Happy Summer to all – and thanks for the memories!

What a bittersweet moment it is, saying good bye to my Chartwell family!! The last three years have been so rewarding and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you all! Chartwell is such a special place. I have loved learning alongside my team and our students. It is hard to put into words my feelings of gratitude and joy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Chartwell community for welcoming me so warmly when I arrived 3 years ago, and for supporting me during my time here. I have made many new friends! I take all those amazing memories with me as I prepare for retirement. I am certain that the students of Chartwell will continue to thrive under the guidance of Ms. Magrath and the Chartwell staff. Our teachers are dedicated and thoughtful and are so proud of their students. Students, thank you for working so hard every day, for sharing your stories with me on the playground, for keeping me company in the roundabout and for your kind messages and gifts!  I wish you all the best of luck and a happy summer!

Ms. Tamzyn Jones has been a wonderful PAC Chair this year and I want to thank her for the support, the hours and the commitment to us at Chartwell. Enjoy the summer break Tamzyn! Thank you to the executive and volunteers! It was great to see many of you at the Mutual Appreciation Luncheon. We the staff certainly appreciated the appreciation!

I wish to congratulate Ms. Johnston and Ms. McCartney who are retiring too! We were so happy that many of you joined us at our Retirement Celebration yesterday. Thank you for the wonderful gifts and messages! It meant a lot to us. It has been a privilege to work together and I’ve learned a lot from both of you.

I also wish Mr. Samson a wonderful experience in his new role as an ELL teacher in our district. It has been a pleasure working alongside you and your new school and students are very lucky! We will also miss ELL teacher Ms. Ellwyn who is moving to another school. Thank you for all your work at Chartwell Elementary this year!

We expect some new teachers to join our staff in September but since the staffing process is still ongoing, we do not know who the lucky teachers will be!

Of course I have to conclude my last Principal’s Message with a special thank you for my support staff, who keep me in line in the office! Ms. Aspden, it’s been wonderful having you join the Chartwell family! I was fortunate to have you on my team at Ecole Pauline Johnson so I knew how lucky we were! Your calm efficiency sets the mood for us all. Ms. Karimabadi, your smile and good humour have brightened my days for 3 years, thank you! Ms. Locher is a patient and kind Teacher Assistant and looks after our students on the playground with care and affection. Ms. Arancon, thank you for joining our team a few weeks ago and learning so quickly! Thank you to Mr. Jacob and Gallardo for keeping our school clean and tidy and coming to our rescue with daily requests of various sorts!

And then there’s my right-hand woman, Ms. Karsan. You have been a gift to me since you came to Chartwell 2 years ago. We connected right off the bat, and will undoubtedly remain friends for life. I cannot thank you enough for always being there for me and for the team. Ms. Magrath is so lucky to have you as her admin partner next year. I foresee wonderful things in Chartwell’s future. Bravo.

Happy Summer everyone!

Warm Regards,

Chantal