Owen Family Update - Week of October 19, 2020

 Hello Owen Families,

It is with great joy and sadness to announce the promotion of Mr. Miles to Acting Principal at Davisville Junior PS.  Though we had very short notice, students and staff were able to thank Mr. Miles and show their appreciation.  

We are very happy for Stephen and know he will have a great impact at his new school.  Stephen will be missed and we know there will always be a bit of Owen with him.  

Congratulations Mr. Miles - We will miss you.  All the best in your new school!

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Daily Heath Screening:

Thank you everyone for performing the Daily Health Screening every morning.  We have more than 95% of our students being screened successfully each day.  

If you were unable to do your Daily Health Screening at-home or forgot, students will be sent to the office for staff to do the Onsite Daily Health Screening and asked if they are feeling well:

• If the answer is yes, they will be allowed to go into the classroom with a mask/face covering on and maintaining physical distancing, the staff member at the door will note their name and the parent/guardian will be contacted to conduct the full assessment by phone.
• If they say no, they will be brought to our Wellness Room and their parent/guardian will be contacted to be picked up.

If you are having difficulties with the app, please see one of the teachers with a yellow vest in the morning before school.  They will be able to assist you with the app.  If there is an issue with your child's userid or password, please let your teacher know as they can reset the password or put in a ticket with the helpdesk if there is a problem.

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Switching between In School and Virtual Schoo;:

The next opportunity for elementary students will be offered at the end of January 2021. There will no longer be an opportunity for elementary students to switch in November. We are confident that this approach will help maintain current classes and teacher assignments in both in-person and virtual classrooms until the new year and will benefit all students and staff by ensuring no further disruptions.  

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Halloween:

Students may choose to dress up for Halloween if they wish.  The following guidelines will take place:

• Students must continue to wear masks underneath their costumes.
• Students can only bring their own food/healthy treats.
• We will not be able to do any parades as we have done in the past but we will take some pics we can share with the Owen families.
• Be conscience of the types of costumes you are selecting for your child.  They should all be respectful, not include weapons or other dangerous accessories, and contain appropriate language if there is writing on the costumes.

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Masks on School Property:

Clarification that parents/guardians who are on school property temporarily (e.g., drop off/pick up) must wear masks and physically distance.

 

“School visitors, including parents/guardians, are required to wear a mask/face covering when indoors and outdoors on school property, such as during pick-up and drop-off.”

 

This responds to situations that have been noted where during drop offs and pickup parents are coming into close contact with other parents and students.

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After School Pick Up:

After school is an extremely busy time for Owen.  We have students who are being picked up by parents/guardians, students who are taking the bus and students who are going to the after school daycare program.  It's important that we track and ensure all students exit and are released to their proper place.

If you are picking up your child early from school, please make sure you pick your child up before 3:10 pm.  There will not be any dismissals between 3:10 pm - 3:40 pm as it is disruptive to the instructional day and difficult to track students during this time.  Please be mindful when making appointments as safety is our number one priority.

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Parents of the Virtual School

We would like to stay connected with our parents/guardians of the Virtual School so you can be informed of what's happening at Owen.  Please make sure you still complete the Parent Contact form.  There is an option to choose "Virtual School" as your class.

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Parent Council :

Thank you for your nominations for Parent Council Executive positions.  The nominations closed last week and we were introduced to both nominees for chair and treasurer.  With one nomination for each position, we'd like to congratulate Mike Youssef (Chair) and Jessica Adedire (Treasurer).  We look forward to working with you both!

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Virtual Parents as Partners Conference:

Save the Date for the Virtual Parents as Partners Conference!

October 24 and 25 is the first-ever virtual parent conference. This online version offers all the same exciting, inspiring and informative content as the in-person conference, but allows you to participate all from the comfort of your own home.

This year’s conference includes two amazing keynotes as well as a host of breakout sessions that you can choose to tailor to your own interests and needs.

Some of the sessions offered include special education, mental health and well-being, anti-Black racism and virtual engagement. In the breakout sessions – led by both TDSB experts and panelists from outside organizations – you also get a chance to connect in a more intimate way with other parents, ask questions and participate in discussions.

Registration opens on Tuesday, October 13 2020. Learn more at www.parentsaspartners.ca

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Dress for Weather:

Physical Education, recess and lunch recess will take place outside, rain or shine.  Please make sure students are dressed for weather.  Here are some tips to help you prepare your child for outdoor learning and play:

- Have boots for rainy days

- A Waterproof or water resistant jacket will keep clothes underneath dry

- Leave extra pants, socks, underwear and gloves at school

- Check that indoor shoes stay at school.  This also helps keep our school floors clean

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Parent Contact Form:

Every year, we ask that parents complete the parent contact form to receive all communication from the office. All staff including homeroom teachers, prep teachers, staff in charge of sports teams or clubs and the office staff use this information to contact parents of the students they work with.

Please complete the form at http://bit.ly/OwenParentContactInformation as we will be switching to this email list.  We will be discontinuing using School Messenger and migrating to our Parent Contact Information sheet for all staff to be able to use. 

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Start of the Year Online Permission Forms 

The board had sent the following email to all parents:

The forms/procedures that will be provided in digital format are: 

• PR088 - Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources 
• PR511H - Walking Excursion - Immediate Community 
• PR511E - Medical Information for Excursions 
• PR511K - Physical Education Information and Intramural Information/Permission
• PR519A - Severe Weather Conditions: Permission to Leave School 
• PR529B - Student Media Consent Release Form 
• PR563 - Anaphylaxis
• PR571 - Code of On-line Conduct 
• PR585 - Board Code of Conduct 
• PR607 - Diabetes Management 
• PR714 - Asthma Management 
• TDSB Digital Learning Tool Consent Form (now mandatory for all grades)

 

If you did not receive this, please let Caroline know.

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Student News!

See what our students have been up to lately at Owen!

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