Principal’s Message
It’s hard to believe that the month of December is upon us. The Primary Christmas Concert Sing a Long is on Tuesday, December 12th . The dress rehearsal will be at noon and the evening performance is at 7:00 p.m. The snow date is Thursday, December 14th. The Holiday Break is from December 23 until January 7. Classes will resume in the new year on Monday, January 8, 2018.
As the weather begins to change, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that safe bus behaviour is especially important on those snowy, blowy mornings and afternoons. The bus is an extension of the school and we expect that all students will stay in their seats, not be eating on the bus, follow the bus rules and respect the driver. This will ensure the safest possible ride for all. There was a letter home on Thurs., November 30 regarding inclement weather and the process for canceling buses in case of bad weather. To see if a school bus is cancelled or delayed or whether the school is closed, please visit this website https://ourschoolbuses.ca/
School Council Meeting
The next School Council meeting will take place Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the library. Childcare is provided and everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact Wendy Riehl the School Council Chair at [email protected] if you have a concern.
Before and After School Childcare Survey
Families interested in Before or After School Childcare programs should complete the
on-line survey no later that Friday, December 15th. The survey is available on the AMDSB website. Should you require a paper copy, please contact the school.
A Gift to Honour
Wondering what gift to give to a teacher/custodian/bus driver/principal /secretary? Here is a unique answer for you! A Gift to Honour. You may choose to make a donation in someone’s honour and your donation will be designated for I-Pads for the primary students here at Downie Central School. Just make your cheque payable to the Foundation for Education and you will receive a tax receipt. If you are interested please call Dianne Noeske for the Gift to Honour form.
50th Anniversary Update
The 50th Anniversary was a big success with lots of good times and memories shared. After all expenses were paid we had some money left over and the Committee decided to purchase a new Canada flag and flag pole with a plaque on it to commemorate 50 years. Each student will also receive a 50th Anniversary pen in December.
A Legacy Sugar Maple Tree was planted near the playground equipment to commemorate the 50th Anniversary. This tree was donated by the Van Gestel Family, the Cater Family and the Otto Family. The tree was planted by Van Gestel Excavating Services. Thank you so much for the awesome tree.
Pine River Cheese Fundraiser
The Pine River Cheese fundraiser will be delivered to the school on Friday, December 8th.
Parents can pick up their order between 3:30 and 6:00 p.m.
Fresh From the Farm Fundraiser
The truck arrived at noon on November 27th and some eager grade 8 students helped unload and sort the produce. Michelle Webber had everything organized by classroom and more parent volunteers came later in the day to help parents pick up their orders. The profit from this fundraiser was $933 that will be going towards the purchase of some iPads for primary students. Thank you to everyone for your support.
ME to WE News
The Downie Central Me to We Team would like to say thank you to all those families who donated to our WE SCARE HUNGER food drive. Thanks to you we collected 763 items of food to help local families in need. The following classes met their goal and then some:
- Ms. Hildenbrand-125 items 41 more than their goal
- Mrs. Fletcher-85 items 16 more than their goal
- Mrs. Senez-72 items 15 more than their goal
- Ms. Trudeau-70 items 16 more than their goal
- Ms. Lange-93 items 9 more than their goal
- Mrs. Klassen-67 items 1 more than their goal
For December the ME TO WE Team will be collecting warm clothing for our WE FIGHT FROSTBITE campaign. Please send in new and nearly new hats, scarves, neck-warmers, mittens and sweaters from December 4th to December 22nd. These items will be donated to needy families in our community. Bring in those winter clothes and help us fight frostbite!
Safe Arrival Procedure
Parents/Guardians are reminded that success in school is directly related to regular attendance. The Education Act requires that all young people of school age must attend school. It also requires that schools track student attendance and the reasons for any student absences. If your child is going to be absent or late from school, the reason for the absence must be provided to the school prior to the commencement of the school day. If the school has not been notified of the absence a phone call will normally be made as soon as possible after the expected arrival time. If the reason for the absence is not provided the school is obliged to record the absence as truancy. We wish all of our students to be successful in their studies. One way of helping to achieve that success is through regular attendance at school.
Allergy Alert
Downie Central is a Nut Free school. Please do not send any food items that contain nuts or may contain nuts.
Downie Central is also a Scent Free school, which means students, staff and parents should refrain from wearing scented products. Thank you for showing consideration for those with allergies.
Head Lice – Pediculosis
Please check your child’s head on a regular basis and contact the school if you discover the lice. If a student is discovered to have lice/nits at school, parents will be called to pick up their child, to treat with medicated shampoo and pick out each nit individually. School staff will re-check before re-admitting to class. When a case of head lice is found, all students in the class will receive a letter, so that parents can check their child’s head and help us prevent the spread of these critters. We handle all cases of head lice with confidentiality.
Downie Optimist Skating Event
On November 24th the school had their annual skating event courtesy of the Optimist Club of Downie. Thank you to the Optimist Club for pay for bussing, ice time and snacks. A great time was had by all.