Welcome Back and to the 2025 – 2026 School Year

Welcome, Winona families, to the 2025–2026 school year. We hope that everyone enjoyed a restful and pleasant summer. Our school office will reopen tomorrow. Throughout the week, we will be actively preparing for the start of the new school year and are excited to welcome back our students, staff, and families after the long weekend.

Each new year brings fresh opportunities. A special welcome to the families and students who are new to Winona. We are confident you will quickly discover that this is a warm, welcoming school with a deeply dedicated staff.

If you have contacted staff over the summer, please know that we are working through messages and setting up our workspaces following seasonal cleaning. We will respond to your calls and emails as soon as possible, and we appreciate your understanding during this transition. Rest assured—we will follow up.

Below is some helpful information as you begin planning for the upcoming week and re-establishing your routines.

Bell Times – There are no changes to bell times for the 2025-2026 school year and they are as follows:

• 8:25 am – School Yard Supervision Begins/Busses Unload/Kiss & Drop Lanes Open
• 8:40 am – Bell Rings – Student Entry
• 3:00 pm – Bell Rings – Student Dismissal

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

• Grade 1-8 Students – First Day of Classes
• JK & SK Students – No Classes
• New Kindergarten Students are invited in for a short school visit with a caregiver. Classroom educators will be reaching out with details of your visit.

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

• All JK and SK Students – First Day of Classes

School Supplies – On the first day, students will be provided with supplies (pencils, markers, rulers, etc) by the school.  Families may send a few extras, however, this is not required.  Individual teachers may request specific items throughout the school year.

Parent Portal – Families need to familiarize themselves with the HWDSB Parent Portal.  The portal includes important links to attendance reporting, SchoolCash online, transportation, and important forms and surveys. Your child’s class assignment for September will also be posted on the portal.

Transportation – At Winona, we use Route Colours to make it easier for students to remember. On the first day, students will receive a coloured bus tag for their backpack. Please ensure that this tag remains on your child’s backpack, as it assists with end-of-day organization.

For specific details regarding your bus route, please visit the HWDSB transportation page. Families will need to set up an account to view child-specific information. Your child’s Ontario Education Number (OEN) can be found on their report card or by calling the school office.

Courtesy Transportation – Only eligible students will be permitted to ride the bus. As communicated in June, there are very few spaces available for courtesy riders. Please ensure that alternate transportation arrangements have been made if your child was previously a courtesy rider. Courtesy forms are available in the office or linked file. These forms will be reviewed at the end of September, once all eligible riders have been confirmed. HWDSB_Courtesy Form