Hello CMAC Families

What a great evening! I cannot believe the turnout. We cooked for over 800 people and had very little food left over when all was said and done. I absolutely loved seeing our students, their families, and our staff all come together in a more informal way to connect, chat, and get to know each other as people. Thank you all for turning up in record numbers and making this event an even bigger success. I think it is safe to say we will be planning the 3^rd annual Welcome Back BBQ next fall!

Upcoming Calendar and Events

Monday September 22 – Day 2

Tuesday September 23 – Day 1 – Coins for Cancer - $2 for TLC students to dress casual

Wednesday September 24 – Day 2 – TLC Informal Uniform

Thursday September 25 – Day 1 – TLC Informal Uniform – Coins for Cancer – Freezies for sale on the compound at lunch

Friday September 26 – Day 2 – TLC Casual – Orange Shirt Day – Wear your orange shirt for the assembly and activities!

Monday September 29 – Non Instructional Day – No School for Students

Tuesday September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School Closed

Wednesday October 1 – Day 2 – TLC Informal Uniform

Thursday October 2 – Day 1 – TLC Informal Uniform

Friday October 3 – Day 1 – 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 and have them use the crosswalk. 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 13^th 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 support them in following uniform requirements, including wearing black shoes. TLC is a program of choice, and following uniform expecations is a part of that choice. If you are unable to replace uniform pieces for retail price, there are a lot of items available of Facebook Marketplace now. If you still require support, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.
• Cafeteria:
• • The hot food cafeteria (Cougar Café) is temporarily on hold, menus, and information to come. Please do not send students with money for the school cafeteria just yet.
  • We are very pleased that The Breakfast Program has returned to CMAC This program is already running, with snacks available for students every morning at nutrition break.   
  • Microwaves and hot water are available in the Cafeteria over the lunch period. The grade 5 & 6 students will have approximately 15 minutes in the cafeteria .  This time goes quickly for the kids, keep lunches simple. 
  • 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.

Demographic Forms

Please complete your Demographic Verification Forms in MyCBE! This is an essential piece of startup paperwork that ensures we have the right contact information to get ahold of you in case of emergency. It is a responsibility of the school, and families, to ensure these are completed each year. The good news is that if nothing has changed for you, it is a quick process.

Park Donations

Thank you to those who were able to donate to our park replacement fund at the BBQ yesterday. In case you did not get a chance to do so, and would like to, the donation link for our school is below. Our park is slated for demolition, so we need to get into some serious fundraising now to replace it. We will be discussing the park at School Council Meetings if you would like to join us!

Donate Here: EducationMatters: Colonel Macleod School

Rock the Google!

Often, people leave Google reviews when they are upset. As such, I don’t tend to use them as a measure of broader opinions about our school. However, recently I had two parents who were new to our school express concern about what they had read in the Colonel Macleod Google Reviews. I understood where they were coming from, and have an idea.

In order to give prospective families a more complete picture of Colonel Macleod School, I would like to invite you to write a brief review that reflects your family’s experiences at Colonel Macleod School. I know we aren’t perfect, and we are always learning, but I don’t think the current reviews reflect the reality of what a great school this is, or the breadth of experiences our students and families have here.

School Council

Thank you to all who attended our most recent School Council Meeting. Thank you also for the funding that was approved for our Learning Commons, and Science, Social Students, and Band Programs! The next meeting will be the second Thursday in October. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Afternoon Pickup

Please note that we do not offer after school care. If students are staying for a team or club, under the direct supervision of a teacher, they are welcome after school. Students not in an organized activity need to have a way home promptly at the finish of the school day.

CMAC Gear Store

Want to buy some awesome Cougar gear for you kids? Browse and pay online here!

• Deadline is October 3, no exceptions!
• Put the student’s name on the order form, not the parent’s
• No refunds or exchanges

https://colonelmacleod-onlinestore2024.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Fundraising

Coins for Cancer

Over the coming weeks we will be collecting Coins for Cancer. I will be sending a leadership student around with a collection jar. Please collect coins from students up until October 3rd. The homeroom with the most collected wins Timbits and house points!

Casual Tuesdays

We have one more casual Tuesday this week! Bring a Twoony to raise funds for Cancer to participate.

Freezie Friday

Lastly, we will be selling freezies on Thursday September 25 on the compound https://schools.terryfox.ca/97728

Homework Hotel

Grade 7-9 Homework Hotel has started! Wednesdays at lunch in room 4. Students can join Mrs. Maher and Mrs. T for some extra help to buckle down, lock in, and rock their classes this year.

Teams

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.

Athletics

Cross country, Soccer and Basketball teams are all up and running. Please be sure to students are able to be picked up, or find their own way home, at the end of all games and practices. Coaching is a volunteer activity our teachers take on. Teaching all day, then coaching afterward already makes for a long, long day. No need to make it longer while they wait for our kiddos to get picked up.

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.

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. Students were so excited and had a great time. As an aside, if your child has significant struggles with high sensory environments and needs a space away from events like pep rallys, please connect with Mr. Scholpp acscholpp@cbe.ab.ca or send them by the office to chat.

PURPLE- 5-1, 6-1, 7-6, 8-4, 9-3 

ORANGE- 5-3, 6-3, 7-2, 7-4, 8-2, 9-1

BLUE- 6-2, 7-1, 8-3, 9-2, 9-5, LEAD

GREEN- 5-2, 6-2, 7-1, 7-5, 8-1, 9-2

Beginning of Year Assessments

In the coming weeks, we will assess students skills in reading, writing and mathematics. The purpose of these tests is to gain an understanding of where students’ skills are now, so we can support their continued growth. Please know these marks will not go on report cards and students do not need to study or prepare. This is just us, gathering information, so we can help each of our students learn.

Library Books

If your child is new to CMAC and has library books from another school, please return them to Mrs. Slater in our learning commons as soon as possible.  She will see that they are returned to their home locations and your student’s lending account is cleared of overdue items.

We should be able to begin lending books at the end of next week. If a student has a book that is more than 3 weeks overdue, we will deactivate their CBE account and they will lose access to technology while at school. We will support them in accessing it if there in an unavoidable need for particular class periods. Please support your children in keeping track of and returning their library books on time so we can maintain the excellent collection Mrs. Slater has built for the school.

Volunteers

We need your help! Our teachers are doing a great job organizing exciting field trip opportunities for your kids. Please, if you are able to volunteer, complete the new volunteer process (link below) so we can keep offering these experiences for our students. Get Involved | Volunteer

Fees

For families with low incomes, the CBE provides a fee waiver program. Please see the following link for details: Fees and 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.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, thanks for reading to the end ;)

Stephen Becker,

Your Principal, Colonel Macleod School