Newsletter – 2022 November 16

“Goodness is hidden, silent; it requires slow and continuous excavation. Because God’s style is discreet. He does not impose himself. He is like the air we breathe-we don’t see it but it allows us to live.”

-Pope Francis

Calendar
Please refer to the the Calendar page for up to date events/activities scheduled during this busy time of the year.

Cold and flu season
The cold and flu season is well underway, and together we want to do everything we can to prevent the students from getting sick. Inevitably, however, they will catch something from somewhere.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care, in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control want to ensure that all parents are aware that their child should not come to school if they are sick and unable to participate fully in routine activities.

Families can support this practice by being diligent in doing the daily health check every morning before their child comes to school. The daily health check means regularly checking to ensure they (or their child) are not experiencing symptoms of illness (including but not limited to COVID-19 symptoms) that would limit their ability to participate fully in regular activities before coming to school to prevent spread of communicable diseases within the school settings.

If a student develops symptoms at school:

• Masks are available for those who are sick and the people assisting them
• Students who are ill will be asked to wait in the office for their family member to pick them up
• The student’s parent or guardian will be contacted and asked to have their child picked up as soon as possible
• Custodial staff will clean and disinfect the area and the surrounding areas the person used
• The person should stay home and follow public health advice on when to return to activities. Most people can return to school when their symptoms have improved, and they feel well enough to participate in regular activities.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), research shows that the health of students is linked to their academic achievement and their social and emotional well being.

Here are a few tips for cold and flu season to help stop the spread

1. Start off with a healthy meal. Providing your child with a healthy meal not only gives them enough energy to focus it keeps their immune system in shape.
2. Get a good night’s rest. A sufficient amount of sleep helps fight off sickness because a good sleep has a major effect on your child’s immune system.
3. Good hand washing – keep little hands clean. One of the most important ways to stop the spread of germs is hand washing. The benefits of hand washing have been emphasized more than ever over these past two years, and it still remains incredibly important for preventing the spread of cold and flu germs. Make sure to teach your children to wash their hands before eating, touching their faces, and when returning from school. Washing for at least 20 seconds can help eliminate germs and keep your whole family much healthier.
4. Healthy habits and good hygiene. Cover your cough! Respiratory illnesses such as the flu or common cold are spread airborne. Continue to reinforce your child habits like sneezing and coughing in their elbow helps prevent others from getting sick and washing his or her hands after he or she sneezes.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth or face. Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
6. Sanitize – Common areas or high-touch areas are disinfected with antibacterial disinfectant. This includes surfaces, door handles and cabinet pulls, the refrigerator and microwave, toilet seats and bathroom faucets.

Student- Led Conferences – Thursday, Dec. 1
Student-led conferences are a time for the students to celebrate and show their families the work they have accomplished this term and the ebb and flow of their class.

Thursday, Dec. 1st is a late start.
Classes will begin at 12:55 for students. However, there will be supervision starting at 8:15 a.m. for any student who needs to come to school.

There are four Student-Led sessions that parents can choose from. Families do not need to sign up for a specific time. But instead may attend any ONE of the following sessions:

3:15 to 4:15 or 4:15 to 5:15
Doors will be closed from 5:15 to 6:00p.m.
6:00 to 6:45 or 6:45 to 7:45
Doors close at 8:00p.m.