Dear Evergreen Families,

Our kindergarten students delighted families at the Spring Concert with a colourful and musical performance inspired by Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle. The children confidently took turns reciting lines about bright animals and colours, bringing the beloved story to life on stage. The concert also featured cheerful songs including “Mr. Sun,” by Raffi and a heartwarming finale with “Skinamarink,” by Sharon, Lois & Bram. One of the sweetest moments came at the end, when the children proudly shared that they could see “my family smiling at me!”

The grade 3 students delivered a powerful and inspiring Spring Concert performance based on the mentor text Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds. Through thoughtful narration, music, and creative performances, students shared an important message about using their voices to make a difference in the world. The concert featured energetic and meaningful musical numbers including “The Wellerman,” by Nathan Evans “Hall of Fame,” by will.i.am, and “I’m Still Standing,” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin along with a memorable blacklight performance of “Zoo.”

Throughout the concert, students encouraged kindness, courage, creativity, and confidence, reminding everyone that every voice matters and that working together makes us stronger.

The grade 4 students lit up the stage with their creative and meaningful performance, Collecting Words, Creating Light. Inspired by the mentor text The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds, which shares the story of Jerome, a boy who collects words. Grade 4 students explored the power of language to inspire, heal, and bring people together. Through expressive narration, music, and movement, they reminded the audience that the words we choose truly matter.

Their performance featured energetic musical numbers including “Crazy Train,” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Wipe Out,” by The Surfaris, “Dynamite,” by Taio Cruz; and “Happy,” by Pharrell Williams. Our students confidently shared messages about kindness, creativity, and the importance of using words to brighten the world around us.

The grade 5 students delivered a powerful and creative production exploring how words can inspire, heal, and bring people together. Through expressive storytelling, music, and performance, students shared the message that the words we choose have the power to make a lasting impact on others and on the world around us.

Their concert featured an exciting variety of musical numbers including “Somebody That I Used to Know,” written by Gotye and Luiz Bonfá, “Just Dre,” inspired by Dr. Dre, “Star Wars,” composed by John Williams and “Firework,” by Katy Perry, each helping bring Jerome’s journey as a word collector to life. Students confidently showcased their talents while emphasizing themes of courage, kindness, creativity, and self-expression. Memorable lines such as “You matter,” “Thank you,” and “Choose words that shine” left a meaningful impression.

A special thank you goes out to our kindergarten, grade 3, 4 and 5 teams for their support during rehearsals and for helping create the beautiful artwork and shadow show elements that made the performances so memorable. Thank you to our music specialist, Ms. Sousa, for her time and energy connecting the performances to our theme this year “Every word tells a story” and our school development plan on linguistic vocabulary as well as working with our young musicians, vocalists and actors so that they were performance ready. Thank you as well to all the families who joined us to celebrate the hard work, talent, and creativity of our Evergreen students!

UPDATES AND INFORMATION

Class Lists: Creating class lists for a new school year is a thoughtful, collaborative, and highly intentional process. Our teachers carefully consider a wide range of factors to create balanced learning environments where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. While it is not possible to accommodate every preference or request, significant time and professional judgment are devoted to building classes that best support the needs of all learners.

We begin this process by reflecting on each student’s learning profile, social development, and overall well-being. Current classroom teachers provide valuable insight into how students learn best, the types of supports they may require, and the classroom environments in which they are most successful. This information helps ensure that each class is composed in a way that promotes positive learning experiences and strong peer relationships. Teachers consider how students work together, how they contribute to classroom dynamics, and what combinations of learners will foster productive and inclusive learning environments.

This week teachers will be inviting student-voice into this process by asking them to identify 3 positive “learning partners” that they would like to be in class with next year. Emphasis will be on choosing learning partners that help make learning better for both students working together.

School Council Meeting: School Council is an opportunity for all parents of the school and school staff who work together to support the school, share ideas, and help make decisions that strengthen the learning community. It’s a friendly, welcoming way for all families to stay informed, get involved, and have a voice in their child’s school experience. Our final School Council Meeting is this Wednesday, May 13^th in the Learning Commons. We hope to see you all there!

Parent Advisory Council Meeting: Our PAC AGM is at 5:30pm on Wednesday, May 13th – everyone is welcome to attend. Separate from School Council, our Parent Advisory Council is a volunteer fundraising group that supports the amazing residencies and enhanced learning opportunities that students at Evergreen benefit from throughout the year keeping costs low for families.

Mother’s Day: To all the amazing moms, guardians, and caregivers in our Evergreen School Community - thank you! Your care, encouragement, and everyday efforts make a world of difference in the lives of your children and in the life of our school.

From early morning routines to late-night check-ins, you are your child’s biggest cheerleader, and we see the impact of your love and support every day. We hope this Mother’s Day brings you a little time to relax, feel appreciated, and know just how much you matter.

Wishing you a joyful and love-filled day - you’ve earned it!

Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!