Class Placements- 2025-26
April 21, 2025
Dear Caregivers,
In the coming weeks, Highbury School staff will be working collaboratively to create student groupings for next year. The placement of students is the responsibility of school administration in consultation with classroom teachers and specialists. At Highbury, classroom teachers, administration, student services staff and specialist teachers work in consultation with each other to create socially and academically appropriate class groupings. Many factors are taken into consideration to ensure the best placements for students. Some of the factors include:
- Learning and working styles
- Social dynamics and interactions among students
- Range of student abilities
- Gender (ratios)
- Family demographics (twins, cousins, etc.)
At Highbury, we try whenever possible to move up our students with their teacher in our blended classrooms. This, however, is not always possible. Sometimes our classroom groupings change from year to year due to staffing and we need to do some re-grouping of students. For example, when we have an additional classroom at a grade level, we need to populate that class from the current students. As will be the situation with grade 7/8 for 2025-26.
Our current plan for classroom groupings for 2025-2026 is as follows:
- 2 classes of Full-day Kindergarten
- 4 Grade 1/2 classes
- 4 Grade 3/4 classes
- 4 Grade 5/6 classes
- 5 Grade 7/8 classes
It is our professional responsibility to ensure balanced classes which maximize learning for all students at Highbury School. This is a complicated and multi-faceted task for our staff. Teachers have a wealth of collective knowledge regarding how individual children learn and socialize. While staff members have much of the information required to create balanced classes, parents may want to provide us specific input about the learning needs of their children. Helpful information may include learning and working styles, positive peer relationships, etc. While requests for specific teachers are not possible as it can limit our team decisions in the creation of balanced classes, parental information that contributes to the creation of balanced, inclusive classes will always be considered.
If you have information regarding your child that would be helpful to our team as we create balanced classes for the 2025 – 2026 school year, please email your written comments to the office, attention Karen Magnusson (karen.magnusson@lrsd.net) or Trichia Gannon (trichia.gannon@lrsd.net)
prior to May 2nd, 2025. Information will not be considered after this date as class placements will already be established. We thank you in advance for supporting our timeline and work.
Confirmation of class placement for 2025 – 2026 will be included with your child’s final report card which will be issued in June. Students may experience mixed feelings as they learn of class placements for the upcoming school year. Part of a new school year consists of making new friends and discoveries. We are seeking parental support in helping students understand the importance of class formations which are most conducive to learning and teaching. We also ask that parents/guardians honour all placements and trust the professional judgment of our staff in establishing the best possible learning environments for all students. Our experience leads us to believe that once children get over the initial ‘jitters’ about a new school year, they quickly make new friends and grow comfortably in their new class.
If you are aware that you child(ren) will not be returning to Highbury, September 2025, please complete and return the form below or email:
Again, we thank you for your understanding and support. Please call the school if you have any questions or concerns regarding class formation.
Sincerely,
K. Magnusson Trichia Gannon
Principal Vice-Principal
