June 4, 2021
Dear UA Parents,
What a week it has been at UA!
I feel very fortunate to have received my second dose of vaccine earlier this week. I know others on staff are starting to get appointments for their second dose as well. I encourage UA families to get vaccinated in order to help ensure that we can start the next school year without restrictions. It has been exciting to see many of the UA students 12 and older receive their first dose.
This week there were a number of initiatives and discussions focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our students were able to engage in meaningful learning opportunities with regard to the challenges surrounding our history as a country as we work toward reconciliation. The timing, also being Pride Week, allowing for space for the community to look forward to being inclusive and celebrating one another. Some of our senior students took the initiative to create a short video called What Makes UA Proud. We are all very proud of our students!
These two topics are significant in the time and place we live, work, and go to school today. We recognize that these two topics can bring with them both difficult discussions (reconciliation) and celebration (pride) and we held that tension as we journeyed through the week. We appreciate all that our families do to support UA students in navigating this very complex and ever-changing world.
To a far lesser extent, another complex part of UA life is our driveway. Thank you to everyone for being adaptable as the Wesgroup construction site ramped up work this week, ultimately reducing what we have been accustomed to with regard to our driveway. Drivers, please continue to be cautious when driving into the underground, there is not as much space as there used to be. Pedestrians, please use the sidewalks and crosswalks to keep things predictable for drivers, both from UA and the community as a whole. I would also like to remind everyone that we are asking families and staff to only use the laneway in the SE direction heading from the school towards Brunette. This really helps with the flow of traffic and prevents backups.
I hope you all enjoy the first full weekend in June. Next week will be an exciting week as our Grade 4-12 students will all have day trips to Camp Summit in the Squamish Valley. I am looking forward to joining the Grade 5’s at Camp Summit on Monday.
There has been a lot going on around campus. It is wonderful to see the energy in the students and staff. I think there is excitement and optimism too with summer vacation on the horizon and the possibility of a slow return to more normal routines.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
