September 9th, 2022

Good afternoon owl families,

Thank you for an amazing first week at Oak Creek Public School! We hope your child has begun adjusting to new routines, has enjoyed making connections with staff and their classmates, and continues to feel excited about their return to school.

We understand that transitions and new experiences aren’t always easy and the first few days of school fill us with a wide range of emotions. We want to remind all students and families that we are here to support you, and it is very important to us that every owl feels safe and comfortable as they develop their sense of belonging within a new learning environment.

We would also like to thank all families for their patience as we continue to experience board wide challenges connected to some of our digital applications, including School-Day. While School-Day will be an incredibly important communication tool, we also encourage all families to subscribe to our school website (oak.wrdsb.ca) to stay up-to-date and informed about school events, activities and reminders.

Please scroll to the bottom of our school website and enter your email address in the space provided. Select “subscribe” to receive school notifications when new information is added to the website.

Meet the Family Event: Thursday, September 15, 2022.

Next week, we will be having our very first “Meet the Family” event on Thursday, September 15th from 6:00-7:00pm. We are flipping the traditional Meet The Teacher night to reflect our focus on family. We want the Oak Creek school community to have the opportunity to meet owl staff and to also give us the chance to meet your family and those individuals that care for your child. Families will also have the opportunity to check out their child’s classroom, connect with our educator team and tour the school.

Parent Engagement: School Council

At Oak Creek, we really do hope that each family will be engaged in their child’s learning experience throughout the school year. One way for caregivers to get involved is through School Council. We will be holding our School Council Election for the 2022–23 school year on Wednesday, September 28th at 6:00pm. The Election will be held at the school. During this session together, we will explain the purpose of School Council as it relates to student achievement and the accountability of the education system to parents. We will also provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities connected to the elected positions. If you think you might be interested in joining the discussion or being a part of School Council, we ask that you attend the election on Wednesday, September 28th.

A Google Form will be shared next week for any Oak Creek caregiver who is interested in putting their name forward and being considered for an elected position. We kindly asked that Google Form responses are submitted by 8:00am on Wednesday, September 28th so that we can begin to create our ballots.

Reminders:

School and Community Centre Parking Lot Access

  • Parking lot access is permitted for staff-use only; the parking lot is not a supervised area and we aim to reduce any potential risk to student and staff safety by limiting congestion and controlling traffic in our lot
  • We are encouraging “active travel” to school for all students and families. If your family does drive a vehicle as part of your school pick-up/drop-off routine, we recommend that you park your vehicle in a parking approved area according to municipal bylaws. Both sides of the street in front of the school are marked as “no stop” zones. Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region is looking into the creation of a “Drive to 5” Map for Oak Creek that will show safe and legal parking options close to the school
  • We are also seeking student leaders in Grade 6 and 7 who might be interested in becoming one of our Oak Creek Trailblazers (to assist students with daily “active travel” to school). Training will be provided for these student leaders by STSWR later in the month 

School Day: 9:10am-3:30pm

  • Staff supervision occurs 15 minutes before the school day and extends for 15 minutes after school (8:55-9:10; 3:30-345). This supervision applies to Grade 1 to Grade 7 students only. As part of Safe Arrival, students in Kindergarten must be dropped off and picked up by caregivers (i.e., direct “hand-to-hand” supervision; caregiver to educator and educator to caregiver)
  • We ask that all caregivers stay behind the pylons at dismissal time; families may enter the “zone area” once the dismissal bell rings at 3:30pm. Caregiver and child interactions that occur prior to 3:30pm may cause confusion for both the child and educator and is also disruptive to learning
  • Please refer to the Entry/Dismissal Zones if you are unsure of your child’s meeting location

WRDSB Schools and Buildings are Nut-Free/Scent-Free Environments:

  • The WRDSB’s School Anaphylaxis Management Policy includes necessary measures and procedures to reduce the risk of anaphylactic reactions and to assist staff in making the school as “allergen-free” as possible.
  • One of the necessary measures toward reducing the risk of anaphylactic and life-threatening reactions is the elimination of allergens within the school environment; as a result, Nut products and Nut substitutes (e.g., Wow Butter) are not permitted at school
  •  Scent Free Zone: “Help us keep the air we share healthy and fragrance free”

Medical Plan of Care (POC):

  • Medical POC information is being sent home today for students with life threatening medical concerns (e.g., asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, epilepsy, other)
  • I will be in contact with all families who have children with medical concerns to ensure that the information included in the Plan of Care is up to date and accurate
  • Students who require Epi-Pens or Inhalers must carry their medication with them at all times (see Sabrina’s Law and Ryan’s Law for more information); it is recommended that each student wears a fanny-pack. All families are asked to provide a second Epi-Pen or Inhaler to be kept in the office

Upcoming important events and dates:

  • Oak Creek’s “Meet the Family” Event: Thursday, September 15th from 6:00-7:00pm
  • School Council Election: Wednesday, September 28th at 6:00pm
  • School Council Meeting #1: Wednesday, October 12th from 6:00-7:30pm

Thank you for an amazing and memorable first week at Oak Creek!

Enjoy a wonderful weekend with your family,

Jeff

 

Jeff Johnson

Principal

#OCProud #OwlCommunity