2424 King Edward Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2R 2R2 Phone: (204) 694-0483 Fax: (204) 694-7509
Website: h ps://www.winnipegsd.ca/schools/stanleyknowles/Pages/default.aspx JANUARY 2021 NEWSLETTER Administrators’ Message
On behalf of the en re École Stanley Knowles School staff, welcome back everyone! Hopefully everyone had a res ul holiday with those closest to you. As we begin 2021, we should reflect upon how fortunate we are to be living in a city and country where we support one another. We have many parents in our community who have made sacrifices for others during the pandemic and o en their families have also had to make sacrifices. We want to extend our gra tude to these families!
We also wish to thank all our parents and guardians for the wonderful sense of community that you bring to our school. When caregivers and educators work together it enhances the educa onal experience of students. This has never been more evident than during the last few months. Many of our parents and caregivers have had a key role in suppor ng their children at home to complete assignments posted by teachers and to provide a rou ne for their children so they do not miss important instruc onal opportuni es. Many parents have had to review safety expecta ons and new rou nes at school with their children.
We look forward to another successful school term for all our students. Teachers are doing their very best to provide quality instruc on and support all learners whether they are “remote” or “in class”. Our Junior High students as well as many of our Elementary students, will be remote learning from home during the first 2 weeks a er winter break.
For parents of students who a end classes at school, please try to send your child to school within minutes of the entry bell. Entry mes are 8:45 am and 12:40 pm. Also please make sure that your child is dressed for the weather as all elementary children are expected to go outside, weather permi ng. Please remind your children to stay off the reten on pond across from the school as it is not safe.
As we begin the 2021 year, we would like to wish you an abundance of love to fill your heart, courage to do what is right and that your home is filled with joy and peace.
Your Admin Team,
Y. Koncan ~ D. Stevenson ~ J. Mayor-Rodrigues
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Safety Comes First...
Dear Parent/Guardians:
1) Please do not enter the staff parking lot to either drop off or pick up your child(ren) at
any me during the day. The staff parking lot is for STAFF PARKING ONLY . No other vehicles should be entering this area. We will con nue to monitor this area to ensure that the safety of both staff and students are being maintained by the traffic flow in the staff parking lot.
2) Please do not use the bus loop during bus drop off and pick up mes (8:30-9:00am and 3:00-3:30pm). During the school day (9:00-3:30pm) the bus loop is one way only with the entrance being on the North side.
3) Reminder that King Edward Street in front of the school is a designated school zone. Motorists must reduce their speed to 30 km/hr. School zone speed limits are enforced Monday-Friday between 7:00am - 5:30pm)
Please Call...
Before the bell me of the current day, and when you know that your child is going to be absent or has an appointment, please call the Safe Arrival System at 1-855-278-4513 to let the school know. You can also use the website at h p://go.schoolmessenger.ca or the mobile app.
Calling students out of class during the school hours to phone home or to pick up a lunch is very disrup ve to the class. Unless it is an emergency, it would be appreciated if you could make prior arrangements with your child and ensure that your child arrives at school prepared for the school day with all his /her belongings, including lunch, water bo le and binder/homework.
For the safety of our staff and students, parents should not enter the school unless they phone and make an appointment.
Lunch Program Fees and COVID 2020 - 2021
École Stanley Knowles Parent Council recognizes that the safety and well-being of all students over the lunch hour is of the utmost importance. Lunch Program fees are used to pay the supervisors who provide the supervision in the classrooms and on the playground. This year, in order to support the province’s mandated COVID-19 social distancing measures, we have hired addi onal supervisory staff so that all families could par cipate in the lunch program.
Although the recent Public Health Orders have many students par cipa ng in remote learning, the lunch program is s ll charged with providing supervision for those students who remain in school. As the remote learning op on is temporary, our hope is that your child will remain registered in the lunch program to hold their place in the program, so that it is available to you when you need it (similar to day care, you are maintaining your spot).
Should you choose to with draw your child from th Lunch Program, please note that there is no guarantee your child would be able to re-register when in-class learning resumes as a significant reduc on in fees would occur and result in the Parent Council having to reduce lunch program supervisors for the remainder of the school year.
We thank you for your understanding and support during these difficult mes.
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When bus Indoor recess transporta on is cancelled in the morning, it will not During the winter months, the wind chill is checked before resume later in the day even if morning recess, lunch me and a ernoon recess. weather condi ons improve. Students are expected to dress appropriately for the weather at all mes. As per WSD policy, students will be kept indoors only on inclement days when the wind chill reaches –28° Celsius. When the wind chill is between –25° to –27°, students may go During the school year there may be mes when school out for a shortened 10 minute recess. bus transporta on is cancelled due to inclement weather or poor driving condi ons, but schools will remain open. At mes, parents and guardians have requested by a note to the classroom teacher or a phone call to the school, to have School bus transporta on for all school divisions in the City their child remain indoors at recess me. It is our school’s of Winnipeg is cancelled when the wind chill reaches -45° belief that if a student is too sick to go outdoors at recess, then Celsius by 6:15 a.m. based on the Environment Canada he or she is too sick to be at school. readings at the Winnipeg Airport. The temperature readings can be found at the Environment Canada website We would ask parents and guardians to send children to school (h p://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca). only when they are well enough to par cipate in all ac vi es, including recess. The following media outlets are contacted in the early morning to ask that they broadcast and/or post the informa on:
89.3 CBC FM; 990 CBC AM; CKSB 89.9 FM We would like to wish all parents and students a Happy (French); CJOB-680 AM; Power 97-FM; 1290 New Year and a big thank you for all their support year CFRW; 99.9 BOB-FM; Q94-FM; 92 CITI FM; 102.3 round! CLEAR FM; CKMM Hot 103; QX 04 FM; CTV News; City TV; Winnipeg Free Press Website. With the cold weather now here, it has become more
Please note: Some media outlets will broadcast and post important than ever that ALL Grade 7 & 8 students have a the informa on to their websites. plan for their lunch hour.
Parents/Guardians can also phone the Transporta on The safety and well-being of all of our students at ÉSKS is Department at 204-775-0231 extension 224 or 204-789- of the utmost importance. Since ÉSKS does not provide 0409/204-789-0421 for informa on. any formal supervision over the lunch hour , all students in Grade 7 and Grade 8 who are not part of the paid Lunch Severe weather condi ons and poor roads may extend the Program are expected to leave the building and the school running me of some buses, resul ng in late arrival and grounds over the lunch hour. departure.
Parents/Guardians should make sure that children are This Parent Run Lunch Program is available on a full- me suitably clothed un l picked up and that they have a place basis. The cost of this program is the same as our to go in the event the bus does not arrive or is late. Elementary Lunch Program and operates in a similar Parents/Guardians must also ensure that children have a manner. Families can choose to pay a full- me fee of place to go a er the return trip. $230.00 for the en re school year.
Informa on regarding the Elementary & Junior High Lunch Program is available in the school office.
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At École Stanley Knowles School, our first priority is to ensure the safety of your children while they are in school.
With safety in mind, The Winnipeg School Division and the Province of Manitoba require that each school have procedures in place to use in situa ons where students’ safety could be compromised.
Patrols and Adult Crossing Guards Students ’ Arrival at School
Adult crossing guards are on duty at the following mes: Students are to arrive at school No Earlier than 8:40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. Morning: A ernoon: 8:30 am – 9:00 am 12:30 pm – 12:45 pm This becomes par cularly important in the winter months 11:45 am – 12:00 noon 3:30 pm – 3:45 pm when the cold weather has arrived and it is not safe for students to remain outside. Students will not be allowed in It is extremely important that children who cross busy un l adult supervision is available at 8:45 a.m. streets to get to school do so at specified corners where patrols are on duty. There is NO supervision at the school un l 8:45 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. In order to protect the safety and welfare of the children, we emphasize the following: Students must exit the school and grounds for their own safety promptly at 3:30 pm as there is Please arrange for your children to arrive at school NO supervision a er school hours. during the mes that there are Patrols/Crossing Guards and Teachers/EAs on duty. Loading Zones and Dropping Off Children
We ask that parents/guardians who walk and pick DO NOT enter the Bus Loop when up their children from school, use the crosswalks picking up or dropping off students. at the intersec ons, and not cross where there Vehicles found parked in the Bus Loop are no crosswalks. Modelling safe crossing will or in the Staff Parking lot are subject to being teach the children pedestrian safety. cketed and towed at the owner’s expense. Especially during the winter months, we have a more challenging me crossing the children, so we ask your co- Children are dismissed onto the playground. opera on in being respec ul to our Crossing Guards. Parents/guardians are asked to wait for their children on the playground and then walk to their Crossing Guards have been instructed to take the license plate parked vehicle or walk home together. number of any vehicle who is not showing respect or courtesy
to them. If this happens, you can expect a visit by the PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. Winnipeg Police Service.
DO NOT MAKE U-TURNS AT INKSTER OR KINVER OFF OF KING EDWARD.
DO NOT USE THE TYNDALL GREENS PRIVATE
Staff PARKING LOT ON KING EDWARD AND KINVER TO Parking DROP OFF, PICK UP, OR TURN AROUND IN. Bus Lot NO STOPPING PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND BE PATIENT.
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Dear parents and guardians,
At this me, when many of our students are learning remotely, we would like to provide our families with informa on and guidelines to help ensure that students are able to successfully learn from home.
We understand that remote learning presents us all with formidable challenges. We are all learning how to do things differently for a while. Across our community of students, teachers and staff there is a wide range of comfort with technology. Even very digitally-savvy young people may struggle with educa onal technology.
We all share responsibili es for remote learning but each have different roles in promo ng it: Parents/Guardians en- sure that their children are present, awake and engaged in learning, and teachers plan and provide the instruc on. Parents and teachers are partners in suppor ng remote learning and making sure students con nue to learn. Parents/guardians have the important role and responsibility of monitoring their child's engagement in remote learn- ing. This can be easily done daily by taking a few minutes to log into your child's Google Classroom/Seesaw with them, and looking at the list of assigned/completed/outstanding work.
PARENT'S GUIDE TO REMOTE LEARNING
REMOTE LEARNING TIPS The guidelines below can help us all make the best of new and some mes unfamiliar distance learning environ- ments. It can help families be ready for some of the more prac cal aspects of learning from home.
1. Establish rou nes and expecta ons
It is important to develop good habits from the start. Create a flexible rou ne and talk about how it’s working over me. Chunk your days into predictable segments. Help students get up, get dressed and ready to learn at a reasonable
me. Everybody make your bed! Keep normal bed me rou nes, including normal rules for digital devices. Adjust schedules to meet everyone’s needs but don’t default to staying up late and sleeping in (However, a ‘duvet day’ now and then can be a treat).
2. Choose a good place to learn
Your family’s regular learning space for occasional homework might not work for extended periods. Set up a physical loca on that’s dedicated to school-focused ac vi es. Make sure it is quiet, free from distrac ons and has a good inter- net connec on. Make sure an adult monitors online learning. Keep doors open, and prac ce good digital safety. Our teachers, counsellors and school staff will do the same.
3. Stay in touch
Teachers will mainly be communica ng regularly through our online pla orms and virtual learning environments. Make sure everyone knows how to find the help they need to be successful. Stay in contact with classroom and sup- port teachers, school leaders and counsellors but understand it may take a day or two for us to respond. Teachers are not available to respond to emails in the evening or on weekends. However if you have concerns, let the teacher know.
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4. Help students ‘own’ their learning
No one expects parents to be full- me teachers or to be educa onal and content ma er experts. Provide support and encouragement, and expect your children to do their part. Struggling is allowed and encouraged! Don’t help too much. Becoming independent takes lots of prac ce. At ÉSKS, your child usually engages with others students and any number of adults hundreds of mes each day. Many of these social interac ons will con nue from a distance, but they will be different. You cannot replace them all, and that’s OK.
5. Begin and end the day by checking-in
In the morning, you might ask:
• What classes/subject do you have today?
• Do you have any assessments?
• How will you spend your me?
• What resources do you need?
• What can I do to help?
At the end of the day you might ask:
• How far did you get in your learning tasks today?
• What did you discover? What was hard?
• What could we do to make tomorrow be er?
These brief grounding conversa ons ma er. Checking in students to process instruc ons they received from their teachers, and it helps them organise themselves and set priori es – older students too. Not all students thrive in re- mote learning; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure. These check-in rou nes can help avoid later challenges and disappointments. They help students develop self-management and execu ve func oning that are essen al skills for life. Parents/Guardians are good life coaches.
6. Establish mes for quiet and reflec on
For families with children of different ages, and parents who may also be unexpectedly working from home more o en, it’s good to build in some me for peace and quiet. Siblings may need to work in different rooms to avoid dis- trac on. Many families will need to nego ate access to devices, priori es for wi-fi bandwidth and schedules through- out the day. Noise-cancelling headphones are an idea. And one day a week is already planned for independent, low- stress learning. Reading is fundamental .
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7. Encourage physical ac vity and exercise
Living and working at home, we will all need some room to let off steam. Moving (independently and together as a family) is vital to health, wellbeing, and readiness for learning. It’s a great opportunity to prac ce exercising ‘alone to- gether’ with digital workouts and online instructors. Set new fitness goals and plan hands-on, life-ready ac vi es that keep hands busy, feet moving, and minds engaged. You may want to think about how your children can pitch in more around the house with chores or other responsibili es. Now’s a good me to think about increasing personal responsi- bility and pitching in.
8. Manage stress and make the most of an unusual situa on
We are going through a me of major upheaval to our normal rou nes and ways of life, and there’s a great deal of anxiety in the world right now. Emo ons may be running high, and children may be worried or fearful. Parents/ Guardians may be stressed as well and children are o en keenly aware of trouble. Children benefit when they get age- appropriate factual informa on and ongoing reassurance from trusted adults. We have put in place layers of support for ÉSKS students, so please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, school leader or support team if you needs assistance or advice. In these circumstances, it’s o en possible to reframe challenges as opportuni es: for spending me together, discovering new ideas and interests, inves ng energy and a en on in ac vi es that o en get pushed aside by everyday tasks and responsibili es. Experts advise that it’s a good idea to slow down, find beauty, enjoy unex- pected benefits, and express gra tude by helping others. The strength of ÉSKS’s community will help see us through.
9. Monitor me on-screen and online
Distance learning does not mean staring at computer screens seven and half hours every day. Teachers will aim to build in variety, but it will require some trial and error before everyone finds balance between online and close-space offline learning experiences. Work together to find ways to prevent ‘down me’ from becoming just more ‘screen me’.
10. Connect safely with friends, and be kind
The ini al excitement of school being closed will fade quickly when students start missing their friends, classmates, and teachers. Help your children maintain contact with friends through social media and other online technologies. But monitor your child’s social media use. Remind your child to be polite, respec ul and appropriate in their communi- ca ons, and to follow school guidelines in their interac ons with others. Teach your child how to have deal with un- kindness and other problems so that everyone maintains healthy rela onships and posi ve interac ons.
11. How to support work being done during remote learning
• When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the concepts and skills. Providing the answers teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone (parents, sib- lings) will do the work for him. When work is submi ed that is above the ability/skill level of the student, teachers can not use these assignments for assessment purposes.
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Monday, January 4, 2021 School re-opens a er Winter Break
Monday, February 8, 2021 Non-Instruc onal Day Friday, February 15, 2021 Louis Riel Day - No School
Monday, March 8, 2021 Non-Instruc onal Day Friday, March 19, 2021 Student-Led Conferences - No School Friday, March 26, 2021 Last day of school before Spring Break
SPRING BREAK - Monday, March 29 to Friday, April 2, 2021
Monday, April 5, 2021 School Re-Opens a er Spring Break Friday, April 16, 2021 Non-Instruc onal Day
Monday, May 3, 2021 Non-Instruc onal Day Monday, May 24, 2021 Victoria Day - No School
Friday, June 25, 2021 ÉSKS PD Day - No School Wednesday, June 30, 2021 Last Day of School - 11:30 am Dismissal
Library News
A huge thank you to all the parents and staff of École Stanley Knowles School who supported our Scholas c Virtual Book Fair!
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2424 King Edward Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2R 2R2 Phone: (204) 694 -0483 Fax: (204) 694 -7509
Website: https://www.winnipegsd.ca/schools/stanleyknowles/Pages/default.aspx JANUARY 2021 M o n d a y T u es d a y W ed n es d a y T h u r s d a y F r i d a y
Winter Break: Monday, December 21, 2020 - Friday, January 1, 2021 School Re-Opens: Monday, January 4, 2021
4 5 6 7 8 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 1 Day 2
SCHOOL RE-OPENS
REMOTE LEARNING FOR ALL JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS
11 12 13 14 15 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 1
REMOTE LEARNING FOR ALL JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS
18 19 20 21 22 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
HEARING SCREENING HEARING SCREENING HEARING SCREENING
25 26 27 28 29 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
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