My ponderings for this month will be lengthy I’m afraid, but I do hope to take this opportunity to fill you in on as much information as I can about the status of a number of things and any upcoming events.
As you may be aware, the staffing process has begun for the 2010/2011 school year. All of the Northdale staff, along with many of the current Sir John A. MacDonald staff, based on their seniority and qualifications as per Board policy, were eligible to apply to become members of the Stoney Creek staff.
As the process has unfolded, teachers have been tentatively given assignments, in consultation with all three Principals involved, based on the current enrollment at the new school. It is important to note that assignments may change over the summer, due to a number of factors, including increased enrollment.
At this time therefore, I can share with you that the following teachers have been offered and have accepted positions at the new school: Mrs. McCaw, Mr. Annis, Mr. Heatherington, Mr. Constantine, Mrs. Dzongowski and Mrs. LeGrow. I know that your heartiest congratulations and best wishes will follow them to their new location.
Please note that teachers are still free to go on the Teacher Transfer Track, should a more suitable position come to their attention, for which they would like to apply.
The closure of Northdale will coincide with the coming to a close of the careers of two of the Board’s finest. Mrs. Boate and Mrs. Tobin have made the decision to retire in June. Each of them will be leaving a giant hole in our hearts upon their departure after illustrious careers. We will be holding an assembly on the afternoon of June 25th (more information to follow) to celebrate their many years of wonderful service. Please plan to join us if you can.
Congratulations go out as well to Mrs. Lindsay, who has accepted a position as Learning Coordinator for the Thames Valley DSB. While she will be sadly missed in the classroom, I know that she will be in a position to share her immense expertise throughout the Board in the areas of Math, Science and Literacy. Bravo Mrs. Lindsay!
Our incredible Mrs. Elliot, as you are aware, has taken on the role as Head Secretary at Stoney Creek. Her smiling face I’m sure, will put all the children at ease.
I want to take a moment to once again thank the members of the School Naming Committees, Claudia Prince, Vaughn Steen, Laura Baker and Drew Speiran, who met here with our Area Superintendent, Lynne Griffith-Jones, our Trustee Peter Jaffee and several parent representatives from Northridge and Sir John A. MacDonald. The unanimous recommendations of the committees were then accepted and ratified by the Board.
Over the next couple of months, we will continue to keep things as normal as possible for the students. You will however probably notice that there will be visitors in the school from time to time, who will be assisting us with the transition of materials at the end of the year. I felt it important to let you know that both Mr. Pezzutto and Mr. McCombe have met with me to discuss the needs of both schools in terms of furniture, resources and equipment.
All current furniture/equipment/resources at Northdale which are deemed to be suitable for use have been allocated proportionately to both schools to be attended by our students in the fall. Remaining items will be redistributed to other schools throughout the Board who are in need. Books/materials which are considered out of date, will be boxed and sent to our Leathorne building. Several charitable organizations in London have agreed to pay the shipping for them to be sent to third world countries which could benefit from their use. If you have any questions about the process or the distribution of items, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
We have many events coming up over the next couple of months that will be listed in our Important Dates section. Mrs. Tobin has asked me to remind you all of the date for our annual bowling trip on the afternoon of Friday, May 21st. We will be looking for lots of volunteers to help us out that afternoon – so please, watch for more information to come home and mark your calendars!
A reminder that next week is Education week! Please visit us during our designated Open House times and we would be delighted if you could join us for our Spring Performance on May 5th at 1pm in the gym. Mrs. LeGrow has been working extra hard with the students to prepare some wonderful musical selections. Bring those extra loonies and toonies to buy a ticket on one of Mrs. Prince’s raffle baskets!
This is a very stressful time for all concerned and I want to personally invite any of you who have questions or concerns over the next couple of months to feel free to contact me. I would be very happy to address any issues that may arise. Your staff and School Council are working very hard to make this difficult transition as smooth and as positive as possible. Let’s do our best to enjoy our remaining time together!
