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 I am very excited to be your teacher this year! This is my 28th year teaching, and I believe we need to work as a team to make our class a happy, productive place where everyone can learn and be successful.  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://martinuzzi1617.blogspot.ca - or by calling the school at 613-834-6334. Check the blog regularly for upcoming events, important information, and our class calendar.  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.  This year, I will be teaching Math and English Language Arts to both Grade 4 and Grade 5.  Grade 4 and 5 students in the extended French program will have Mme Joly as their French teacher.  Grade 5 students in the immersion program will go to Mme Grenier, who is replacing Mr. Karpinski for this academic year. I am very excited to welcome my new Grade 4 partner, Mrs. Kyla Marchant!  We hope to do a lot of team and co-teaching in the afternoons as we integrate technology and the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning.

As our classroom is essentially a paperless classroom, the students will not require much in the way of traditional school supplies. They may want to purchase a few supplies of their own to bring to their French class.  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 for general classroom use at any time during the year.

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 you all during our Curriculum Night, Wednesday September 14th at 6:45 p.m. 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