It is hard to believe that we are less than a week away from the Christmas Break. Our first term is almost over. Even though the weather outside does not look like winter, we will soon be heading into our second half of the school year. The energy continues to be all that you would expect from close to five hundred 13 year old students. The Grade 7’s have adjusted well to the routines and expectations of a rotary system and I am sure they feel comfortable in their surroundings. Grade 8 students continue to provide leadership and enthusiasm that the others have embraced and built upon.

The new year begins the transition process for high school for our Grade 8’s. Beginning in early January, our high schools will begin their student orientation events and course selections. Families are encouraged to stay involved as they will learn about course selection, options, and the different course levels.

We continue to encourage parents to be an active partner in your child’s education. To assist you in this, we invite you to attend our next School Council Meeting on Monday, January 16 at 7:00 pm. We will have a brief presentation by our school guidance counsellor on the topic of high school course selection. At this meeting you will have an opportunity to hear information and ask questions which may assist you as you prepare to work with your child to make informed decisions for their high school program.

Grad photos will be taken on February 2nd . More information will be coming home early in the year.

In an effort to make sure relevant information makes its way home and is not buried in backpacks and lockers, we are striving to share more information electronically through emails, tweets and websites as we progress through the year. It is our goal to make information items, newsletters and important reminders more readily available and connect our parent community in a more efficient manner. Visit our website to register for an online portal that lets us instantly share school news and events. You will need your child’s OEN number to register. This can be found on the top of student report cards.

On Monday, February 20 you will receive your child’s First Term Provincial Report! This report includes specific subject grades/ marks. This signifies the end of First term and is the halfway point in the school year. We encourage all parents to have open communication with their child’s teachers and a quick phone call or interview is an ideal way to stay connected. Please feel free to call at any point in the year to make such arrangements.

Sunnyside students continue to show their caring ways. Over the last few months Student Council has coordinated a Holiday Hamper drive. We are hoping to assist approximately 30 families to help make the holidays a little happier. Students have filled hampers with food, special gifts, and other helpful items.

On Wednesday, December 17 we are proud to serve over 30 students who will enjoy a festive turkey dinner at our “Lunch Of Champions”! These students have been selected for displaying “courage and strength”. Special thanks goes out to McCabe’s Restaurant on King Street in Kitchener for preparing and donating the entire dinner for this occasion.

Keeping track of student attendance is an ongoing battle. Please help out our office staff by making use of our attendance line ( 519 – 570 – 8136 ext 3828 # ) to inform us of all absences, including special holidays and general illnesses. Communicating any changes in personal information such as phone numbers, email, or home address is critical to ongoing communication. Please inform the office of such changes as soon as they occur. It is important to be aware that the attendance line is available 24 hours a day.

December 19, 2014 will be our last day before the holiday break. There will be a variety of fun in-school activities in the morning. In the afternoon there will be whole-class dance competitions in the gym. We are looking forward to celebrating a great first term with all our students and staff. School will be closed for holidays and we return Monday, January 5, 2015. From the entire staff at Sunnyside, we would like to wish all families a Happy Holiday Season with family and friends and we look forward to many exciting opportunities in the New Year!

Keep The Pride In Sunnyside!

Sincerely

Jeff Lovell Principal