Woodlawn Early Years School

Relationships are very important to us at Woodlawn. Our first belief statement is, "We believe that a school culture which builds strong relationships with students and their families creates the conditions to improve student learning outcomes. We welcome, nurture, and encourage positive communication and relationships." Building positive relationships with students and their families is one of the most important things that we do as educators. Students learn best from those they have positive relationships with.

This month, Hanover teachers, educational assistants, and secretaries will spend two days with Dr. Gordon Neufeld. He will teach us the importance of building positive relationships with our students through his theory of attachment. I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Neufeld the last time he was here in Hanover over ten years ago. I was a classroom teacher at the time and I immediately implemented some of the things I learned from him in my classroom. Without a doubt, it improved my teaching and even my parenting at home with my two young boys.

On February 21, parents and community members are invited to learn from Dr. Neufeld. His presentation, Raising Children in a Digital World, will take place from 7:00-9:00 at the SRSS. More information can be found at https://hsd.ca/community/gordon-neufeld-presentation/

I encourage all of you to attend this important presentation. If you have any questions please let me know.

" Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be."

Rita Pierson

Karen Fraser

We celebrate I Love to Read month in February. This year we have decided to focus on a love of reading for everyone. Our goal is for everyone (staff and students) to find something they love to read. It is important for our children to choose reading materials that they are interested in. Our students learn important reading skills that will help them as they explore more difficult texts, but we also believe that they should not be held back by only looking at books they can decode and understand on their own. Our children can explore poems, comics, books, magazines, and many other genres in a variety of ways. They can read the words, read the pictures, or retell a story. All of these should be celebrated and encouraged to help children find the joy and love in reading.

If, at the end of February, we have all found something we love to read, they will earn a reward. On Friday, March 1st, at 10:40, all staff and students will line the hallways (and walls of the gym) and sit and read at least one book (or any reading material) that they love. That will also be “Dress as a Book Character” day.

If your child is eligible for Kindergarten Registration (must be five years of age on or before Dec. 31, 2020), and you have not yet registered, please do so by February 14, 2020. Our new online registration process takes only a few minutes to complete. To begin, visit the HSD Kindergarten Registration page at https://hsd.ca/schools/kindergarten-registration/

If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit our school and we will assist you in completing the registration form on a school computer.

Registering early will assist our school in preparation and planning for the upcoming school year. Early registration also provides parents/guardians with the opportunity to participate in upcoming orientation activities.

BOOK FAIR HOURS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6

8:30-8:55

11:05-11:55 - (Kindergarten , Grade 1 & Grade 2)

1:10-2:00 - (Grade 3 & 4)

3:45-6:30** Open late only on Wednesday

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7

8:30-8:55

11:05-11:55 - (Kindergarten , Grade 1 & Grade 2)

1:10-2:00 - (Grade 3 & 4)

3:45-4:30

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8

8:30 8:55

11:05-11:55 - (Kindergarten, Grade 1 & Grade 2)

1:10-2:00 - (Grade 3 & 4)

3:45-4:30

Students will be browsing Monday, February 4 and Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Check out the preview flyer going home soon for a taste of what will be at the fair. Don’t forget to bring your ballot in (from the back of the flyer) when you visit the book fair with your child(ren).

Many of our Woodlawn students already LOVE to read, which is fantastic! The task for these students during February will be to share their love of reading with others by talking about books they enjoy, sharing their enthusiasm, and making recommendations to others. The job for those students who haven't yet found something they LOVE to read is to spend time searching for some type of reading material that they really enjoy. It could be fiction or non-fiction books, comic series, magazines, poems, song lyrics, recipes, manuals, something they've written themselves, or something digital. It could be reading materials found at home, at the public or school library, in their classroom, online, or perhaps at the Book Fair!

Parents can greatly influence their child's love of reading. Time spent enjoying books together is so valuable and memorable. You know your child best and can help to find reading materials that pique his/her interests. Please spend time during I Love to Read month exploring new reading materials and revisiting old favourites in order to continue to grow your child's love of reading and being read to.

As a celebration, on Friday, March 1st, we will have "Dress as a Book Character" day. We look forward to seeing some Gerald and Piggies, Charlotte and Wilburs, and Geronimo and Thea Stiltons among many others!

The HSD Parent Portal is a communications tool designed to enhance and increase parent/guardian involvement in the education of their children by providing secure online access to their child's student information. With a single username and password you can access data for each of your children attending an HSD school. If you have not received the Access ID along with setup instructions for your student please call the school office at 204-326-6110.

Please take a few minutes to review the student information and contact information for your child. It is important that the school has current address and contact information for your child in case it is necessary to reach someone during the school day. Changes can be made through the parent portal. Parents can access their child's report cards, attendance information and permission and consent forms through the Parent Portal.

For additional information please click on the button below.

To ensure the safety of our students and due to the congestion of our staff parking lots and bus loop areas, parents are not to enter those areas between 8:00-4:30. If you are dropping off or picking up your child, please park on the street or on the church yard (do not block entrances) across from the school. Please do not park in the parking lot of the Envision home on Penner Street.

For the safety of your child, we request that you escort your child across Henry Street, Barkman Street and Penner Street.

Walking students and those dropped off by parents should arrive at school after 8:30 in the morning. Teacher supervision is provided starting at 8:30. Any students arriving on the playground before 8:30 will not be supervised and responsibility for the student belongs with the parent/guardian.

Students arriving at school before 8:53 are to go directly to their playground to play until the bell rings. Students are permitted to enter the building when the 8:53 bell rings. In the event of indoor recess, a sign will be posted on school doors.

Students are required to leave for home by 4:00 in the afternoon unless prior arrangements have been made.

At times, parents or designated others pick up their children during the school day or at the end of the school day. Most homeroom teachers recognize the parents but at times we have guest teachers or the children are in Music or Phys. Ed. It is virtually impossible for these teachers to recognize all the parents or the designated “picker-uppers”. So in order to provide a safer environment, parents are asked to report to the office to sign out their children during the school day. The secretary will be happy to call your child(ren) to the office for you.

If she is unfamiliar with you she can check our files to ensure your child is being picked up by the correct person.

If you are sending a different "picker-upper" than usual at the end of the school day please write a note in your child's agenda or phone the school office before 3:00. This applies to both walking and bus students. Please work with us as we continue to implement this method and bear with us when we ask you to check with the office if you forget and show up at the classroom door.

As a school safety is of utmost concern to us. We have security cameras in various locations on the premise, both inside and outside. We have an extensive crisis plan in place and a crisis team who reviews the plan on a continual basis. We practice lock downs twice per school year in order to prepare our staff and students for a real crisis should it ever happen. All of our staff are trained to be on alert for anything or anyone suspicious and report it to the Principal immediately.

It is the time of year again when many students become ill with a cold or flu. We ask that parents/guardians notify the school if their child will be absent or late. There are many ways to report your absent or late child:

- Parent Portal Account

-Phone the school at 204-326-6110 between 8:00 and 9:00 am

-Leave a voicemail at 204-326-6110 before or after school hours

-Email woodlawn@hsd.ca

-Email your child's teacher (email addresses are available at woodlawn.hsd.ca. Select the About tab, select Staff)

Students arriving after 9:05 or returning from an appointment during the school day are to report to the office for an entry slip before heading to their classroom.

Thank you to everyone for cooperating in reporting to the office when picking your child up from school during the school day.

All students in grades 3 and 4 will have the opportunity to go skating. Once dates have been confirmed, class notices and informed consent forms will be sent home and parents are asked to have helmets fitted and skates sharpened in preparation for the fun. If you absolutely cannot beg, borrow or buy the equipment, we do have some basic skates and helmets as a back up at the school. I welcome any parents who have any extra equipment they may want to share or donate to call me so that all students can join in the fun!

We also need parents to come out as well and help with supervision, tying skates, and possibly sharing your own expertise in the sport.

Thank you,

Jesse Adams, Phys Ed Teacher

All school busses that are running late or cancelled will be posted on the Hanover School Division website at www.hsd.ca
Under the Departments tab you will find Transportation, Bus Delay Bulletins, and a list of affected busses.

The transportation department will no longer be calling individual homes when busses are delayed. When a bus route is cancelled due to weather or road conditions it may be cancelled for the a.m. and p.m. runs. If you drive your students to school, you will need to confirm whether or not your bus is operating in the afternoon. Please call transportation at 204-320-2347.

Parents will be expected to obtain information, if needed, on the status of their bus through the website. Busses that are running more than 10 minutes late on a given day will have the bus number and estimated lateness posted on the page. Homes that do not have computer access to the web should make arrangements with another family on the route whom they could contact.

Email: woodlawn@hsd.ca
Website: www.woodlawn.hsd.ca
Location: 411 Henry St, Steinbach, MB, Canada R5G 0R1
Phone: 204-326-6110
Twitter: @WoodlawnHSD