From the Preschool/Elementary School Principal

 

*This week's images come from the Grade 3 and Grade 4 classes as they consider some initial provocations for their Units of Inquiry, a Kindergarten recess, the first visit of the year from our Therapet (Mackenzie), an example of students' Art goals for the year and some Grade 1 digital artwork inspired by the paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

Stepping into a new environment always brings a unique mix of excitement and uncertainty. This is a reality that applies just as much to adults as it does to children. While we are delighted to welcome many brand-new families to the ISA community this August, we also recognize that every school year represents a fresh start for everyone. Even for our returning students, a new term means navigating different grade levels, new peer dynamics, fresh teacher relationships, and unfamiliar expectations. Recognizing how much courage these transitions require, our staff have dedicated themselves to ensuring that every child encounters these new beginnings within a warm, inclusive, and deeply reassuring environment. 

On Thursday, 3 September, the Preschool & Elementary School will be hosting our Open House events. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to come into school, meet the teachers and find out more about the year ahead. 

While the Open House events have traditionally been held in the evening, we understand that evening events can be challenging for families with young children, particularly around bedtime routines. With this in mind, there will be no evening Preschool Open House session. Instead, our Preschool Open House will take place at 2:00pm on Thursday, 3 September, starting promptly to accommodate our parents who need to pick up their children at 2.20pm. We ask that you arrive early (and no later than 1:55pm) in order for this to happen. We look forward to welcoming you into Preschool and sharing more about the exciting year ahead! We plan to host this session just upstairs from Preschool in one of our meeting rooms (Fraser/Fyvie) and will be on hand to show you where to go. During the afternoon session, the children will continue to be engaged in activities, with the Preschool team popping in as and when they are able.

The evening of Thursday, 3 September, offers us an opportunity to come together on campus for our Elementary School Open House. We encourage you all to take this opportunity to meet your children’s teachers, view the classrooms and learning spaces and enjoy hearing more about our approach, our aims and our ambitions for the year ahead. Our specialist teachers will be on hand to share information about PE, Art, Languages (French & Spanish), Music & Performing Arts, Learning Support and the Library. More detailed information about both the Preschool Open House and the Elementary School Open House events will be posted on the Community Hub closer to the date (Thursday, 3 September). 

Please allow me to take this opportunity to encourage you all to routinely check your PowerSchool accounts. We ask that you ensure we have all the information we need to provide the best possible learning experience for your children. This means completing all forms in a timely fashion and providing updates should any details change. Of particular importance are medical forms (MED2) and contact details (including the details of emergency contacts in case you, as parents and primary caregivers, cannot be reached). If you have moved to Aberdeen from abroad recently, please check that we have phone contacts that are UK-based (+44).

Finally, I hope that you will all be able to attend the Back to School Social tomorrow (Saturday, 22 August) from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.