Hello Hillhurst Families

We hope that the first days back have gone well and that everyone is settling into the back to school routine. At the beginning of each month, you will receive an email update from Administration, with information and significant events for the month. For this month, we would like to invite you to save some important dates over the course of the next weeks:

• September 17 - Hillhurst School Council Meeting: 6:30 - 7:30 | Everyone is welcome to attend in-person at the school or online. A virtual meeting link and agenda will be sent before the meeting
• September 18 - Family Picnic sponsored by Hillhurst School Council 5:00 to 7:00pm on the East Field. Please refer to the invitation attached!

• September 25 - Meet the Teacher | Open House will take place in the evening. More information about timing and booking to follow shortly

We look forward to seeing you at any or all of these events! It will provide the opportunity for our community to gather, have conversation, ask questions, and see the school environment.

Communication

Please subscribe to the Hillhurst School Calendar online. You will see important dates for the year, and new information will be added when available. This is the best way to have all of the key dates in one place! Additionally, please ensure that you have subscribed to all CBE and Hillhurst emails. When questions arise, please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher first, as they will have the most detailed information about your child's learning. Shafali and I are available by email or by phone should the need arise. Here are the main communications that you can expect throughout the year:

• Administration will send monthly emails, along with individual emails with specific topics when needed
• Homeroom Teachers will send a weekly update on Fridays 
• Each Tuesday, you will receive an email update from School Council about school events and/or community activities

Safety and Supervision

In a busy school, we work hard to keep students safe and learning each day. A key factor in this endeavour is ensuring that everyone is aware of school procedures and policies. Please remember:

• Outdoor supervision begins at 8:30 and the doors first open at 8:40 for soft entry. The school day officially begins at 8:45. Please ensure that your child(ren) arrive to school on time to minimize disruption to learning. If they are late, they must enter the main doors and sign in with the office so that we can take accurate attendance. Punctuality is an important factor in successful learning. CBE policy and the provincial Education Act require chronic lates and absences be documented in an Attendance Improvement Plan.
• School dismisses at 3:17 and all students are to connect with their caregivers at that time, or follow the plan that families have created. Busses also need to leave the school promptly so that bus routes are kept on time. If your child is not taking the bus, we need to be informed in advance so that we are not holding the bus unecessarily. We thank you for picking up your child on time, as there is no supervision at the school after 3:17.
• Please remember that for the safety of students and staff, all adults must sign in at the office if they are in the building. We ask that parents do not enter the rest of the building during the school day unless they are volunteering or checking in with the Office. 
• If your child has medical needs that need to be considered throughout the school day, please remember that a Student Health Plan is required each year. If this is the case, please reach out and we can send you the paperwork to complete. An updated Student Health Plan is required for all students who take medication during the day, even if they are able to administer it themselves.
• If your child will be late or absent, please call the Hillhurst attendance line and leave a message. It is also helpful if you email the homeroom teacher as well. When we have hired a permanent Administrative Secretary, we will also provide you with their contact information if you need it.

Phones 

Provincial legislation requires that cellphones are not used during school hours. If your child carries a phone for safety purposes, please remember that all phones will be gathered and secured in one place during the day, and will be returned to students at dismissal. We understand that student cellphones are a big part of ensuring their safety in the community. This protocol is in place for two reasons--first, it is a requirement of CBE Emergency Response Protocols, particularly in the case of a lock down. Student phones potentially ringing from backpacks will compromise school-wide safety in the event of a critical emergency. Second, phones in backpacks can go missing during the school day. Although the school cannot be responsible for personal devices, all phones will be kept in a secure location to support security as best we can.

The Provincial and CBE policy includes smart watches (for both calling or texting). We ask that if you need to talk to your child during the school day that they use the phone in their classroom or in the office. 

Assemblies

All group activities in a school are governed by fire code bylaws. When our entire student population and the staff are in the main gym, it places us at capacity according to fire code. This means that there will be some assemblies where only students and staff will gather. An example of this is tomorrow, in our Welcome Back Assembly. The assembly will be to introduce students to staff and to celebrate the beginning of a new school year-- it will be a brief gathering. 

There are many creative ways we can gather as a community, as parents and guardians, staff, and as individual grade groups. There will be multiple occasions where we will be able to gather at the school, and we look forward to sharing these possibilities with you shortly. For example, the Meet the Teacher/Open House on September 25 will provide families with an opportunity to view the school and to meet staff. Please don't worry, as we look forward to sharing our learning, successes, and celebrations with families many times throughout the school year.

Volunteering

We love volunteers at Hillhurst! Next week, you will receive an email about how to volunteer. It will include information about the process of registering as a volunteer in CBE, and the process of obtaining volunteer clearance. Please watch for this email so that we can get this year's volunteering underway!

As always, we truly value families as partners in their child's learning. We are glad the year is off to a good start, and look forward to connecting with each of you very soon.

Sincerely,

Kristin and Shafali