October 1, 2021
Dear UA Parents,
It has been quite a week at UA. We had our first evacuation drill of the year, classes committed time to learning about the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we hosted soccer games at Hume Park, our Cross Country and Senior Volleyball Teams travelled for competitions, Middle and Senior students participated in the Terry Fox Run, and finally, new students in Grades 4+ found out their new House Teams this afternoon prior to the Terry Fox Run. It was an exciting week!
I am also excited to report that our Student Life Team has done an outstanding job getting all our clubs, teams, and free time opportunities organized. This was a new endeavour this year and so far I am very pleased with the results. Thank you to Mr. Twaites, Ms. McBride, and Mr. MacKay for your hard work in getting this new initiative up and running. Additionally, it is very exciting to see our new Middle School programs taking off. Our new classes at the Upper Middle School are engaging daily in a variety of Explorations classes including Art, Drama, Computational Thinking, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership. Our Middle School Choir and Drama Club also have moved into full swing. Thank you to our specialist teachers who have spent time creating these new courses and clubs for UA’s Middle School students.
Thank you to everyone in the community for your diligence in working to keep us all safe. Please continue to practice the mitigation measures that we have communicated regularly, including the Daily Health Check. Today, Dr. Henry announced that the mandatory mask mandate will now include Kindergarten to Grade 3. This is a change in practice, and we will begin this new protocol on Monday, October 4. We will continue to approach this in a positive manner knowing that some younger students will struggle in the transition. As with the rest of the students, our approach will not be punitive; rather, we will work with students and families to find ways to help students to be able to wear masks during the school day.
Welcome to October, it is sure to be another eventful month for our UA community.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
