CALVIN PARK UPDATE

As we enter the second last week of this school year, we continue to be in awe of all of our Comets and their families, and our staff, for their incredible perseverance and resilience throughout this year. It is incredible to think of the many things that have changed since March 2020 and it feels like, finally, there is a growing sense of hope. We know that motivation for learning is waning and we encourage you to please continue to reach out to your child's teacher or to the office if we can help in any way.

Grade 8 Graduation

An email was sent out on Friday to all Grade 8 families with final plans for Grade 8 Graduation. As you can imagine, with over 200 graduates, organizing a graduation while following all health protocols is a challenging task! We will be holding a Drive-In Graduation and teachers are currently in the process of setting up individual appointments for each of our graduating students. Please contact your child's teacher if you have not received the graduation information yet. Calvin Park students who attended the Elementary Virtual School are also invited to participate in the Calvin Park Graduation as well as the EVS Graduation. Elementary Virtual School families can contact the Calvin Park office to book an individual graduation appointment.

Graduation Photos

We were not able to reschedule graduation photos to take place at the school due to provincial restrictions. Lifetouch Photography is working with the board to provide photos as part of the provincial re-opening plans. We will pass along more details when we know specifics.

Personal Belongings and Report Card Pick-Up and Return of Chromebooks and other Items

Staff will be collecting and bagging students' personal belongings this week. We will be sending out an email on Wednesday with details about returning borrowed Chromebooks (and charging cords) and school materials, and picking up personal belongings and report cards. Grade 8 students will have an opportunity to drop-off borrowed Chromebooks and pick up their belongings at the Drive-In Graduation. Grade 8 Report Cards will be mailed. Grade 7 students will be asked to return items and pick up reports and belongings on June 23. We appreciate your patience as we work on our final planning to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Attendance

Please continue to complete attendance through SafeArrival for your child if you know that they will be absent. We are still doing call-outs as staff are taking attendance each day.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support this year,

Elizabeth Suriyuth, Principal

Wilma Pettingill, Vice-Principal

The Calvin Park Team

Focus on Equity and Anti-Racism

There have been many heartbreaking events over the course of this year, and the last two weeks have been challenging and emotional. We remember and honour the Indigenous children and their families who were victims of the residential school system. Lives were taken and families were broken. The Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission provide recommendations for moving forward. We are grateful to be able to live and play on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishanaabe.

We also honour and remember the Muslim family who were intentionally killed in the horrific attack last week in London, Ontario. Hate has no place in our communities, and no place in our schools. We stand with the local Muslim community, and those around the country, and we remain committed to combating Islamophobia, racism and discrimination in all its forms.

When events like these happen, and when systemic racism continues to impact so many lives, it focuses attention on the importance of educating students about respect, equity and diversity. We have work to do to ensure that our schools and our communities are safe and inclusive for all.

JUNE IS INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH

In June, we honour National Indigenous History Month to celebrate the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. National Indigenous Peoples' Day is June 21. Recent events have shown us how important it is that the true stories and experiences of Indigenous Peoples be heard and shared to create a future based on understanding, empathy, equity and inclusion.

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH

The start of June marks the beginning of Pride Month. This month is an opportunity to show our support and allyship for students, staff, families and community members who identify as members of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Our Pride Flag will fly in front of our school for the month of June as a symbol of inclusion and love, and to show our commitment to creating an environment at Calvin Park that is welcoming for all our students and families.

School Advisory Council (SAC) Executive for 2020-21:

Co-Chairs:

Claudine Elvidge (claudine_elvidge@hotmail.com)

Krystle Holton ( krystleholton@hotmail.com )

Secretary/Treasurer: Sarah Phinney

Thank you to our wonderful School Advisory Council for your support - your involvement makes a difference! Thank you to our Co-Chairs this year for organizing the meetings each month. The money raised through fundraising this year, will support purchases of new books for classroom libraries with themes of diversity and inclusion.

Please check the September 2021 newsletter to see how you can become involved in the School Advisory Council next year!

Our Indigo and FlipGive fundraisers will be continuing until June 25th. For more information about these fundraisers, please view the Calvin Park School Advisory Council Update https://www.smore.com/beqxr Participation in these fundraisers is easy! Just sign up and a percentage of what you spend for regular purchases like groceries, gas, home products and gifts, will go to our school. All fundraising this year will be used to purchase new books for classroom libraries to reflect diverse lives and issues related to equity, racism, and inclusion.

IMPORTANT BUSING INFORMATION FROM TRI-BOARD TRANSPORTATION

If your child is enrolled in the Grade 7 Atlas, Leap or Challenge programs this year and has used Tri-Board busing, please read the following information from the Tri-Board Transportation website

ELECTIVE LEARNING PROGRAM TRANSPORTATION FORM

Complete this form if the student is enrolled in an elective learning program (LEAP, Challenge, ATLAS, etc) excluding French Immersion. Students enrolled in an elective learning program may be eligible to attend schools that are outside the student’s attendance boundary however, parents are responsible for transportation to and from the school that houses the elective learning program. Applications for transportation may be submitted to Tri-Board and transportation may be provided only if:

There is an existing bus route;
There is space on the bus;
There is no additional cost the School Board

If approved by Tri-Board, Tri-Board will assign the student to the bus stop on the route that is closest to the student’s residence. Tri-Board will not re-route buses or move stops for students in elective learning programs. Late arrival/early dismissal as well as extended ride time may be necessary. It is the responsibility of the coordinator of the elective learning program to advise parents and students at the time of registration that the student is not eligible for transportation unless special approval is granted by Tri-Board. The approval of transportation arrangements for students in elective learning programs outside of their attendance boundary will be determined on an annual basis.