Welcome

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Junior Kindergarten at St. Jude’s Academy! My name is Ms. Bannon and I am happy to be your child’s teacher this year. There is an exciting year awaiting, designed to promote and enhance your child’s growth and development. This very important year promises to be one filled with discovery and joy as your child works and plays in an environment that is warm, safe and challenging.

Teacher Roles: I will be teaching  language, math and UOI (units of inquiry). They will also have 3 specialist teachers throughout the year:  gym (Ms. Jans), french (Mlle. Jessica), and music (Mrs. Hayward). 

Uniform Policy/Change of Clothes :

1.       Monday & Wednesday are gym uniforms; Tuesday/Thursday/Friday are regular uniforms

2.       Students must have an extra set of clothes in a plastic bag in their backpacks in case of accidents.  Students who are able to change can do so independently otherwise parents will be contacted.

3.       The following shoes are required: black shoes, gym shoes and outdoor shoes

Class Blog

Please check daily: http://sjajkabannon.blogspot.ca. On my blog you will be able to see what your child did that day, important dates, and other relevant information. I will be updating the blog on a daily basis.

Program of Inquiry

Who We Are	How We Express Ourselves	How We Organize Ourselves	How We Share the Planet
AMAZING BODIES Central Idea: Human bodies need healthy choices Lines of Inquiry: -Identify personal hygiene practices and their contribution to a healthy body -understand that healthy foods give the body energy and help it grow -identify ways to be physically active every day	PATTERNS, PATTERNS EVERYWHERE Central Idea: Patterns can be discovered, created & expressed Lines of Inquiry: -the order of patterns in the world -different patterns forms -how patterns in nature inspire human creativity	Way to Go! Central Idea: Transportation provides a way for people and things to move from one location to another Lines of Inquiry: -the different forms of transportation around the world -the purpose of transportation -rules of the road and why they are important to follow	Is It Alive? Central Idea: People interact with plants and animals in and out of their homes and take responsibility for their well-being Lines of Inquiry -living things around your home -how to show responsibility for living things -how living things grow and change

Behaviour & Respect – As a class, we will create a set of classroom rules. These rules will include:

-          Looking eyes

-          Listening ears

-          Quiet mouth

-          Helping hands

-          Walking feet

Punctuality – Please ensure that your child arrives to school on time. This sets the tone for the day. Students are expected to be at school between 8:30 am and 8:45 am. I understand that in some circumstances lateness is unavoidable (traffic, late buses, personal delays, etc). Tardiness will be recorded and if it persists daily or is excessive, a letter will be sent home.

Drop Off & Pick-up- Pick-up time will be between 3:30-3:40 pm in the cafeteria. After this time, students will be signed into After Care. Please note that afternoon Kiss and Ride has been cancelled. The new dismissal procedures will also be explained at the orientation next week.

Student Handbook – I have attached the Student Handbook in this e-mail. Please read the student handbook with your child, print off the last page, sign the last page and return the signed copy of the last page by Friday, September 15, 2017.

Peanut Policy – We are a peanut and nut free school, therefore please do not pack any nut products with your child.

Hot Lunch Program-

Welcome new families and welcome back old friends! It is that time of year again . . . you got it BACK TO SCHOOL! With that being said our HOT lunch program is back online and ready for you to place your order for the month of September. Please know that the website closes off end of day Aug 31st and is unable to reopen for September ordering. Please ensure you get your orders in as soon as possible! We have some new options featured on our menu please keep your eye out for those! Lunch payments are due to homeroom teacher or reception no later than September 8th, 2017.
Below are the instructions for returning families:
*if you have a sibling joining SJA this year please keep in mind you can only use one email per child.
Step 1 Logon to website http://mydigitalmailroom.com/sja - if you forgot your password or email used please contact bsmith@stjudesacademy.com
Step 2 Across the top menu bar you will see several options, please scroll over MY ACCOUNT, Change grade and teacher to reflect new year. Select SAVE
Step 3 Across the top menu bar you will see several options, please scroll over MANAGE LUNCH, a drop-down menu will appear, select ADD NEW LUNCH FORM.
*Don’t forget to select payment method BEFORE ordering
Below are the instructions for new families:
**If you have more than one child you will need to use different email addresses for each child. Only one child can be registered and ordered for under a single email address.
Step 1 Go to website http://mydigitalmailroom.com/sja
· Select register an account
· Select grade
· Select class
· Select teacher
· Enter in student information
· Accept terms and conditions and select Register
Repeat for additional students.
Step 2 Across the top menu bar you will see several options, please scroll over MANAGE LUNCH, a drop-down menu will appear, select ADD NEW LUNCH FORM.
*Don’t forget to select payment method BEFORE ordering.

Orientation – Please remember to join us on orientation night on Monday, August 28, 2017 from 5-7pm. From 5-6 we will be in the cafeteria and then proceed to my classroom (room #3) from 6-7. You will be able to purchase key fobs on this night with a $40 deposit. *It is strongly encouraged that both parents attend this event so that those with kids in older grades can attend the orientation for them being held in the auditorium while the other one remains with your younger child. 

The Parent Guild is excited to invite all families to the “SJA Back to School Kick Off” BBQ. This is a great opportunity to meet other families, socialize and have fun!

When: September 16^th from 11-3
Where: St. Jude’s Academy
Price: $30 (includes food, drink, games, cupcakes, etc)

I want to thank you in advance for all your support. I am confident that together we will have a fun and productive year!

Best Regards,
Ms. Bannon