Hello and welcome to another exciting school year! We hope you had a wonderful and restful summer. We are thrilled to get the year started as we are sure your family is as well.
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 3rd. Our school hours are 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Supervision for students on the yard begins at 8:15 am.
School Schedule
8:15-8:30 am - Arrival
8:30-10:30 a.m. - Instructional Block One
10:30-11:5 a.m. - Recess/Nutrition
11:15-1:15 p.m. - Instructional Block Two
1:15-2:00 p.m - Recess/Nutrition
2:00-3:00 p.m.- Instructional Block Three
Getting to School Safely – Bus Transportation, Walking, Drop offs
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) is experiencing driver shortages and has made many route changes and cancellations. OSTA has posted the full list of cancelled routes according to school here. Families - please check the list regularly and have a plan for alternative transportation to school should it be required. Parents should sign up to the OSTA Parent Portal to receive latest updates, including bus cancellations, and confirm the status of your child’s bus route.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
Traffic safety at the school is very important. The driveway in front of the school is a designated bus lane and cannot be used to drop off students. In addition, the daycare parking lot is off limits for drop offs and parking. We have a Kiss and Ride lane which is located at the parking lot beside the school and the procedure is listed below.
If you are dropping off or picking up your child from the Kiss and Ride loop please remain in your vehicle and place your car in park. Students need to exit and enter the car from the passenger side. If you are first in line please pull up to the tree. There is no parking permitted in the Kiss & Ride loop as the traffic needs to keep flowing. Student, staff, and community safety is our top priority. Please remember not to drive through the bus lane. We expect all parents to be respectful, compliant, and understanding of all staff directions during Drop off and Pick Up as this area can become busy.
Please consider using the OSTA walking route maps posted on the school website to help children walk to school safely. Parents are asked to consider parking a few blocks away from the school to help avoid congestion near the school. It’s also important to remind your child about traffic safety when walking or biking to school.
MEDICAL
If your child attended school here last year you should have received a notification to complete the necessary forms if your child has a medical condition and/or requires medication while at school. If you are new to the school or did not receive the email please find the forms below.
PLAN OF CARE FOR STUDENTS WITH LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. (https://forms.ocdsb.ca/Forms/Plan-Of-Care-For-Students-With-Life-Threatening-Medical-Conditions)
MEDICATION FORM (https://forms.ocdsb.ca/Forms/OCDSB-988-Prescribed-Medication)
PLEASE DROP OFF ALL MEDICATIONS TO THE OFFICE
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
School supplies are voluntary. The school will have supplies available for students. Some families prefer to buy them, and if so, the list below provides an idea of the kinds of supplies that are used by grade.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has developed a common list of recommended personal use items for students in Kindergarten-grade 3 and grades 4-8.
This list of supplies is strictly voluntary.
Supplies should be labelled and stored in a pencil case (or a resealable plastic bag) for student’s personal use. Parents are encouraged to check with their child and replenish supplies as needed throughout the school year. The school will have supplies available for students who are not able to bring their own.
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Kindergarten to Grade 3
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Grade 4 to Grade 8
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Pencil case or a resealable plastic bag
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Pencil case or a resealable plastic bag
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12 pencils
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12 pencils
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2 erasers (preferably white)
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2 erasers (preferably white)
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1 package of coloured markers
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1 package of coloured markers
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1 package of coloured pencils
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1 package of coloured pencils
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1 package of crayons
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2 highlighters
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3 ballpoint pens
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1 metric ruler (30cm, clear plastic)
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1 metric ruler (30cm, clear plastic)
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1 pair of blunt scissors
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1 pair of blunt scissors
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2 glue sticks
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2 glue sticks
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Calculator
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1 geometry set
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6 duotangs
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2 packages of 3-hole lined refill paper
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3 binders and binder dividers
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The Four Most Important Things for Students to Bring to School Each Day are:
1. Backpack and lunch
2. Refillable water bottle- LABELLED
3. Extra layers of clothing - LABELLED
REPORTING AN ABSENCE
SafeArrival is a new system for managing student absences. Families can report absences in advance using a mobile app, website, or toll-free phone line. These options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How to use SafeArrival?
There are three ways you can report student absences:
Important: Use the email address your student’s school has on record when creating your account for the app/website.
1) App: Install the SchoolMessenger app on your mobile device or access it via the OCDSB app. Open the app and select Sign Up to register. After registering, select Attendance from the menu, then Report an Absence and follow the instructions.
2) Website: Visit go.schoolmessenger.ca. Select Sign Up to create your account. Once registered, select Attendance from the menu, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts. 3) Toll-free Phone: Call 1-833-202-1417 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system and follow the prompts.
Helpful Information:
● If the student is going to be late, select Full Day and then select Late. All students who are going to be late are marked as absent for the full day until they arrive and sign in through the school office.
● Same-day absences for elementary and intermediate schools can only be reported until 30 minutes after the school start time. After that please call the school directly.
● Same-day absences for secondary schools can be reported until 4:00 p.m.
● Absences can be reported in advance for any school day in the school calendar. ● If the student is marked absent and the absence hasn’t been reported in advance, our SchoolMessenger system will attempt to contact you multiple times until you confirm and explain the absence. If a designated contact can’t be reached, school staff will follow up. To avoid these notifications, please report your child’s absence in advance.
Communication
We will continue to update our school website (https://maryhoneywelles.ocdsb.ca/)for information as it becomes available and we will continue our practice of sending Week in Review emails to parents each Friday. Teachers will be communicating with you in the coming days with information specific to their classrooms.
Help Prepare Your Child for Return
The return to school is an exciting time. To help your child get ready, talk with them about returning to school. Focus on the joy of learning, seeing their friends and reconnecting with staff, and building routines.
Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday!
Wanda Mills-Boone (Principal) & Lisa Baker (Vice Principal)