With only a few weeks left in the school year, it seems like a great time to thank many of the people and groups who have made this such a successful year at Citadel Park School.
I'd like to start with our staff, all of whom worked tirelessly this year to create positive, exciting and productive learning environments for our students. Our teachers participated in an unprecedented number of professional development opportunities, and really pushed themselves to try new things in their classrooms. Many of them were especially committed to changing the way that they teach and assess writing, which resulted in high levels of student engagement. Our Education Assistants adapted to new roles with students in nearly all grades and also developed new and enriching programs to support our complex learners. Without them, we would not have been able to offer nearly as many opportunities for students as we did. Mrs Bouchart and Mrs Milne continued to run the central hub of our school, and I can't thank them both enough for all of the work and support that they have provided in the office. Mrs Bouchart's work on the website has made it our primary way to communicate with parents and community members - this emphasis will continue next year as we work to decrease paper communication and encourage frequent visits to the site.
Here's a quick glance at our staffing profile for the 2020-2021 school year:
Teaching Staff:
Kindergarten Team
Mrs Carnegie (AM/PM program), Mrs Tran (Tues & Thurs program)
Grade 1 Team
Mrs Murchison, Mrs Quantz, Ms Slot, Mrs Duncan/Mrs Stupak
Grade 2 Team
Ms McDonald, Mrs Sterling, Mrs Teeple, New Hire
Grade 3 Team
Mrs Hirl-Johnson, Miss Martin, New Hire
Grade 4 Team
Ms Kuczma, Ms Marshall, Mr Ulph, Ms Edmunds
Phys Ed Mrs Harvey
Music Mrs Duncan
Support Staff:
Mrs Bouchart (Admin Secretary), Mrs Milne (School Secretary)
Education Assistants
Mrs Biberdorf, Mrs Buonomo, Mrs Pitonak, Ms Shirley (ELL Assistant)
Lunch Supervisors
Mrs Luthra (Lead Lunch), Mrs Dyck, Mrs Hui, Mrs Marr, Mrs Tytula
Librarian
New Hire
I want to send a special thanks to a staff member who took on a challenging role in our school this year as a Learning Leader, but will be continuing her journey as a grade 2 teacher in the fall. Ms McDonald became a huge contributor on our Administration team and we know she will experience continued great success as a grade 2 teacher.
I want to also extend a great big thank you and best wishes to three staff members, who after a significant number of years at Citadel Park School, have decided to retire. They have worked hard to build their careers and can step back and appreciate how far they'be come. Not only is it a time for reflection, it's also a time for them to look forward and spend time with the people they care about, doing the things they love. Sending lots of positive vibes to Ms Tracey Coutts, Mrs Laree Lake and Mrs Bernardien Johnston.
Our School Council also deserves a big thank you for helping to provide our students with so many outstanding learning opportunities this year. Their commitment to our school allowed us to purchase new technology and learning resources and welcome a variety of meaningful guest speakers into our building. As students look back on all of the unique learning experiences that they had this year, I hope that they understand that many of them would have been impossible without the help and support of our Council. Let us thank:
Heidi Lindgren Interim Chair
Aimee Blasetti Secretary
Kara Mah Treasurer
Suzie Atherton Fundraising Coordinator
Sabahat Quraishi Fun Lunch Coordinator
Julia Dewolfe Key Communicator
Michelle Singh Volunteer Coordinator
My first year as principal at Citadel Park School would not have been nearly as interesting or as rewarding without the diverse students that make up our school. I want to thank them for their dedication to learning, their willingness to accept feedback and their propensity for growth. There is no doubt that we had our challenges along the way, but our students at Citadel Park are the kind of kids that all teachers and principals dream of working with throughout their career. As another class of grade 4's leaves our school, we wish them the best and thank them for the distinct mark that they will leave on Citadel Park when they are gone.
Citadel Park has always been a community of learners, and next year, we will be creating conditions where students will be working together in new ways. By considering more fluid and creative groupings, we feel confident we will be able to support these students and meet their specific learning needs.
There are many questions about returning in the fall. We will continue to follow the directives from AHS, the Minister of Education and our Senior Leadership. As we know more, we will share information with you.
Thanks and have a great June!
Mr Duncan White
