February 2011 News

Columbian Students:

We would like to welcome the 8 Columbian students who are joining us for the next 3 weeks. Four are in Mr. McKelvey’s Grade 6 class and four are in Ms. Gibbs Sec. 1 class. They will be participating in the next three ski sessions, which should be a great experience for children who come from such a different climate.

Safety Issues:

As part of the Safe-School Initiative, all parents, volunteers, service people and guests must sign in at the office and wear a visitor’s pass if visiting the school for any reason. Please do not walk freely in the halls or visit the child’s classroom without a valid reason and without checking in at the office first. This causes disturbances in the classroom during teaching time. Written notes are required in advance if end-of-day pickup procedures will be different from the regular arrangements. For safety reasons, we cannot accept last minute telephone requests. When picking children up, please remember to sign out with the teacher on duty (usually Ms. Stairs). This must be done at the front door only. Please do not go into the basement or to the classroom, looking for your child. We will be installing a buzzer system soon on the front door and the Daycare door. All doors will be locked and you will have to be buzzed in. Please understand that any inconvenience you may experience is in exchange for the best interest of safety and security for the children.

Supervision is in place as of 7:55 a.m. For safety reasons, children may not arrive prior to that time. Please note that the door will be open to students as of 7:55 a.m. Students will not be admitted to the building prior to that time, as there is no supervision. For children who walk or come to school by car, please make sure they do not arrive prior to 7:55 a.m. Morning drop-off is in the back.

Daycare:

Please provide your child with a pair of slippers, Crocs or shoes to be worn at Daycare so that their regular shoes can be kept in the classroom. Daycare Services are available on Pedagogical days. All Knowlton Academy students from K-6 are eligible for this subsidized daycare service. Daycare Services may also be offered throughout Spring Break if numbers warrant it. Please sign up by February 4^th to register. You may call Debbie for more information at 450-242-1336.

Homework Program:

There are a few spaces open for the after-school Homework Program, which is available from Monday to Thursday. Please call the office to ask for a form to be sent home with your child, or stop by and pick one up. Don’t forget to send an extra drink and healthy snack with your child as energy levels decrease by the end of the day.

Lost & Found:

We consistently have a large amount of unclaimed articles left at the school. Please clearly identify your children’s property so that they may be easily returned/claimed. The “Lost and Found” is located at the bottom of the central stairwell. There is another “Lost and Found” located in the “Girl’s Basement” near Kindergarten.

Healthy Snacks:

It is important for children to have healthy snacks at school. There will be several workshops given by Sarah Wiebe, our Nutrition Specialist to classes starting in March.

CanSpell:

Congratulations to Owen Teolis who won the Knowlton Academy CanSpell competition and to Elizabeth Donovan who also performed very well. We wish Owen well as he moves on to the CanSpell Regional Spelling Bee in Montreal, where some of the top spellers in Quebec will be competing on February 20th.

Cafeteria:

We are currently providing menus for 2 weeks at a time to save on paper. We have sent home a paper asking you to let us know if you do not wish to receive a paper copy as you already receive it electronically or do not purchase meals. Please write your child’s name and grade on the paper and return it as soon as possible.

Student Absences:

Absences must be justified in writing upon your child’s return to school. Any absence for sickness longer than 3 days needs a doctor’s paper.

Academy Bistro:

The Bistro will be open to the public at noon on February 21^st. Tickets must be reserved in advance by calling the office. Bistro students will also have tickets to sell. The cost is $10.

Library News:

The good news is that the library is being well used. Over 100 books are checked out by eager readers each week. Because of this, we are looking for more library volunteers. It is not a big commitment, say one lunch hour a week or even every second week. You would be there to supervise the eager readers and to put away or label books. If you or anyone you know can help, please contact Lucy McAuley at 243-4211 email: blb@b2b2c.ca