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Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - Volume 12, Issue 14
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A Message from Administration
This week begins our teacher-led online learning. Teachers have been working diligently to stay connected with students and get resources and lessons posted to D2L, Google Classroom, or by emailing them directly, while we are away from the school. Please check in with your son/daughter to see if they have been able to access the online learning and to ensure that they are able to communicate with their classroom teacher. Please do not hesitate to reach out by email for further clarification. All staff email addresses are firstname.lastname@wcdsb.ca and can be found on the Our staff page of our website.
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There has been a lot of information that has come out over the last two weeks and still many questions that we are unable to be answer at this time. As we continue to work through what is a different way of teaching and learning for our staff and students, we will provide you with updates as they arrive. Continue to check the WCDSB website and the school website for the most up to date information. On behalf of the St. Benedict staff, thank you for continuing to follow the Public Health Recommendations to keep us all safe! Please continue to pray for everyone in our community, our first responders and front line, essential workers and their families! This week is Holy week – the journey for us may look different this year but it is the time when we remember in prayer and celebration the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Churches are offering online services and opportunity for prayer through their website.We hope you and your family remains well! God Bless each of you and your families during this Easter Season, and we hope to see you soon!
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Do you have poor wi-fi? Have a cell phone?
Did you know: You can connect your laptop or Chromebook to the internet using your cell phone using tethering. Go into the “Setting” menu of your phone, next, the “Connections” menu, then find something similar to “Mobile Hotspot and Tethering” go into this menu and toggle it ON. Once that is toggled on, an alert will show up and allow you to “tap to set up”; here you can set a Wi-Fi name and password. Once that is finished you can go to your other device and connect to the newly created Wi-Fi.
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- This will use your data, so be mindful of your data plan!
- This uses significant battery power on your phone, so you may want to plug it in if your battery is low.
Happy learning, stay safe and healthy!
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WCDSB Learning tools
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* Students should use their GAFE logins and passwords to enter these sites
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Chaplain's Chat
Our world has been turned upside down. We did not see this coming. Our present day lives have been disrupted. Our hopes and dreams for the future are in doubt. We are isolated and we may feel alone and even abandoned.
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The experience of Jesus and his followers during Holy Week was similar to ours. Their lives had been disrupted, their hopes and dreams were in question and they felt increasingly alone, isolated and abandoned by God. God never left them.
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God never leaves us. We feel God’s love in our hearts. We see God’s love in the many acts of kindness demonstrated all over the world. We experience God’s love in the care we receive from family and friends.
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I assure that you are not forgotten. We are in this pandemic together. We will get through this together. We will gather together once again. During this Holy Week, be assured that God will never leave us or forsake us.
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School support contacts
Parents, if you need to contact your son's or daughter's Guidance Counsellor or Student Success teacher, please contact them via email below:
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Mental Health Resources
Undoubtedly, the current situation is one that has been a cause of stress for many people. People deal with stress in different ways, some better than others. If you or someone you know is currently in crisis, please call Here 24/7 at 1 (844) 437-3247 any time 24/7, or if it is a critical medical situation dial 9-1-1.
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COVID-19 has and will impact the mental well-being of people everywhere. School Mental Health Ontario has some tips and resources to help support student mental health– along with a youth-focused Mental Health hub. https://smho-smso.ca/covid-19/
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A MESSAGE FROM THE STUDENT SUCCESS TEAM
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A Checklist for Success While Remote Learning
As you know, the Ministry of Education has directed school boards to offer remote learning and learning for all students. There is an expectation that students will participate, with the support of their teachers, to the best of their abilities.
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Our expectation, and the Ministry's expectation, is that students will do their best to complete all assigned work. Students and families are encouraged to connect with their teachers if they have questions about assessment and evaluation. We are here to support you!
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During remote learning, students will be required to shift and create habits of success in their new learning environment. Your child’s teacher will help with this, and will communicate clear expectations for students. Students, in consultation with their parent(s)/guardian(s), and to the greatest extent possible given their individual circumstances, should:
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Student Responsibilities
- Establish daily routines for engaging in learning experiences (e.g. start at 9:30 a.m. each day).
- If possible, identify a comfortable, quiet space in your home where you can work effectively and successfully.
- Check your GAFE email address daily (school board gmail account). Email addresses are the last five digits of their Student Number and the first three letters of their last name @wcdsbcloud.ca
- Monitor the established lines of communication with your teacher(s), to check for announcements and feedback.
- Do your best work by completing assignments with integrity and academic honesty.
- Do your best to meet timelines, commitments and due dates.
- Communicate proactively with your teacher(s) if you cannot meet deadlines or require additional support.
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District 8 Athletics: All Athletic Events & Championships Cancelled
Dear Parents and Student-Athletes,
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With the closure of schools due to the COVID-19, the difficult decision has been made to cancel all District 8 Championships for the remainder of the school year.
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Many academic program heads and educational leaders have been working diligently to create remote learning opportunities and resources for students to learn from home while we all adjust to the current physical distancing environment, and when students do return to the classroom, learning will remain the primary focus. With academics as the ultimate priority, the athletic programs typically offered will be cancelled for the remainder of the school year. A list of planned events and championships being cancelled has been provided below.
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District 8 Championships:
- Track & Field Championships
- Boys & Girls Soccer Championships
- Boys and Girls Slo-Pitch Championships
- Ultimate Championship
Due to the open-endedness of school closures, the hope is that some level of physically active intramural programming can be introduced at a school level when students return to school.
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The hope is that everyone will remain safe and healthy as we navigate these uncertain times together.
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Looking for Donations of Cotton Fabric and Flat Elastic Cord
Many people have risen to the challenge to support our health care workers who are in need of personal protective equipment. One of our math teachers, Miss Stockie, is working with a group of neighbourhood associations (and Mrs. Kloiber – former ATech/Educational Assistant at St. Benedict) who have banded together to sew surgical caps, surgical gowns, and face masks for front line workers at local hospitals, shelters and other community organizations.
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In order to make these pieces, they are looking for donations of cotton fabric and flat elastic cording (that is approximately 5mm – 10 mm in width). Because fabric stores are no longer considered “essential services”, these stores have closed, and materials are harder and harder to find.
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Anyone willing to offer a curb-side donation is asked to contact Miss Stockie via email christine.stockie@wcdsb.ca. She is willing to pick up donations in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge areas – no contact required. Just notify her of a location and she will arrange for a time to collect these supplies.
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Warm thanks for the generous spirit that is always present at St. Benedict!
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Important information from
IDEA EXCHANGE
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In response to the Region of Waterloo's directive that all municipally funded cultural and recreational facilities are closed to the public and in response to the Province of Ontario's declaration of a state of emergency, Idea Exchange locations are now closed.
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As the situation has evolved rapidly with COVID-19, there are changes almost every day and we try to make the best decisions with the information at hand, especially the recommendations of Region of Waterloo Public Health.
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At this time, we do not know when the Province of Ontario's state of emergency will be lifted nor do we know when public health will revise their requirement of social distancing, so we are sadly making the call to cancel your Spring program/event. We would love to look at re-booking your program/event for possibly Fall.
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Be sure to check the WCDSB's
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page for more information and updates
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