I want to repeat a thank you to each family and student who has done their part to help us get to where we are this year. We have had some changes and new routines to adjust to and your ability to do all of those is admirable. I was thankful over the Christmas break and thought many times then and since then how I wanted to make sure that message from me to you is quite clear. The move of classes to home on January 14 was another example of how you all adjust this year.
Again, our Cold Cats club has a lot of names of K-7 students listed and I know we’ll have students who will consistently head outside no matter what the temperature is. The first day this year I had about 29 students out there, about double what I would have expected. I will continue to run this as an option to staying inside – please make your own wishes known to your elementary students and their teacher about if you’d like them to head outside. We don’t force students on the list outside if they want to remain indoors. That said if they intend on going out, please make sure they have warm clothes and understand they must wear them, including something to cover their mouth and nose as well.
Our January events always include talk about exams for grades 10-12 that will end the second quad and the current semester. Those exams will be in the last couple days of January and the 29th will be a prep day for teachers to plan and prepare for the new semester, as well as a chance for the high school teachers to complete marking of exams and get report card comments and grades completed. Like first quad end, the “portal” will be close for about a week as they enter those evaluation marks and then we’ll open it up later in the first week of February.
We did stack the first semester with classes that could allow some grade 12s to finish early this year if they choose to. With COVID practices and other options available to them, there are a couple grade 12s who could be done after this month and be considered graduated. Great work everyone! We’re almost at that halfway point, and I know everyone can do it! For those students continuing with more credits, February 1 starts the new quad three. I’ve been sending emails about programs, scholarships and bursaries, and other career counselling details straight to the grade 12s who shared an email address. It’s great to hear about some students who are already accepted into a school and program for next year. We’re all very proud of you. There are programs like MyBlueprint that can help others with finding a direction to move in. Just ask at the office and we can get you started.
Speaking of February, the regular break week starts with Family Day on February 15th this year. That feels early this year but I know we’ll take it whenever it’s here.
Many of you have arranged to pick up your Community Calendar for $10.00 and we say thank you for that. We were disappointed to hear that the Lindmark Company that has created that calendar and supplied that service for over 25 years to our community, is closing their business. We have decided that we will try to recreate something similar that we will continue to get advertising commitments for. It might not look exactly the same, but it will be a community calendar. Thank you again for your support each year, both to those of you who advertise, and to those who purchase them. The profits are spent by the School Community Council to support the school and the school goals each year.
That’s all for now. For further information and updates from the students and classrooms, check out our school website at http://blogs.spiritsd.ca/hanley/. As always, Mr. Anderson and I would love to talk to you if you have time to send us a message or give us a call. We’ll talk to you soon.