Principal’s Message
I am excited to have started my time as Principal at Downie Central School. I have heard many good things about the school and community and I am looking forward to experiencing them for myself. For the past 3.5 years I have been the Principal of Exeter Elementary School, which is a K-6 school, and prior to that was the 7/8 Administrator at
St. Marys DCVI. I look forward to working with the staff, students and families of Downie Central School to continue to support and enhance a school culture of high expectations for behaviour and learning, that is positive and inclusive and grounded in mutual respect. Our goal as a school community is to continuously strive to make Downie Central School a great place to be and to learn.
I sincerely hope that everyone has a great March Break and I look forward to welcoming students back on March 19th with rejuvenated minds.
Bus Cancellations or Delays
To see if a school bus is cancelled or delayed or whether the school is closed, please visit the Our School Buses website.
School Council Meeting
The next School Council meeting will take place Tuesday, March 20, 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 if you have an agenda item.
Jr. Mixed Basketball
The Junior Mixed Basketball team had a great tournament on March 1st. They won 2 games, tied 1 game and lost 1 game. They played as a team and showed great sportsmanship and respect for everyone. Thank you to Mrs. Brickman for her time and effort coaching the team.
Me to We Update
Downie’s Me to We group would like to send out a big thank you to all those who supported our Spaghetti and Garlic bread fundraiser. Those who placed orders, the Me to We members who donated sauces, veggies, meat and noodles and Mrs. Tweddle for donating all the garlic bread. A big congrats to the Me to We Team for working together to plan and prepare a hot lunch for the school. We made $700. Profit for our We Charity. Thank you Downie families for making the world a better place one bite at a time.
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.
Some other resources that may be helpful are the Lice Squad which is located at 370 Oxford St. E. in London. The toll free phone number is 1-866-510-5423. The Nit Free Terminator comb is also very effective. There is also Shield 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner that can be used as a preventative measure to repel head lice with the use of natural aromatherapy oils and it is gentle enough to use every day.
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.