Newsletter #5 – February 2022

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

As I visited classes this morning, I was reminded that aside from the masks and bottles of disinfectant, I was able to see that the important things, the quality things that need to happen in school, are still happening at Lord Aylmer. Teachers are still preparing top-notch lessons for their students; children are working hard at their reading, math, science and French; laughing with their teachers about funny parts of stories; and the surest way to get cheers from the entire school is to announce, “This recess will be OUTDOORS!” After online schooling and time away from one another, children and staff have quickly managed to get on with the business at hand: learning, socializing, and having fun.

One of the reasons students don’t come forward when they are bullied is, they believe the bully will find out and that the situation will only worsen. At Lord Aylmer, if bullying or incidents of violence are reported, we handle the situation in a very discreet way. Different techniques and strategies are used to ensure the privacy of the person doing the reporting, is protected. Things get better when the matter is reported. Please feel free to reach out to the office, to Mrs. Horner at jhorner@wqsb.qc.ca or to my email address at ekeon@wqsb.qc.ca if your child tells you of an incident. It will be taken seriously.

Please see below, the reminders and points of information for this month.

Eldon Keon

STUDENT RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY

We will hold our Student Recognition Assembly on February 4. The school value on which we focused in January was “Perseverance”. Congratulations to all award winners. We are very proud of our students’ efforts in following our school values. The value on which we will focus in February is “Integrity”.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS

To register your child for the Kindergarten 2022-2023 school year, he or she must be 4 years of age (K4) or 5 years of age (K5) on or before September 30, 2022. All registrations will be done via e-mail. K5 registration will take place from January 31 – to February 18 and K4 from March 7 – 11. For detailed step by step instructions on how to register please click here. On the site, you will be able to access all the forms, instructions, and lists of required documents needed to complete each type of application. If you have any questions, please contact Corinna Abraham at cabraham@wqsb.qc.ca or by phone at 819-684-6801.

REPORT CARDS AND PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Report cards will be available on the parent portal on February 4. Parent teacher interviews will be held on February 7 and 8. Your child’s teacher will have reached out to you by now to schedule a time for an interview over TEAMS. Every teacher has scheduled in a total of 14 hours of availability over the two days to provide some flexibility for parents/guardians’ schedules. We want to ensure there is an interview for each child.

NEW COVID SYMPTOMS LIST AND PROTOCOLS FOR PARENTS

As shared via REMIND on January 31st, Public Health has prepared a new document for parents outlining the new symptoms list for COVID-19 and the step-by-step instructions for isolation. The document is posted on our school website and can accessed by visiting COVID Symptoms and Isolation Instructions. This information is also accessible and posted on our website.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History Month and while classes learn about this topic throughout the year, we will spend more time this month as a school, highlighting and celebrating the contributions of Black people in Canada through lessons and school activities. Please feel free to share any resources you find with your child’s teacher.

GOVERNING BOARD

The next Lord Aylmer Governing Board meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m.

PD DAY AND DAYCARE

Feb. 7 and 8 are PD days and our daycare will be open. There is a maximum number of registrations for both days (60 juniors and 30 seniors). Registration forms were distributed on Jan. 26. Please ensure that all accounts are paid in full as we are preparing for the 2021 tax receipts. For all daycare inquiries please contact Julie Belisle at 819-684-1494.

SCHOOL FEES

If you have not yet paid your school fees, please visit the parent portal for your statement of account.

WQSB MOBILE APP

The WQSB has offered a mobile app where parents can quickly get bus transportation updates specific to their children’s school. As a bonus, they have also packed the app with features and resources relevant to parents, students, and staff, like the Mozaik Parent Portal, school calendars, pay portal, and a Virtual Library. Download this free app today on westernquebec.ca/app.

MESSAGE FROM LORD AYLMER’S HOME AND SCHOOL

At Lord Aylmer, we are extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated group of teachers and staff who do their upmost to ensure the students are successful in learning and in creating a fun and safe environment. They have been faced with numerous obstacles in the past 2 years and are still going strong. We are lucky to have them as part of our children’s day to day. From February 14 to February 18, schools across Québec will be celebrating members of the school communities during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. Lord Aylmer Home and School committee will also be participating with some celebratory treats to thank all the staff at Lord Aylmer. Please join us in thanking the teachers, secretaries, bus drivers, attendants, caretakers, daycare educators and cross guards who care so much about your child’s safety and well-being during this special week!

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Students will be outdoors as much as possible. An extra pair of dry socks and mittens or gloves are recommended.

LOST AND FOUND

We continue to have several items in our lost and found. Please remember to label all winter clothing, including sweatshirts and sweaters. All labelled items will be returned.

CONNEXIONS RESOURCE CENTRE

Make sure to check-out Connexions Resource Centre’s upcoming events for parents & school staff! Registrations are required, so please make sure to visit: https://centreconnexions.org/events

HOME AND SCHOOL PIZZA AND SUB DAYS

Pizza Day: Feb. 4 & 18

Subway Day: Feb. 11 & 25

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER