Hello Jennie Elliott families! 

What a fabulous start to the new year! The sun came out to welcome our students and families back to school, and it was a joy to see our field filled with the excitement and energy that the first day of school brings.  

We began our year with a whole school assembly to bring our students and staff together as a community. We welcomed new students to the school, introduced our dedicated staff, and set our common expectations for our school. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm in our students, greeting others as they walked in, and waving at other teachers as though they were old friends who haven’t seen each other in years!  

Introducing our Learning Leaders! 

Collin Peters 

Hello Jennie Elliott families! I am excited to start the year as a Learning Leader and grade 6 teacher at Jennie Elliott school. I began my teaching career in Canmore in 2003. Afterward, I spent ten years at Calgary Academy, working with students with learning disabilities. This was followed by ten years with the Calgary Board of Education, where I served nine years at Guy Weadick School. My areas of expertise include early numeracy, literacy, science, and physical education. As a Learning Leader, I some of my portfolios have included leading teacher professional learning in math and literacy, facilitating intervention classes, and supporting English Language Learner (ELL) students. Additionally, I oversaw technology implementation and worked closely with teachers to enhance their instructional practices and classroom management skills. I look forward to meeting and working with the families at Jennie Elliott and supporting the leadership team to do great things at our school for our students’ learning! 

Dustin Pivarnyik 

I am thrilled to join the Jennie Elliott School community as a Learning Leader and Resource Teacher! For the past eight years, I have taught at Vista Heights School, where I've held various roles, including teaching Grades 2, 3, and 4, serving as a PE specialist, working in the Learning and Literacy (L&L) program, and acting as an intervention teacher. Additionally, I took on the responsibility of Learning Leader. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Education in Educational Leadership at the University of Lethbridge and look forward to graduating at the end of this school year. Beyond academics, I actively seek leadership opportunities through sports by mentoring both youth and adults. I am eager to become a part of the JES family and to contribute to the school's ongoing success. 

Andrea Gray 

As a passionate educator with numerous years of experience with the CBE, I've had the privilege of teaching at schools like West Dover, Elbow Park, Lake Bonavista, and most recently, Prince of Wales School. My dedication to mentoring and fostering a strong learning community led me to join the leadership team a few years ago. Drawing on my expertise in Task Design, I'm excited to contribute as a grade 4 teacher and Learning Leader to create a vibrant school culture focused on rich learning experiences for all students at Jennie Elliott and supporting the Leadership Team at JES. 

Entry and Exit Doors 

Each grade uses a designated door to enter and exit the school. Please ensure your student is using the correct door. 

Students Who Take the Bus 

Attendance is taken prior to students boarding the bus. Therefore, it is critical to notify the office prior to 3:00pm if your child will not be riding the bus home after school.  If a student is unaccounted for, we will enact our Missing Child Protocol if we are unable to reach the family to confirm the child’s whereabouts. This can also cause delays in sending the bus on its route until the child’s whereabouts are confirmed. Thank you to all families for your diligence with this important communication. 

Absences, Lates and Early Pick Ups 

Any changes to your child’s dismissal plan should be emailed to jennieelliott@cbe.ab.ca and the classroom teacher, prior to 3:00pm. Teachers are not watching their email throughout the instructional day, so emailing the main office is important. 

If your child is going to be absent from school, please notify the main office at 403-777-8350 or jennieelliott@cbe.ab.ca the same morning or earlier. 

If your child arrives late to school after 9:05am, they must use the main doors and check in at the office before going to class. 

If your child is being picked-up early from school, you must meet and sign out your child at the main office.  We ask parents not to pick your child up from the office after 3:25pm, but to wait instead until the 3:41pm dismissal bell and meet them at their dismissal door. This helps us to have our office staff available and attentive for the safe and smooth dismissal of our students. Teachers are also busy getting students ready for dismissal, so the less interruptions to that routine the better.  

Welcome Back & Meet the Teacher Event 

I’d like to say that I planned the incorrect date in my last message to see how many of you read my notice, but alas, it was my typo. Thank you to the parents who quickly notified me of the error. The date for the Welcome Back & Meet the Teacher Event will be Thursday, September 19, 2024 from 4:00-6:30pm. 

The following schedule provides an opportunity for families to tour the classroom, introduce themselves to their child’s new teacher, and tour the school if they wish during the scheduled hour. It also allows teachers to be able to enjoy some time with their students and families outside, and perhaps see some of their families from previous years when they are not hosting in their classroom. 

It is obviously still too early for teachers to be able to meet with parents about student progress as teachers are still getting to know students. However, if parents would like to meet with teachers to highlight important information about their child’s learning or health that has not already been shared in the Family Viewpoint, please reach out to your child’s teacher to set up an appointment. 

Family Selfie (Felfie!) Board 

To further celebrate our beautiful Jennie Elliott family, we are asking staff and students to bring a selfie of their family to add to our Jennie Elliott “Felfie Board” in the school! Bring it with you to the Welcome Back & Meet the Teacher event on September 19 . Your child will be able to show you where the bulletin board is, so you can put it up together. 

Upcoming Dates 

Sept 2 - Labour Day (no school)

Sept 19 – Welcome Back and Meet the Teacher event (4:00-6:30) 

Sept 20 – Fall Equinox 

Sept 26 – Orange Shirt Day 

Sept 27 – Non-instructional Day (no students) 

Sept 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no school) 

Enjoy the long weekend everyone as we welcome what we hope to be a sunny September! 

With much gratitude,

Lucene Tahmazian

Principal (Acting), Jennie Elliott School