New Assistant Principal for Beddington Heights

Good bye Ms. Brinson and thanks for all you've done!

Ms. Brinson is moving on to a new Assistant Principal position at Coventry Hills School. Her last day at Beddington Heights will be Friday February 20th, 2015. You should have received a letter from Ms. Brinson that was brought home by your child  after school today.  Please check your child's home envelope if you have not received it.

Personally I would like to thank Ms. Brinson for all her support of school initiatives and her support of my work as Principal.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank her on behalf of all the students she has developed relationship with, and those she has supported through her work as resource teacher and as Assistant Principal. I know teachers are also grateful for the help and mentoring she has provided.  Her work has demonstrated tireless commitment. She has been a cornerstone of the building and its success. We will miss her. We wish her well in her new position and will always think of her as part of our Beddington Heights family.

We are already in the process of looking to have a new Assistant Principal in place as quickly as possible. Posting of the position is expected to happen this week and together with area office I will be looking to interview potential candidates as soon as possible.

Hopefully we will have good news for you soon.

Parent Teacher Communication

A big "thanks" to all the parents who continue to be in regular contact with your child's teacher.  At Beddington Heights we appreciate your involvement in your child's education and social growth.  We strive to give you the ability to be heard, and consider you partners in providing wrap around service for your child.

Recently, we have had a number of parents coming in first thing in the morning and wanting to speak with teachers just before classes begin. We encourage you to consider booking a time to speak with teachers or come after school if you want to try to "catch" a teacher.  Mrs. Cumming or any other office staff will be happy to assist you in connecting with any of the teachers and scheduling a time to give your questions the time they deserve. This generally cannot happen first thing in the morning without an appointment as teachers are getting ready for instruction and the time needed to fully address your questions is not available.

Feel free to call us any time as well at the school office if you need to connect with us at any time.

Tell Them From Me Survey

Beddington Heights School has partnered with Alberta Education and The Learning Bar (www.thelearningbar.com) to survey students in Grade 4, 5 & 6 at Beddington Heights School on their level of engagement in learning, their level of student wellness and the climate of their classroom(s) and school.

The Tell Them From Me (TTFM) survey was developed by internationally renowned educational researcher Dr. Douglas Willms and is based upon years of research in Canada and around the world. Gathering student feedback through this survey will support our school’s plans for continuous improvement.

Also included in the TTFM survey are Alberta Education’s Accountability Pillar Survey questions for students. As an annual check-up on the education system, Alberta Education conducts surveys of students to gather information on the quality of education provided by Alberta school authorities and their schools. The results are provided to school authorities to inform the development of their three-year education plans and annual education results reports, and are used to evaluate performance on Accountability Pillar survey measures.

Student participation in the survey was voluntary and completely anonymous. Students were assigned a random username and password so that survey responses could not be attributed to any individual student. Grade 4, 5 & 6 students at our school participated in this survey in January.  The survey was completed on-line and was completed within the school day during regular class time.

For further information on Alberta Education’s Accountability Pillar Surveys, please contact Keith Bowen, Director, System Assurance Branch, by email at keith.bowen@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-422-4750. Dial 310-000 first for toll-free access.

School Lockdown Practice - Thursday

 

 Re: Safety precautions at Beddington Heights School

 

The safety of all students and staff of Beddington Heights is of great importance. To that end, we have been working to establish appropriate safety measures for the various situations that may occur and affect our staff and students.

Fire drills are a long-standing expectation of everyone who congregates in a setting such as a school. We are required to have a minimum of six fire drills each school year. Our students and staff treat each drill as though it was the real thing and we are very proud of their performance during those drills. Teachers keep class lists with them during all drills and attendance is always taken. Parents or other visitors are expected to evacuate the building when the fire alarm is sounded.

It is a reflection of the changes in our society that we must add variations to our safety drills. We are going to practice a drill known as a “lockdown” on Tuesday, January 29, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.. The teachers will be instructing students regarding their role during a drill of this kind.  No one is allowed to enter or leave the building during a lockdown procedure.

Our staff will be providing students with the following directions for our lockdown drill:

-          There will be an announcement from the office to notify students and staff of internal lockdown

-          All students will come in to a classroom with a locked door

-          Staff and students wait quietly until the drill is over

 

As we continue to refine our school safety procedures, other safety precautions we now have in place include:

• Locking Exterior Doors, with the exception of the main door for office access
• Walkie-Talkies – have been purchased for communication when children are out in the school field
• A Fan Out Procedure – has been established to ensure clear and swift communication with parents in the event of an emergency.
• Visitors – are expected to register at the office
• Volunteers – must complete a security clearance and wear nametags at all times
• Substitute Teachers – are provided with emergency information upon entering the school.
• Teachers are trained in first aid and have thoroughly reviewed emergency plans with the children.

If you feel that your child might become anxious or nervous during this drill, please provide them with the reassurance that lockdown drills and fire drills are regular parts of increasing safety for students in all schools.  We appreciate your support in these very important matters. If you have any questions, please give me a call.

 

Yours truly,

 Brian Hebert

Principal

School Evacuation - Jan 5, 2015

Please be advised that we had an unscheduled fire drill this morning at Beddington Heights School. The alarm sounded at 11:10 a.m. and originated from the pull station by the upstairs boys’ washroom.  Due to weather conditions, we moved students to our evacuation location at St Bede School. Unfortunately this involved students travelling to the evacuation location without coats and outdoor shoes.   This was necessary as we were not aware of whether we were facing a real fire. 

This alarm was previously tested, and appeared to be fully operational in December of 2014. Should this have been a prolonged evacuation, teachers would have been contacting you using the student information that is contained in their emergency backpacks. If there are any changes to your emergency information please let us know as soon as possible.

It should be noted that students of Beddington Heights represented our school well while at St.Bede’s. They also observed fire drill protocol and exited the building in quick and efficient manner and it looks as if they have learned a lot from our previous drills. Due to the fact the drill happened during our lunch break we realize this may have caused some scheduling concerns for families.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any further question please feel free to contact us.