Welcome to Around the Playground. Towards the end of each month, Stratfordtoday.ca will provide information from local schools including upcoming events, big accomplishments and more to help keep you connected.
Bad weather:
Information regarding bus delays and/or school cancellations will be sent out via School Messenger. You can also find this information on Huron Perth Student Transportation Services website at: https://ourschoolbuses.ca/
Families with children who ride the bus are encouraged to also download the BusPlannerDelays app onto mobile devices.
Cold weather and warmer clothes:
Make sure your child comes to school dressed for the weather. Students should wear boots, snow pants or splash pants to stay dry if they are going to play in the snow. Please put your child’s name on their clothes so if items are lost we can find who they belong to.
Health reminders:
Respiratory illness season is here, with COVID, influenza, RSV, pertussis and many other respiratory illnesses circulating. With this in mind, if your child is feeling unwell, students are asked to please remain at home until 24 hrs after their symptoms have subsided (or 48 hours in cases with vomiting or diarrhea). As always, please be sure to report an absence for illness through the absence reporting system. In the event that you have any questions about a student’s fitness to attend for the day, please use Ontario Health811 to Connect with a registered nurse seven days a week, day or night through online chat at https://health811.ontario.ca/ or by calling 811 (Toll free TTY line: 1-866-797-0007). You can also use 811’s online symptom checker by clicking here
Good news:
Students at Anne Hathaway Public School sold Mint smoothies at the Holiday Concert and raised $1114.91. That money will go directly to the school's music program to purchase new instruments for our students to use.
Every year the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board organizes a Christmas Card Student Artist Contest. Beautiful artwork of the Nativity scene and images of hope, peace, joy & love are submitted. This year's winner is Kay N., a Grade 9 student from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School.
Students at Bedford Public School raised $200 on Friday for Moustache Day in support of Movember.
The North Easthope Public School Playground Committee who were able to secure a $10,000 donation from the Township of Perth East. To date, approximately $49,000 has been raised. The final goal is $85,000. Donations can be made on SchoolCash online or by writing a cheque to the school.
Upcoming events
Winter break ends: The winter break ends on Jan. 6.
Avon Public School is hosting the Glow Dance on Jan. 30 - save the date - more information to follow. This is a school council fundraising event. Parent volunteers are needed to help the evening be a success.
March Break: Begins on March 10 and ends on March 14
From the Avon Maitland District School Board:
French Immersion Information Night (Bedford PS and Anne Hathaway PS)
Attention kindergarten families, there will be a virtual French Immersion night using Microsoft Teams on Jan. 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. The deadline to register your child for the French Immersion program is Feb. 3. Grade 1 is the only entry point to this program For more information: https://www.amdsb.ca/apps/pages/frenchimmersion
“My child does not want to attend school” - a virtual event
AMDSB in partnership with Huron Perth Catholic District School Board and Huron Perth Children’s Aid Society will be highlighting strategies that parents/caregivers can use to help their child return to school. Feb. 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Full details in this poster.
From the Huron Perth Catholic School Board:
Advancing student well-being - mental health and wellness summary
From September to December, the team supported 144 students through mental health referrals, utilizing Brief Interventions for School Clinicians (BRISC) to provide brief, solution oriented support focused on skill-building to 13 of these students. Additionally, 10 classroom presentations reached 550 students, fostering social emotional learning across the district and strengthening the foundation for positive mental health in our schools.
