Week Ahead

Upcoming Important Dates 

Principal Update

As I noted in the previous Weekly Update, this past week was Family Literacy Week. I hope you took the opportunity to explore some various literacy environments over the week. This week, I want to jump into the word ‘fluency’, specifically as it pertains to reading. Reading fluency is the key component of our School Development Plan for 2025-2026. 

You have likely had the experience of sitting down with your child to have them read a book to you. As great as this activity can be, at some point there is a natural instinct to take over and read the book to them. The pace and choppiness of the reading can be challenging to listen to. The difference between how your child is reading and how you would read represents the concept of fluency. You likely have a measured pace and expressive voice in your reading. 

Reinforcing the skill of fluency can be challenging as your child is still learning how to pronounce certain words, that skill is called ‘decoding’. You are likely a fluent reader because you have become a proficient decoder. I want to provide a few tips for supporting the teaching of fluency in your home.

First, just listening to your child read and supporting them in that process is the biggest and most important step, even if it is challenging. Remember, to be a fluent reader, you first need to become a strong decoder. The more practice, the better they become. Secondly, try back and forth reading. Have your child read a page and then you read a page. This will model what it sounds like to be a fluent and expressive reader. Echo reading is another technique. In this case, you read a sentence with great expression and your child repeats it. There is also value in rereading passages or books your child loves to further build these skills. Hopefully, this gives you a few ideas to get you started. Remember, whatever approach you take, read daily and make it fun. 

Olympic Colours Day

The Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics take place on February 6, and our school will be celebrating with an Olympic Colours Day. Students are invited to wear the colours of the country they are cheering for as a fun way to recognize this global event and build school spirit. We look forward to seeing the many different colours and teams represented throughout the school that day. 

Staff Parking Lot

A big thank-you to all of our parents who are respecting various traffic patterns and signage around the school. This can sometimes be an inconvenience but in the broader picture, it makes a big difference. However, we are starting to see an increase in families using the staff parking lot. This creates safety concerns for students and staff while creating extra complexities for broader traffic flow. It can also create challenges for staff trying to access parking as we have staff arriving at different times, depending on their shift. Thank you for your support and understanding.