Elmdale School

Hello Everyone,

It is so great to see children back at Elmdale. Walking through the classes I see many smiles (smiling eyes!) and lots of happy, excited, and calm chatter. Outside at recess the squeals of joy, laughter, shrieks of excitement fill the air. This is good!

We know this year will look different, but it is our goal at Elmdale to make the school experience as normal as possible. We have staggered entry points and recess zones, we have scheduled bathroom breaks to keep cohorts apart, we have adjusted our timetable to have cohorts use our multipurpose spaces back to back (gym, music, library), and have increased our cleaning protocols to follow divisional and provincial mandates and guidelines. We know that this is not a no-risk situation, but we are doing our best to make it a low-risk situation.

We are asking that parents come alongside us and work through the new procedures and protocols with your children. Explain why we are doing this and how we are doing our best to keep everyone safe. We may not always understand the rules or the reasons why we do things a certain way, but we encourage you to understand that everything we are doing is done with lots of thinking and planning behind it. If you disagree with or have questions about how something is being done, please contact your child's teacher or the office for clarification.

Together, we can make this another awesome year at Elmdale!

Mr. Vince Hiebert

Principal: Elmdale School

Email: vhiebert@hsd.ca

Instagram: elmdalehsd

September 2-4 Non-Instructional Days (no classes)

September 8 Administration Day (no classes)

September 8 Meet the Teacher by appointment (Gr 1-4)

September 9 First Day of School

September 9-10 Kindergarten interviews (by appointment)

Sep. 11,14,15,17 Kindergarten staggered entry (K students attend one day)

September 18,21 Strong Connections (students attend one of 2 days)

September 25 Terry Fox Run

October 12 Thanksgiving Day (no classes)

October 19,20 Picture Days

CLICK HERE for our ongoing Elmdale Calendar

CLICK HERE for a Year at a Glance Calendar from HSD

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Self-Screening Protocols are in place for all Manitoba Schools. Prior to sending your children to school each day, please go through the self-screening question found HERE. Please do not send your children to school if they are ill. We thank you for your cooperation with this.

8:45 a.m. Teachers on duty in the school

8:50 a.m. Bell - Students come in

9:00 a.m. Religious exercises (by petition)

9:08 a.m. O Canada & Announcements

9:15 a.m. First class begins

10:25-10:40 Gr. K-2 Recess

10:45-11:00 Gr. 3-4 Recess

12:00-12:25 Gr. K-2 Lunch Gr. 3-4 Recess

12:30-12:55 Gr. 3-4 Lunch Gr. K-2 Recess

1:00 p.m. Classes begin

2:00-2:15 Gr. K-2 Recess

2:20-2:35 Gr. 3-4 Recess

3:30 p.m. Walkers dismissed

3:40 p.m. Bus Students dismissed

3:45 p.m. Pick Up Students dismissed

Our Annual Strong Connections days will happen this year on September 18 and 21. Strong Connections is an assessment and relationship building program designed to enhance the beginning-of-the-year connection, assessment and familiarity of each student.

The purpose of this day is for teachers and students to get to know each other better and for teachers to get to know some of your child's strengths and challenges when it comes to learning. This helps us plan better for their needs, and this year it will help us prepare for Recovery of Learning needs that exist due to the school shut-down this past spring.

Half of the students will attend each day, and we schedule families so that all of their children will attend the same day. Please understand that your family will NOT be at school either Friday or Monday.

Strong Connection dates are available on the Parent Portal. Please contact the office if you do not have a Parent Portal Account

Walkers/Drop-off

We are asking that students being dropped off do not come before 8:50 and walkers plan to arrive between 8:50 and 9:00. Parents unable to wait until 8:50 will need to make arrangements with the office. Permission for earlier drop off will only be made in exceptional circumstances. Please note that before-school supervision will not be provided at 8:30 as in previous years. Supervision will only be available once buses begin arriving.

Parents should park in the Family Parking Lot and walk their children across the bus loop as in the past. We’re asking that the goodbyes happen at the fence and students head to the building without their parent. Supervision will be provided.

Should the Family Parking Lot be full AND all buses are through the bus loop (generally after 8:50) parents may elect to drop their children off in the bus loop. This should be a drop off zone only! Please pull up against the fence on the right side of the bus loop, stop and help your child through the fence, then return to your vehicle and proceed through the bus loop, exiting on Elm Avenue. Parents should not turn around in the bus loop or drive through the staff parking lot. Utmost caution is expected as this is a busy area during morning drop-off time.

When arriving after 8:50, students will go directly to their regular doors and enter the building to go straight to their classrooms.

Bus Students

When students arrive at school a staff member will help students exit the bus by Cohort. They will be directed to their “Morning Zone” where they will play until their teachers come to bring them into the school (map attached). Signs will be in place.

When the 8:50 bell rings students will line up at their designated spot and a teacher will come to bring them into the school.

NEW - We will not be releasing students to leave after 3:15, other than their assigned pickup/leaving time. If you need to pick your children up early, please do so before 3:15. Thank you

Walkers

Walkers will be dismissed first this year. Note that this is only for those who are walking home. Students who meet their parents at school to walk home will be considered part of the “walkers” group.

On September 9-11, walkers will be dismissed at 3:20. Parents please plan accordingly.

After that, walkers will be dismissed at 3:30.

Walkers will exit the building through their regular doors and walk around the building to leave their usual way. A crossing guard will be provided at Elm Avenue and at Main Street/Brandt Road as in the past.

Bus Students

Bus students will be walked from their classrooms to their bus area by grade. They will board their bus directly to minimize interaction with students from other cohorts. Each grade will load separately. Supervision will be provided throughout the bus zone. At the start of the year teachers will walk their students to the buses.

Pick Up Students

Student pick-up will happen after all buses have exited the bus loop, generally at 3:45. Parents may wait in the family parking lot, or pull into the bus loop (after all buses have exited the loop - NO WAITING IN THE BUS LOOP PRIOR TO 3:45!). Students will be waiting in Cohort groups, lined up along the fence. As parents pull up to the fence, students will go to meet them at their vehicle - parents may exit their vehicle and meet their child at the fence.

A few guidelines for parents:

• Do not enter the bus loop prior to buses leaving

• Please do not block the street along Elmdale or Elm while waiting

• Pull up along the fence to pick up your child - no double parking. If no space is available, please wait for one to open up

• Once your child(ren) has entered your vehicle, proceed through the bus loop to Elm Avenue.

• DO NOT turn around in the bus loop

Parents may not wait inside the school when picking up their children at the end of the day.

We are trying to reduce the number of guests at Elmdale this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Where possible we ask that medical appointments, music lessons, etc be scheduled outside of the school day. When it is unavoidable and a parent or guardian needs to come to the school, we ask that all guests are asked to use Entrance A & C (centre of the school) when entering and exiting the building.

We ask that all guests sign in at the office. We are required to keep track of all people who enter our building each day.

Please notify the school if someone other than a parent/guardian is picking up your child. We will not allow a child to go with a different adult without proper notification.

Please make arrangements with your child in advance if possible. The office gets very busy from 3:30-3:50, so it is difficult to get all phone messages to their proper place in a timely manner. If plans change, please contact the school before 3:00 if possible.

If your child is absent, please remember to inform the school ASAP. Our practice is to phone all families whose children are absent without notification as soon as attendance is completed in the morning. This is to ensure the safety of all of our students. If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, we can enter this in our attendance in advance.

We are planning our annual Terry Fox Run for September 25. It will look different than it has in the past - stay tuned for more info!

Picture day this year will take place on October 19 and 20. Your child's teacher will inform you which day they are assigned to. Practice your smiles!

Due to the number of students with allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, Elmdale is a Nut Aware school. We ask that students do not bring lunches or snacks to school that include peanut or tree nut ingredients, including peanut butter and Nutella.

Please click HERE for further information.

Mrs. Klassen, our School Counsellor has prepared some back-to-school tips in her most recent Blog Post. Please check it out at http://elmdalecounsellorpage.blogspot.com/

Answers to many of your questions can be found in the Elmdale School Student Handbook. CLICK HERE to access it.

Vince Hiebert Principal

Rose Friesen Learning Support

Wanda Hiebert Head Secretary

Laurena O'Connor Asst. Secretary

Angie Penner School Librarian

Nichelle Doerksen KD

Tammy Klassen KK

Susanne Penner KP

Lyndsey Engel Grade 1E

Jennifer Mutter Grade 1M

Connie Johnson Grade 1J

Jo-Anne Giesbrecht Grade 2G

Mandy Murphy Grade 2M

Cheri Thiessen Grade 2T

Gavin Barkman Grade 3B

Melissa Fry Grade 3F

Bethany Drewlo Grade 4D

Mike Martens Grade 4M

Darnell Thiessen Grade 4T

Louise Redekop Music

Kelly Tufford Phys-Ed

Pamela Reimer Literacy Support Teacher

Tara Klassen School Counsellor

Martine Aronson E.A.

Lita Hornan E.A.

Adeline Koop E.A.

Rachel Loewen E.A.

Janet Mehling E.A.

Linda Reimer E.A.

Brooke Rooney E.A.

Anita Wiens E.A.

Jenna Toews E.A.

Heidi Duerksen E.A.

Brynae Wiebe E.A.

Kelvin Johnson Head Custodian

Erin Rafferty Assistant Custodian

All parents/guardians are encouraged to create and regularly check their Parent Portal Account.

The HSD Parent Portal is a communications tool designed to enhance and increase parent/guardian involvement in the education of their children. The portal provides parents/guardians with secure online access to our Student Information System. With a single username and password, parents/guardians can access the following information for each of their children attending an HSD school:

· Student Information

· Attendance Information

· School Fees Account

· Permissions & Consent Forms

· Report Cards - NEW Report Cards are now ONLY provided on the Parent Portal. Print copies are no longer available from the school

· Change of Contact Form

Follow this LINK to create your account, or contact the school office.

A petition for Religious Exercises and Instruction for Elmdale School for the 2020-2021 school year was presented to and approved by the Hanover School Division Board of Trustees in Spring of 2020. Further information is provided HERE.

School religious exercises/instruction will commence at such a time and in such a manner that logistical requirements related to the pandemic can be addressed.

The Hanover School Division and the Manitoba School Boards Association are committed to the health and welfare of students. Injuries and accidents are everyday occurrences. The home, playground, school and community all present possible hazards to children and adolescents.

Universal Student Accident Insurance

Hanover School Division maintains Universal Student Accident Insurance coverage, underwritten by Industrial Alliance, for all students attending our division’s schools. The program provides basic accident and medical coverage while students attend school or participate in school-organized activities. It also extends to provide coverage to high school students enrolled in an approved course or class outside of school that qualifies for credit in Physical Education. This coverage does not extend to any other activities at times outside of school; i.e. not 24 hour coverage. Please see the attached Universal Student Accident Insurance Highlight document for more details on coverage.

The Universal Student Accident Insurance Program complements but does not replace the Voluntary Student Accident Insurance coverage purchased by parents/guardians.

Voluntary Student Accident Insurance

The Voluntary Student Accident Insurance underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada provides enhanced accident coverage for accidents and benefits beyond that of the Universal Student Accident Insurance held by the School Division or through a parent’s benefits plan through their employer. Benefit coverage includes disability, fractures, dislocations, accidental dental, ambulance, hospital and many other benefits.

Please visit www.manitobastudentinsurance.ca or refer to the attached brochure and application form for details and how to enroll your child(ren) in the Voluntary Student Accident Program. If you have any questions, please contact Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada at 1.800.463.5437.

CLICK HERE or HERE for further information.

Elmdale's eNewsletter

Publisher: Mr. Hiebert

Email: elmdale@hsd.ca
Website: http://elmdale.hsd.ca/
Location: 160 Elmdale Street, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Phone: 204-326-3325
Twitter: @elmdalehsd