Ms. Kenney's September 4 Newsletter
WELCOME BACK SWIFT FAMILIES!
I would like to take this opportunity, before we are all back to school, to welcome you to another exciting school year at Dr. Thomas A. Swift Elementary. To returning students and families, welcome back. To new students and families, welcome to Swift!
As we begin the new year, staffing the school continues. We welcome a few new faces to Swift this year: Mrs. Dyck (Counselor), Mrs. Sandhu (EA), Mrs. Cheema (EA), Mrs. Coers (EA), Mrs. Sharma (Teacher), and more to come!
First Days of School
There have been changes over the summer and this week to our student enrollment. To create the least disruption possible, like the past couple of years, we will NOT be starting the year in new classes. The first few days of school will look a little different but will be great!
Tuesday September 8th – Students go back to “last year’s classroom” – they will receive a warm welcome and be able to catch up with friends on their summer. New students to the Swift are asked to come to the front office and we will bring you to a class for you to join for the morning. Please note: This is a half day of school with dismissal at 11:30.
As we have had some changes the following “last year classes” will report to:
Mrs. Dueck’s class will return to the same classroom (Rm 135) and be greeted by Mrs. Hildenbrandt
Mrs. Elsner’s class will meet her in Rm 120 as she has moved rooms
Mrs. Katan’s class will return to the same classroom (Rm 141) and be greeted by Mrs. Schultz
Mrs. O’Donnell’s class will meet Ms. Virtue in Rm 106
Wednesday-Friday September 9th – 11th – We will be meeting in grade groups for the remainder of the week, with arrival at 8:30 and dismissal at 2:30. Grades 1-5 will participate in activities with members of their same grade and will have a chance to meet new friends and new teachers. Please meet for arrival and dismissal at the following locations:
Grade 5s – Meet Outside Room 119 with Ms. Froese, Ms. Virtue
Grade 4s – Meet Outside Room 105 with Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Elsner& Ms. Miettinen
Grade 3s – Meet On the Lower Field by the stairs with Mrs. O’Sullivan & Mrs. Spenard
Grade 2s – Meet By the Gaga Ball Court with Mrs. Gallant, Ms. Stroet & Mrs. Schultz
Grade 1s – Meet By the Playground with Ms. Mantta, Mrs. Hickey & Mrs. Morgante
Please note that while your child will be in their grade groups for the first week, they might not be with their teacher over these days as we have many combined grade classes this year.
We will be finalizing class lists as soon as we have concrete registration numbers. Our hope is that all students are in their “forever class” no later than Monday September 14th, if we can do it sooner, we will. As such, lists will not be posted prior to the first day of school. We are hopeful this will alleviate the need to switch classes and cause unnecessary heart break!
Please know that much time, effort and thought is put into creating class lists, once finalized changes will not be possible. Those requests that were submitted in May, will continue to be considered and accommodated where possible.
Please ensure school supplies are in a separate bag so they can be kept safe and together until we are settled into our classes for the year. If you have not yet purchased school supplies, please do so by going to our website. You can order online or purchase at the store.
Kindergarten parents please follow the schedule and all information that has been sent to you from the Kindergarten team. If you did not receive a letter in the mail this summer, please contact the office ASAP. Your meeting on September 8th will take place in the classroom of the teacher listed in your welcome letter at 10:15am. Kindergarten class lists will be finalized at the end of Gradual Entry.
E-Scooters
The Abbotsford Police have asked us to remind all families that E-Scooters are illegal in Abbotsford as the city is not a participant in the provincial pilot project. With this in mind, no students or family members are allowed to operate these E-Scooters on school property. We appreciate your support in following this law – it’s not just a school rule!
Summer Reading Challenge
If you started the Summer Reading Challenge, it isn’t too late to finish! All students who finished can hand in their Challenge sheet at the Office. They can be handed in until September 18th.
Strong Start
A reminder that Swift has an amazing StrongStart program. StrongStart is Monday-Friday from 8:30-11:30 am and is a free program – parents or caregivers must stay with their children at Strong Start. You can find Mrs. Price in Room 116. StrongStart will begin September 28th!
PAC News
The Swift PAC is excited for the 2026-2027 school year! There are some fantastic events and activities planned, more details to come! The first PAC meeting will be on Wednesday September 16th @ 7:00pm in the library. We hope to see you all there!
We are looking forward to smiles and laughter filling the school again. We know the beginning of the year brings great anticipation and also some nervousness. If you have any more questions please email us at [email protected] or call the school at 604-853-7730.
