Hello Tom Baines Families,
It has been a hugely successful year and we want to thank you for all your contributions and support. It really takes a community to raise a child, and we are so appreciative for everything you do. Hard to believe the school year is over and we are all ready for some rest and fun. It will be September before we know it and we are busy getting ready for the first few weeks back. Please read below for important information.
Important Dates:
June 23 – Grade 9 Volunteer Day
June 25 – Grade 9 trip to Calaway Park
June 25 – Report cards available online. No printed copies provided.
June 26 – Last day of school. Early dismissal at 1:10 and buses will be running.
June 27 – Teacher Organizational Day – school closed
June 27 – September 1 – Summer Break
August 27 – Main office opens
September 2 – First day back – Grade 6/7 students attend 9:00am – 12:00pm and Grade 8/9 students attend 1:00 – 3:30pm. No busing provided at 12:00 or 1:00.
September 15 – School Council Meeting @ 7:00 pm in the Learning Commons
September 18 – Meet the Teacher from 6:00 – 7:30 – more information to come
School Council – an email was sent out earlier this week about many vacant positions. We are calling for all parents to volunteer. If interested, please attend our meeting on September 15. Thank you to all of the outgoing school council members.
Next year – if you know your child is not attending Tom Baines next year, please send an email to tombaines@cbe.ab.ca to let us know. It is critical for us to know our correct numbers for next year as we work on our planning and are expected to be capped.
More details about the first day of school, class assignments and next year will be communicated out at the end of August.
Class lists – we are in the process of making class lists for next year. We get many parent requests asking for their children to be placed in the same classroom as other children. While we understand the desire for this, class lists are a complicated process with many different factors in play. We cannot accommodate or consider all parent requests. We do our best to ensure students are placed in classrooms where they have relationships and will be supported in their learning. Thank you for your understanding with this.
Report Cards – report cards are available online on June 25. No paper copies are provided by the school. If you have a question about a grade, please email the teacher directly.
Staffing Updates – we are saying goodbye to the following staff members next year. Mrs. Siemens is retiring. Mr. Dubray has accepted an Assistant Principal position at CNG School. Ms. Adshade has accepted an EAL Strategist position with the Board. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Turner have ended their temporary contracts. EAs, Ms. Croutch and Ms. McCarthy will be working at different schools next year. We thank them all for their time and efforts in making Tom Baines such a great place. They will all be missed. We welcome the following teachers: Mr. Doucet-Lewis (Band), Mr. Sandberg (Humanities), Ms. Navalle (Math/Science) and Mr. Van Vugt (PE/Athletics LL).
To our Grade 9 students and other students leaving Tom Baines, we wish you the best in your transition. To everyone returning and our new students, we are excited to see you in September. We wish you all a wonderful summer. Enjoy the break after our last week of school.
Derek Siakaluk, Principal
Chelsea O’Leary, Assistant Principal