It was nice to meet some more parents on the Zoom PAC meeting this past Tuesday.  With COVID-19 there have definitely been some set backs, but I feel like the virtual meetings have made it easier for some parents to join the meetings from the comfort of their own homes.  Thank you to the executive for setting up these meetings.  The PAC is organizing a bottle drive fundraiser for this coming Sunday, October 25th from 9:30am to 12:30pm.  Please save your bottles and cans for this event.  Volunteers are needed, please contact the PAC either through myself or on the Facebook PAC page for Ruth King.

Please remember to check in with your child every morning to make sure they are not sick or exhibiting any signs of Covid-19.  The “Daily Self Check,” is available for your reference.

If your child misses school due to illness, it is difficult for your child’s teacher to catch them up on everything that they missed, as much of what the teachers do is build into their lessons through different means, such as lectures, videos, readings, debates, oral interactions, etc.  Please have your child write in a journal or tell a story, read a novel or book of their choosing, do some basic math fact practice, draw and colour, do some physical exercises, etc.  The teacher will provide what they can, but it may not be exactly what your child has missed.

Important:  Please send in your PINK verification forms if you have not done so already.  We will only release your child to the people who are listed in your emergency contact list.  If you need to change the people who are on your Emergency Contact List, please contact the school to update.

Upcoming Events:  Parent/Teacher interviews will take place between November 16th to 27th.  Your child’s teacher will contact you to set up a suitable time for you to meet with them.  We will not be having interviews within the school building at this time, but they will either be done over the phone, through Zoom or other virtual method, or in person outside socially distanced.

October 21st – we will be having a Lock Down Drill at 9:55am

October 23rd – No School – Professional Development Day

October 27th – Public Board Meeting – 7pm

November 4th – Photo Retake Day

November 10th – PAC meeting – 6:30pm (Zoom)

November 19th – Early dismissal 11:23pm for parent/teacher interviews

November 20th – No School – Professional Development Day

We have the Great Canadian Shakeout Earthquake Drill on Thurday, Oct. 15th and there is a PAC meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30pm.  Check the Ruth King PAC facebook page for the link to join.

Please remember to email your child’s teacher if they will be away from school and also continue doing the “Daily Health Checks”, before sending your child to school.  I have had to send numerous students home who have come to school sick. Thank you for your help with this.

Please remember to stay off the pavement areas where students are lining up so that teachers can social distance from you.  It is preferable if you stay on the grassy areas when dropping your child off at school.  If your child comes late to school, please bring them to the front entrance and call the office.  (250-478-8368)

Reminder:  Please do not send cupcakes or other treats for your child’s birthday at this time.  Because of the Covid Rules around food distribution, we are no longer able to accommodate this within the classrooms.

Upcoming Events:

October 21st – Lock Down Drill

October 23rd – Pro D Day – no school

October 27th – Board Meeting

October 30th – Orange and Black Day or Costume Day

Reminders:

1. School Photo Day is MONDAY, October 5th.  Do forget to wear something nice for the photos.
2. If your child is sick or going to be away from school, please email the classroom teacher rather than calling the school office.  Thank you in advance.
3. Monday, October 12th – Thanksgiving Day – no school
4. PAC meeting will be Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30pm via ZOOM
5. Thursday, October 15th – we will be having the Great Canadian Shakeout Earthquake Drill at approximately 10:15am
6. Please don’t forget to do your Consents online.  There are still about 30 students who have not done this yet.  If you are unsure how to do this.  Please call the school to ask. 250-478-8368.
7. Please return the verification forms so that we can update your information in our system.

Mark your calendars picture day is

Monday, October 5th and will be

taking place in the school gymnasium.  

Reminders:

**Please fill out the online consents as soon as possible.  There are still 65 families who have not filled these out.  It is important as we need parents to ensure they are doing the “daily health checks” at home before sending their child to school.  The consent should only take about two minutes. You do need your child’s PEN number for the school cash online, which is a 9 digit number that Naomi can provide for you if you do not have this number.

School Ph# 250-478-8368. https://consent.sd62.bc.ca/apps/OnlineConsent

**Please remember to send in the forms that were sent home last Friday. These forms are very important as they update our emergency procedures and contacts.  Thank you.

**On rainy days, please send your child with rain boots and rain coats as we like the children to get fresh air as much as possible even if it is raining. Because we can only let the children play in certain zones, often the students will be spending recess and lunch on the field where their feet end up wet and cold.

Orange Shirt Day is coming up next week and will take place on Wednesday, September 30^th.  Please have your child wear an orange shirt to school to honour those that went to residential school.  Why do we wear Orange Shirts?

• Orange Shirt Dayis a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of those schools.
• Wearing an orange shirt and promoting the slogan, “Every Child Matters,” is an affirmation of our commitment to raise awareness of the residential school experience and to ensure that every child matters as we focus on our hope for a better future in which children are empowered to help each other.

Picture Day  will be Monday, October 5th.

Just a reminder to all families that Monday is a

Non- Instructional Day, kids have no school.

To report a student absence please email ruthking@sd62.bc.ca

or email your child’s teacher directly. 

The safe arrival phone line is now disconnected. Please do not call the main office. 

If your child is sick please keep him / her home to rest and get better.  Thank you everyone. 

Brown Bag Lunch Program

“We believe a good lunch provides students with the nutritional energy to excel at learning”.

If you wish your child to participate in the School Brown Bag Lunch Program for the month of September and October, the form sent home with all students must be signed and returned to your child’s teacher by

Monday, September 21st, 2020.   You can also click on the link provided and print a copy. RK Brown Bag Lunch Program

Ruth King Elementary is one of the lucky schools, and we receive a Brown Bag Lunch Program delivered to our school every day.  This program is sponsored/subsidized in part by the Community LINK Program and the School Board.

This year our brown bag lunch program will be $80.00 per month per child, which has been averaged out over the ten months of the school year.  Each lunch costs the School District approximately $4.30 per day, and includes 1/3 of their daily Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI).  Families who use the Program because it is easier than making lunch at home are asked to pay the full amount requested each month per child.  All other families are asked to contribute their fair share based on their needs.

Some other suggested payment options if you are unable to pay in full might be:

1)      Pay $40.00 with a subsidy of 50%

2)      Pay $20.00 with a subsidy of 75%

3)      Pay $16.00 with a subsidy of 80%

4)      Pay $8.00 with a subsidy of 90%

5)      If you are unable to contribute this month, your child or children are still welcome to register for the program.

No child should go hungry at lunch and

each family should support the program with whatever amount is possible.

Ms.  Ives                                                                                 Karen MacKay

Principal                                                                                Meal Program Coordinator

Instructions for registering for cash online are as follows:         

#1    Complete the consents above at https://consent.sd62.bc.ca/apps/OnlineConsent

#2    After Consenting, wait 24 hours before creating an account on School Cash Online OR paying fees at the school.

#3    Visit the website, School Cash Online: https://sd62.schoolcashonline.com/

#4    Click on “Get Started Today”

#5    Enter first and last name, click “Continue”

#6    Fill out information required (ie.phone number, address etc.) & click “Continue”

#7   Complete information by entering a password & security question.

#8   Check your email inbox (and junk mail) and click on the link to activate your account.  Please make sure to check your spam/junk folder too.

The information collected on this form is required and will be used solely for purposes of accounting for the School Meal Program.  It will be kept secure and confidential in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.  Any questions concerning the collection and use of this information may be directed to your School Meal Coordinator or the District Community LINK.

Just a reminder to ALL families that the consents need to be completed.

Please go to the link provided and complete the online consents including the Daily Health Check Consent.  This is a requirement for your child to attend school.   https://consent.sd62.bc.ca/apps/OnlineConsent

We hope to have all forms completed so that we can welcome your child to school and know that they are healthy.

Dear Parents/Guardians,                                                                    September 13, 2020

Happy Sunday Everyone!  Thank you all for an amazing first day back to school.  It seems to have gone fairly well and most of the children were happy to be back.  It was definitely overwhelming for a few students but that is to be expected after such a long time out of school.  So many things have changed during this global pandemic.

Before School Program (hours 7:30 to 8:30am)

This program usually includes breakfast and has been a drop in program.  This year we will be asking you to register for the program as we need to keep track of numbers and who is in the program for contact tracing.  We will have a form to fill out when you arrive on Monday morning, September 14th.  We will not be serving breakfast this week as we are still trying to figure out the processes for serving food.

Kim Basso and Ramona Melanson are the new Before School Program Coordinators.  

Lunch Program (hours 11:55am to 12:10pm)

This program has usually been a hot lunch program but this year it will be a bagged type of lunch.  The program is not starting in the first week as we need to put some processes in place at the district level and Truffles, the company that makes the food, is in the process of changing their health & safety protocols and figuring out new menus.  Information will be coming this week, along with forms to fill out indicating if your child will be taking part.  We anticipate that the bagged lunch program will start on Monday September 21^st.

Karen MacKay is the Lunch Program Coordinator.

School Grounds 

The school grounds will be open for students and staff only during the hours of 8:30am and 2:23pm.  Parents, when you are dropping off and picking up your child, please make sure you are socially distancing and wearing a mask if you are interacting with others.  Thank you in advance.

Daily Health Checks and Other Consents

Please fill out the Parent Consent Forms online before coming to school on Monday, September 14^th.  This is a requirement for your child to attend school.  Here is the link below and a list of all consents that you must complete. https://consent.sd62.bc.ca/apps/OnlineConsent

• Aboriginal Education
• ***Daily Student Health Check Agreement ***
• FreshGrade Consent
• General Consent for School Fieldtrips/Activities
• Google Apps for Education Consent
• Internet Access Consent
• Media Consent
• Online Learning Platforms Consent
• School Cash Online Consent (used for lunch program and fundraising etc.)

School Supplies and Food

Please note that whatever your child brings to school they will also be taking home with them.  This is our new pack in and pack out policy.

• Please send your child to school with a full, spill/leak-proof water bottle they can have at their table or desk.
• Please send a pair of inside shoesfor school.  Intermediate students included.  Let’s try to keep our new gym floor sparling and our hallways and learning environment clean.
• Please keep a change of clothesin a labelled ziplock in your child’s backpack. The ziplock will remain in your child’s backpack until it is needed.
• Please send all school supplies on Monday. Supply lists can be found on the Ruth King Website (https://ruthking.sd62.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2020/06/Grade-2.pdf)
• LABEL everything please… this includes jackets, clothing, lunch kits, school supplies etc.  So many things go to the Thrift Stores every year because we do not know who belong to the items in our “Lost & Found.”

IF you are Late for School

If your child arrives late for school, all our outside doors are locked at this time.  You must bring them to the front doors.  There will be an adult at the front door from 8:30 to 9:00am.  If you are later than this, you will have to call the office to have someone let your child in the front door.  The office number is 250-478-8368. It will be posted on the front door.  This includes the portables because Naomi, our secretary, will have to mark your child as late rather than absent.  Thank you for your attention to this new policy.

PAC Meeting – Tuesday, September 15^th
Topic: Ruth King PAC’s Zoom Meeting

Time: Sep 15, 2020 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82281261954?pwd=SzRRMUhGRjVBNGtvTis4MnRMM0Y5QT09

Respectfully,

Ms.V.Ives

Principal

The Daily Health Student Health Assessment information has now been added to the online consent portal. All parents/guardians must carefully review this information and agree that they will perform daily health assessments as outlined in the Daily Student Health Agreement prior to the child attending school.

Please note all consents forms need to be completed and are included with the above link.  

If you have any questions, please contact the  front office at 250-478-8368.  Naomi will be able to help you.