Dear Parents,
As I write this email, two beautiful red cardinals are busily (and noisily) engaged in building a nest in the tree outside our kitchen window. Nature, undeterred by the coronavirus, continues to provide for its children. So do we.
As we enter week six since our schools were closed, I want to thank our staff and our families for all the amazing efforts they are making to provide for our kids–educationally, nutritionally, socially and emotionally. I also want to answer, to the best of my ability, some of the questions you might have as we look to the future.
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When will Phase 2 of Tech distribution take place? Plans to distribute devices to families who do not have a device will take place on Thursday, April 30. I will be emailing families directly with a specific pick up time.
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Are there plans for end-of-year activities? We continue to hope we can return safely to school before the end of this year. We also continue to plan for the possibility that we might not. Most activities have been cancelled and where possible, activities will be postponed. I will share more information when we get direction from the Ministry of Education and the YCDSB.
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What will happen to hot lunch orders? The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on families in our community. A decision by the Board has been made to reimburse any funds collected where services or goods were not received by students. At this time, this includes hot lunch and milk orders not received for Term 2 and Term 3. The hot lunch committee parent volunteers, Mrs. Romano and I will work together to determine funds owed to parents. A cheque will be mailed out to parents in the near future. More information will follow in the coming weeks.
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How can students and parents share positive messages of hope and gratitude? Many parents continue to be heartened by the many acts of kindness and support readily provided by the staff at OLA. I would be delighted to collect photo or video messages from students and their families expressing a word or message of positivity. I will compile the messages in a school video and share the video with the entire community next week during Catholic Education Week. If you wish to contribute a picture or a very short video message, please email it to me by Friday, May 1st at linda.d’andrea@ycdsb.ca.
The two cardinals in the tree outside my window are currently practicing “social distancing.” Nevertheless, as a species, when faced with a threat, such as cold or lack of food, cardinals flock together for mutual protection. We continue to learn from the natural world around us. Thank you for flocking virtually to support our students, our school and one another.
Sincerely,
Mrs. D’Andrea