We hope you and your family are well. We last wrote to you about class lists about a month ago, and now are able to share more information with you. As with everything at the moment, information and plans are changing and we are adapting with them. We always have our students and their wellbeing at the forefront of our minds when decisions are being made. We will continue to keep students with peers that they are familiar with. Based on reenrollment numbers, the number of classes in the Elementary School has changed which will lead us to make changes to some groupings. Families leaving over the summer months can also result in a child no longer having a support group and a change is needed to ensure they see familiar faces when they return to school. We are all more connected as well as disconnected in these times. We can assure you that we are invested in the process to do what is best for children.
We have pasted below a section of the previous class list email that still holds true:
Class lists will continue to be modified as new students join us and others leave. This may lead to a few changes over the summer months that could impact class placements. An additional and final homeroom placement notice will go out in August confirming all placements for both returning and new families. We will share a picture and biography of your child’s potential new teacher along with all teachers in the grade level so that your child becomes familiar with the grade-level teaching team.
We have shared homeroom teacher placements with staff and although we are not expecting any changes we are living through a time of unexpected changes with factors and circumstances that are beyond our control. At this time, we can let you know the following placement for returning GWA homeroom teachers as of June 1st, 2020:
Pre K Leigh Glickman
KG1 Amy O'Donnell
KG1 Amy Bossler
KG1 Chantal McClaren
KG2 Sophie Hockey
KG2 Alex Long
KG2 Janine Keyworth
Grade 1 Nicola McMorrow
Grade 1 Hannah Williams
Grade 1 Erin Coffin
Grade 1 Phil Long
Grade 2 Hannah Ruffin
Grade 2 Jess Dias
Grade 2 Christina Peters
Grade 2 Jessica Botes
Grade 3 Angela Roberts
Grade 3 Ben Sykes
Grade 3 Scott Charlesworth
Grade 3 Sophie Davies
Grade 4 Awhina Houpapa
Grade 4 Alan Burke
Grade 4 Sandy Aragon
Grade 4 Pip Harrison
Grade 5 Mathew Pewtner
Grade 5 Gail Nash
Grade 5 Ben Wedge
Grade 5 Lisa Olsen
Please note some important information at this time:
CONNECTING WITH NEW TEACHERS: As teachers need to focus on their current class and students anything you would like to relay of importance for next year risks getting ‘lost’ between now and September. We ask that parents wait until the beginning of the new academic year the school year before connecting with the new grade level teachers.
VIRTUAL STEP-UP: During the last week of term teachers are in the process of organizing ways to send their class off to summer break. During this week, we will also be sharing videos with the students about all the teachers in their new grade level as an introduction.
MEET YOUR TEACHER ‘FACE TO FACE’: More information and timings will be forthcoming for this to occur at the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
CLASS SCHEDULES: We are in the process of building class schedules for the 2020-21 academic year which will be released to families when complete.
SUMMER LEARNING: The Elementary School is currently putting together information on OPTIONAL summer learning for each grade level…watch this space, more info to come soon.
To move forward and effectively place students in the most appropriate classes we will need to know your enrolment intentions. We understand that current environmental and economic factors may make this difficult. We would ask you to urgently contact the Admissions Department to have a discussion even if it means requesting an extension on the enrolment deadline. Please contact Medina Malik at [email protected]
Have a wonderful weekend,
Cheryl and Kristen