Welcome Back!

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to a new school year at St. Clare! And a special welcome to our new students! We hope that your family had a wonderful, fun-filled summer, and are returning to us with enthusiasm for new challenges. We look forward to working together in the upcoming year.

My name is Alane Martinuzzi, and this is my 29th year teaching, the last 16 or so have been at St. Clare.  I will be joined by Miss Anderson, a second year teacher candidate from the University of Ottawa, who will be with us until the end of January.  I will be teaching Grade 4 Science, Physical Education and Health, and 2 of the Arts strands (Drama, Dance) in the mornings, and Grade 4 Math, Language Arts, and Religion / Family Life in the afternoons. Parents, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns that may arise over the school year. You can contact me directly through the form on the class blog - http://martinuzzi1718.blogspot.ca/ - or by calling the school at 613-834-6334. Check the blog regularly - you will find lots of information about what is going on in our classroom, upcoming events, and what might be due in the next little while.  You can also follow the Clare Calendar of upcoming events and our Twitter feed there!

Our homeroom will be Room 110 this year. Each student will be bringing home a schedule of their day and a list of their teachers for your reference. The Grade 4 extended students will have M Karpinski as their French teacher this year. My Grade 4 teaching partner is Mrs. Marchant, and she will be teaching both Math and Language Arts to the other class of Gr. 4 students. We hope to do a lot of #STEM challenges together as we integrate technology and the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning.

While most of the necessary supplies are provided by the school, students may prefer to have some supplies of their own. A list of suggested items is posted on the school website: here . Each child will need a pair of indoor running shoes with non-marking soles for use in the gym and the classroom. We also welcome boxes of Kleenex, Ziploc bags, and bottles of hand soap or sanitizer for general classroom use. (Please note that in my virtually paperless classroom I have bins of communal supplies for students to share, and do not require additional items to be sent in, other than indoor shoes - but I do appreciate Kleenex!) )

Please remember that the safety and well-being of our students is of the utmost importance. St. Clare is a nut-free, peanut-free and scent-free school. Please check the ingredients of lunch and snack foods carefully, and enjoy any containing nuts or peanuts at home only. As well, parents volunteering at the school are asked to avoid the use of perfumes and other scented products for the comfort and safety of students with environmental sensitivities. Your cooperation is very important and greatly appreciated.

Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to keep on their desk throughout the day. Staying well hydrated, together with eating healthy snacks, helps to improve energy, concentration and alertness, and builds better eating habits for a healthy lifestyle.

I look forward to meeting most of you during Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 13 at 6:30 pm.  If there are any concerns you would like us to be aware of now, or at any time in the school year, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you!

Your partner in education,

Alane Martinuzzi