January 17, 2020
Dear Urban Academy Families,
It was quite a week. The tragedy of Flight 752 has been on all Canadians’ minds and at UA we recognize that there are at least two families that we are aware of in our community who have close connections affected by this incident. Our condolences to all the families who have lost a friend or family member in this tragedy, our thoughts are with you and your loved ones.
This week Mother Nature let us know that she is still in charge. We have a good system in place on snow closure procedures and can communicate quickly so that parents can plan and can avoid travelling in unsafe conditions. The decision is always based on the safety of students, staff and our school community; however, during any storm or weather event, if you are not confident that you should be travelling with your children, that is your prerogative and you must exercise it. You will decide if you are able to travel to school or not, and the Head will make the call as whether the school is open or closed. Thank you for your responsiveness during this tough week.
The clubs available to Junior students are outlined in this week’s email. This is the second term of clubs for younger students and we hope that they enjoy these opportunities. If your children are interested in a club, please help them understand how they can get signed up or be added to that activity’s list.
Tickets are now available to all families for the UA Show Choir concert on January 29 at 6:45. These can be obtained from Mrs. McNamara by emailing her at m.mcnamara@urbanacademy.ca. This adult-only evening performance is by donation at the door and will feature a cash bar and light appetizers. Staff and students are excited to showcase their talents and they are also preparing to offer insights into their journey and what they have learned already through this opportunity. Please join us and enjoy the show!
Early Bird tickets for our Gala are now on sale until February 29. For our new families who will never have attended an Urban Academy Gala, this is one of the highlights of the year in our school community. It is a major fundraiser for the school and a wonderful evening for our school community to come together and enjoy each other’s company. This year the Paint the Town Gala will be held on the evening of Saturday, April 18 and we are moving to a wonderful new venue, La Perla Ballroom in New Westminster. The Gala Committee is made up of UA parents and supported by members of staff. Gala Chair Michel Watson heads a dedicated and energetic group of volunteers who provide an outstanding event including a lovely meal and entertainment, as well as opportunities to bid on silent and live auction items. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.urbanacademygala.com now. Please purchase your tickets early and you are most welcome to bring guests to the event as well. Thank you to all our families for their support of this event. If you have items to auction or would like to talk to the Gala Committee about ideas for the much-anticipated live auction portion of the evening, please email gala@urbanacademy.ca.
Next week, January 23 and 24, I am hosting the Heads of all the ISABC schools here at Urban Academy for two days of meetings and workshops. Heads meet three times a year, rotating around each of the schools. We have been an ISABC member for some time now, but this is the first time we have been able to host as we did not have the facilities to accommodate so many guests. I am very pleased to share our school and our programs with my colleagues. I know that they will enjoy their first visit to Urban Academy. There will be some minor impact to OOSC pick-up on January 23 (pick-up will be from the gym and main level) and some minor impact to JK/K parking. I will communicate directly with these families. The other families are not impacted as they do not use the back parking lot.
Have an excellent weekend!
Mrs. Cheryle Beaumont
Head of School
