Dear Students and Parents,

For a better learning experience and recent upgrade of UMCA learning environment, we are kindly inform you about some changes in our school policies.

Starting from this week every enrolled in our programs student must have UMCA office 365 account. Most of you should have it already. It looks like This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Not sure that you have one, or you have forgotten the password? 

Dear Parents!

As you all know we are in a process of switching to the new education platform and as a part of this process we are changing our policies on use of personal emails. From now all students must have school's email which will be used as a main communication platform. For those of you who wants to receive copies of incoming emails please watch following video which explains how to create email forwarder and add their email to their child's account.

Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0RjsuAdcQY&feature=emb_logo

Dear parents, 

It is our pleasure to welcome our students back to school. We are happy to say that the UMCA community is growing and this year we have many new students. We would like to extend a special welcome to the students and families who are new to our school. We hope you all had a refreshing summer so that you can return to school routine with lots of energy. 

Shared Responsibility

UMCA Rich Tree Academy prides itself for building a community of students, parents, faculty and staff with a shared goal of creating a safe, joyful and challenging learning environment for every student. Now, facing unprecedented times, we must all work together to keep the health and safety of our students and employees. We strongly recommend that all members of our community download the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Alert App, which can notify people about possible exposure before any symptoms appear. That way, we can continue to take care of ourselves and protect our communities.

Dear Students and Parents, 

We are happy to welcome back our students on Tuesday February 16, 2021. We missed you very much and cannot wait to see you all back. In this newsletter the following subjects are included: 

1. New covid-19 regulations 

1. Bring back containers with school material 

1. Tax Receipt explanation 

1. Report Cards 

1. Early Bird registration 

1. Covid Protector competition 

1. Computers’ Parental Control 

1. Dress up according to weather 

Return to School – New Regulations 

On Wednesday, February 3, 2021 the Minister of Education announced schools in York Region will re-open for in-person learning on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.  

York Region Public Health reassures you it is safe to return to school. UMCA is taking all appropriate steps for the health, safety, and well-being of our school community. This includes updating our screening guidance and implementing more stringent protocols.  

Updated screening guidance 

All students and staff are required to complete the covid-19 screening questionnaire which can be found on our website (umca.ca). Daily confirmation of screening will be required for staff and secondary students.  

Effective immediately: 

• If a student or staff member has ONE symptom of COVID-19 they are required to stay home from school and child-care and get tested for COVID-19 at an Assessment Centre 
• If anyone in a household has travelled outside of Canada, everyone must stay home from school and child-care until the 14-day quarantine period has finished 
• If anyone in your household is sick and has not tested negative for COVID-19, or does not have an alternative diagnosis from a health-care provider, all others in the household must stay home from school and child-care until the results are known or an alternative diagnosis is provided 
• If someone in the household is identified as a high-risk/close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, the whole household is required to stay home from school for the 14-day quarantine period, except for essential reasons** 

** Please note: Individuals in a dismissed cohort do not need to have the rest of their household stay home from school or child-care unless contacted by Public Health. Public Health will work with the affected school or child-care setting to identify individuals within cohorts that may be at increased risk of exposure to provide further direction. 

Health and Safety Measures 

There are some new health and safety measures in place, including: 

• Masks are now required for students in Grades 1-12. Students in kindergarten are encouraged to wear masks. Parents are encourages to have a conversation with their child (grades 1-3) to introduce mask wearing and bring 3 sets of masks to school in a labelled zip lock bag. 
• Masks are now required outdoors where social distancing cannot be performed, as well as common areas, in addition to in-class. 

• Students are discouraged from congregating before and after school. 
• York Region Public Health is recommending that students wear three-layer masks. Two layer masks are permitted if they are clean and fit appropriately. 
• Families dropping off and picking up their children at school are reminded to wear masks and not congregate while on school property.  
• Please continue to reinforce hand hygiene practices. 

What happens if there is a case of COVID-19 in my child’s class? 

Any staff or children who have had close contact with a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case in a school will receive a letter from York Region Public Health advising them to stay at home for 14 days. Certain individuals may receive more instructions from Public Health if the investigation reveals the student/staff/essential visitor is at increased risk of exposure. These individuals will receive a phone call from Public Health to outline any additional requirements, including isolation of household contacts. The identity of any person who contracts COVID-19 is protected under privacy legislation and cannot be shared. You would want this same privacy if your family was affected. We remain committed to respecting the privacy of all students and staff. 

We are all looking forward to seeing students in-person next week. It is our commitment to continue to prioritize safety and well-being for all students and staff. 

Containers with School Material 

It is extremely important students will bring for the first day their container with all the books, binders, duo tangs, pencil cases etc. A student without his container and school material will not be able to work productively in class as s/he will miss the material to work with.  

Students should also bring labeled water bottle, as well as an extra set of mask. 

Pencil cases should include sharpened pencils and only items needed for work in class. No toys, cards or dolls are allowed in class. 

Tax Receipt 

All preschool and Elementary school students will receive or have received already their 2020 Tax Receipt. As some parents contacted us with questions, we wanted to provide a short explanation as to the amount you see on your tax receipt. 

The tax receipt is not the same as an invoice. In invoices, the full amount you paid is declared. However, for tax purposes, the tax receipt shows only a certain percentage of the tuition fee you paid, which is the “child-care” portion (for an elementary school student grades 1, 2 and 3, it shows 50%, for grades 4 – 8 it shows 60%, for preschool students it is 100%). Only this percentage of the tuition fee is considered “child-care expense”. The maximum child-care expenses that can be claimed per child each year is limited to $5,000, $8,000 or $11,000 (the last is for disabled children) depending on the circumstances. 

When you get your tax receipt you will notice that the amount on the receipt is 60% (or 50%, or 100% for preschool) of the tuition fee you paid in between January 2020 and December 2020. Registration fees, supplies and other fees are not included in this receipt.  

Report Cards 

Please note that reports cards are being sent by email to parents and students, and all students should receive their report cards by the end of the week. If you do not receive it by the end of the week, please contact Ms. Sara at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Early Bird Registration 

Please see this as a friendly reminder that early bird registration will end this month. As of March 1st, new tuition fees will apply towards 2021-22 school year. Register now and save in tuition fees as well as reserve a spot for your child. We intend to keep our small class size next year as well and therefore spots are limited.  

For registration, please follow this link: https://reg.umca.app/ 

Covid Protector Competition 

For a positive implementation of the covid-19 rules in an encouraging and motivating way, we initiated a competition for grades 1-5, called “Covid Protector”. Students who follow the rules, keep social distancing, wash their hands, and implement all the rules diligently will receive a pin saying “Covid Protector”. By the end of the week, the class with the most students carrying the pin, will be the winning class, and will receive a prize. We hope this will encourage students to follow Public Health rules in a way that supports their team work effort, as well as personal contribution. 

Computer Parental Control 

Our children are spending nowadays more time than ever on their computers. Sometimes we do not know which websites they have visited. One of the parents brought to our attention this sensitive issue and we wish to share his recommendation for a software that can monitor and prevent children from visiting inappropriate websites and records everything they do and alerts parents. The link to that software is: https://www.kaspersky.ca/safe-kids 

Dress Up for the Weather 

Please be reminded that students go out every day. As the weather is extremely cold in the past couple of weeks, we kindly ask you to dress your child appropriately to the weather. Do not forget to send him/her with a warm jacket, a hat, gloves and snow pants. Please label everything as children tend to lose their belongings. 

UMCA wishes you all a wonderful long weekend! See you on Tuesday! 

Dear Students and Parents, 

The Week of December 14-18  

It is the UMCA tradition to have the last week before Winter Break be a fun week. All teachers will not teach new material but will dedicate their class to fun and educational activities related to their subject. Therefore, if you are going on vacation you can rest assured that your child is not going to miss any new material. Please be reminded that if you leave the country you must quarantine for 14 days upon return to Canada.  

During this week, attendance is optional for grades 6-8. 

School Material 

On the last day before going on winter break, all students must take their container which includes their notebooks, binders, books, and all their school material. They also must take everything from their locker, their snow pants, indoor shoes etc. We do hope that the Premier will not put the province on a lock down, or extent the winter break to fight the raising numbers. However, if we will be forced to shut down and go on remote learning, we want to make sure all students have all their school material with them. 

Unit Tests 

The units are being sent home. Please check them together with your children. No need to bring it back to school. 

Reading for Grades 1-3 

The students of grades 1-3 will receive books with assigned pages. As this is the only assignment for the winter break, we kindly ask you make sure your child will complete it over the break. 

Early Bird Registration  

Please be reminded that the early bird registration for the 2021-22 school year has begun! Hurry up and register to reserve your spot and enjoy reduced price. Please follow this link https://reg.umca.app/ or go to our website umca.ca and choose the registration form relevant to your child (elementary school registration for students grades 1-7, high school registration for Grade 8).  

Photos 

Please follow these links to enjoy photos taken in the last week: 

Art Class - https://photos.app.goo.gl/YSBrDbTLMGirf7D46 

Yoga Class - https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pk8m3gjF7BirF8ZP9 

Chess Tournament Winners - https://photos.app.goo.gl/T8bcFgojst7FpruMA 

Hanukkah - https://photos.app.goo.gl/g5VSyVRGDG6mHEqq8 

Hanukkah Celebration 

Today our students enjoyed eating Sufganiot, and heard the story about this holiday. UMCA wishes all its students and families a happy holiday, full of light, good health and happiness  

UMCA Wishes you all a wonderful weekend!

Dear Students and Parents,

Winter Lights Car Drive Through

We wish to remind you that the Chekhter family is inviting all our students, their families, teachers, and staff to the Winter Lights Car Drive Through at Improve Centre parking lot, free of charge, on this Friday, December 4th from 4:00pm - 7:00pm. Complimentary hot chocolate for the students is waiting inside. We also recommend the thin Italian pizza and coffee they sell. Please find the invitation attached.

Early Bird Registration

We are happy to announce that the early bird registration for the 2021-22 school year has begun! Hurry up and register to reserve your spot and enjoy reduced price. Please follow this link https://reg.umca.app/ or go to our website umca.ca and choose the registration form relevant to your child (elementary school registration for students grades 1-7, high school registration for Grade 8).

The Week of December 14-18

It is the UMCA tradition to have the last week before Winter Break be a fun week. All teachers will not teach new material but will dedicate their class to fun and educational activities related to their subject. Therefore, if you are going on vacation you can rest assured that your child is not going to miss any new material. Please be reminded that if you leave the country you must quarantine for 14 days upon return to Canada.

Money Matters Class

In the past few weeks, our grades 6-8 enjoyed the enriching extracurricular class “Money Matters”. They learned how to manage their saving, what “good credit” means, and how to invest their money. This coming Monday is their last class in this session (this is the first part of the session. After the holidays we will continue with the second part), and we kindly ask parents not to pick them up before 4:30pm.

Being Punctual

As parents, your children look up to you and follow your behavior. Using proper language, kindness, and respect is the right example you want to give your children. Being punctual is a quality that shows respect, time management, and organizational skills. Unfortunately, we have students who constantly come late to class. This not only shows disrespect to the teacher, but also interrupts the lesson, distract the teacher and students, and makes the student miss an important part of the class. As most of the students depend on their parents for their commute to school, we kindly ask YOU the parents, please, give your child a good example. Show your child how important it is to be punctual, and not be late to school. Work with us to implement good life habits that will serve your children in their lives for many years ahead.

Candies

We kindly ask you not to send students with candies to school as they tend to share them. We have students with allergies and therefore sharing of this kind is not allowed.

Extra Clothes

We already had our first snow, and the kids love it! Weather permitting, we go out every day to play outside and breath fresh air. Please send your child dressed up for the weather. Make sure they have their outdoor boots, snow pants/splash pants, hat and gloves. With the younger grades, having an extra set of clothes (especially socks and pants) would be very useful.

Chess Tournament

In the past week, our school looked like a scene out of Queen’s Gambit. All students sitting over Chess boards concentrating on their next move. Today, we will have the final round. In two weeks, the winners will play against our teachers. So, stay tuned for news about the winners!

Photos

To enjoy pictures taken at school we invite you to follow us on FaceBook and Instagram.

Please follow these links to enjoy pictures taken in the past week:

Yoga Class – https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pk8m3gjF7BirF8ZP9

Chess Tournament - https://photos.app.goo.gl/mq3XM2g31q6ddpuu6

Design Class - https://photos.app.goo.gl/5JFpjY8i7Uni3MZ2A

Science Class Grade 6 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/79prDFSR4YbVUV7aA

Science Class Grade 4 Studying Reflection - https://photos.app.goo.gl/YMN6ChgGjScZvjvdA

Science Class Grade 3 Studying Balanced Structures - https://photos.app.goo.gl/dwLJ6ryhWoeBDuQDA

Thank you

UMCA has many followers on social media, and this week one of our posts generated so many wonderful replies from parents, it really overwhelmed us with joy! It is always nice to hear a good word and know that all our hard work is being appreciated. Thank you, dear parents, for your kind messages!

 We wanted to share with you some of the comments:

“my kids are in UMCA in SK and Grade 3, They are delighted. And I am glad that they are comprehensively developing, eating deliciously, surrounded by attention and care”

“We are very pleased with this wonderful school! Attentive, kind, conscientious teachers, and the whole school’s staff. Thank you UMCA”

“this is the best school for my kids since JK! Thank you for everything!”

“We are very happy that this year we came to you in Grade 4. I regret not doing this sooner”

“I moved my girls here from public school. I am so happy I moved them. What an amazing school!”

“The best school with the best teachers team! My kiddos and us love you!”

“We have moved our 3 kids this year to UMCA from public schools and it was the best decision ever! I’m very happy with the curriculum and how the kids are progressing. UMCA has become the second home for our kids. I would definitely recommend this school. Thank you UMCA!”

“Very good school. I recommend to everyone”

“Home from home. We love you UMCA”

“Amazing school, amazing staff”

“I miss the School”

“The best school”

UMCA wishes you all a wonderful weekend!