​ We are excited to be welcoming our new and returning families for the 2023 – 2024 school year!  Our staff have been working diligently to prepare for the new school year and are excited to start September with all the possibilities a new year brings.

We have a number of new teachers joining our staff this year.  In Kindergarten, we have Mrs. Kapp and Mrs. Kawohl joining us.  Mrs. Kapp is filling in for Mrs. Steckly while she is on leave and Mrs. Kawohl is our new Learning Leader in Kindergarten. 

Also new to our staff teaching Grade 2 is Danielle Duncan, Timothy Ulph, Paige Pal and Evan Beckers.  Mrs. Duncan is coming to us from Citadel Park School and Mr. Beckers is coming from G.W. Skene School. Mr. Ulph is filling in for Mrs. Raybould-Amsing while she is on leave and Mrs. Pal is our new Learning Leader in Grade 2.

We have a two new staff member joining our Grade 3 and Grade 4 teams this year.  Coming to us from Brentwood School is Michelle Weaver.  Mrs. Weaver is teaching Grade 3.  Joining our Grade 4 team is Ms. Insiyah Baghdadwala.  Ms. Baghdadwala is filling in for Mrs. Bakkan while she is on leave.  Baghdadwala taught last year at our school covering two short term assignments.  Below are the teaching assignments for this school year:

Teacher	Assignment
Kylie Connors Onalee Meyers	EES
Jacqueline MacNeill Jeanne Walz Kim St. Cyr Laura Witczak (Learning Leader) Michelle Lai	Grade 1
Courtney McDonald Danielle Duncan Evan Beckers Paige Pal (Learning Leader) Timothy Ulph	Grade 2
Lindsay Chmelyk Michelle Weaver Ryley Shaw Sara Scherschel (Learning Leader) Sylvia Njie	Grade 3
Cherlynn Jackson (Acting Assistant Principal) Insiyah Baghdadwala Joey Waters Temina Sayani	Grade 4
Denise Kapp Jane Stupak Lindsay Kawohl (Learning Leader)	Kindergarten
Carissa Willis (Music) Kim Fraser (Learning Intervention) Stacy Schrattner (Physical Education)	Specialist

 

 It's that time of year again when we need to be mindful of our driving and parking habits to ensure all of our students arrive safely and depart safely from school each day. We understand that many parents want to ensure their child knows where to go in the first couple of days of school and we expect increased traffic flow around the school this coming week. Please be patient!

To ease traffic congestion, we ask parents to use our “Hug and Go" drop off areas in front of the school and along Evanston View adjacent to the school fields.  The less time that a parent remains in the loading zones, the more vehicles can use the space.  In the mornings, students can enter the school at any door they wish.  Once students are familiar with the door they choose to enter the building, they are able to walk from the “Hug and Go" areas independently.  We encourage all families that choose to drive to school to use our loading zones in this manner.

Parents/Guardians must pick up at the front main door only.  Please keep your distance from the door a minimum of 5 m to allow students to dismiss out the doors.

Once again, welcome to Kenneth D Taylor!

​Sincerely,
Todd Faunt
Principal

​Welcome to a new school year!

We are excited to be welcoming our new and returning families to School!  Our staff have been working diligently to prepare for the new school year.  Our teachers are excited to start the new year and all the possibilities a new year brings.    

We have a new outdoor classroom!  Over the summer, we had an outdoor classroom constructed adjacent to the compound area.  We are waiting a couple of weeks for the grass to grow in the area and then the fences will be removed.  The classroom consists of boulders placed in a semi-circle with trees and planting boxes behind the sitting area.  Students will have the opportunity to plant plants that are indigenous to Alberta.  Once the fences are removed, teachers will be able to take students out to learn on the land.  We would like to thank our Kenneth D Taylor School Council and Fund Raising Association for their support in funding this project.

It's that time of year again when we need to be mindful of our driving and parking habits to ensure all of our students arrive safely and depart safely from school each day. We understand that many parents want to ensure their child knows where to go in the first couple of days of school and we expect increased traffic flow around the school this coming week. Please be patient!

To ease traffic congestion, we ask parents to use our “Hug and Go" drop off areas in front of the school and along Evanston View adjacent to the school fields.  The less time that a parent remains in the loading zones, the more vehicles can use the space.  In the mornings, students can enter the school at any door they wish.  Once students are familiar with the door they choose to enter the building, they are able to walk from the “Hug and Go" areas independently.  We encourage all families that choose to drive to school to use our loading zones in this manner.

Once again, welcome to Kenneth D Taylor!

​Sincerely,

Todd Faunt

Principal

​This school year has once again presented challenges due to Covid-19, but like last year, we were up to the task.  We started the continued challenge of Covid-19 restrictions, but we persevered.  Our students, parents and staff have been outstanding once again in meeting these challenges!

I am grateful to our students for how they have once again risen to the challenges of learning during a pandemic.  Their positive attitude and attention to following Covid-19 protocols when needed helped make this year a success!  The student's energy and excitement in the classroom and outside definitely helped everyone throughout the year.  Our students deserve a big thank you!

I am grateful to our parents.  This year required flexibility and patience as we navigated the different stages of the health restrictions.  Keeping students home when needed and demonstrating patience as we progressed through the year was greatly appreciated.  Parents have always been an important partner in their child's education and we thank you for your efforts and continued support!

I am grateful to our staff.  Their professionalism and tireless energy greatly contributed to our success this year.  It has been inspiring to be part of the Kenneth D Taylor team as we navigated the challenges of teaching children during a global pandemic, especially during times of staff shortages due to pandemic related protocols.  Our staff's commitment to providing the best education possible, regardless of the learning conditions deserves a big thank you as well.

Our school community was excited for the easing of health restrictions as we entered the second half of the school year.  Students were able to participate in activities such as working with buddies, listening to in person guest speakers, a Stampede Breakfast, a school wide sports day, and hosting a volunteer tea.  These events definitely made the year feel more normal.  Our school staff is excited about next year and all the possibilities that a new school year brings!

This year, we have four teachers leaving Ken Taylor School.  Mrs. Tara Moore, currently teaching grade two, will be going to James Short Memorial School to teach at the Early Development Centre.  Mrs. Kaur, a grade two teacher will be finishing a temporary teaching contract on June 30. Ms. Tomiwa Adejuwon, who taught music to our students, will also be leaving us this year as her temporary contract ends on June 30. We will miss Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Kaur and Ms. Adejuwon and wish them all the best for next year.  Another teacher that we will miss next year is Mrs. Krahn.  Mrs. Dawn Krahn is retiring from teaching.  She has taught with the CBE for 34 years and we wish her all the best in future as she begins a new chapter in her life.  

For those students not returning to Ken Taylor School next year, we wish you all the best in your new schools.  For those who are returning, we are looking forward to great year with endless possibilities.      

​Take care and have a safe and enjoyable summer,

Todd Faunt

​Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope everyone had a great summer and we look forward to seeing our students on September 1.  Our staff is eager to get the year started, we are excited to have our new and returning students join us this year!

Teachers will be sending out welcome emails on August 27, if you have not received an email prior to August 30 please contact the office. This email will contain important details regarding the entry and dismissal on the first day of school.  Details such as which door your child is expected to enter and exit from the school each day and where to meet your child's teacher will be included in the email.   

This year, we still have a number of health measures in place due to Covid-19.  The measures are very similar to the measures that we had last year.  Students will be in cohorts and classes will have a designated door in which to enter and exit the school.  We ask that parents complete the daily check list for symptoms each day, if your child has any symptoms we ask you to keep them home.  Students are expected to wear a mask when entering the building, in hallways and in class.  Teachers will provide mask breaks during the day, lunch times will be staggered to reduce contact between cohorts of students.  For more general information, please go to https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/2021-22-school-re-entry-information.aspx.  Many of these measures will be re-evaluated at the end of September and may change. We will also be sending out more information specific to our school entry plan early next week.   If you have any questions after reading the general information from the CBE, please contact the office. 

We understand that there is a lot of uncertainty with Covid-19 and how it may impact our school year, please be assured the staff at Kenneth D. Taylor will work hard to make it a successful year for students!

 

Todd Faunt

Principal      ​

​

​

Dear Kenneth D Taylor Families

I am looking forward to welcoming our school community to the 2020-21 school year. I want to assure you we are doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of all our community members.

As you are aware on July 21, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced that all schools across the province will return to classes under Scenario 1 – in-school classes resume (near normal with health measures). In response, plans are well underway in our school to welcome our community of students as we adhere to current health guidelines.

CBE's Scenario 1 Information can be found on our website and outlines the measures we are taking to provide for the health and safety of our students. Please refer to this document for detailed information on health measures, physical set-up of schools, cleaning of schools, daily operation of schools and transportation. The actions described in the document follow the guidelines provided by Alberta Education's K-12 School Re-entry COVID-19 information: Guidance for schools re-entry Scenario 1.  We continue to refine information in our re-entry planning based on provincial and CBE guidance.

Please visit our website for our school re-entry plan for information on the actions and processes that are being applied to the specific context of our school.

 

Sincerely,

Todd Faunt​

​We have come to the end of an incredibly unique school year.  We want to extend a sincere thank you to parents/guardians for your continued support, patience, and compassionate understanding through this unprecedented school year. 

Alberta Education has been providing guidance for school re-entry in the fall.  We are currently working on a detailed plans based on recommendations from Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer.  Alberta Education has given school boards three possible scenarios to prepare for.  These three scenarios are:

• Scenario 1: In-school classes resume (near normal with enhanced health measures)
• Scenario 2: In-school classes partially resume (with enhanced health measures and online supported learning)
• Scenario 3: At-home learning continues (in-school classes continue to be cancelled and online learning continues)

A final decision about how re-entry will look will be announced by Alberta Education on Aug 1, 2020.  Currently we are creating plans for all three scenarios and will be ready to implement our plans on any of these scenarios after the announcement on Aug 1.

Google Classrooms

Please note that as of the end of the day on June 29, 2020 teachers will be archiving their Google Classrooms.  Students will no longer be able to access or submit assignments, use Meet, or communicate with classmates and teachers on the stream. 

Appeals Day

Appeals day is June 29 from 8am-12noon. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s report card, teachers will be available via email during these hours.

Digital Report Cards

Report cards are now available digitally on your My CBE/PowerSchool account for viewing/printing. Please feel free to call the school or the MyCBE/PowerSchool helpline (403-817-6373) if you require assistance with accessing your child’s report card.

From everyone at Ken Taylor School, we wish you a safe and happy summer and look forward to seeing our students in the fall. To our students that are leaving us, all the best in your future educational endeavors. 

Take care everyone!

Todd Faunt.

Principal​ 

​Hello Parents,

We hope you are doing as well as can be expected in these challenging times.  Teachers continue to plan and deliver on-going learning for our students at home, but are missing the personal interactions that only can happen in a classroom.  If you are looking for additional tasks to do with your students, the following link:  https://www.cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/learning-at-home/Pages/k-6.aspx may have some ideas for parents.  This link was shared with all parents before spring break, but we included it here just in case you missed it. 

We are currently making plans for the 2020 -2021 school year.  It is important for us to know if your child will NOT be returning to Kenneth D. Taylor School in September.  Also, If your child is in grade 4, please let us know if they are NOT going on to Simon Fraser School next year. 

Please reply to this email and let us know where you will be transferring to for the 2020-2021 school year.

Thank you and stay healthy,​

Todd Faunt

​Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last week your child’s classroom teacher should have contacted you to check in and gather information to plan next steps in the delivery of learning activities at home.  This coming week you should be receiving some learning tasks that your child can complete at home.  Teachers will be providing your child with tasks that will focus on what is most essential in numeracy and literacy.  Assigned work will be limited to 5 hours of learning time per week. Google Classroom and Google Meet will be used to facilitate the delivery, communication and support with these assigned tasks.  A paper and pencil option is available for families that do not have access to on-line learning.  Teachers will be in contact with you regarding how your child can access these tools.   If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher by email.  Teachers will be on-line at home, checking emails during the scheduled hours that they have communicated to you.  They will endeavour to answer your questions, as soon they are able.  It is also important to continue to check your teacher’s classroom blogs on the school website.  Teachers will continue to use these blogs as a communication tool.  As you can imagine, this is a new way for our teachers to deliver instruction. We ask for your continued patience as we navigate this new way of teaching.  

Please know that we continue to miss seeing our students in person. We look forward to providing essential learning to our students at Kenneth D. Taylor. 

Take care and stay safe,

Todd Faunt

​Welcome to Kenneth D. Taylor School!  

We had a wonderful start to the year.  It was great to see many new families arrive at our school and returning families as well.  The first few days are always busy, but the students have settled into their classrooms very quickly and appear to be enjoying the first few days. 

Every year, schools in the Calgary Board of Education create school development plans.  The creation of the SDP will involve a systematic analysis of data and targeted actions to meet the needs of every student, with a particular focus on increasing achievement and reducing gaps for students who have been identified as not progressing as expected.  School development plans must include a literacy goal plus another Program of Study goal as well as a well-being for learning goal.