We hope this message finds you healthy and in good spirits.
January is an incredible month and a busy one! We embrace the beginning of a new year and are eager to continue working toward the school's goals of Connection, Growth and Wellness for our students and staff.
With our first semester’s reporting period coming to an end, a reminder that progress reports are being released at 4 pm on January 31st, 2025 via PowerSchool. Teachers have been working hard to ensure that marks and comments are updated and ready for you all to view.
SAFETY - Drop off and Pick Up Reminders
I wanted to remind all families that the two most stressful times of the day (operationally) are our drop off and pick up times. As such, I wanted to reinforce some expectations so that we can ensure the safety of all of our students and be certain that they reach you safely.
As you can imagine, and likely experience daily, the area surrounding our building becomes incredibly congested. Parking is at a premium, traffic is slow, and all 890 students descend upon and depart the building at approximately the same time.
Some suggestions I would like to make:
CAR POOL whenever possible. (greatly reduces vehicle traffic).
GIVE YOURSELF TIME (so you are not rushing).
HAVE A SET MEETING PLACE (perhaps off of the school footprint, so we are not congesting the immediate surroundings.
DO NOT HONK OR WHISTLE at your children from your car, as this can lead to them darting out across the street.
PLEASE RESPECT OUR NEIGHBOURS’ property by not parking in driveways, or moving garbage bins.
We are actively looking at solutions to help remedy congestion and ultimately, the SAFETY of our students during these times of the day. OUR MAIN GOAL is to ensure that every child safely enters and exits the building. 😉
Please stay tuned for additional information!
Education Plan is Publicly Available
Mrs. Werner, Mr. Rurka and I presented our school’s Education Plan on January 20th to the Board of Trustees and Sr. Administration. Please check out the link below to take a look at what was presented. The Education Plan is created every year and has interesting information surrounding school operations, goals, and data that has been gathered.
Out: Unused Science Prep Room IN: Active Living Space
We are so excited to ALMOST be moved into our new Active Living Space! After the idea was presented last May, we have made tremendous progress and hope to be utilizing the space in the next two weeks.
This space will complement much needed gym space and will be accessible by Gr. 5-9 students. Immediately, it will be used by Division 3 students and our school teams. In time, we will determine scheduling to include our Gr. 5 and 6 students.
BOOK STUDY: The Anxious Generation
In the summer I was encouraged to pick up “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. The topic of this book is not only relevant, it is a part of almost all of our lives and I knew it would be beneficial to my practice both as a leader, and a father. The book examines how our children’s (and our) reliance on technology, specifically smart phones and video games are rewiring our brains, and in many cases can be related to the increasing anxiety we see in children.
We currently have over 35 members of staff taking part in a book study and I would like to recommend the book to you all as well. This is not a book that is designed to make you feel guilty about your parenting, rather, it is a way to inform you of the potential harm of the devices we are so reliant on! Feel free to check it out!
