The Ontario Ministry of Education and the York Region District School Board have asked schools to ensure that learning not be interrupted, especially within the Literacy Block (of time) for the language arts subjects.

Our daily format consists of three 100-minute learning blocks each of which contain a Literacy Block for Primary, Junior or Intermediate students. As a result, we do not interrupt the learning in the classroom to have students come to the Office to pick up dropped off materials. Instead, we have alerted students, as best we can, to come over to the Office and pick up lunches/items at recess or at the beginning of the lunch hour.

With a school of over 700 students, reminders can get missed and lunches/items may not get picked up. We apologize for our part in this matter. We now find it necessary to revise and clarify the school expectations involving this issue. We request that parents use one of the three procedures outlined below.

1. Within our Character Matters priority, personal responsibility is outlined as a very important character trait to be developed and reinforced within our students. We ask that you consider giving your child responsibility for the making of their lunch and preparing materials/equipment to come to school.

Children can assist their parents the night before school, to help prepare their lunch. We also find that students more readily eat their lunch if they have been involved in selecting the items to eat. School bags can also be packed the night before to help streamline the preparation activities in the morning of school days.

In this way, parents can be alleviated from dropping off missed lunches/materials.

2. If lunches/items/clothes are not ready to take to school in the morning, we request that you instruct your child to pick up these items in the Office at recess or at the beginning of the lunch period.

When you bring these items to school, the Office staff will remind you to ensure that the items are labeled with your child’s name and instruct you to place them on the adjacent table in front of the Receptionist’s desk.

3. If your child is not aware of their missing lunches/items as they leave for school in the morning, we ask that you drop them off at the Office immediately after 12:50 pm (the beginning of the lunch hour). The Office will alert the student to come and pick them up.

Thank you for co-operating with our revised procedures. Uninterrupted instructional time is quality learning time. If you have any questions, please contact us at the school office.