Viola Desmond Parent Weekly

Viola Desmond Public School Week of September 21st

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

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The second week of school was a great success! Thank you to all of the parents and guardians for your support over the two week staggered transition. Our students are doing a great job following the new rules and routines. Again, we would like to thank our teachers, school staff, office staff and custodial team for all of the hard work that went into preparing for a safe opening for all of our students.

As a team, we are committed to providing the best academic experience possible for students, supporting mental health and well-being, student voice and equity. Our staff is thinking of creative ways to engage students while following new guidelines, such as teaching outside, or virtual class visits.

Our key priorities for September will be on DDSB's priorities of equity and well-being. Students are working through week 2 of Viola Desmond's Community Camp to focus on wellness, student voice, advocacy and developing a close knit learning community that embraces our identities.

As we settle into this "new normal," we encourage parents to consider attending our first School Community Council meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 29th at 6:30 p.m. Please register at Violadesmondps@ddsb.ca if you would like to attend. Your voice also matters in shaping the school year and determining key priorities for our school community.

Email, online and telephone messages will be our primary methods of communication. Please double check that you have updated your phone number and email addresses on the Parent Portal to ensure you are not missing important information.

Have a wonderful week! Keep well and stay safe!

Yours in Education,

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

Are You Moving?

If you know that your child(ren) will not be returning to Viola Desmond this month, please contact Mrs. Gill via email at ViolaDesmondPS@ddsb.ca. This includes students enrolling in French Immersion or DDSB @Home. This information is very helpful in organizing our classes for the 2020-2021 school year.

Late Student Arrival Steps

for students arriving after the entry bell at 8:45 a.m.

1. Ensure Self-Assessment Tool has been completed.

2. Ensure student is wearing a mask. (Students in grades 4-8 mandatory, students in K-3 strongly encouraged).

3. Students are to line up outside of the front entrance near the kindergarten playground, physically distanced on line markings of 2 metres each.

4. **ONLY students may enter building.* Staff will open door for student to enter.

5. Sanitize hands upon entering the building.

6 Students will enter the office one at time to get a late slip. A staff member will accompany students in Kindergarten to grade 1 to the office and to their classroom.

7. Student takes late slip to show their teacher and then dispose of the late slip in the recycling bin.

8. **IF accompanying parent or guardian to student has an appointment scheduled, they must sign in to Building Access Sign In Sheet and Sign out. Office Staff will open door for individual to enter.

9. Call 905-619-7400 or email ViolaDesmondps@ddsb.ca to make an appointment if need can not be met through phone, email or video communication.

Please Wear a Mask on School Property!

.Just a reminder to all parents and guardians, students in grades 4 to 8, to please wear a mask when on school property and especially when speaking directly with staff. This is to keep everyone healthy and safe.

Kiss and Ride Closed

School parking lots and drop off areas will be closed off with pylons to all non-bus traffic during the arrival and departure of buses.

Viola Desmond PS school parking lot will be for educational staff and childcare staff. All other vehicles are asked to consider parking in the neighbourhood near the school where signage allows for lawful parking.

No Lunch Cart

Students are required to bring a litterless lunch and will ‘boomerang’ refuse home. All food containers are to be taken back home. Students are required to bring their own utensils and food sharing is NOT permitted. There will be no lunch or acceptance of lunch deliveries to the office due to enhanced safety protocols .

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.

Do we have your current contact information?

It is important that we have the most up to date information in our system so we can communicate with you. If your current contact information is outdated, please send an email to ViolaDesmondPS@ddsb.ca with your child’s name and current mailing address, telephone numbers and email addresses for both parents or guardians. We appreciate your assistance!

Upcoming Dates

September 25th - Spirit Day - Wear Your Favourite Hat
September 29th - Virtual SCC Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. Register at Violadesmondps@ddsb.ca
September 30th - Orange Shirt Day
October 1st - Virtual Meet the Teacher Night
October 9th - Spirit Day
October 12th - Thanksgiving

Save the Date:

Virtual Islamic Heritage Month Events

On behalf of Muslim Educators' Network of Durham, we are happy to share this year’s Islamic Heritage Month series- virtual edition. Islamic Heritage Month provides itself as a meaningful platform highlighting the contributions and voices of Islamic communities, not only in Durham, but across the nation. Please save the date of the upcoming events.

International Day of Peace - September 21

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has it as a 24-hour period of non-violence and cease-fire. The 2020 theme is “Shaping Peace Together.”

Orange Shirt Day - September 30th

Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and community agencies to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

Some Dates of Significance

International Day of Peace - September 21

Yom Kippur (Judaism) - sundown on September 27-28

Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of communal and personal atonement for sins committed during the past year. Fasting and Prayer are central to this day.

Orange Shirt Day - September 30

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis’s account of losing her shiny new orange shirt on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually. Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and community agencies to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

“If life had taught us anything, it was that you couldn't wait until everything was stable to find joy, because life was never stable.”

― Jagmeet Singh, Love & Courage: My Story of Family, Resilience, and Overcoming the Unexpected

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.

Page updated

Report abuse