Dragon News - November 22, 2021

Posted On Sunday November 21, 2021

Dragon News

November 22, 2021

 

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)

**If a child has a stuffy nose, sore throat OR headache - monitor 

Your Child is Not Feeling Well….complete the Self-Screening School Assessment - If you receive a red alert - follow steps.   By staying home when we show signs and symptoms of being unwell, together we can keep each other well.  Thank you for ensuring the safety of all students and staff in our building, as well as extending to our homes and family.   As parents, both Mr. Smart and myself empathize with the many juggles that may have to occur. 

 

100 % of our students are wearing protective face coverings.  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.  




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

 

PROGRESS REPORT UPDATE

Parents/ Guardians should have received a link to their child(ren)’s Progress Report on Friday, November 19th.  We would like to thank you for your patience during this time. 

 

 

Student Leader Noah K. in grade 1 and his team, Sebastien, Jamal and Kate will be continuing to collect items brought in as donations for The Denise House.   Thank you for this work in showing empathy and encouraging others to be able to help! 

 

We will be continuing to collect items until November 26th! 

 

 

 

 

The ‘Make A Difference’ Community and Partnership Development Department is pleased to share that we will be launching the “I CAN Make A Difference” Food Pantry initiative to support students and families in need for the holiday season. 

We will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items every Monday starting November 1st, 2021 - December 6th, 2021.  Donations can be dropped off at the ‘Make A Difference Depot’, located at 155 Gibb St. (Village Union Public School) between the hours of 1:30 -5:00 p.m.

Your generous donations are greatly appreciated and will Make A Difference this holiday season!

If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us at makeadifference@ddsb.ca.

 

 

Health Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. This is good news given that we have seen the positive impact that vaccinations have in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases.

We do not have further details to share on the vaccine rollout and encourage you to visit the Durham Region Health Department (DRHD) website in the coming days for further information about COVID-19 vaccinations in our community: https://www.durham.ca/en/health-and-wellness/covid-19-vaccines.aspx

If you have specific questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for youth/children and you cannot find the answer from DRHD, SickKids is offering confidential, convenient and accessible vaccine consultation services for children, youth and their families. More information can be found at: https://www.sickkids.ca/vaccineconsult

 

Click on Images for further information.


DDSB committed last summer that once the vaccination for this age group was made available, that DDSB would provide one opportunity for families to consider changing from virtual to in-person schooling or vice versa. 

Registration for this change is expected is to be open after the winter break. Additional information will be shared in December with more specific dates about the January registration process and when the change will occur in February.

December 20th - December 31st 2021

Return to School - January 3, 2022

Rapid Take Home Tests for the Winter Break

The Ministry of Education announced that they will be providing school boards with enough test kits so that each student can take home a pack of five rapid tests to be used over the winter break to support a safe return to school in January. DDSB will be sharing more information and how tests will be distributed when we receive it.

 

Reminder about International Travel Requirements

For those planning to travel outside of Canada over the winter holiday, we want to take this opportunity to remind families of restrictions currently in place. Individuals must follow federal testing and quarantine requirements upon return from any international travel. While unvaccinated children under the age of 12 who travelled internationally with a fully vaccinated companion are exempt from federal quarantine, as per the Government of Ontario direction, they are not permitted to attend school or childcare for 14 days following their return.

Fully vaccinated students who have travelled outside of Canada and meet the requirements to be exempt from federal quarantine, are able to attend school upon their return.

All families, particularly unvaccinated families considering international travel, must take into consideration federal testing and quarantine requirements for themselves and their dependents. Please review the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories FAQ ahead of any international travel.

 

Student Arrival and Dismissal Update 

 

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. 



OF

A - Always obey SIGNS

B - Bike or Walk

C - Co-operate to make everything go smoothly

 

As the holiday season of Kawanza, Hanukkah, Christmas and other festivities of this time of year are just around the corner, families will soon be shopping for those they love.  Ormiston Public School is introducing the opportunity for students and families in our school community to purchase some amazing gifts for their loved ones!

 

We are providing 3 different options for families to consider and explore as they start thinking of possible gift ideas.

 

Funds raised will be used in supporting student programming and initiatives from Kindergarten through to grade 8.  Thank you for your considerations - these are ideas we thought your families might enjoy - they are by no means a must do! 



The Ormiston PS Store

 

We are excited to launch our first ever Ormiston online store which will be available to the school community year round. Items available for purchase include: t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, toques and accessories. Families have the option to customize the colour, and design of their purchase. You can also choose to have the items delivered right to your door for easy convenience.

 

Please check out the link below for our official Ormiston PS store!

 

https://ormistonps.entripyshops.com/

 

Black Friday Sales are on!

 

The Ormiston Bear


What better way to get ready for the holidays and the coming winter than to cuddle up next to our very adorable Ormiston Bear! This would be the perfect gift idea for your child! The Ormiston Bear is available throughout the school year while supplies last, but would be the perfect gift during the holidays! The Ormiston Bear comes in 11” and comes adorned in our school swag! 

 

Make this guy yours for just $20.00.

See School Cash Online for to place your order!

    11 inch Ormiston Bear - $20.00

 

 

Poinsettias and Planters















Make your home festive for the holidays with these beautiful poinsettias and planters. 

Choose among a variety of colours and arrangements:

8” Poinsettias are available in red, white, and/or red/white for $20 each. 

The 11” round mixed planter is priced at $25, while the 12” oval planter is priced at $30. 

See School Cash Online for your options and to place your order! 

Deadline to order is Friday December 3rd. The orders made will be delivered to the school to be distributed to the students to take home the week of Dec 13th. 

 

As parents, caregivers and educators, we are emerging into steps of a recovery from  the COVID-19 pandemic, yet still being greatly impacted by its existence.  One impact of the pandemic and processes, experiences children and adults have experienced are increased levels of stress for varying reasons.  

As a staff at Ormiston PS, our primary position from the return to school in September, has to work hard in supporting our students with their wellbeing and feeling safe in the school environment, while engaging with peers and a public space.  Our students need to be commended on the incredible job and responsibilities they have in keeping themselves and others safe by wearing their masks, continuing to follow good hand hygiene practices and to keep their work spaces tidy and clean.  As families - collectively, you too are to be commended for ensuring that when your child(ren) are showing symptoms of being unwell, you are providing time for your child(ren) to rest and be symptom free when returning to school, without the aid of over the counter medication. 

A significant trend we have anticipated, and one that is evident, is the ability of our students to build positive relationships with their peers and how to respect their own boundaries to keep themselves well, and to respect the boundaries set by their peers.  

Dr. Shanker, from the Mehrit Centre, helps educators and staff understand when a student/ child is experiencing stress - and how we can best support them.  Our school board and educators have worked and received training from Dr. Shanker and Positive School Climate Department.  

When our child(ren)/students are feeling overwhelmed, it is important that we recognize the impact of relationships the child has and how these relationships with trusting and safe adults can help support them. 

Self Reg for Parents by The MEHRIT Centre - self-reg.ca 

 

It has come to the Administration and staff that students throughout our school are engaging in watching the Netflix Series, “Squid Games”.  Some of our very young students in our primary division have shared they have watch this game and are mimicking types of play of actions they have witnessed in this series.  

We express grave concern regarding the viewing of this series and encourage parents/ caregivers to participate in pre-viewing shows and games that their child(ren) are watching/playing.  A helpful website and resource to lead parents/guardians into deciding on what is appropriate for their child(ren) to view/ play is “common sense media”.  

 

WHAT PARENTS/GUARDIANS NEED TO KNOW

Parents need to know that the level of violence is very intense in Squid Game. Characters are systematically tortured and killed for the sadistic pleasure of a game master. Adults have sex, and there are threats of sexual violence: Women are grabbed by the hair and beaten. Themes concerning the highs one gets from gambling, winning, or conning money are a main focus. 



 

Click on Image or Link to Learn about Parent/ Guardian Resources available at the Durham District School Board

 

Crisis help lines

If you are experiencing a personal or situational crisis, you can call:

  • 911 or visit the nearest emergency department

  • Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 for emotional support on a variety of issues. They offer text and online chat services as well.

  • ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 for addiction, mental health and gambling treatment services.

  • Distress Centre Durham at 905-430-2522 for 24-hour help. They run a series of specialized phone lines for suicide survivors, LGBTQ+ and community support.

  • Durham Region Mobile Crisis Service at 1-800-742-1890 or 905-666-0483 for free confidential support during a crisis.

  • Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454 for free and confidential professional counselling and referrals for mental health, addiction and well-being.

  • ONTX Ontario Online and Text Crisis Services by texting 258258.

  • Youthline at 1-800-268-9688 for confidential LGBTQ+ peer support. They offer telephone, text and chat services.

Click on image or Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle Link

 

 

Click image or Rainbows: Guiding Kids Through Life’s Storms Link

 

 

SEARCH FOR SERVICES IN DURHAM REGION

 

Click on Image or Link to Learn about Parent/ Guardian Resources available at the Durham District School Board