June 29th, 2017

Dear parents and families,

I am so grateful to have been placed at Alpine as principal this year and have been bragging about our school ever since!  What a great place to learn and grow!

Alpine has an amazing community feel supported by caring parents who want the best for their children and work as our partners to support student learning. What a strong group of committed parents we have on School Council! Our parents are engaged with 98% now on SchoolDay and I regularly receive positive feedback about our tweets that share learning and fun. We are blessed with volunteers who help on trips, make play dough, offer Strong Start, keep our home reading books organized and do many more things.

Parent, please continue to support literacy and numeracy by reading with and to your child and encouraging regular DreamBox use and playing games over the summer.

Our students are awesome!  What an incredible feeling to listen to all of their voices joined together to sing O Canada in the year-end assembly.  They are proud of their country and of their school.  A hi-lite for all of the students this morning was the slide show presenting pictures taken by Mrs. MacLeod  and arranged by Mrs. Whistance. It has been a busy year!

I am so proud of the work of our committed staff.  They truly are a team focused on learning and engagement that pulls together when faced with challenges. We have worked together to learn how to improve our math instruction and it is a pleasure to see and hear students so engaged in math class.  We are looking forward to seeing our EQAO results and are committed to ongoing improvement.

It is time to say goodbye to many staff members:

  • Mr Trite, evening custodian, who has been moved to Grand River,
  • Miss Eidt who will be teaching students at Wilson Ave
  • Miss Hart who will be at Westmount PS,
  • Mrs. Martell who will be teaching French at Groh,
  • Miss Kraehling K2 DECE
  • Mr. Lemont, EA
  • Miss Sbrolla, who has finished the year in K1
  • Miss Dunbar who has done an amazing job in 2-3A
  • Miss Nowak who will be teaching at Jean Steckle
  • Mrs. Marschall who has worked so hard in 3-4A
  • Mrs. Fraser who will be moving to Baden PS after 10 years at Alpine, and
  • Kim Barrett, moving to grade 2 at Vista Hills, also after 10 years.  

There have been more than a few tears today but as one departing staff member commented, aren’t they lucky to be leaving a place they have loved and one where they were loved.  And we have been so fortunate to have them leading and learning at Alpine!

Tomorrow we will welcome new staff members as the 2016-2017 year finished and the 2017-2018 year begins.

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful year! I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall! Please keep each of our Alligators safe.

Ms Givlin