February 2019 Newsletter
Principal’s Message
With the arrival of February comes the end of elementary Term 1 and the beginning of the final Term. Students will soon be bringing their report cards home and I encourage all parents/guardians to take some time to discuss the report card with their child(ren). It is important to allow your child to celebrate the areas that they feel they have shown improvement and positive achievement, as well as to identify areas that require further growth. Encourage your children to set some specific goals for improvement and to develop a plan to monitor their work – an essential component to creating life-long learners.
Our school improvement focus continues to be on mathematics, literacy and well-being. The teachers are involved in professional development work aimed toward enhancing and developing knowledge around content and process in math and literacy, as well as assessment and evaluation practices. The staff is regularly working together to explore strategies and activities that focus on enhancing the learning experiences of our students.
Also, we continue to listen to and value our student voice. A student group called “Downie Making Change” has been exploring and sharing ideas about how we can all maintain healthy minds and bodies and work together to maintain and enhance our positive school community. Also, our Me to We team continues to support our school and community with events and activities that promote helping others.
Mr. Bevan Moir,
Principal.
School Council
The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the library. Everyone is welcome to attend.
No-Work Fundraiser Program
The No-Work Fundraiser was a big success.
Thanks to your generous donations we raised $2955. The funds will be used to help offset the cost of class year end trips, student planners, Grade 8 graduation as well as other requests made to enhance extra-curricular activities. We are still accepting donations.
Thank you for your support.
Inclement Weather
If buses are delayed or cancelled due to inclement weather, cancellations will be announced on the radio, and posted to the Cancellations and Delays Website as early in the morning as possible. You can also follow us on Twitter @downieps. The school will remain open for those who can arrive safely, unless posted otherwise.
Me to We Update
Downie Me to We would like to thank all the families who took part in our spaghetti days. After many delays, due to poor weather, the students finally enjoyed the delicious spaghetti and garlic bread. Thanks to you we were able to donate over $700. towards our We Villages Education fund.
A special shout out to Mrs. Moore for donating cups and lids from Fastenal Canada, our Me to We members for donating ingredients and Mrs. Tweddle for the garlic bread. We have started planning for our Me to We Soup Day which will take place on Tues., February 26th . Watch for the order forms. Making our world a better place one small step at a time.
St. Marys Minor Ball 2019 Registration
Registration is online only. The registration link will be open starting Monday, February 11, 2019.
All registrations must be received by Friday, March 15th to guarantee placement on a team.
Stratford Perth Museum March Break Camp
The Stratford Perth Museum presents The Amazing Race March Break Camp. This camp is recommended for children ages 5 to 10 with a limit of 25 participants per day. The dates are March 11 to 15, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is required, $35. per child per day or $160 for the week. For more info contact Kayla Droog at 519-393-5315 or [email protected]
Allergy Reminder
At Downie Central we do all we can to ensure a safe environment for every person in our school. A significant issue schools deal with is environmental allergies. At Downie Central we are no exception. There are those in our school who suffer from sensitivities and life-threatening allergies to scents (perfume, cologne, body spray etc.) and foods (specifically peanuts and tree nuts). We respectfully ask for your consideration when packing lunches and please ensure to read food labels. Thank you for making Downie Central an allergy safe environment for all our staff and students.
School Sports
The Junior Mixed Basketball team will compete at the Regional Tournament on Wed., February 27th, in the afternoon. The tournament will take place at the Stratford Agriplex.
The Intermediate Boys & Girls teams will also play at the Stratford Agriplex for their Regional Tournament. It is scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, March 6th.
Head Lice – Pediculosis
Please check your child’s head on a regular basis and contact the school if you discover head lice. If a student is discovered to have lice/nits at school, parents will be called and asked to treat with medicated shampoo and pick out each nit individually. 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. We handle all cases of head lice with confidentiality.
Some helpful resources 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.