Good evening Everyone,

Please take note of the following important information…

• Monday, March 8
  • Class Photo Day
    • It is very important that students come to school in full uniform on this date, which should include their school sweater and proper black shoes.
• Tuesday, March 9
  • Student Council Green Colours Day
    • Students are welcome to come to school wearing green clothing items. Students are asked to bring a loonie if they wish to be entered into the Lucky Prize Draw in support of Catholic Charities.
  • Registration Packages for 2021-22 will be sent home with your children today. Please check the school bag of your eldest child.
• Wednesday, March 10
  • Hot Lunch (Pizza)
  • Gym Strip Sale from 2:30 to 3:30 pm outside the Gym Doors
  • AGM at 6:30pm
    • This year, the AGM will take the form of a virtual presentation in video format that will be sent out directly to families via email. Kindly note that this video will only be made available for 24 hours.
• Thursday, March 11
  • Term 2 CSLs will be sent home along with a Student-Led Conferencing Package that your child has prepared to share with you. (Please sign the back of the CSL folder and have your child return it to school upon returning after Spring Break).
  • Last day of school for students before Spring Break
• Friday, March 12
  • Registration for 2021/22 from 8:30am – 3:30pm
    • Registration packages can be dropped off at the Main School Entrance in one of two labelled drop-off bins (Family Names A-K in Bin 1 and Family Names L-Z in Bin 2)
    • We kindly ask that you carefully complete the registration package this year as it will not be checked upon submission due to COVID-19 Regulations.   On that note, if would be appreciated if the payments included in the registration package are made in cheque (as opposed to cash).  Also, please note that it is important to understand that incomplete packages and those without payment will be sent home again in order to be properly completed, which would further delay the process.
    • Also, kindly note that due to COVID-19, Student Led Conferences will take place at home this year. We request that you take the time to review and discuss the contents of the Student-Led Package with your child.  Here are some tips for a successful Student-led Conference:  1)  Establish a quiet place where you can meet with your child for appx. 20 minutes for the conference.  2)  Recognize your child with positive feedback for his/her great work, as well as progress made since Term 1.   3)  Encourage your child to identify a goal that he/she can work on in Term 3.
    • No formal classes on this date.
• Saturday, March 13
  • Registration for 2021/22 from 9:30am – 11:00am
    • Registration packages can be dropped off at the Main School Entrance
• Saturday, March 13 – Sunday, March 28 Spring Break (No Classes)
• Sunday, March 14
  • Daylight Savings Time Begins (Please adjust your clocks forward by one hour)
• Monday, March 29
  • School Re-opens at 8:55am.   Students are reminded to return to school their CSL Folder with the back cover signed by a parent.

Other Information
*After 45 years of commendable service to the CISVA and Holy Cross Elementary School, we are announcing that Mrs. Sorace will be retiring officially at the end of the school year.  Her dedication to the Holy Cross School and Parish Community has been extremely appreciated and we wish her well in her retirement.  We look forward to Mrs. Sorace’s last few months at Holy Cross with both sadness and sincere gratitude.

*Please note due to Covid-19 regulations, this school year’s Talent Show at the end of May will take the form of a Virtual Presentation of Whole Class Performances.  Miss Ranallo will work with the Kindergarten to Grade 7 Classes during Music Blocks at school. More details to follow.

*A kind reminder to all of our families (particularly on days of good weather) that our students should be picked up and brought to the cars as soon as possible in an effort to ensure minimal social gathering and proper social distancing at pick-up times. We are kindly requesting that parents wear their masks in the pick-up area after-school. A very special thank you to those parents who are already doing so.

*Our sincere gratitude goes out to our families at Holy Cross School for continuing to follow the protocols laid out in our 2020 Health & Safety Plan. We continue to advise families of our school community to err on the side of caution when deciding to send your children to school. Please note that there is a updated “Daily Health Check” posted on the school website.    We strongly recommend you keep your child at home if they are sick or if they present any symptoms listed on the COVID-19 checklist. Kindly note that Holy Cross School must adhere to strict guidelines from Fraser Health and the Provincial Health Authority in regards to any COVID-19 related issues (re. notifications for exposures, isolations, clearance to return to school, privacy matters, etc…). It is also important to read the notifications being sent out through our Office, as they contain the most updated and relevant information related to the current Covid-19 pandemic. In light of the latest press conference held by Dr. Bonnie Henry, we are very pleased with how well our school has been able to conform with the guidelines as laid out in the BCCDC Health & Safety Checklist. We have gone through the lengthy documentation and have made some minor adjustments in our school’s Health & Safety Plan. I continue to commend our school community for their responsible cooperation with our Health & Safety Guidelines and I strongly urge our parents to continue with their diligence in this area. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Staff of Holy Cross School for doing their utmost in managing Covid issues on a daily basis.   It is important to note that some of our most current Covid-related situations at the school are directly related to external scenarios which are far beyond our school’s control. As a group, I believe we can continue to manage COVID-19 issues at the school level, but it is critical as our Provincial Health Officer regularly mentions, that these guidelines are followed outside of the school as well. Thus far, your discretion and judgement has been outstanding and it has helped to maintain a safe school environment for all of us.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation,

Mr. Dino Alberti
Principal