November Newsletter 2023

Virtue for the month of November

Perseverance- I can train my brain to learn something new.

TBP

We are excited to inform you that the family portal of MySchoolSask (MSS) is available to parents. The portal will allow you to view attendance, report cards, classes, and more.

In August, you should have received an email with instructions for accessing the family portal in MSS. This is dependent on having a valid email address recorded with the school. If you did not receive an email, please contact your child’s school to confirm your email address is on your child’s record.

We ask that you follow the instructions in the email step by step to ensure success with your access to MSS. You may find it easier for the initial setup to use a laptop or desktop. However, you are able to access from a mobile device as well. To allow for password reset, ensure that you follow the steps precisely. Please watch your email for a video tutorial on how to access your portal.

Should you encounter difficulties, please contact your child’s school to provide details of issues you are experiencing. For your convenience, there is a link to MySchoolSask added to the home page of the LCSD webpage for easy access to the family portal. You can also save the site to your Favorites list.

Report cards will be available through the portal only for Terms 1 and 2. For Term 3 in June, parents will receive a printed copy of their child’s report card.

Please be sure to enter student absences through the Safe Arrival app as soon as you know your child will not be at school. As the weather gets colder it is more important than ever for us to know where all of our students are in a timely manner. If you are unable to enter attendance through the app please feel free to call the school at: (780)875-5366 or email Mme Nogue: anogue@lcsd.ca or Mme Miller:jmiller@lcsd.ca. If you know of future absences, these can also be entered in the SafeArrival app. The app can be downloaded through your phones by clicking on your App Store and searching for School Messenger. Children are responsible for their schoolwork in the event of absences and close communication with the classroom teacher is essential.

Thank you to those who have already paid their annual school fees. If you have not yet paid your child’s fees, they are now considered past due, and a paper invoice will be sent home. Every family should have received a notification from SchoolCash in October detailing your school fees for the 2023-2024 school year. If you did not receive a notification from SchoolCash, please contact the office. The 2023-2024 Yearbook is an optional fee. Fees can be paid online at: https://lcsd.schoolcashonline.com or with exact cash or a cheque payable to LRCSSD #89. If you require a payment plan, or are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the office to discuss options.

Every school year students start their first day with an introduction to their classroom, their teacher(s) and classmates, and the classroom procedures such as where to put their coat, turn in assignments, entry doors, etc. LCSD schools have procedures for behavior (Behavior Matters) and safety that are reviewed with students. In September students and staff practice safety in the parking lot and bus zone, Bus Evacuation, and Fire Drills. School staff also review and practice safety procedures for Hold and Secure, Lockdown, and Shelter in Place. Although it is not often that these procedures are needed, it is important that staff review them regularly and students have an opportunity to practice. We cannot prepare for every event that may occur but by having procedures in place, we are more likely to have success should something unforeseen occur. We will be practicing these safety procedures in November and throughout the year. Information will be sent home with your child on the day we practice an emergency procedure for the first time.

Should there be a fire or emergency at our school in the cold weather, please note that your children will be taken to Holy Rosary High School or the Vault as seen fit. Parents are encouraged NOT to come to the building as emergency vehicles will be heading towards the school and traffic congestion adds to the dangers. In the event of an emergency in the cold weather, please listen to the radio stations, watch for an official school email or call the Division Office at 780-808-8585 for information.

École St-Thomas is accepting registrations for the 2025 Fall Kindergarten class. By direction of the Saskatchewan Education Ministry, the cut off date for registration into kindergarten is that all children 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2025 are eligible. If you are planning to enroll your child in French Immersion please do so as soon as possible so we can plan for our next school year. If you know of anyone who may be interested in French Immersion please refer them to us. Kindergarten students attend school all day, 3 days a week. Please register online at https://lcsd.ca/student-parents/register-now/ecole-st-thomas.html

• Grade 6 Saskatoon Band trip - November 6th, 2023

• LCSD Elementary Band Concert – Tuesday evening, Nov. 21, 2023

· Students must wear black pants, black socks, black shoes and a white shirt

• October Practice Charts are due November 1 & 2 during band class. Grade 5’s & 6’s should have 320 minutes and Gr. 7’s should have 240 min. Parents, please initial each practice time and total/sign the sheet at the top.

• All students can access MakeMusic Cloud, a web-based program, to help them practice and submit playtests. Contact your child’s band teacher if you are having trouble with it.

• Check out our Band Google Classroom for Boom Cards and online music game links.

Thank you for the many families who will represent our school at this ceremony and who will lay poppies on grave stones. We have over 40 members of our St Thomas Families who will be present. Thanks to Drake Stoddart for doing a reading for the service. We appreciate your time to remember those who have gone before us in Faith.