Newsletter #9 – May 2023

Spring has sprung and with it will come more opportunities for outdoor play and outdoor learning. Please ensure your child is dressed for cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.

I would like to once again thank our dedicated team of volunteers who make up the Lord Aylmer Home and School Committee. Their commitment to providing an enriched education to our students through their fundraising and organization of events, is second to none. Their efforts have made it possible for our school to enjoy 7 portable Chromebook labs, numerous purchases of books and other educational materials and hot lunches for the students (and parents/guardians!).

Another group of volunteers at the school, Lord Aylmer’s governing board, also contributes by ensuring the educational aims and administrative policies meet the needs of our school community. If you are interested in learning more about governing board or Home and School, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and I will put you in touch with Christina Villeneuve, president of the Home and School, and/or Justin Ford, chairperson of our governing board.

We are entering a critical time of the year for learning and evaluation. I am urging parents/guardians to ensure children are attending regularly and arriving on time for classes. This will reduce disruptions to learning and ensure your child does not miss critically important learning.

Please see below for important messages and events happening at Lord Aylmer in May.

CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL CALENDAR-MAY 8th PD DAY

Please note that the May 8th PD Day has been declared a regular school day to make up for the Snow Day on December 23 rd . (Different schools may have selected another day than May 8th for their make-up day.)

STUDENT RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY

We will hold our Student Recognition Assembly on May 4 th. The school value on which we focused in April was “Positivity”. Congratulations to all our award winners. The value on which we will focus in May is “Independence”.

GRADUATION PHOTO DAY

Please note Wednesday, May 3rd is our photo day for our graduating students.

ROADMAP TO HEALTH: HELPING OUR FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Every week, we hear from parents who have struggled to access care for their children or family members who suffer from problems with their mental or physical health. Some cannot find a family doctor and others experience frustration when trying to access care.

On Saturday, June 3rd, a group of partners, including Lord Aylmer School, D’Arcy McGee, Western Quebec School Board, Connexions, and CISSSO, are organizing an information session for parents at Symmes/D’Arcy McGee High School from 8:00AM-1:00PM to help parents to navigate the health system in the Gatineau area.

Officials from the health authority will walk us through the steps to accessing support for physical health, mental health, diagnoses for particular needs, finding a family doctor and many other scenarios. We will also learn about the rights of the English-speaking community as they pertain to health services. We will also have time to speak to independent health organizations that provide free services in our community. Childcare will be provided as will refreshments and a free lunch. We hope to see you there.

MINISTRY AND BOARD EXAMINATIONS

On Monday, May 8th, our students in cycle 3 (grade 6) will begin writing the first of their ministry exams. Regular attendance is essential during this time. Due to the strict rules for the administration of certain sections of the exams, with respect to times and dates, students may not have the opportunity to make up missed portions of the exam.

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART

Get your skipping rope out and spring into action as the weather warms up! In April, students learned about heart health in physical education classes and participated in our online fundraising campaign for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Please check out the website at www.jumpropeforheart.ca for more information and to donate online. Our fundraising efforts will continue until Friday, May 5th, when our school wide event will take place with students from both campuses. They will take part in heart healthy physical activity with their class over the course of the day. Thank you to everyone who has raised funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Most importantly, keep on developing those good habits that will lead to life-long heart health!

GOVERNING BOARD

The next Lord Aylmer Governing Board meeting will be held on May 24th at 6:30 p.m.

DAYCARE AND PD DAYS

The May 8th PD day is cancelled and is a regular school day. May 19th will be the next PD day. The registration form was sent through Remind today, May 1st and will close on May 12th at 12 p.m. Once it is closed, there will no longer be access to the form. PD days are open to students currently enrolled in daycare. We are not able to take new registrations at this time.

*2023-2024: Registration forms were handed out to existing daycare students during daycare. The due date to return forms if services are needed is May 28th .

*If your child is currently not in daycare but you would need the service for next year, please call Ms. Julie at 819-684-1494 and a form can be sent home with your child.

DAYCARE PAYMENTS

Monthly payments: It is very important to make monthly payments and not carry outstanding balances into the next month. April payments were due April 30th . May will be invoiced and sent to the portal in the first week of May and payments are due May 31st . June payments are due June 23rd . Thank you for your cooperation!

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS 5-Year Old KINDERGARTEN (K5) REGISTRATIONS

To register your child for 5-year-old Kindergarten for 2023-2024, he or she must be 5 years of age (K5) on or before September 30th, 2023.

K5 registrations are accepted now and are ongoing by appointment only. Contact Karen Comfort at 819-684-4888 or kcomfort@wqsb.qc.ca

KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE

On May 2 nd , at 5:30 PM, the Kindergarten Open House will take place at the Lord Aylmer Junior Campus gymnasium for parents of our new Kindergarten students joining us for the 2023-2024 school year.

PLASTIC UTENSILS-ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Lord Aylmer School, along with Mozzola, no longer provides plastic utensils. It is very important to include utensils with your child’s lunch. Each child should also be bringing a refillable water bottle every day.

LOST AND FOUND

We continue to have several items in our Lost and Found areas. Please remember to label all clothing, including sweatshirts and sweaters. Water bottles should also be labelled. All labelled items will be returned. Parents can also stop by both campuses to go through the Lost and Found items.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Please don’t forget to call the school if your child will be absent or late. When leaving a message please include your child’s first and last name, the date, and the reason for the absence. If you wish to make any changes to your child’s after-school routines, you must contact the office and the daycare before 2:00 pm. Messages left after 2:00 may not be heard until after dismissal.

HOME AND SCHOOL NEWS

EVENTS:

Come Save the Galaxy on Friday May 5th, from 7-9 p.m. at the REVENGE OF THE 5TH STAR WARS DANCE PARTY at the LA Senior Campus! All students & their families are welcome. Admission will be $2, $1 for drinks & snacks (cash only!). Stop by the Glam table for some new swag! We hope to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the End of Year Fun Fair BBQ at the LA Senior Campus on Thursday, June 15th! We heard you last year, so we are making many changes to ensure this event is even more fun! Stay tuned for more info!

FUNDRAISER:

Get planting with our SPRING FUNDRAISER! We have teamed up with PLANTABLES for the month of May to offer you healthy, hardy and happy fruit & vegetable plants. The best part is, they ship them DIRECTLY to your door when you want them! Check it out & place your order here: http//plantables.ca/for/lahs

Check out our H&S Facebook page for the most updated events and fundraising details! www.facebook.com/LordAylmerHS/

HOME AND SCHOOL PIZZA AND SUB DAYS

Pizza Day: May 12 & 26

Subway Day: May 5 & 18

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER