Hello UA Parents,
Buckle up because this is a full one but I will try to make it as succinct as possible. First of all thank you to all of the parents who helped make this year work so well. From Committee Chairs, class parents, speakers and presenters, coaches, helpers, park walkers and all of the ways that you have made a difference – we couldn’t have done it without you. A special thank you to Tina Parmar who led an incredible PAX Committee this year and Lana Vijay who led a busy hot lunch and used uniform team!
Thank you as well to everyone who completed our Parent Survey. The information in the rest of this email is largely directed by the input and feedback that you have offered. I hope that you see that reflected in these announcements. You also shared opportunities for growth, so hopefully, some of the following information will be well received.
One key message is that you would like some more information on the courses and opportunities in the Upper Middle and early Senior Years (Grades 6–9) as students transition through. We have always had the Grade 10-12 Graduation Years Guide (PDF) but this week we are happy to share this Grade 6-9 Course Guide (PDF) that outlines what those important years of courses and extracurricular opportunities look like at Urban Academy. You also noted that you would like more information on the ‘big things’ (where is UA going?) and more streamlined information on the ‘little things’ (reduce the number of emails). We have heard you and will be actively working on this for next year.
You also had some wonderful feedback on events and parent involvement. You would like more opportunities to socialize with children and parents together. But some of you also would like parent-only socials — perhaps something a little different than the Gala. So for this coming year, with the help of some wonderful parent leaders, I’m happy to share that PAX will be running our first-ever UA Community Spring Fair on March 8. See below and mark your calendars. Also, in lieu of the Gala, there will be a fancy smaller event that will satisfy the desire to get dressed up with the parent community and find a trendy dance floor — details to come!
Finally, you told us that parents would like to attend or have access to more of those school special events. We can make this happen, and would like to start by making the End-of-Year Assembly on Friday, June 21 from 9:30-11am available to you — either to stream live (or watch the recording) or to attend in person. The majority of the assembly is for our Grades 2–12 Students (it is a long one for the little ones so they leave early on) and will celebrate student awards, our graduates and the ‘Step Up Years’ of Grade 3’s moving to Middle School, and Grade 7’s moving to Senior School. Please note that if you plan on attending, there is limited seating so depending on how many guests we have, it may be standing room only.
Seeing as this is my last weekly email for the year — I’d like to share that the Back to School Celebration is a bit different for next year and will not take place in August. Rather, it will be on September 3, the first day back to school. Check our school calendar for details (more to come) but the first day will be a late start for students, will include ‘Meet the Teacher’ for parents in the afternoon and a full school social with food trucks from 3.30–5pm.
If you have gotten this far, thank you for your patience and there is one last thing. The UA Golf Social is taking place on September 13, registration is open and it will be a great celebration of ALL skill levels. Pick a foursome, get dressed up in costume themes (or not) and come kick off the start of the school year. For companies who would like a fun profile we also have some engaging sponsorship opportunities (PDF) , so please check them out!
We will be distributing start and end times for each grade, the full calendar for the year and supply lists for Grades 6-12 by the end of this month as we know that you appreciate this information early!
Thank you for hanging in there — on this message and for the year. It has been a wonderful year and we as a staff are all very much looking forward to an exceptional 2024/25 school year!
All the best,
Sonja Kennedy