​We are just one week away from "back to school" and we hope that you had an enjoyable summer.  Our office will be open on Monday, August 28, at 8:30am.  We do experience a high volume of calls and emails at this time, so please be patient as we work to respond as soon as possible. 

Information is available on the school website, including an archive of all messages sent home via SchoolMessenger.  You can expect to receive a weekly message with news and updates from the school and these will be posted under "View All Stories" or "Principal's Message" on the main homepage. 

Please expect a call next week from your child's teacher regarding homeroom placement.  If you miss the call or voicemail, please don't worry – there will be lots of staff on hand to direct students on the first days of school.  Any information visible on PowerSchool prior to August 31 is tentative and we may make adjustments through the first few days as we finalize our enrollment. 

The school doors open at 8:50 each morning – students are not admitted to the building prior to this time unless they are taking part in an activity, such as sports team practices.  Classes start at 9:10 and dismissal is at 3:44, except on Fridays when we dismiss at 12:42.  The complete bell schedule is on the school website (About Us --> School Hours). 

We will be having a staggered entry this year, to help our new students get oriented to the school:  

• Grade 7: Thursday, August 31 will be the first day of school for our Grade 7 students only.  Students will be directed to the south gym at the start of the day (9:10).  They will be introduced to their homeroom teachers, who will guide them through the day.  Lunch will be provided for students. Burgers, all beef and vegetarian, will be the 2 options available. If your child has any dietary concerns or restrictions that these options do not support, please provide them with a lunch on this day. Dismissal will be at 3:44. 

• All Grades: All students will attend school on Friday, September 1st.  Students will start in their homerooms and there will be grade 8 and grade 9 assemblies in the gym during the day.  Dismissal will be at 12:42. 

Each day, students should bring lunch and snacks as well as a reusable water bottle.  Specific supplies for classes will be outlined in the first few days but all students will need a binder with lined paper and subject dividers, as well as pens and pencils. 

We recognize that many of our students have their own cell phones and this offers peace of mind and convenience for many families.  However, our central purpose is learning and devices are often a distraction, so we are an "Away for the Day" school.  This means that student cell phones need to be kept in their lockers during the day.  If you need to contact your child please call the main office.  Student are also free to use their phones at lunchtime, outside of the building. 

Our next update will be sent on September 1 and will include key calendar dates and sports team information for the month of September.  You can mark your calendars now for our "meet the teacher" open house, which will be the evening of Thursday, September 21. 

We're excited to welcome students next week and look forward to working with you over the coming school year.  If you have any questions, please call the office or send us an email. 

Sincerely, 

David Pugh 

Principal, Vincent Massey School