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The month of March brings to an end the winter term at school. The promise of spring is not far behind. It has been a busy two months at MTS. Highlights include report cards for students in grades 1-4, Kindness month during February including Pink Shirt Day and the grade 3 celebration of learning for parents that focussed on Kindness and anti-bullying. Students always look forward to the gymnastics unit in PE which takes place for 3 weeks in March.
Parent Conferences
March is a short month with spring break scheduled for March 27-31 and parent conferences on March 9 and 10. We would like to invite all parents to join us for upcoming conferences. Parents are asked to book an individual 15 minute time with the teacher through their CBE account. Conference booking is available as of Saturday, March 4 at 8 am. Conferences will take place in person at the school.
Thursday, March 9 (Grades 1-4 conferences: 4:00pm – 8:00pm) (Kindergarten conferences: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm)
· Regular day of instruction for 1-4 students, no school for Kindergarten
Friday, March 10 (8:00am – 12:00pm)
· No School for Students
Please call the school if you require help or support with booking your conference. The conference is the opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s teacher in conversation about their child’s learning. Teachers will have samples of student work to share with parents in speaking about student learning and assessment.
Staffing Update
I want to provide an update on staffing. I will be on a medical leave related to surgery beginning on March 3. During my absence, Mrs. Edie Reichardt will be Acting Principal at the school. Mrs. Reichardt is a recently retired principal in the CBE. Some of you may remember Mrs. Reichardt from when she was Assistant Principal at MTS a number of years ago. Mrs. Reichardt is very familiar with MTS and many of the staff and students at the school. She is very excited to be reuniting with our school community and will work closely with Mrs. Crosby while I am away.
Traffic and Safety
We would like to thank our dog owners who are walking their dogs to school on a leash and saying their goodbyes from the sidewalk or school ground boundaries. We truly appreciate everyone’s effort in this regard.
There have been ongoing concerns expressed over our parking lot and student drop-off and pick-up times. We are asking for your help in making MTS a safe place for our students to attend. We continue to experience difficulty with the parking situations around the school. The signage is very clear where parking is permitted and is placed in a manner to allow all our children to walk to school in a safe environment. Our Bus Zone is designed to allow the buses an easy/safe approach and departure from the front of the school.
Our staff parking lot is at its maximum capacity and having parents drop students off in the parking lot is against school board regulations. This is due to the fact it creates a very unsafe situation for our children walking to school who use the sidewalk that crosses over the entrance to the lot. The staff parking lot is for staff only. Parents should not be entering or parking in the staff parking lot.
Calgary Parking Authority continues to be contacted by a number of our neighbours who have had their driveways and garage doors blocked by parents/guardians of students attending our school. We strive to do our best to be good neighbours and as parents/guardians of students at MTS, you are all representatives of our school community. Unfortunately, the actions of a few can reflect on the whole, and we were saddened to hear about the lack of courtesy being offered to our neighbours and to each other
regarding these safety issues. Everyone contributes to creating a safe and respectful community in McKenzie Towne in which to live, play, work and attend school.
Parent Surveys
There are two surveys that we ask parents to complete- one is for all parents and the other the provincial School Assurance Survey is for grade 4 parents.
1) School Planning Survey 2023
Learn and Share | School Planning
We know we make better decisions to support student learning when we build understanding and work together. Therefore we are asking you to share your perspectives about our school development plan, school budget and school fees.
· The survey is open from February 23, 2023 to March 16th, 2023, and you will find the link to the survey on our school website.
2) Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey
Parents of students in grade 4 should have received an AEA survey in the mail that can be completed online with the random access code mailed to you. Children in grade 4 will also be completing a student version of the survey here at the school during our regular instructional hours. All surveys are anonymous and the results will be shared next fall at our School Council meeting and on the school's website.
The last day of school before spring break is March 24th. Students return to school on Monday, April 3. Please take time to relax and rejuvenate over the break.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lorraine Slater, Principal