Winona News – September 5 (Bell Time Correction)

We are excited to welcome students back to class this week 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 special welcome back to those families and students who have been learning remotely.

A friendly reminder that the first day of school for our Grade 1-8 students will be Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Students are to go to the fenced yard.  Teachers will have signs indicating their names and grade.  Additional staff will be present to assist families.  Our JK and SK students will begin on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Our bell times are 8:40 am – 3:00 pm.

We know that many families remain concerned about safety, and we are too. We ask that you continue to do a daily COVID-19 school and child care screening and stay home when sick or instructed within the screening tool.

We invite families to keep up with communications from the school by assuring that your email address is up to date and subscribing to our website.

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:

Review our Welcome Email – Last Monday a welcome email was sent out to all families.  It included answers to many of the questions you may have.  As some families may have missed the email or not been registered yet, a copy has been linked to this message. Welcome to the New School Year

Reimagine Wellness – 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.

Across HWDSB and at Winona, 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. All classrooms will dedicate time over the next six weeks to physical activation, community and team building, and social-emotional skill development.

Transportation – 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 before 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.

Masks are optional but encouraged while riding the bus.

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).

 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.

Elementary Remote Learning and Transitions – Elementary families interested in switching between in-person and remote learning will have an opportunity to register their student starting Monday, August 29. The Remote Learning Registration (2022/2023) form will be available on the Parent Portal from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 29, and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7. Families can complete this form if they wish to:

• transition from in-person to remote learning, or
• transition from remote learning back to in-person

Families selecting a new learning option will be choosing this for their student for the full 2022-2023 school year. Students will begin attending their new classes when the re-organization process in early October takes place. Only families looking to switch their learning options are required to complete this form.

Please contact our school if you have difficulty accessing the Remote Learning Registration (2022/2023) on the Parent Portal under the “Remote Learning” section.

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.

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.

We look forward to the new school year and getting to know our students and their families.