Good Day Mount Royal Families
As we reach the middle of March, there is always so much to share from Mount Royal. I am so proud of our accomplishments as a Principal Leader, Instructional Leader and System Leader. I am proud of all of YOU. The main reason is, that I know you are doing the best that you can to stay safe during this difficult time. We as a staff have been continuing on our journey to dismantle systemic racism and educating each other by listening to narratives and stories from those who have overcome barriers or are still feeling oppressed. Last week we invited Duane Gibson to share his story with the Mount Royal community as a young black Canadian who grew up in Nova Scotia. Duane’s story allowed us to reflect, recharge and stay driven. The message reached all of our online classes as well.
Our Virtual Learning Environment Instructors have worked hard in ensuring the best possible online program is developed for your young learners. The learning never stops at Mount Royal. Please take time and talk to your children. Ask them what they are learning in school. Let them share stories with you about their eventful day both online and in school. Some of our staff have reached out to their students and asked them to tell them what motivates them to learn. How can my teaching practice suit your needs? We are all accountable to ensure that your child gets the best education possible. It is our mission to ensure that we have conversations about dismantling anti-black racism, ensuring equitable practices are shared by all, learning focusses on numeracy and literacy and culturally responsive resources are used in all learning classrooms and environments. Feel free to contact your child’s teacher or administration if you have any questions about the learning that is happening in the classroom.
Please join us virtually on Tuesday April 6th at 7 pm, as we collectively develop a parent survey to reach our community. YOUR VOICE COUNTS to help us create what parents in our community would like to hear and know about.
Please remember that through this pandemic, we are MUSTANGS and for a reminder, ask your child what the daily affirmation is.
Stay Safe. Stay Humble. Stay Kind.
With Gratitude:
Mr. Aamer Zuberi
Principal
Mount Royal Public School
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Elementary family information about enhanced screening and masking
During the week of Feb. 16, under the direction of Peel Public Health, the Peel District School Board began the process of enhanced screening for returning elementary students and active screening for all staff. Each elementary student has been provided a “Peel Public Health Screening Tool”.
Action for parents/guardians:
- From home, daily, parents/guardians must carefully go over all questions shared on the Peel Public Health Screening Tool.
- If your child has no symptoms and you have answered “no” to all questions, you can send them to school.
- If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions, please keep your child at home, self-isolate and notify the school about the absence via School Messenger. If necessary, seek guidance from a health professional.
Mandatory masking:
Under the direction of Peel Public Health, we have implemented mandatory masking for students in junior and senior Kindergarten. In addition, ALL students are required to wear masks outdoors during nutrition breaks, as well as during arrival and departure. In addition to the existing safety protocols, this step is necessary to prevent transmission of COVID-19 for all students and staff when in-person learning resumes.
Parents/guardians may wish to provide their children with an additional mask(s) to ensure that they have a dry mask when needed.
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Student immunization for grades 7, 8, 9 and 12 on hold until further notice
Peel Public Health has placed school-based clinics on hold until further notice due to the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Information will be shared when school-based vaccinations resume.
For more information, please call Peel Public Health 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize.
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Report your child’s immunizations to the Region of Peel online
When registering for school for the first time, parents and guardians are required to provide up-to-date immunization information for their children. This includes registering for kindergarten.
You can update your child’s immunizations online. The online immunization tool allows you to attach a photo of the immunization record. When reporting online, an Ontario Health Card is required.
Report immunizations online at: www.peelregion.ca/immunize
After you report your immunizations online you will be given a reference number. Keep this number for your records. You will need to give this number to your child’s school when registering.
If you do not have online access or your child does not have an Ontario Health Card, take a copy of the immunization record to the school. Make sure your child’s name and date of birth are visible on the record.
Call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 if your child does not have an immunization record or if you have any questions about immunization exemptions. For more information, visit www.peelregion.ca/immunize
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It’s time to register children born in 2017 for kindergarten
We inspire success, confidence and hope in each student…and it all starts in kindergarten! If your child was born in 2017, they can start kindergarten in September 2021.
Families can register online for the 2021-22 school year by visiting www.peelschools.org/Kindergarten
Documents required for registration
Families will be required to upload scanned copies of the following documents while completing online registration.
Proof of child’s age and legal name (one of the following)
- Birth Certificate/Birth Registration Card
- Citizenship Card / Certificate / Passport / Permanent Resident Card / Confirmation of Permanent Residence
- Certificate of Indian Status
- Refugee/Convention Refugee Permit
Current proof of address (one of the following)
- Agreement of Purchase and Sale of House
- Latest Municipal Tax Assessment (MPAC) / Tax Bill
- Phone / Cable/ Internet Bill
- Utility Bill (water, hydro, gas)
- Bank Statement / Letter from Financial Institution / Credit Card Statement
- Government forms (e.g. Canada Post, Service Canada documents)
Proof of Citizenship/Immigration Status (if applicable)
Proof of custody – children must live with their parent(s) unless provided documentation supports an alternate living arrangement.Proof of immunization – proof that your child has been immunized/vaccinated.
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Peel Public Health shares tips to help prevent the flu amidst a pandemic
It’s flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible. Getting the flu shot this year is more important than ever, in order to reduce the chance of having an illness that can be confused for COVID-19. Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it.
Get your annual flu shot: The flu shot is your best defense against the flu. The flu virus changes frequently so you need to get the vaccine every Fall. There are many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shots by appointment only:
- Family Doctors’ offices
- Walk-in clinics
- Pharmacies
Remember to physically distance and wear a mask at the clinic to help protect yourself and others.
Be sure to contact your healthcare provider to book an appointment, as walk-ins are not accepted due to COVID-19 safety measures.
Keep children home when they’re sick: If your child develops flu-like signs and symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue), keep them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe.
Practice good hygiene: Help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the trash. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don’t have a tissue. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.
Wash your hands: Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze. For more information, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 or visit www.peelregion.ca/flu.
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Keep your child’s eyes healthy
Did you know that vision problems in children often go unnoticed because kids don’t know any different? As many as 10 percent of preschoolers will have vision difficulties that can affect the development of their sight if not treated. However, if caught by the age of 5, treatment will be most effective.
The Region of Peel recommends regular eye exams for your child to help find eye problems early and get the right treatment.
The best way to ensure good eye health is to have your child’s eyes checked by an optometrist. Yearly eye exams for children 19 and under are covered by OHIP.
What to expect at your child’s eye exam
An optometrist will complete:
- General vision testing in both eyes.
- Eye muscle testing.
- Eye coordination testing.
- A general health assessment of the front and back of the eyes.
If needed, the optometrist will write a prescription for glasses for your child. Forinformation on overall vision health, common signs of a possible eye problem and the programs available to you within Peel, visit www.peelregion.ca/vision-health
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Parent resources help you support your child’s learning
At the Peel board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal. As our partner in education, we hope you’ll stay connected to your child’s learning throughout his or her entire school experience.
Visit http://www.peelschools.org/parents/helpyourchild to explore all resources available to parents. There you will find easy-to-navigate buttons that connect families to tip sheets and web pages on a number of different topics, including math, homework, special education, EQAO and mental health.
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During this Pandemic many people are experiencing stress and feelings of anxiety. Uncertainty is all around us, and each person’s tolerance for it is different.
Here are some ways to support your children with feelings of increased stress and anxiety
Take time to practice positive wellbeing strategies that benefit you and your family. These strategies are things you intentionally do to help you feel well and happy. These can look different for each person and each family. However, we know that well being is improved by movement, taking time to connect with each other, focusing on gratitude and giving back to our community in some way.
Help children identify and actively deal with their emotions: Children, even teens, don’t always know what they are feeling or the reason behind their feelings. You may notice the feelings more in their behavior or in the tone of their voice. Minimizing these feelings and telling our children to be ‘brave’, or ‘don’t worry’, results in suppressing these emotions: further increasing stress and anxiety and vulnerability to depression. Instead, help them connect their behaviors and emotions by exploring what they might mean. eg. “I notice your tummy hurts when you have to talk on-line, you seem worried about it…” or “ what’s up, how are you feeling?”
Set clear expectations and encourage children to face their fears: It can be very tempting as parents to try to remove stressors that seem to be causing our children’s anxiety or to lower our expectations. Anxious feelings can lead to avoidance which may decrease the feeling of anxiety in the short term but lead to more difficulties and increased anxiety over time. The best way to help children with anxious feelings is to help them, step by step, to learn to tolerate their anxiety and function as well as they can, even when they’re anxious.
Provide routines to increase a sense of predictability: Creating routines can increase your child’s feeling of safety and reduce their overall anxiety. Setting schedules, where possible, for eating, school work, self-care and family activities can be helpful. Engaging your children in creating these schedules and posting them can give them a greater sense of control. It often takes time to establish and maintain a routine but it can reduce overall stress and increase focus and wellbeing.
If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, or have questions about how to talk to your child about difficult topics, visit bit.ly/PDSBStudentMHandWB for further information and links to school and community resources. The PDSB Mental Health Resource Team is made up of registered psychologists and social workers. Follow them on Twitter @MHRTPeel to join the #WELLinPEEL conversation.
Visit School Mental Health Ontario to find strategies for identifying emotions and practices for reducing stress that you can try with your family. See https://www.anxietycanada.com/ to learn more about anxiety
Mount Royal Public School 