Month: December 2020

Great Things Seen & Heard

  • We sure loved the gratitude messages on our lunch boxes the other day… Thank you, ladies!
  • It’s great to know we have a new doorbell that rings only in the office and that the loud one that rings throughout the whole school will be programmed to only ring after hours.
  • The latest news on the fob story is that our keys will be deprogrammed and will no longer be working in the new locks on exterior doors since we now have our own fobs.
  • You know it’s been a long week when you start writing the date as “August” instead of “December” as seen on the meeting notes shared with staff…
  • Overheard in a Math class this past week: a student asking his teacher what would it be that had two butts and killed people? No fancy equation to answer that one…
  • Do you know what a Canadian tuxedo is? It’s a jean jacket!
  • You know we’re flexible when a student goes to a truck in the parking lot at school to write an exam since he can’t come in the building…
  • Overheard in TP’s office when going in there to find a solution to a difficult situation: her phone piped up, “That’s no problem!”
  • Some Covid messages just come out sounding weird, such as, “When using the bathroom, be sure to wipe all areas carefully!”
  • Overheard between staff members: “Why is your mother allowed in the school?” (It’s because she has a job at the school!)
  • You may not know this, but one of our secretaries is very good at kangaroo-hopping all the way to the ESP classroom from the office!

Bits & Pieces

  • Give the Pratt Wellness Bingo a try—you would have received information by
  • Please remember to ask for help contacting students and parents if you are not able to reach them.
  • We have been reminded that any international travel over Christmas is to be followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
  • Our school will be quarantined during Christmas break (only cleaning staff allowed inside).
  • If we get our new key fobs before then, we won’t even be able to open entry doors as they will be blocked electronically.
  • We will put all plants that need water in the staff room (on trolleys) for the cleaning staff.

Events This Week

  • Monday, December 14th: a few staff members are out on a Personal Day.
  • Monday, December 14th: Learning Supports meeting at 11:00 AM.
  • Tuesday, December 15th: a few staff members are out for medical appointments.
  • Wednesday, December 16th: EV at TQS meeting online, 10:30 AM.
  • Thursday, December 17th: Bring plants that will need water down to the staff room.
  • Friday, December 18th: We are going to find a way to make this day extra special since it’s the last day before Christmas holidays!

Great Things Seen & Heard

  • Something creepy to watch out for: an unknown person logged into one of our Google classrooms!
  • Great job, SM & CW, getting your classes to perform on the Wellness Coach Google Classroom Challenge!
  • Our online meeting with the trustees went very well!
  • We have another new staff member: Tretta! Was that Tretta Lewis?
  • When a teacher asked what F.O.B. stood for at a our staff meeting, it was interpreted as “what does S.O.B. stand for?” Oops!
  • Discovered after students started learning at home: a collection of hall passes stuck on the back of a bathroom stall door!
  • In the old days, we used to call it “talking back.” Now we call it, “advocating for self.”
  • One of our students has been staying inside his house because that’s what he thought he was supposed to do. He was sure happy to hear from his teacher that he can go outside!
  • Did you know they use leaky oil in the foods lab? It’s spelled “Lee Kee” oil.
  • One of our custodians has the most well-lit houses on our street: right across from the school!
  • A student asked to be excused from the online class because his cat ate a thumbtack—again!
  • We had visitors coming to school looking for trouble, it turned out that they were already double trouble! (although they themselves said it was more like dumb and dumber…)
  • One teacher had a unique approach to improving engagement with his online class this week: he was singing to himself when he noticed he wasn’t muted like he thought! At least his students loved it!

Bits & Pieces

  • Get ready to take part in some Staff Challenges this week! More to come by email…
  • Please remember to fill in the Wellness Coach’s online form for students about whom you are concerned.
  • We have been reminded that any international travel over Christmas is to be followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
  • Our school will be quarantined during Christmas break (only cleaning staff allowed inside).
  • If we get our new key fobs before then, we won’t even be able to open entry doors as they will be blocked electronically.
  • We will put all plants that need water in the staff room for the cleaning staff.

Events This Week

  • Monday, December 7th: Diploma course meeting online, 3:00 PM-3:45 PM.
  • Monday, December 7th: ATA PD meeting online, 3:45PM.
  • Tuesday, December 8th: Collaboration Team Meetings at 3:20 (except for the Math-Sciences Team).
  • Wednesday, December 9th: EV at TQS Meeting, 10:30 AM.
  • Thursday, December 10th: Webinar on UDL, 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.
  • Friday, December 11th: Deadline for submitting numbers of students planning to write the optional Diploma exams.