McKay Public School 320 Fielden Ave.

Port Colborne, ON, L3K 4T7

905-834-4753 mckay.dsbn.org

Principal: Mrs. Lott Vice-Principal: Mrs. Ainslie Secretaries: Mrs. Quesnel, Mrs. Handley

A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE…

We are excited to announce that we are half-way to our goal of raising $56 000 for our new

fitness stations play structure. We have been working on this initiative for a few years and

are now at a point that we have enough funds to get started. Our old playground structure

has been removed and we have plans to break ground for the new fitness stations

shortly. Thank you for your continued participation in our fundraising initiatives to make this

happen. Special thanks to members of our School Advisory Council for their leadership on

this project. We will continue our fundraising efforts for the new fitness stations with another

Krispy Kreme fundraiser for our primary families in March.

We have also received $15,000 from the DSBN for enhancing our Kindergarten Outdoor play

area. These funds will be used to build, install and purchase structures, resources, and

landscaping materials that support early learning.

Lastly, this month we will be saying goodbye to Mrs. Quesnel, one of our school Secretaries,

as she will be moving on to join Westmount school staff in Thorold. We thank Mrs. Quesnel

for her hard work and service to McKay students. We are awaiting the appointment of Mrs.

Quesnel’s successor.

Mrs. Lott and Mrs. Ainslie

MARCH

• March 2 – JK-3 Krispy

Kreme Playground

Fundraiser Begins

• March 4 – Pizza Day

• March 6 – Grade 3

Scientists in School

• March 11 – Pizza Day

• March 12 – (Grades 6-

8) Skills Work

Presentation by Ontario

Skills

• March 13 – Popcorn &

Movie Buy out

• March 13 – Child Care

Registry Due

• March 16-20 – March

Break

• March 24 – (Grades 1-

6) Duffle Bag Theatre

Performance of ‘La

Belle et la Bête’

• March 24 – School

Advisory Council @

6:30pm

• March 25 – Sub Day

• March 25 – Krispy

Kreme Orders Due

• March 27 – Crazy Sock

Day

• March 30 – Krispy

Kreme Pick-up 2pm-

6pm

Grade 8 Families – save the dates

Wednesday, april 15, 2020: Grad photo day

tuesday, June 23, 2020: Grade 8 Graduation

Paging Catharine Boiter Congratulations to McKay’s own, Catharine

Boitor! Catharine will be learning about Ontario’s political

process as legislative page for a month at Queen’s Park. Her

duties will include delivering water to MPPs and taking

documents back and forth between elected representatives,

clerks and the speaker of the legislative assembly. Way to

go, Catharine!

Grades K-3 Krispy Kreme Playground Fundraiser Our primary students finally get a turn with our Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Order forms are being sent home the first week

of March (extras can be picked up in the office). Because the maximum number of orders that can be accommodated

is 500, orders will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. All orders and payments are due to the office by

Wednesday, March 25th. Orders will be ready for pick up on Monday, March 30th between 2pm-6pm.

On behalf of the School Advisory Council and McKay Staff, thank you for supporting our playground fundraiser!

Registrations for the Mad Science Club are due March 10th. The Club is a 6-week science enrichment program offered to the students. Students who join the Science Club will go on a voyage of discovery designed to support the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum. The topics will be different this year then when Mad Science was last at the school.

Mad Science Club begins this month for students who have registered to participate. The Club will take place at breaks on Tuesdays: March 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28 from 12:55pm to1:30pm.

We are proud of the staff and students who chose to

wear pink on February 26th. Many activities took

place throughout the week to remind students to be

kind and inclusive at McKay and in our community.

Many classes read friendship themed books, wrote

poems, completed art activities, and held class

discussions. We encourage everyone not to tolerate

bullying and to practice kindness EVERY DAY, not just

on Pink Shirt Day!

School Advisory Council

Date: March 24, 2020

Time: 6:30pm

We have great members on our School Advisory Council (SAC), and we are always looking for new members. You’re

encouraged to please come out to one of our monthly meetings to share your ideas on ways that we can support our

students at McKay School. Hope to see you at our next School Advisory Council Meeting.

Movie Buy-Out Fundraiser

We are raising funds to off-set the cost of the Intermediate Quebec Trip by offering an

optional movie buy-out to our school. Students who do not wish to participate will

be offered regular programming in their classes.

We will be showing the movie, Frozen 2 (PG). If you wish to view the movie

ratings, feel free to visit https://kids-in-mind.com/. Cost will be $2 per student

and popcorn is $0.50 per bag. The film will be shown in the gym by divisions (Gr.

1-8) on Friday, March 13. Kindergarten classes will be doing their own age-

appropriate movie in their classrooms. Payment is available on SchoolCash

Online and is due March 11th

Grades 1-3: Periods 1 & 2 Grades 4-6: Periods 4 & 5

Grades 7 & 8: Periods 5 & 6

Snow, Snow, Snow! McKay School’s rule is to leave it on

the ground. Please reinforce this rule at home. For the safety of all students, we ask students not to

throw or kick snow.

We have a 1‐2‐3 policy. Each time a student throws or kicks snow, a

letter goes home, and the incidences are tracked. A warning

and a letter will be sent home when the first incident occurs. The second incident will result in another letter

and a loss of recess(es), and the third time will require further

parental contact and an in‐school time‐out. Each situation is dealt with

in a timely manner and mitigating factors will be considered. Using

progressive discipline, formal suspension could result.

Did you know?

Anyone can get head lice. Check for head lice weekly as

part of your regular routine. The best way to avoid the

spread of lice is by avoiding head-to-head contact. Remind

your children not to share combs, brushes, hats, scarves or

anything used on the head.

Getting rid of lice

Treatment products are to be used only on those who have head lice, as

they do not prevent lice. Talk to a health professional about products and

methods available. Follow instructions carefully. The Wet Combing

Method helps find and remove head lice by combing through hair

soaked with conditioner, using a fine-toothed comb. For more

information on Wet Combing Method or on lice visit:

➢ www.niagararegion.ca/health search lice or call the Parent Talk Line at 905-

688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7555

If you find lice

➢ Check all the people that live

in your house

➢ Treat all cases at the same

time to stop the spread of lice

➢ Inform the school and/or

daycare so that classmates can

be checked

➢ Tell anyone in close contact

with your child (family

members, friends, baby-

sitters)

Checking for lice

➢ Use a bright light (a

magnifying glass may help)

➢ Part hair in small sections

and look near the scalp

➢ Head lice are tiny

grey/brown insects that live

only on the scalp of humans.

They crawl quickly but

cannot fly or jump. Adult

female lice glue eggs on the

hair shaft close to the scalp

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update From Niagara Region Public Health and

Emergency Services Infectious Disease Program Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services (NRPH&ES) continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak. The health and well-being of our residents is our top priority and we continue to work with our provincial and federal health partners in response to this new virus. Given that many students may be travelling in the upcoming weeks, the following advice is provided to minimize risk to your students and staff. As this is an evolving situation, we continue to remind staff and parents/caregivers of the importance of using credible sources to stay informed. We continue to update our website frequently as new information is confirmed. Please visit niagararegion.ca/health.

List of countries impacted by COVID-19 The risk of infection from this virus continues to be low in Niagara, unless you are travelling to an impacted country. Currently, impacted countries include China, Iran, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. To keep up to date with the evolving list of impacted countries, refer to the Government of Canada COVID-19 Affected Areas List (www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/covid-19-affected-areas-list.html).

Recommendations for travellers from Hubei Province If a student or staff member has travelled to Hubei Province in the last 14 days: 1. Self-isolate and stay at home.

2. Limit your contact with others for a total of 14 days from the date that you left Hubei Province.

3. Contact Public Health (PH) within 24 hours of arriving in Canada at 1-888-505-6074 or 905-688-8248 ext. 7330

Recommendations for travellers from other impacted countries (Impacted countries are listed on the Government of Canada COVID-19 Affected Areas List www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/covid-19-affected-areas-list.html)

If you have travelled from any other countries impacted by COVID-19 in the last 14 days: Monitor yourself for respiratory symptoms including fever, new cough and difficulty breathing

Should these respiratory symptoms develop within 14 days after leaving an impacted country, contact your health care professional or Public Health immediately

Inform your health care professional or call Public Health about your symptoms and travel history before seeking medical care so we can discuss the most appropriate transportation options and site for testing Page 2 of 2

Self-isolation Instructions ▪ Do not go to work, school, or other public areas for 14 days ▪ Separate yourself from others ▪ Sleep in a separate room ▪ Have a bathroom in your home dedicated to only you (if possible) ▪ Maintain a distance of two metres from other people ▪ No visitors ▪ Clean your hands often ▪ Do not use public transportation, ride sharing companies or taxis ▪ If you need to go out for any reason, inform Public Health and they will provide you with detailed

instructions to follow For further information, please go to niagararegion.ca/health or contact NRPH&ES Infectious Disease

program at 1-888-505-6074 or 905-688-8248 ext. 7330 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Inclement Weather Procedures

There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause bus

cancellations or school closures.

Information about transportation changes and school closures will be available on the websites, radio and television stations listed below as soon as it is available before 6:00 a.m. on the day of the cancellation. Please do not phone the school for transportation or school closure information.

Websites: DSBN Facebook Page DSBN Twitter Page Niagara Student Transporation Services Website

Television: Cogeco Cable 10 CHCH Television City TV

Radio: CKTB 610 am CHML 900 am EZ Rock 105.7 fm Htz 97.7 fm KLite 102.9 fm 2DayFM - 105.1 fm & 101.1 fm Wave - 94.7 fm Y-108 - 107.9 fm

A Message Regarding Inclement Weather:

Covering 1,863 square kilometers, the Niagara peninsula is one of the most beautiful and southern-most points in Ontario. Despite this, residents occasionally find themselves dealing with particularly adverse weather conditions. These intermittent bouts of severe weather have the potential to impact our operations as well as the surrounding community.

Whenever possible, we feel it is important for students to be in class continuing their education. However, the District School Board of Niagara serves more than 36,000 students in its 98 schools, and student and staff safety is a top priority. Should weather conditions pose a significant risk to the health and safety of our students and staff, then it will become necessary to cancel transportation services and close schools for the day.

These are extremely difficult decisions that are only made after careful consideration and consultation with staff, local agencies and our coterminous board.

Cancelling Student Transportation

When adverse weather conditions are forecasted, Niagara Student Transportation Services gathers information on road and weather conditions. From late the night before and beginning very early in the morning (4:00 a.m.), they gather data from a wide variety of sources, including the bus companies, various municipal and regional agencies, and from NSTS staff performing checks on selected routes to experience the road conditions first hand. NSTS considers the actual weather conditions, the forecasted weather, and the road conditions very carefully.

Once all available information has been collected and reviewed, the decision to cancel buses is made by NSTS, in consultation with the bus companies, if it is determined that students cannot be safely transported to schools, as well as transported home at the end of the day.

Closing Schools

The decision to close schools is separate from the decision to cancel transportation services; however, student safety remains our number one concern. The decision to close schools is made by the Director of Education.

Bearing in mind that schools offer a vital service to our parent communities, after careful consideration, the decision of whether it is necessary to close schools is made. We consider issues such as:

o Can some students safely walk to school? o Can some staff safely get to schools to welcome students who arrive? o Are main roads clear? o Are there any other circumstances that would necessitate a school closure, such as a power

outage, water main burst or loss of heat inside the school o What are the conditions across the region? We look at whether the inclement weather affects

the entire region, or if it is localized to one community o What is the impact of closing schools?

There are times when weather conditions will deteriorate throughout the morning, making it necessary to close schools mid-day. This is not a decision that is made lightly as we recognize the impact on students, parents and staff. In these circumstances, we consider the impact on all stakeholders and how to ensure at all times that the safety of our students and staff is paramount.

The decision whether or not to cancel transportation and/or close schools is made at approximately 6:00 a.m., and that information is immediately conveyed to local media outlets and posted on the appropriate websites. Despite these measures, the final decision whether or not to send your child to school during inclement weather rests with the

parent or guardian.

Information about Cold Weather Alerts at DSBN

Although we feel it is important for students to spend some time outside each day exercising and socializing with their

peers, there are times when bitterly cold temperatures and other inclement weather conditions require that we keep

children inside.

Because Niagara is such a large geographical area, and weather conditions may vary from one municipality to the next, the decision whether or not to hold recess outdoors is made by the individual school principal. When making this decision, principals will often consult with neighbouring schools, talk with parents as they arrive in the morning, and if the decision to send children outside is made, will equip yard duty staff with walkie-talkies so that they can communicate with the office to sound the bells to bring students in earlier. The health and well-being of our students is a top priority at the District School Board of Niagara, and if it is determined that the weather conditions pose a risk to their safety, students will be kept indoors. Extreme cold weather alerts issued by the Niagara Region (www.niagararegion.ca) are often good indicators that students will stay inside. Even when temperatures are not low enough to necessitate an indoor recess, it still may be quite cold outside. Here are a few tips to help ensure that your child stays warm during the cold winter months.

o Send children to school with plenty of layers, such as long underwear, sweatshirts, sweaters and pullovers. Layering their clothing will allow them to add or remove items depending on the weather.

o Students should have a warm winter coat that repels the snow, sleet and rain, while blocking the wind.

o Warm socks and boots are a must to keep their feet warm and dry in the snow. o Hats are one of the most important parts of dressing warmly in the winter. A thick winter hat will

keep students from losing too much of that essential body heat. o Put on a good pair of gloves or mittens that are water-resistant as well. Gloves will keep kids’

hands toasty warm and protect their skin from becoming damaged by the wind and chill.