There is something magical about the first day of school. The real reason for school made an appearance on Tuesday as the students poured into the hallways of freshly waxed floors, sporting new haircuts and backpacks, ready to learn and eager to meet their teachers and friends. The energy from the students over the first few days has been contagious (even if the week has been exceptionally hot) promising an exciting 2016-17 school year at Allenby.
Safety is always of utmost importance and as such I ask that you assist us in ensuring the safety of all students at Allenby with the following:
Secure Building
Allenby is now a secure building (a project that I had been working on over the course of last year). This means that, like other schools in the TDSB, all entry doors are locked at all times. This includes during daycare hours. The St. Clements’ door will only be unlocked for the first 15 minutes of a permit. There are two entrances for parents entering the building: the main doors with a buzzer and the St. Clements’ doors with a buzzer for the daycare and one for the main office.
Parents Visiting the School
If you are visiting the school, please begin your visit at the office. Parents and visitors are not permitted inside the school unless they have signed in and have been given a visitor’s badge. This also includes parents who are in the schoolyard during the school day (e.g., recess, lunch). Please understand that every adult must be accounted for at all times. Please do not enter the school to wait for dismissal or walk your child to their class. We are a large school and although you may be recognizable to your child’s teachers, you are a stranger to other adults in the building and thus will be stopped and directed to the office.
Grade 1 to 6 Morning Entry
In the morning, we have teachers supervising the yard between 8:35 and 8:50 am. All students and parents are asked to be in the schoolyard (down the main staircase) and not to wait in the upper walkway outside of the main doors to avoid congestion.
Once the bell rings at 8:50 am we ask that parents do not line up with their children, even our grade one students now know where to line up as this has been reviewed over the last few days.
Entry and Exit Locations
Grade 1 classes – line up at the new entry doors with Rooms 003 and 007 line up in front of the south door; Rooms 002, 004 and 005 line up in front of the north door (this avoids students crisscrossing each other once they enter the building). Grade 1 students exit these same doors.
Grade 5 and 6 classes (not including our 4/5 class) – enter and exit the junior doors along the St. Clements side of the school.
Grade 1/2 to 4/5 classes – enter and exit the main doors. Students line up on designated painted lines on the pavement and then are directed to climb the main staircase to enter the school. All students exit the main doors and are directed to meet parents in the lower yard (grade 1/2 and 2 teachers will meet parents here).
FDK (Full Day Kindergarten) Entry and Exit
As mentioned in last week’s principal’s message, kindergarten parents can now access the kindergarten yard with their children (to supervise them in this space) until 9:05 when the kindergarten teachers and ECEs will be in the yard. At this time we ask that parents check in with staff, say goodbye to their children and then leave the yard to make the transition into the school smoother. Rooms 108B and 109 will do hand-to-hand pickup at the gate while the other kindergarten classes will meet parents in the yard.
Playscape
As outlined last year, the playscape (playground structure in the main yard) is only for students in grades 1 to 6 during supervision hours 8:35 am to 3:50 pm. This aligns with the age guidelines provide by the manufacturer. If parents wish to allow younger children to use the playscape outside of these hours that is up to their discretion and it is under their supervision.
Conveying Messages to your Children
With over 800 students at Allenby the main office is not able to field requests from parents to convey messages to children about after school activities, play dates, reminders, etc. Please arrange these items in advance. If there is an emergency or a parent is not able to arrive on time then of course we will contact the child.
Thank you in advance for your support in ensuring the safety of all Allenby students. We are looking forward to an amazing year working as partners with parents and the Allenby community to provide the very best learning opportunities to our students.
Tracey O’Toole
Principal
Be in the know
Visit the Allenby school website.
Mark Important Dates on your calendar including Curriculum Night, Showcases, PA Days, Parent-Teacher Interview Dates (the site is updated throughout the year)
Visit Allenby on twitter @AllenbyPS_TDSB
Allenby staff often tweet the learning taking place in the school and classroom (no student names or pictures of faces unless approved by parent)