Dragon News January 14, 2022
Dragon News
Ormiston PS staff are excited to welcome our students back to in-person learning on Monday, January 17th.
We are appreciative of everyone’s efforts in making the most of the short online learning these past days.
In order to ensure the safety of students and staff and our families, we ask that families take great care in their understanding of attending school each day, and the importance of ensuring each individual child in their home completes, with parent/guardian, unless independent todo so on own - adolescent - the School Screening Tool prior to entering school property and our school building.
Tamils began migrating to Ontario as early as the 1940s. Since that time, Tamil Canadians have overcome tremendous obstacles and have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Ontario.
January is an important month for Tamil Canadians. The Tamil Harvest Festival, Thai Pongal, as well as other Tamil artistic and cultural events, take place in January.
By proclaiming the month of January as Tamil Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the valuable contributions that Tamil Canadians have made to Ontario's social, economic, political and cultural fabric. Tamil Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the inspirational role that Tamil Canadians have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario.
Thai Pongal is celebrated on the first day of the month Thai of the Tamil calendar. Thai is the first month of the Tamil Almanac, and Pongal is a dish of sweet concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk. This festival is celebrated by one and all as it is non-relevance to any particular religious faith. The whole Tamil population of the world celebrate it without any differences. Therefore it is widely known as "Tamil Thai Pongal" or the "Festival of the Tamils".
Click image to start screening
COVID - 19 SELF SCREENING - Click this link
Tip - save the COVID -19 School Self-Screen link to your smart device home screen for easy daily access!!
DAILY & FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD IN A FAMILY
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/
*Ultimately - each individual student MUST have completed a school self screen before school - IF this has been completed, information on what a parent should do is told to them (ie. RED Alert and steps given to parent; GREEN - good to come to school)
Away at a planned appointment? - Use the School Messenger App OR call 1-844-350-2646 to report a scheduled absence.
Vaccination Information for Children ages 5-11
Book a Vaccine Appointment at this LINK
Masking for Students
Indoors
On January 5th,?the Board of Trustees passed a resolution stating that masking for all students, including those in kindergarten and junior kindergarten, be made mandatory during in-person learning. The DDSB will be providing a cloth mask for each student - as with any mask, the fit will fit differently for each individual face.
Students are encouraged to bring more than 1 CLEAN mask to school each day.
Students may require an additional mask during the day due to:
Mask falling onto another surface (desk, ground, floor, etc)
Mask becoming dirty by children touching it with unwashed hands (children are directed to wash hands often at regular times of the day as per protocols and are explicitly shown good hand hygiene skills - please review and reinforce these skills at home)
Mask becomes dirty/ wet from breathing in during cooler temperatures when outside during physical education classes, outdoor learning and/ or recess times
Students are able to wear non-medical masks - these do need to be washed regularly to ensure there is no spread of germs.
Outdoors
Masking during outdoor time is not required. Yet if students who do not reside in the same household, that are less than 2 meters in proximity to each other will be asked to wear a mask during outdoor play time. Please note, if a mask is worn outdoors and becomes wet, it should be replaced. Students will need additional, clean masks to change when they become dirty or wet.
Wearing a Mask 101: Tips for Parents
ABCs of Back to In-Person Learning Webinar
– Presentation for parents and caregivers of elementary and secondary students
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gstysAYLLKQ
Due to the number of students who have life threatening allergies causing an anaphylactic response to food items such as peanuts, tree nuts and other foods, we are reinforcing our message to our families and caregivers to NOT send your child with food items that are considered allergens to classmates into our classrooms for daily snacks and meals in packed lunches, as well as to celebrate special events.
NO food items are accepted into our school building, inclusive of classrooms, to celebrate special events and occasions.
Families have asked if they are able to send in any ‘gift items’ such as pencils, erasers, stickers, etc. - this is permitted, and preferred to be sent days in advance of being distributed to classmates.
Even if the food sent to school does not contain nuts, or allergen, it still can pose a risk if it touched allergen products or was in a container previously used for allergen products.
With anaphylaxis, even exposure to a tiny amount of this item could be potentially serious and life threatening. We can all play a role in preventing a dangerous situation at school. Thank you for your understanding and assistance!
SickKids Hospital in Toronto offers the following advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination: Food allergens can contaminate other foods when, for example, the same containers, utensils or frying pans hold a range of foods…. Bulk food containers pose a high risk of cross-contamination because they are often used for different products.
Thank you for your understanding and attention to the safety and well-being of our students.
Bad Weather and Riding a School Bus
In the event that transportation services are cancelled due to inclement weather, elementary schools will remain open. This is the same approach as in previous years and we will be taking additional measures in order to ensure that class cohorts remain intact and are appropriately supervised.
How will I be notified if transportation services are cancelled and/or schools are closed?
Families will be notified as soon as possible (no later than 7:00am) through a posting on the DDSB website, social media and where possible, through local radio stations. As well as on the DSTS Website.
What zone am I in?
Students at Ormiston PS are in Zone 4.
In cases of extreme weather, please listen to one of the local radio stations or TV news casts below for notices of transportation cancellations:
CKDO-AM 1580
Q107-FM 107.1
94.9 The Rock
KX96-FM 95.9
CHFI-FM 98.1
EZ ROCK 97.3
CFRB-AM 1010
CHUM-FM 104.5
CICX 105.9
Bob-FM 91.9
Global TV
CP 24
Student Arrival and Dismissal Update
Morning Bell - 8:30 AM
10:00 AM Recess
11:20-12:20 Lunch
1:40 PM Recess
3:00 Dismissal Bell
Drop Off
Students who are being dropped off are encouraged to arrive at the entry bell, 8:30 AM. Families may consider parking in the neighbourhood near the school and walk from there to the school. Students will be directed to their meeting spots specific to their assigned division; and need to line up with physical space between themselves and other students. Families who require specific drop off accommodations should contact the school office, 905-430-8755 or ormistonps@ddsb.ca. All individuals coming onto school property during drop off and pick up of their children are encouraged to wear a mask for responsible care of and towards others in our community. All individuals will need to also be physically distanced from other individuals who are not in their ‘bubble’.
School Parking Lot
School parking lots and drop off areas will be closed off with pylons to all non-bus traffic during the arrival and departure of buses. Ormiston PS’ school parking lot will be for educational staff and childcare staff. There are reserved parking spaces for our childcare parents and/ or guardians to support drop off and pick up of younger children. All other vehicles are asked to consider parking in the neighbourhood near the school where signage allows for lawful parking.
Ormiston PS’ Kiss n’ Ride will continue to remain closed at this time, as Ormiston PS Staff, DDSB Consultants and Town of Whitby have all been consulted on traffic flow and our current student safety needs of those who travel via bus and who walk to school. To ensure the safety of all of our students, and respect confidential information of our students, we ask that all of our families adhere to the procedures in place for drop off and pick up if you are choosing to drive your child(ren) to school. Please know that as parents/ guardians it is your responsibility to model and ensure you and your child(ren) are following the rules of being a pedestrian and driver.
While we continue to wait for the construction of additional parking spaces to support, the parking lot is reserved for staff who serve Ormiston PS students. Our school administration continues to be in contact with DDSB Facilities Services for updates on the progress of the approval of the Parking Lot Expansion Permit with the Town of Whitby.
Accessible Parking
In the event a driver requires accommodation to park, there are two accessible parking spaces available. Signage is required.
A - Always obey SIGNS
B - Bike or Walk
C - Co-operate to make everything go smoothly
COVID-19 has increased school staffing needs.
Since December, the DDSB has hired 592 additional staff in all roles.
The DDSB is using Emergency Non-certified Supply Teachers as a last resort.
They have been:
Interviewed
Reference Checked
Background Checked
Appropriately Onboarded
Information on transferring to/from DDSB@Home until the end of the school year:
Elementary families who would like to switch to/from DDSB@Home and in-person learning are now able to do so through the Parent Portal. If you are satisfied with your current selection, you do not need to do anything further. Your child will remain in their current mode of learning.
If you want to change your selection, please see the instructions below:
Sign into the Parent Portal, click the “Learning Preference” tab located on the left-hand navigation bar, and select either virtual (DDSB@Home) or in-person to request a change.
We ask that you please consider both options before making your decision, as we will only be offering the option to change your response until Friday, January 21, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. This decision is considered final for the rest of the school year. If you have decided to switch learning preferences, we are anticipating transfers to take place during the week of February 14. In the meantime, if your decision is to move from in-person to DDSB@Home, your child will be able to participate in Temporary Broadcast Learning.
Please note: Depending on the number of transfer requests, there may be an impact on staffing, and this could result in some classes getting new teachers.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions or need help accessing the Parent Portal, please review the Parent Portal FAQ or reach out to your school office staff for assistance.
Information on Temporary Broadcast Learning for In-Person Students:
We understand that some families may be concerned over the next month due to the spread of the Omicron variant. We are pleased to share that we are providing a temporary broadcast learning program for families until mid-February if you do not want to send your child to in-person learning. This program will be here for you whether you would like to temporarily take your child out of in-person learning for a couple of days, for the next month, or if you are waiting to transfer to DDSB@Home - Elementary for the remainder of the school year. This program will start mid-week next week and your child’s school will share more information on how to access it next week.
Broadcast learning will involve DDSB educators providing instruction for approximately one hour in the morning and approximately one hour in the afternoon with learning activities and materials on key topics from the Ontario curriculum. These materials will not be graded and will link to Ministry of Education provided videos and activities. This will not be interactive, or two-way learning, and is simply intended to provide a short-term measure to support families while some students are learning at home and will end in mid-February.
Kindergarten 2022-2023 Registration LINK
January 17, 2022 - Martin Luther King, Jr Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. A Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation, he first came to national prominence during a bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and led the 1963 March on Washington. The most influential of African American civil rights leaders during the 1960s, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.
Lincoln Alexander was born on Jan. 21, 1922, to West Indian immigrants living in Toronto. His father was a railway porter and his mother a maid. In a memoir entitled Go to School, You're a Little Black Boy, Alexander recounted the importance his parents placed on education as a good means to building a better life.
Not only did he heed his parents' words, he would do so with an unwavering commitment to excellence. After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, he became the first member of his family to attend university, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University. Thereafter, he attended Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1953.
In 1968 he became the first black member of Parliament, and in 1979, the first black federal cabinet minister.
After leaving federal politics, he became the first black Chair of the Worker's Compensation Board in 1980.
Alexander was appointed as the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in 1985. At the time, no other visible minority in Canada had served in a position of that nature.
He would later go on to serve an unprecedented five terms as Chancellor of the University of Guelph from 1991 to 2007.
Every year around 27 January, UNESCO pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to counter antisemitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance that may lead to group-targeted violence.
Friday, January 21st is a Professional Activity/Development Day for Staff at DDSB. There will be no school for students on this day.
January 26th is Bell Let’s Talk Day
Connect with our DDSB Mental Health Team - they are here to support you.
Who can I talk to for support?
Kids Help Phone is always here for you. Because we’re an e-mental health service, it’s good to know you can contact us 24/7 from anywhere in Canada, via phone or text.
Pizza Days - at this point we are awaiting direction from the Durham Region Health Department for if and how we may continue serving our students with a hot pizza lunch.
Treat Tuesdays - at this point we are awaiting direction from the Durham Region Health Department for if and how we may continue serving our students with a treat on Tuesdays.
Grade 8 and SK Graduation Pictures at this time have been postponed. Communication with updates will occur when we receive them.
February 16, 2022 student Term 1 Report Cards will be delivered to parents/guardians via SchoolMessenger.
Dragon News January 14, 2022 
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