August 27th, 2024
Dear St. Michael’s School Family,
Welcome back to another exciting school year at St. Michael’s School. We eagerly anticipate our students' arrival and have been working diligently to prepare for what promises to be another great school year.
This year, we have planned various exciting activities in our classroom communities worth celebrating to build an environment fostering school spirit and cooperation. Our classrooms will bring joy and excitement to our students by living, CELEBRATING, and Proclaiming OUR FAITH.
Last year, our school theme focused on living out our Faith. This year, we will be focusing on Celebrating Our Faith. “Celebrating faith is a way of expressing devotion, reinforcing beliefs, and fostering a sense of belonging and community”.
The staff will encourage the students to recognize that leading, loving, and learning are worth celebrating. Everyone and every moment is special and should be recognized as a blessing for God. Having a friend to skip with (God’s Love), healthy green grass to play on (God’s Creation), the excitement of learning new things (God’s Plan) are all reasons to CELEBRATE!
This year, the following teachers will attend to your child’s learning needs and are very excited to celebrate and educate our students with the school theme in mind.
Teaching Staff
Kindergarten / Grade 1
– Mrs. Chioccarello (a.m.)
- Mrs. Davis (p.m.)
Grade 1/2 – Mrs. Mason
Grade 3 – Mrs. Montonen
Grade 4 – Mrs. Mocci
Note: The grades 5, 6, and 7 classes will be combined in the afternoon.
Grade 5 – Mrs. Kruk
Grade 6 – Mrs. Foyle
Grade 7 – Mrs. Davis
P.E.– Mr. Bourchier
For the students in Grades 1, 5, 6, and 7, a separate notice will be sent by e-mail to explain the combination of classes and the students enrolled in each class. Please note, we will ensure your child will have a fun-filled year with their peers.
School will begin for
(Kindergarten – Grade 7)
September 3rd, 8:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Please pack a snack and arrange a ride home as the public transit will not be running after dismissal time.
Kids Care and Daycare will not be available on this day.
First Day Of School – September 3rd , 2024
Even though the first day of school will be a short one, the day will be eventful for the students. I have created a short agenda below.
Reminder, Morning Care and Afterschool Care will NOT be available on this day.
8:15 – 8:40 a.m. – The St. Michael’s School Staff will be outside welcoming the students and parents. Look for your child’s teacher. If you are uncertain as to who your child’s teacher will be, look for the class number sign which will be held by the staff members.
8:40 – 9:00 a.m. – School begins with a School-Wide Prayer outside on the paved playground area. Parents and caregivers are welcome to join us in song, living, CELEBRATING, and proclaiming our faith.
9:00 a.m. – students will unpack their school supplies and spend time with their teacher. (School supplies will be ready for them at school).
10:00 a.m. – students will break and partake in recess outside.
10:15 a.m. – students will enjoy a snack and a story with their classroom teacher and then continue on with the morning activities planned.
11:00 a.m. – dismissal, students will be accompanied by their teacher to an outside meeting space and then dismissed when a parent or caretaker has arrived for pick-up.
11:30 a.m. – Staff Meeting – the staff will not be available for the afternoon. You should receive a welcome letter via e-mail from your child’s teacher, within the first week. E-mail is a great way to connect with your child’s teacher.
School Supplies
Your child will have all the necessary supplies ready for them on the first day of school. The following supplies will need to be purchased by parents and are not included in the school supplies fee: Backpack, Gym Bag, and Gym Shoes.
Kindergarten Parents Morning Care and Afterschool Care
Reminder: For the first week only, the Kindergarten students will complete their school day at noon. Kids Care will not be available for Kindergarten students until 3:00 p.m. Please ensure you have care for your child in the afternoon for the first week. Please call the school if you have any questions. A Kids Care welcome letter was sent via e-mail.
Communication
We value communication between home and school. Most of the communication from the office between school and home will be via e-mail. If you are unable to access e-mail please contact the office for paper copies of all correspondence. Most teachers communicate with parents by e-mail as well, if the information is of an urgent matter please copy or call the office so it can be attended to immediately. Staff members are required to attend Morning Prayer from 8:25 a.m. – 8:35 a.m. which means it is difficult to check e-mail in the morning, please take this into consideration when connecting with staff. We also have a Facebook Page and CISND app. Please like us on FB and download the app! We use Facebook as a way of communicating to parents after school hours and for advertising upcoming events. Additionally, we encourage parents to visit our website as we will be posting events and memos on this site and updating the website calendar, daily.
Parking
We encourage all parents to park on the street for student pick-up and drop-off (Please do not use the staff parking lot) during the hours of 8:00a.m – 3:30p.m. The staff parking lot entrance is dangerous for the children walking to and from the bus stop. Vehicle movement in and out of this area is a risk for the children walking and there are many blind spots. Also, when parking on the road, please be considerate of the resident driveways and school parking lot entrances. These entrances and driveways should be accessible to the staff and homeowners at all times. If you desire to stay after school and watch your child play, please park on 3rd avenue to allow for traffic movement and quick pick-up. This will alleviate congestion on our street.
Finally, with great sadness, I announce the retirement of 3 outstanding educators, Mrs. McConnachie, Mrs. Berno, and Mrs. Orr. Their passion for teaching has ignited curiosity and inspired countless young minds to enjoy learning. Their commitment to St. Michael’s School left a legacy and lasting impact on all the students they taught. As they embark on a new chapter in their lives, may they be blessed abundantly and find joy and fulfillment in knowing that their contribution to Catholic education, especially to our school community, will never be forgotten.
We will pray for you and miss you dearly, Mrs. McConnachie, Mrs. Berno, and Mrs. Orr!
We are all excited to live, celebrate, and proclaim our Faith with you, hoping to provide a memorable learning experience for your child. On behalf of the staff, welcome back!
Julia Mason
Principal