Welcome to a New School Year

Our names are Ms. Greaves and Mrs. McLellan and we are thrilled to be your child’s grade 3/4 teachers this year! Mrs. McLellan is excited to take on a new challenge this year, having taught grade five and six in the past.  I enjoy traveling, spending time in the outdoors, playing sports and spending time with my family.  Ms. Greaves is very happy to be back in room 12.  I had a relaxing summer and my hobbies include swimming, baking and reading.

We are looking forward to a very exciting year with the many opportunities that will be available to our school.  Our classroom is part of the Grade 3/4 team and we will be planning together with the other teachers in Grade 3/4: Miss. Shustack, Miss Macleod, Miss. Klem, Miss. Kolb and Mrs. Dryden to ensure that all students have rich and diverse learning opportunities.

After two months of summer holidays, your child is probably anxious to get back to school.  However, it will take a little while to get used to the long school day again.  You can help by ensuring that your child gets lots of sleep, eats a good breakfast, packs a healthy lunch, and brings a nutritious snack so that they have the energy to make it through the day.

The following information answers some commonly asked questions and suggests ways which you as a parent can support our program:

Personal Belongings: 

To come to school: Please feel free to send a labeled water bottle, filled with water, to school with your child so they can stay hydrated and focused. Indoor shoes that your child can put on independently are also required so that our school remains nice and clean. Please ensure indoor shoes are comfortable and can be worn in the gym for daily physical activity.

To stay at home: Toys, fidget tools that have not been previously discussed with the teacher about, specialty (gels, metallic) pens, mechanical pencils and other personal belongings should not be brought to school. They are a distraction and their safety cannot be guaranteed.  All necessary supplies are provided (as part of your student fees) so all other crayons, pens and pencils will remain at home.

Behavioural Expectations:  We believe that it is important to have a safe and caring learning environment in which all children feel that they can learn. We will be working to achieve this throughout the year.

Snacks:  We encourage children to have healthy snacks for our nutrition breaks.  We also discourage the children from sharing snacks for the safety of all of our students. There will be an opportunity to have a snack at recess.

Agenda: Your child will bring home an agenda each day that will share any notices and important information (teacher communication, field trips etc.) about your child’s learning. Please take the time to check your child’s agenda each night and sign that you have read it.

Homework: Formal homework will not be assigned this year in room 12/14. Your child will be working hard at school during the day and is encouraged to enjoy time outside and with family after school. Please do take the time to read each night with your child for 15-20 minutes. Any other homework that your child brings home will consist of work they did not complete during the class time given or will be in the agenda.

Volunteering: We love volunteers! Volunteer opportunities include reading with children, preparing activities for students, or helping with class projects, and joining us on field trips. If you would like to volunteer this year, please be sure to complete the Volunteer Registration Form and visit the office to receive a letter, which is needed when completing the Police Security Check online. The Calgary Board of Education requires these forms before volunteering can take place.

School Attendance and Times:

School starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday.  On Friday we start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 11:50 a.m. Please ensure your child is on time for school.  This helps children begin each day ready to learn.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us by phone at 403-777-6710 ext. 2012 or ext. 2014 before classes start in the morning, at lunch or after school and we can arrange a time to talk or meet in person. You can also contact us through e-mail at bpgreaves@cbe.ab.ca and slmclellan@cbe.ab.ca

There will also be weekly updates on our classroom blog, class twitter account and  our school website. Please check these regularly to ensure you are up to date with your child’s learning and are “in the know” about coming events at our school. Our class twitter handle is CJFS12/14. 

We look forward to working with you and your child, and meeting with you at Parent Teacher Conferences on October 5^th and 6^th.