Dear Families;
It is with a very heavy heart, I am writing to you today.
As a result of the unfortunate job
situation currently occurring, due to the ongoing dispute between the
government and the BCTF, the end of the year will not play out the way I had
hoped for. Up until about a month ago, I intended to invite my wonderful
students of Div. 4 to celebrate the end of the year with me at my home on the
Saanich Peninsula. We were all looking forward to a BBQ at my house, many days
of last week activities, outside fun and games, a year-end slideshow that I
created for my kids, Beach Day, Fun Day, and much more learning! Instead, it
looks like these next two weeks will be interrupted by job action and political
conflict. I can only hope that this huge sacrifice of students, families and
teachers will lead to a resolution. In
the meantime, I am preparing for the “worst case scenario”, which assumes
tomorrow (Friday, June 13) to be the last day of school before the summer
break. I am trying to figure out how to say good-bye to the students,
completing their portfolios, marking their latest math quiz, celebrating their
amazing learning over the last ten months and stay positive … all in one day!
It will be a difficult one!
I will be sending all the students’ supplies as well as
all of the art work, dialogue journals and porfolios home on Friday. In the (hopeful) event that school is back in
session before the end of June, there is no need to return these to school, as
I have classroom supplies that the students may use. Hopefully, your child has
returned all of his/her library books to the school. If you still find items
that belong to the school, please contact Ms. Byrne at the school at
250-478-8368 throughout the next two weeks.
I have a copy of the slideshow I made on DVD for each child
and hope to be able to give it to the children during the last week of school,
if (or when) the political conflict is resolved. If not, I will show the
slideshow to the students in the first week of school in the fall and will have
the DVDs available.
Thanks for your wonderful support and understanding in
this difficult time.
So long for now,
Katrin van der Leeden
Thalia adored you as her teacher you set the bar high, and as her mommy I sincerely thank you for all that you do at this great school! I hope you enjoyed your gift! I wish things had been a little different (job action timing), but as a non-teaching teacher, I fully support your union, as does my hubby, also in a union! Sensing love strength and support in this tenuous time... Kara Abrahams Buttree, Thalia's mom
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