Winona News – Sept 11

Upcoming Dates

Sept 15 – Fire Drill #1 (AM)

Sept 28 – Fire Drill #2 (AM)

Sept 29 – School Council AGM

Sept 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day)

School Council – Our School Council is an active and key part of the school community.  We need your involvement to make School Council a success.  It is a great group of people who care deeply about this school and its students.

School Councils must hold annual elections to identify voting members and various positions such as School Council Chair. Elected members vote on School Council matters and represent the group’s ideas and advisory suggestions for the Principal. Please note that you do not have to be an elected member of the School Council to attend meetings. All meetings are open to all parents/guardians who wish to attend.

The School Council Nomination Form is posted at this link.  We would love to have you involved!  The first meeting of School Council will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2022, in the Library.  Please be sure to hand in your self-nomination form by September 28, if interested in an official role on School Council.

Fire Drills – The staff and students at Winona are expected to practice fire evacuation procedures six times annually (three times in the fall, and three times in the spring).  Prior to each drill, teachers will have age-appropriate discussions regarding the drill and what to expect.  Our first drill will take place this week on Thursday, September 15.

September Enrollment and Reorganization – Each fall, HWDSB reviews elementary student enrolment in schools and reorganizes staffing if actual enrolment differs from spring projections. It is normal for student enrolment to fluctuate.  Sometimes these fluctuations are large enough to require the school to reorganize the classrooms to accommodate the changes and meet provincial class size requirements.  As we move through the first few weeks of school, we will keep families posted on information and updates if required.

Early Pick Up – If you are picking your child up early from school, we ask that you send a note to the school in the morning.  This process is helpful as we wish to minimize interruptions to classes by calling students out during instructional time.

Student Absences – Student absences and lates are best reported through the SchoolMessenger app.  Alternatively, families can report absence directly to the Winona school office (905-643-4141) or the classroom teacher

Parking Lot Safety – We are asking for your continued support around student safety at drop-off and pick-up.  Please take extra time and care when moving through the lot. With 920 students attending and many families working from home, we have a large amount of traffic that moves through our school each day.  We have been assured that driveway painting will take place in the next few weeks. This will improve directional markings in the parking lot, as well as add two crosswalks.  Thank you again for your ongoing patience and support.

Indoor/Outdoor Shoes – For safety reasons, students are expected to wear shoes at all times in the building.  Assist us in keeping the mud, dirt, water and salt outside by sending an additional pair of indoor-only shoes with your child each day.  At this time of year, rain can lead to some very wet conditions in our schoolyard.  With two outdoor breaks, it is also a good idea to leave items such as extra socks in your child’s backpack in the event they are needed.