Good Morning CMAC Families
PAT season has officially begun. Today, students in grades 6 and 9 wrote PAT’s in math. PATs and final exams will continue all of next week. Please check into your child’s D2L and support them in preparing in the coming week. Please also help us remind them that with so many tests going on, we need to maintain an academic environment so that all of our students are able to show us the true extent of what they learned this year.
There is also a lot of excitement in the building. TLC students no longer need to wear uniforms for the remainder of the year. Classes are taking their learning outside. The end is in sight. Please ensure students are dressed for the weather and prepared for whatever each day might hold. Please also talk to your students and make sure they know not to bring their water guns to school. Any sort of gun, toy or otherwise, has no place in a school. All water guns will be confiscated, and will only be returned to a parent.
Upcoming Calendar and Events
Monday June 16 – Day 4 – No more uniforms! – Grade 6 and 9 PAT - ELA Part B
Tuesday June 17 – Day 1 – Grade 6 and 9 PAT – Math Part B
Wednesday June 18 – Day 2 – Grade 6 and 9 PAT – Social Studies
Thursday June 19 – Day 3 – Grade 9 PAT – Science – Grade 9 Farewell to Families
Friday June 20 – Day 3 Even
Monday June 23 – Day 4 – Grade 9’s to Prince’s Island Park
Tuesday June 24 – Day 1 – Grade 9’s to Calaway Park
Wednesday June 25 – Day 2 – Cougar Cup
Thursday June 26 – Last day of school, Friday Schedule –11:55 dismissal time
Friday June 27 – Non Instructional Day – Appeals (AM) – Have a wonderful summer!
Grade 9 Farewell
We look forward to welcoming our grade 9 families to the building this Thursday June 19, from 5:30 to 7:00. We will hold a ceremony in the main gym, then have time for tea, cake, and mingling in the courtyard and halls afterward.
Please remember that this is a family farewell, not a graduation. Students will come with their families, not alone with friends. They also should not be showing up in limos or ball gowns. No corsages, dates, pomp or circumstance. This is a chance for us all to connect one last time, chat, and say farewell. Students should dress nicely, but family function nice.
School Council
I want to thank our incredible parent volunteers who have contributed so much to our school this year. The time you have put in, both through school council, and other opportunities like field trips is so very much appreciated. I look forward to continuing to work with you all next year. For the coming year, we do still need some help on our parent council. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are willing to support our school in these ways.
- Co-chair
- Help with Fun Lunches next year – starts September, but help learning and preparing is available now.
- We will need to form a “Park Committee” to plan a new play structure/area for our kids. This is a multi-year process, so we need a big team to carry the work forward.
You do not need any experience we have an awesome team that will help you learn. If you can help, please contact me at srbecker@cbe.ab.ca or join us at our next online meeting.
Reconciliation Courtyard Project
Our reconciliation garden project is ongoing. If you would like to donate a plant, the following plants are what we are looking to prioritize. They are all available at "Spruce it up" off of Macleod Trail.
Note: any of the columbine flowers are a great addition as long as it's: red, blue, yellow or white.
- Songbird Blue Bird Columbine
- Music Yellow Columbine
- Winky Red and White Columbine
- Alpine Columbine
- Alpine Strawberry
All CMAC Library Books are Due!
Mrs. Slater would like to extend sincere gratitude to all students who have returned their books on time. Please check with your student to make sure all library resources have come back to the learning commons. Any materials that are still missing as of June 13 will be considered lost and billed to MyCBE accounts.
School library lending is now closed until September.
Popcorn!
We are selling popcorn as a fundraiser for our park! $2 gets a student a bag of popcorn, and a vote in our Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness about ALS and mental health at our Cougar Cup this year.
Next Year
We are planning for the fall, and the coming school year. Please, if you know your child/children will not be attending CMAC next year, email Mrs. Karen in the office at kaondrus@cbe.ab.ca and tell her your child’s name, grade, and where they will be attending school next year. If you have already done this, thank you, no need to do it again. If you have not, we really appreciate the heads up as it helps us plan.
CMAC Bottle Fundraiser
Are you doing some spring cleaning?? Well, Colonel Macleod School is still collecting bottles at two bottle depot locations.
- Sage Hill Bottle Depot, located at 70 Sage Hill Plaza NW,
- Happy Can Bottle Depot, located at 700 33st NE, Unit 12
Both will be collecting bottles for Colonel Macleod School. The collected bottles will go towards building a new playground. If you would like to donate your bottles to Colonel Macleod School at either bottle depot, all you have to do is ask for the bottles to put on the Colonel Macleod School account when dropping off. They will give you a receipt showing how much you donated.
Thank you for your support and please reach out if you have any questions.
Social Media and Technology Tips for Parents & Guardians
One of my incredible teachers bought me a book that explores the severe impacts of reliance on screens on our children: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haight. The video below begins to explore some key themes, but if you want to learn more the book looks excellent and is worth reading. As I start reading, I will be happy to connect with any parents who want to discuss what they learned!
Sports Teams
With the changing of the seasons, more classes will be engaging in learning outside. Please send students prepared: supportive shoes for physical activity, water bottles, hats and sunscreen can all go a long way toward making time spent learning outside an enjoyable experience for all.
Please review expectations for spectators at all sporting events.
- All students/youth in attendance at games must be accompanied by a supervising adult who can bring them home if they are unable to follow the rules. Children must not be left unsupervised while in the school.
- If students do not have an adult to supervise them, they will be directed to leave.
- Please do not take photos or videos of players if other youth may be in the frame. I understand the desire to capture and share your child’s experience, but it violates the privacy of the other players.
- If you attend games at other schools, you may be directed to keep your phone in your bag at all times, and not to enter/exit the building once you have arrived. If needed, we will implement these rules here too.
- All attendees should be positive and supportive: disrespectful behaviour to players, coaches, referees or other spectators will be addressed by admin.
- Failure to follow rules and support a positive experience for may result in your being directed to leave, and possibly being barred from attending future events
We have an incredible community of students and parents, and I don’t expect any of this to be an issue. Clear expectations help set us all up for success, and keep our focus where it belongs: on our incredible student atheletes. Thank you in advance for another incredible year of CMAC athletics!
In further athletics news:
Please have a look in your MyCBE account and pay any unpaid fees.
If students want to try out for a team, they MUST first return their Annual Authorization for Athletic Tryout form.
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 or find their way home 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.
Homework Hotel
Wednesdays at lunch, students in grades 7-9 can stay get extra help from teachers, or complete their homework in Room 4. Students in Grade 6 can attend Homework Hotel at lunch on Day 3 each week.
House Teams
Building from last year, homerooms have been split up into house teams. A huge thank you to Mrs. Fehr and Mrs. Dokimenko for the work they have put into this.
PURPLE- 5-1, 6-3, 7-6, 8-2, 8-4, 9-3
ORANGE- 5-3, 7-2, 7-3, 8-1, 8-6, 9-4
BLUE- 6-1, 7-4, 8-5, 9-1, 9-5, LEAD
GREEN- 5-2, 6-2, 7-1, 7-5, 8-3, 9-2
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
There is a new voucher process in place to pay for police security checks for volunteers, please connect with Karen Ondrus in the office to learn more
Fees
Please pay your fees! A little bit from each family really adds up, and we need that money to support your child’s education. Log in to MyCBE now and pay any outstanding fees. While you are there, please complete your student demographic form for the year. This is what allows us to quickly contact you in case of an emergency!
For families with low incomes, the CBE provides a fee waiver program. Please see the following link for details: CBE | Waivers
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.
Healthy Hunger
Note: All orders, changes or cancellations must be completed no later than 5 days prior to the lunch date. Don’t miss those deadlines!
Healthy Hunger is done for the year, and will continue in the 2025-26 school year. Thank you to the school council volunteers who make this possible!