Symmes – D’Arcy McGee Update – 9/27/24

Dear Families,

I hope you are doing well.

Here is some information for this week:

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

• On September 30^th, we will be observing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
• We will be wearing orange shirts to honour the children who did not return home from residential schools as well as the survivors, their families and their communities

• Recognizing the tragic and painful history and it’s ongoing impacts is a necessary part of the reconciliation process
• For those of you that want to learn more, here is a link to a database of residential school survivor stories put together by a librarian at the University of Toronto:

https://irsssurvivors.library.utoronto.ca/home

• Here is a link to a poem by Rita Joe:

Rita Joe’s I Lost My Talk: A poem for reconciliation | National Arts Centre (nac-cna.ca)

Letter From Public Health

• Please see the attached letter from Public Heath regarding outbreaks of whooping cough in certain regions of Quebec

College, University and Trades Evening

• This event will take place at our school on November 7^th from 6pm-8pm
• There will be more than 20 representatives/kiosks with information for students and families
• I’ve attached a poster with more information – all are welcome!

Health Forms

• Please complete the attached health form and have your child bring it to our receptionist’s office
• You can also email the form directly to cgreen@wqsb.qc.ca

Photo Day

• School photos for all students will take place on Tuesday October 1^st
• Please remind your child not to wear green on this day as it will impact the quality of the photo

D’Arcy McGee Midterms

• Please note that our formal midterm session for D’Arcy students is February 3^rd – 7^th, 2025
• Attendance during midterms and final exams is mandatory and as per the Ministry of Education Guidelines, only the following reasons for student absences will be accepted:

·         Illness or accident confirmed by a medical report or certificate

·         Death of a close relative

·         A court summons

·         Participation in a provincial or national event

• Regular classes will be running during the times when your child does not have an exam scheduled

Upcoming Events

• I have attached 2 flyers advertising upcoming events at our school
• Please visit our school website (scroll to the bottom of the main page!) to watch our daily video announcements where you can learn more about school life:

Upcoming Dates

• September 30^th – National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
• October 1^st – school photo day
• October 14^th – Thanksgiving Monday
• October 15^th – Progress Reports published to Parent Portal
• October 17^th – PD Day
• October 18^th – PD Day

Have a great weekend!

Tara Laine Directrice Principal Symmes-D’Arcy McGee High School