Principal Update April 27

Hello,

We have ended the week on some nicer weather. Unfortunately our field is still very muddy but we hope it will start to dry out quickly.

This week we hosted a very successful Family Financial Literacy Night. Thank you to Ms. Harth and her 4/5 class for organizing and running the event in conjunction with our School Council. The students were also able to showcase coding projects developed with The Learning Partnership using the Scratch coding platform. Today, our grade 3 students had a field trip to the Westfield Heritage Centre.  We also had a Gifted Education consultant present a session for parents about Gifted education.

Next week, we will have staff from several Public Health and Traffic Planning departments take part in an observation of pick up and drop off patterns for students. The goal is twofold: to increase the number of students walking and biking to school and to make sure that vehicle traffic is as safe as possible. The program will observe the parking lot but also be looking at traffic safety on the roads near the school as well.

On Friday May 4, we will be having a “Wellness Walk” to promote wellness and activity. Our grade 7 and 8 students will also have an assembly from the Live Different organization. Our Open House will be Thursday May 17th from 5-7pm; come and tour the classrooms to view the amazing work that has been completed over the year.

Information went home with students in grade 4-8 about the Middle Development Inventory. This is a survey that the HWDSB is using to collect information about student well-being and school culture. Students will be completing this survey in class over the next few weeks.

As in past years, Ancaster Meadow is closed to Out of Catchment students. If you are planning on moving, please be aware that your family will have to attend the catchment school for your new address in September. Unfortunately if you move out of the Ancaster Meadow area you must register at the new local school. Please see https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/find/#tabs-112 for more information.

Just a reminder to families with students in grade 3 and 6, the EQAO administration will take place from Wed May 23 to Tues May 29. Please avoid all booking appointments or other absences on these days.

HWDSB Launches Parent Voice Survey to Gather Input for Improvement Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) invites parents, guardians and caregivers to participate in a Parent Voice Survey to share what you think HWDSB is doing well, and how might HWDSB improve its education services. Parents, guardians and caregivers play an important role in HWDSB and we value your opinion. Your feedback helps us make decisions about how we deliver school services for students. HWDSB has made a commitment to partner with its parent/guardian and caregiver communities, and to work together to help students learn and grow to their full potential. This survey should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. There are no right or wrong answers. All data collected in this survey is anonymous and combined as a group. You can find the survey online at https://bit.ly/HWDSBParentVoice If you would like to learn more about how we use the data and maintain your privacy, please click here. Thank you for taking the time for this survey and helping HWDSB with your feedback.

Have a great weekend,

Simon Goodacre, Principal