Principal Update Feb 11, 2024

February 11, 2024 

Dear PHS Families, 

Thank you to all families who were able to attend our movie night. These are always a highlight of the year and an opportunity for our families to come together as a community. We are so appreciative of our school council for organizing this event! 

We have concluded our Disabilities Presentations through “Just Like You Disability Awareness.” Sasha was our guest speaker, and she did a wonderful job of spreading awareness about disabilities of many kinds and how we are all alike. Please talk to your child about these presentations so they can share their learning. 

Ever Active Schools – Active and Safe Routes to School Community Walkabout 

Parents, you are invited to take part in a Community Walkabout led by Jenn Mireau, the Health & Wellness Consultant with Ever Active Schools that has been working with teachers and students at Panorama Hills School.  

The walkabout allows us to experience first-hand what some of the current routes in your community are like from the vantage point of pedestrians, including children & families. Together, we will highlight some of the obstacles that discourage active travel in your community - and we will share ideas for possible solutions. Our goal is to increase opportunities for safe, active and sustainable travel throughout the day. 

This process is extremely important as we begin to build a School Travel Plan with the students. 

For more information, here is a short video describing the School Travel Planning and walkabouts. 

Date: Tuesday February 27, 2024 

Time: 9:00AM - 10:30AM 

Location: Panorama Hills School 

Address: 1057 Panorama Hills Drive NW 

Our group will meet at the main entrance of the school (near the flagpole). This invitation will be extended to other key stakeholders. Please notify the school office if you are interested and available to attend the Community Walkabout on February 27, 2024. 

Dare to Care  

This year, our students are using the Dare to Care resources to further enhance wellness learning in the classroom. In keeping with the belief that ALL stakeholders within a school community must be engaged in creating a climate of change, the Dare to Care virtual program provides learning/education modules for administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and students Grade K-9. This program shares:  

“All parents want their children to be happy and successful. Bullying behaviour is not always easy for adults or children to recognize or define. A fight between friends or siblings or rough play between children with equal power is conflict, not bullying. Bullying is when a person or group of people repeatedly and intentionally use their power to hurt, embarrass, threaten or exclude another person.” 

This program helps families and school staff differentiate between normal peer conflict and bullying. Tips and guidelines will be provided so parents can help their children make positive choices both on-line with social media and other technology and in their daily face to face interaction. Within this program, there is an opportunity for parents to access learning through videos and modules. We encourage parents to look at this select the learning items that may be of interest to you. To access the parent information site, please follow this link: 

https://daretocare.thinkific.com/enroll/1014104?th__ug=22d75dd7&th__c=mar23-24 

Staffing Changes 

Please welcome Kenzie Dodd into Miss Clark’s EES classroom as our new Educational Assistant. We also welcome Sylvie Mount Van Beurden as one of our intervention teachers for the next few months. Our current Kindergarten teacher, Melissa Fitzpatrick has also extended her day to help support intervention as well.  

Lost and Found 

Ms. Mawani’s classroom has been focusing their work around “Waste” around the investigation of clothing and what we can do to reduce waste in this area. They have taken on the job of taking pictures of our lost and found (see attachment) in hopes that we can reunite items to owners. In time, they will be responsible for packing up items to donate so please have a look at the pictures to see if your child’s items are included.  

Lost and Found.pdf 

Sincerely, 

Ms. Paull and Ms. Muir