September 2021 Newsletter
We would like to thank the staff, students, parents and the community for doing their part to ensure another safe school reopening. We are so happy to see students and staff back in their classrooms engaged in, teaching and learning with a focus on student well-being. Please see the important newsletter items and reminders below.
Farewell Mrs. Turner/ Welcome Mrs. Martin
It is bittersweet that I am sharing that Mrs. Turner has accepted the position of President of her employee working group (OCTU). We are very excited for Mrs. Turner in her new role as she supports and represents her office administrative colleagues. Mrs. Turner was at Westwood since I arrived as principal and was instrumental in helping my transition to the school. Please join me in thanking Mrs. Turner for her dedication over the past 4 years to developing a safe and organized environment for staff, students and the school community. We wish her all the best in her new role!
I would also like to welcome Mrs. Martin, our new interim office administrator. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous school Ancaster Meadow.
Daily Screening Reminder
Parents must support students in screening for COVID symptoms prior to coming to school each day. The school has provided a daily COVID screening log (calendar) to be initialed each day.
Students will be required to show proof of screening to their period one teacher daily.
Parent Portal Forms
We would appreciate it if parents would please complete the student forms now available on the parent portal.
These include:
-Student Information Verification
-Emergency Closure Information
-Consent to photograph/Media Use Consent (look under Permissions Agreement)
School Morning Entry Reminders
We would like to remind families that only students are allowed on the paved black top cohort areas before and after school during drop off and pick up. All adults must also wear a mask when on school property. Dogs are not permitted on school property as some students may be afraid or have allergies. Parents should not be parking by the main doors during morning entry time as this is a bus drop off zone.
Ventilation at Westwood
Ventilation is an important protective measure for safe school environments. Over the course of the summer, HWDSB has worked to improve ventilation in various locations ahead of the 2021-22 school year. These upgrades include projects funded through Canada and Ontario’s CVRIS-EDU program and about 1,039 High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) units being shipped to classrooms and schools.
The HEPA units have been provided in accordance with Ministry of Education direction. This includes all Kindergarten spaces, schools without mechanical ventilation (Tier 3), and where there are active ventilation projects underway and not yet completed.
There are three tiers of ventilation as identified by the Ministry of Education. They are Tier 1 (supply, return, exhaust), Tier 2 (supply, exhaust) and Tier 3 (exhaust). Tier 3 schools are typically heated with radiators and have exhaust units for moving air. These schools will be receiving HEPA units to help improve ventilation.
Westwood is a Tier 3 school as defined by the Ministry of Education. Families are encouraged to visit the Board’sVentilation webpage and read its Frequently Asked Questions section for more details. You can also find additional school-specific ventilation information through the Ministry of Education’s Standardized Ventilation Reports, which have been posted online.
Primary Wing Hydration Station
Over the summer, a new hydration station was installed in our primary wing. This allows more access to cold, filtered water for our students and avoids congestion in our front foyer. Students in the kindergarten wing and junior wing will continue to use the hydration station by the front foyer.
Teaching and Learning Outdoors
At Westwood, students are very fortunate to have access to incredible outdoor spaces on our school grounds. Students use these spaces for nutrition breaks, DPA, as well as an outdoor classroom. We are looking to use it even more this year given our circumstances.
For Physical Education, students are reminded to wear running shoes, a hat, comfortable, breathable clothes and to apply sunscreen, based on the weather conditions. Students are also encouraged to stay well hydrated by bringing their own labeled water bottle. As Hamilton has been identified as a Lyme disease risk area, before coming in from Phys.-Ed., students will be instructed to do a foot to head visual body scan to check for ticks.
Parents of young children are encouraged to do a more in-depth check during the daily evening bath routine paying careful attention to the scalp, ankles, armpits, groin, navel, behind the ears, and knees. Older students should be reminded to check these areas during their daily shower.
Terry Fox Event
On Monday September 27th, we will be participating in the Terry Fox event. Students are reminded to bring a water bottle and encouraged to wear red and white to school. More details will be shared soon.
Updated on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.