Weekly Memo: June 21-25, 2021
A Summer Prayer
“Father, Creator of all, Thank you for summer. Thank You for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight. Thank You for the beauty I see all around me and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation. Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season. Draw me closer to You this summer. Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing. Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence and light my path with Your word and counsel. As I enjoy Your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You. Amen”
Principal Message
Dear Wolfpack families, it is hard to believe that this is our final weekly memo of the 2020-2021 school year. It has definitely been a challenging year for our students, staff and parents, as we were living with constant uncertainties throughout the year. On behalf of the staff at St.Thomas More, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your ongoing support, partnership and dedication towards your child/children’s education. As the year comes to a close, we would like to congratulate all of our students on becoming stronger people by learning how to persevere through everything that has been placed before them. Being away from your friends and teachers was not easy. It wasn’t easy for us as well. To all of our families who are leaving St. Thomas More, we wish you all the best especially to our grade six students who will be moving on to attend high school next year. From all of us at STM,we wish all of our wonderful students and wolfpack families a restful and fun-filled summer!
As the 2020-2021 school year winds down, the preparations for the 2021-2022 year gets into full swing. We will inform our Wolfpack families outlining the return to school plan and any Ottawa Public Health conditions for September 2021. In mid August, stay tuned for an email from myself detailing the return to school plan. If you are moving and not attending St.Thomas More next year, we encourage you to notify our office administrator by emailing thomas.more@ocsb.ca
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our Catholic School Council for being an integral part of enhancing the virtual experience for our STM students this past year. This year’s CSC was able to directly impact student learning and support families through CEFO by allocating funds from school fundraising initiatives. Thank you CSC and parents for your ongoing support, time and dedication to our school. We are truly grateful and humbled for all that you do for our students! Our Catholic School Council members are a key component to the success of STM and valued immensely by all.
June always brings us farewells and new “welcomes” to St.Thomas More School. We would like to say a very well-deserved thank you and best wishes to Diane Maheu, Brendan McCarthy, Brittanie Pereira, Carmela Langdon, Louise Neil, Anthony Basciano, Nadia Pagliarello and Micheline Boileau-Bougon who will be leaving us at the end of June. As many of you know, their expertise and love for St.Thomas More and our students will be greatly missed. We wish you all the very best at your new schools and new endeavours!
We are excited to be welcoming our newest staff members, Josee Caron, Montana Frost and Noreen Nuzhat to our Wolfpack community. We would also like to welcome back Andria Lappa, Marina Gagliano and Morgan James as they will be rejoining the STM team in September. Please give a warm wolfpack welcome to all our newest members when you see them at the school in September.
As we are currently staffing our school for next year, we will also be planning classes and class lists. Our class lists will be ready on the first day of school. Careful consideration goes into making our classes to ensure a positive learning and working environment for all.
In closing, this Fathers’ Day we remember, thank and honour dads, grandfathers, uncles, and all the men, living and deceased, who tirelessly and selflessly give of themselves for their families with unconditional love. Have a restful summer and see you in September renewed and ready for school.
Yours in Education,
Chris Risto
Personal Item Pick Up and School item Drop offs
All of your personal items will be ready for you to pick up starting Tuesday, June 22nd. Please see the list below in order to make everyone’s visit to STM efficient and safe. Here is our Plan & Schedule to retrieve student items and the return of Chromebooks and school materials.
Please have your child’s screening completed to show staff when arriving at STM COVID-19 Screening Tool for Students We will have screening available in case you do not have a device on hand.
You may park in front of the school and or the staff parking lot.
Please come to the front of the school entrance and stand in the line waiting entrance into the school. Please respect the 2 metres 6 feet distance on the markings on the ground.
Your child will be invited into the school to retrieve their belongings and drop off any items they have that belong to the school. You are asked to ensure that you and your child(ren) remain 2 metres (6 feet) from anyone they may encounter during their time in the school and on school property. We are asking that you wear a mask.
Upon entry to the school, students will use the hand sanitiser provided. Students will then proceed to the foyer in a timely manner, collect their items and then exit the school.
Staff will be able to assist all students when the arrive and enter the school
All items have been bagged and labelled for easy retrieval including items from EDP
Lost and found items will be placed outside for parents to have a look
Student Medication will be available for pick up.
When leaving the school, please ensure that you sanitise your hands and only exit when there is no one else within 2 metres (6 feet) of the entrance.
Please know that our entire staff is saddened by the events that have impacted your school year. We all look forward to some return to normal. Our primary focus continues to be on your safety and the well-being of all students and staff.
Sincerely,
Chris Risto
Term 2 Report Card Access for Parents / IEP distribution
You will be able to access your child’s report via the OCSB Parent Portal. If you haven’t done so or are new to our school. Please register using the above link as term 2 report cards will be available online June 24th. Also, at the end of June, Individual Education Plans (IEPS) will be mailed out to the parents of students with IEPs.
Extended Day Program
The OCSB is pleased that we are able to open all 44 EDP sites in the fall. For those STM families looking to register for the S.Thomas More Extended Day Program (before and after child care) for the fall, please register by using this link EDP registration.
Important Dates
June 21st -Last Day of school for all Students
June 22nd- St.Thomas More Feast Day
June 22nd-Scheduled Parent Pick up day Plan & Schedule
June 23rd- Scheduled Parent Pick up day
June 24th-The last scheduled day for parents to pick up personal items
June 24th- Term 2 Report Cards posted to OCSB Parent Portal
Week at a Glance
Monday, June 21st
Last official day for Remote Learning for all OCSB students
Tuesday, June 22nd
Scheduled pick up and drop off times Plan & Schedule
Wednesday, June 23rd
Scheduled pick up and drop off times Plan & Schedule
Thursday, June 24th
9am-2pm-last day for families to pick up / and drop off items to STM
Report Cards available- OCSB Parent Portal
IEP’s will be mailed out to families
Friday, June 25th
PD day- no School for Students
Helpful Resources for Youth Mental Health:Student Mental Health Matters
Resilience, Hope and Communication: Bridging through the Summer:
Should your child require additional support, the following resources are available in our community:
Youth Services Bureau (YSB): www.ysb.ca
Kids Help Phone: 1(800) 668-6868 or www.kidshelpphone.ca
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) also offers various services to help those struggling with mental health concerns. To learn more about how to talk about mental health, check out have THAT talk.
Please visit OPH’s Parenting in Ottawa mental health page for information about child and or youth mental health agencies. If you have a youth in crisis, contact the Youth Services 24/7 Crisis Line (24 hours a day/7 days a week) at 613-260-2360, if outside Ottawa toll-free 1-877-377-7775.
Students and families can also contact Kids Help Phone, which offers 24/7 counselling and referral services across the province. To use this free resource, children can call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
School Mental Health Ontario also has many great resources for students, parents and families on their website at www.smho-smso.ca.
Dr. Richard Bolduc, C.Psych.
Mental Health Lead
Special Education & Student Services Department
