Principal’s Message

Happy New Year! I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope that you were able to enjoy some time with family and friends over the holidays.

This week brought winter temperatures, something not seen yet this year (my usual vacation is spent skiing and snowshoeing, not biking and hiking as I did this year). Now that the cold weather has arrived, please be sure to send your child with a warm coat, hat, mitts and boots (and snow pants for younger students) for outdoor play. Please also be sure that your child has indoor shoes to remain at school.

I am often asked how principals decide whether it’s too cold to allow students out in the schoolyard for recess. Fresh air and exercise are important for children. It keeps them physically fit, and helps them stay alert all through the school day. But extreme cold can be dangerous, therefore conditions warranting indoor recesses are:

(a) rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, extreme winds and extreme cold.
(b) cold weather: when temperature and/or windchill factor indicates -28C or lower children will remain indoors due to risk of frostnip and frostbite. When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates –20 to –28C, recesses may be shortened depending on local conditions.

Canadian winters can be wonderful but when the weather is cold, we keep one eye on the thermometer and the other on the needs of our students – a perfect balance of fun and safety. Let’s bundle up and cross our fingers for snow!

Tracey O’Toole