March 4, 2022
Dear UA Parents,
Mr. Slinger has been off-site the last few days meeting with the Heads of School from our ISABC community. Having the opportunity to connect with our colleagues in other independent schools provides all of us with new perspectives, and allows us to learn from others and share our own successes. Urban Academy staff enjoy ongoing opportunities to attend meetings with our counterparts in other ISABC schools, and I know I value the time I spend with my ISABC colleagues. Mr. Slinger’s absence also provides me with an opportunity to contribute to this week’s update.
We are heading into the last week before Spring Break; teachers are completing assessments, writing report cards, and keeping students engaged. The energy in the building is positive as staff and families make plans for vacations. Our experiences over the past few years have made all of us truly appreciate the quality family time and the opportunities to visit new places or revisit the special places where we connect with family and friends. We hope that all of you can take this opportunity to rest, relax, and reconnect.
Teachers are excited to plan field study and move learning out into the community over the spring term. Last week our Junior Kindergarten students visited Stanley Park Ecology Centre and today the Grade 7 students were off to Science World. The Outdoor Education program under the leadership of Mr. Twaites is moving forward with the planning of spring camps. UA’s Grade 9 and 10 students will be traveling to Cedar Coast Field Station on Vargas Island in April. Allowing students to have the opportunity to apply their learning outside the classroom, build resilience and gain independence is key to our educational programming.
I know that this week you received the announcement that this will be my last year at Urban Academy. I have been offered an amazing opportunity to be the new Head of School at Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School (KGMS) for the 2022-2023 school year. I have been at Urban Academy for eleven years and it has provided me with rich and varied experiences. I have such respect for the professionalism of all the staff and feel honoured to have worked alongside the amazing leadership team at UA. Over the next few months, I will be working with staff and leadership on the transition, and I feel confident that the school will attract a wonderful new school principal. Thank you to all who have reached out with your kind words and congratulations. It will be a very bittersweet transition for me – so excited about joining KGMS and so sad to leave my Urban Academy family. I am looking forward to seeing many of you in the coming months as events and community activities resume.
Yours in education,
Ms. MacLeod
