Welcome back from what I hope was a relaxing and rejuvenating Spring Break for all! The next three months will be fast and furious as we sprint toward the finish line of this school year!
It was terrific to see the number of parents and students who participated in our last round of Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences just prior to Spring Break. These conferences are an excellent means to helping teachers and parents better support students as “action plans" are developed between school and home to set conditions for success. Also, through these conversations, students come to better understand what is expected of them and the support that is available to help them to realize success. Even though this was the last formal round of Parent/Teacher/Student conferences, teachers will continue to maintain contact with parents via email and phone calls should they have any concerns. I also encourage parents to connect with teachers should they have any questions or concerns. Staff emails can be found on our website under the “about us" tab.
With spring blossoming upon us, keeping students focused can be challenging. Ways that parents can help support in realizing student success include: contacting teachers as necessary, monitoring PowerSchool and D2L (accessible on our school website), asking your child about assignments and test results, making sure your child is dedicating some time every day for homework and final exam preparation, asking about special events scheduled on our calendar, and booking medical and dental appointments outside of class time when possible. A detailed final exam schedule for students in grades 6 through 9 will be sent home next month. Please note that students in grades 6 through 9 will complete their written English Language Arts exams in mid-May. For grades 6 and 9 students, that written exam comes in the form of the English Language Arts Provincial Achievement Test.
Although this school year is not yet complete, we are already in the process of planning for next year. For the 2022-23 school year, our enrollment is projected to be approximately 790 students. Next year our grade configuration will again be that of grades 4 through 9. We are planning on two grade 4 homerooms, five grade 5 homerooms, five grade 6 homerooms, five grade 7 homerooms, six grade 8 homerooms, and five grade 9 homerooms. If you know for certain or think there may be a possibility that you will be moving away from our school community, I ask that you please contact the school office as that will help in our planning for next year.
A hallmark of our school is the abundance of opportunities we provide for the reflection of student voice. One way in which we do this is through the administration of student surveys. In March, students in grades 4 and 7 completed the Alberta Education Assurance survey. Additionally, students in grades 5, 6, 8, and 9 have completed the Calgary Board of Education Student Survey. Between these two surveys, topics such as student academic engagement, quality of instruction, social engagement, emotional health, sense of citizenship, and physical well-being are measured. The information gleaned from these surveys is taken very seriously and extensively utilized in our planning for next year as we continue to work towards enhancing the “whole school" experience for our students.
After two very long years, the “whole school experience" is beginning to again feel more familiar. Students are again having the opportunity to experience an array of extra-curricular and experiential learning opportunities that have not been possible for the last two years. Our badminton season is currently under way and that will soon give away to the track and field season. Experiential learning experiences are abounding with a number of field trips on the horizon. Some of these experiences include: Outdoor School (Gr. 7 & 8), Band Camp (Gr. 7-9), Royal Tyrell Museum (Gr. 7), Bow Valley Glacier Tour (Gr. 8), Rollercoasterology at Calaway Park (Gr. 8) Riverwatch (Gr. 9) and the Calgary Zoo Tour (Gr. 9). I thank those staff members who have invested considerable time and effort outside of their classroom responsibilities to organize these opportunities for our students. Again, should the financial impact of some of these trips necessitate alternative payment arrangements, please contact the supervising teacher identified on the trip information letter to discuss payment options.
The next couple of months promise to be very busy as we race towards the finish line of the school year. Given all that will be going on, please stay tuned for more information in addition to that of our weekly updates.
Wishing all a strong, productive, joyous, and memorable sprint to the finish line!
Kel Connelly
