Newsletter #2 – October 2021

Dear Parents / Guardians:

I would like to thank you for keeping children home when they have developed symptoms of illness. Preventing the spread of germs at school was important pre-COVID but it is especially so now. By following the above measure, you are helping to ensure the safety and health of your child but also for families of other children and staff members at the school. In spite of the pandemic and the measures in place, we are pleased to be able to provide our students with a return to several normal educational activities. Some of these are described below. Have a wonderful month!

-Eldon Keon

NEW COVID-19 MEASURES

Please see the following link to see the changes to COVID-19 measures starting Oct 4 th , 2021. Of importance, Kindergarten students (4-year-old and 5-year-old) will need to wear a procedural mask on the bus. Also, there are new measures for masks in physical education for indoor classes, isolation of siblings and information on the new rapid testing service (optional). https://lordaylmer.westernquebec.ca/covid-19-safety-protocol-updateand-rapid-testing/

WEARING MASKS

Please remember to wear a mask when dropping off and picking up your child at school and daycare.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WEEK

In the month of September, there was a focus on Indigenous Awareness with Truth and Reconciliation Week taking place during the last week of September. Students took part in a variety of activities as they learned about Indigenous culture. Morning announcements began with land acknowledgments and Indigenous versions of O Canada. Teachers taught lessons on the history of the residential school system and the Every Child Matters project. Staff planned readings of books that allowed students to focus on Indigenous Peoples experiences as a whole. There were lessons designed around Indigenous culture, inventions and language, as well as the impact Indigenous people have had on Canada and the world.

ORANGE SHIRT DAY

September 30th was Orange Shirt Day. Students were encouraged to wear orange to honour those who attended residential schools. They took part in the Orange Shirt writing campaign, an Orange Shirt Day assembly, and finally, a moment of silence. The moment of silence took place in schools across Canada at 2:15 in the afternoon. 2:15pm was chosen to honour the children in the 215 unmarked graves discovered in the first residential school search in Kamloops, B.C. earlier this year.

TERRY FOX RUN

Once again this year, Lord Aylmer is participating in the Terry Fox School Run to support cancer research. Students have been learning about Terry’s incredible example of endurance, his determination to improve treatments and to find cures for cancer. In the last week of September and first week of October, each class went outside separately during a physical education period as well as with their homeroom teachers to continue the Marathon of Hope that Terry started 41 years ago. Our online fundraising is continuing into October and we hope to surpass our total of $4500.00 raised last year for the Terry Fox Foundation. To make a contribution, please visit our Lord Aylmer donation page: http://www.terryfox.ca/LordAylmerSchool

REMIND NOTIFICATIONS

Please remember to sign up for the Remind Notification System. Remind is used to communicate information to you and notify you of upcoming events. It is also used to notify you of time-sensitive events, such as late buses, etc. The step-by-step remind sign-up instructions are available on our website.

PICTURE DAY

Picture Day will be held on October 6 at the Junior Campus and October 7 at the Senior Campus.

POPCORN FUNDRAISER

We are excited to announce that grade 6 students will be selling popcorn again this year! Students will be able to order popcorn (70g/bag) from their homeroom teacher from October 7 to October 19. No orders will be accepted after Oct. 19. Popcorn is $2/bag and comes in a variety of flavours: butter & salt, white cheddar, dill pickle, sour cream & onion, and ketchup. The popcorn will be delivered to the classrooms of students who have ordered on Friday, October 29.

Correction: At this time, popcorn will only be on sale at the Senior Campus.

GOVERNING BOARD

Thank you to those who attended our AGA on September 16. Our next meeting is on October 20. The following people will represent parents on the Governing Board this year.

• Justin Ford, Chair
• Terri Cameron, Secretary
• Angele Duval-Belanger
• Attila Clemann
• Alex Butler
• Natalie Filiou

PD DAY AND DAYCARE

October 14 and 15 are PD Days. Daycare services are available for those who have registered. PD Day forms will go home shortly. Parents must register no later than October 11 for both PD days. Daycare hours on PD Days are from 7:00am to 5:00pm.

SCHOOL FEES

School fees have been invoiced and statements of account are available on the parent portal as well as procedures for processing payments.

HALLOWEEN

There will be Inclusive Seasonal/Halloween activities near the end of October. A choice of activities will be planned for students who do not celebrate or would prefer an alternate activity. Please remember that Lord Aylmer has a strict No Food Sharing Policy for safety reasons. Students will not be permitted to hand out treats to their classmates. More information will follow.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather and have a raincoat or umbrella in their bags. We are trying to have students outdoors as much as possible, especially during the pandemic. This will be especially important for end-of-day routines.

LABELLING ITEMS

Please label all clothing items, including sweatshirts. We have already had many items in the Lost and Found. If they are labelled, they are returned. Items are donated monthly to local agencies.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Please don’t forget to call the school if your child will be absent or late. When leaving a message please include the date and the reason for your child’s 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.

Jr. Campus: 819.684.4888

Sr. Campus: 819.684.6801

Daycare: 819.684.1494

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER