This week at WMES
October 5, 2020

Dear WMES Families:

• Picture Retake Day is October 9th.  Please be sure to let your child’s classroom teacher know in writing (note or email) if you would like retakes and your background choice as students aren’t always sure if they are supposed to get retakes. Thanks. 
 

• Thanksgiving – A reminder that next Monday, October 12th is the Thanksgiving holiday.  There is on school for students on that day.
 

• Water Testing:
This past spring, every water source in every school in Nova Scotia, including ours, was tested to determine whether the lead and copper levels in the water met new Health Canada Guidelines. The results of this testing can be found in two places:

• Provincial government website at: www.ednet.ns.ca/water-test-results .
• Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) website at: www.hrce.ca/water-test-results .

The provincial website has information for every school in Nova Scotia. The document on the HRCE website contains an additional column “Next Steps” which will be updated as work progresses for any water source that tested above the Health Canada guidelines.
No matter the results, students and staff will continue to access drinking water through the current water stations as fountains are inaccessible during COVID-19. Even for those schools where every water source falls within the guidelines.
Please reach out if you have any questions.

• Information for Student Planning Team members (including parents)
Our school specialist staff (Speech-Language Pathologists, School Psychologists,
School Social Workers) will continue to be accessible at each HRCE school. The manner in which students are supported may look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but are aligned with the Inclusive Education policy and Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

Supports will be offered to students across a continuum of services with the bulk of the service occurring within the student’s classroom; otherwise known as Tier 1 support. Supports could include the specialist co-teaching and collaborating with classroom teachers. Additionally, specialists could provide more intensive, pull-out supports for those students who have significant needs that cannot be met in the classroom.

Parents are an integral part of their child’s Student Planning Team and will be informed of the support being provided to their child. Written consent will be obtained for any type of targeted or more intensive support provided by a school
• specialist (e.g., pull-out interventions).

Please reach out if you have any questions / concerns.

Have a great week everyone. 
Take care & stay safe
Karla Wolfe
Principal WMES