Elmwood Parents

February 28, 2020 

Dear Elmwood Community, 

While Ottawa Public Health continues to report that there are no confirmed or presumptive cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ottawa, we wanted to reassure you that ensuring the continued safety and well-being of our community remains a top priority.  

As we communicated in January, in addition to our regular protocols, we have implemented additional practices that include:

• Daily disinfection with an electrostatically charged disinfection mist sprayed onto all surfaces and objects.
• A “24-hour symptom-free” policy whereby students with a fever or flu-symptoms are being picked up and kept home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
• The reinforcement of proven protective measures including hand-washing, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth unless you have just washed your hands, covering your coughs and sneezes with your arm and staying home if you are sick. 

We continue to follow the direction of Ottawa Public Health, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, and the Public Health Agency of Canada as well as actively monitor updates from the World Health Organization. As we approach March Break, we ask that you take special note of the directives for families returning from travel in, or hosting visitors from, affected areas.  As this is a developing situation, we ask that you keep abreast of developments in the coming days through Ottawa Public Health.

As a community, we are also developing contingency plans regarding school trips and community gatherings as well as ensuring the girls can access online curriculum and teaching should they need to miss school. All developments and plans will be communicated as appropriate through our Parent Portal, email and Schoology.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Francie Marchand, our school nurse at (613) 749-6761 x 296.  Thank you in advance for your support, vigilance and cooperation to help make sure our community remains healthy.

Yours truly, 

James Whitehouse
Head of School

IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE

First Day of Classes     
New students: Tuesday, September 3
Returning students:  Wednesday, September 4

University Info. Night                                                                           
Thursday, September 5

Camp Elmwood 2019                                                                                
September 11 – 13 (Gr. 12 start Sept. 10)

Curriculum Information Night                                                                       
Wednesday, September 18

Thanksgiving Break                             
Classes end: Thursday, October 10
Classes begin: Tuesday, October 15

Fall Mid Term Break                            
Classes end: Thursday, November 7
Classes begin: Tuesday, November 12

PD Day: Friday, November 29

December Break                                              
Classes end: Thursday, December 19
Classes begin: Monday, January 6, 2020

Winter Mid Term Break                             
Classes end: Wednesday, February 12 
Classes begin: Tuesday, February 18

March Break
Classes end: Friday, March 6
Classes begin: Monday, March 23

Easter Break                                                    
Classes end: Thursday, April 9
Classes begin: Tuesday, April 14

Victoria Day Break
Classes end: Friday, May 15
Classes begin: Tuesday, May 19

Closing Ceremonies
Junior School: Wednesday, June 10
Middle School: Thursday, June 11
Senior School: Friday, June 12

First Week of School Schedule (Pre-Kindergarten) 

• Completion of information sheet and card 

• Students can be dropped off as early as 8 a.m. with no charge 

First Week of School Schedule (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12) 

Tuesday, September 3
New Family Orientation: 9 - 11:30 a.m. followed by a BBQ lunch for new families. 
• New students only and assigned Student Ambassadors
• Returning students do not attend school on this day unless asked to be a Student Ambassador

Wednesday, September 4
All JK - Grade 12 returning and new students attend for a regular school day:
Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten - Classes begin at 9 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m. 
Grades 1 to 5 – Classes begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.
Middle/Senior School - Homeroom begins at 8:10 a.m. and classes finish at 3:45 p.m. 
After-School Program from 3 - 5:30 p.m. is available for registered Junior School students. 

Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6
All returning and new students attend for regular school days: 
Early Years (Pre-K to SK) - Classes begin at 9 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m. 
Grades 1 to 5 – Classes begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.
Middle/Senior School - Homeroom begins at 8:10 a.m. and classes finish at 3:45 p.m. 
Before-School Care Program from 7:30 - 8 a.m is available for registered Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 students.

Early Years (Pre-K to SK) - Classes begin at 9 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m. 
Grades 1 to 5 – Classes begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.
Middle/Senior School - Homeroom begins at 8:10 a.m. and classes finish at 3:45 p.m. 

Junior School parents visit the "Before and After School Care" tab if you require additional information. 

Junior School: A parent must call the School at 613-749-2558 or email Sarah Hay at shay@elmwood.ca if a student will be late or absent.

Middle/Senior School: A parent must call the School at 613-749-6761 or email attendance@elmwood.ca if a student will be late or absent. 

Before-School Program – starting September 5^th

Students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5 can be dropped off by parents in our Junior School lunchroom between 7:30 - 8 a.m, and an Early Childhood Educator will be there to welcome your daughter with books, puzzles and colouring activities, designed to start her day in a peaceful, calm environment. At 8 a.m., students from Grades 1-5 go outside for regular morning supervision. Kindergarten students will remain with an Early Childhood Educator until classes begin at 9 a.m. Note: For all students in Kindergarten, supervising teachers are on duty from 8 a.m. until classes begin at 9 a.m. There is no fee for supervision of Kindergarten students from 8-9 a.m.

The before-school care program is available on a regular basis, or on an as needed/drop-in basis for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5. Please note that the safety of our students is always our first priority; any student arriving at Junior School before 8 a.m. will automatically be placed in this program, and the family’s Elmwood account will be charged. The cost is $5 per child per day ($25 for the full week). A family registering for the entire term will receive a discount of 15% ($380 versus $437.50) per child.

click here to register
After-School Program – starting September 4^th

Should you need longer after school care, you may register your child(ren) in the program which runs until 5:30 p.m. and is led by Mrs. Arlene Clark-Brown. An additional charge will be levied after 5:30 p.m. You can select the full five-day program or any option of your choice (for example, Mondays and Wednesdays). Using the Junior School dining room as “home base”, the program consists of playtime, a supervised study period, planned recreational activities and a nutritious snack.  The emphasis of the program is on creating a nurturing, structured atmosphere, where each student feels welcome. On very rare occasions, a student whose behaviour is disruptive will be asked to withdraw from the program.

The cost of the After-School Program is $3,000 per student (and a $35/day drop in fee), billed to your account as follows:

September 27, 2019                 $1000
January 31, 2020                        $1000
March 27, 2020                           $1000

The cost of this program is fully tax deductible, and a tax receipt will be issued automatically based on the calendar year. If your child requires occasional after school care on a per diem basis, please inform the Junior School office. A charge of $30 will automatically be billed to your school account.

click here to register

Elmwood Bistro staff prepares healthy and delicious meals and snacks from scratch ever day.  Students can subscribe to a meal plan or make purchases à la carte using their swipe card.  

click for more info and to register

Every September, our Middle and Senior School students and faculty travel to Camp Kandalore in the Algonquin Highlands for a three-day retreat. It is an opportunity to develop leadership and mentoring skills, build friendships and welcome new students into the school.

An email was sent to parents on August 27 with additional camp information and permission forms. Please contact Elmwood's Student Life Coordinator, Jen Walsh, should you require assistance. 

Drop-Off and Pick-Up at Elmwood 

The safety of our students is a primary concern. Our parking lot drop-off and pick-up system is designed with the safety of our students in mind. Please follow the instructions below and help us make Elmwood safe for our students.
 
Morning Drop-off
1.     Please drop-off your daughter using our one-way system. Please do not use Elmwood’s Buena Vista entrance/circular driveway, the road, or any private driveways off Buena Vista to drop off or pick up your daughter. The circular driveway at Elmwood’s front entrance is reserved for school buses.
2.     Drive slowly and cautiously as you enter the parking lot.
3.     Drive to the drop-off zones to stop to let your daughter exit your vehicle.
4.     Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
5.     Obey the instructions of our parking lot attendants and supervising faculty.
6.     Please note: there is no teacher supervision of students prior to 8 a.m. Please do not leave your daughter unattended.
 
Afternoon Pick-up: Junior School
1.     Junior School students must be collected from the Junior School.
2.     Please park your car in the main parking lot and proceed to the Junior School.
3.     Once you have collected your daughter, please return to your car to allow others to use your parking space.
4.     If you wish to collect your Junior School daughter at the same time as her Middle/Senior School sibling, Junior School teachers do accompany a group of students to be collected with the older students outside the entrance to the main school building.
 
Afternoon Pick-up: Middle/Senior School
1.     Please use the roundabout system to pick-up Middle or Senior School students.
2.     The left-hand lane is for collecting your daughter who is waiting for you. Your first loop around the parking lot should be in this lane.
3.     If you do not see her, the right-hand lane is a stopping zone after school. You may park there, but you cannot leave your vehicle. Please wait for your daughter inside your vehicle.
4.     You will also see a bus/taxi/chauffeur zone. Please do not park in this area.
5.     Please note: All students must be picked up by 5:30 p.m. There is no adult supervision after this time.
 
Helpful Hints
The parking lot is only busy for 10-15 minutes in the morning and afternoon. If you can stagger your pick-up or drop- off to avoid the busiest times (8 – 8:15 a.m. and 3:40 – 3:55 p.m.) your drop-off or pick-up will be faster and easier.
 
If you live in the neighborhood, encourage your children to walk or ride their bikes to school. In an effort to ensure proper safety, we ask that everyone (students, teachers, parents) riding a bicycle to school please enter and exit through the SIDE GATE on SPRINGFIELD Road and to NOT travel through the parking lot with the moving vehicles. A bike rack is provided outside the Senior School doors and Junior School students and parents can then walk down the provided pathway for safe drop off into the play yard.
 
It is highly recommended that parents of students from Grades 2 to 5 drop their child safely with the teacher on duty in the parking lot. This encourages independence and leaves parking spaces available for parents of younger children.
 
Thank you for your cooperation.

ELMWOOD EDGE - Elmwood’s In-School Enrichment and Development Program

Our optional in-school enrichment and development program, is being offered for the 2019 - 20 school year. Elmwood Edge provides families with options for their daughters in addition to the traditional academic support and enrichment that our Elmwood girls have always received.

If you are considering tutoring for your daughter, as an enrichment opportunity, to provide academic support, or to facilitate an elite athlete schedule, then Elmwood Edge may be the solution. Elmwood Edge provides our Middle and Senior families with an enhanced, individualized and secure alternative to the unregulated tutoring industry.

In-line with best practice at numerous Canadian independent schools, and under the expert guidance of Ms. Katie Fraser, Elmwood’s Director of Student Success, Elmwood Edge will provide the following:

• Enrichment and/or support from highly qualified educators, all of whom have received training from Elmwood’s Director of Student Success, Ms. Fraser. 
• Strategic instruction to enable each student to become an independent, life-long learner and thinker
• An individualized program of study designed to meet each student’s unique needs and skills
• Regular feedback meeting between Ms. Fraser and the instructors
• Regular communication between instructor and parents to establish goals and discuss progress
• Regular communication between the instructor and the student’s teachers to provide progress reports and to modify session goals as needed
• Convenience of instruction that will take place at Elmwood either after school (between 4 to 5 p.m.) or during the school day (where a student’s timetable allows for spares)
• Competitive rates ($78 per hour)

If you are interested in this opportunity for your daughter, please contact Ms. Katie Fraser, Director of Student Success, for more information and to discuss your daughter’s needs and interests. She can be reached at kfraser@elmwood.ca.

Immunization Records

Key Contacts

James Whitehouse |  Head of School  | email
Elise Aylen | Director of Admissions | email 
Christine Blackadar |  Junior School Deputy Head | email
Meagan Enticknap-Smith |  Middle/Senior Deputy Head | email
Stephanie Hanratty | Director of Co-Curricular Learning | email 
Jennifer Irwin-Jackson | Executive Director of Advancement and Community Relations | email
Tanja Mackin | Director of Finance and Administration | email
Donna Naufal Moffatt | Director of Academic Counselling | email 
Matt Perreault | Director of Information Technology | email
Joan Sun | Director International Student Program | email 

Middle/Senior Technology Programme

Elmwood has chosen to use the MacBook as its computing platform of choice for our Middle and Senior School Technology Programme.
 
For the 2019/20 school year you may buy a MacBook Air through Elmwood, or bring your own. All the details on price and choice of MacBook Air are included in the online form linked below. The link also includes details about purchasing your own should you choose.
 
Please click here to indicate your choice. The details of the program are included with the link. 
 
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Matt our Director of Technology at mperreault@elmwood.ca or Stephane our Laptop Technician at sdube@elmwood.ca. 

Schoology at Elmwood

Schoology is our primary way of communication with parents and students at Elmwood. All the information our current families will need on a day-to-day basis will be found on Schoology. Please use the following instructions to sign up to Schoology and join our “Junior School Parent Updates”Group OR our “Middle/Senior School Parent Updates” Group. These groups are where you will find the school calendar, information about school events, the weekly Bistro menu, letters home and more.

You will also be able to connect to your daughter’s Schoology account, giving you a better understanding of her experience here at Elmwood. If you have any questions you can always start by asking your daughter, as she’ll soon be an expert on Schoology—she’ll be using it every day.

The following instructions will help you sign up for your Schoology Account.


Creating your Schoology account

Attention New Families: Your login details will be sent to you via email end of August.

Joining Schoology is easy, simply visit the Schoology Parent Sign up page to create your parent account. Schoology will now prompt you to enter your daughters code. If you are unsure of your daughter's code, please contact us.

Once you have entered the code, you will be prompted to fill in your own details, including your email address, to complete your registration. You only need this code once, so you do not need to write it down, however both parents can create their own account using this same code.

Once you are registered, you can return to http://www.schoology.com whenever you would like to log back in. Click the Login button at the top right then type your email address and password to login.

If you already have a Schoology Account and you’re adding your second daughter. Login to Schoology, click the arrow at the top right, and choose ‘add child’. Put the access code above into the box that pops up.

Once you have signed in to Schoology, you will be able to join groups and set your preferences.  The following series of videos demonstrate the most common tasks.  

• How to sign up for Schoology as a parent with a code
• How to join a Parent Update group
• How to modify notifications within Schoology
• How to change the default account within Schoology
• How to change the time zone with Schoology

Smart Phone App

Schoology has free App for both iPhone, iPad and Android devices. So download it and you can see what's up at Elmwood from wherever you are. Trying to access Schoology through the web browser on your phone or tablet can cause problems so always use the App. Choose the "Email Login" option when signing in to Schoology on the App.

If you have any trouble or questions you can ask your daughter, your daughter's homeroom teacher or Matt Perreault, our Director of Technology.

Elmwood's uniform shop (The Eagles' Nest) is located on the first floor of the Middle/Senior School. The Eagles’ Nest, run by volunteers from the Parents’ Association, sells new and used uniform items, as well as a number of promotional and spirit items. 

HOURS OF OPERATION: 

From September 3 - 20 the uniform shop will be open Monday to Friday from 8 to 10 a.m. 
As of September 23, the shop will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10 a.m. 
* Please note the uniform shop will be closed September 11 - 13. 
* If you require additional assistance, please email eaglesnest@elmwood.ca.

Click below for detailed uniform guideline documents:

• Early Years Uniform Guidelines
• Grades 1–5 Uniform Guidelines
• Middle and School School Uniform Guidelines

Senior Systems: My Backpack is the school's student information system. 

Signing in is easy! Just follow the steps below:

1. Go to the My Backpack login page (https://elmwood.seniormbp.com) (don't forget to bookmark this page!) 
    
2. Login in using your My Backpack user name and password. This video contains more detailed information.  If you have additional questions or need help to login, please do not hesitate to contact us at mbpsupport@elmwood.ca

Through this portal, you are able to:

• check your daughter's timetable
• review your daughter's attendance record
• download you daughter's report card (if you would prefer a printed copy of your daughter's report card please Submit A Request)
• easily update contact and emergency information and communication preferences
• access the student/parent directory and
• find teacher contact information

Attention New Families: Your login details will be sent to you via email end of August.

Elmwood's Summer Reading Guides

The best way to help your daughter maintain the skills she has developed over the school year is to encourage her to read on a daily basis throughout the summer. Elmwood's Summer Reading Guides are meant to help you and your daughter select books that suit both her interests and her reading level. When browsing in libraries and bookstores this summer, we encourage you to choose books that will inspire her imagination. 

• Junior School Summer Reading Guide
• Middle School Reading Guide
• Senior School Reading Guide

Textbooks are purchased through Canadian School Book Exchange (CSBE) who provide an on-line service. To place your order for the 2019/20 school year go to this link: www.csbe.net/school/elm and follow these instructions:

• Click on Place Student Order, then click 2019/2020 Academic Year Bookstore.
• Either login to your existing account or create a new account, then select the grade and courses to choose your daughter’s textbooks.
• Follow directions to Checkout (Payment: On-line with Visa or MasterCard; by mail with money order or cheque payable to Canadian School Book Exchange). Your order is only complete when you select the SUBMIT button and receive an order number. Please keep your order number.
• If used books do not appear, please order new but select the ‘used book substitution’ box at the end of the order form. CSBE will assign used books if they become available on a first come, first served basis.
• Textbooks will be shipped by courier to your home or business address beginning in August.
• For assistance, call the CSBE at 1-800-335-5043 and ask for Internet Customer Service.

French and Humanités Textbooks:
Students entering Middle School have been placed in either the Core or French Extended programs, based on their current French placement. If you are not sure which group your daughter will be placed, it would be best to wait until September to order her French book(s). If your daughter is placed in Extended French, she will also be taking Humanités.

In Senior School, textbook purchases are by course code as selected by the student on her Option sheet. For example, Grade 10 core French is FSF2D and Grade 10 extended French is FEF2D.

Returns:
Students have until October 4, 2019 to return textbooks ordered in error. If you are unsure of a course or placement, and you have ordered the required books, please contact CSBE and they will make arrangements to give you a refund. Please note: your book should not have any markings in it to ensure a full refund.

Grade 6 - 10 Online Math Textbooks:
The Mathematics Department will be using an online textbook for the 2019/20 school year called Math Help Services. The textbook is aligned with the Ontario Ministry Mathematics Curriculum. This textbook helps provide your daughters with instant feedback and helps support learning in the classroom. It also allows students to preview video lessons for an upcoming class. The cost of the software is $38.50 and will be charged your daughter's student account. Please click here to complete the Math Help Services order form. 

Grade 11 and 12 Online Textbooks:
In addition to the textbooks ordered through CBE, students in the following courses will also require the online textbook from Kognity which will cover both the Grade 11 and Grade 12 curriculum. The school will order the online textbook access for each student in these classes and will then charge the student account. Dependent on which other courses the student is taking the cost of the textbook is approximately $130 (covers both Grade 11 and Grade 12) for one book or up to approximately $380 for a 'bundle' which includes access to three or more books over two years.
Kognity text courses: Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Theory of Knowledge (IDC4U).

Elmwood Transportation Options

Elmwood can assist in coordinating transportation with carpools of interested families or private bus transportation. If you are interested in either the bus or carpool options for the 2019 – 20 school year, please email Valerie Jean-Pierre, Admissions Assistant at vjean-pierre@elmwood.ca to ensure your name is added to our list. Please state whether you are interested in “Bus” or “Carpool” or both. 

For all upcoming events please check the calendar! 

We rely on volunteers to help our students learn in the classroom, organize community building events and fundraising activities and more! Volunteering is a wonderful way to contribute to the school’s life and to meet parents and members of the Elmwood community. There are many opportunities to get involved!

LEARN MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING!