Elementary School Update

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Halloween Reminders: Props, masks and weapons are NOT permitted in the Elementary School.

School Photos: Individual student packages have started to arrive. The first batch of orders have been delivered to the school and given to your son earlier this week. Class photos for each student were also given to your son earlier this week.

Halloween Costume Drive: A huge thank you to our elementary school students and families for their generous donations of Halloween costumes! The costumes were donated to Centre Greene for their annual “Boo-tique,” where Montreal families living below the poverty line could shop for costumes and ensure their children had something special to wear this Halloween. A special thank you to Brady Aulls for this wonderful initiative! We are so grateful for our community’s generosity and excited to continue this program next year.

Re-enrollment Form for 2027–28: Re-enrollment forms for the 2027–2028 academic year were sent to families on Thursday, October 8. Please sign electronically and submit the online re-enrollment form by November 1. Families received an email with a mySelwyn link to complete the form. We kindly ask that you submit the form by the deadline to assist with our planning, as we currently have waitlists for most grades. You can also find the form in mySelwyn by clicking on the “Form to Review” notice at the top of the page. Please note that only one parent is required to digitally sign the form. If you require assistance, please contact Ms. Kelli Poulin at poulink@selwyn.ca.

Holiday Marketplace at SHS December 2: With the holiday season just around the corner, the PVA is excited to announce it is organizing our third Holiday Marketplace on Wednesday, December 2. Keeping sustainability in mind, after the November break the PVA will start collecting gently used items including toys, games, books, puzzles, holiday decorations, small household goods and more, for resale to students, staff and family members in a holiday market format.It's a great opportunity for parents to get involved as the PVA will need many volunteers to help man market stalls, contribute baked goods, items for sale, etc. All proceeds will benefit St. Gabriel's Parish and their community outreach program. To get involved, please email amandajelowicki@hotmail.com

Argyle Shop News:

• The Argyle Shop will now carry Nike Team One Dri-FIT Pocket Women’s Leggings! Available in Adult XS–XXL, these mid-weight, high-rise,full-length leggings feature a drop-in back pocket and convenient side pockets. Price: $88.00 + tax

• ECA Full-Zip Hoodies Order Form If your son is involved in a Senior School Extra Curricular Activity (ECA) or participates in Elementary or Middle School activities, you can order a full-zip hoodie featuring the club logo and name. Order Dates: October 29 – November 13, 2026, Price: Adult $65 + tax, Children/Youth $60 + tax.

• The Argyle Shop, both on-site and online, will be closed from Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6. Both will resume normal operations on November 9.

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Hours of the Elementary School (ES) Day: Please take note of the daily schedule for our Elementary School students:

• Kindergarten ~ homeroom begins at 7:50 am; dismissal is at 2:30 pm

• Grades 1 & 2 ~ homeroom begins at 8:05 am; dismissal is at 3:20 pm

• Grades 3 to 6 ~ homeroom begins at 8:20 am; dismissal is at 3:20 pm

We encourage families to plan accordingly and ensure that students arrive on time and are ready to begin their day. Thank you for your continued support in helping our students have a smooth and successful school day!

Student Absences or Lateness: Please notify Marlita Manal by 8:00 a.m. (ext 2235 or manalm@selwyn.ca), should your son miss morning attendance for any reason. If a student must arrive after the start of classes, Grades 1 through 6 students need to use the Lucas front door and proceed upstairs to check in with Ms. Manal.

Guidelines when your son is not feeling well: If your son is not feeling well in the morning, please keep him home to recover.

• If he has a fever, he should be fever-free for 24 hours (without meds) before returning to school.

• If he has vomited twice in a 24 hour period, he should wait 24 hours before returning.

As always, thank you for keeping Ms.Manal informed. A quick call (ext.2235) or email (manalm@selwyn.ca) before 8:30 am is greatly appreciated.

Birthday Celebrations: As we look ahead to the 26-27 school year, we are making a small but meaningful change to how we celebrate student birthdays.

• Moving forward, we ask that sweets or other food treats are no longer brought to school to honour a child’s birthday. These treats include but are not limited to cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, milkshakes, etc.

• Instead, we are pleased to introduce a Free Dress Day as a special way for the birthday student to be recognized and celebrated by their classmates. We hope this simple change will allow students to enjoy their special day while creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone.

• This shift is intended to be respectful and inclusive of the many food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities within our school community. It also reflects our desire to celebrate special occasions in ways that do not rely solely on food as a reward or form of recognition.

• Thank you for your understanding and for helping us make birthday celebrations joyful, compassionate, and inclusive for all of our students.\

Drop-off and Pick-up Reminders:

• Reminder that the beginning and ending of the day are a time to gather the children and are not intended as a recess time. Teachers are focused on the safe arrival and dismissal of your son.

• As mentioned in the SHS Parent Student Handbook, “parents who pick up their children after school should do so promptly at the time their son is dismissed. Students are expected to leave for home or for other commitments immediately after their dismissal. They are not to play in front of the school or in the school yards.”

Late Arrival Procedure for Grades 1 to 6 Reminder: To ensure the safety and proper supervision of all students, we kindly ask that if your child arrives late and there is no staff member or group of students in the yard, students enter the building through the front door only. From there, they should proceed directly to the third floor to sign in at Ms. Manal’s office.