Happy New Year! We sincerely hope that everyone had a restful and joyous Christmas Break with lots of family time. This first week of January has been very busy and productive so far. We’ve already hosted a ski/snowboard evening, and had five days of valuable teaching, learning, and assessments.
January and February are very intensive in terms of teaching and learning. Regular and punctual attendance is paramount. To travel or to not travel? Many parents are requesting advice about travelling during the school year. Gish teachers treat students as individuals; we also respect the uniqueness and diversity with families. As a general rule, we suggest to respect the 10-month school calendar and NOT travel during school months. However, we understand that the cultural experiences and hands-on activities gained during traveling often outweigh valuable curriculum time missed at school. Students who demonstrate high achievement and maintain 95+% attendance catch up/keep up rather easily. It is those students who are struggling, or have poor attendance whom we offer caution to. Ultimately, it is up to parents, but please understand that when students are absent for extended periods, parents assume curricular responsibilities. Teachers cannot be expected to re-teach the curriculum that was missed, and worksheets do not replace the discussions, videos, field trips, projects and other hands-on activities.
The District Kindergarten Fair is scheduled for Saturday, January 11 at Bellerose Composite High School. Kindergarten teachers from E. S. Gish School will host sessions to explain both the Cogito and Global Kindergarten Programs. We encourage all prospective Kindergarten parents to attend these valuable sessions, and hope that you choose Gish School. Gish School’s Kindergarten Open House is scheduled for Thursday, January 30 from 6:00-7:30pm. We’ll start with explaining some general information, and then host two 30-minute sessions about both Global and Cogito Programs so that parents are able to attend both sessions. We hope that parents will choose Gish School for Kindergarten!
Teachers’ Convention is scheduled for February 6th and 7th. As professionals, teachers and administrators throughout the North Central Region will be enhancing and developing their skills by attending valuable sessions. Professional development is very important to effective teaching and improving.
Thank you for your continued support for all initiatives at Gish School.
John Strembitsky
Principal
Krysta Wilson & Kris Horb
Assistant Principals
Stakeholder Workshop
Each year, trustees and senior staff host a Stakeholder Workshop to re-examine important topics in St. Albert Public Schools. Participants from MANY stakeholder groups rotate through various sessions to affirm what we’re doing correctly, what needs to improve, and what seems to be most important. This Workshop is hosted at Paul Kane High School on January 31 from 9:00am - 12:30pm. We are looking for volunteers to represent the following groups:
Students Gr. 6-9: TWO
Parents: Up to THREE
Teachers: ONE
Support Staff: ONE
Community Members: ONE
Administrators: ONE
If you are interested and willing to represent Gish School, please let Principal Strembitsky know by January 20.
