Dear Parents and Guardians,
It’s been a great start to 2018 with a fantastic concert for grades 3-6 last week!
Thank you so much to all the families who were able to attend. The students did a
wonderful job and were so excited to share their performance with their families.
The students in kindergarten to grade 2 will be performing later this Spring so
please stay tuned for the concert date!
We have lots of exciting fieldtrip opportunities coming up this Spring including
swimming lessons for all of our students. Due to the fundraising work of our School
Council and our relationship with the Genesis Center YMCA, we are happy to be
able to offer the swimming lessons free of charge again this year. This is a great
opportunity for students to develop an essential life skill and possibly develop a
passion for swimming. In order to make this happen, we do need volunteers for all
of the classes. If you haven’t yet completed the police clearance to volunteer, you
may have time if you act quickly. Please consider completing the clearance and
joining us on a fieldtrip or two. We try to choose trips and activities that provide
students with exciting and engaging hands-on experiences to support the
information and skills they are learning in class. This helps support their learning
and provides memorable experiences! Please check the calendars for the dates for
specific classes.
Even though the days are starting to get longer again, we know that winter weather
isn’t quite over yet. Please continue to be extra cautious when driving in front of the
school or in the areas around our bus stops in the community. Setting a good
example for the children by not jay walking and not crossing between parked cars
can be life saving for our kids. We know the snowbanks can present real parking
challenges but we really appreciate when parents take the extra few minutes to
park safely and walk a bit further rather than encouraging students to get in and out
of the vehicle in the roadway.
Kindergarten registration for the 2018-19 school year opened on January 22. If
your child will be 5 by March 1, 2019, they are eligible to start kindergarten next
year. Please stop by the office to register. This is also the time that alternative
programs begin accepting registration applications for next year. In addition to the
regular community school program offered at Rundle, the Calgary Board of
Education also offers alternative programs based on Language (French, Mandarin, Spanish), teaching methodology (Traditional Learning Center, Montessori) and
focus (Science, Fine Arts). There are also gender specific programs. Many of these
alternative programs use a lottery system to accept new registrants and there are
application deadlines in order to be considered. If you are considering one of these
programs, please check the timelines on the CBE website in order to ensure you
don’t miss out. There is a form that needs to be signed by the current principal and
while I am happy to sign, I cannot always do it immediately when you come into the
office. It is really helpful if you leave yourself a couple of days before the deadline
in order to ensure you have time to complete the process.
Our next School Council meeting will take place tonight at the school at 6p.m. This
is a great way to be involved with the school and stay informed about what is
happening. If you haven’t come before, please consider joining this great group of
parents and find out what it’s all about!
Sincerely,
Sue Rutherford
