November 27, 2020
Hello UA Parents,
I am looking forward to the calendar flipping over to December next week. After a year to remember, I am looking forward to the traditions the month of December brings, even if they are going to look very different this year. I am sure the next few weeks will be full of energy and excitement in the school. The UA community has demonstrated an incredible amount of resiliency in 2020, and we will keep that up as we enter the final month of the year.
I am very pleased to announce that the Board has welcomed its newest member. Wade Carson has joined the Board as a Member-at-Large and has already been contributing his time and expertise to some of the current Board work. Wade has two children at UA, one in Grade 7 and one in Kindergarten. I would like to thank Wade for making this commitment to the UA community and I am looking forward to working with him as a member of the Board.
Sadly, we will not be able to operate our PAX Drive-Through visit to the North Pole this Sunday. With the new restrictions that have come into effect in BC, we were obligated to abide by the orders and not go forward with the event. I know this is very disappointing for the community as it was bound to be an outstanding event. I had planned on being in attendance to take in some of the holiday spirit myself. A BIG thank you to Leanne Kirk, Nav Gaday, and the rest of the volunteers who worked tirelessly leading up to the event. Please know that your dedication to our community is appreciated and I am looking forward to future events when circumstances allow. However, all is not lost. There will be other festive experiences for our UA students! If your child submits a letter to Santa (using either the attached template or a letter of their own creation) by dropping it off in the mailbox at the front of the school between November 30 and December 4, with their full name and address on it, they will likely hear back from the big man himself!
As Urban Academy grows, so do our operational needs. We will be adding additional custodial staff next week to assist our team in following the protocols we have in place for cleaning and maintenance. We believe this additional caretaker will allow us to improve upon the excellent work our current caretaking team is doing.
Our Annual Appeal is entering into the final few weeks for the 2020 ‘Hear Us Roar’ Appeal. So far we have had participation from 42% of our families, thank you for your support! It would be wonderful to see us break through the 50% mark over the next few weeks. If you are in a position to contribute, you can do so by e-transfer, cheque, or by donating online here.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
