Dear Friends and Families of Colonel Walker School,
This past week we had a blast learning to curl at school. Each class had the opportunity to work with Willie from Rocks and Rings, and to learn about and try their hands at the art of curling (in the comfort and warmth of our school gym). This learning opportunity was funded by our generous School Council- we are so grateful for the many ways this group of dedicated friends and family members support learners and learning in our community.
School Planning and Engagement
Thank you to those who were able to join in person and online for our School Planning meeting on Tuesday evening this week. Those who attended were provided with an overview of the School Development Planning and Budgeting processes, and had the opportunity to ask questions and share feedback. If you were unable to attend this meeting, but would like to participate in this engagement opportunity, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey at this link (it will close on March 22). Your voice matters; feedback from families is critical as it helps to inform the decisions we make as we look forward to and begin planning for the 2024-25 school year. If you’ve not yet completed the form sent out last week sharing your schoolplans for next school year for each student you have at CWS this year, please take a minute to share your intentions with us via this form. We’ve heard from over half of our families, but hearing from everyone helps us to make sure we are planning in strategic and intentional ways.
Spring Ahead
Please remember to move your clocks forward one hour this weekend. As we look forward to warmer weather on the horizon, please ensure your child comes to school prepared for the outdoor conditions each day. Our field can be very wet at this time of year, and if puddle jumping is a favourite pastime for your child, please send them in waterproof footwear (and perhaps with a change of clothing in their bag).
Donations and/or Volunteer Request
As we work to ensure an adequate supply of emergency clothing at the school (we keep a few items on hand in case there are accidents etc.), we would happily accept donations of the following:
- New underwear and socks (sizes small and medium)
- Gently used or new tops and pants (gender neutral in sizes small and medium)
If you have items to offer, please reach out to the main office before dropping off a donation to make sure we’re not accepting donations we are unable to store. Also, if you have time and an interest in helping us to curate items like these in our “take what you need space” opposite the main office (a monthly check in and then request for items via Sign Up Genius if needed), please reach out and let us know as we would appreciate support in this area.
Lunchroom Reminders
Please remember that we have a number of students with severe allergies in our schoolcommunity, all of whom eat together with their peers in the lunchroom. As such, we ask that you send a “nut-free” lunch to school each day as we strive to remain “nut-aware.” Please also remember to pack utensils with your child’s lunch if they need them- we are going through a large number of disposable spoons and forks each day which is creating unnecessary strain on both the environment and our lunchroom budget. Thank you very much for your support in this area.
School Conferences
We believe that every child should be involved in conversations about their learning so that they are active participants in their own learning journeys. Please plan to bring your student along with you to our in-person conferences scheduled for Thursday March 21 (4:00- 8:00pm) and Friday March 22 (8:30am- 12:30pm). Teachers are working with their classes to ensure that each student is prepared to share literacy, numeracy and well-being goals, and to be able to share evidence of their work towards these goals with artifacts from their learning in the classroom. The conference manager will open for bookings at 4:00pm on Tuesday March 12- sign in early to ensure you book a time that works for you and your family.
Upcoming Dates
March 12: Lock Down Drill #2 (CPS will be on site to support this drill)
March 12 and13: Ever Active Schools Change-maker Residency (grade 5 students)
March 20: Jump Rope for Heart celebration (in school)
March 21 and 22: School Conferences (in person)
March 21: Last day of classes before Spring Break
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the warm weather. As always, please reach out with questions or concerns if you have them.
Warm regards,
Kate Jones
Principal