Dear Vincent Massey families, 

I want to begin this week's message by expressing our appreciation for your ongoing support as our most important partners in teaching and learning at Massey. This support has come not only in the form of positive messages but also in helping reestablish normal school routines for students. Regular attendance is the foundational step in student success. 

That being said, cold, flu, and other respiratory illnesses are generally more common in the winter. If your child is sick, please assess their readiness for learning before sending them to school and consider keeping them home when they are most contagious. A day of rest at home can ultimately shorten their illness while also supporting the health and attendance of others in the building, including teachers. 

When students do miss school, we know that they sometimes need a little extra help getting caught up on missed work. More generally, we know that many students benefit from one-on-one tutorial support. "Massey Mastery" fills these needs every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning from 8:15 to 9:00 and every Wednesday afternoon from 4:00 to 4:45. Mastery is staffed by at least one humanities teacher and at least one math/science teacher at every session. Students who want to take advantage of this opportunity should come to the north parking lot doors between 8:05 and 8:15 (or go to the learning commons for the after school session.) To enable teachers to focus on providing support, students should arrive on time and attend for the entire time block. 

I also wanted to add a few words on homework. Junior high students can expect 30-60 minutes of homework per night across all classes. The purpose of homework is to practice and reinforce concepts covered in the classroom. From time to time, students might also be asked to complete a task that complements or supports learning in the classroom, such as having a discussion with a trusted adult, making observations, or collecting data. While students should expect quizzes and tests to reflect the homework content, they should not be directly marked on work completed at home – this ensures the fairness and accuracy of assessment information, particularly in the new world of artificial intelligence. Regular homework routines will support your child's learning, improve their understanding of the curriculum, and help prepare them for high school success. 

Parent-teacher conference bookings opened yesterday afternoon, and an email with more details was sent at that time. Bookings can be made through MyCBE. 

Families interested in the Grade 8/9 Sailing trip or the Grade 9 Heritage trip are reminded that financial commitment forms are due on Monday, so that we can confirm interest and pay necessary deposits to the service providers. Fees will be posted to your account as soon as we have confirmed interest from enough students. 

We completed our second fire drill of the year earlier this week. We will have our third drill next Monday, to ensure we are in compliance with legislated timelines. This week's drill went well and we continue to make adjustments to our processes to ensure that all students are prepared to safely evacuate the building in a timely manner. 

Here are your key dates for the next three weeks: 

·                     November 25 – Fire Drill during period 4 

·                     November 27 – Parent/teacher conferences 4:30pm-8:30pm, in-person at the school 

·                     November 28 – no school for students, Parent/teacher conferences 9:00am-1:00pm online 

·                     November 30-December 1 – Outdoor Leadership Skills Camp in Kananaskis 

·                     December 2 – Grade 9 Vaccinations 

·                     December 3 – School Council Meeting – 6:30pm in the Learning Commons 

·                     December 8 – Grade 8/9 Drama Students to Central Memorial High School for play performance 

·                     December 9 – Wrestling Divisional Meet @ Genesis Centre in Falconridge (full day) 

·                     December 11 – Winter Band Concert, 6:30pm in south gym 

All the best, 

David Pugh 

Principal