Dear RMS Parents and Guardians,

As we wrap up another school year, we are thankful for the growth, learning and accomplishments of this past year. Thank you to parents, guardians and families for allowing us to partner with you in helping your children as they learn and grow. We are grateful to be part of such a supportive and caring RMS school community. Our last day of school is Friday, June 26^th (regular noon dismissal), but the school will be open Monday and Tuesday of next week. The school is closed for the summer, starting July 1st.

We want to take time to express our gratitude for our supportive and dedicated RMS School Council members and want to give huge thank you to Shawna McLeish who has served as our School Council Chair for the past three years. We thank her for her work at RMS and wish her and her family all the best as they move to a new school community. We are incredibly grateful for the time and efforts of each of our elected School Council members, and for those parents who attended our monthly meetings, and those who participated in fundraising initiatives. Your contributions are truly appreciated and help make RMS an amazing school. We encourage all parents to consider attending even one meeting next year – it’s a great opportunity to connect with parents and have a voice in school decisions and opportunities.

June is often a month for goodbyes. While it can be difficult to say goodbye to students, families and staff members, we are happy for them as they embark on new opportunities and adventures. We are incredibly proud of our grade six students and will miss them tremendously. They have been caring individuals, positive role models for our younger students, and strong leaders in our school community! We hope grade seven is an amazing new adventure for them. To the families moving on to new schools or communities, we wish you all the best!

We will also be saying goodbye to some of our staff this year. Mrs. Friesen has accepted a new teaching position at Hugh A. Bennett School – she has been here for many years, taught and connected with many of your children and will be dearly missed by staff, students and families! Ms. Neha will be moving on to another school as well – her work on our lunchroom supervision team has helped keep our students safe and cared for inside and out. We are grateful to Ms. Polga and Mrs. Hunter who have been covering temporary contracts and are thankful for their work at RMS – they make it look easy, although we know it is not! We are grateful for each one of our teachers and support staff who teach and support students every day; their heartfelt efforts make RMS a warm and welcoming school community.

As we enter summer, we hope families have time to rest, recharge and reconnect with one another. Summer is a great opportunity for students to continue learning and building memories through reading, exploring, and playing with family and friends.

We look forward to welcoming all new and returning Students in the fall! Parents and guardians will get an email regarding their child’s teacher on August 26^th or 27^th, along with information on new staff joining the RMS Community.

Please note the following important dates:

• Monday, August 24^th 9:00am – School office re-opens
• Wednesday, August 26^th – Teachers return to school
• Monday, August 31^st – First Day of School Grades 1-6
• Monday, August 31^st – Staggered Entry for Kindergarten
• Tuesday, September 1^st – Staggered Entry for Kindergarten

Please note, the RMS office is closed for the summer, and emails will not be checked regularly. In case of an urgent or time-sensitive matter, please contact the CBE main office at 403-817-4000.

Thank you again for an amazing year! We hope you have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Terrie and Megan