April 20th, 2016

It is that time of year that we begin to plan for next year.  Staffing is the first step and it is important that we have an accurate count of how many students will be attending.  If you know that your child(ren) will definitely not be attending St. Jacobs next year, please call the office to let us know as soon as possible.

The next item in our plan is class placement.

We begin the process of developing classes for students at St. Jacobs at the end of May and beginning of June. This is a very thorough process, involving classroom teachers, special education and administration who meet and discuss each child to determine the best learning environment and opportunities for the coming year.

Many factors are taken into consideration during this process such as learning styles, individual strengths, challenges, combinations of personalities and needs (both social and academic). In a small school such as St. Jacobs, split classes are a reality and we are confident that the learning needs of our students are met whether in a split class or a straight class.

We trust that you appreciate that your child’s best academic interests are addressed. If you have any information that we may not know about that may impact class placement, please submit this in writing to Mrs. Mathers by May 19, 2016. Requests for a specific teacher cannot be addressed in order to appropriately meet the needs of all students.

As always, our organization and plans need to be fluid in order to be responsive to our community and to the board and ministry commitments and goals and so we will not be making our plans public until just before school begins in the fall.

Mrs. Mathers