Asalamualykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope you had a wonderful summer and are ready to begin an exciting new school year. To all of our new students, welcome to AHC Academy! My name is Sara Khalfallah and I am so excited to work with you and your child this year. Whether your child is attending school online or in person I look forward to meeting them and working with you throughout the year to meet their needs. I understand that this school year will be very different due to the ongoing pandemic but I will try my best to make your child’s transition back to school as smooth as possible Inshallah. Every day your child will have the opportunity to learn through a variety of activities. Subjects that I will be teaching include language, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, and health and physical education. I will also be incorporating arts and crafts throughout the various subject areas. Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies will be taught by Sister Afrah who we will be able to meet very soon.
Online Synchronous Learning This year families had the option to choose online learning for their child(ren). Students who will be learning from home online will be required to sign onto our live synchronous sessions throughout the school day. Students will be given assignments that they will need to complete. The assignments will be a mix of online and homework packages that must be picked up from school weekly. I strongly encourage students to have an adult nearby who they can count on to help them if they encounter any technical issues or if they require assistance with anything else. Parents are encouraged to support students at home but assignments that are submitted must be completed by the student. Expectations for students who are joining us live from home via Zoom include;
- Joining live sessions on time
- Having video on (strongly encouraged)
- Having a working device and mic
- Being in a quiet work environment
- Being prepared with device charged and school materials
- Following school rules and ready to participate!
- Completing and submitting assignments on time
- Students who are learning online from home will be given the same breaks as students who are in school.
In-Person Learning Students who will be learning in person will be introduced to new school procedures and changes to daily schedules and routines. Classrooms have been set up to
encourage social distancing between students and teachers. All students in grades 1 and 2 are strongly encouraged to wear masks when they are in the classroom. We will have outdoor recess and physical education where students do not have to wear masks. Students will wash their hands before they eat snacks and lunch and will continue to sanitize throughout the day.
What to bring to school?
- Backpack & Lunch Bag: Students should come to school with a backpack and lunch bag. Having a lunch bag will make it easier for students to bring their snacks and lunch into the classroom.
- Water Bottle: Students must bring in a filled water bottle each day, they will not have access to the water fountain.
- Indoor Shoes: Students need to bring in a pair of indoor running shoes that will only be worn inside the school.
- Change of Clothes: Students from kindergarten to grade 2 should have a change of clothes in their bags that they can change into in case of any accidents.
- Extra Face Mask: Please keep an extra face mask in your child’s bag.
- Small Prayer Mat: Students will need to bring their prayer mat which they can use to pray
- Please let me know if your child carries any medical devices
- Students are not allowed to bring any other personal belongings to school, all other supplies needed will be provided.
School Supplies/Materials
- All students will be provided with their own individual supplies which include pencils, eraser, ruler, colouring pencils/markers, student whiteboard, etc. Students are expected to take care of the supplies we provide them.
- Students will also be assigned their own math manipulatives (eg. counters, blocks) that they will use during different units of study. These must be returned to the school and cannot be kept.
- Any items that are used by multiple students will be sanitized before and after use.
Lastly, please make sure you have joined our Google Classroom and Class Dojo. All students must be connected to both. Google Classroom will be used for posting class schedules and information regarding assignments/classwork. Class Dojo will be used to share classroom pictures of students and to keep parents connected. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can e-mail me at ahcacademy12@gmail.com or call me at the school cell phone: (647) 509-2422. I will also do my part by periodically sending out messages to update you on what we have been doing in
class as well as things that are upcoming. For individual concerns, I will contact you by phone, send a note home, or email you (if an email address is provided). Please don’t hesitate to talk to me if you have any questions or concerns.
We will have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in the days, weeks, and months ahead. I look forward to a year of fun and learning with your child! Together we can make this a positive experience.
Sincerely,
Sara Khalfallah