Back to School 2016

September 5, 2016 - 7 minutes read

Welcome Ridgeview Families.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your children to the 2016 – 2017 school year at Ridgeview Elementary. I hope that your summer vacation has been enjoyable and restful. Together with Ridgeview staff, we look forward to reconnecting with returning families and welcoming new students and families on the first day of School, Tuesday, September 6th.

The opening day schedule and procedures are available on our school website. Important details regarding school start up are available in our first newsletter that was e-mailed to all registered families this past Friday. Please note that all registered Ridgeview families will receive a weekly electronic bulletin that will outline upcoming events. Please ensure that the school has your correct email address.

This past week, during our school orientation, Vice Principal, Mr. Blackburn and I welcomed many of our new families to our school community. We thank families for taking time to tour the school and learn school start up procedures. A reminder, that all new students will report to classrooms as follows on opening day, Tuesday, September 6th from 9 – 10:00 a.m.:

Grade 1: Room 15
Grade 2: Portable D
Grade 3: Room 5
Grade 4: Room 12
Grade 5: Room 8
Grade 6: Room 10
Grade 7: Gym

Parents, are welcome to the library/main foyer at this time.

We welcome also, many new staff to Ridgeview. A full list of teaching staff and assignments is available on our school website. Parents/guardians of students in grades 1 – 7 are welcome to formally meet their child’s classroom teacher and learn about curriculum and class routines and expectations at our Meet MY Teacher event scheduled for Wednesday, September 14th from 2 – 4 p.m. (Sign up details to follow.) This NEW event replaces the Curriculum Evening held in past years. Please note that students will learn classroom routines and curriculum details for the year ahead in the early days of school and will share this information with their parents/guardians during this event. Encouraging the competency of communication in which students connect and engage with others to share and develop ideas and present information is integral to student success. This format promotes student responsibility and accountability and empowers students to take charge of their own learning. We hope parents/guardians are able to attend.

A Parent-Information Evening has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 21st. At this time Vice Principal Mr. Blackburn, Principal Mrs. Brady, and District teacher –leader of Innovation Mrs. Wilson will outline details on curriculum, reporting, technology, and other whole school initiatives and directions. Parent-Teacher Conferences scheduled for October 24th and 27th will provide another opportunity for parents/guardians to connect with the school. All three events, Meet MY Teacher, Parent-Information Evening, and Parent-Teacher Conferences are intended to inform and connect families to student learning. Please mark your calendars!

Each school year brings with it a little excitement and as much trepidation. Ridgeview staff are committed to creating a supportive learning environment so all students can thrive socially, emotionally and academically. We encourage you to review the Ridgeview Code of Conduct and Expected Behaviours with your children so they are able to start the year confidently.

Parents of students in grades 4 to 7 are encouraged also to revisit the Use of Digital Devices and BYOD Expectations to learn more about Digital Use and Expectations at Ridgeview.

West Vancouver Schools’ three pillars – inquiry, digital access, and self-regulation – are themes that continue to frame and guide Ridgeview teaching and learning practice. Ongoing research and developments in these three areas have prompted new thinking, fresh ideas, and further innovation at Ridgeview.

To equip our students with the necessary skills to power innovation, students must be more than proficient readers and writers, they must be literate in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. While our focus at Ridgeview this past year in part was on nurturing a growth mindset, crucial to one’s openness to learning, to prepare students for their futures, we intend to extend our focus to adopt an innovator’s mindset for ourselves as well as instill this in our students.

Developing an innovative mindset combines with the future-facing dispositions nurtured in the Ridgeview Learning Profiles (Principled, Explorer, Global Citizen, Balanced, Collaborator, Performer, and Thinker). With our school community, we will look at redesigning spaces within our building to revamp curriculum to include opportunities such as coding, robotics, and digital media. We aim to engage students in authentic real world tasks: brainstorming, setting goals, gathering materials, sketching, questioning, designing and constructing. The year ahead is sure to empower learning, unleash talent, and deepen a culture of creativity at Ridgeview.

Site improvements and general maintenance have been ongoing through the summer at Ridgeview. A new roof, fencing, additional soft surfacing on our playground, classroom upgrades, and general shine and polish combine to create a safe and welcoming facility for all.

Thank you to the grade 7 Class of 2016 for their gift of club chairs for the senior grade 7 corridor of the school. This legacy gift supports our collective goal to create learning spaces that promote student collaboration.

I look forward to welcoming new and returning families to Ridgeview this week. An exciting year is ahead. All the best for a successful and rewarding school year!

Mrs. Brady
Ridgeview Principal