viernes 20 de septiembre, 2024

Estimadas familias,

Last night we welcomed new and familiar faces to our first Eugene Coste School Council & Enrichment Society meetings. As an administrative team, we had the opportunity to share the insight that goes into planning for a new school year. All of our decisions are based on the projected population and the learning needs of our students. We were pleased to be able to report that our budgetary decisions in spring 2024 that were based on a projected student population of 373 students are at present, stable with a current population of 380 students. We typically do not see significant, unexpected increases in our population over the course of the year. This is due to our profile as a Spanish Bilingual Program where we typically intake students in Kindergarten and Grade 1. If students are planning to join our program after these grades, we will accept students within our attendance area who have prior experience in a Spanish Bilingual Program (transferring) or already speak Spanish at home.

Our school council meetings also provide an opportunity for our teachers to present on the teaching and learning that is occurring in their classrooms. Last night we were proud to share the work of Sra. Magda Salamanca, grade 2. She expertly shared how oral Spanish language is taught in her classroom through the intentional use of the Neurolinguistic Approach (NLA) and literacy loop as well as a variety of communicative activities that are tied to all areas of the grade 2 curriculum. Please consider joining our next School Council meeting in order to learn more about what we do and how we make decisions together!

 September invites a lot of engagement between home and school. This is an important time to build connection and relationships with each other. One of our key contact points with families is school conferences. We look forward to welcoming you to our Parent-Led Conferences next week.

          September 26-27, 2024: Parent-Led Conferences

The purpose of these conferences is for parents/guardians to tell us more about your child and for you to have an opportunity to “meet the teacher”. For students receiving support through pre-existing Individual Program Plans, there is additional time allotted to set learning goals for this year.

We love opening our doors to families and celebrating the work we do together during conferences. Children also feel great pride in sharing their school experience with you. Even the “small things” such as showing you the location of their coat hook or where they keep their outdoor shoes are important, especially for our youngest learners. These are all steps towards building independence and confidence!

Spanish For Parents – Level 1 is Back at Escuela Eugene Coste!

Learning Spanish can be both easy and fun. This beginning level course will help parents of bilingual Spanish students learn or refresh their Spanish language skills. Parents will become more comfortable interacting with their children in Spanish, build their network of bilingual parents and become familiar with the school environment. Escuela Eugene Coste is hosting classes Tuesday nights from 6:00pm-8:00pm from Oct 15 – Dec 10 (8 classes total). Fee: $309/person or $429/couple

Here is the link to register: Spanish for Spanish - Level 1

 Student Supplies and Personal Mobile Devices (REMINDER)

The school provides supplies for learning; items such as pencils and notebooks do not need to be purchased in advance. We kindly ask that students refrain from bringing personal items to school as these are often lost, misplaced or create disruption. If an item is a supportive tool (i.e. fidget) please discuss this beforehand with your child’s teacher. We also have a supply of fidget items that can be given to a child along with coaching about appropriate use.

Student Personal Mobile Devices fall under our system-wide “away for the day” policy. Please reach out to your child’s teacher and school administration if a device is required for health or learning.

 Fundraising Efforts Need Volunteers!

Fundraising projects occur at our school thanks to our EC Enrichment Society and volunteers. This year, our school qualifies for Casino, which is our biggest fundraising opportunity. Please save the date for November 10-11 and consider volunteering for a shift (no CBE clearance required).

 Fundraising has allowed us to improve the learning environment at our school. These dollars have paid for artist residencies (which reduces fees for families), sensory tools, classroom flexible seating as well as our newly re-designed Learning Commons which features modular soft seating. Fundraising dollars combined with grants also allowed us to redevelop our playground and sports court. These legacy projects continue to positively impact our community.

Our school is also working towards re-developing our courtyard. This extensive project is currently in early-stage planning with a vision of creating a supportive outdoor learning and well-being space, grounded in the four domains of the Indigenous Education Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework (Spirit, Heart, Body and Mind).

 Creating this new legacy requires financial support through fundraising and grants. To help us achieve this goal, our upcoming casino will require a team of volunteers in order to proceed.  More  information  around  sign-up  will  be  available  in  October.

What date is that again? How do I find that information? WhatsApp Parent Chat Groups

Did you know that School Council has organized Parent-Led, School Council-supported WhatsApp Chat Groups for each grade? These groups are intended to foster connections between families and the school community, share school events and fundraising activities, and remind each other about important school dates.

 The chats are not an official school communication channel and teachers and staff will not review the content. Please continue to connect with teachers directly about student-specific concerns.

 If you are interested in joining, please send your School Council team an e-mail to ecsschoolcouncil@gmail.com and you will be added to the correct group.

 Subject line – WhatsApp Chat E-mail – your name and phone number, your student’s first name and grade.

 Please note if your chat group is starting to flood with questions or doubts about anything, that the most direct way to confirm information is by reaching out directly to the school. This can be through checking our website for posted calendars or resources, reviewing our weekly newsletter, e-mailing your child’s teacher or calling the office. We are always available to help and reaffirm communication that has been provided as well as address concerns should the arise.