Sacred Heart Academy Newsletter
August 2024
Welcome back to another wonderful school year at Sacred Heart Academy! We hope you've had a restful and enjoyable summer break. As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisper, it's that time of the year when our halls once again echo with the laughter, energy, and curiosity of our amazing students.
We are excited to open our doors and welcome your children back to a space that has been meticulously prepared by our dedicated staff. Countless hours of hard work have gone into ensuring that every corner of our building is ready to foster a safe, inspiring, and nurturing learning environment. From freshly decorated classrooms to updated facilities, we are committed to providing your children with the best possible setting for their educational journey.
In this edition of the school newsletter, you will find important information that will serve as a valuable resource throughout the year. From key dates and events to school policies and guidelines, we encourage you to keep this newsletter handy for easy reference. Communication between home and school is a vital component of a successful educational experience, and we are committed to keeping you informed and engaged every step of the way.
As we embark on this journey together, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support. The partnership between our dedicated staff and our caring families is what truly makes Sacred Heart Academy a special place. We are excited to work alongside you in nurturing the growth and development of your children.
Here's to a year of new friendships, exciting discoveries, and boundless opportunities. We can't wait to see the smiles on your children's faces as they walk through our doors on the first day of school (Wednesday, September 4th). Parents/guardians will be permitted to accompany their child/children to class for the first day only.
Let's make this a remarkable and unforgettable school year together!
The classroom placement process is very complex and many factors enter into the decision making process. Our staff takes class placement very seriously. The task for each grade level team is to develop balanced classrooms based on the knowledge they have about their students. We assure you that each grade level team (with assistance of specialists, guidance counselor, instructional resource teachers) takes much time, effort and care in developing class rosters that result in offering all children a quality educational experience.
Following are factors that are taken into consideration:
- the program needs of the child (IEP, ISSP, Student Assistant Support, Reading/Numeracy Interventions, etc.)
- a balanced ratio of boys to girls
- a balance of academic achievement levels
- behavior factors regarding each student
- social needs and the compatibility of students with others in the classroom
- independent work habits and leadership skills
Once balanced rosters are created, teachers are assigned by the school administration. Since our number one goal is to create balanced classrooms, we are unable to honor requests for students to be placed with specific friends, teachers or classes. Thank you in advance for your understanding and support of this process and be assured we will do all we can to ensure thoughtful placement of each child.
Cafeteria service will begin on Wednesday September 4th. The cost for a meal is $6.00. Students can also order snacks from the cafeteria during recess and lunch.
Order forms which includes the weekly menu will be sent home each Thursday for the upcoming week. Please use the order form to pre-order your child's lunch. If using a cheque when ordering meals, please make payable to First Venture Cafeteria. We encourage you to contact the cafeteria at 279-5504 if you have any questions.
Students bringing their own lunch must remember to bring their own eating utensils from home, they will not be provided at school. Please use containers that your child can open independently.
Microwaves will be available for student use.
Outside food from restaurants or chains may not be delivered into the school. Families can sign students out for lunch if they wish.
Many of our students bring microwave foods to school in their lunch bags on a daily basis. Microwave foods are convenient for busy families and microwave ovens are thought to be “safer” than conventional ovens and stoves. However, they heat foods and liquids to very high temperatures, resulting in burns from spills, splashes and release of steam. Microwave ovens are involved in a large number of scalding incidents. Due to hazards found in a school cafeteria environment, and the inability of the teachers on supervision duty to assist every student with their microwave lunch we can no longer permit microwave foods that require boiled water such as noodles and Kraft Dinner at school. If students wish to enjoy these foods during school hours, we kindly ask that they be stored in a thermos. Thermos containers provide a safe alternative for storing and transporting hot foods and liquids without the risks associated with microwave heating.
We understand that this adjustment may require some planning and adaptation, but our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our students. By implementing this change, we aim to mitigate the potential risks associated with scalding incidents and create a safer environment for everyone at Sacred Heart Academy.
School attendance in Newfoundland and Labrador is compulsory up to the age of 16. Regardless of age, however, research is clear that there is a strong connection between attendance and success. Therefore, all students are required to attend class on time and regularly unless prevented from doing so by illness or other legitimate reason.
To enhance our existing absence check procedure, Sacred Heart Academy employs the student absence reporting system called SchoolMessenger Safe Arrival. This system reduces the time required to verify student attendance, makes it easier for parents to report student absences and allows staff to promptly respond to unexplained student absences.
There are FOUR ways to report a student absence:
(1) Call the SafeArrival Toll-Free Number: 1-844-408-9360 OR the school office at 279-2051.
(2) Use the new SafeArrival website: https://go.schoolmessenger.ca The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account using your email address. Your email address must match the email address on file at the school. Select Attendance to report an absence.
(3) Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the App Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca). Be sure to download the SchoolMessenger app with the BLUE icon (not the yellow icon). Use your new login information to access your account. Select Attendance to report an absence.
(4) Email sacredheartacad@nlschools.ca
8:50 a.m. each morning The SafeArrival system will call families of students who have an unreported absence. By reporting your child absent in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number or SafeArrival Portal website/app, you will NOT receive a call.
All students travelling to school in a private vehicle will be dropped off at the Primary Entrance, and we will open our doors promptly at 8:00 a.m. Our staff will be available to assist and guide students as they enter the building. Parking will be very limited on the first day of school. We ask for your patience and cooperation with this as safety is our top priority.
At the Primary Entrance drop-off there are two lanes of traffic. The left lane will be restricted for buses. The right lane will be for parent/guardian vehicles. All cars arriving at the school will stay parked in a line until it is safe to move to the drop off area. Children should exit vehicles from the left-hand side onto the side walk and not walk through moving vehicles. Please respect signs indicating No Parking Areas. Once all the students have exited their cars and are making their way to the school doors, the cars will be permitted to leave the drop off area and the next group of cars can move in.
For the safety of our students, we ask families to be patient and vigilant when driving on the school parking lot and only drop off students at designated drop off areas.
Once classes begin at 8:15 a.m. students arriving late to school will be dropped off at front entrance of the school.
If any questions arise during the school year, please contact your child’s teacher. Appointments can be made by emailing the teacher or calling the school office between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Teachers will be unable to answer calls during the school day. Phone calls will be returned after 2:20 p.m. or as soon as possible thereafter.
Sacred Heart Academy is a scent aware building. Some of our students and staff are sensitive to scented products or have conditions which are impacted by scents. We ask that you avoid the use of scented items including:
- perfumes
- aftershave
- cologne
- scented hairspray, hair gels or other styling products
- scented face and body creams, lotions and sprays
- scented deodorant
Within our school community there are several students who have potentially life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) to the following:
- latex
- peanuts/products with peanuts in the ingredients
- tree nuts (e.g. almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts).
- kiwi
- soy
- egg
- fish and shellfish products
To provide an “allergy-safe” environment for children at risk of anaphylaxis please avoid sending these foods to school. Any minimal contact with these foods and their derivatives may cause anaphylactic shock and unconsciousness within a matter of minutes. In such a case, the allergy may even cause the student’s death. Because even the slightest residue and in some cases even the odor of these allergens may trigger a life-threatening reaction, we need to make the whole school as allergy safe as is practically possible. A “no sharing” policy of food, utensils, containers, straws, etc. is recommended for children with food allergies.
Students will not be permitted to use personal electronic devises (cell phones, tablets, gaming systems, iPods, etc.) while at school. Unauthorized use of these devices disrupts instruction and distracts from the learning environment. If students are to bring cellphones to school to contact home after school hours, they must be powered off and kept in their school bag/locker at all times. If a parent/guardian needs to contact their child in the event of an emergency during class time, we ask that you call the main office and we will assist. Students are permitted to use the school phone located in the main office in cases where they need to call home. Sacred Heart Academy shall not assume any responsibility for theft, loss, or damage of personal electronic devices. Students and parents are urged to give appropriate consideration to what is brought to school.
To enhance your child’s experience in Physical Education class we encourage families to provide their child with a pair of sneakers designed for active play both in the gym and on the playground. This footwear is not required to be in school every day but certainly should be available for days on which PE is a part of your child’s scheduled routine. Sneakers can be secured with laces or velcro and should fit snugly and comfortably. Children may be unable to participate in some activities if the teacher deems the footwear unsafe.
All students at Sacred Heart Academy are eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities. Attendance and behaviour will be important considerations when selecting students for any extra-curricular activity at SHA. Poor attendance and/or behaviour may preclude a student from being selected for an extra-curricular activity or may result in removal from an extra-curricular activity should issues arise while the activity is ongoing. In addition, any student who is suspended from school will be considered ineligible for extra-curricular activities during the dates of the suspension.
The following forms that need your immediate attention will be sent home with students on the first day of school:
- Student Demographics Form
- Media Consent Form
- Acceptable Use Policy Form (Kindergarten and New Students Only)
- Emergency School Closure Protocol
- Kindergarten Transportation Identification Protocol (Kindergarten Students Only)
Please complete, sign and return the forms to your child's homeroom teacher by Monday, September 9th.