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Upper Thames Elementary School, or UTES, is a JK-6 elementary school of approximately 615 students, their families, and a staff of about 70 adults.  We are home to students from the town of Mitchell and some of the surrounding rural areas within the Municipality of West Perth, including the former Logan, Hibbert, and Fullarton Townships.  Built in 1970, the original open-concept school combined 23 of 26 one and two-room schoolhouses and was named after the watershed in which the school resides.  Attached to our school is Perth Care for Kids Daycare Centre, which provides before and after-school childcare for many of our families.

 

We take pride in welcoming parent and community volunteers to our school and hosting local groups in our school.  We believe it “takes a village to raise a child” and we embrace our community warmly.

 

In the 2023-24 learning year, UTES is committed to continuing to grow as a learning environment that is accepting of all learners.  Students and staff work together collaboratively and cooperatively, building skills within our students to help them be successful in an ever-changing world.  Students learn to problem solve, become critical thinkers, and learn to communicate effectively with others in all that we do. At the heart of our school is a nurturing set of adults and children who look out for each other’s well-being.

 

In every classroom, we accept and celebrate the diverse gifts that each child brings to our learning environment.  Each of us feels a sense of belonging, has a social support network, and has an academic purpose.  In an equitable and inclusive classroom, we all get what we need, not necessarily the same thing, and we work together as learners, friends, and classmates.  Outdoors, we have a beautiful playspace with a brand new playground, a Nature Centre that is focused on play and learning, and many other play structures and sports fields.  We boast many extracurricular activities, including sports teams, robotics/coding clubs, arts-based clubs (e.g., musicals, festivals), and much more! We are also a fully accessible school, with an elevator, a chair lift ramp, and accessible washrooms.

 

UTES is a Social Thinking school.  This means that we use the language of what is expected/unexpected and encourage each other to use our voices appropriately to share our thoughts, feelings, and conduct problem-solving.  We use the Zones of Regulation to identify strategies to help us work through big emotions.  We proudly display our Peace Tree in the front foyer, as a symbol of our commitment to a peaceful school where everyone is valued and respected.

 

On behalf of all of our Tigers, I invite you to experience Upper Thames Elementary School!

Christina Van Poucke

Principal