January Newsletter
Principal's Message
Happy new year to all students, families, staff and the entire FECCA community. We're already off to an interesting start to 2022. Although it may not be exactly how we wanted to start the year, we are in this together, we've done it before, and we can do it again!
I've had the opportunity to visit various classes during At Home Learning this past week and it was a pleasure to see our students smiling and engaged with their classmates and teachers. More so, we're looking forward to welcoming our students and staff back to school on Monday, January 17th. We know there may be some concerns out there but we want to ensure families we are putting every measure in place to make school as safe as possible.
With a focus on health and safety, equity for all learners, well-being, mental health and academic progress, our staff will do the best they can to support our students as we transition back to in-person learning and will take the necessary time to refamiliarize our students with school routines and expectations. Below you can read some important updates and information as we get ready to welcome students back to classes.
Daily At-Home Monitoring and Self-Screening for COVID-19 Symptom
It is very important children/students stay home when they are ill, even if their symptoms are mild. Families must monitor and self-screen children for COVID-19 symptoms daily, before sending them to school and/or on the school bus using the COVID-19 Daily Checklist. If a child/student has any symptoms, it best to assume it is COVID until a rapid test proves that it's not.
If you or someone in your house feels any symptoms, you can start with a COVID self assessment online. Click the button below. This assessment will direct you to pick up a rapid test kit at the hospital if you are showing symptoms.
Rapid Testing
Rapid test kits were sent home earlier in the year and encourage families to use them if anyone is feeling symptoms. We received some more kits and will be using them as needed. If a student is feeling symptoms we will send a kit home for at home testing. We're expecting more details and direction on this soon and will share it with families. As mentioned above, you can get more rapid tests by filling out the COVID Self Assessment and you will be directed to the local hospital to pick up additional rapid test kids.
Masks
We know masks are another important layer of protection in keeping our students, staff and community safe. We must ensure masks fit and they are worn properly throughout the school day. We will be enforcing this strictly upon return to classes.
3-ply masks will be given to all staff and students on Monday. Masks must be worn at all times with the exception of eating, drinking, during rigorous physical activity, and out doors.
Cohorts
Cohorting can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our school. We will be grouping classes to reduce the mixing of various classes. This means we will reduce the number of students who go to recess or lunch at one time.
Cohorting during lunch means many classes will be eating be eating in their classrooms. P-5 will eat lunch in their classrooms. 6-12 will eat in the cafeteria at staggered times. Students P-12 will not have access to microwaves as long as we are cohorting. We understand this poses some challenges and hope it's only temporary.
Chartwell's is Closed
Chartwell's Cafeteria services will be close for the next few weeks. We know this is an inconvenience for many families and we are looking into possible solutions. At this time we ask families to send a lunch to school. We will always have food on hand if students don't have their lunch. Nobody will be hungry at FECCA!
Breakfast Program
Our wonderful breakfast program will be back up and running on Monday, January 17th. As always, Mrs. Richards and Mrs. Borden will be be taking their delicious and nutritious breakfast on the go. A hot tasty breakfast will be delivered to each students class every morning. We encourage students to always start their day with a full belly!
Final Assessments
High school classes will have some type of final assessment during the week of January 24th - 28th. These may not look like a traditional exam and each teacher will communicate with students what their final assessment will look like. This could be a final test or project and/or presentation etc... .
Please note that Friday, January 28th marks the end of semester 1 and there are no classes for grades 9 - 12.
A Message from Our Guidance Counselor
I hope you are all safe and healthy at home and enjoying this precious time with your family. As we navigate these challenging times and I wanted to reach out to provide some information on how I can support you and your children during this period of at home learning and to provide you information for additional support services.
As the School Counsellor I am available to check in with students at home via Zoom, phone, or via email. To book a time to connect please email me at jennie.macdonald@srce.ca or jennie.macdonald@gnspes.ca.
Some of the things I can support students with include:
- Anxiety/worryStress
- Anger Management
- Coping Strategies
- Self-Esteem
- Wellness check in’s
- Career exploration
- Post-Secondary inquires.
- Academic support
- Resume/Cover Letters for job applications
During the period of online learning, I will continue to post any updates for scholarships and bursaries to the Career Corner Google classroom, which all grade 12's have access to. The local bursaries will not be available until the spring. In addition, I have attached a family activities bingo for you and your family to use during this week of at home learning. Taking time to play and be active is a great way to support you and your child's wellness.
Lastly, there are other mental health support services available to you. The Kids Help Phone for Youth and the Provincial Mental Health Crisis Line. I have included information about those services below, along with contact information. Also, I have included a link to other services available to Nova Scotians to support mental wellness during this time https://novascotia.ca/mental-health-and-wellbeing/.
Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is a national helpline for young people between the ages of 5 and 20. Confidential and anonymous support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can phone to speak with a trained counsellor. You can also text to reach a trained volunteer crisis responder.
Provincial Mental Health Crisis Line
If you’re experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, or are concerned about someone who is, the Provincial Mental Health Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call toll-free: 1-888-429-8167
For those of you who may be struggling with food access, food banks are open and are safely supporting communities. If you are unable to access food support from a food bank or meal program, Feed Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Food Box Program is still available. You can call 211 weekdays between 8 am and 8 pm to see if the program is a good fit. Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school to see how we can support you during this challenging time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me anytime. Stay safe and healthy!
Best wishes,
Dress for the Season
Fanning Education Centre/Canso Academy recognizes the importance of children having an opportunity to play outside at recess and at lunch time and for frequent ‘mask breaks’. Our weather is constantly changing from day to day and it is important that students and parents monitor the weather and ensure that our students dress appropriately. In an effort to promote fitness and good health we will attempt to have outdoor play time when the weather permits.
Winter Travel Policy Requirements Please be advised that if you are volunteering to drive for extra-curricular activities during the period from November 1st to April 30th you must have winter tires on your vehicle. This is a requirement listed in the SRCE travel policy. We thank you for your assistance in this matter and appreciate your willingness to volunteer your time to drive students.
Intimate Images and Cyber-Protection Act
The rapid growth of smart phones, social media and the anonymity of the online world has created increasing opportunity for cyberbullying and the unwanted sharing of intimate images. The impacts of these behaviors can be devastating for victims. Supports are available. For more information please visit novascotia.ca/cyberscan.
Common Sense Media
Parenting in this digital rich age is new for many and comes with its many challenges. If you find you're looking for answers to how to manage your son or daughters digital life then please check out this amazing resource from Common Sense Media. This website provides parents lots of information and advice. One examples is their Parents Ultimate Guide Section where you can find parent guides on common apps such as TicTok, Snapchat, Fortnite, and Discord to name a few. If your kids are using these apps, we highly recommend looking over these guides. Common Sense Media also does reviews of video games, movies and TV shows so parents can get an idea of age appropriateness and what to expect.
