All Saints Blog Week of September 5th, 2017

First Week of School!

I would personally like to welcome back our entire All Saints School Community to the 2017-2018 school year.  There have been a number of new staff who have joined our ranks, and you are welcome to meet them at our “Meet the Staff” evening on September 21st, from 4:30 to 6:30pm.  I would also like to introduce you to our two new Vice-Principals: Mr. Mark O’Connor, who joined us from St. Peter School, and Ms. Tanya Noble-Moore who was recently a Department Head at Holy Trinity School.  They are both anxious to meet and serve our school community.  Our staff spent last week preparing for our start, focusing on a review of our School Innovation Plan and looking at priorities for the year.  Our Board theme, Sent to Be the Good News provides us with a challenge as we interact with those in our wider community.  I am looking forward to sharing my own goals in person with you, however, I will let our students know that I am focusing on the following areas this year:

1. Facilitate innovative student and staff learning and opportunity.
2. Participate in staff/student faith development, wellness and safety initiatives.
3. Network with other educators and share our All Saints learning approaches

During our grade level assemblies scheduled for this week, our school administration team and student services personnel will review common expectations and provide direction for support if students need assistance.  I wish all of our students, staff, parents and guardians a great school year!

First Day of School Procedures

Grade 7 students will go to the Cafetorium and their teacher will call their names and bring the class to their room.  Grade 8 students will go down towards the 7/8 wing on the first floor and their names and homerooms will be posted on the wall on the right side of the hall just before entering the 7/8 wing.  Student peer helpers will be on hand to help direct students.

Grade 9 & 10 students will check the lists posted in the atrium for the room number of their homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.  

Grade 11 students will check the lists posted on the windows in the hall on the second floor (front and back of school) for the room number of their homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.  

Grade 12 students will check the lists posted on the windows in the hall on the third floor (front and back of school) for the room number of their homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.

Peer Helpers will be on hand to help students find their homerooms.

A verification sheet, including home contact information, will be sent home with each student on Tuesday - it needs to be carefully checked over and signed by parents and returned on Wednesday.

If your child has asthma please note the Ministry requires you to complete a medical form for your child.  You can find the form on our School Website.

Parents are asked to create an online payment account for each of their children at All Saints.  The option to use credit cards is now available at https://ocsb.schoolcashonline.com/   You will get a receipt for all payments made.  The student fee ($30 per student with a maximum of $60 per family) is due as soon as possible this week and may be paid online. If you have two or more students you just choose one child at a time and choose the option for (first, second, third…) child.  

Students eligible for Presto cards who did not pick them up prior to school starting will be called to the office, however, will need to make their own way to school on Tuesday.  

Information regarding Technology use from Our Board:

At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, we believe that it is our shared responsibility as educators and parents/guardians to ensure that students are equipped to behave as responsible Digital Citizens in an increasingly complex digital world. It is likely that starting in their elementary years, many children have already gained access to the internet, perhaps even outside of the home or the classroom, in an unsupervised environment, such as through a friend’s phone.

Staff at OCSB work diligently with students each year to ensure that they are using digital tools in appropriate, productive and responsible ways to support their learning. Our Board has developed a series of age-appropriate lessons for each grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 12 through the Samaritans on the Digital Road program. This curriculum is designed to develop students’ understanding that their citizenship and efforts to live gospel values extends to their presence in the digital world.

Please take the time to visit the Samaritans on the Digital Road website at samaritans.ocsb.ca where you can find the curriculum as well as additional resources for parents/guardians to support their journey along the “Digital Road.” Look for an Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement to be sent home before the end of September. Please review it carefully with your son/daughter before signing it and returning it to school.

Student Fee

At All Saints High School, we collect a student fee to augment some of the program, club and activity costs that support student involvement outside of the classroom.  Our School Council manages a portion of this fee, and last year they were able to support school greening and recycling, drama activities, professional learning opportunities for staff, student leadership initiatives and many others.  In addition, the school uses the funds for

• school clubs
• school teams
• Academic and Athletic Awards
• Leadership Camp
• social justice initiatives
• guest speakers and school-wide presentations

School Photo Day

Friday, September 8th is our school photo day.  Information for ordering pictures will come home ahead of this date.  Students are reminded that even if you aren’t ordering pictures, your photo is required for student identification as well as our yearbook. Edge Imaging provides a variety of photo options to capture your child's true personality, preserving all their school day memories. Photo day flyers will be sent home with students this week. Please return the order form and payment to the school on or before photo day. For more information on photo day, please visit www.edgeimaging.ca for answers to frequently asked questions.

Firefighters’ National Memorial Day - September 10th, 2017

Flags will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset at schools next weekend to mark the first Firefighters’ National Memorial Day.  We acknowledge the exceptional work performed by these men and women in our community on a regular basis.  For more information on the Memorial day, please visit the link here.

Communications:

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our

website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:

Thursday, September 21st: Meet the staff BBQ (4:30 to 6:30 more details to follow)

Monday, September 25th: All Saints School Council meeting (7:00 Learning Commons)