Hello Parents/Guardians and Students,
We hope that you are enjoying the last few days of summer. The staff at SWL are excited to welcome students back to the 2023-2024 school year! Our first day of school for students is Tuesday, September 5th - please note that our start time is 8:20 am and school will finish at 2:25 pm.
School Schedule
SWL will continue to operate on a “normal” semestered schedule (four classes each day). All students are expected to attend school every day. Semester one runs from the beginning of September to the end of January. Final exams will be held January 24th - January 30th.
When students arrive on Tuesday, September 5th, they will find lists posted by the doors indicating their name and the location of their first class. They will receive a paper copy of their timetable in this class.
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SWL Daily Timetable 2023-2024
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Time
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Day 1
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Day 2
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8:10
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Students arrive at school at 8:10 am or earlier
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8:15-8:20
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Travel Time
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8:20-9:35
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Class A
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Class B
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9:35-9:40
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Travel Time
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9:40-10:55
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Class B
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Class A
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10:55-11:45
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LUNCH
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11:45-11:50
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Travel Time
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11:50-1:05
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Class C
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Class D
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1:05-1:10
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Travel Time
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1:10-2:25
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Class D
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Class C
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Here is the year-long Secondary School Year Calendar
Other Information
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While masks are no longer mandated, staff and students will continue to make decisions on whether to wear a mask based on their comfort level and personal circumstances.
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Lockers have been assigned to students and the locker number is on the timetable they will receive Sept. 5th.
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Grade 9 families will receive information about their Grade 9 Student Orientation Day that will take place on the first day of school.
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Please note that SWL does not yet have an operating cafeteria service and that student must plan ahead for lunches. Light snacks/drinks are available for purchase via the vending machines.
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Students leaving the school at lunchtime (10:55 am-11:45 am) are reminded of the importance of respectful behaviour in the community, as representatives of our school. Your support on this matter as parents/guardians is greatly appreciated.
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School Photo Day will take place on October 4th, with retake opportunities on October 24th. Additional details will follow in mid-September.
Student Activity Fee (Voluntary)
As with all areas of life, inflation is having a significant impact on school budgets. Costs associated with extracurricular activities, special events, transportation, sports, etc have all increased significantly over the last 3 years. This year, we have decided to freeze the student activity fee requested of families at the previous level ($20) and not pass on those increases to families. Given this, it will be extremely important that as many families as possible participate in contributing to the student activity fund so that we can continue to offer the wide range of extracurricular activities that the SWL community is known for. The student fee can be paid online (LINK) or in-person at the main office. For those who are in a position to assist other families, an option is available to allow you to also pay the fee on behalf of another family in financial need. Thank you in advance for assisting in this matter. If you have not already set up an account in SchoolCash, you will need to do so. If you need assistance with the SchoolCash website to make payment, please contact the school office (613-834-4500) and we would be happy to assist.
Transportation, Vehicle Traffic
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If you have questions about yellow school bus transportation, the parent portal at Ottawa School Transportation Authority is expected to be ready by Wednesday, August 30th for details about bussing. Link: www.ottawaschoolbus.ca
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For students being dropped off or picked up by car, please refer to the traffic plan below. For the safety of all students, families and staff, please follow the path indicated by green arrows, and drop off students in the Drop-Off Zone indicated in purple so that they can safely walk along the sidewalk to the school entrance C. Please do not use the service road at the back of the school or driveway in front of the school, which are reserved for school buses and access to the daycare respectively.
We look forward to welcoming all students back and are excited about the upcoming school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office at 613-834-4500 (open 7:30 am to 3:30 pm) or [email protected].
Thank you,
Tim Hawes (Principal)
Ann Arden (Vice-Principal, last names A-J)
Murray Stevenson (Vice-Principal, last names K-Z)