Upcoming Dates
June 4- Fun Snack
June 5- Patrol Picnic
June 13- School Council
June 13- Fun Lunch
June 21- National Indigenous Peoples’ Day
June 25- Grade 6 Farewell
June 26- Sports Day in afternoon 1:00-3:00 p.m.
June 27- Last Day of Classes- Students Dismissed at 12:30
Dear Terrace Road Families
It is wild to think back one year to when I accepted the position of principal at Terrace Road School. Time flies- more-so when you are having fun, and that’s what this year has definitely brought me so far. I am enjoying getting to know each of our learners so well, and being a part of our circles on a weekly basis has helped with that recently.
Today as a school, we read “I AM Peace” by Patricia Verde and Peter Reynolds. The book is a reminder about the importance of staying present in the NOW and not to worry too much about what we have done, or what may come, because those things are out of our control. Mindfulness and strategies aligned with Well-being will continue to be utilized as we work to regulate some very excited students!!
School Council - Notice of Change of Date NOW ON JUNE 13!
We will be having our final School Council meeting on June 13 this year rather than on June 6. This will be a fun-filled meeting with items to discuss such as class configurations, budget for next year, the Casino and dates, and changes to some school processes that will be introduced next year. Take good care and we hope to see many of you there!
School Zone Violations
We have had a number of complaints from the community lately regarding parents who are making dangerous U-turns and speeding within our school zone. There will be traffic enforcement on site in the month of June as a response to the increased violations. These acts are dangerous to our students and our patrollers. Thank you for being mindful of our Terrace Road School Zone, and for driving 30 km/hr and under.
Sports Day Volunteers
Our sports day is approaching quickly, and we are still looking for a few volunteers to support our students in their activities on this day. A sign-up genius was sent out to volunteers last week- please take a peek and consider joining us on that day—there are freezies and smiles and guaranteed!
June is Pride Month
The Calgary Board of Education strives to ensure that all our schools are safe and caring places for all students and staff. As a public school system, we welcome and celebrate students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and beliefs.
At Terrace Road school, we have honoured and recognized our unique school community throughout the school year with events such as Orange Shirt Day, Black History Month, Christmas, and Ramadan. June is Pride Month, a time to recognize the pursuit of equality and rights for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. The CBE reaffirms its commitment to creating safe and caring learning and work environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students and staff. At Terrace Road School, we will recognize this occasion by spending time discussing the concepts of equality and equity for all Humans, Human Rights, and by having age-appropriate conversations with students in response to any questions that may arise organically during classroom discussions on current events. Our Pride Club will also be putting up a few stickers/posters in the school promoting Pride Month Awareness.
We acknowledge that each family and community have unique experiences with different recognitions and celebrations, and any commemorative activities in our schools may be perceived differently. However, classroom-based activities and lessons that promote diversity and inclusion are not subject to exemptions under the Education Act.
Home Communication
As a community, we deeply value the communication we have with our families regarding events, tasks, assessments and learning in our school. We also recognize that time is valuable to everyone, and we are constantly looking for ways to streamline effective communication. As a staff, we will be making some changes (as a whole group) to our communication methods for next year in order to:
- Provide clarity
- Reduce over-communication and duplication
- Demonstrate student learning and progress frequently
- Ensure understanding of what students are doing in class and how they are being assessed against the curriculum and program of studies
Once we have some final decisions in place, we will communicate those with the community, and the tweaks will be implemented at the beginning of next year.
Circle Visits
I have scheduled in a time to visit each classroom for a circle talk once per week. This will be valuable time for me to connect with students and understand how they are feeling and what goals, thoughts, or ideas they may have for themselves and their classroom. I look forward to these 15-20 minute meetings to listen to students and help to keep the amazing feeling of our tight-knit community growing.
Field Trips and Fees
We do have a number of field trips and in-school experiences scheduled over the next few weeks. There will be forms coming home for families to sign, and fees will be assigned to your MyCBE / PowerSchool accounts. Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions or concerns regarding a fee applied to your account.
Grade 6 PATS Update
Alberta Education announced last week that Grade 6 English language arts and literature (ELAL) and mathematics provincial achievement tests will not be administered in the 2023-2024 school year.
Alberta Education will instead offer field testing between April and June 2024. Schools are encouraged to participate in the optional field tests that are available using the Vretta digital platform. This will help inform the development of future PATs for Grade 6 English language arts and literature and mathematics that align with new curriculum in these subjects. Science 6 and Social Studies 6 PATs will still be administered using Vretta for all Grade 6 CBE students in June 2024. FLA 6 PATs will also continue to be administered for those not piloting new curriculum. All Grade 9 PATs will also continue to be administered using Vretta in May/June of 2024.
Take care, everyone! Have a wonderful week,
Dan Buchanan Principal,
Terrace Road School