Dear Parents and Guardians,
I want to thank you for being patient as we work through the tremendous job of recreating our timetable once again this year to accommodate the new SMCDSB education model of hybrid learning. An extraordinary amount of work was completed by our guidance department over the past few weeks to create a timetable that met the needs of our face to face and remote learners. Please note that if your son/daughter wishes to make changes to their timetable they must fill out the google form found in their Guidance Google Classroom upon receiving their timetable. Once you have made a guidance appointment please do not further contact guidance as the guidance department will be in touch with you to schedule an appointment. Also note priority will be given to Grade 12 students first followed by Grades 11, 10 and then 9.
Student Schedules/ Timetables: Are just being finalized and will be emailed out to parents nearing the end of this week. Please continue to check your email. Once timetables are emailed out it will be noted on both our school website and our twitter account.
Staggered Start to Quad 2: As was indicated in the email sent out previously by our Director of Education there will be a staggered start to our second quadmester to allow teachers and students time to adjust to our new learning environment. Please take note of the following, remote learners refers to students that have chosen to learn from home. Face to face students are those students who are physically attending St. Thomas Aquinas CSS. For face to face learners who have a poor internet connection, you will not be penalized for this on the first two days of school where you are asked to remain at home.
Friday November 13th - No school for any students. This is a Board PA Day
Monday November 16th - All students check their school email at 9am. Teachers will be reaching out to their students with their google classroom codes or Brightspace information. A lesson will be provided for all students online. Please make sure you check in with your teacher.
Tuesday November 17th - Remote learners experience their first day class with their teacher. Face to face students enrolled in Hospitality, Construction Technology, Communication Technology, Physical Education classes, Drama, Music or Visual Arts are expected to attend school.
Wednesday November 18th - All Face to Face students attend. Remote learners will not have a ‘live’ lesson this day but will have lessons posted for them in their google classroom or Brightspace.
Thursday November 19th - All learners (remote and face to face) will participate together in their hybrid classroom for the first time.
Attendance: All students of STA are expected to be in attendance from 9 am until 2 pm each day. We are still on the same schedule as quad 1 - a full day / all week / one class schedule. Parents are expected to call the school (both remote and virtual students) if they are going to be absent for that day.
On a final note, please be patient with our staff and your children as we navigate this quadmester together. Both staff and students have been asked to engage in a new educational model in which neither have any prior experience.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Ann Marie Sheehan
Principal
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School