Viola Desmond Parent Weekly

Viola Desmond Public School Week of March 15th, 2021

Main Office: 905-619-7400

Safe Arrival Line: 1-844-350-2646

Please use the Safe Arrival line or School Messenger online reporting system to report when your child will be late, absent or getting picked up early.

Follow Us: Instagram and twitter: @violadesmondps

Our learning journey still continues as we continue to have critical conversations about Black history, discrimination, racism and perseverance. Ms. King's grade 4 students shared their thoughts as they discussed these critical issues.

#TeamViola #WeAreDefenders #StrongerTogether

Mrs. Halcomb's and Mrs. James' class explored Bangladeshi artists as we commemorate this Heritage Month.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Black History Month created a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions of Black Canadians. Our learning journey continues throughout the building, focusing on #BeyondBHM (Black History Month). We are so proud of the wonderful learning happening in classrooms, critical questions being asked by students and the integration of social justice issues as part of our critical literacy program. We will continue to provide opportunities to develop student leadership and voice at Viola Desmond Public School.

Bangladeshi Heritage Month is a time for us to commemorate the wonderful contributions to Ontario's development. We are learning daily facts on our announcements. Last week, Mrs. Halcomb's and Mrs. James' class explored Bangladeshi artists to recognize the artistic contributions. As this heritage month is new to us, we encourage parents to share traditions, holidays and facts to deepen our own knowledge and growth as a school community in recognizing this month.

While this week is typically March Break, our Student Leadership Team thought it would be great to have a Spirit Week and celebrate our wonderful school teams! Please see the poster below so your child can participate in this week's activities!

Our school office is open but remains closed to visitors. Should you need to contact our secretaries, Mrs. Gill or Mrs. Hindle, or admin, please call 905 619-7400 or email us at Violadesmondps@ddsb.ca.

We thank you for following the safety procedures as keeping our school community safe is our top priority. We encourage all community members to wear a mask, to frequently wash/sanitize hands, cough/sneeze into your arm, avoid any gatherings with people outside your household and maintain appropriate physical distancing from others. Please send your child with extra masks. Please read the important message below regarding mandatory masks for students and parents while on school property.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Warm regards,

Mrs. Brusselers and Mrs. Thomas - Administrative Team

Bell Times

8:35 a.m. - Morning Supervision Begins

8:45 a.m. - Entry Bell

10:05 a.m. - Staggered Morning Recess Begins

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch *Please note: Students going home for lunch must stay home for the entire lunch hour

2:00 p.m. - Staggered Afternoon Recess Begins

3:10 p.m. - Dismissal

How to Talk to Your Child about Anti-Black Racism

In late February, the Parent Engagement team hosted an important event where acclaimed public speaker, writer and DDSB parent, Bee Quammie shared valuable insight into how parents/guardians can talk to their children about anti-Black racism. Over 650 people tuned in to the virtual event as Ms. Quammie guided participants through techniques and provided practical tips as to what we can all do to make a difference when addressing anti-Black racism for young minds. Please click on the Youtube Video to hear the entire presentation!

If a Student Experiences the Onset of a Symptom at School:

**NEW**Under the current policy, the student must be immediately removed from class and await the arrival of a parent of guardian in the health room.

**NEW**All siblings of the sick child must also go home until the child complete one of the steps as discussed in the picture above.

Please contact the office or email Violadesmondps@ddsb.ca if you have any questions.

Mandatory Daily Self-Screening

The Ministry of Education has updated the current screening protocols based on the direction of Ontario's Medical Officer of Health. Please read the following changes carefully.

Changes have been made to the mandatory COVID-19 self-screening that must take place every morning before leaving for school. Effective immediately, every student who has one new or worsening symptom of COVID-19 must stay home until:

They receive a negative COVID-19 test result.
They receive an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional, or
It has been 10 days since the start of symptoms, and they are feeling better.

Parents/guardians must check their child(ren) for symptoms of COVID-19 every morning using the Government of Ontario’s easy to use COVID-19 school screening tool at: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/.

If your child does not pass the screening, please ensure that your child does not come to school and follow the directions outlined in the self-screening tool in order to keep everyone safe.

Isolation Requirement for Household Contacts of People with Symptoms of COVID-19

**NEW**If someone living in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, everyone in the household is required to quarantine (stay at home and not leave the home) until the person with symptoms:

receives a negative COVID-19 test result, or
receives an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional.

If the person with symptoms tests positive, or is not tested and does not receive an alternative diagnosis from a health care professional, the person with symptoms must isolate (including from household members) for 10 days from when the symptoms started, and all household contacts must isolate until 14 days from their last contact with the person with symptoms.

We are a Peanut Free School!

This is a gentle reminder that peanuts or peanut products should not be included as part of your child's lunch. This includes peanut butter, WOW butter and Nutella, or nuts in granola bars, just to name a few.

We have students and staff members with severe, life-threatening allergies. Being exposed to nuts could make them very sick.

We thank you for your cooperation.

Spirit Days are Back!

Our intermediate student leaders have created a mini spirit week beginning on Wednesday, March 17th.

By participating, students help their classes earn points for their house colours. These days are intended to be fun and add to our team spirit.

Parents, you do not need to buy anything to participate in these days. Students are encouraged to find or create items to participate in our spirit days!

Parking Around the School

As we monitor the Road Safety around our school, we kindly ask parents:

Refrain from parking more than 5 minutes on the west side of Turnerbury Avenue. This is meant for a student drop-off. If you would like to remain with your child until the bell rings, we ask that you park on the side streets so we can keep traffic moving.

Students should not be running across the street to meet parents. It creates an extremely unsafe situation for students.

Please avoid making U-turns on Turnerbury Avenue close to Gaskin Street and Hornett Way. We have observed some potential accidents and are quite concerned.

Upcoming Dates

March 17th - Spirit Day: Wear Green for St. Patrick's Day
March 18th - Spirit Day: Tropical Beach Day
March 19th - Spirit Day: Sports Day
March 26th - VIOLA Virtual Awards Assembly
April 2nd - Good Friday
April 5th - Easter Monday
April 12th to 16th - Spring Break
April 21st - Cypher Conference

Is your child able to go home for lunch??

With changes to the safety protocols, students will not be permitted masking breaks during recess because social distancing cannot be maintained at all times when children are playing. It is highly recommended that students go home for lunch, if they are able to, so they can have a break from wearing their masks. Thank you for considering this request.

Bi-Law Officer and Road Safety

The By-Law Officer from the Town of Ajax observed the parking situation during entry and afternoon exit periods, and expressed significant concern due to many safety infractions observed.

The By-Law Officer has asked the school to remind parents and guardians to safely follow road rules and laws during high peak times of morning drop off and end of day pick up.
While the parking loops remain closed, parents are encouraged to park on Formosa, Turnerbury or the side streets during these times. You are encouraged to walk your child to school as well.
Please refrain from stopping in the middle of the side street to pick up your child. This poses a significant safety risk for on-coming traffic.
It is important to adhere to the reduced driving speeds within a school zone.
The By-Law Officer will be issuing tickets moving forward to infractions that have been observed.

Saftey Reminders

8 important reminders for the safety of all students, staff, and the community of Viola Desmond

1. When on school property, students (grades 1 to 8), staff, and parents/guardians must wear a mask.

2. Social distance whenever possible.

3. Complete the Daily Self-Assessment every day prior to attending school.

4. Students are encouraged to eat lunch at their own homes. Students who cannot go home at lunch are welcome to remain at school under supervision.

5. If a child is showing any symptoms they must stay home, and siblings must stay home as well. If a family member is showing symptoms, students must stay home.

6. When dropping students off, please do not remain at entry doors or gates, so we can maintain our physically distanced measures. Please clear space so that other students can enter school grounds in a safe manner.

7. During Drop-off and Pick-Up Times do not park illegally on Formosa Avenue or Turnerbury Avenue . This is a safety concern that has been flagged by many community members and our bi-law officer..

8. Students must leave school property promptly upon dismissal.

March is Bangladeshi Heritage Month

Ontario is home to a large and vibrant Bangladeshi community. Bangladeshi Canadians from across the province have made significant contributions to Ontario's scientific, athletic, cultural and political development, and they continue to help foster growth, prosperity, and innovation throughout Ontario.

The month of March is an important one for the Bangladeshi community. Every year on March 26th, Bangladeshis around the world celebrate Independence Day in commemoration of their nation gaining independence in 1971. This day is often marked with music, parades, fairs, and various other public and private gatherings held to celebrate the history and traditions of Bangladesh.

Mandatory Masks for Students in Grades 1 -8 and Parents

Reminder: Masks are required to be worn by students in Grades 1-8 while at school. This includes while outside when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Kindergarten students are strongly encouraged to wear masks! Due to the cold weather, students should bring multiple masks to school in case they get wet or dirty.

It is also mandatory for parents and guardians to wear masks while outdoors on school property as physical distancing is not always possible when dropping and picking up your children.

In the interest of everyone’s safety, we are requiring that you please wear a mask. Thank you!

Reporting an Absence

As we return to in-person learning, this is just a reminder that there are 3 ways to report an absence:

Go to the SchoolMessenger website;
Online or on your smartphone through the SchoolMessenger app
Calling 1-844-350-2646

Thank you!

World Down’s Syndrome Day - March 21

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) , 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a common genetic condition where a person’s cells have an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are packaging structures for our genetic information, and typically people have 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome from each pair comes from the female, and the corresponding chromosomes come from the male. Because chromosomes contain genetic information, having too many or too few can cause differences in growth and development. In cases of Down syndrome, the individual has three copies of chromosome 21.

People with Down syndrome are just like everyone else. They have similar dreams and goals, and they want to have successful careers and families

People with Down syndrome still face stereotypes and myths, but they’ve shown time and again that the condition is just one part of who they are and doesn’t define them or limit their abilities. That’s why it’s so important that all year long, we help spread the message of love, acceptance, inclusion, and respect.

International Day for the Elimination fo Racial Discrimination - March 21

1960 - Sharpeville, South Africa. A group of mainly racialized anti-apartheid activists marched to their local police station to protest against the country's “pass law” that was enacted in the 1800's to curtail movement of non-white citizens.

The “pass law” required all Black Africans and racialized people to carry a “pass card” in order to travel within the country. As the activists marched, police opened fire and killed 69 people, including eight women and 10 children. An additional 180 people were injured. In 1966, the United Nations declared March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and as a way to commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre. In 1986, as South Africa moved towards the dismantling of apartheid and the “pass card” requirement was lifted, South Africa held its first democratic election in 1994 and elected Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela as president.

59 years later, the world continues to be shaken by many forms of racial discrimination that occurs on a daily basis around the world. In Canada, we are collectively acknowledging decades of discrimination faced by First Nation, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) peoples of Canada, Muslim Canadians, immigrants both past and present and refugees seeking a safe harbour within our borders. Activist and organizations like Black Lives Matter and Murdered and Missing Women are calling for the eradication of discrimination based on race.

Some Dates of Significance

Lent (Christianity - March 15

Lent, in the Christian church, a period of penitential preparation for Easter. In Western churches it begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides for a 40-day fast (Sundays are excluded), in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry. In Eastern churches Lent begins on the Monday of the seventh week before Easter and ends on the Friday that is nine days before Easter. This 40-day “Great Lent” includes Saturdays and Sundays as relaxed fast days.

Irish Heritage Day - March 17

Irish immigrants were among the earliest settlers in Canada. In 1845, Irish immigrants, fleeing the potato famine in Ireland, began settling in Ontario in large numbers. They brought to Ontario and Canada their values of hard work, devotion to family, service to the community and the perpetual hope for a better future for themselves and their fellow citizens.

Ontario citizens of Irish descent made significant contributions to the founding of Canada. They have made and continue to make significant contributions to the development of Canada, especially over the more than 150 years since the first large waves of Irish immigration. It is important to recognize and celebrate those contributions.

Today the rich cultural heritage of Canada’s Irish community is an integral part of Canadian national culture and identity and belongs, by right, to all Canadians of all backgrounds. As evidence of that fact, the coat of arms of Canada bears several symbols of Irish heritage: the Royal Harp of Tara representing the historic coronation place of the High King or Ard Righ of Ireland and the Shamrock and Cross of Saint Patrick.

It is appropriate to recognize March 17, the day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of the Irish, as Irish Heritage Day in Ontario.

Now Ruz (Zoroastrian) - March 20-21

“Today, we join Persian, Afghan, Kurdish, Zoroastrian, Bahá’í, Central Asian, and Ismaili communities in Canada and around the world to celebrate Nowruz, the first day of spring and the beginning of the New Year in the Persian calendar.

“Nowruz is a time of spiritual renewal, and a chance to show gratitude for our blessings and share aspirations of hope and optimism for the year ahead. It is also a chance for all Canadians to recognize the important contributions the many communities that observe Nowruz make to our country.”

March is:

International Women's Day (UN) - March 8

UN Women announces the theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021 (IWD 2021) as, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”

The theme celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “Women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, and the flagship Generation Equality campaign, which calls for women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs.

Shivratri (Hinduism) - March 11

As per the Hindu calendar, Shivratri is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Maagha. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the festival owes its origins to several versions, one of them being a celebration of Shiva and Parvati's marriage to each other.

Some other facts about the festival of Mahashivratri are as follows:

According to some, Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Shiva saved the world from the pot of poison that emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan. It is believed, Lord Shiva drank the poison and stored it in his throat--which made his throat turn blue (which is why he also came to be known as Neelkanth).
For some, Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Brahma and Vishnu got into a major tiff about their supremacy over each other and an angry Lord Shiva punished them by taking the form of a massive fire that spread across the length of the universe. Vishnu and Brahma then got into the race to find the end of the fire and prove their prowess--only to be dismayed. Brahma resorted to a lie, and angered Shiva greatly who cursed that no one would ever pray to him.

Some other facts about the festival of Mahashivratri are as follows:

According to some, Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Shiva saved the world from the pot of poison that emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan. It is believed, Lord Shiva drank the poison and stored it in his throat--which made his throat turn blue (which is why he also came to be known as Neelkanth).
For some, Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Brahma and Vishnu got into a major tiff about their supremacy over each other and an angry Lord Shiva punished them by taking the form of a massive fire that spread across the length of the universe. Vishnu and Brahma then got into the race to find the end of the fire and prove their prowess--only to be dismayed. Brahma resorted to a lie, and angered Shiva greatly who cursed that no one would ever pray to him.

Spring Equinox, Eostre (Wicca), Shunki-Sorei-Sai (Shinto) - March 20

Spring Equinox: In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox (aka spring equinox or vernal equinox) occurs when the Sun crosses the equator line, heading north in the sky. This event marks the start of spring in the northern half of the globe. After this date, the Northern Hemisphere begins to be tilted more toward the Sun, resulting in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the March equinox marks the start of autumn, as the Southern Hemisphere begins to be tilted away from the Sun.)

Eostre:Today, Ostara is one of the eight major holidays, sabbats or festivals of Wicca. It is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, which in the northern hemisphere is around the 20th or 21st of March and in the southern hemisphere around the 23rd of September. Its modern revival is linked to some of the oldest traditions of mankind

Shunki-Sorei-Sai:The “time of the spring” memorial service commemorates when ancestors’ spirits are revered at home altars and when gravesites are cleaned and purified

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

― Malala Yousafzai

Daily Self Assessment

Students, with the help of parents/guardians are also required to complete a self-assessment of their health and symptoms of COVID-19 and must not enter the school if they are displaying any symptoms.

Hand Sanitizing and Handwashing Hygiene

Hand washing and sanitizing routines will be more frequent for our students. Staff will model, instruct and monitor hand washing and sanitizing.

Stay connected - Follow us on twitter @violadesmondps!

Many parents have made inquiries about teaching and learning plans. We will do our best to provide resources and communications through our school twitter account (@violadesmondps) to keep you up-to-date.

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