As the first year of Eric Harvie School being open comes to a close, it is easy to shout
"IT'S BEEN AN EPIC YEAR!"
We have accomplished so many things, built some amazing relationships, played outstandingly well together, created, innovated, read, solved problems, cried a little and laughed a lot together. We are well launched and looking forward to a long history of success as one of the newest members of the Calgary Board of Education's portfolio of schools.
There are many people to thank - the School Council and the Eric Harvie School Enhancement Society most of all for the incredible support they have offered financially, with volunteering, with insight and advice and the highest level of grace and good humour as we have embarked on this journey together. It is hard to describe the dedication of the parents who give their time and energy completely without question to everything our school has attempted to do and I would like to thank and acknowledge their efforts from the bottom of my heart!
I would also like to thank all the teachers and support staff who joined our school for the most challenging work of all - creating a school. For a school is much more than a building - it is a culture of thinking, caring, teamwork and relationship that is grounded in the belief school is a place for students to not only learn the basics of knowledge but also citizenship and service to each other and the community. We came together as a group of individuals with widely varied life experiences and teaching backgrounds, and managed to become a cohesive unit whose primary focus is the advancement and achievement of children. From my perspective, there is no greater achievement than to serve student learning, and I am constantly in awe at the levels of commitment to children our staff bring to school each and every day - even in a first, most challenging year. We are not the same people who started this journey - we are stronger, more courageous and committed to student learning than we ever believed possible one short year ago. And we laugh more than any of us ever thought possible too!
There are so many appreciations to be expressed for the people who make up the Calgary Board of Education - from Joy Bowen-Eyre, our Chair and local Trustee, to David Stephenson, our Chief Superintendent and Brant Parker, our Area I Director - who have all contributed so much by way of support and encouragement to the opening of our new school - to all the many, many support folks in facilities, grounds, purchasing, finance, programming, curriculum and other areas who have ensured we were well supported at every turn. No school comes together without enormous 'behind the scenes' investments of energy, time and hard, hard work and we are so greatly appreciative of everyone who has contributed to opening and sustaining our building and allowing us to accomplish amazing learning with our students.
And we could never remember year one of EHS without sending enormous 'thank yous' and lots of love to the staff, students and parents of Tuscany School who not only housed us when we were essentially 'homeless' but also nurtured us, supported us with playground fundraising and other events, cheered for us as we made our way into the new building and have remained our staunch supporters and friends. Also a huge 'thank you' to Twelve Mile Coulee School and all the support we have received from their leadership students, Art Department, students and staff as we embark on new combined projects. Tuscany is a fortunate community to have such a strong connection between the schools that fosters relationships amongst children of all ages.
As the 2016-17 school year fades into memory, students and staff will go off on well-deserved holidays and vacations - each writing new stories even as the 'first year' story of Eric Harvie becomes part of our collective past. We need the rest, the down time and the luxury of forgetting days, timetables and commitments - it is in these lovely, lost moments we will rejuvenate and refresh and come back in September ready to create a whole new story together.
Thank you for your support, your kindness, your willingness to believe we would become an amazing place of learning from Day One. It has been a true pleasure opening Eric Harvie School as your principal and I wish you all long, warm, lazy summer days! I'll definitely be enjoying some of them myself :)
Lorraine Kinsman, Principal
