Good Afternoon CMAC Families,
What a beautiful sunny week it has been! Hopefully you are all able to get outside and enjoy the warmth with your families this weekend. Next week it is getting cold again, so be sure to send your kids to school prepared for the lower temperatures.
Thank you to those who came out to school council this week, I love having the opportunity to connect with each of you. Our next meeting is in April, I will look forward to seeing many of you then.
Looking ahead into the spring, we are considering planning two events. First I would like to bring in a long-time colleague of mine, Dr. Allan Donsky, to spend some time with members of our parent community discussing mindfulness, belonging, and supporting students through their adolescent years. He is brilliant and I count him amongst my the most influential teachers and mentors I have had in my life. I will reach out to parents to gauge interest before booking this opportunity. Second, I would like to organize a CMAC Cultural Night. One evening, families would come to the school, set up booths, or even put on performances to share their cultures with other families and staff.
Families will also be welcome to attend and learn about the cultures of others. Again, I will reach out to the parent community to gauge interest, but I think this could be a great opportunity for us all to come together, build community, and learn from each other.
Some updates for staffing: Josh Overland, Allan Diewold and Dawson LaDuke will be staying on with us until the end of the year, excellent news for us. Also, beginning Monday we will have a teacher in to cover Ms. Swiatek’s classes until Spring Break. Ms. Lacey Brown has been with us these past two weeks in the office and is settling into her new role nicely. Our replacement bookkeeper is expected to start in early March.
Upcoming Calendar and Events
Monday February 26 – Day 3 – TLC Formal
Tuesday February 27 – Day 4 – TLC Informal – Designated Grade 9’s to Diefenbaker
Wednesday February 28 – Day 1 – TLC Informal, Pink Shirt Day
Thursday February 29 – Day 2 – TLC Informal
Friday March 1 – Day 1 Even – TLC Casual
Monday March 4 – Day 3 – TLC Formal
Tuesday March 5 – Day 4 – TLC Informal
Wednesday March 6 – Day 1 – TLC Informal
Thursday March 7 – Day 2 – TLC Informal
Friday February 23 – Day 1 Odd – TLC Casual
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/icecream, open pop, ice caps, etc), or energy drinks. Please support students in bringing healthier, less messy drink choices to school.
Sports Teams
Volleyball season is in full swing and our teams are doing great!
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.