June Jubilations!
Dear BelPark families,
What a jam packed year we have had!
Our school community has come together to maintain our culture of care and to ensure so many great activities and learning experiences for our students, which makes Belvedere Parkway a wonderful place to learn and to work! Please check out all the yearly happenings on our website Teaching and Learning page under Year at a Glance 2022-2023.
We say goodbye to our Grade 6 student cohort as they move on to a new chapter in their lives as promising and successful individuals, supportive of each other and their community. We are so very proud of them all. A huge thank you to Parent Council for funding their farewell ceremony decorations, lunch, alien in-line skating and year photo reflecting the students’ voice. We are confident these promising young people will continue to demonstrate citizenship and character as they move forward and become part of Canada’s future.
Unfortunately, June also means that we have to say goodbye to some of our staff as they move on to different assignments for the next school year. We will sorely miss our Facility Operator Mr. Lai as he moves into a well-deserved retirement chapter in his life. He has been an icon in our school and has worked tirelessly over the years to keep our school clean and our students safe. We owe him so much! We are also very sad to say goodbye to Ms. Jenna Halvorson who has been covering Mrs. Hettiaratchi’s maternity leave this year; Mrs. Jawne our ELL Assistant and Ms. Roy our Educational Assistant as they too move on to their next adventures. They have all been part of the learning and positive culture of the school. Mrs. Wickerson, our Braille assistant will also be moving on to another experience, supporting visually challenged students in the CBE.
I would also like to thank our School Council, Parent Fund Raising Association and our parent volunteers, without whom we would not have the kind of school community that is BelPark. Our Learning Garden is amazing, field trips and learning experiences supported, donations gratefully received and staff appreciated through all the incredibly hard work of our parent volunteers. We cannot thank them enough and they are essential to the success of students. They have also been the essential component in successfully fund raising for our new Agility Playground. Thank you everyone!
BelPark student numbers continue to fluctuate slightly and for the 2023/24 school year, our population at this time is around 454 students. Please do keep in mind that numbers fluctuate between now and September. As a result, final class configurations will not happen until the first full week of classes in September. Class lists will be finalized and announced to families by the end of August. Any changes will be shared with families as soon as we are able.
We have such a dedicated and caring group of staff at Belvedere Parkway that the level of commitment they have shown is not surprising. Your children continue to benefit from all of the hard work our staff provide on a daily basis, whatever the year may bring.
In the meantime, I wish all of you a wonderful summer break and hope that you are able to spend some fun times with family and friends.
Best wishes,
Jane Gibson
Principal
