Dear Waterloo Catholic Families,  

We are excited to be welcoming you and your family back for the start of the 2022-23 school year. We offer a special welcome to all families joining us for the first time this year. We hope that all of you had a great summer and are looking forward to the new opportunities this year will bring.

If you need information about registering for school, please CLICK HERE .

We look forward to joining with you this year in the name of Catholic education to support the academic success and faith formation of all of our students.  We are thankful for the opportunity to work together with you to provide the very best educational opportunity possible for your child and family.   

I am writing to you today to provide important information to assist with your planning as we approach our first day of school next Tuesday, September 6, 2022. 

COVID Health and Safety Protocols

On August 5, the Ministry of Education released the Health and Safety protocols for the start of the school year.  Most protocols and guidelines remain unchanged to those that were in place at the end of June. We continue to work with our local public health officials to ensure we are aligned with the most up-to-date guidance and hope to minimize any potential disruptions to learning throughout this school year.  

The following is a summary of what you can expect in September:  

Ventilation – Over the past several years, significant upgrades have been made in school ventilation systems to support a healthy learning environment.  Our custodial and maintenance staff have been working throughout the summer to ensure our schools are safe, clean and that the ventilation systems have been inspected and properly maintained to welcome staff and students back. UV or combination UV/HEPA filtration units will continue to be present in all classrooms and learning spaces throughout this school year. 

Daily Screening – Staff and students are asked to continue to screen each morning before school using the COVID-19 school screening (ontario.ca) resource, and stay home when feeling unwell or exhibiting symptoms.  We ask that screening become part of your personal daily routines.  The daily screening requirements and related guidance may change throughout the year and notification of any changes will be communicated to our community.    

Masking – Continuing with the protocols in place in June – and based on the advice of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health – masks will remain optional for students, staff and visitors in schools, and on student transportation.  We continue to support a mask-friendly environment in our schools and workplaces and recognize there are times when staff or students may need to wear masks in alignment with provincial or federal guidance or may choose to wear masks if there is a high incidence of illness in our community. Masks will continue to be available upon request to staff and students in the 2022-23 school year.  

Rapid Antigen Tests – Rapid Antigen Test kits will continue to be available to staff and students in schools as needed.     

For more information about school start-up routines, please watch for updates from your school this week.   

Thank you for your ongoing support of Catholic Education.  We look forward with anticipation to the new opportunities this year will bring.

I wish you all the best as we begin this school year in the coming week.

Sincerely,

Tyrone Dowling

Director of Education

It’s Time to Sign Up for School!!

It’s time to sign up for the 2022-23 school year – and registering to attend one of Waterloo Region’s 43 Catholic elementary schools has never been easier.

• Children born in 2018 are eligible for Year 1 Kindergarten (JK).
• Children born in 2017 are eligible for Year 2 Kindergarten (SK).

Parents can access the Online Pre-Registration form by clicking on the Register for School link on the WCDSB Homepage and then choosing Kindergarten Registration.

To finalize your child’s registration, please contact your local Catholic school directly.

QUICKFacts

~~ When registering your child to attend a Catholic elementary school you must be prepared to provide proof of the child’s date of birth and either the child’s Catholic baptismal certificate or the Catholic baptismal certificate of at least one parent or guardian.

~~ If you are non-Catholic (including a non-Catholic newcomer to Canada), but wish to explore a Catholic education for your child(ren), please review the WCDSB Admissions to Catholic Elementary Schools policy. Our secondary schools are open to students of all faiths.

~~ A complete list of WCDSB schools that will offer the Extended Day Program in 2021-22 will be web-posted before the end of this current (2020-21) school year. Please call your school directly for information about the Extended Day Program. A complete list of WCDSB schools currently providing the program is available via this link: Extended Day Program.

~~ For information about French Immersion programs in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, please click here: French Immersion Registration Information.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

Municipal Election Day is Monday, October 24, 2022.

Make sure your school support designation is “English Separate” (Catholic). It’s a powerful message in support of Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools & Catholic education.

Many people assume they are registered Catholic school supporters when, in fact, they are not.

CLICK HERE TO BE SURE —– https://www.voterlookup.ca/

Only Roman Catholic school supporters may vote for Catholic School Trustees.

All Catholics are eligible to support Catholic education – not just those with children in school!

You don’t have to have children in school to direct your school support to Catholic education. In Waterloo Region there are more people who DO NOT have children in school than DO have children in school. Your support is vital to the continuation of our Catholic education system. It is an investment in our future — and all Catholic ratepayers are partners with Catholic educators in this investment.

Have you moved?

Even if you have been a Catholic school supporter in the past, the designation DOES NOT follow you when you relocate. You are automatically designated a public school board supporter.

Every time you move, it is essential that you re-declare yourself as a Catholic school supporter.

• Check the assessment section of your Tax Bill or Property Assessment Notice
• Check your Voter Information Card received during a municipal election year.

What to do if you are NOT registered as a Catholic school supporter, but want to designate your support to Catholic Education:

If you are NOT registered as a Catholic school supporter — but want to designate your support to Catholic Education — you need to fill out the Application for Direction of School Support.

When a Roman Catholic and a Non-Catholic are jointly responsible for the payment of property taxes — either directly through ownership or indirectly through the payment of rent — a Catholic School Support Lease is required. This is simply a technical tool designed to give the Roman Catholic the sole right to determine the school support of her or his residence.

Please visit this website for the forms and more information:

https://www.wcdsb.ca/our-schools/register-for-school/support-catholic-education/

When you have updated your forms, you have two options:

• Return the forms to your child’s school.
• If you do not have children attending school, drop your forms at your nearest WCDSB school – or drop them at (or mail them to) the WCDSB head office: 35 Weber St., W., Kitchener, ON, N2G 4G2.

At the Polling Station on Election Day:

• Verify that you are registered as a separate school supporter. If your support status is incorrect, ask for an ‘Application to Amend Voters’ List’. This form may be completed and submitted at the polling station.
• Ensure the ballot you are given is a separate school ballot.

If you have any questions, please contact the Waterloo Catholic District School Board at 519-578-3660 Ext. 2355.

Municipal Election Day is Monday, October 24, 2022.

Make sure your school support designation is “English Separate” (Catholic). It’s a powerful message in support of Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools & Catholic education.

Many people assume they are registered Catholic school supporters when, in fact, they are not.

CLICK HERE TO BE SURE —– https://www.voterlookup.ca/

Only Roman Catholic school supporters may vote for Catholic School Trustees.

All Catholics are eligible to support Catholic education – not just those with children in school!

You don’t have to have children in school to direct your school support to Catholic education. In Waterloo Region there are more people who DO NOT have children in school than DO have children in school. Your support is vital to the continuation of our Catholic education system. It is an investment in our future — and all Catholic ratepayers are partners with Catholic educators in this investment.

Have you moved?

Even if you have been a Catholic school supporter in the past, the designation DOES NOT follow you when you relocate. You are automatically designated a public school board supporter.

Every time you move, it is essential that you re-declare yourself as a Catholic school supporter.

• Check the assessment section of your Tax Bill or Property Assessment Notice
• Check your Voter Information Card received during a municipal election year.

What to do if you are NOT registered as a Catholic school supporter, but want to designate your support to Catholic Education:

If you are NOT registered as a Catholic school supporter — but want to designate your support to Catholic Education — you need to fill out the Application for Direction of School Support.

When a Roman Catholic and a Non-Catholic are jointly responsible for the payment of property taxes — either directly through ownership or indirectly through the payment of rent — a Catholic School Support Lease is required. This is simply a technical tool designed to give the Roman Catholic the sole right to determine the school support of her or his residence.

Please visit this website for the forms and more information:

https://www.wcdsb.ca/our-schools/register-for-school/support-catholic-education/

When you have updated your forms, you have two options:

• Return the forms to your child’s school.
• If you do not have children attending school, drop your forms at your nearest WCDSB school – or drop them at (or mail them to) the WCDSB head office: 35 Weber St., W., Kitchener, ON, N2G 4G2.

At the Polling Station on Election Day:

• Verify that you are registered as a separate school supporter. If your support status is incorrect, ask for an ‘Application to Amend Voters’ List’. This form may be completed and submitted at the polling station.
• Ensure the ballot you are given is a separate school ballot.

If you have any questions, please contact the Waterloo Catholic District School Board at 519-578-3660 Ext. 2355.