October 14th, 2022

The Importance of Regular School Attendance:

Hello Oak Creek families, 

Daily school attendance is incredibly important for every child’s academic growth, well-being and overall development.

Our school day is from 9:10am-3:30pm and all families and students are reminded to arrive on time prepared and ready for learning. Students arriving after 9:10am will be required to use the main doors and check in at the main office upon arrival. Morning supervision begins at 8:55am.

Arriving late or leaving early limits the learning experiences provided to your child, may be detrimental to their 

progress, and it is disruptive to the learning environment.

Please notify the office to report planned absences that will result in your child missing school for consecutive days. Consecutive absences greater than 15 days may result in your child being withdrawn from our school’s register; this will require your child to be re-registered upon their return (and potentially being placed in a different class).

No Park Zone in Front of the School:

As we continue to promote “active travel” to school, I would like to remind all families that the street area in front of the school is a No Stop Zone. This is a municipal bylaw and is clearly marked by signage. I have had several conversations with families and will continue to share these reminders. We are asking for everyone’s support and adherence to this expectation. The “loading zone” marked in yellow is for bus access only. School parking lot access is restricted to school and childcare staff.

I have been in touch with the City of Kitchener to share our concerns related to traffic behaviour in the area (e.g., speeding; illegal U-Turns, children crossing the street without an adult) and to communicate that some vehicles continue to stop and park in front of the school. The posted speed limit is 30km/hr. The roadway is governed by municipal bylaw and is regulated by the City of Kitchener. I have requested the support of the local Parking Authority.

I would like to also express how amazing it has been to see the vast majority of the Oak Creek school community walking, rolling and riding to school each day. It’s a real joy to see families and students engaging in active travel and buying into our collective vision as Owls. While I feel it’s important to share reminders about parking and road safety, I also want to celebrate

the fact that such a high percentage of our population is getting to school without a vehicle.

Photo Day by Edge Imaging: Tuesday, October 18th

* Individual student photos will be taken on Tuesday. Class photos will be scheduled for the spring.

Bus Evacuation Drill: Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region

School bus safety and evacuation training is a critical piece in ensuring students are provided with the essential knowledge and tools to ride the bus safely. Students need to be familiar with the procedures in case of an emergency while riding the school bus, either as a means of transportation to and from school, or on school field trips. The bus evacuation training is conducted annually in coordination with Sharp Bus Lines, while the school bus safety training provided by Intertrain Bus Safety is conducted every other year.

All students at Oak Creek will be participating in our annual bus evacuation drill on Friday, October 21st (9:30-11:10). All students will watch the training video in class prior to Friday’s evacuation drill. This will provide students with the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a discussion with their classroom teacher.

Enjoy a wonderful day and weekend with your family, 

Jeff Johnson

Principal