Hello ALS families,

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break. For those who stayed in Calgary, it certainly did not feel like much of a spring with all the recent snowfall, but it has been great to welcome students back and settle into our routines as we move into the final stretch of the school year.

This week, our Grade 6s were visited by MP Pat Kelly and CBE School Board Trustee Jenny Regal. Students had an opportunity to learn about the operations of government from those fully engaged in this process – huge thank you to MP Kelly and Trustee Regal for taking the time to come and visit us.

I would like to share a few updates with you. As mentioned prior to the break, Arbour Lake School was selected to receive support from a Class Complexity Team. Hiring new staff continues to be a challenge across the system, both for teachers and Educational Assistants. We have been asked to prioritize increasing hours for existing staff where possible, however most of our staff are already working at full capacity. Where we were able to adjust, we have done so thoughtfully. Through this, we have been able to hire Mr. Darren Halasz and increase Ms. Kenna Williams’ time to provide additional in school support. We have also added an additional five hours per week of Educational Assistant support.

Our goal with these additional supports is to strengthen classroom environments, support student learning, and better respond to behavioral, social emotional, and learning complexities. It is important to note that these resources are limited and have been directed toward areas of greatest need within the school. While this will provide meaningful support, keep in mind, this is the addition of one full-time teacher, and it is not a comprehensive solution for targeted literacy and numeracy intervention across all grades.

Finally, there are several additional updates posted in the announcements section. Please take a few moments to review these. For those of you celebrating Easter, I wish you a very happy Easter. A reminder that the school is closed tomorrow for Good Friday. I wish you all a wonderful long weekend. If you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at nmlisi@cbe.ab.ca.

Sincerely,

Nancy Lisi
Principal, Arbour Lake School