The month of March brings to an end the winter term at school. The promise of spring is not far behind. It has been a busy two months at MTS. During the month of February the school has focused on kindness, generosity, friendship and peace. Classroom study, discussions and whole school events included the “growing of our friendship tree” in our front foyer, Pink Shirt Day, grade 4 students attending the Annual Telus Be Brave- End Bullying Hitmen game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the grade 2 celebration of learning focusing on kindness. All of these events and learning opportunities have contributed to the collective well-being of staff and students in the school.
March is a short month with parent conferences on March 21 and 22. We would like to invite all parents to join us for the upcoming conferences. Parents are asked to book an individual 15 minute conference time with the teacher through their CBE account.
Thursday, March 21 (Grades 1-4 conferences: 4:00pm – 8:00pm) (Kindergarten conferences: 8:00 am - 12:00pm and 4:00pm- 8:00pm)
· Regular day of instruction for 1-4 students, no school for Kindergarten
Friday, March 22 (8:00am – 12:00pm)
· No School for all Students
Online registration for meeting times is available through MyCBE/PowerSchool as of Saturday, March 16 at 8am.
Please call the school if you require help or support with booking your conference. The conference is the opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s teacher in conversation about their child’s learning. Teachers will have samples of student work to share with parents in speaking about student learning and assessment.
Traffic and Safety:
We would like to thank our dog owners who are walking their dogs to school on a leash and saying their goodbyes from the sidewalk or school ground boundaries. We truly appreciate everyone’s effort in this regard.
There have been ongoing concerns expressed over our parking lot and student drop-off and pick-up times. We are asking for your help in making MTS a safe place for our students to attend. We continue to experience difficulty with the parking situations around the school. The signage is very clear where parking is permitted and is placed in a manner to allow all our children to walk to school in a safe environment. Our Bus Zone is designed to allow the buses an easy/safe approach and departure from the front of the school.
Our staff parking lot is at its maximum capacity and having parents drop students off in the parking lot is against school board regulations. This is due to the fact it creates a very unsafe situation for our children walking to school who use the sidewalk that crosses over the entrance to the lot. The staff parking lot is for staff only. Parents should not be entering or parking in the staff parking lot.
Calgary Parking Authority continues to be contacted by a number of our neighbours who have had their driveways and garage doors blocked by parents/guardians of students attending our
school. We strive to do our best to be good neighbours and as parents/guardians of students at MTS, you are all representatives of our school community. Unfortunately, the actions of a few can reflect on the whole, and we were saddened to hear about the lack of courtesy being offered to our neighbours and to each other regarding these safety issues.
Please read the reminders from The Parking Authority to familiarize yourself with the City of Calgary Parking Bylaws.
· Avoid double parking
· Watch for signs indicating ‘No Stopping’ and ‘No Parking’ zones
· Leave 5 metres (16 feet) between your car and any crosswalk markings. This will ensure children are visible when they enter the crosswalk.
· School bus zones must be kept clear so children can step off the bus and onto a curb instead of exiting into a busy street.
· Parking too close to stop signs, yield signs or intersections makes it difficult to see children in the area and obstructs the view of other motorists. A distance of 5 metres is required.
· Blocking entrances to garages or driveways angers neighbours. Stay back at least 1.5 metres (5 feet).
All parking infractions in school zones are subject to a minimum $50 fine. Please park responsibly and help make streets safe for our children.
Parent Surveys:
There are two surveys that we ask parents to complete- one is for all parents and the other the provincial School Assurance Survey is for grade 4 parents.
1. School Planning Survey 2024
We know we make better decisions to support student learning when we build understanding and work together. For this reason, we are asking you to share your perspectives about our school development plan, school budget and school fees.
· The survey is open from February 15, 2024 to March 15, 2024. Please visit: https://mckenzietowne.cbedialogue.com/en/projects/2023-2024-school-year/engagements/school-planning-survey-2024-elementary/sections/1
to complete the survey.
2. Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey
Parents of students in grade 4 should have received an AEA survey in the mail that can be completed online with the random access code mailed to you. Children in grade 4 will also be completing a student version of the survey here at the school during our regular instructional hours. All surveys are anonymous and the results will be shared next fall at our School Council meeting and on the school's website.
The last day of school before spring break is Thursday March 21 (grades 1-4) and Wednesday March 20 for Kindergarten. Students return to school on Tuesday, April 2. Please take time to relax and rejuvenate over the break.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lorraine Slater, Principal