October 2020 Newsletter

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

I would like to thank our parents and guardians for keeping children home when they develop symptoms of illness. Preventing the spread of germs at school is important every year but it is especially crucial this year. By working together, 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.
Please see below some important reminders and news items.

Eldon Keon, Principal

STUDENT RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY

Congratulations to all students, who received a recognition award for modelling respectful behaviour at school. We will be focusing on Inclusion for the month of October. Please ask your child about Inclusion. Ms. Horner shared a book called “Each Kindness” at our virtual assembly.

TERRY FOX RUN

As with so many things, the 2020 edition of the Terry Fox School Run was a bit different than in the past. In the last week of September, each class went outside separately during a physical education period as well as with their homeroom teachers to walk or run in support of cancer research. Our online fundraising was a success, with $4420.73 so far donated to the Terry Fox Foundation! Although our school campaign is now officially over, you can continue to support cancer research by visiting our Lord Aylmer donations page: http://www.terryfox.ca/LordAylmerSchool

REMIND NOTIFICATIONS

Please visit our website to find out how to sign up for REMIND, if you have not already done so. Important information is shared through this notification system. Some families have shared that they were no longer receiving notifications. We are not sure of the reason but have found that deleting your registration and then re-registering has fixed the error.

PICTURE DAY

We decided to cancel picture day and may reschedule in the spring. We tried to have the photos taken outside but the contractor was unable to accommodate this request.

PROGRESS REPORTS

Progress reports will be available for viewing on October 15 through Mosaik Parent Portal. If you are not yet registered to Mosaik, please contact our administrative technician, Corinna Abraham, at cabraham@wqsb.qc.ca.

GOVERNING BOARD

Thank you to those who attended our AGA on September 16. The following people will represent parents on the Governing Board this year.

• Justin Ford, Chair
• Melissa Meunier, Secretary
• Angele Duval-Belanger
• Attila Clemann
• Alex Butler
• Emilie Bélanger
• Pierre-Paul Gauthier

Our next meeting is on October 21.

VACCINATIONS

Information was sent out regarding the change in schedule for vaccinations. Students in grade 5 this year, who missed the second vaccination session last year, due to the school closure, have been rescheduled to receive the second dose in grade 9. Students in grade 4 this year, will have the opportunity to receive the hepatitis A and B vaccine, along with the HPV vaccine. The second dose for this will also be given in grade 9.

PD DAY AND DAYCARE

October 15 and 16 are PD Days. Daycare services are available for those who have registered. PD Day forms went home Friday, Oct. 2. Parents must register no later than October 9 for both PD days.

SCHOOL FEES

School fees will be invoiced later in the fall. Parents will be advised by Remind when statements of account are available on the parent portal as well as procedures for processing payments.

PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF

Finally our Pick-up and Drop-off procedures have been running smoothly. The following are a couple reminders now that the routine is established.

• Parent drop off is at the bus lanes at both campuses (Rue Barsac at the Junior and from rue Elizabeth at the Senior)
• The City of Gatineau and the Gatineau police have made Barsac, directly across from the bus lane at the Junior Campus a “No Stopping: zone in order to increase visibility for motorists. Please park your car on surrounding side streets or in a valid parking area on Barsac.
• It is very important you are at the parent pick-up area by 2:40 at the Junior Campus or 2:45 at the Senior pick-up area. The Junior Campus finishes at 2:40pm, while the Senior campus finishes at 2:45pm. Please pick-up students from the Junior Campus before making your way to the Senior Campus.
• In order for staff to get to their assigned classes/duties, we stop accepting students at the bus lane entrance promptly at 8:00am at the Junior and 8:05am at the Senior. If you are dropping off your child later than this, please walk him or her to the main entrance. We ask that you are patient while waiting at the front doors as the office is a very busy place and we must free up a staff member to greet the student.

HALLOWEEN

There will be Halloween/Seasonal activities near the end of October as well as alternatives for students who choose not to participate. 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 several items in the Lost and Found, many of which have been returned. Items are donated monthly.

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