{"id":9377,"date":"2023-08-24T08:08:07","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T15:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/?p=9377"},"modified":"2023-08-28T11:43:50","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T18:43:50","slug":"2023-2024-welcome-back-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/2023-2024-welcome-back-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"2023-2024 Welcome Back Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>August 24, 2023<\/p>\n<p>Dear PMSS Families:<\/p>\n<p>Welcome back to another exciting school year at Pitt!\u00a0 I hope this letter finds you refreshed, rejuvenated, and filled with anticipation for the wonderful learning experiences that lie ahead.\u00a0 Whether you are a returning Marauder, a new student, a dedicated staff member, or a valued parent\/guardian &#8211; I want to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you.<\/p>\n<p>At PMSS, we believe in creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment that nurtures the intellectual, emotional, and social growth of our students.\u00a0 We are committed to fostering a culture where all individuals are respected, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.\u00a0 As the Principal of this incredible school, it is my privilege and responsibility to lead with a focus on cultural leadership to develop and sustain a climate that supports student learning.<\/p>\n<p>This year, we will be placing special emphasis on embracing diversity, promoting equity, and cultivating a climate of understanding and acceptance.\u00a0 Our goal is to create an environment where every student feels safe, valued, and included.\u00a0 We will celebrate the unique talents, backgrounds, and experiences that each member of our school community brings to the table.\u00a0 By doing so, we will foster an atmosphere of collaboration, empathy and growth that will enrich the educational journey of every student.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve this, we will be implementing various initiatives, programs, and professional development opportunities throughout the year.\u00a0 These efforts will help us enhance our cultural competence, promote inclusive practices, and empower student voice and agency.\u00a0 We will also actively engage with our community partners, parents\/guardians, and staff members to forge strong connections and work together to achieve our shared goals.<\/p>\n<p>Parents and students are <em>strongly<\/em> encouraged to use our <strong>school website<\/strong> as a source of information, as well as download the school app, \u2018<strong>My School Day<\/strong>\u2019 which is available for free.\u00a0 Moreover, make sure you are connected to the <strong>Parent Portal<\/strong> <u>and<\/u> <strong>MyClass<\/strong> \u2013 these provide online access to critical information related to each student\u2019s school\/fieldtrip\/sports fees, attendance, permission forms, school schedule, report cards, etc.\u00a0 <strong>** <em><u>Please be sure to review family contact information to ensure that details are correct and up-to-date<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 If you ever have a concern, please do not hesitate to contact any of your child\u2019s teachers, the counselors, or administration.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>The 2023-2024 student schedules will be available to view through Student MyClass accounts later in the day on Tuesday, August 29<sup>th<\/sup><\/u><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong> \u00a0Student MyClass log-in information will only be sent to <em>individual @sd42.ca <u>student<\/u> email accounts<\/em>. \u00a0If you have not yet signed up for your Student MyClass account, log on to the SD42 website \u2013 you will find the sign-up information and brochure under the <em>Student Top Tab<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Students needing MyClass <em>help<\/em> must email <em>myclass@sd42.ca<\/em> as PMSS school staff cannot reset MyClass passwords for you. \u00a0Parent MyClass accounts will open later in September.<\/p>\n<p>Our Admin and counseling team will continue to balance classes through September to accommodate class size and composition requirements.\u00a0 The course change request process will be communicated to students during the first week of school.<\/p>\n<p>If you need to contact any of the Administration regarding a student issue, please see your \u2018appropriate\u2019 person:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mr. Sharpe \u2013 Grade 12<\/li>\n<li>Ms. Girbav \u2013 Grades 8 and 10<\/li>\n<li>Ms. Cooley \u2013 Grades 9, 11 and Int&#8217;l Students<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Counseling<\/u><\/strong>: Counsellors will be in the building the week prior to school start-up.\u00a0 They are available via <u>email<\/u> to address questions or concerns about counselling support needs.\u00a0 Discussions about schedules\/timetables are to occur the first week of school.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ms. Price &#8211; Grades 8, 10, 12 (A-Mc only) &#8211; alisha_price@sd42.ca<\/li>\n<li>Mr. Edwards \u2013 Grades 9, 11, 12 (Md-Z only) &#8211; simon_edwards@sd42.ca<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Student Fees &amp; Lockers<\/u><\/strong>: \u00a0We encourage you to pay your child\u2019s student fees ($35.00) on the Parent Portal as soon as possible.\u00a0 Moreover, locker distribution will occur on the first day of school and are done by Homeroom during each student\u2019s Block A class.\u00a0 <strong>Students wanting a locker should bring their <em>own<\/em> combination lock on the <em>first day<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Grade 8 Orientation Day<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Thursday, August 31<sup>st<\/sup> at 9:00 a.m. The PMSS Student Leadership Team will be hosting a welcome event for our new Grade 8 students, culminating in a BBQ lunch.\u00a0 Students are to meet at the front entrance down by the gym (east end of building).\u00a0 I highly encourage participation as it is a great way to re-connect and see the school.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Tuesday, September 5th<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> \u00a0Students are to enter through the main front doors and proceed <em><u>directly<\/u><\/em> to their Block A Class (as noted above, schedules are accessible via MyClass).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Grade 8 Students &#8211; arrival time 10:00 a.m.<\/li>\n<li>Grade 9\/10 Students \u2013 arrival time 11:00 a.m.<\/li>\n<li>Grade 11\/12 Students \u2013 arrival time 12:00 noon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Wednesday, September 6<sup>th<\/sup><\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 We will move into our <em>regular schedule<\/em>, starting with Block D at 8:30 a.m.\u00a0 As the Pitt Stop will NOT be open for cafeteria service until Thursday, September 7<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 your Leadership Team will be selling <strong><em>Hot Dog\/Chips\/Drink Combos<\/em><\/strong> for $5.00 (cash) in the courtyard for those that are interested.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Thursday, September 7<sup>th<\/sup>:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Starting with Block H at 8:30 a.m.\u00a0 The Pitt Stop will be open for its\u2019 first day of cafeteria service (cash or \u2018existing\u2019 Pitt Lunch Cards that still have money to purchase on them).\u00a0 <em>Please note that <u>new<\/u> Pitt Lunch Card sales will start up on the Parent Portal the week of September 11<sup>th<\/sup> so plan accordingly if your child is wanting to purchase lunch.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Our first <strong><u>PAC meeting<\/u><\/strong> is on Monday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the school.\u00a0 PAC meetings provide an important opportunity for parents to learn more about our school, talk with school administration and other parents, and have any questions or concerns addressed.\u00a0 New and returning members are always appreciated.\u00a0 More information will be sent via the Parent Portal during the first week.<\/p>\n<p>Once again, welcome to Pitt Meadows Secondary School.\u00a0 I am genuinely excited to work with each one of you and witness the amazing growth and accomplishments that our school community will achieve together.\u00a0 Let\u2019s make this year memorable, transformative, and filled with moments of joy and learning.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s to a fantastic year ahead!<\/p>\n<p>Be well &amp; take care,<\/p>\n<p><em>Colin Sharpe<\/em>, Principal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>August 24, 2023 Dear PMSS Families: Welcome back to another exciting school year at Pitt!\u00a0 I hope this letter finds you refreshed, rejuvenated, and filled with anticipation for the wonderful [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9377"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9399,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9377\/revisions\/9399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/secondary.sd42.ca\/pmss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}