October Community Update

Can you believe it is October already?  The start of the year has been a real whirlwind, but I can say that, all things considered, we are well under way and staff and students have adjusted well to our “new normal”.   Each month, I will provide an update on life at Sir Wilfrid Laurier School.

Welcome and Introduction

My name is Greg Moore and I am pleased to be the new principal at SWL!  I have been with the HWDSB for 28 years and have spent the last 19 years as a school adminstrator.  My previous schools have been Ray Lewis, Bellmoore, Michaelle Jean, Huntington Park and Pleasant Valley.  I am already getting to know the staff and many students here and looking to meet our families as time goes no.  I value open communication, so if you ever want to speak to me, please call the school and I will be sure to get back to you.

September Start Up

As you know, this September was like no other September.  Many of our families opted for Remote Learning, which required us to reorganize the school.  We had to say goodbye (for now), to a few staff members and several staff members had to switch their assignments.  This was an adjustment for people, but I am very proud of the positive attitudes and professionalism of all involved.  Our enrolment is sitting at just over 300 students, which means we had over 100 students opt for Remote School.

Schools across the district will possibly undergoing another reoraganization at the end of November.  At this point, I do not anticipate much change here at SWL, but more information will come available later this month.

School Loaned Devices

During the School Closure Period, our school loaned out many school-owned devices (laptops/iPads).  We are looking to collect these items as soon as possible so that we can redeploy them to the students in the school.  If you have any of these items, please send them back to school with your child.  Please put your child’s name on the bad and don’t forget to include the charger and charging cable.

School Council

Each year, school’s establish a School Council that will meet regularly to support the school.  We are looking to start our School Council again this year.  If you are interested in serving on the School Council this year, you will need to complete a self nomination form.  If you would like to be a part of the School Council this year, please complete the Nomination Form and email back to [email protected].  If you are having trouble downloading and printing, simply compose an email nominating yourself and send to the above address.

SWL School Council Nomination Form

Daily Screening

Thank you to everyone for being diligent in completing the daily screening and keeping students home who are ill.  The screening process did recently change and you can find the must up to date information here.  We would encourage you to use the online Ontario Daily Screening as a useful tool.

Fire & Secure Schools Drill

Each new year, schools are required to complete a variety of emergency preparedness drills.  We will start conducting those drills shortly.  You can find information about Secure Schools on the HWDSB website.  In the event that our school needs to evacuation, our Evacuation Site is Elizabeth Bagshaw School.

Bus Transportation

While there were some delays to service, our school does now have regular bus service for those students who qualify.  Due to Covid 19, no Courtesy Transportation will be allowed this year.  For families who qualify, you are encouraged to sign up for alerts regarding bus delays at HWSTS.

Parents are asked to not stop or park in the bus lane.  Families are encouraged to park off site and walk to the school to pick up your child.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Remote/In School Transition Dates

As you are likely aware, the Board recently revised the transition dates for moving from Remote to in-person or in-person to remote.  We understand these are difficult decisions to make, but if you are considering making a change, you need to make sure that you make the Board aware of your preference.  The survey is located in the Parent Portal.  For more information, please visist here.

Parent Portal

We understand that families experienced quite a bit of frustration with the Parent Portal launch.  Now, most people are able to get into the Portal.  The Portal will be the place where you will get your child’s Progress Reports, Report Cards, School Forms, Trip Forms, etc.  It will become an integral part of the school experience.  All families are encouraged to make sure they are able to get their Parent Portal set up as soon as possible.