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Wednesday, October 21, 2020 - Volume 13, Issue 5
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Message From the School Administration
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Last week we took time to celebrate and acknowledge the academic achievement of our students from the 2019-2020 school year. Although we were unable to celebrate with our traditional Academic Awards Night celebration, we did recognize these students through certificates delivered in classes and a video presentation which is available through our website. https://stbenedict.wcdsb.ca/academic-awards-2019-2020/
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Congratulation to all our Academic Award winners. We are proud of your achievements and your commitment to academic excellence.
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It is with mixed emotions that we share the following news with you today. After 15 years as a member of the St. Benedict community, Mr. Delmar Borba has been appointed as Vice Principal at St. Louis Adult Learning Center. Mr. Borba has been a valued member of St. Benedict as a Math teacher, Program Head and more recently Vice Principal. This is a new step in his leadership journey and a great opportunity for new challenges and growth.. We can all agree that he is a passionate, dedicated, and student -focused educator who has provided impactful leadership to our community. It will be difficult to say good bye for now from the St. Benedict community but we wish him all the best as he embarks on his new assignment. Congratulations.
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At this time, we are pleased to welcome Mr. Remberto Rogue to the admin team. Mr. Rogue comes to us from the Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board. We look forward to the gifts he will bring and share with our community.
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School Schedule and Calendar
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Our calendar (with Cohort info and key dates) can be accessed through our school website - https://stbenedict.wcdsb.ca/. You can then access the calendar by going to ABOUT US > School Year Calendar
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Quadmester One final evaluation days
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It is hard to believe that we are three weeks away from this quadmester's Final Evaluation days. On those two days, students will be online to complete their final evaluations in a remote synchronous session. As outlined by the Ministry of Education, a final evaluation does not need to be an examination and is administered at or towards the end of the course to allow students an opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the overall expectations. Teachers can provide a broad range of culminating activities for the final evaluation to allow students to demonstrate their learning. Possible options may include a performance, an essay, a test, a debrief of the course, a presentation, an individually scheduled exit interview, or another method of evaluation suitable to the course content.
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The period one final evaluation for both cohort A and B will take place on November 11th at 8:00 am and the period 2 final evaluation for both cohort A and B will take place on November 12th at 8:00 am. November 13th is a turn around day and students do not attend school face to face or on line on this day.
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Further details about the final evaluation for each course will be provided by the teacher to your student.
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Quadmester 1 final evaluations
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Period 1 for both cohort A and B
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Period 2 for both cohort A and B
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Information on how to change learning environments
When we began the school year back in early September, the board announced that the first transition point for families to switch their children from virtual learning to face to face learning (or vice versa) would be the Thanksgiving weekend. In secondary schools, families/students may only transfer between learning modalities at the end of the quad (November is the next opportunity) – you have until 6pm on Wednesday, October 21 to state your intention to change.
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Please follow the link provided below to change your mode of learning through a parent survey. Scroll down to the information on Secondary schools. Please note that some courses will not be available at St. Isidore and schedules may change.
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Student Individual Education Plan Distribution
If your son or daughter is on an Individual Education Plan, please know that a copy of their IEP will be sent home with them this week. For students that currently attend St. Isidore, the IEP will be mailed home.
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Parents are asked to please review the IEP and sign the consultation page. We highly encourage families to scan a copy of the signed consultation page and email the electronic copy to their child’s IEP monitor. Families also have the option of having their child drop off the signed consultation page to room 208.
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An IEP Guide for Parents pamphlet can be found on the school website under Student Services – Program Support.
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Please contact the Student Success Centre at Ext 5208, if you have any questions or concerns or if you did not receive a copy.
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St. Benedict IEP Monitors
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Change in Contact Information
To update contact information (address, phone number, etc.), please email jennifer.jackson@wcdsb.ca. Please remember to include:
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- The full name of your child, grade level, parent/guardian full name
- Old Address/Phone number information
- New Address/Phone number information
- Contact names these changes should be applied to
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Parent Email Address
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Throughout the school year, important information will be distributed through email. We ask that all parent/guardians ensure the school has at least one primary email address on file for their child
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Student’s full name, grade level, parent/guardian full name and the email address to be attached to the specific parent/guardian
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Critical Medical Alert & Student Plan of Care
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It is very important that the school be informed of any medical condition or allergies a student may have. If your child has a medical condition that has not previously been reported to the school, please email jennifer.jackson@wcdsb.ca. Please remember to include:
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- The full name of your child, grade level, parent/guardian full name
- The name and details of the medical condition—note any medications or steps to be followed in the event of an emergency
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Does Your Child Require a Plan of Care?
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Students who have been identified as having a Life-Threatening Critical Medical Condition require a current Plan of Care on file.
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Conditions that require a Plan of Care include: Asthma, Diabetes, Anaphylactic, Heart Condition, Epilepsy & Seizure, any other Life Threatening critical medical condition that requires immediate, emergency actions to treat the condition and ensure the health and wellbeing of the student.
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If you have not completed a Plan of Care for your child, please email jennifer.jackson@wcdsb.ca to obtain a copy of the appropriate package.
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Frequently Asked Question
Is there a cohort-specific schedule?
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COVID Test/Screening and Outbreak Protocol
All students (or guardians on their behalf) will be asked to engage in a daily self-assessment before reporting to school and anyone feeling unwell or identifying a concern based on their self-assessment should not report to school. COVID-19 self-assessment (Ontario.ca)
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Once at the school, all students will be required to wear mask at all times. Students are to sanitize their hands upon entering and leaving the classroom.
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What to do when my child isn't feeling well?
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Message from Guidance
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Take our kids to work day
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Attention all grade 9's! Take our Kids to Work Day is going Virtual this year! On Wednesday, November 4, you can choose to participate in live, interactive breakout sessions about careers in the following areas: Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Technology & Finance, Skilled Trades and Healthcare. Please visit the attached link for further details: https://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/take-our-kids-to-work/parents-and-students.
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Post-secondary info for Grade 11s & 12s
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Are you looking for important post-secondary information and want to get it all quickly and in one place?
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Join the Grade 11 & 12 Guidance Information Updates Google Classroom. Click on this link or log into Google Classroom, select Join class, and enter code iftswz7. We will be using this website as a method of communicating important information.
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Your Guidance Team
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Mrs. L. O’Toole - A to Di
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Mrs. K. Arkell - Dj to Ki
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Mrs. L. O’Neill - Po to Z
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Connect with the Guidance Department
Guidance has set up two Google Classrooms to help communicate information from our department. Please take a minute and join! This is especially important for our grade 12 students as we will be updating the site regularly with important postsecondary and graduation information.
Grade 9 & 10 students - Class code: 6fkoqp3
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Grade 11 & 12 students - Class code: iftswz7
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Grade 9s! We want to LINK with you!
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Grade 9 students will be getting a surprise gift from their Link Crew Leaders over the next few weeks. Link Leaders made a welcome video that was posted on the Class of 2024 Google Classroom page and worked hard to make Welcome Posters for our Grade 9 students! We are working on a virtual locker activity and a Grade 9 Q and A that Link Leaders will run over Google Classroom.
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Academics
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Specialist High Skills Major news
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Grade 11 and 12 Specialist High Skills Major Students are reminded that online certifications are available! Go to Highskills.ca and under Trips and Trainings go into Online Training and follow the instructions. Feel free to contact Mrs. Crowell if you have questions.
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From the Librarian's Desk
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Idea Exchange Hours
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All locations are now open as indicated below:
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Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm: in-person light browsing, hold pick-up, and limited readers advisory. No social seating is available at this time. Members are required to limit the length of their visit.
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Note: St. Benedict students must enter by the community entrance. Check for ongoing service hours updates at Idea Exchange.
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Overdue fines on library materials have been waived until the end of 2020 but we ask that you please return items when they are due out of courtesy for other members.
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Idea Exchange Resources
Use Idea Exchange’s library catalogue, Encore to find good books, movies, music and other materials to borrow. You can place holds on materials and have them brought to the Clemens Mill library location for pick-up.
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Teen programs:
Newcomer Teens are invited to KW Multicultural Center’s Let’s Talk program which will focus on education and career guidance. In this FREE program, students will have the opportunity to get up to 10 volunteer hours, earn a certificate for their resume and win gift cards!
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For more information, students and parents can find more information at Idea Exchange. This virtual program is offered via Google classroom and runs from October 14 to December 2, 2020.
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The Operation Smile Club to run virtually this year
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The Operation Smile Club is a student run club at St. Benedict that looks to spread awareness for cleft conditions. The vision of this club is to create a world wherein people with cleft lip and palate are accepted, and where students can work together to create solutions towards these conditions.
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Every three minutes, a child is born with cleft lip or cleft palate. This is a common condition that develops during pregnancy; it is a gap in the mouth that does not close. These conditions can be both easy and difficult to see, depending on where the cleft was formed. Along with the struggles from this condition are the social implications and bullying that one could face with a cleft lip and palate.
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This club works to promote accurate educational awareness through students and youth in the Waterloo region through social media, volunteering activities, and networking. As well, it focuses on raising awareness on the stigma around cleft conditions and raising money to fund the surgeries for cleft lip and palate.
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This club is a great opportunity to get volunteer hours and help make a difference in our community and around the world. For more information about this club, join the Operation Smile Google Classroom with the code: 7y7aerq
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A friendly reminder from Bennie's Eco Club!
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Don't forget to cut the straps on your masks before you dispose of them properly in the garbage so that animals don't get caught in them! Thank you in advance!
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Thursday, October 22
8:00am: Period 2 Cohort B Face to Face
11:15am: DECA meeting
12:25pm: Period 1 All students Distance learning
Friday, October 23
8:00am: Period 2 Cohort B Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 1 All students Distance learning
Monday, October 26
8:00am: Period 2 Cohort B Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 1 All students Distance learning
Tuesday, October 27
8:00am: Period 2 Cohort B Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 1 All students Distance learning
Wednesday, October 28
8:00am: Period 2 Cohort B Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 1 All students Distance learning
Thursday, October 29
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort A Face to Face
11:15am: DECA meeting
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Friday, October 30
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort A Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Saturday, October 31
Halloween
Sunday, November 1
Daylight Saving Time ends
All Saints' Day
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Monday, November 2
All Souls' Day
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort A Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Tuesday, November 3
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort A Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Wednesday, November 4
Grade 9 Take our kids to work day
BENN Newsletter release
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort A Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Thursday, November 5
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort B Face to Face
11:15am: DECA meeting
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
Friday, November 6
8:00am: Period 1 Cohort B Face to Face
12:25pm: Period 2 All students Distance learning
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Be sure to check out the school website calendar for updates and changes!
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