Various contributions continue to strengthen our positive learning community:
Reflecting on this past month, I am feeling very grateful for the contributions that have been made by various individuals within the Chalmers school community. The involvement of staff, school council, parent volunteers and student leaders have led to numerous opportunities and experiences being offered to our students. I believe these experiences are incredibly important to student well-being and achievement as they challenge students to get involved, take-risks in trying something new, and enable them to foster a meaningful connection to their peers and to other adults in the building (in many cases, beyond their classroom teacher).
I also feel that these experiences were largely celebratory in nature, reinforced inclusion, and hopefully added a layer to each person’s story as they move forward in their journey as a key member of our school team.
“Black Canadian Youth: Boundless, Rooted and Proud,” was the Canadian Government’s theme for this year’s Black History Month. Our Safe, Caring and Inclusive Schools Committee designed our focus at Chalmers around this year’s national campaign and we encouraged students to create artwork that would celebrate the legacy and accomplishments of Black Canadians both past and present. In our Kindergarten classes, two of our SCIS student leaders shared the story of “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt,” and as an extension each class collaboratively made a quilt portraying their thoughts and feelings related to the big ideas expressed in the story. Students in grades 1-6 made posters that will be on display in our hallways to ensure that February’s SCIS initiative remains part of the ongoing dialogue. This past Friday, our student leaders in partnership with our Kindergarten teachers, showcased student artwork in a slideshow at our PAWS assembly. In addition, the video compilation created by our Kindergarten staff and students, emphasized the importance of kindness, working together, and “to keep trying” even when things are challenging.
Our return to the Cambridge Skating Races took place on Friday, February 22nd. It was so awesome to see so many parents and staff in attendance to cheer on our students as they took to the ice. The races are such a celebration of community and sport, and all twenty-three of our students experienced the event for the very first time. Everyone had a great time and I am hopeful that our team will grow even larger as we look ahead to next year. Hearing one student share, “this is the best day of my life” served as a great reminder that we need to continue to be reflective of the experiences provided to our students and be mindful of the positive impact that extra-curricular activities can have on a child.
Many of our staff and students have also been competing in basketball intramurals over the past several weeks, and they excitedly await the culminating tournament that will take place Tuesday after school at Stewart Avenue. Thank you to those staff who organized this year’s basketball club and who led students through practices and games during nutrition breaks.
School Council continues to engage our parent community and these valuable members remain focused on enhancing the student learning experience at Chalmers. To wrap-up last week, we launched our first-ever Movie Night and sold over 120 tickets to the event. Proceeds from the event will be used to cover the cost of the movie license as well as support the current initiative of enhancing various tech tools within Chalmers. The Card Project is also underway, and students recently had the opportunity to transform their artwork into a greeting card. Stay tuned for further information related to ordering your child’s card. This will absolutely make a great gift for family and friends. Thank you, School Council!
I would also like to acknowledge and say thank you to the Moffat Creek School Council for their incredibly generous donation of $1000. We will discuss the use of these funds at our upcoming Chalmers School Council meeting on Wednesday, March 20th at 6:30pm in the Library. We encourage you to come out and join the conversation.
As we continue to strengthen the positive learning environment at Chalmers, I think it is important to highlight that our strategic plan is being brought into action as a result of the initiative and involvement of all stakeholders. We will continue to move forward with a collective approach the empowers the school community and engages a diverse range of voices.
Jeff Johnson, Principal
Changes to the staff team:
I would like to thank Mrs. Mortimer (teacher in KE), Mrs. Atekha (teacher in 2/3B), and Ms. Hodge (Educational Assistant) for their leadership and support of student achievement and well-being at Chalmers. Each of you will be missed and we wish you nothing but the best as you begin this next chapter in your personal and professional journey.
Mrs. Mortimer’s leave will begin on Monday, March 4th and we’d like to offer a warm Cougar welcome to Ms. Huerta who is our new LTO teacher in KE. With Mrs. Atekha’s LTO ending on Friday, March 8th, we are excited to welcome back Mrs. Brooks (as the teacher of 2/3B) following the March Break. Mrs. Hodge’s term EA assignment will conclude on Thursday, March 7th; as as result, we say hello and welcome to Mrs. Jones as she joins our team. We look forward to working with and learning from all of you!
Safe Schools Reminders:
Please remember that our school is maintained as a safe and secure site, and our doors are locked with access being granted through the office as well as by extended day staff. We kindly ask that you don’t wait to hold the door open for others or provide access to other members of the community. While we recognize that this is a common courtesy in many environments, we want to ensure that we know exactly who has been permitted into our school.
All visitors will continue to require permission from the office (and obtain a visitor badge) before entering the hallway. With the instructional day occurring from 9:20am-3:40pm, students arriving late or being dismissed early will receive assistance from a Chalmers staff member, and we ask that parents/guardians and visitors wait in the foyer. Students must be signed-in and out by a parent/guardian.
We continue to encourage the active participation of parents and community members who have a completed Vulnerable Sector Check with the Waterloo Regional Police. Once received, please submit your VSC to the main office.
Our parking lot is a very busy, small and unsupervised space. We encourage you to access the walking paths at either end of the school rather than cutting through the parking lot when walking with your children. As we strive to foster further independence in our students, it is important that we model the correct and safest way to arrive and depart from school. In addition, please refrain from parking in our lot. Parking on-site is only permitted to school and board staff and volunteers. We encourage you to pay careful attention to municipal parking regulations and signage when parking on the street.
School-Day.com- over 80% of our families are now registered!
Have you registered on School-Day.com? Be informed and stay connected to everything Chalmers. We will continue to send updates and our monthly Cougar Report through this digital platform. In addition to pizza sales being sold exclusively through School-Day, we will also be expanding its usage with field trips in the near future in our continued efforts to limit the cash flow at school.
Did you know that you can make a donation online?
Donations to support student learning at Chalmers can be made online at anytime through the Waterloo Education Foundation Inc. These donations will support current initiatives at Chalmers, such as enhancing tech tools in the building, assisting us in supplementing our Nutrition for Learning program, reducing the cost of excursions for our students, and enabling special events to take place (e.g., guest speakers, parent engagement events).
Simply access our school website at Chalmers Street Public School and click on the “Donate Online!” button on the left. One time and monthly donation options are available. You are also able to include a “message” if you have a special request (e.g., “I would like my donation to be used to support Grade 6 camp; I want to contribute to Nutrition for Learning).