Winona News – Sept 17

Upcoming Dates

Sept 20 – School Council AGM – 6:30 pm – Library – MS Teams Link –  https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MmZjMzNkYzgtYjRmMC00NDQwLWFiNzEtMzZlMjBjMmYyYWYz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%227afeaf6a-b1be-4c83-a974-c43a8b215634%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22dd311de9-e1fe-4f3e-ae16-76f847c84172%22%7d
Meeting ID: 286 562 128 586
Passcode: B4G4gM

Sept 20 – Bomb Threat Drill

Sept 28 – Pizza Day (Orders due by noon Sunday, September 24)

Sept 29 – Winona recognizes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day)

Oct 5 – Revised Date: Winona Terry Fox Run

Winona Lunch Days are Back – We are excited to offer families a weekly lunch program starting Thursday, September 28.  This year we will be alternating between Pizza and Pita Pit.  Orders will be delivered to your child’s class during the second nutrition break.  Lunch days can be purchased using SchoolCash Online, and looking for the Lunchbox icon.   Please reach out to the school if require support in order for your child to access this program.

Volunteering at Winona – Whether it is helping out in a classroom, on an excursion, at sports events, in our school library, or on special event days, volunteers are important to us at Winona. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity you must complete a Vulnerable Sector Screening. This screening is easy to complete and can be obtained either by visiting the King William HPS location or applying online. Police Background Checks :: Hamilton Police Service :: Consumer :: Vulnerable Sector Scan (VS) (policesolutions.ca) Once complete, your VSS does not need to be renewed for 3 years.  Bring your original VSS into the school office for verification and complete a volunteer package.

School Council – Our School Council is an active and key part of the school community.  We need your involvement to make the School Council a success. School Councils must hold annual elections to identify voting members and 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 elected to 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 the School Council will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, in the Library.  Please be sure to hand in your self-nomination form by Monday, September 18, if interested in an official role on the Winona School Council.  To assist families in attending, childminding is available for each meeting.  We will also endeavour to provide a virtual option via MS Teams for each meeting.

Contact and Information Verification/Forms – There are several items we ask families to complete on the Parent Portal.  You can access these items by selecting “Forms” from the menu.

• Student Information Verification – Review and update your contact information, address, email, and emergency contacts.
• Early Closure and Emergency Evacuation – Review and update your preferences in the event of a school closure.
• Permission Agreements – Complete the digital tool permission form and annual media consent.

Please reach out to our office staff if you require a print version to be provided or require support around the Parent Portal.

Cell Phones & PEDs – We recognize that many of our students are now coming to school with cell phones and other personal electronic devices (PED). We understand that some of our students carry phones for safety reasons and need to be accessible to their families before and after school hours.  Our expectation is that if students do bring cell phones to school, they remain in silent/do not disturb mode and are stored out of sight during instructional time.  As such, students will not be able to receive or send texts and/or calls during the instructional day. Students who need to make an urgent call during the school day can come to the office for assistance. Families that have time-sensitive messages to relay to their children, can access our school office by calling 905-643-4141.

Mental Health and Well-Being