Looking back to December, we are thankful for the memorable events, including the Grade 1& 2 Christmas concerts, special story day, and other student - planned spirit days in the month that brought joy and belonging to all of us at MTS.
Everyone is excited to be back at school as we welcome the New Year. Students shared many stories of holiday happenings and happiness on their return to school.
A special thank you to the Parent Council who provided our staff with a lovely lunch on December 20. The MTS staff certainly enjoyed the lunch and had a wonderful time relaxing and chatting with each other before the start of the winter break. Thanks go out to Erin T, the Chair of the parent group for planning and organizing the lunch and to Christina C. and Jenny D. for helping with the set-up.
Thank you to all of the parents who dropped off treats for the staff just before the winter break. Your generosity and kindness really helped to “get us through” those busy days!
Cold Weather Reminders
The New Year has arrived with the expected colder weather of the season. Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather with warm coats, hats, mitts and boots. It is important to have all items labelled with your child’s name. Dressing in layers and packing warm winter gear is a good practice for us all. As a general rule, students will be outdoors for recess if the weather is above –20 degrees with the wind chill. When the temperature drops below -20 we implement a “blue day” when we need to stay indoors because of the extreme weather conditions.
We also know that snow, cold temperatures and wind chill make getting to and from school challenging. Families are reminded to prepare and take extra caution during the winter months and periods of extreme weather. It is important that families plan for longer travel times to and from school each day. This supports safe travel for both vehicles and pedestrians. Families are reminded to respect all traffic safety rules and expectations for parking at the school during the winter months.
Staffing Update
We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Carolyn Wickenheiser to our teaching staff, taking over the grade 4 class for Mrs. Siarkiewicz who is on maternity leave. We would like to congratulate Mrs. Siarkiewicz as she and her husband have welcomed their new baby boy, Aryusz, to the family.
Also we would like to inform you that our Music Specialist, Mrs. Darr is on medical leave in January. Mrs. Rosalie Allford, who many of our students remember from last year will cover for Mrs. Darr in her absence.
Report Cards
Report Cards will be available online through your MyCBE account on January 27.
Report cards are for Grades K-4 and EES. As a note, Kindergarten teachers will report progress to parents/legal guardians via January and June report cards.
In January, progress in ELAL and Math will be communicated via the report card. In June, progress in all discipline areas will be communicated to parents/legal guardians via the report card.
Please follow up with your child’s teacher should you have questions.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year begins next Monday Jan. 13, 2025.
Please go to the CBE registration link to register for kindergarten. Registrations are completed online.
Kindergarten at MTS is a half-day program. At the time of registration, you will be asked to indicate a preference for a morning or afternoon class. Your preference will be considered when we assign students to a class in our spring organization and staffing process. Every attempt will be made to honor parent requests while recognizing the organizational needs of the school. All registrations received by February 11, 2025 will be considered equally – registrations are not numbered or ordered in terms of registration date. If a lottery is needed for determining AM or PM, students who already have siblings at our school will have first choice. Any families registering after February 11, 2025 will be placed in the program with lower numbers.
Student Attendance
Finally, I would like to stress once again the importance of your child’s regular attendance at school and arrival on time. Please continue to call the school if your child will be absent and provide reason for the absence, examples- illness, appointment, travel out of country. This information is documented at the school for each student in terms of attendance and late arrival.
With the return to school in the New Year our hope is that everyone will remain healthy and care for each other as we continue the learning journey in our positive and inspiring school.
Dr. Lorraine Slater
Principal