Message from the Junior School Principal

By Ms. C. Corcoran, Junior School Principal

Dear Junior School Parents and Guardians:

 
It is a pleasure to welcome our new and returning families to West Point Grey Academy as we embark upon the 2011-12 school year.

On September 7, grade 1 to 7 students should be in their classrooms at 8:15am and need to be dressed in their ceremonial uniform which is shirt, tie and blazer with grey pants (boys) or skirt/tunic/pants (girls). Please be reminded that pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will be participating in gradual entry so please refer to the information sent to you in the summer for the exact dates and times. Class placement can be accessed on our parent portal on Friday, September 2, 2011 and I would like to encourage you to let your child know of his or her placement before the first day of school. As placement is released on the parent portal, class lists will not be posted in the main foyer, but will still be available as reminders outside the homerooms. There are no adjustments to class placement.

 
I would like to highlight the extreme care and thought that is at the core of the decisions we make when we place students into homeroom groupings. It is a tremendously long and detailed process that begins in the early spring. Your children’s teachers work countless hours together as grade level teams to create lists that are balanced and lead to the best possible learning environment for our students. These lists are then reviewed in detail with your child’s new teacher at our professional development meetings in June. Not only do we place students purposely to ensure optimal classroom dynamics, but we endeavour to match every child with at least one special friend. Our teachers place each child purposely with much thought behind the process.

 
Parent Portal Login

After logging in to the school portal, you may log into the parent portal by clicking on Student & Household Information.  Here you will see a number of links on the left. These will include the Name of your children, Household, and User Profile. In order to see your child’s class placement, simply click on the link with their Name, and then choose the Student Information link. You will see the name of your child’s homeroom teacher included here. If you need help logging on, please call the Junior School front office at 604.222.8750 between the hours of 8am and 4pm. Ruth Yuswack, Rachel Green, or Caroline Rooney would be pleased to assist you.

 
Pre-kindergarten to Grade 7 Parent Information Night, Thursday, September 22

The Junior School Parent Information Night has been set for Thursday, September 22, from 5:45 to 7:30pm. You are invited to join us to learn more about the curriculum and homeroom routines. More details about the evening will follow closer to the date. Kindly, email your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any questions or Ms. Sarah Fast, Director of Curriculum, sfast@wpga.ca.

Over the summer, we have been busy preparing for the first day of school, and we are excited to see your children after a restful summer break. For those of you who have been to the school early to purchase uniforms or drop off forms, you may have noticed that the lower corridor hallways were not cleared. Due to a clear water leak on the lower floor, the cleaning that was completed earlier in August has been redone. On behalf of the staff at WPGA, we cherish the joy and enthusiasm that your families bring to our school. With excitement, we welcome your children back, all ready to begin a year bright with successes and growth.

 
Sincerely,

Ciara Corcoran

Principal of Junior School