Fall in Full Swing

November Newsletter

School Council and Parents Association

 

We hope you and your families are settling well into the school year and adjusting to the season of snow!

 

October Highlights

First, thanks to all the students, families, staff and incredible parent volunteers who joined in bringing the community together for Halloween-inspired fun last week. The turnout was outstanding, the costumes were spectacular, and a fantastic time seemed to be had by all who joined.

 

Our second School Council and Parents Association meeting was held Thursday October 19th. Minutes will be published in the coming weeks. Highlights included:

●      Grade 1 Presentation - A glimpse of what’s happening in the world of our grade 1 classrooms was shared as we welcomed updates from Ms. Preuss, Ms. Yannitsos and Ms. Khuu.

●      Student Services Info-Session - Mr. Eakins provided an informational overview of student services and how supports are provided for students.

●      Upcoming and Special Events - Mark your calendars for a Remembrance Day assembly Nov. 8th, Teacher-led Conferences Nov 23/24, and a Movie Night is in the works for the new year.

●      Playground Plan - Discussion on plans underway to develop a fund development plan for accessibility enhancements and resurfacing of our school playground.

 

Grade Level Presentations at School Council Meetings

Each School Council meeting this year will showcase a short presentation by the teaching teams of each grade level. Here is the tentative schedule for the remainder of the year. Mark your calendars!

●      Kindergarten - November 16

●      Grade 2 - January 18 

●      Grade 6 - February 8

●      Grade 3 - March 14

●      Grade 4 - April 11

●      Grade 5 - May 16

 

Highlights from September’s Meeting

Enormous thanks to all the parents who joined our first meeting in September - it was a wonderful turnout! Our agenda was rich with important topics. The complete minutes can be found here, and a few highlights are captured below.

 

Learning Leader Presentation

●      School Development Plan - Ms. McNeil, Ms. Riegert and Ms. Borrelli shared their collective expertise and their preliminary plans for whole school educational and wellness initiatives over the year ahead. Generating deeper math dialogue, learning discourse, expository writing, grade-wide assessment and social-emotional learning were among their holistic aims for the full school community. We are so fortunate to have such incredible Learning Leaders to champion these efforts.

●      Self-Regulation Techniques - Learning how to identify emotions, strategies to mitigate stress, and supportive classroom habits that increase empathy are paramount to social-emotional wellness programming at OHS. The Zones of Regulation framework promotes awareness of the many “feels” that students may experience and how to self advocate through dysregulation.

●      Environmental Stewardship - The Pillars of Care at OHS encompass several tiers: Care for Ourselves, Care for others, and Care for our Place. Students are encouraged to gain agency of individual responsibilities to classroom, community and global initiatives. From Earth Day activities, Enviro-Club opportunities and endeavouring to pack no-waste lunch items, OHS models conscious stewardship and environmental values.

●      Indigenous Ways of Knowing - In honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Day, orange shirts were encouraged on Thursday, Sept. 28 to raise awareness of residential school survivors and the resilience of Indigenous peoples and a cultural group that provides important learnings of our full Canadian history. Heartfelt thanks to the students and staff who paused to learn, remember and support this important day. OHS continues with allyship towards Indigenous Education via Circle of Courage learning, Elder Knowledge Keeper visits and perspective taking.

●      Footprints - As an overarching theme at OHS, Footprints guides purposeful learning, both academically and socially. This theme centers on both legacy and individual impact. The 22/23 yearbook celebrated the Footprints theme and we hope that it continues to lead generative and thoughtful ways to encourage belonging and generosity.

 

School Technology and Resources

A plan was presented to put Parent Association fundraising to good use in support of the school and student learning. This included 10 iPads, 20 Chromebooks, a new smartboard, a new sound system for the gym, bus fees for off-site activities, a patroller’s recognition event, Skate Shack, wipe boards, document cameras and decodable books. Several expenses were approved to proceed on while others are still being researched and finalized for approval later this fall. We are thankful for the thoughtful consideration that goes into selecting the best ways towards utilisation of school funds to ensure all students benefit, and are particularly grateful for the participation in fundraisers to support these new tools and resources. Further information can be found within the Parent Society and Fundraising sections of the OHS website.

 

Havana Dance Company

As a new and exciting Artist in Residence, Havana Dance Company will take up a guest spot this year to provide dynamic and engaging Physical Education activities with Ms. Schoenberger! Students will be introduced to the step work for salsa, bachata and Latino dance. Tempo and energy are sure to be high in this lively opportunity!

 

School Council Goals 2023-2024

Based on feedback and engagement from last year, School Council goals include:

●      Parent Engagement & Involvement, Volunteering, Communication

●      Supporting the School Development Plan

●      School Community Building and Events

●      Enhancing School Council Processes

●      Fundraising (through the OHS Parent Association)

 

Volunteering

We’ve set up a volunteer platform using Sign-Up Genius and have posted a number of opportunities you can check out to see if any are a fit for you.

 

Get Involved in School Council

Recognizing the valuable role parents play in education, School Council is a collective of parents, community members, school leadership and teachers who collaborate to play an advisory role supporting school planning and improvement. We strive for transparency and welcome all parents to our school community at Olympic Heights. We encourage participation and interest from all families and will endeavour to provide multiple ways to remain informed. If you have any questions, concerns or if you have interest in getting involved, please join an upcoming meeting or feel free to reach out to chair@ohsparent.com. Learn more about School Council on the School Council page of the OHS website and join our Facebook Group to connect and get reminders and updates on topics of interest.

 

Thank you for your continued support of Olympic Heights School!

 

Warm regards, 

OHS School Council and Parents Association