Principal’s Update:

I continue to be impressed by the quality of the learning opportunities that are provided to students on a daily basis at Chalmers. I am grateful for our amazing team and I’m proud of what it means to be a cougar.

I often talk about the importance of showing kindness within the context of student interactions and behaviour; however, the significance of this quality is not dependent on your age, job title or how others treat you. For all stakeholders in education, it’s about what you give and how you treat others that defines us and determines the nature of the experience...leveraging what’s “in here” (your mind and your heart) to lift others up.

For this principal’s update I’ve decided to do something a little bit different. It was Monday morning and it was time to do some walk-throughs. I invite you to join me on this journey and take in what was happening throughout our school yesterday morning after the bell rang.

Here are just a few examples of what I saw:

While circulating the back playground I was greeted with a smile and a good morning by Mr. Burbidge who made a point of commenting on how beautiful the weather was to start the day. Mrs. Ranton (known to our students and school community as Krystal) is one of our awesome supervision monitors and Nutrition for Learning leaders. She held the door open for our primary friends as they entered the school, and the relationships that she has with our students cannot be overlooked; she knows almost every child by name! At the doorway of portable #2, I witnessed Mrs. Cox welcoming students with a high-five and a big smile (“Good morning, Mr. Johnson!” she shouted across the playground). In portable #3, Mrs. Makey was back and admittingly excited to meet the students of 3A. They were excited too!

As I walked past room 12, I heard lots of laughter. This is no surprise. Mrs. Harmer and Mrs. Hatton are two energized and positive spirits (our “rockstar” special education resource team) who lead many of our small groups and offer support to staff and students throughout the school. Mr. Campbell stood at the corner of the primary door and his classroom chatting with students as they removed their winter clothing. The Kindergarten corridor was filled with educators interacting with students at their level, offering comfort and reminding them of their morning routine (in the event that they needed a little help). Mrs. Bryan and Ms. Huc were out in the hallway with students lined up are they prepared to sing O’Canada together (the educators of KC are often heard singing with students in the hallway…“walk this way”). On this morning like many other mornings, Mr. Van Ravenstein was a fixture in the hallway and with his big warm smile he offered the friendly nod of “good morning, nice to see you” to each of his students.

O’Canada finishes, and looking down both hallways remaining students and staff are seen chanting and dancing to our morning Chalmers’ cheer: “Cougars are good, Cougars are great. Cougars know how to participate, Cougars are positive and follow the rules, and the Paws of Chalmers Street school.” I love this part of the morning! I encourage you to ask your child to teach you our morning cheer! Maybe I’ll ask you to show me the next time I see you…

Down in the Portapak the greatness continued. Mrs. Chapman was already conferencing with one student at the round table as they discussed the story he had in front of him. The rest of the class was quietly reading. Mr. Fleming’s grade 3/4A was assigning their leadership jobs for the week, and students in Mrs. Tinnes’ class were sharing their thinking in relation to the Number Talk that she visually represented on the whiteboard. Mrs. Quigg (on her very first day) was sharing expectations with students and had invited them write a brief “all of about me” so that she could get to know them a little bit better. I even heard her say, “I want to establish a positive relationship with each of you.” I love this! Mrs. Lamond (filling in for Mrs. Berry) was also enjoying her first official morning with students in 5B, and when I walked in they were engaged in a community circle conversation and students were attentively listening as their peers responded to the morning prompt. The atmosphere in this room was calm, safe and students were present in the activity.

Mrs. Jones leading our Kindergarten bus friends up the sidewalk, Mrs. Kitzman welcoming all visitors into the front foyer with a smile, Mrs. Strome assisting a child in finding their lost shoe, and seeing Mrs. Costa chat with two students in the hallway are other notable observations.

Regardless of whether I observed their interactions yesterday morning or not, I am confident in sharing that each Chalmers’ staff member continues to show love and kindness to our students on a daily basis. I would like to thank each Chalmers’ staff member for the support they offer and the learning experiences they provide to our cougar students.

Sincerely,

Jeff Johnson, Principal

Lots of Changes at Chalmers:

We have had a number of staffing changes over the past few weeks, and I would like to acknowledge the contributions and leadership of the following individuals: Ms. Ognibene (6B), Ms. Thorpe (6A), Mrs. Brooks (3/4A), Mrs. Goverde (Secretary), Mrs. Lonial (Educational Assistant), and Mrs. Chaves (Custodian). A huge thank you and best wishes also goes out to our wonderful Vice-Principal, Mrs. Strome, who is headed off to Doon Public School/Queen Elizabeth Public School beginning Monday. We wish each of you well in the next chapter of your educational journey!

Please join me in welcoming (and welcoming back) the following staff members:

• Mrs. Makey (Teacher 3A)
• Mr. Fleming (LTO Teacher 3/4A)
• Mrs. Savel (Teacher 6B)
• Mrs. Quigg (Teacher 6A)
• Mrs. Lamond (LTO Teacher 5B)
• Ms. Worsley (Educational Assistant)
• Mrs. Rolston (Secretary)
• Mr. Bell (Vice Principal)
• Mrs. Wheaton (Afternoon Custodian)
• Mr. Slade (Afternoon Custodian)

Upcoming Events and Important Dates:

Our next School Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 19th at 6:30pm in the Library. This Wednesday we will also be sending home information related to our next school council fundraiser: Krispy Kreme donuts!

The 90th Annual Cambridge Skating Races will kick-off on Friday, February 28th at the Galt Arena Gardens. Stay tuned for further details! The opportunity for your child to express their interest in participating will be sent home via a Google Survey on school-day in the very near future.