Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Update Oct. 29, 2021: Boo!

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

Thank you for another wonderful week with your children. There is much Halloween excitement in the air. We always ask that Halloween remains a fun family event and that candy and treats stay at home and don’t sneak their way into pockets, backpacks, or lunches (for our Elementary students). Have spooky time this weekend and we’ll hear all about it on Monday.

Reminder: next Friday, Nov. 5, is a PD Day. Lyonsgate staff will be attending a virtual Montessori conference or working in the classroom environments.

This week we have news about a new community fridge in the neighbourhood, introductory words from the Casa and Toddler English assistants, and from Elementary some seasonal culture work, a required activity release, and a reminder about school photo ordering. There is also a photo gallery of the week at Lyonsgate.

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Community Fridge

From one your fellow Montessori parents:

We are pleased to share that the neighbours of Locke Street and Blessings Church have opened up a community fridge to help address food insecurity to folks in need in the community. If you are unfamiliar with them, community fridges are a volunteer run, publicly accessible, low barrier resource, from which community members can get free food.

The fridge is located outdoors and is accessible 24/7 on the side of the Blessings Church at 115 Stanley Avenue. Signage will be up by October 28 to clearly indicate its location. Any member of the community is welcome to come take whatever they need, at any time, no questions asked.

If anyone wishes to donate, there is a pantry, fridge and freezer on site where you can come as little or as often as you like to drop off donations – every bit helps! Examples of much-needed items include fresh or frozen fruit & vegetables, bread, eggs, dairy & alternatives, commercially produced frozen meals, canned goods, grab-and-go snacks, cereal, baby formula, menstrual products, and hygiene items. Donation guidelines are available online.

If you’d like to learn more, or you are interested in volunteering, please contact the volunteer team by email at lockest.fridge@gmail.com or on Instagram @Locke.Street.Fridge, or reach out to one of your fellow Lyongate parents that is volunteering: rachael.collier@gmail.com

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Toddler

 

My name is Brad but the children call me Mr. Davis. I am pleased to say that this is my fifth year as an assistant at Lyonsgate. This is my third year in the Toddler community and there is never a dull moment. There are so many firsts and new experiences that I am often in awe at the resilience and determination of the children. Some of my lifelong passions are baking and music, two things that I am happy to bring into the classroom and share with the children any chance that I get. We definitely have some musical talent in our classroom that I have seen firsthand during our jam sessions and post-nap dance parties. The Toddler banana bread makes the entire school smell wonderful. I am looking forward to seeing them grow increasingly more independent and watching their already big personalities grow!

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Casa North

 

My name is Jessica Dewey and I am the English assistant for Casa North. I spend my day observing and working alongside your children, attending to their physical needs, and maintaining the classroom environment. I also have the privilege of spending each recess outside with the children, which allows me some extra opportunities to connect with the children and gain insight into their characters and interests. I have previous experience as an educator in play-based learning environments, which are quite different from the Montessori philosophy, and one of the most beautiful and important distinctions between the two is the three year age group. In the last seven weeks we have observed so much mentorship between our students, and some lovely (sometimes unexpected) friendships forming. This naturally fosters independence, cooperation, leadership, and communication, and greatly reduces the need for adult intervention or redirection. It’s wonderful to see such young children building a community amongst themselves.

I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend.

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Casa South

 

Happy Friday Casa South families! My name is Ms.Sullivan and I am the English Assistant in Casa South. This is my third year at Lyonsgate, and my second as a part of Casa South’s classroom community. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing some of your children for the past year, and have been enjoying getting to know all the new faces this year.

As an English Assistant my role is to support the classroom, the children, and the lead teacher in a variety of ways. Whether it is preparing materials or reading a story with a small group, the assistant’s role is to help keep the classroom running smoothly. My most favourite part of my job is working one on one with your children or holding small groups. I love getting to see their personalities shine through in these settings. I also get to be outside during all recesses and watch all the social interaction, joy, and fun that recess brings.

This week has been a busy one, with lots of new presentations and fulfilling work with the children. I’ve spent a lot of time working on blank chalkboards practicing writing letters, numbers, and playing sound games with the children. As any week before Halloween, we’ve got to hear about some of the costumes coming up this weekend and the excitement is palpable. I love hearing the unique costume ideas the children come up with (my favourites this year are a taco, a sock in a shoe, and a shovel!).

I am grateful to have a space in your child’s life here at Lyonsgate and look forward to what the year brings for all of us. Have a safe and fun weekend!

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Elementary

 

Elementary children love to explore cultural activities and traditions, discovering the history behind their own celebrations as well as investigating cultures different from their own.  This week, the students prepared to celebrate Hallowe’en by learning about its origin in the festival of Samhain, studying the parts and life cycle of a pumpkin, researching bats, painting ghosts, and of course, carving pumpkins!  We wish you all a wonderfully spooky weekend.  Stay safe and have fun! — Marissa and Michelle.

• Elementary Photo Ordering: Earlier this week, Elementary families received notification of a folder share containing the photo proofs of school photos and an email containing package and a la carte ordering instructions. Elementary families can place orders for packages or a la carte items using this order form. You can also access the form via the photographer’s website: https://www.tarasmithphoto.com/

Please note:

• • If you are ordering for more than one child, please complete a separate form for each child.
  • The deadline to order photos is November 1, 2021.
  • If you would like to order more than 1 copy of an a la carte item, please make a note in the comments section.

For any questions, please email Tara at: info@tarasmithphoto.com

• Required Release Form for Gravity Climbing Gym: On the mornings of November 12 and 19, Elementary students in the third to sixth years will be rock climbing at Gravity Climbing Gym. Please complete and submit the climbing gym’s required release form before Nov. 12: https://www.gravityclimbinggym.com/release-form.

Students will not be permitted to climb if a release form is not on file at the gym. Thank you.

Students will bring their clean, dry indoor shoes (must be running shoes) with them and should wear clothing they can comfortably move, climb, and wear a harness in.

• Karate: First and second year Elementary students will be participating in an introductory martial arts program at United Family Martial Arts, just down the street from us, during the afternoons of November 12 and 19. Students will need to wear clothing they can be comfortably active in.

• Reminder: Phys. Ed. on Thursday, Nov. 4. When there is a PD Day on a Friday, phys. ed. will take place on the Thursday of that week (there will also be phys. ed. on Thursday, Nov. 25, to accommodate Parent-Teacher conferences on the Friday).

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Photo Gallery

by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Update: Oct. 22, 2021 News from the Classrooms

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

This week we have some updates for you from the Casa and Toddler Montessori guides about how the school year is going so far — progress, interests, goals, and beautiful moments — as well as more about the ongoing Montessori great work at the Elementary campus.

We want to remind everyone that the next PD day is in two weeks on Friday, Nov. 5.

We'd also like to emphasize the importance of consistency for Montessori students, especially our younger children who may still be struggling a little bit at drop off. The best thing you can do for your child is a regular, consistent, and brief drop off. A reassurance that you will see them at the end of the day, a hug, and a goodbye will set your child up for success and for the developmental progress Montessori strives for. Extra promises that may sooth a child in the moment will become the primary focus of their day and can often lead to greater upset throughout the school day. Thank you, and please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's Montessori guide for tips on how comfort and confidence can be developed in your child.

Toddler

The toddlers are hard at work each day building their bodies, exploring with their senses, and discovering themselves. Now that the routine of coming to school has been established, we can see their true personalities shine. What a fantastic group we have in our classroom this year! It is wonderful to see new friendships developing, and it is a wonderful time to lay down the foundations of grace and courtesy. There have also been great strides in independence since September. Thank you to all of you for carefully selecting clothing and footwear that makes that independence possible. We love to see how pleased they are to acquire new skills, and we love to hear them triumphantly say "I did it!" — Ms. Gervais

Casa North

The year is moving as swiftly as anticipated! Our students are navigating routine & transitions extremely well, and we are focusing on lots of Grace & Courtesy (how to move, engage with work, speak to others in the classroom, etc.) and Preliminary Activities (pouring, cutting, folding, opening and closing various fastenings). We are endlessly proud of the growth we are seeing so far.

I, personally, appreciate all of the effort our students & families have made in participating in my name-switch mid-year. Some of my personal favourites so far have been: Ms. O’Doherty, Ms. Sullivany, Ms. Doh’Sullivan, and “Hey! Ms. Sullivan is in Casa South!”

A reminder to begin practicing for any & all winter attire. Give yourselves lots of time in the morning to bundle up with boots, mittens, coats, etc., and have your child attempt to dress by themselves. The goal is independence and confidence, and we want to set our students up for success.

Looking forward to chatting further during Parent-Teacher Conferences this upcoming month. — Ms. O'Sullivan

Casa South

As you can imagine, we’ve had an active start to this school year with plenty of exploration. It didn’t take long for everyone to begin adjusting to both the physical and social environment that makes up our classroom community. There are many new things to learn including: scheduling, how to move, interact, and work with materials. The children have absorbed enough of this in order to arrive at what Dr. Montessori identified as periods of “normalization.”

This refers to times of balance, when there is a purposeful hum of activity in the room due to a positive level of engagement. While these are currently brief moments in time, they have the potential to become longer as we all continue to develop deeper connections with each other and our learning.

We are observing more and more spontaneous offers from children to help a classmate or take care of the classroom. This is another great sign of connection, skill development, concentration, and how we are growing stronger together as a small community. We’ve included a lovely example of your children working together.

As a side note, if your child arrives at school with an umbrella on rainy days it’s best if they leave it with you rather than bring it onto the playground. Thanks for your support! — Ms. Robinson

Elementary

This week the Elementary students continued explorations in written language, working with Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Inuktitut syllabics. The Lower students received the fifth Great Lesson — "The Story of Our Numerals," spurring on their work in math. The Upper students turned their attention to biology, further investigating the six kingdoms of life and learning to classify organisms as archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants, or animals. — Marissa

No Nut Reminder: please remember that both Lyonsgate campuses are nut-free facilities at all times, and there is an anaphylactic nut allergy at the Elementary campus. Please ensure no products containing nuts are coming into the school, especially items like granola bars. Thank you.

Have a fantastic fall weekend everyone.

by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Update Oct. 15, 2021: Parent Webinar and Staff News

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

We hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and had the chance to spend some great time with family. There are a few items to update you all on this week.

Free Parent Webinar

The Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) is offering a free webinar for parents on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 6:00 p.m. The topic is "Montessori Education & Inclusion - Do the pieces fit?" a webinar exploring the opportunity to include students with disabilities in Montessori schools. The webinar and a copy of the report are free but you must register in advance. For more information and how to register please click here.

Primary Buzz

With the children's return after the long weekend, the Primary campus has been abuzz with stories of Thanksgiving, the food enjoyed, and the highly anticipated visits with family. It has created lots of wonderful conversations amongst the children. Interest in pumpkins is certainly starting to appear as they anxiously await the next "celebration" of the month, with special requests for pumpkin songs.

Staff News

This year we have a new Learning Resource Specialist at Lyonsgate: Kim Fiocca. Kim has been working at the Elementary campus  and starting next week will be also be working at the Primary campus. Kim joins us with a wealth of experience in her field and in Montessori learning environments. Kim will be working directly with Lyonsgate students, parents, and Montessori guides to ensure that students with diverse learning styles receive the services, accommodations, and educations they deserve, as well engaging with all students in their classrooms and during outdoor times.

Joining Kim at the Primary campus on a more regular basis will be Jason, who has been working out of the Elementary campus for the last few years. This will give us the opportunity to have our entire admin team together at one location.

These moves are made possible by the addition of Caitlin Pace to the Elementary campus as a program assistant. We'll have more details about Caitlin for you soon.

Elementary Update and Photo Day Reminder

Speaking of the Elementary program, Montessori Guide Marissa Achong has an update for you all about the great work the Elementary students have been engaged with so far this year:

Through these first six weeks of school, the Elementary students have embarked upon the course set out by the Great Lessons: exploring the creation of the universe, the elements, and an introduction to the laws of physics; the emergence of life, the evolution of species, and the development of hominins; and an introduction to our human history, with its great discoveries and innovations. This week, Michelle shared the Story of Communication in Signs, guiding students to imagine how humans first began to write, from petroglyphs and pictographs, to hieroglyphs, to the development of different alphabets.

Remember Elementary parents, photo day for Elementary students is on Monday, Oct. 18. Photos will be taken outside so Tuesday, Oct. 19, is the rain date.

You can always find up to date information about events throughout the school year on the calendar at lyongate.ca, under the "Parents" tab.

Have a wonderful fall weekend everyone.

by Jason Phillips

Long Weekend Update: Someone's Getting Married

Have a great long weekend Lyonsgate families!

Lyonsgate is closed on Friday, Oct. 8 (PD Day) and on Monday, Oct. 11 (Thanksgiving holiday).

(Please find a message from Hamilton Public Health about safe gatherings attached to the email of this post)

A Couple of School Notes:

• No Parent Observations: parent observations were on the calendar for November; unfortunately, we have had confirmation from Hamilton Public Health that we will not be able to welcome parents into the classroom yet.
• Elementary Photo Day: Elementary school photos will be taken on Monday, Oct. 18. The photo-taking will take place outdoors so there is a rain date of Tuesday, Oct. 19. (Note: Primary campus photo day details to come).

New Names and Faces:

• New, Returning Elementary French Assistant: Anne Prat Kalonji, who previously worked as the Elementary French assistant, will be returning to that role at the Elementary campus when we return from the long weekend on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Welcome back Anne!
• Ms. Doherty has a New Name: Casa North's Ms. Doherty is getting married this weekend! When we return to school on Tuesday congratulations are in order, and Ms. Doherty will now be known as Ms. O'Sullivan.

Thank you all for your diligence and care with the ongoing COVID protocols so far this year. Enjoy some much deserved time with your wonderful children and families this weekend, and we'll see you on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Update, Sept. 24 2021

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

A short update for you this week with reminders about sick students, fall weather and ventilation, and Parent Education events for Casa and Toddler families next Thursday.

Please do not send children to school when they are sick.

A few symptoms were removed from the provincial COVID-19 screening tool this school year (runny noses, sore throats, and fatigue). Please remember that even if a child passes the screening they should not come to school if they are sick. Hamilton Public Health provides a table of various, non-COVID-related illnesses that require students to stay home from school, and for how long.

You can find the illness exclusion table on the school website here: https://lyonsgate.ca/sick-children-info/ (it is under the "Parents" tab).

Please also remember to complete the required COVID-19 screening form each morning before you arrive to drop off students at school, using the forms linked to on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca.

Fall Weather

The temperature seems to have dropped as soon as the calendar turned to fall. Windows in all classrooms will remain open throughout the year for increased ventilation as part our layered COVID mitigation approach, so at least a cozy sweater or cardigan is helpful for those moments and places in the classroom when a cool draft may be blowing through.

Please remember to also check the weather forecast each day to ensure students have appropriate outdoor weather gear.

Thank you.

Primary Campus Parent Education

Next Thursday, Sept. 30, the Casa and Toddler Montessori guides will be hosting online Parent Education events. These are great opportunities for you to learn more about the Montessori education you have chosen for your children.

• Toddler: 4:00-5:00 p.m. You will be learning about your child's "Sensitive Period of Order."
• Casa (combined): 5:00-6:00 p.m. You will be learning about the role and importance of "Independence in Montessori."

Your children's Montessori guides will send Zoom links closer to the date.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

by Jason Phillips

Updates from Lyonsgate

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

We are so excited that another school year is about to begin.  The staff are busy setting up the classrooms and getting ready to warmly welcome your children into their care.  While we would have liked a “normal” return to the school year we realize the world is far from that, and we hope you will understand the special circumstances that we all find ourselves in to keep the children, your families, and the community as safe as possible.  Thank you for your adaptability in all of this, and most of all, thank you for entrusting your most precious children into our care.  We look forward to continuing to build relationships with you, and thank you for allowing us the pleasure of watching your child grow to their full potential.  Here is to a wonderful year ahead!

Sarah (Miss Kennedy).

COVID-19 Protocol Changes

As we approach the beginning of the school year we are receiving regular updates to COVID-19 protocols from both the Ministry of Education and Hamilton Public Health Services. Significantly, there have been changes to the daily screening form and procedure.

We are now required to "validate" screening every day for the first two weeks of school (for now; Public Health expects this to be extended). For returning families, this will work the same as last year when you completed the campus-specific online screening form prior to arrival and we confirmed your submission upon arrival. For new parents, on Tuesday, September 7, the provincial screening tool on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca will be replaced with three Lyonsgate forms that mirror the provincial tool: Primary campus screening form, Elementary campus screening form, and a staff and visitor screening form. You are required to complete the relevant screening form each day after 5:00 a.m. and before you arrive at school. Once submitted we will be able to see that you have done so upon arrival. At this point, temperatures are not required to be taken upon arrival.

The screening forms have also changed with the addition of some new questions, changes to procedures if screening is failed, and the removal of a number of symptoms that previously required exclusion from school. Students are no longer screened for: sore throat, runny nose, headache, and extreme tiredness or muscle aches. The "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Exclusion of Sick Children and Staff Policy and Procedures" will be updated soon to reflect the symptom changes, and Public Health will be providing updated decision charts that guide parents and school staff when children are ill.

Pandemic or not, please do not send children to school when they are ill.

Hamilton Public Health hosted an information session for schools on Wednesday and we can tell you that other changes will come in the following areas:

• Staff vaccination disclosure: This requirement was announced on August 17 and we were told by Public Health, on Thursday, Sept. 2, to: "Please note: The ministry is working on a guide and sample policy to support licensees in implementing the proposed policy. Further details about the proposed policy, testing strategy, and reporting expectations will be communicated in the coming weeks." All Lyonsgate staff members will be required to disclose their vaccination status to the school and undergo regular testing and attend an approved education program if not vaccinated. Lyonsgate will not disclose the vaccination status of any staff member.
• Contact management and outbreak management: This covers contact tracing, what will happen if there are any confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the school community, and if Public Health declares an outbreak at the school. We have been told to expect this update by mid-September.

PD Day Clarity

You will notice on the school calendar that there are a number of PD days early in the year. Mostly, these affect ONLY the Primary campus which is unavailable to Lyonsgate during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

The Lyonsgate Primary campus (Aberdeen: Casa and Toddler) will be closed on Sept. 7 and 8 (Sept. 9 is the first day of school for returning students at Primary) and will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 16 (Yom Kippur).

Schedules

We will be continuing with separate arrival and pick-up times for each Casa classroom, and a separate pick-up period for the Toddler class. There have been changes to the Elementary arrival and pick-up times and procedures. The daily schedules are as follows:

Toddler Class

8:00 – 8:30: Group 1. Eligible workers and staff students, and Casa North siblings.

8:30 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

Toddler students will be greeted by a Toddler staff member at screening and will enter the building using the grey door off the parking lot.

3:00 – 3:30: Dismissal from the playground.

Casa North

8:00 – 8:15: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:15 – 8:30: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

3:30 – 4:00: Dismissal from the playground.

Casa South

8:30 – 8:45: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:45 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

4:00 – 4:30: Dismissal from the playground.

After screening, All Casa students will proceed to the main school doors or playground via the main walkway on the east side of the building.

Elementary

8:00-8:30: Registered Before School Care.

8:30-8:45: Arrival/screening for all students.

Screening upon arrival will take place on the front porch.

3:30-3:45: Dismissal and pick-up from back yard.

3:30-4:30: Registered After School Care (pick up from front porch).

Online Orientation Sessions

Each Casa class and the Toddler class will be hosting online orientation sessions on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to each class's parents that day.

Elementary Montessori guide Marissa will be hosting an online Orientation for Elementary families on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to all Elementary families that day.

Thank you, and see you all in the coming weeks.

by Jason Phillips

School Year Update from Lyonsgate Montessori

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

We know you are all anxiously awaiting information about the upcoming school year. We have received information from the Ministry of Education and Hamilton Public Health and can now tell you about some of the changes and requirements for the coming 2021.2022 school year at Lyonsgate Montessori School.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to impact regular school operations, although there are changes to some requirements. Here are the highlights, but please take the time to review the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook."

Please Note: the information below may change as we receive further information, clarifications, or revisions from the Ministry of Education and/or Hamilton Public Health Services.

Masks: mask requirements for students at both campuses will be the same as last year with the exception of outdoors. Masks no longer need to be worn outdoors. See the "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Mask and PPE Policy and Procedure" in the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook" for details.

Screening: parents are still required to complete screening for each child, each morning before bringing students to school. Please use the Provincial COVID-19 School Screening Tool to self-screen children each day. A link to the screening tool is available on the Home page at https://lyonsgate.ca/ . Temperatures are no longer required to be taken prior to entry.

If you bring your child to school at either Lyonsgate campus, it is assumed you have completed and passed self-screening every day prior to arrival.

Pandemic or not, please do not send children to school if they are unwell.

Illness/Exclusion: strict exclusion rules are still in effect for children who are ill or who become ill at school. Be prepared for children to be home from school more frequently than usual. Siblings of sick children must also be excluded. See the "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Exclusion of Sick Children/Staff Policy and Procedures" document in the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook" for more detailed information.

Staggered Starts and Dismissals: We will be continuing with separate arrival and pick-up times for each Casa classroom, a separate pick-up period for the Toddler class, and staggered arrival and dismissal groups for Elementary. The daily schedules are as follows:

Toddler Class

8:00 – 8:30: Group 1.  Eligible workers and staff students, and Casa North siblings.

8:30 – 9:00: Group 2.  Arrival for remainder of cohort.

3:00 – 3:30:  Dismissal from the playground.

Casa North

8:00 – 8:15: Group 1.  Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:15 – 8:30: Group 2.  Arrival for remainder of cohort.

3:30 – 4:00: Dismissal from the playground.

Casa South

8:30 – 8:45: Group 1.  Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:45 – 9:00:  Group 2.  Arrival for remainder of cohort.

4:00 – 4:30: Dismissal from the playground.

Elementary

8:00-9:00: Staggered drop-off groups. Detailed group lists to come.

3:30-4:00: Dismissal from backyard and front porch.

4:00-4:30: Pick-up of after school care students.

Mandatory Staff Vaccinations or Testing

This was announced earlier this week and details are still to come. All Lyonsgate staff will be required to provide disclosure of full vaccination status or undergo regular testing if not vaccinated. Lyonsgate will not share the vaccination status of any employee.

Calendar

Remember to check the Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date information. An updated printable calendar will be attached to the email version of this post (we got the February PD day/Family Day holiday dates wrong on the first version).

Vaccinations

Vaccination continues to be the most effective means of getting the virus under control. Please visit the City of Hamilton’s vaccine information website at https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-resources.
Their vaccine hotline is another resource that is available to everyone at 905-974-9848 ext. 7

More to come

We know you may have questions not answered here. Please be patient. You will receive more information soon about things like orientation visits for new students and their families, and specific classroom information from your children's Montessori guides.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer vacation with your wonderful children. We can't wait to see them and hear all of their summer adventure stories.

by Jason Phillips

Year End and Youth Vaccination Info

I wanted to take this time to really thank each and every one of you for putting your trust in us this year. It has been quite a year, lots of handwashing, cleaning,  learning to put masks on and off safely and new words for all of us, like "cohorts!" We have gotten through it all with grace and dignity and always with the utmost respect for the child. We are looking forward to next year with anticipation of a little more normalcy. Enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing you and your child again in September.

Warmly,

Rachel

Important Dates:

Thursday, June 24 is the last day of school.

• In-person students at the Primary campus will have a full day following the regular hours and schedule.
• Remote learning Elementary students and families: you have received a separate email with some schedule changes for the last week of school, and information about the last day.

Monday, June 21, 8:00 - 11:15 is Elementary material return and personal item pick up.

• Elementary students are asked to please return all materials that were distributed for remote learning such as math materials (including bead bar sets), as well as their binders and pencil cases (with contents), largely incomplete notebooks, novels, and any other Lyonsgate materials.
• All personal items that remain at the school (indoor shoes, water bottles, abandoned sweaters, books, etc.) can also be picked up at that time. We will prepare everyone's remaining personal items from their cloakroom area, but if there is anything specific you would like us to make sure is included, please email jason@lyonsgate.ca. Unclaimed shoes, sweaters, water bottles, and such will be donated over the summer.

Vaccinations for Children

Although Lyonsgate students are under the age of 12, there may be older siblings or other family members who may benefit from the following information we have been asked to share with you. The Provincial government has published a COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth webpage that includes information about vaccines, how to book appointments, and other relevant information.

Hamilton Public Health has provided the following:

There are many convenient ways youth can receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Hamilton
including large-scale clinics, mobile pop-up vaccine clinics, pharmacy clinics, family and
youth-friendly clinics being held between June 15-28, and community-based and led
mobile vaccination clinics for specific populations. Eligible family members who have
not received a vaccination are encouraged to book an appointment to attend a
vaccination clinic.

Within coming days, there will be more information at www.hamilton.ca/YouthVaccine,
including information on how to access vaccinations for youth who are homebound for
medical reasons and for those requiring additional supports.

Information regarding how to book an appointment and answers to frequently
asked questions regarding youth COVID-19 vaccination can be found at
www.hamilton.ca/YouthVaccine.

Thank you all for your support, patience, understanding, and commitment to keeping the Lyonsgate community safe and healthy throughout this very unusual school year. Have great, safe, and full o' fun summer vacation. Fingers crossed for a much more normal school experience in the fall.

by Jason Phillips

Ontario Parent Survey

McMaster University’s Offord Centre for Child Studies is conducting a follow-up Ontario Parent Survey. The initial survey took place 3 months into the pandemic.

Both studies general themes focus on the well-being and health of children and parents/caregivers,
family stressors, family relations, and how COVID has had an impact on individuals and families.

“This follow-up study will help inform community practice on how to assist families through these
very challenging times, now and in the future,” said lead researcher Andrea Gonzalez, Associate Professor and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Family Health and Preventive Interventions.. “Given the findings of this survey may be used to inform service provision and the development of family resources, it is important to hear from families that reflect the diverse range of races, ethnicities, socio-economic status, and family structures of which the province is composed.”

Please access the survey at: https://ontarioparentsurvey.ca

The survey takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

by Jason Phillips