Dear Families,
Please take a few minutes to review the items below to help us make sure things go smoothly for the kids in the coming days. All of our Portal Announcements are also posted on our school website if you every need to double check any school updates.
- Provincial Non Instructional Day THIS Friday (October 23)
Just a reminder to all families that this Friday is a provincial Non Instructional Day and there is no school for students.
- School Parking Lot & Pick Up/Drop Off Routines
We ask families to pay particular attention to the following routines to ensure that students can safely enter and exit the school property, and to allow traffic moved smoothly as possible within the school driveway/parking lot:
- The school’s main driveway is a “drop and go” zone unless vehicles are in the dedicated parking stalls. We ask that parents please do not double park your vehicles and wait in the school’s main driveway as this causes significant additional congestion during peak times.
- ALL parked vehicles must be in dedicated park spaces. Drivers waiting with their vehicle may wait in the parking stall area but should not leave their vehicle unattended unless parked in a stall.
- Please remember to drive as far down the main school driveway as possible before pulling over to the right side. When vehicles drive further into the driveway we are able to accommodate far more vehicles. Our driveway is equipped to accommodate two lanes of traffic. The right lane should be a “drop and go” space and the left lane should always be free to allow traffic to easily flow towards the exit.
- Please teach your children to use the school’s two designated crosswalks to reduce the chances of an accident.
Our school driveway, and parking lot, has more than 150 plus vehicles come through every morning and afternoon. Currently the morning school parking lot routine is working quite well with many families able to quickly drop children off and go. There is however, still a significant amount of congestion during the afternoon pick up time. Thank you for everyone’s patience during these congested pick up and drop off times. I anticipate that there will continue to be significant congestion (and limited parking) during afternoon pick up times until the Community Center construction is finished. To help ease congestion please consider the following whenever possible:
- Walk to school
- Park away from the school and walk onto the school grounds or arrange a pick up point that is slightly away from the school.
- Most traffic congestion can be avoided by, arranging drop off and pick up times 10 minutes before the morning bell, and 10 minutes after the afternoon bell.
- We have staff supervision outside in the front and rear of the school slightly before and after school to assist students.
- Student Photo Reminder and Retake Information
Our school’s individual student photos went smoothly last week. For students who were away, and any others who require a photo retake, the photographers will be back in the morning on Monday November 16th. With our current COVID context the school photographers cannot send student photo sample proofs home as paper copies as they have done in previous years. To get around this challenge, Photo Expressions has created an “opt in” website link. ALL parents must opt-in to gain access to their child’s photos. Anyone who would like to see their child(ren)’s photos and has not opted in already will need to email Photo Expressions directly at studio@photoexpressions.ca to gain access to their child(ren)’s photos.
- c̓əsqənelə Spirit Wear is On Sale Until This Thursday!
We are again selling our terrific school T-shirts and hoodies until October 22nd. For families interested in ordering any spirit wear simply complete and return the order form with either cash or cheque and we will do the rest. Please make any cheques payable to c’usqunela Elementary. We expect to have the school spirit wear printed and back to students by the third week in November.
- We are still planning to do some COVID friendly Halloween activities around the school next week. Your child’s classroom teacher will be communicating any classroom specific plans in the coming days. Many classes are going to be participating in c̓əsqənelə’s own pumpkin patch! We have made plans to have a number of pumpkins brought to the school for participating classes on Tuesday October 27th. In the coming days… classroom teachers will be requesting $2 per child to cover the cost of a pumpkin if your child’s class is participating.
Sincerely,
Mr. Wheatley