Principal’s Welcome
September 2010

I would like to extend a warm welcome and a very Happy New Year to all of our students, parents, parish and our entire community of learners at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School. Parents are encouraged to use our school developed website to keep in touch and to stay informed, this will be a primary medium for communication for the upcoming academic year. Also be informed that OLS will have a Tweeter account, OLSTweet. The primary objective of the account is to update our followers on a daily basis as to what is current at OLS.
The foundation of our programs is rooted in the Gospel values of Jesus Christ. These values permeate every aspect of the school curriculum and culture. Students receive the Sacraments of First Communion and Reconciliation in the Second grade and Confirmation in the Eighth grade. We believe that all persons are children of God and are worthy of dignity and respect, and that the values of faith, love, worship and service are universal ones. Character Education must be modelled and infused in all we do and say at OLS and must be a goal each and every year. With this we hope to develop students that are discerning believers formed in the catholic faith community.

Take full advantage of all the opportunities that are offered at our school so that your stay at OLS is a fruitful one. Ms. Aube, the vice principal and I have an open door policy and welcome students to come in and visit us if you have any questions or concerns about school-related activities.

Please contact the school office for further information regarding any of our programs, or for information pertaining to the application process. We look forward to serving you further.
May God bless you and your family!

Opening Day Information
The first day of school is a regular school day so our school day for Grades One – Eight begins at 8:30a.m. and concludes at 3:00p.m.

Assembly Procedures for Senior Kindergarten Students
On September 8, our Senior Kindergarten students will assemble in the Kindergarten playground area. Teachers will gather the students and escort them into the school where they will be sorted into their classes.Class lists will be posted on the classroom windows at 8:00a.m. and again at 12:15p.m. (for the afternoon classes). Parents will be expected to line up the students at the appropriate doors just prior to the bell at 8:30a.m. Parents are encouraged to say their goodbyes to the students at the entrance door and then leave the children with the classroom teacher so that routines can begin.
In the event of rain, students and parents would come into the classroom from the Kindergarten entrance doors. Class groupings would then be sorted out in the classroom (Rm 204….Mrs. Purpura’s room).

Dismissal Procedures for Senior Kindergarten Students
At the end of the morning, (11:00a.m.), and again at the end of the afternoon (3:00p.m.), Kindergarten parents are expected to wait outside the Kindergarten doors in the play area. The teachers will escort the children to the parents. Teachers will ensure that an adult will receive the child at dismissal time. Parents are asked to wait away from the immediate area outside the exit doors so that the teachers can escort the class into the area and make visual contact with parents as children are returned to the parents.

Note Regarding Junior Kindergarten: The classroom teachers will be calling parents by telephone during the day on Tuesday, September 8 (and possibly even sooner) to advise the parents of which day the child will begin the Junior Kindergarten programme. The Junior Kindergarten child will attend for the single half day (and the parents are invited to attend in the second part of the half day) in the first week. Beginning on Monday, September 14, all Junior Kindergarten students will be in attendance.

Assembly/Dismissal Procedures: Grade One – Grade Eight
Assembly
On Tuesday, September 8, students will arrive at school and gather in the yard in their grade area. When the bell sounds, parents are then asked to leave the child in the class line (say goodbyes at that time). All grade teachers will escort the students into the school and will then sort students by class. Parents are kindly requested to say farewells as the students are entering the building but parents will be discouraged from accompanying the students to the classroom areas. Classroom teachers will happily assume responsibility for the children at the entrance doors.

Dismissal
If parents are meeting students at the end of the school day, it is expected that the parents will meet the students in the school yard in the same general area from which that particular grade entered the school in the morning. Parents are asked to not enter the building at dismissal to meet the child at the classroom. Meetings should occur in the school yard. Parents are asked to wait at the edge of the paved area of the schoolyard (away from the exit doors) to meet the children. This reduces congestion at the doors and allows for much improved visibility for everyone.

Note: In the event of rain, all students would assemble in the gym under their grade sign. Dispersal of the students to the various classes would then occur from there. As always, we pray especially fervently that there will be no rain on the first day!

Additional questions/concerns/clarifications regarding procedures for opening day can be addressed via a telephone call to the school (416 – 393 – 5246).