South Oaks School
October 2024
When We Are Stung . . .
Fall is a wonderful season. Perhaps it is your favourite season? The weather is a little cooler, the leaves turn such beautiful colours and, of course, it is pumpkin spice everything season. Yum.
However, with the Fall also comes the bees and wasps. Managing bees and wasps has become a daily task at the school. We really do not like seeing students get stung, as it feels terrible for them. We treat a sting with an ice pack and we call home to report it, just to be safe in case of allergic reactions. However, we really wish that nobody would ever get stung at school.
As adults, we know that life also has "stings", far beyond those of the bees or wasps. These stings can hurt for much longer and go much deeper. Things like the breakup of a family, a serious illness, or even a flooded basement, are challenging and stressful. Our staff also receives life changing stings at times. It could be in the form of illness of a staff member, loss of family members or even something like cuts to our staffing. Again, we wish we would never get stung.
We can't eliminate all the stings, but we can show empathy and care when they occur. As we begin this school year, we will do what we can to care for those who get "stung" by unforeseen circumstances. For our families, we can offer support from our new Family Liaison worker. This person can work with parents to help navigate the challenges at home. At school, our staff are here to support your child as needed when difficult things occur in their lives. When students are hungry and some extra nutritious food is needed, we offer a fruit bowl to fill their tummy.
We are a community. Let's help each other along the way. Let's show kindness to each other, to prevent as much stinging as possible.
Dale Martens,
Principal
Dates to Remember
October 7-11: Fire Safety Week
October 8: Community Health Clinic in Hut #1
October 14: THANKSGIVING - NO SCHOOL
October 15-18: Bus Safety Week
October 16: Discovery Time begins (tentative date)
October 21-25: Personal Safety Week
October 22: Community Health Clinic in Hut #1
October 25: PD Day - NO SCHOOL
October 31: Fall Fun Day (students may dress up following school/class criteria)
Picture Retake Day - Nov. 1
Bell Schedule for 2024-25
8:40 am - Students may enter the school
8:50 am - Religious Exercises for those with permission
9:00 am - Morning announcements and O Canada. AM classes begin
10:30 am - Start of AM recess
10:45 am - End of AM recess
11:45 am - Start of K-2 Lunch. Start of Gr. 3-4 recess.
12:15 pm - Start of Gr. 3-4 Lunch. Start of K-2 recess.
12:45 pm - All PM classes begin
2:15 pm - Start of PM recess
2:30 pm - End of PM recess
3:35 pm - Dismissal for walkers, daycare bus, car pick-ups
3:40 pm - Dismissal for bus students
Safety Month
We all want our children to be safe. This is the top priority for us at South Oaks School. Safety seems more and more important all the time. So, thanks for partnering with us to equip your children to be smart and safe in the world around them.
South Oaks Clothing Store
For the month of October, we are opening a South Oaks clothing store for staff and students. We have had a few students asking if they could buy t-shirts. Any staff, student or parent is welcome to visit the store at this link and purchase whatever they want. The store is provided by Creative Print-All in Steinbach and the orders will take a few weeks to process. We will call you when your order is ready for pick-up at the school. Note; for our students, we recommend a Youth XL or Adult size small t-shirt.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Make sure your children know and follow these rules:
1. Be on time.
2. Never run to or from the bus.
3. Stand back from the curb.
4. Don't push or shove.
5. Stay in your seat.
6. Don't yell or shout.
7. Always obey the driver.
8. Wait for the driver's signal before crossing.
9. Always cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
10. Never crawl under a school bus.
Remove Drawstrings:
Clothing that your children like may not always be safe. Drawstrings can catch in playground equipment, fences, school bus doors, etc. Wherever possible remove, shorten or replace drawstrings with another kind of fastener.