I hope you all have had a wonderful summer so far. I had the opportunity to visit Quebec this summer and what a beautiful place! For those of you who have visited, “la belle province”, you will no doubt attest to the historic nature of this place. I enjoyed my time immensely but, now back to preparing for school! Time certainly flies – in about 3 weeks school will be back in session!
Within the next week we should receive information from the Ministry of Education regarding health and safety measures for schools in September; that information will be forwarded to you all as soon as I receive it.
This year our Archdiocesan theme for our CISVA schools is: “Seeking Truth, Healing and Reconciliation”. Please see the end of this email for a visual from this theme as well as an in-depth explanation about the artwork.
Please take some time to review the contents of this email to ensure that you and your child(ren) are prepared for school in September. I am looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Sincerely in Christ,
Deborah Welsh, Principal
Dates of Note
AUGUST SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS
Monday, August 22, 2022 – Friday, August 26, 2022 and Monday, August 29, 2022 – Tuesday, August 30, 2022: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (closed between 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm for lunch)
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 and Thursday, September 1, 2022: OFFICE CLOSED – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Friday, September 2, 2022: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm(closed between 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm for lunch)
Monday, September 5, 2022: NO SCHOOL – LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY
Tuesday, September 6, 2022: SCHOOL RESUMES 8:50 am – 12:15 pmfor students in Grades 1-7; Kindergarten parents please refer to separate gradual entry schedule
Tuesday, September 6, 2022: SCHOOL MASS @ 11:15 am – all family members and parishioners are most welcome!
Wednesday, September 7, 2022: FULL DAY OF SCHOOL: 8:50 am – 3:00 pm
Wednesday, September 7, 2022: MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT 6:00 pm
Thursday, September 8, 2022 and Friday, September 9, 2022: FULL DAY OF SCHOOL: 8:50 am – 3:00 pm
CURRENT NEWS
PARKING REMINDERS
Most SMES families are aware that parking is very restricted now that construction is well underway for Phase 1 of Holy Cross highschool’s new building.
While we have attempted to mitigate the situation by changes to our start/end times, we will also need all families to consider the following to ensure the safety of everyone and to lessen frustration.
a) In the morning, please use the drop off zone to drop off your child in the morning. We will have parent supervisors who will help guide your child out of your car and into their grade’s lineup.
b) In the afternoon, if possible please consider parking in the neighbourhood (not in St. Matthew’s/Holy Cross parking lot) and walk to the school to pick up your child.
On Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 6:00 pm we will have Meet the Teacher Night (approximately 1 hour). This is an evening where we ask at least one parent to attend. It is an opportunity to receive important information from your child’s teacher about the school year. Coffee and light snacks will be provided. Looking forward to seeing you then!
MANDATORY SUPERVISION SHIFTS – TERM 1
A friendly reminder that all St. Matthew’s Elementary School families are required to complete FOUR mandatory supervision shifts over the course of the school year.
Two shifts are to be completed in the Fall/Winter term and two shifts are to be completed in the Spring/Summer term in order to ensure full supervision coverage for the year. Please note that even if you do traffic supervision as your regular PPP task, your family is still required to complete 4 additional shifts.
Sign up for the Fall/Winter term will be made available on the OnVolunteer portal beginning Monday, August 22, 2022.
Please sign up for one morning shift and one afternoon shift for the Fall/Winter term. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our PPP coordinator, Tania Di Liello at: ppp@stmatthewselementary.ca
Please see below for the uniform expectations. Only students who have PE first thing in the morning (at 8:55 am) are permitted to come to school in their PE strip (St. Matthew’s t-shirt and shorts). All other students will bring their PE strip in a bag on the days they have PE. They will use the changing rooms to change.
The uniform requirements are as follows:
Boys
*Navy blue dress pants (double knee). No cords, cotton pants or jeans.
*White polo shirt with “St.Matthew’s” embroidered on sleeve.
*Navy blue socks.
*Green school pull-over sweater or vest (mandatory).
*Summer uniform (optional): blue walking shorts. May be used from September to October 15th and from May 15th to the end of June.
*Black shoes. See below for details.
Girls
*Tartan tunic (primary), not more than 3” above the knee or 1” below the knee.
*Kilts (intermediate), not more than 3” above the knee or 1” below the knee.
*Girls navy blue pants (optional). No cords, cotton pants or jeans.
*White polo shirt with “St.Matthew’s” embroidered on sleeve.
*Navy blue knee-high socks or navy tights or leotards.
*Green school cardigan sweater (mandatory).
*Black shoes, heels no higher than 1”. See below for details.
Shoes
Two types of shoes may be worn with the school uniform:
*Black leather dress shoes
*Black non-leather shoes, provided all the following criteria are met:
*Both the sole and the upper must be solid black. No patterns are allowed.
*Logos/decorations must be black and discreet. Colourful logos/decorations are not allowed.
*High tops and boots are not allowed.
*Laced shoes must be tied; loose laces are not allowed.
Accessories
Only navy, green, white or discreet hair coloured hair bands, barrettes and accessories are acceptable.
No jewelry except for simple watches and small earrings (girls only) and small simple chain necklaces are permitted. Nail polish and make-up are not permitted.
Hair colour must be natural. Girls’ and boys’ hair must be neat and tidy.
Labelling of Personal Belongings
Please ensure that every item your child wears or brings to school is carefully labeled with your child’s name. Unlabeled items that remain in the Lost and Found will be donated at the end of each term.
We look for your continued support in doing your utmost to ensure your children are dressed appropriately each day and to communicate to the school if you have any questions or concerns related to dress code.
HEALTHY FOOD GUIDELINES
At St. Matthew’s School staff members continually strive to work with parents and guardians to ensure that students are learning about and participating in healthy activities and healthy eating habits. We also want to make sure that we are following the guidelines set by the Ministry regarding food and beverage items in schools.
In addition to encouraging healthy eating options we also have several students in our school with serious allergic reactions to certain foods.
Therefore, we are asking that for special days such as birthdays and other events like Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Year-End, etc. that no food treats are brought to class. If you wish, instead of food items you are welcomed and encouraged to:
(1) Purchase a book or a game for your child’s classroom or,
(2) Bring a special pencil or pen for each child in the classroom
*Please note this is ENTIRELY OPTIONAL*
There may be times that the classrooms have prearranged celebrations and when this occurs, teachers will oversee the types of food items brought in. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
If food items are brought in, teachers will be sending them back home with the child or parent who brought them in.
CELL PHONE POLICY
Please note the following information from the Parent Handbook regarding cell phones at school:
If it is critical that a student be in possession of a mobile phone or other portable electronic device at school, it must be powered off at all times during school hours and while under school supervision. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action and confiscation of the device for the day.
The school office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and students needing use of a phone are able to inquire at the office.
Symbols are visual poetry. It is common to discern deeper meaning from an image the longer one views it. Our theme visual for 2022-2023 could be explained this way:
The dove, a symbol of peace, represents the Holy Spirit. It can also remind us of the dove from Noah’s ark that went seeking safety, refuge, and a place for a new beginning. The Holy Spirit reveals all truth.
The cedar branch is a symbol of healing for Indigenous Peoples.
The circle, represents God, who has no beginning and no end.
The colours used can represent feelings and emotions: white is often considered a symbol of purity or joy, red, the colour we use at Pentecost and for the Holy Spirit, symbolizes love, green for new life and growth, and pink, another colour for joy that is used (at Gaudete and Laetare Sunday) for the third candle of the Advent wreath.
True reconciliation is realized when we are open to the truth and to healing. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit as we seek reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
