May 7, 2021
Dear UA Parents,
That sure felt like a quick week! I can certainly feel the pace picking up around the school as we start to look toward the end of the school year. One of the highlights this week was definitely seeing all the student art on display in front of the school at the end of the day. As one staff member said, “it is the biggest event we have been able to have all year!” If you haven’t had a chance to see the art display in person, all of the art is viewable as part of the silent auction for the Gala. Even if you haven’t purchased tickets, you are welcome to take a look and bid on the auction items and student art here. There are many wonderful items!
Last weekend our JK to Grade 6 families had the opportunity to participate in the first-ever UA At-Home Student-Led Conferences. I would like to commend the students for the hard work they put into the presentations for their parents. I have heard from a few parents that they were very impressed with the thoroughness of their child’s presentations. A big thank you to both parents for participating, and to teachers for facilitating this new format so our students were able to show off their learning.
The demolition of 100 Braid Street is almost complete. I anticipate that the machinery will be off-site soon which will allow the next stage of the WesGroup Construction project to commence. The next stage will have a direct impact on UA. As early as the May long weekend, the remaining parking lot that UA staff and parents use will be behind fencing. WesGroup will begin preparing the site for excavation of what will be four levels of underground parking. We are fortunate that part of our contract with WesGroup includes their agreement to supply parking for UA staff and parents during construction. A new parking lot just down the laneway is being prepared for use by UA staff, JK/K parents, and the construction crews for both the UA project and WesGroup project. We will provide more details in the next couple of weeks as we see the finished plans. It will take a few days for everyone to adjust, including those who use the roundabout, as there will be less space to drive in once the fencing is installed. It is exciting to see these projects moving forward, they will certainly change the landscape of our school and the surrounding area.
As we head into the weekend, I would like to wish all of the moms of Urban Academy a very happy Mother’s Day. I hope you get spoiled and are able to enjoy the day.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
