Ms. Kenney's Welcome Back 2025
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!
We are excited to welcome Ms. Barrett to Swift this year! Staffing will continue the first couple of weeks to finalize everything for the school year.
First Days of School
There have been many changes over the summer to our student enrollment, and those changes have continued each day this week! To create the least disruption possible, similar to 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 2nd – 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.
Wednesday-Friday September 3rd -5th – We will be meeting in grade groups for the remainder of the week, with arrival at 8:30 and dismissal at 8:30. 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 & Mrs. O’Donnell
Grade 4s – Meet Outside Room 105 with Mrs. Jones & Mrs. Elsner
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. Katan, Mrs. Gallant, Mrs. Stroet & Mrs. Schultz
Grade 1s – Meet By the Playground with Mrs. Hickey, Ms. Mantta & 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 8th, 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. Our classes will all be full and there will be no room for class changes once lists are finalized. 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 2nd 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.
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 October 1st.
PAC News
The Swift PAC is excited for the 2025-2026 school year! There are some fantastic events and activities planned, more details to come! The first PAC meeting will be on Tuesday September 16th @ 6:00pm 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 swift@abbyschools.ca or call the school at 604-853-7730.
Enjoy the long weekend and see you on Tuesday!
Ms. Shannon Kenney Principal, Dr. Thomas A. Swift Elementary