Good Afternoon CMAC Families,
We had a great first week back after spring break. Volleyball is wrapped up and planning for their year end party. Badminton tryouts have been happening this week. Grade 6’s are gearing up for camp, and we have welcomed some new teachers to our school community!
Mrs. Klaver will be covering Mr. O’Connor’s classes for the months of April and May. Mrs. Marshall and Mr. Craig will be covering Mrs. Renee and Mr Scholpp’s classes for the remainder of the year to free them up to provide resource support for our school community. We are finalizing plans to cover Mr. Overland and Mrs. Villadsen’s classes and will be sure to keep you informed. I am very excited to welcome all of our new teachers to Colonel Macleod. They are all excellent additions to our staff, and bring some great strengths to the building.
On Monday, a rare event will be taking place: a partial solar eclipse! The CBE has sent out communication asking us to modify our day to make it easier to keep students’ eyes safe. Students in grades 5 and 6 will be kept inside for lunch. Students in grades 7-9 will be offered space to eat inside as well. All classes will review the dangers of eclipses first thing Monday morning, and the eye damage that can result if we look at the sun.
Blinds will be closed during the height of the eclipse.
On Monday, we will also have class pictures. Please encourage your children to dress their best.
Upcoming Calendar and Events
Monday April 8 – Day 2 – TLC Formal – Picture Day and Solar Eclipse
Tuesday April 9 – Day 3 - TLC Informal
Wednesday April 10 – Day 4 – TLC Informal
Thursday April 11 – Day 1 – TLC Informal
Friday April 12 – Day 3 Even – TLC Casual
Monday April 15 – Day 2 – TLC Formal – Grade 6 classes to Outdoor School!
Tuesday April 16 – Day 3 - TLC Informal
Wednesday April 17 – Day 4 – TLC Informal
Thursday April 18 – Day 1 – TLC Informal – Grade 6’s return from Outdoor School!
Friday April 19 – No School for Students
Housekeeping
- Morning Drop Offs – If you drive your child to school, please drop them off on the far (west) side of the street. Do not drive into the staff parking lot, as this creates a hazard for kids getting off the bus. Also do not park on the East (school) side of the street as that interferes with bus drop off. An excellent alternate, low traffic, dropoff spot is the rec centre parking lot across the field. Just enter on 13th avenue and drive to our field and you can avoid the busyness at the front of the school.
- TLC Uniforms: If your child is in the TLC program, please remind them of the uniform requirements, including wearing black shoes. We are working to ensure all TLC students are following uniform standards each and every day. Please support us in this. If you need replacement uniform pieces, and cost is a barrier, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
- Cold Weather: As we sometimes don’t know when the temperature will drop, please help your children dress for the weather. This includes a warm jacket, warm hat, and gloves. Our relaxed entry begins at 7:45. Class activities, and lunch time, often find our students outside, and it is important that they are able to stay warm. Fresh air is good for us all, we just need to dress for it.
- Lunch: Please, if you send your child with a meal that requires cutlery (fork, spoon), also send them with the required cutlery. We don’t not have cutlery to provide them with.
- Messy, sticky drinks - we don’t allow messy sticky drinks in the school (think slurpees, milkshakes/ice cream, open pop, ice caps, etc), or energy drinks. Please support students in bringing healthier, less messy drink choices to school
Engagement
I recently sent out two engagement surveys. The first one is about our School Development Plan and Fees, and closed on March 31. Thank you for your feedback, it will help us plan for the coming year. The second one is to help us plan some family nights at CMAC, and closes on April 9. Your feedback will help us make plans for this spring.
Casino – Volunteers Needed!
I recently send a school messenger about our upcoming school casino fundraiser. I can’t say enough how important it is that we fill all volunteer spots. The signup hyperlink is below, and I have included a copy of the casino letter in the WAAG email. A big thank you to all who are able to support the school in this way.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4DAFAE2DABFA7-colonel1
Cougar Café Grand Reopening!
For those who don’t know her, Christine Goett has been here at CMAC, striving to bring excellent lunch experiences to our kids for a very long time. She and her amazing team organize snack bins for everyone and free lunches for those who need it. They work to keep kids’ lunch experiences exciting, and fill the bellies of our kids. Christine ran a hot food cafeteria for years until it was cut. This year we were thrilled to be offered an opportunity to bring hot lunches back into our cafeteria. While free snacks and bag lunches will still be available, The Cougar Café is once again offering affordable nutritious meals to kid. This is a big moment for our lunch room team, and I just want to express my deepest appreciation for all of their hard work!
Sports Teams
Badminton Tryouts, first round happened this week. Second round will continue next week, students will be informed if they make the cut.
Bring your own racquet (if available) and be changed.
If students wish to attend sporting events as a spectator, they need to come with a parent. This helps our coaches to keep their focus on the athletes who are competing. If your child is playing on a sports team, or volunteering, please pick them up right at the end of their games and practices. Our teachers generously volunteer their time, and like the kids, are tired by the end of the day. If students cannot be picked up on time, they will not be allowed to participate.
To participate in games and practices, students must be present for the duration of the school day, as per Calgary Middle Level Schools Amateur Athletics rules. They must
also represent themselves as positive members of the school community, as per the standards set by our school for students in leadership roles.
Volunteers
We need your help! Our teachers are doing a great job organizing exciting field trip opportunities for your kids. With the new volunteer clearance process, we are running short on volunteers. Please, if you are able to volunteer, complete the new volunteer process (link below) so we can keep offering these experiences for our students. https://www.cbe.ab.ca/get-involved/volunteer/Pages/volunteer.aspx
Fees
For families with low incomes, the CBE provides a fee waiver program. Please see the following link for details: https://cbe.ab.ca/registration/fees-and- waivers/Pages/Waivers.aspx
If there is a field trip or other learning opportunity with a fee, and this fee will prevent your child from participating, please connect with the principal. No child should miss a learning opportunity offered to their class due to financial reasons.