Ms. Kenney's September 5 Newsletter

To Our Swift Community,

Thank you for a great start to the new school year! We are excited to be back!

We know you are all waiting for class lists, thank you for your patience as we worked through changes in enrollment this week. Lists for Grades 1-5 will be posted today by 6:00. Kindergarten lists will be finalized by the end of next week.

Please know that an immense amount of time and thought are put into the creation of class lists and many factors are taken into consideration. It is no easy task! We are a full school this year – at this time there is no room for changes to be made.

Please read through this Important Memo – it will also be sent to you in hard copy form with your “form package” next week. There are many important reminders to help make this year a great one!

Use the pick up/drop off lane for children in grades 1 – 5. If you need to walk a child to class or pick up from class, please park in the cul de sac. Check out the Parking 101 and please obey traffic laws.

Health and Safety.  The Health and Safety of our School Community is still of utmost importance. Please do not send your child to school if they are not feeling well. Coughs, uncontrolled runny noses, fever and vomiting are all symptoms that should keep your child home. If your child has a lingering cough, teach them to cough into their elbow and handwash. If a cough is a result of an allergy or asthma, please let the teacher know.

If your child is Absent. Please register their absence on the Safe Arrival website. You can do this anytime, day or night. You can also phone the school 604-853-7730 and leave a message or email: swift@abbyschools.ca

Volunteering At School. If you have already completed the Criminal Record Check (CRC) process through the Abbotsford School District and Ministry of Justice, it is good for 5 years and you do not have to do it again. However, All volunteers need to fill out an Annual Volunteer Application and Understanding of Confidentiality. Detailed instructions and forms are available on our website: Volunteering at School.

A CRC MUST be completed and cleared and all forms need to be at the office prior to volunteering at the school. The CRC process can take up to 4-6 weeks.

SchoolCash Online – We will NOT be accepting Cash at the office for school fees, planners and field trips. Please take the time to reacquaint yourself with SchoolCash Online so you can make your payments online. It will accept Credit Cards or E-cheques. Here is a link to more info if you are new to the Abbotsford School District. Please register all new students.

Please note that any activities organized through the PAC are paid for directly to the PAC. A PAC Welcome Letter will be sent home next week with more information regarding PAC payments.

Permission Forms – All permission forms for field trips and extra-curricular activities will be processed through SchoolCash even if there is no cost involved. Please be sure to complete all permission forms that are listed on your SchoolCash account in a timely manner.

Student Planners - Grades 1 – 5 will be receiving planners that they use daily to organize their work and communicate with home. The cost of planners is $6.90 and will be added to your child’s SchoolCash account. Please pay online as soon as possible.

Communication – Looking for information:

• School Website: If you haven’t already, please bookmark our school website: swift.abbyschools.ca on your device. You can also add the AbbySchools App to your phone which will notify you of any announcements or news items.
• Call the office: If you can’t find the information you are looking for on the Website or PAC FB, please call or email the office so we can help you. 604-853-7730 or swift@abbyschools.ca
• Ask your teacher: please use your child’s planner or communication folder (kindergarten) or email your child’s teacher to ask any questions about the class information or homework.
• Parent Advisory Council Facebook Page: The Swift PAC has a Facebook page: Dr. Thomas A Swift PAC. You will need to answer a question (who is your child’s teacher) in order to be added. Please use this tool as a place to be positive and helpful. All negative, demeaning, or degrading comments will be deleted by the administrators. If you have a concern, please call the office as we would like to address your concern personally. Do not use Private Messaging to contact staff or PAC executive for school related inquiries.

Forms to Return to School – coming next week!

Verification Form: BLUE form with your child’s information and Emergency Contact Information on it. This page needs to be updated and returned ASAP. Please make your changes clearly as this is the information we use to contact you in the event of an emergency. Please check and update the following areas:

• Child’s Home address and phone number
• Parent’s contact info – phone, address, email – both mom and dad please, even if parent does not live with student – indicate with the check boxes provided.
• Emergency Contacts – at least TWO people with correct contact info who live in Abbotsford.
• Legal Alerts – please give the office copies of any legal documents regarding custody.
• Medical Alerts – medication or allergies – if your child needs an epi-pen or other medication at school, you will need to contact the office for the appropriate forms.
• Aboriginal Ancestry & Status (yes or no – if yes, indicate status)

Photo and Media Release Form: Please fill in and return the PINK Photo and Media release forms. This form indicates whether your child can be photographed or videoed during school hours and school events and released to media. This form may not come to all families as some are already up to date. A note: we do not post pictures of students and publish names at the same time.

New this year – Reunification Form
Please read the instructions on these forms. They are intended to set us up for a safe and caring reunification with a trusted adult should there be a large-scale natural disaster.

We are looking forward to a fun school year with your children! Please be sure to connect with the office or your teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

Ms. Kenney

Principal
Dr. Thomas A Swift Elementary