Dear QES Families,

Thank you for all you continue to do to support teachers and students.  The first eight weeks of school have given staff time to work closely with your child, get to know more about them as a learner and set goals as we work towards our first official reporting period in January. Having our teacher/student/parent conferences on November 23 and 24 will also give families the opportunity to once again meet with their child’s teacher to further develop learning plans and goals for the year.  Families should log on to MyCBE Account to sign up for a conference starting on November 16, 2023.  November 8th will be student's last day of school before the fall break.  We will be holding our Remembrance Day Ceremony in the morning.  There will be no school for students on Thursday November 9 due to it being and PD Day.  November 10-14 will be the new for 2023-24 Fall Break and school will resume on Nov. 15.  November 15 is also the departure date for our Grade 6 Outdoor School Experience.

Throughout September and October, we as a staff have been using a wide range of data sources to develop our school-wide focus for ongoing student success. The School Development Plan (SDP) is an important document that teachers use in their daily practice and grade team planning. This year our focus will be to developing learning progressions for reading and procedural fluency in mathematics in which students are meaningfully engaged. The time we have spent as a staff over the past eight weeks analyzing achievement data from last year and gathering baseline data from this year (report card marks, diagnostic assessments, school-based assessments, perception surveys) has served to develop a data driven plan which addresses any gaps or trends in our student achievement. Our School Development Plan will be shared at the November School Council meeting on November 28th at 6:30pm. A final copy will also be posted on our website after November 30th, 2023.

Our processes for responding to student learning needs includes analyzing data and working within collaborative teams to address key target areas.  These meeting structures support us in accommodating learning needs such as language development and executive functioning needs.  The meeting structures provide a strong network of support for all students and support students during staff transitions.  As planned, Ms. Wentzell is returning from her leave to our grade 2/3 team of teachers starting tomorrow. In addition, due to an increase in enrollment, our school will see the addition to two new teaching positions amounting to 1.5 teachers.   With this funding, Ms. Balachorek will be teaching Physical Education full time starting November 15.  This change provides continuity with the PE programming and provides scheduling opportunities for teachers to collaboratively respond to students throughout the school. This change also leaves a vacancy on our Kindergarten team.  Ms. Murphy will be joining Ms. Neale in Kindergarten on November 15 to continue the consistent programing for our early learners.  We are also excited to welcome Ms. Love (Loveleen Kuar) to our staff.  Ms. Love will be working alongside teachers and students to advance learning in multiple classes. 

In addition to increased supports for students, November will be a busy month for our students as we continue to focus on learning and being connected to our school community. With an upcoming oral story-telling residency funded by QEEPES Parent Society, community walks, and other engaging activities. 

Please continue to read communications from teachers to review learning intentions and visit our website for upcoming events such as Healthy Hunger Lunches and our Winter Outreach Event.  Further details will be emailed about this event in November.  Thank you for your continued support and commitment to your child’s learning we look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Lisa McConnell
Principal