Reflecting On Our New Facilities

Allan Hardy, Principal
As we come to the end of the term, it’s worth reflecting on how our new facilities have been working over the last three months. 
It has been great to witness the immediate impact of our new space on the student experience. Students seem to be arriving earlier and staying later, working individually and in small groups throughout the building. Senior students with spare periods are using the Learning Commons as a place to study and work on homework.
 
The artistic possibilities presented by our new theatre were amply displayed during the four-show run of The Lion King Jr. And, with two gyms up and running, our boys’ basketball and girls’ volleyball programs started the winter season on a positive note, with several of these teams being unbeaten in league play.
 
However, moving into a new building and introducing several new learning initiatives this year has been a transition for students, teachers, and parents. We will be working hard over the second half of the year to perfect the way we have implemented these changes. We've conducted a teacher and student survey of our semester program; the results will help inform which courses will be taught in them next year. This information will be available in the school’s Academic Handbook, which will be distributed to students and parents in January.
 
We are also going to devote more time and training to help those teachers co-teaching courses in our learning community classrooms. This concept is an important part of the school’s future. To see for yourself how our learning community classrooms work, I encourage you to join us at a session for parents on Thursday, January 19 dedicated to the topic. This session will feature teachers and students who have been using these rooms successfully throughout the fall.
 
As always, please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss any of the school’s new initiatives. On behalf of our staff, I wish you a safe and restful holiday season.
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