Newsletter # 12 – June 19
Hello Highland Park Huskies,
With only one week of school left, I thought it might be helpful to send out a reminder of all the happenings to keep you in the loop. Students will be starting to bring home their supplies and by the end of day Wednesday, June 25, all of their belongings should be brought home. Thursday, June 26 is the last day for students and our dismissal time is 10:00 am. Busses will run as usual, just 4 hours earlier. Our year end assembly (and grade 5 farewell) will start at 8:30 am. If grade 5 parents wish to attend, there will be very limited space – standing room only – at the back of the gym. After the 10:00 am bell, we will have a grade 5 graduate display available as a back drop for photos. Now, on to the rest of our top ten happenings…
First, if your child is missing any of their belongings, please ensure you come to the school and search our lost and found. It will be available until Friday at noon. After Friday at noon, all lost and found items will be donated to a local charity.
Second, you may have noticed an increase in RCMP presence at our school. This is to help with traffic calming and training our school community volunteers on crossing guard duty at the cross walk out front our school on Wood Ave. CLICK HERE for more information. If you would like to volunteer as crossing guard or help with our parking lot next school year, please email Shelly Cull (scull@sd83.bc.ca). It’s been great to have all the support, positive feedback and encouragement with this important work to keep our students and families safe. Here are some reminders in order to help keep the flow of traffic moving in our parking lot:
- Allow space for two lanes of traffic along the kiss and ride lane. One for kiss and ride and one for through traffic. Imagine a center line and stick to one side of it. This ensures people behind you can access the kiss and ride lane and pull up to the very end at all times.
- When using the kiss and ride lane for pick up or drop off, use your signal and pull up to the very end of the kiss and ride lane and signal to enter back in the through lane. Be quick, stay in your vehicle, have children load and unload on the passenger side of the vehicle onto the sidewalk, not in the through lane.
- Turn right ONLY onto Wood Avenue at our busiest times (7:40 – 8:00 AM and 1:50 – 2:10 PM). Outside of these times, two vehicles can fit at the stop line if the vehicle turning left keeps to the very left of the line.
- Do not park in staff designated areas during our busy times (see picture below). This prevents the need to turn around and back up into congested areas. The road leading to the back of the daycare is for staff, accessible parking permit holders and day care traffic ONLY.
- Use cross walks only. Do not cross into the two lanes of traffic – the kiss and ride and through traffic lane.
Third, we have Ned coming to the school to perform on Thursday, June 19. CLICK HERE for more information about the Resiliency focus of Ned’s Performance. Our students have learned about UPSTANDERS from Ned earlier this school year. CLICK HERE for the video. A notice should have went home recently about a Ned yoyo for purchase. Yoyos will be on sale on Friday, June 20 and again on Tuesday, June 24 at recess and lunch to reinforce Ned’s resiliency theme. If you miss out on the opportunity to purchase a yoyo on these dates, please contact Ms. Anderson before Thursday, June 26 as she will have any extras at the office.
Fourth, students have been working hard practicing a round dance that they will perform on Friday in celebration and recognition of National Indigenous People’s Day. We are asking students to please wear blue or green to represent the colours of the Earth. In addition, our PAC will be serving bannock. Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 have been experiencing Indigenous culture through drumming, singing and story with Indigenous Educator Deanna Gestrin on Wednesday, June 18 and Thursday, June 19. It has been an enriching experience for our students.
Fifth, students and staff are looking forwarding to our Fun Day on Monday, June 23. CLICK HERE for more information and a schedule of our stations. Be sure to have your child bring their bathing suit towel, life jacket (if needed), a hearty lunch, and a full water bottle for the day. Students should be wearing their bathing suit under their clothing so please ensure they pack some underpants for when they get changed.
Sixth, on Tuesday, June 24 we have several classes heading off on a variety of field trips. Our grade 5s will be having their slip and slide extravaganza and lunch provided by our fabulous and generous PAC.
Seventh, on Thursday, June 26 our year end and grade 5 celebration assembly will start at 8:30 am and students will be dismissed at 10:00 am. Busses will run as usual, just 4 hours earlier. After the bell grade 5 parents are welcome to take photos of their children with our grade 5 backdrop. The backdrop will be available until noon.
Eighth, we have been busy creating our year end slide show and our hope is to make the file available for all families to view for a limited time. This will be emailed to you on Friday for your viewing pleasure with file restrictions in place – password, expiration and no downloading option. Please never share photos on social media without the permission of everyone in the photo.
Ninth, congratulations to Darby Brandoli, who was the successful candidate of the grade k/1 position at our school. Due to Ms. Brandoli going on leave, the position has been reposted as temporary. So far, for the 2025 – 2026 school year, we welcome to HPE, Theresa Wright, as librarian (two days a week) and Ms. Emily Thomas in grade 3. More to come very soon.
Tenth and last, if you would like to volunteer for IPE parking, please conact Julie De boer at 250-306-2614.
