Weekly Staff Newsletter

With World Teachers’ Day on October 5, I want to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to each of you. I continue to be grateful for the care, patience, creativity, and commitment you bring to our students and school community each day.

Teaching and supporting students is incredibly meaningful work, but it is not always easy work. So much of what you do happens in the small moments: a conversation with a student who needs encouragement, adjusting a lesson to help someone find success, connecting with a family, supporting a colleague, or simply making sure a child knows they belong.

As we recognize World Teachers’ Day, I hope you know how much your efforts are noticed and appreciated. Thank you for everything you do to make our school such a caring and positive place for students to learn and grow. I feel very fortunate to work alongside all of you.

Thank you in advance for the time and care you will put into our Parent/Teacher Conferences next week. These conversations are such an important opportunity to celebrate student growth, strengthen relationships with families, and work together to support our students.

As you prepare, please remember that Ryan and I are both available to support you in any way we can. If there is a conversation you would like help preparing for, a meeting where you would appreciate additional support, or anything else you want to talk through, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for all you do to make these conversations positive and meaningful for our students and families.

A reminder that our Implementation Day is Friday, October 9, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm A light breakfast will be available beginning at 8:00 am, so please feel free to come a little early, grab something to eat, and connect with colleagues before we get started.

Implementation Day gives us a valuable opportunity to slow things down a little and take stock of our learning and growth as a school.

In the morning, we will focus on “Our Journey So Far,” revisiting the work we have done together and considering what we are noticing in our classrooms and across the school.

In the afternoon, our focus will shift to reflection, next steps, and planning. Staff will have time to consider what is working, where opportunities for growth exist, and what small, intentional next steps could look like in practice.

Thank you in advance for bringing your experiences, ideas, and perspectives to the day. The learning we do together is strongest when it is connected to the students in front of us and leads to practical next steps we can put into action.

We are bringing back Bear Paws as one of the ways we recognize and celebrate the positive things our students do each day.

Bear Paw slips have been provided to teachers. When you notice a student demonstrating kindness, respect, responsibility, helpfulness, or another positive behaviour, please take a moment to acknowledge them with a Bear Paw. Students can bring their completed slips to the office, where they will be entered into our weekly draw.

The goal is not just the draw, but the recognition itself. Taking the time to notice positive choices and letting students know that their actions matter. Let’s see how many students we can catch doing great things!

One thing I have been reflecting on is the amount of email we are all receiving. There are a number of important messages being shared with staff throughout the week, and I recognize that I am contributing to that volume as well! When so much information is coming our way, even important messages can become difficult to keep track of or find again when we need them.

Moving forward, I would like us to make more effective use of our weekly memo as a “one-stop shop” for staff communication whenever possible. Rather than sending multiple separate emails throughout the week, information that can wait will be included in the memo, creating one consistent place to check for updates, reminders, upcoming events, and other important information.

There will, of course, still be times when an email needs to be sent because something is timely or requires immediate attention. The goal isn’t to eliminate email, but to be more intentional about how we communicate and make important information easier for everyone to access and retrieve.