Dear McKenzie Lake Families,
It was a successful first days of school for staff and students, and energy levels were high in anticipation of the year ahead. It was wonderful to see old friends excited to see each other, and former students welcoming those that are new to McKenzie Lake School.
In preparation for the year head, teachers engaged in collaborative planning, inspired by a Tedx Talks by Dewitt Jones: Celebrate What's Right with the World (Click here). Through this lens, each grade will be exploring the question What makes the ordinary extraordinary? as it relates to their curriculum in the coming weeks/months. During our September 21 & 22 parent conferences, you will see evidence of this learning displayed within the school.
Each week, you will received an Admin Message highlighting school happenings in addition to reminders and upcoming events. As we kick off a new school year, below are a few reminders:
Soft Start
To ease congestion during entry times, teachers will be greeting students at the doors each morning between 7:50am-8:00am. Students can enter at any entrance and proceed to their classroom. The doors close at 8:00am, when our morning bell rings so please arrive before 8:00am. Students arriving late will need to check in at the main office, through the main entrance, to confirm their attendance before proceeding to class.
Kiss and Go (starts Tuesday, September 5)
The Kiss & Go area is only for parents doing curbside drop off, meaning the student
drop-off in front of the school will be a No Parking Zone. The Kiss & Go runs the length of the school, along McKenzie Lake Way and will have a sign to mark where it starts. Parents are able to pull over to let their child out, but are not able to leave their vehicle unattended. Students then proceed to the closest entrance on their own. Mrs. Cooper or Ms. McComish will be there to greet students as they are dropped off.
Attendance
It is important that you inform the school is your child is going to be absent or arriving late. Please report all absences to the Attendance Line at 403-777-6500 ext. 1 or email: mlsattendance@cbe.ab.ca.
When leaving a message, please include:
Student Name:
Teacher Name/Grade:
Reason for absence:
Do they take the bus: Yes/No
Designate a Meeting Place
It is very important to have a designated meeting spot for 2:35pm pick-up times. All students in grades 1-5 will be dismissed at the bell and are to immediately go to the meeting spots that they have identified with their families. Please ensure you have not chosen a meeting place in the school parking lot as it is off-limits to parents and students. Kindergarten is the only age group where teachers will wait for a parent to arrive before dismissing students. All students are taught in class that if they get to their meeting spot and there is no one there to pick them up after five minutes, they are to come to the office through the front entrance of the school for help.
Label Everything
Every year we send thousands of dollars worth of clothing and other lost items to charity that go unclaimed in our Lost and Found. Items found with your child(s) name labelled on them will be returned directly to them. If you are in need to custom labels for your child's school items and/or clothing, you can order labels through Mabel's Labels online and support our School Council's fundraiser listed under McKenzie Lake School.
A few other important reminders that have become apparent on week 1 are:
- The school will not be supplying utensils for student's lunches. If your child needs a spoon or a fork to eat their lunch, please pack one in the lunch kit.
- A reminder that dogs are not permitted on school grounds, this is a City Bylaw
Sincerely,
Dayna McComish