Principal’s Message, October 2014

Warm greetings to all parents, students and community members. I am excited about working with our student body at Albert Campbell for another rewarding year. As always, our students remain focused on and dedicated to academic success. Recently, the school received the 2014 results for the math and literacy EQAO. Students in the academic stream continue to achieve at a high level, on par with the board and provincial levels. We remain committed to increasing the success rate of our applied level learners, and will continue with the intervention programs to help students increase their achievement level. I encourage parents to discuss academic progress with their children on a regular basis and direct them to seek assistance and communicate with teachers in order to stay on track.

To stay in full partnership for continued academic success, we strive always to improve communication with parents about the success of their children. This year we have implemented the “Own the Credit” Program to facilitate regular and timely intervention and attention to student progress. Students who may be experiencing academic difficulties or who are behind in completing/submitting assignments, to the extent that it may jeopardize their success, will be alerted with a report from the teacher, indicating exactly what is missing and what needs to be done to improve. The week of October 6th to 10th will be the first week when forms may be coming home. Please ask your child if he/she has received such a form because we do require a parental signature and a copy returned to the teacher. This program will help to avoid surprises and to ensure we keep a sharp focus on helping students maximize their achievement. Parents are always invited to phone teachers at any time throughout the school year regarding their child.

Along with our vice-principals, I thank the many teachers who supervise and sponsor students for outside-of-the-classroom experiences, and we ask parents to encourage students to enhance their time at Campbell by becoming and staying involved in extra-curricular activities. We know the value of such involvement because students tell us that their participation in after-school and lunch-time activities forms part of the basis of feeling connected and balanced in their lives. There is already a great buzz around the school and community as students participate in various clubs, athletics and leadership opportunities.

Parents, I also encourage you to stay connected with the school so you can be informed of upcoming events, have the opportunity to give input through direct involvement and keep in regular communication with teachers to form a partnership of support for students. The School Council offers a great opportunity to become connected, and I welcome as many parents as possible to come to the meetings. Our first meeting will be on October 7th, 2014, starting from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. I invite parents to help identify interests and needs to make future meetings purposeful and engaging. This is your meeting to plan and structure according to your needs. Please visit our website http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/albertcampbell to find out future meeting dates and join us.

Parent-teacher interviews will be on November 6th, 2014 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and again from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This is an important way to learn about your child’s progress, meet teachers, vice-principals and the principal. We welcome your visit.

I am delighted to remind you that Commencement will be held this year on Friday, November 7th, 2014 starting at 7:00 p.m. This is a special time for our graduates and families. We look forward to celebrating your child’s achievement with you.

New this year is our Twitter account: @albertcamp_TDSB. Follow us to hear about news and upcoming events. These will also be posted on the website in greater detail.

I am pleased to say that Albert Campbell continues to deliver amazing experiences for students in our academic program and various co-curricular activities. I look forward to another successful year.

Carol Richards-Sauer, Principal
Albert Campbell C. I.