Welcome back to Westwood 2022-2023

September 2nd, 2022

Dear families,

We are excited to welcome students back to class – in person and remote learning – for the 2022-23 school year.

We know that the past two years have been challenging, and we are thrilled to see students, staff and families again. Each new year is a great new opportunity.

A friendly reminder that the first day of school will be Tuesday, September 6, 2022.  All of our Junior (Year 1) and Senior (Year 2) Kindergarten Students will begin officially on Wednesday, September 7th.

We know that many families remain concerned about safety, and we are too. We continue to take COVID-19 precautions, such as doing daily COVID-19 school and child care screening and staying home when sick or instructed within the screening tool.

As we move through the pandemic, we will continue to update families on important developments. We know that families may have a lot of questions.

We also invite families to keep up with communications from HWDSB by subscribing to email updates or following HWDSB on social media.  Please ensure you subscribe to our Westwood School Website at Subscribe | Westwood Elementary School (hwdsb.on.ca)

Please reach out to our school if you have any questions.

Here are some important points to remember as students prepare for the start of the school year:

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First Day of School Procedures

On Tuesday, September 6th, @ 8:45am, all classroom teachers from Grades 1-5 will be greeting families and students in our back playground.  In June, students received information with their report card about the room number that they have been assigned.  Please look for this number on Tuesday morning as the teacher will be holding a sign with this identifier.  Once the majority of students have arrived with the classroom teacher, the students will begin to enter into the school building.

Supporting a Positive Return to School

HWDSB will continue to offer a wide variety of mental health supports for students, knowing that the pandemic has impacted student well-being. This is especially important during the return to school, which can be stressful for some students. See some supportive tips on our recent web post. Explore our We Help web page for more evidence-based and timely school-based mental health services and supports.

Across HWDSB, we are also reintroducing a welcoming, inclusive initiative to help students as they return to school. Reimagining Wellness 2.0 is a series of activities and lessons which address needs arising during the pandemic. Watch for details in the days ahead.

COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Most health and safety guidance from the province is unchanged from the end of the 2021-22 school year, but here are some items we want to bring to your attention:

· It is still recommended that staff, students and visitors continue to self-screen every day before attending school using the COVID-19 school and childcare screening tool. We no longer verify student screening results in schools. Please stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms or are waiting for test results after experiencing symptoms.

· HWDSB is a mask-friendly environment. We continue to support the wearing of masks in schools, administrative buildings and buses, as an effective public health measure. We will continue to offer free masks for students and visitors to our schools. Although masks are not required, our schools, offices and buses are respectful, welcoming and inclusive environments where individuals can choose to wear or not to wear a mask.

· HEPA filter units are installed in every occupied kindergarten class, in all occupied learning spaces without mechanical ventilation, and in mechanically ventilated learning spaces without MERV-13 level filters. HWDSB will continue to deploy HEPA filter units in learning spaces in a manner that maximizes their benefit. We will continue to publicly communicate ventilation measures on our website.

Transportation

We have been supporting HWSTS, our local transportation consortium, as they adopt a new platform for their Parent Portal. If your child qualifies for transportation, please follow the steps listed to access your child(ren)’s information via the online portal. Please keep in mind that last minute changes sometimes do occur and that it is important to re-check the information prior to sending your child(ren) to their assigned pickup location on September 6, 2022. Go to www.hamiltonschoolbus.ca and click on the “Parent’s Portal” on the Home page, OR “Bus Stop Finder” on the landing page. Learn more.

Bus contactors will continue with regular cleaning routines, to ensure that students and drivers have a sanitary environment. Masks are optional but encouraged while riding the bus.

Device Return

Students who still have a device from last year are asked to bring it to their educator on the first day of school. Please label the device with your child’s name.

Addressing a Concern

Students and families with classroom concerns are encouraged to contact their student’s classroom teacher. School-wide concerns can be addressed by the principal. Addressing a Concern (PDF).

Right to Disconnect

Healthy work-life boundaries, including the ability for all employees to disconnect from work after hours, is an important part of maintaining one’s health and well-being. HWDSB has implemented a Right to Disconnect Procedure to support educators, administrators and other HWDSB staff. While all urgent communication will continue to be shared after hours, please note that families communicating with educators and administrators may receive a delay in response to all non-emergency inquiries received after hours.

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We know the return to school, especially for those who had been learning remotely, can be stressful for some students. We are here to support every student. If you think your child might struggle with school, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Mr. M. Azzopardi

Principal

Westwood Elementary School