December 7 – 11

On By Parkview PS

Families play a critical role in keeping our school safe, please ensure that you screen your children daily prior to sending them to school.

Use the link below: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ 

Thank you for your continued support.

在維護學校安全方面，家庭的作用至關重要。請參照鏈接中的指示，在每日送孩子到校前，先自行檢查孩子的狀況是否與表單中的描述一致  https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ 

再次感謝您一直以來的支持和配合！

Please take some time to review this important information with your child on how to wear a mask.  Please remind your child of the importance of wearing masks properly and to not hang it from their neck or ears or take it off when talking to others.  A reminder to please send masks (at least 3) for your child, so they have back-ups ready. Please remember to wash cloth masks daily. Students are permitted to wear their mask outside for recess if they prefer.

Warm in Winter & Food Drive @ Parkview P.S.
Thank you to students and families who made contributions to our Warm in Winter & Food Drive.  Items collected have been packed up and will support those in need this holiday season.

Dressing for the Winter Weather
We continue to see the benefits of students spending time outside and being active.  A reminder to families to please ensure students are coming to school dressed appropriately for the colder winter weather.  Students will continue to spend time outdoors during recess and lunch and will continue to engage in outdoor learning activities with their classmates.  Classroom windows may also be open at various points during the school day to enhance ventilation so it is recommended that students dress in layers.  Please remind your child that snow needs to stay on the ground and snow hills are off limits due to icy conditions.

A Message from Our Trustee
Dear families, 

I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and well. 2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways, and the global pandemic has affected individuals and families in different ways. 

I want to reassure you that we continue to work closely with York Region Public Health and to prioritize the health and well-being of our students, staff members and families.  It continues to be important that we adhere to the health and safety measures in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. You can learn more about what schools are doing at http://www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening. 

While we have seen cases in some of our schools, we continue to work with public health to respond quickly, identify cohorts that need to self-isolate as a precautionary measure and take all appropriate measures. I want to thank all of our students, families and staff members for their diligence in adhering to the public health recommendations and health and safety measures in place in our schools. 

One of our priorities in our Multi-Year Strategic Plan is to foster well-being and mental health. As a result of the pandemic, many of us are facing changes and new challenges that can take a toll on our mental health. It is more important than ever that we check in on one another and practice self-care. There are mental health resources for students and families on our Board website that address the unique nature of our current situation. You can also find information about our Mental Health and Addiction Strategy and the work we are doing in schools to promote positive mental health and provide support for students.  

While there are challenges, we also continue to have so many reasons to feel positive. Our students continue to impress us with their kindness, creativity, innovation, resilience, courage and perseverance. Visit us on YouTube at YRDSBMedia to see just some of these stories.  

In the coming weeks and months, many of our students and families will be celebrating days of significance and holidays, and I wish you all the very best for the season. While we may be celebrating a little differently this year, I hope everyone has a safe and happy winter break and we look forward to welcoming students back into our in-person and virtual schools in January. 

Ron Lynn

Introduction to Robotics and Coding Tools  
Curriculum & Instructional Services invites ALL YRDSB parents to please join the York Region District School Board’s Pathways team on December 8, 2020 to learn about a few of the tools being used to teach your children about computational thinking and robotics. Hear from board educators about how you can continue to support your child’s learning at home. 

This session will provide parents/guardians with an introduction to web based tools, designed to engage students ages 8 and up, in coding and robotics activities. Each session offers introductory activities as well as  more advanced functionality for those looking to extend their learning.

Topics for the event include tools for: 

● Block Coding 

● Virtual Robotics and Physical Computing 

● 3 Dimensional Modeling 

Event Details 

Date: December 8, 2020 
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 
Platform: Online webinar 

All are welcome to join us for this FREE event which is the first of its kind for the York Region District  School Board. Space is limited  

Registration Information 

Financial support for Parents/Guardians
The government is providing financial support to help parents and guardians with additional costs during the 2020-2021 school year during the second wave of COVID-19. 

Eligible parents or guardians will receive a one-time payment of:

  • $200 for each child up to age 12
  • $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 years with special needs

This is a new program, and all parents or guardians who are residents of Ontario with eligible children will need to submit a new application for each child.

As of today, eligible parents or guardians can go to Ontario.ca/SupportforLearners for more information and to apply for the one-time financial support. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2021.

School Model Change Request
We recognize that some families will be looking to request a change in their school program model from face-to-face learning to virtual school or from virtual school to face-to-face.  In January 2021, a School Model Change request form for families requesting a change will be shared.  

Only families requesting a school model change will need to complete this form. The deadline to submit your school model change request will be communicated in January.

Staff will continue to work diligently to provide the best program for each child and to maintain the reduced cohort class size in face to face classrooms.  

Being Safe in our Community
It’s a good time for parents and guardians to remind children about personal safety.  We ask that families take some time to review the following information together. It is never too early or too late to teach children the importance of personal safety.  Common sense, communication and consistency are the keys. Remind children to alert a responsible adult if something strange happens that makes them feel uncomfortable. Remember, crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

Here’s what children need to know:

  • Their name, age, telephone number, address, city and province.  This can be done through rhyme or song.
  • How to contact their parents at any time, by memorizing cell or work numbers.
  • How and under what circumstances to call 911.
  • To never approach or enter a stranger’s vehicle.  A responsible adult would never ask a child for directions or any other question for that matter.
  • Make sure they know they have a right to say “no” to an adult, especially when the adult is asking them to do something they have been taught is wrong or feels uncomfortable.  Reminding children of this right is important because children are taught from a young age to respect adults.
  • To always tell parents where they will be and to never enter someone’s home without their parent’s permission.
  • If home alone, never admit it when answering the phone. Never answer a knock at the door or speak through it.  Adults can be very persuasive.  Teach your child to call you if there is a knock at the door and if they fear for their safety, teach them to call 911.  Make sure they know that police officers are there to help them and would not get mad if it were a false alarm.
  • If they think they are being followed or are in danger they should run home or to a public place.  If someone grabs them, they should try to get away, yelling and screaming while doing so.
  • It is important to play in safe areas, never take shortcuts and stick with a buddy whenever possible.

For more information on this subject, visit www.yrp.ca.

From the YRDSB: UPDATED Inclement Weather Policy – 2020/2021
This year, we are doing many things differently in our schools to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support the health and safety of our students, staff members and families. As we enter the colder months, we have also reviewed what it will look like when inclement weather days are declared and school transportation is cancelled. 

We usually try to keep schools open as much as possible, and in previous years, schools have remained open when school transportation is cancelled. This year, however, given the importance of adhering to our health and safety guidelines, we have made the decision to close schools to students when an inclement weather day is declared and school transportation is cancelled. Please do not send your child to school when an inclement weather day is declared. We are unable to guarantee appropriate coverage for students on inclement weather days when school transportation is closed and classes cannot be combined. 

Please take the time to make plans in the event of an inclement weather day school closure. Please note that before and after care programs will not be operating on inclement weather days. For on-site, full-day child care, please confirm with your childcare operator. We recognize that this may be an inconvenience for some families. This decision was not made lightly and made to prioritize the health and safety of students, staff members and families. 

There are rare occasions when school transportation is cancelled due to extreme cold weather and not road conditions, and schools will remain open for students. 

Student learning will continue:

  • Students attending elementary school in person will be provided with learning activities for the day through their Google classroom and teachers will be available online to support students. 
  • Students attending secondary school in person will shift to virtual learning for all of their classes for the day. 
  • Elementary and secondary virtual schools will operate as normal. 

Communication to families

Decisions about school transportation and school closures will be made as early as possible and no later than 6:00 a.m. We will do our best to notify families in advance. Our priority continues to be the safety of our students, staff members and families. If you have any questions, please speak with your school principal.

Transportation cancellations or school closures will also continue to be communicated through:

  • Student Transportation Services website: www.schoolbuscity.com 
  • Student Transportation Hotline: 1-877-330-3001
  • Board website and school websites
  • @YRDSB Twitter account
  • Radio and TV media outlets

Families who have provided the school with their cell phone will also receive a text message, unless you have opted out of this service. Please contact your school if you have any questions. 

For more information on inclement weather days, please visit our website www.yrdsb.ca.  

All communication from the school comes via:

We would like to remind all of our families that our goal is to work together to support the well-being of all our students. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to working in partnership with our Parkview Community.

Please visit our School Website for all up-to-date school information.