Welcome to Room 214!

I am so pleased to welcome all students and their families to room 214 as we begin this school year! It was lovely to connect with you and your children by phone last week, and I look forward to working with you this year and to establishing a strong home-school connection to support your child.

For our first day only (Thursday September 9), arrival at school will be staggered, and I will be out in the yard to greet students between 8:45-9:10. Students may arrive at any time during that window. There will be signage and additional staff in the yard to help students to know where to go. Please complete the health screening app with your child prior to arrival. Beginning on the second day of school, flexible entry will resume, with screeners available to greet students anytime between 9:00-9:15. Students should show the screener their QR code to confirm that they've completed the health screening and then will be permitted to proceed directly to the classroom.

Please know that safety is our top priority in our return to school. Please wear a mask at drop off and keep a safe distance away from others, even though many of us may be fully vaccinated. It is important that you take the time to read the letter sent out by Mrs. O'Toole about school startup, including a first day checklist. Attached to her email you will find a great deal of information about our procedures and what items you should send to school with your child. Note that you do not need to send any school supplies, as all items will be provided in class. Please make sure your child has their own water bottle, clearly labelled with their name, their lunch in a reusable lunch bag, as well as clothing and footwear appropriate for physical activity outdoors, as we will be learning outdoors often. Students do not need to worry about bringing a Chromebook or computer with them to school at this time - we'll be focusing on building community, face-to-face!

I have been working closely with all of the teachers in our Junior division as we plan for a safe, engaging, and FUN return to school for students. I look forward to being able to share more details about the grade 5 program in room 214, as well as our timetable, in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, if you'd like to stay connected to what's happening at school, please follow our class Twitter account @214Frimm and Allenby @AllenbyPS_TDSB.

This year will be a journey filled with many milestones, great achievements, and challenges for all of us. Thank you for joining me in supporting your child as we get started this year; approaching our learning with a growth mindset, and tackling challenges together as they arise.

Kind regards,
Andrea Payne