Dear Families,
“Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.”
John Lennon
As the Principal of Panorama Hills School, I certainly feel fortunate to be a part of a community that is so well grounded in the attributes of “peace” described in John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. Every day I see our students actively engage in discussions and making connections to the curriculum that generate authentic opportunities to make a difference.
I want to thank you for all for working so hard to keep our whole community safe. Your community spirit and generosity is shown by caring for others in the larger community. All of our teachers and administrators have noticed how seriously students have been taking the precautions while at school. Also, as a school, we are so proud of the way PHS has come together at this difficult time to stay safe, take care of one another, and continue to learn together.
I am constantly in awe of resilience I see every day in all our staff and students, be they in the building or online. We have restructured our school and pivoted as we have needed to and I am tremendously proud of the work of each and every person. It is time for everyone to take care of themselves.
As we move into the winter break, there are a couple of things I would like to highlight.
The Alex
The Alex will continue to take online donations to support at-risk youth in Calgary. If you are able to contribute please do so and indicate that you are a part of the Panorama Hills School Community. The Alex will log your donation has been connected to the school and we will report back to everyone in January. The link to donate is: https://give.thealex.ca/
Students Returning From HUB
All children who are engaging in HUB Online Learning have the option to return to “in-person” classes on February 1, 2021. Please remember this is one-way movement only. Students engaging in “in-person” learning may not go into the HUB.
All families wishing to move their children back to “in-person” classes must complete a Notice Of Intent by logging into their PowerSchool account. The deadline for completing the Notice Of Intent is 12:00 PM on January 8, 2021. This is a hard deadline that will allow the CBE enough time to reorganize Schools and classes to accommodate students returning from HUB.
For families wishing to keep their students in the HUB, there is nothing you need to do and there will be no interruption.
Learning From Home January 5-8 (Scenario 3)
The Province of Alberta has indicated that all elementary school students in Alberta will be learning from home January 4-8.
Please note that January 4 is a Non-Instructional day at Panorama Hills School. This means that there will be no school for “in-person” or HUB students on that on Monday, January 4. School will resume for PHS students on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.
Teachers are already working hard to plan for January 5-8, and will send out timetables for the week of learning on or before January 4. Due to time constraints, we are unable to send the schedules out before the holiday.
During the period of learning from home, students will be engaging in more online classes. However, not substantially so. Teachers will be online for 2.5 - 3 hours per day butr not all of this time will be whole-class Google Meet sessions. Teachers will be meeting with small groups and have will have open office hours for families to contact them and for students to get extra support.
As was the case in the spring, we are also able to provide paper copies of work that can be picked up at the office. Please let your child’s teacher know if you require them.
If your family not have access to Wi-Fi at home, Telus has continued their program to provide greatly discounted Wi-Fi to those who need it through their Internet for Good program. Here is the link for more information: https://www.telus.com/en/about/news-and-events/media-releases/telus-expands-internet-for-good-program. The program requires an access code provided by the CBE. If you need to sign up for this program, please contact Mr. Southworth at cnsouthworth@cbe.ab.ca.
We will be sending another school messenger to families with more specific information regarding home learning.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration will begin on Monday, January 11, 2021. If you know any families in the community who have children who will 5 years old by December 31 2021, please have them call the school between January 4 and January 8 for more information. Registration will open at 8:00AM on Monday January 11 online so there will be no need to line up at the school.
Happy Holidays and Warm Wishes
So far, the weather in December has been fantastic. Please get outside to enjoy it before winter really arrives. The staff of Panorama Hills School wishes you and your family a wonderful winter break. It will be a different holiday but if we all follow the restrictions then the sooner we can be together. No matter how you and your family celebrate the season please enjoy the beauty and strength of community and family.
Stay warm and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Lynn Sparks
Principal
