Hello everyone,
What a week it has been at UA!! Last Saturday, Santa hosted a breakfast for the community that was a big hit with over 170 people attending. Everyone enjoyed good food, lots of games and a chance to have a photo taken with Santa himself. We extend our thanks to PAX Chair Tina and Vice Chair Zakkiya and the rest of the parent volunteers who made this event so successful. On Tuesday we had our JK/K Winter Concert in our very own Cheryle Beaumont Theatre which was a sold-out event! Our youngest students put on a memorable show with the support of some of our Gr. 3 student actors and the leadership of Mr. McDiarmid. Last night was our Concert at Massey Theatre where our students from Gr 1-12 showcased their talents and entertained the crowd. It really was a fantastic show that was riveting from start to finish. A big thank you to Mr. McDiarmid, Ms. Brooke and Ms. Kilpatrick for all their efforts to make it happen. Among all of the seasonal events this week, students and staff fit in multiple basketball games and field trips. What a week it was!!
As we shared in the Community Update we have started the process of developing our next strategic plan for UA. This plan will guide our path forward through 2029. In the new year, parents will be able to provide feedback to the Strategic Planning Working Group by responding to a survey. I hope you all take the time to contribute your thoughts so that we can hear from as many members of our community as possible.
As Ms. Kennedy shared last night at the Winter Concert we have passed the halfway point in our Let’s Get Moving Annual Appeal. We are very excited about the possibility of hitting our $250,000 target so that we are able to build the playground on the 4th floor deck, the athletic deck on the third floor and updates to the other decks as well. Students put out a big cheer last night at the Winter Concert when asked if they are keen about the updates. So far 29% of our families have contributed, and we hope to break our previous high of 53% of families contributing this year. This is the biggest Annual Appeal our community has ever attempted, but we would love to make it a big success for our students.
As we head into the final week before the break students and staff will be waiting in anticipation of some well-deserved time off after a busy fall. One of our teachers is also anticipating some much-deserved time off in the near future. It is with mixed emotions that I inform the community that at the end of the school year in June 2023, Ms. Mary O’Byrne (Gr 2) will be retiring from teaching after a very successful career that saw her teaching around the globe and at UA for the last 6 years. There will be time in the months ahead to recognize Ms. O’Byrne but we wanted to share this news. Congratulations and thank you Ms. O’Byrne.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
