Dear Ted Harrison Families,
I would like to welcome Ted Harrison school students and families and I look forward to our work together this year. The start of a school year often begins with high hopes of success based on a commitment to be diligent and put forth the best effort. As the year moves along and our lives continue to be busy, and sometimes the hopes that initially were present at the beginning of the year become lost in all the other obligations and distractions of our lives.
Important reminders that will promote success throughout the school:
- Student Attendance is critical to student success. Please have your students attend school daily and make sure they arrive to school before classes start. Should a student be absent or late it is required that a Parent/Guardian connect with the school with a reason for the late or absence.
- Open, honest, ongoing communication with your student’s teacher is very important. All classroom teachers have attempted to make a connection with each student by phone within the first week of school. If you have not spoken to your student’s teacher please reach out as this first connection starts to build the trusting relationship that we want between students, families, teacher and the school.
- Please have your student dress appropriately for school. School is a place of learning and student attire should reflect this. Please have students prepared with appropriate clothing and dress for the weather. Students at Ted Harrison school either walk or take transit to school and all students participate in daily physical education that often require activity outdoors, as well our grade 5 & 6 students have a regular lunch break outside. Please make sure their outdoor clothing is able to keep them warm and dry.
- All students will have a locker this year. Grade 5’s will share a locker with a classmate, all other grades will have an individual locker. It is important that students are aware that lockers are property of the school and are to respected. Damage to a locker will result in the suspension of locker privileges. Lockers can be opened and searched by school administration given a reasonable reason to do so. Students/Parents/Guardians will be informed by school administration if a student’s locker was subject to search.
- Students are expected to remove outside clothing and place this clothing in their lockers before entering class, ie winter caps, heavy outside jackets, boots, gloves etc. Students will be asked to remove hoods when entering school.
- Students are able to have healthy snacks and beverages in enclosed re-sealable containers in class as long as they are neat and not disruptive to the teaching and learning in a classroom. No slushies, large soda drinks or unhealthy beverages (this includes Circle K, Tim Hortons, or similar) or large bags of potato chips, pizzas, fast food, or candy will be allowed. Students are allotted a lunch break, and this time is to be used to consume all of their lunch prior to afternoon classes.
- As many of you are aware the Calgary Board of Education has indicated that personal electronic devices are to be left at home or placed in backpacks or lockers. Personal electronic devices will be confiscated and sent to the office for student pick up at the end of the school day. If a student continually has their personal electronic device confiscated it will be kept in the Principal’s office until a parent can come to the school to retrieve it.
- Fees for school activities, sports teams and consumables in option classes are important contributions to our ability to offer these experiences. We ask that student fees are paid in a timely manner. Should you have questions or need to make arrangements in regard to paying fees, please reach out to the teacher in charge of the activity/off site/sports team.
Each Friday I will share a letter with the community. I look forward to the school year ahead working with your students, families, and the community of Taradale. Our first official opportunity to meet will be the evening of Thursday, September 26, 2024 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at our Meet The Teacher Evening.
Sincerely,
Dr. Don Barbor
Principal, Ted Harrison School
September 6, 2024
