Ms. Kenney's October 31 Newsletter
Dear Swift Families,
How are we already through October and ready to head into November? The year is flying by!
Rainy Days and Extra Clothes
Fall days are here which means the weather is going to inevitably be wet. Please send your kids to school ready to be outside for recess and lunch – we go out in all weather conditions unless it is incredibly stormy! It is always a good idea to have an extra pair of socks and pants in backpacks – wet feet and wet pants aren’t a lot of fun. While we have some extras at school, we save them for those unexpected bathroom accidents, not puddle fun!
Responsible and Safe Driving in the Parking Lot & Surrounding Streets
School parking lots are never pleasant at pick up and drop off – ever. That said, working together and a little bit of patience goes a long way. Please do not drive in the walking path (The white lines to the right), or back up to leave just those few seconds earlier. If we all work together to be safe in the parking lot – our kids are all much safer as well. When using the Pick-Up and Drop-Off Lane you must remain in your vehicle and your children need to meet you there. If you need to pick them up at their classes, please park on the surrounding street. Please follow all posted parking signs and follow By-law regulations.
Many students walk to and from school each day. Please keep an extra eye out for those students crossing streets. Also, if your child walks alone, please remind them of appropriate locations to cross streets – they should be using cross walks and should not be stepping out between parked cars. We need to all work together to keep kids safe on their walk to and from school.
Volunteering at School
Thank you to all our wonderful parents who volunteer to help in so many ways. Please remember there is a process to follow before you can volunteer. All volunteers must complete a Criminal Record Check. Information on how to get it completed is on the school website.
There are many ways to volunteer. The best thing to do is check in with your child’s teacher. We know that field trips are often the most popular for parents. There are some trips where we can work with “the more the merrier” philosophy and bring many parents along. For others we are restricted based on the venue and their rules. We ask that you please respect the plans that the classroom teachers make for each trip.
Strong Start
Strong Start is up and running for this school year! Nature Thursdays will continue at Bateman Park until the end of November. Strong Start is an incredible early years program for children and their parents or care givers. For more information visit our website.
Nut Free Lunches & Snacks
With a number of staff and students having nut allergies, we ask that lunches are packed nut-free. Please do not send peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches or other nut-based snacks!
Reporting Absences
Please continue to report absences via Safe Arrival. If you are unable to do so, emailing swift@abbyschools.ca or calling the office (604-853-7730) are also great options. Reporting absences ahead of time help us ensure everyone is safe and accounted for in a timely manner.
News from the PAC
We would love to help you get rid of the extra Halloween Candy. Please drop off your nut free candy to the office. We will make sure it’s put to good use at school events coming up this year!
Our next Hot Lunch is on November 28th. Orders for that lunch must be placed and paid for by November 18th. Please go to the Hot Lunch website to order. If you haven’t made an account this year, you will need to create a new account. The access code is TAS.
Swift Wear orders are beginning to arrive. As your order is received it will be distributed to your child at school. Orders are arriving as they are completed. Please don’t panic if you haven’t got yours yet.
Our next general PAC meeting is November 20th at 7pm. If you are able and interested in helping with the planning of Christmas Fun Day we will be meeting before the PAC meeting at 6:00pm. We hope to see you there! All things PAC are available at taswiftpac.com
Dates to Remember for the next 2 weeks:
All dates are also or will be posted on the school website calendar
November 10 – No School – Non-Instructional Day
November 11 – No School – Remembrance Day
November 14 – Field Trip – Divisions 9 &12 – Blue Heron Reserve