Principal's Message
As we look ahead to spring, I am often asked questions about the upcoming fall. School planning usually starts long before the new school year begins - often as early as the previous January! Projecting student numbers, staffing allotments, budgets, etc. all come from the school division before we can start planning in detail. Once those things have been worked out there are many pieces of the puzzle to put together before the end of June.
One question I am often asked is about class placements. Further down in this newsletter you will see a section for information on parent requests. Do parents need to request a teacher? Should they? This is a tricky question to answer. As a parent or guardian, you know your children well. You know their learning style, their social habits, etc. As a school, over the years we have also gotten to know your kids and work hard to place them in a class and with a teacher that will best suit their needs. We try to ensure every kid is in a place where they will be successful, and will have some friends to make them feel welcome and safe.
Keeping that all in mind, we are trying to find the perfect placement for each and every one of our students. Sometimes trying to accommodate many requests makes this more challenging. This is why, if you make a request, we ask for a rationale or reason for the request - both for a friend request or a teacher/class request.
Ultimately we ask that you trust us in the process. If you have questions about this, please feel free to talk to your child's teacher, or to myself about this.
Have a great spring!
Mr. Vince Hiebert
Principal: Elmdale School
Email: vhiebert@hsd.ca
Instagram: elmdalehsd
End of Day Pick-ups
Also, when picking your children up from the school parking lot or bus loop, please be aware that there are other parents also waiting to pick up their children. This is especially important if you are parked in the bus loop. It is important that we keep traffic flowing in order to have all of our students safely picked up in a timely manner.
Celebration of Learning
As spring is upon us and the snow is (finally!) melting, we look forward to all of the opportunities that come with the warming weather. With the changing of COVID rules for schools, we are now able to welcome our Elmdale families back into the school!
We are having an Open House/Celebration of Learning, taking place on Wednesday, April 13 from 4:00-6:00, by appointment. We invite families to make a 15 minute appointment with each of their children's teachers to come in with their child and see the classroom, see what their children are working on, and say hi to the teacher. This is not intended to be a formal "parent-teacher interview", but rather an informal re-connecting time.
Please make a separate appointment to visit each of your children's teachers. If you would like to stop by the gym or music room after your classroom appointment, you may do that with no appointment.
Appointments will be made using the Parent Portal, starting on April 5. If you do not have a Parent Portal account, please contact the school office for assistance in setting one up.
Class Placements for 2022-2023
We will soon be starting the process of creating class lists for the 2022-2023 school year. This is a very involved process and requires us to work closely as a school team to create class lists that are balanced and equitable for all. We take this process very seriously as we try very hard to create a positive learning environment for students.
We consider a variety of criteria when creating class lists, including:
- Achievement (balanced class composition)
Social and behavioural considerations
Male/Female ratio
Group dynamics
Learning styles
Parent input
Given appropriate support at home and at school, it has been our experience that the vast majority of placements are successful. Where a placement is proving to be difficult, we ask that parents and students give it the time required for friendships and classroom community building to develop.
Class placements will be included in your child's June report card. Early information about whether requests have or have not been granted will not be shared prior to June 30, with the exception of students entering Kindergarten. Families of incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of their child's teacher and the days they will attend in mid-June.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to your child's education.
Report Cards
Just a reminder that Report Cards for grades 1-4 were distributed on March 18 on the Parent Portal. Please sign in to your Parent Portal Account to see your child's report card.
March Princi-Pals
Nutrition Bits and Bites
Is your child a picky eater? Check out this month's Nutrition Bits and Bites Newsletter from Southern Health for tips on how to deal with this. Click HERE to access it!
"Soup's On" School Lunches
Bus Times, Routes & Address Changes
If your address has changed, please call transportation at 204-320-2347 to make sure that your children are riding the correct bus to and from school.
Elmdale Early Years School
Publisher: Mr. Hiebert
