Monthly Archives: May 2022

As the 2021-22 school year continues, there has been an update to the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool.

Revisions have been made to align with updated federal guidance for fully vaccinated travelers who are exempt from quarantine.

Upon return from international travel, fully vaccinated travelers are no longer required to wear a mask when in public settings for 14 days after arrival in Canada or to maintain a list of all close contacts for their first 14 days in Canada.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals who are exempt from quarantine (including unvaccinated children under 12 years of age who are exempt from quarantine due to accompanying a fully vaccinated adult) are still required to wear a mask in public settings (including school and child care) and maintain a list of all close contacts for 14 days after arrival in Canada. Exemptions for this masking requirement include individuals who need to remove their mask for security or safety reasons; children under the age of 2; and children age 2 to 5 who are unable to tolerate wearing a mask.

As always, thank you for your ongoing partnership and efforts as we work to keep schools safe and open.

Our students have many opportunities to attend educational excursions. Families are reminded to please complete the school cash online component as well as returning signed consent forms. Your diligence is greatly appreciated.

Mathify’s online tutoring now supports Grades 4-11 with free tutoring from Ontario Certified Teachers

Students in Grades 4 to 11 can now access free online math tutoring with Ontario Certified Teachers through TVO Mathify. The recent addition of Grades 4 and 5 makes it possible for all students in Grades 4 to 11 to build their math skills and confidence for free through personalized support. By strengthening math foundations and supporting students’ progression through the Ontario math curriculum, TVO Mathify helps unlock greater potential.

Students use the online tutoring service by logging into a free account at TVOMathify.com and uploading a math question from school or choosing a practice question from the Question Bank, which supports the Grade 4-11 Ontario math curriculum. They then securely and anonymously connect to a personalized session with one of TVO Mathify’s tutors, all of whom are Ontario Certified Teachers. The interactive whiteboard and voice/text chat features work seamlessly across any device type to enable easy access to learning support anywhere.

Eligible students in Grades 4-11 can register anytime for a free TVOMathify.com account using their Ontario Education Number (OEN). Parents and educators can also stay informed with the latest in digital learning support from TVO through the monthly TVO Learn Newsletter.

The WCDSB Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) will be hosting guest speaker Paul Davis presenting on Social Media Safety on May 12^th at 6:30 p.m.

Paul is a well known speaker that has presented at multiple schools, corporations and law enforcement organizations in four provinces and five states on topics of Online Safety, Social Media and Cyber Security. He is the author of the book Online Safety for Grade 3/4/5/6.

For more information about Paul please see attached flyer.

If interested, please register for this virtual event using REGISTRATION LINK  before May 6^th, 2022.

PAUL DAVIS BIO OCT 2021

Dear Parents:

With phishing scams on the rise, students and parents are asked to exercise heightened awareness to avoid being victims of cyber-crime.

While most phishing attempts come by email, phishing can also come by other means. Phishing text messages (also known as SMS phishing or smishing) are fraudulent text messages, sent by cyber criminals, to try to lure victims into revealing personal or financial information to commit fraud or steal sensitive information or to click links that will install malware used to steal data and damage networks. These messages can arrive by SMS, iMessage, social media platforms, and other messaging platforms.

Phishing text / email messages are disguised to look like they are sent from a trustworthy organization or reputable person. Always use caution before responding to requests for information.

How it works:

Phishing scams typically use a threat or opportunity to encourage you to click a link or call a number. Financial incentives, including government payments and rebates, contests, prizes, and giveaways are often part of the lure used by cyber criminals, as well as threats such as legal action, overdue payments or missed deliveries.

In the example below, the smishing screenshot is impersonating a Canada Revenue Agency payment. However, the cyber criminal is attempting to steal the information or infect the device of the user who clicks the link.

Tips to protect yourself:

• Do not reply to the text message, do not call the number, do not click on any links in the message. Clicking a link could give cyber criminals access to your information.
• Do a web search of the phone number and message. Chances are you are not the first person to receive this message.
• Contact the organization directly to inquire about the message you’ve received. If you believe the message is a scam, contact the organization through their official customer service number to inquire about the message you’ve received. If they confirm it is not from them, delete the message.

If you think that you may have been a victim of phishing:

• Change your passwords.
• Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501. Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s What to do if you’re a Victim of Fraud page for more information.
• Report the incident to your local police.

Do your part to block cyber-attacks. Remember to persistently practice S.E.A.  – Slow down, Examine carefully and Act cautiously.

Other helpful resources:

• How (and what) to teach your kids about phishing
• Video: Smishing and how to protest yourself
• The 7 red flags of phishing
• Workbook for kids (Game 4 – Phishing)
• Teach your kids how to avoid online scams

Cyber Security Advisory – Phishing and Smishing Scams

Hello,

Please see the attached flyers for summer programs run through St. Louis.

HeadStart flyer 2022-3000

Summer Expedition flyer 2022-3000

IIL Summer flyer 2022-6000

Thank you.

Hello Hawks!

Monsignor Haller School is going to celebrate its 50th birthday with a Spring Play Day!!  On the afternoon of Friday, May 6th, students from Grades K-8 will be participating in Play Day.  The Grade 8 students will be running the events, and the children from Kindergarten- Grade 7 will be placed on teams to participate in a number of fun and exciting events!

The Play Day will begin promptly at 12:45 p.m. with students moving quickly into their pre-assigned teams.  Then, let the games begin!  Teams will rotate to different activities at the sound of the bell every 10-15 minutes.  Students will also be able to rest periodically. The Play Day will run until about 2:30 p.m.

Our Play Day will be dependent on the weather.  If the weather does not co-operate on Friday afternoon, the Play Day will be postponed. Watch Newswire for those updates and changes! On Friday, May 6th, all students participating in Play Day are asked to dress appropriately for the outdoor activities.  Students will be outside for the majority of the afternoon. Students are asked to wear sunscreen, hats, and comfortable clothing. 

We are hopeful that the weather is co-operative with us for our summer activities and that all students have a “sunny” good time!

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Monsignor Haller Play Day Committee