Hello Jennie Elliott Families,
It was a slightly quieter week in our school with our grade 6’s at Outdoor School from Monday to Thursday, but still a busy week with field trips, residencies, Wacky Hair and Hat Day, and the Solar Eclipse!
It is like a “right-of-passage" for our students to attend sleep-away camp when they reach grade 6. This has been a tradition for many schools since I was even in elementary school here in Calgary many moons ago. We are fortunate to be so close to the mountains and have these beautiful outdoor camps for our students to attend. Camp Chief Hector did not disappoint again this year! I went out to visit the students on Wednesday evening, and as I shared with the grade 6 parents already, the students were full of stories and eager to relay the many adventures they had experienced, especially the yummy camp food they had eaten. Who knew that would be their big takeaway?!
Our grade 3’s were the star artists at our Learning Assembly this week after their week-long dance residency with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. It was so fun to watch them hip-hop and bop their way through some funky dance routines and inspire the audience to get involved. I hope to see some more hip-hop routines being created out on the playground over the coming weeks!
Important Action | 2024 - 2025 Student Enrollment and Class Cohorts
At the end of this month we will be required to submit our 2024-25 school budget. We ask parents to help with the planning process by providing us with important information that will inform decisions such as the number of staff we can keep/hire, the numbers of students in classes and the configuration of classes.
In addition, we will begin to plan our class cohorts for next year. As I messaged in an earlier update, this is a collaborative, complex process that takes several iterations and weeks to complete and involves the input of your child’s learning team including parents, teachers, support staff and the leadership team. Through careful thought and planning, our aim is to ensure balanced classes where students feel safe, cared for and are set up for success. Therefore, please understand that the final decisions rest with the school. We ask that parents refrain from making requests for a specific teacher. In addition, while your child may not be placed with all members of a friend group, we understand the importance of social connections for children and work to ensure that each student has a friendly face in their class when they begin the new school year.
All families of students currently in grades Kindergarten to grade 5 are asked to complete the 2024-25 Student Enrollment and Class Cohorts Parent Engagement form by April 26, 2024, regardless of whether your child will be returning to Jennie Elliott next year, or not. We would also like all families to refer to the Class Cohorts FAQ before completing the form that will answer many of the questions we are often asked. Please complete one form per student in your family.
Upcoming Dates
April 16 – School Council Meeting
April 19 – Non-instructional Day (no school)
April 23 – School Bus Driver Recognition Day!
April 26 – Student Enrollment and Class Cohorts Parent Engagement form due
April 29 – Fun Lunch
May 17 – Non-instructional Day (no school)
May 20 – Victoria Day (no school)
With much gratitude,
Lucene Tahmazian
Principal (Acting) | Jennie Elliott School