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I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer- it has certainly been a hot one this year. I am excited to be a new member of your school community and look forward to joining our children on their learning journey this year. Most exciting for this year is the sense of normalcy that we are returning to. Of course, we will want to remain vigilant in our hand-washing and keep safe distances whenever possible, but many restrictions have been lifted and we will be joining together with few limitations. All signs point to an incredible and productive school year. Our teachers are back at school, planning and preparing for your child(ren) and our Office team are ready for registrations. We certainly want to thank our Facility Operator, Gilbert Wamutete for his arduous work over the summer thoroughly cleaning our school for the arrival of students. We also look forward to welcoming Stella Hu back to our school to help keep things clean in the coming year as well. This year we have a new School Council Executive and I look forward to working with them and any new families who would like to join our council for the coming year. Even if you cannot come to all the meetings, your voice will be appreciated any time you come. Each year brings positive change. This includes a few additions to our teaching staff. We are delighted to welcome Melissa Melville to kindergarten, Sheila Gregario to grade 3, and Sara Lewis to Grade 5. Christine Toews and Janelle Schiffner have graciously stepped into two temporary position s and we certainly look forward to getting to know them as well. It looks like we really got lucky with all these new teachers. Of course, no school can operate without a support team, and this year we will welcome Jamie Chall as a new lunch-room supervisor and Melanie Baggs will be joining us in the front-office as one of our secretaries. Student Placement
A great deal of time, effort and thought has gone into the process of student classroom placement for the 2022-23 school year. Careful consideration was given to input from staff and families. Student learning needs, including a balance of strengths and gifts in our children was n important part of this consideration and for this reason, classes have been balanced academically and socially. Classes are structured to provide equitable class sizes at each grade level. Moving students is difficult without causing imbalances and inequities. Thank you so much for being positive with your child and helping him or her understand that it is impossible to place all students with a preferred best friend or teacher. ALL of our staff will be working hard to make their learning experience a positive experience for everyone. Thank you to all who are helping prepare us for the new school year. Your commitment to our community deserves celebration. On that note- we would love to invite you to the first Welcome Back Barbecue since COVID!! Save-on-Foods has once again graciously volunteered time, resources, and food items to help get this year's Welcome Back Barbecue and we look forward to welcoming community agencies, families, and staff to this momentous event on Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 5:00 pm. I am really looking forward to a wonderful year together and getting to know your children in the coming months. Thank you for your warm welcome. I’ll be seeing you soon! Catherine Nichols Gunn School
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| Dear Families of Catherine Nichols Gunn School, As the 2021-22 school year comes to an end I want to take a moment to thank parents and guardians for such huge support this year. Covid Health Guidelines made school life tough as we could not have parents intot the school. We were so excited to see you back when restrictions lifted. Kids are a resilient bunch, but they need their parents to be able to come into school. I also want to let you know about some staffing changes as we say goodbye to some dedicated staff. Thank you so much to Ms.Laney, Mr. Hefler, Ms. Frey, Mr. Hiltermann, Ms. Gloge and Ms. Easton. You have provided an outstanding education to students. Thank you also to Mrs. Bond and Ms. Parshina who have happily watched over your children during lunch. Also, Beejay is moving on. Thank you for keeping our school clean and safe. I would also like to personaly thank Mrs. Harbourne who is heading to Terrace Road School as their new Administrative Secretary. Mrs. Harbourne you have been my right hand these past three years and a welcoming face to students, parents and teachers. We wish you the best. I am also moving on as Principal of Dr. Gordon Higgins School. I will view my time here as one of strong community. We've accomplished a lot together over the past three years, and I think we are all looking forward to a more normal school year. The followiong is the Catherine Nichols Gunn Staff for the 2022-23 School Year. Linda Doyle - Principal Karen Mok - Assistant Principal Vacancy - Administratie Secretary Debbie Resch - School Secretary Preston Huppie - Indigenous Education Strategist Jamai Moltzahn - Music and Physed Melissa Melville - Kindegarten Christine Towes - Kindergarten Robyn Magill - Grade 1/2 Sheila Gregorio - Grade 1/2 Vacancy - Grade 1/2 Lesleyanne Hatch - Grade 3 Sally Lang - Grade 4 Sarah Frazer - Grade 4 Sarah Lewis - Grade 5 Rashmi Baldwin - Grade 5 Joran Code - Grade 6 Tamam Abdala - Behaviour Support Worker Saadia Naveed - Education Assistant Rhoda Langell - Education Assistant Nelsy Ferrerosa Salcedo - Education Assistant Crystal MacDonald - Breakfast Supervisor/Lead Lunch Lila Siewert - Lunch Supervisor Esther Connon - Lunch Supervisor Jamie Chell - Lunch Supervisor
School Council
I also want to take the time to thank our School Council who operated this year under difficult conditions. You have ensured our school has nothing but the best. Thank you to Council Chair Maria Hawkins and Secretary John Osborne. Our next year School council is as follows: Jade Leet - School Council Chair Todd Crawford - Vice Chair Brian Heidmiller - Treasurer Shannon Moroz and Brian Heidmiller - Casino Co-Chairs Zara Obaa - Secretary Shanvas Sather - Key Communicator. The council will be looking for volunteers as our next Casino is coming up in October.
Next Year The School office will open up on August 10th, and the first day of classes will be August 15th. The Welcome Back BBQ will be held on August 18th.
Once again thank you for an amazing year.
Sincerely, Colin McCracken Principal
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| Dear CN Gunn Families, I wanted you to know that I have been offered, and I have accepted a position as Principal of Dr. Gordon Higgins School, a Junior High School within the Calgary Board of Education. The position begins on August 1, 2022. Over the last three years, together we have overcome difficult circumstances, and I believe our school is more vibrant than ever. I have loved my time at CN Gunn, and that's largely because of the outstanding commuity of students, parents,and school staff. In the next couple of days you will receive a survey asking your feedback on the selection of a a new principal, and I encourage you to participate in that process. When a new principal is selected I will work hard to ensure the transition is smooth to the benefit of all students. Sincerely, Colin McCracken Principal
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| Dear Families of Catherine Nichols Gunn School,
This school year, like last school year, has not been what I would call usual or typical. I do thank you for your patience with the various restrictions in place to make schools safer. I do realize the limiting of field trip experiences does drastically change the school experience for our students. The other part of school that drastically changes the experience is seeing parents in our schools, volunteering, dropping in, and attending in person at Student Learning Conferences. Field Trips The Calgary Board of Education has recently made changes to their off-site policy regarding the vaccine exemption program, which means that more field trips have opened up to schools. The school council, made up of parents in our school community, has fundraised, and given money to classrooms to fund field trips this year. The only field trip not covered this year by the School Council, will be swimming (if we are able to attend). The Grade 5 and 6 classes have now participated in two field trips this year, and I have asked the other grades to present me with field trip options for their students in the next week or so. It is my intention to move forward with off-site activities that enhance student learning. Volunteers As it has been almost two years since we've been able to welcome volunteers into the school I feel that many volunteer clearances that were once active have expired. If you would like to volunteer with the school, but not sure if your clearance is still active, please contact the school to check. Also, if you would like to volunteer, but know you do not have a clearance, please contact the school to find out more about the process. School Council – Thursday, February 24th. Over the last two years, all school council meetings have been online. Though this has made it easier for some families to attend, by and large, the amount of engagement from the community has dropped. School Council meetings occur on the last Thursday of the month, at 7pm. Starting on February 24th, School Council will revert to in person meetings in the school's learning commons. We are excited to welcome parents back into the school. We have missed you, and really want your feedback on a variety of topics. Please note, until such time as the health restrictions end, we will be asking that fully vaccinated community members attend, and we will be checking QR codes at the door. As mentioned above, your feedback is needed. It's important to take the opportunity to get feedback on the various initiatives the CBE is putting forward, as well as initiatives that come from Catherine Nichols Gunn school. At the February School Council Meeting we will be presenting information that will kick off our School Engagement Survey. This presentation will cover a wide variety of areas that will allow us to get feedback on the priorities of our community. Student Learning Conferences – March 10th and 11th Student Learning Conferences will take place on Thursday, March 10th from 4pm – 7:30, and March 11th from 8:30am – 12Noon. These conferences will be in person with online appointments available for families who don't meet the minimum vaccination requirement, or for families who are not quite ready to return to the school. Upcoming Dates February 17th and 18th – Teacher's Convention (No School For Students) February 21st – Family Day (No School) February 24th – School Council at 7pm (Learning Commons) March 10th – Student Learning Conferences (4:00pm – 7:30pm) March 11th – Student Learning Conferenes (8:30am – Noon) – No School for Students March 17th – Spring Concert March 18th – Last Day of School Before Spring Break March 19th – April 3rd – Spring Break April 4th – School Resumes
Sincerely, Colin McCracken, Principal
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| Dear Parents and Guardians, This week the weather seems to have taken a turn towards colder temperatures. We ask that you send your children to school prepared for any weather event that may occur. Boots, mitts/gloves and hats are definitely needed, and for younger children you may want to send your child in a comfy pair of snow pants as well.
When the weather reaches -20 degrees Celsius (with wind chill) or colder the school takes the following steps:
· Teachers will be at the doors in the morning starting at 8:08am to welcome students in as they arrive, which means students will not be standing outside and lining up in the cold. · If the weather continues to be -20 or colder (with wind chill) throughout the door, students will remain inside for recess and lunch recess. · If the weather warms up, students will go outside for recess and lunch recess, which means they will need to put on winter accessories to be comfortable outside. · If your child comes to school without proper winter attire, we will do our best to help them out It's Report Card Time! Report cards will be sent home with your children on Thursday, December 16th. In addition to the paper copy, you may view a digital copy on your My CBE/Powerschool account. Winter Break We thank you for sending your kids to school each day healthy and happy, and we hope that they have fully enjoyed the first half of the school year. Students will be on winter break from Saturday, December 18th thru to Wednesday, January 5th, with a return to school on Thursday, January 6th. We would like to wish each and every one of you a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year.
Colin McCracken Principal
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| On behalf of the entire staff of Catherine Nichols Gunn School I would like to thank you for your continued support through this past year in keeping our community safe. I hope everyone has a restful, safe, and happy summer.
Return from Summer Break – Office Open and First Day of School: August 17, 2021 The school will be closed during the summer break, and the office will be open again on August 12th from 8am – 3:45pm. The first day of school for the 2021-22 school year will be August 17th. As mentioned before we will be returning to the modified calendar. For the current school year, we had two entrance times as we managed Covid-19 restrictions. We know this was challenging for some families, and we thank you for your perseverance and helping us keep the school safe. Next year we will be having only one entry and exit time, we will maintain our three lunch breaks, and grade teams will have a shared recess time. The times are as follows: Monday thru Thursday Entry Time: 8:18am School Start: 8:20am Lunch 1: 11:10am – 11:55am Lunch 2: 11:55am – 12:40pm Lunch 3: 12:40pm – 1:25pm Dismissal: 3:04pm Fridays Entry Time: 8:18am School Start: 8:20am Nutrition Break: 10:00am – 10:10am Dismissal: 12:05pm You will be notified of which lunch break your child has after August 12th. Kindergarten Start of School We are very excited to welcome our new Kindergarten families to the 2021-22 school year. Mr. Hefler and Mrs. Way will be contacting families when they are back on August 12thregarding your specific schedule, but the general schedule is as follows: Tuesday, August 17th: This day is reserved for the teachers to have one on one interviews with parents and children. This is your opportunity to share everything you know about your child's learning, to ask questions, and to meet the teachers. Wednesday, August 18th: Half of the students will attend a full day
Thursday, August 19th: The other half of the students will attend a full day. Friday, August 20th: All Students will attend the full day (which is an early dismissal Friday) We hope you all have a relaxing break, and we look forward to seeing you all in August. Mr. McCracken Principal
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| Dear Parents and Guardians of Catherine Nichols Gunn School, To start, thank you so much for all your support this week with Scenario 3 (At Home Learning). We definitely prefer to see your children in person, but I know everyone has had a good week of learning at home. As you know, the government has made the decision that students will return to in person learning on Monday, January 11th. Please find attached here an updated version of our School Re-Entry Plan that was originally sent out at the beginninig of the school year. I encourage you to have a read. All previous measures will continue to be in effect, and it's a good idea to have a reminder. Some important information includes: - Every morning please complete the health checklist with your child. We ask that students and staff do not come to school if they have symptoms or are sick. Please communicate with the school all absences and we can discuss the processes with you.
- Masks are mandatory while at school. Please see the mask guidelines listed in the re-entry plan.
- To limit congestion at the beginning and end of day, we do have staggered entry and exit times. Please make note of your child's entry/exit time, and the door in which they enter. It is listed in the entry plan, and has not changed from December.
- We ask that students arrive just before their entry time, and that once they arrive they line up, wearing a mask, and are 1 metre apart.
- Each homeroom is considered it's own Cohort. Cohorts learn together, and do not mix with other cohorts for the learning day, including recess and lunch.
- Playground Structures: To ensure that cohorts do not mix while at school, the playground structures on the north and south side fo the school are closed before school, and after school until 3:30pm. The playground structures are part of the rotation of outside spaces during the day.
- Hand hygiene is very important. Hand sanitizer stations are in every room, and at every entrance. Sinks with hand soap are in every room, except for the learning commons. We ask that all staff and students clean their hands when entering the building, when leaving any area, and when returning to the classroom.
- When possible, and if weather permits, Physed will occur outside, so students should be prepared for this.
- Touchpoints in the school are cleaned and sanitized throughout the day, and processes are in place to ensure learning materials within classrooms are cleaned.
Return to School After International Travel If you have travelled outside the country during the holdiay, we have been asked to remind you of these policies.
Students and families who have travelled outside of Canada are legally required to follow all provincial and federal travel restrictions upon arrival. If your family is participating in the International Border Testing Pilot Program, your child may not return to school until they have tested negative on a second test 6 or 7 days after your arrival. If you are not enrolled in the pilot program, your child must: This means nyour child is unable to return to school for a minimum of 14 days after your return.
We look forward to seeing everyone on January 11th, and would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Safe, Healthy, and Happy New Year.
Colin McCracken, Principal |
| First Day Back To assist in adjusting to new rules, practices and procedures our school will welcome students back on a staggered schedule. The purpose of the schedule is: - To ease the transition of students into school,
- To spend time with smaller groups familiarizing them with our school health measures,
- To facilitate physical distancing while teaching the protocols of our health measures.
We are sharing the schedule with you now to aid in the planning all families engage in as the start of the school year approaches. More details will be provided to you around our specific measures on August 28th. During staggered entry, students will follow the same routines as they would on a day when everyone is attending, just fewer students. September 1: Those with last names beginning A-K will attend. If there are younger siblings with a different last name, they should attend with their older siblings. September 2: Those with last names beginning L-Z will attend. If there are younger siblings with a different last name, they should attend with their older siblings. To decrease congestion during entry and exits, bell times are slightly staggered for the duration of the school year. Schedule 1: Kindergarten, Grades 2, 3, 4 - 8:08am: Soft Entry
- 8:10am: School Start
- 2:53pm: End of School Day
Schedule 2: Grades 1, 5, 6 - 8:18am: Soft Entry
- 8:20am: School Start
- 3:03pm: End of School Day
Students will be exiting through the doors in which they arrived. Siblings should pick a suitable meeting area outisde the school. We undertstand that first days of school are an exciting and sometimes nervous time. We ask that parents say their goodbyes outside, and wish their children a great. day. Parents should plan on meeting their children at the end of the day outside, and not plan on meeting students inside the school. Lunch: More information will be coming out on August 28th around lunch, but please note that students will have lunch in their homerooms within their cohorts. There will be three lunch periods to accommodate social distancing and sanitzing. A more detailed explanation is coming on August 28th. September 3: All students, as per the schedule above. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Colin McCracken, Principal
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am pleased to announce that Michelle Chastko, has been offered
the Principal position at Rosemont School. The position will begin for
the start of the 2020-21 School Year. Though we are very happy for Mrs.
Chastko and this well-deserved opportunity, she will definitely be missed at
Catherine Nichols Gunn School. Over the last 4 years Mrs. Chastko
has worked very hard to support students, families and staff. The
families, students and staff of Rosemont School are very fortunate to have such
a caring and hard working individual as their Principal.
This of course means that Catherine Nichols Gunn School has an
Assistant Principal vacancy. As we know more about this process, we will
be happy to communicate with you.
Regards,
Colin McCracken
Principal |
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
Due to the ongoing health risk of COVID-19, the Calgary Board
of Education has made the decision to move all modified calendar schools and
programs to the traditional calendar next year. This means our first scheduled day of
classes will be Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
Catherine Nichols Gunn School has operated on the modified schedule for
many years. Please know the decision that was made for the 2020-21 school
year was not based on the merits of the modified calendar, and is only made due
to the ongoing health risk.
The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance,
and we look forward to welcoming back our students as soon as it is safe to do
so. More information about the re-entry plans for next school year will
be provided later this summer.
If you would like to see a
template for the traditional calendar, you may see it here. Traditional
Calendar. Please note that the specific school calendar will have
slight variations, and in the next week you can expect to receive an updated
school instructional calendar based on the traditional schedule, as well as
updated bell times. This means, due to a later start, that we will
follow the shorter winter and spring breaks of the traditional calendar, and
the usual fall break following Thanksgiving will not be a part of the school
year.
Thank you for your
understanding and patience. Please see our school website for more
information, including some frequently asked questions.
Colin McCracken,
Princpal |
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