in September
ParentSpeak
June 2008
***NEW: Council Website is Launched
Council has entered the technology age! Council is please to announced its new website which that can be found at
Thanks to the hard work of Hopewell parents and website designers, Kumru Bilici and Ryan Iler, for donating their time to build a great site.
On the website you can read all about Council’s committees, enrichment activities, and fundraising initiatives, as well as find current and previous issues of ParentSpeak, Council minutes and agendas. The site has a handy list of links to parent resources, a calendar of events, important contact numbers, and volunteer information.
Please visit the website to SIGN UP FOR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS and let us know what you think of the site. What you would like to see added? What’s missing?
In the 2008/09 school year, the ParentSpeak newsletter will be only be distributed in an electronic version so be sure to send us your email so you stay informed!
***New Prinicpal and Vice Principal
There will be new faces at the head of the school in September. Council would like to give a warm welcome to our new principal, Nicole Turpin, who comes to us from Churchill Alternative School and vice principal, Kim MacDonald, who comes to us from Carleton Heights School.
A BIG THANK YOU to our outgoing Principal Barbara Johnson-Iafelice and our acting team of Principal Lynn Price and Vice Principal Minou Morley.
Hopewell’s Enrichment Programs
Primary Creative Magazine:
During Read-a-thon in May, the primary students (grades 1,2,&3) were asked to write a story, draw a picture or compose a music score. Submissions were gathered and they now make up a 35-page Primary creative magazine called Hopewell Creations. A few colour copies have been printed for each primary class, and primary parents will soon be contacted to see if they would like to receive their own version of the magazine. A BIG THANK YOU to the creative parent volunteers who made this project happen with the help of some grade 3 editors!
Ottawa Fury Soccer at Hopewell:
On June 6 all the grade 3 & 4 students (150 in total) took part in a one-hour soccer clinic put on by the Ottawa Fury Soccer Club. Four of the club’s elite players-- Ashley, Tiego, Shay and Zoe-- spent the day at Hopewell helping the students improve their soccer skills. The students had a great time and the teachers’ learned some new soccer drills for their gym class. In addition, each student went away with a free ticket to an Ottawa Fury match and a Health Canada booklet on how to keep physically active.
Ottawa Carleton Association of School Councils (OCASC) News
OCASC has passed a motion recommending that the class adjustment period for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board be reduced to 10 school days after the first day of school for elementary schools.
School Board Budget News
The School Board’s budget passed for next year;
however, there is still a $32.1 million salary gap and the $7 million transportation under-funding, which constrains the Board’s capability to improve programming. The next few years are expected to be leaner in terms of available funding.
Hopewell BBQ 2008
On June 3 the rain held off and Hopewell families enjoyed another fun-filled evening. The kids enjoyed the bouncy castle, skipping games, crazy hair styles, face painting, beading and a campfire-less sing-a-long. We added pizza to the food menu, which kept the food lines moving! Many thanks to all the hard working volunteers (40+), who pitched in to sell tickets, serve food, set-up, clean-up and run the activities.
Grade 4 Early French Immersion Classes in 2008/09:
Council has written a letter, signed by parents, and will be sending it to the School Board to show our dissatisfaction with the proposed class numbers for the grade 4s in Early French Immersion (EFI) in 2008/09.
All current grade 3 EFI parents were asked to sign the letter to lobby the Board for changes to two grade 3/4 split classes which will otherwise have 19 grade 3s and 4 grade 4 students in each class. The letter requests that the numbers be revised to form one grade 3 class of 23 students and one grade 3/4 class of 15 grade 3s and 8 grade 4 students. If you wish to sign a copy of Council’s letter to the Board to request this change, please email parentspeak@gmail.com
Grass Yard Update:
Hopewell School Council has been awarded a City of Ottawa Green Partnership Grant for $4,725 to improve the grass yard.
Have a wonderful summer. See you in September!
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