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Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Marion Carson School! This is an exciting time of year, as you and your child embrace this next journey in their development. I remember shedding a few tears when my daughters each began their Kindergarten years, and get that equally nervous and excited feeling for them as each new year begins. Know that your children are embarking on an exciting adventure that will undoubtedly be full of wonder, learning and care and that we are here to support and guide them through their journey.
If you are new to Marion Carson School, and no matter which program you and your family are a part of, welcome to our wonderful community where we come together as Marion Carson School. Know that we have worked very hard to create a caring environment focussed on belonging that provides for rich learning opportunities. If your child has not yet visited the school grounds, I would encourage you to do so with them in these final few days before entry, so that your child can see where they will be learning, play on the compound or on the play structure, etc. Building some familiarity before entry can go a long way in building some level of comfort and excitement for your child. If your child is entering Kindergarten, ensuring that they can put on/take off their shoes and coat will also set them up for early success. I believe that you will find our school community a caring, loving place to learn, whether in chatting with the teachers, meeting new parents, or watching your child develop new friendships.
A reminder that if your child is sick, they should be staying home until feeling well. Please ensure that you have contingency plans in place for times when your child may become ill as we would like to continue to keep everyone as healthy as possible and ready for learning at our school.
I can appreciate that families are very eager to hear who their child’s teacher will be for the coming school year. Know that, as with every year, changes occur over the summer due to a wide range of factors, and some adjustments to class lists continue to occur at this point of the year. I can share the following information though, which you may find helpful:
- You can expect a message from your child’s teacher on the evening of Tuesday, August 29th. This message will introduce you to the teacher, while also providing some information about routines, first day process, contact information, etc. If you do not receive a message that evening, please contact the school office the following day. When you do receive the message, we ask that you please respond to the email to confirm with the teacher that you are aware of the class placement.
- For your information our staff list can be found on our website here.
- Our back to school hours and schedules (including staggered entry for Kindergarten students) can be found here.
- Our office is open to help as of Monday, August 28th, during our regular school hours of 9:10am to 3:50pm.
- If you have moved or will be moving out of our catchment and live out of area, please let us know ASAP, to help us with class lists, and get your child transferred to their designated school. You can do so by responding to this email or by calling our school office at 403 777-6050.
- Community Program registration is ongoing, if you have family or friends in our catchment looking to enrol at Marion Carson School please have them call our school office. Mandarin Program entry after Grade 1 is dependent on a language and fluency assessment completed in Mandarin and based on program availability in each grade.
- Reminder that Kindergarten students attend select scheduled Fridays.
We look forward to the energy that comes with the first day of the school year, which can help to set the stage for a great year of learning. If you have any other questions about school start-up, feel free to contact the school office, or your child’s teacher once they make their initial connection.
A few upcoming dates…
August 31: First Day of School (staggered entry for Kindergarten students)
September 1: Reminder… Fridays are early dismissal days ending at 1:20pm for all students in attendance
September 4: School Closed (Labour Day)
September 15: Terry Fox Run
September 20: School Council Meeting
September 21: School Photo Day for K-6 Students (*M/W MB Kindergarten Students Photo Day is September 20, 2023)
September 21, 22: School Conferences/Book Fair Purchases
September 27: Mid-Autumn Festival Learning and Celebrations
September 28: Marion Carson School’s Orange Shirt Day
September 29: School Closed (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; Orange Shirt Day)
Looking forward to a great year of joyous learning,
Dustin Turner
Principal, Marion Carson School
