps us safe indoors.
  • Hand hygiene – Washing and sanitizing hands frequently when entering and exiting classes.
  • Physical distancing – Students need to be aware of staying 2metres apart whenever possible.
  • Student cohorts – Students need to stay in their designated their cohort areas during nutrition break.

As we continue to implement and follow the boards COVID safety protocols in the school we also need the support of our families and school community during after school hours and weekends. Please be sure to follow the City of Hamilton’s RED ZONE rules and restrictions so that we can continue to ensure that our students are safe when the return to school on Monday.

As always, if you have any questions about your child’s program or questions about Ray Lewis please call or email the school.

Sincerely,

J. Burleigh
Principal

Updated on Friday, December 04, 2020.
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