January 8, 2021
Happy New Year UA Parents,
I hope you all had a very relaxing break and found new ways to connect and celebrate over the holidays. I know for myself it was the most relaxing break that I can remember. With the restrictions in place, we didn’t have the opportunity to visit friends and family, we were not able to host our usual dinner for 20. I can’t say that it was better, but it really was relaxing… I even read a book cover to cover that had nothing to do with education! I am now more than ready to tackle 2021 and work to make it a great year for everyone in the UA community.
We are excited to launch a new initiative today. Our community (parents and family members) have often volunteered their skills, talent, and time to share their expertise and experiences with UA students. In order to be proactive about these offers, our new Community Talent Coordinator, volunteer parent Mithun Bhindi, will be working with interested parents to gather their experiences and create a resource database that UA staff can draw from that is relevant to the curriculum they are teaching. To learn more about this opportunity, or to complete the survey so that we can begin to learn about where your experiences may fit, please visit the Community Talent page on our website. Thank you, Mithun (who can be reached at communitytalent@urbanacademy.ca) for leading this up, and to our community for your willingness to share your talents with UA students!
As the new year begins we are getting closer to when we will begin the construction of the 5th floor. You will have noticed if you came by the school today that the first signs of the project are already in place. Protective netting has been constructed around the trees in front of the school on Rousseau and along the laneway. The installation of this protection is a requirement from the City of New Westminster and is part of the building permit process. The trees and landscaping in front of the school belong to the City and it falls to UA and to our neighbour, Wesgroup, to ensure that all current landscaping is protected throughout both the UA and Wesgroup construction projects. We will communicate a more comprehensive letter next week that outlines in more detail what will be happening around the school in regards to construction. I am very excited to have the construction process begin…the sooner we can start, the sooner we will benefit from the new spaces created.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
