Good Afternoon CMAC Families,
It has been another great week at Colonel Macleod. Students are gearing up for Orange Shirt Day, and our Welcome Back BBQ (more info to come next week) on Thursday next week. We are also getting ready for our annual Terry Fox Run on October 4.
Soccer, Basketball and Cross Country are all up and running.
We have also had our first firedrill and Lockdown for the year. I can’t say enough how proud our students, your children, make me. Their ability to work together to achieve a common goal (in this case, our shared safety) is incredible. All around, it has been a great start to the year, and I know we have more good things to come.
Upcoming Calendar and Events
Monday September 23 – Day 1 – TLC Formal Uniform
Tuesday September 24 – Day 2 – TLC Informal Uniform – Toonies for Terry
Wednesday September 25 – Day 3 – TLC Informal Uniform
Thursday September 26 – Day 4 – TLC Informal Uniform – Orange Shirt Day, and Welcome Back BBQ
Friday September 27 – PD Day – No School for Students
Monday September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School is Closed Tuesday October 1 – Day 1 – TLC Informal
Wednesday October 2 – Day 2 – TLC Informal
Thursday October 3 – Day 3 – TLC Informal
Friday October 4 – Day 3 Odd - Modified Schedule for Terry Fox Run
Housekeeping
- Morning Drop Offs – If you drive your child to school, please drop them off and pick them up 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/on 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 busy- ness 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:
o 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, please keep lunches simple.
o 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.
School Council Positions
School Council is an essential element of our school community, and its success rests on the generous donation of time from our families. We are in need of two more members for our executive this year. We are in need of a Secretary as soon as possible, and we also need someone to start organizing our next casino, scheduled for September of 2025. We have a wonderful, welcoming council; if you sign up, you will be supported. Please, if you are able, join us and help keep our amazing School Council going!
Meet the Teacher BBQ
We are so excited for our first ever Meet the Teacher BBQ. The form is now closed, and we have confirmed over 1100 attendees!!! We are so looking forward to welcoming everyone into our school next Thursday. We are shifting to a “drop in” evening. Families will be welcomed between 5:30 and 7:30, and can come and go as they please.
Parking will be at a premium, I highly recommend parking in the arena/Renfrew aquatic centre parking lot across the field.
Homework Hotel
Wednesdays after school, students in grades 7-9 can stay from 2:30-4:00 to get extra help from teachers, or even just have a quiet space to complete their homework.
Students in Grade 6 can attend Homework Hotel at lunch on Day 3 each week.
Please, if your child is staying after school, ensure they have a ride home, ready to go by 4:00 pm.
CMAC Swag
If you would like to buy Colonel Macleod athletic gear, the deadline for all purchases is September 26. Get in there, have a look, and get your kiddo some CMAC swag!
Student store: https://colonelmacleod-onlinestore2024.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
Toonies for Terrie
The next Two Tuesdays, we will be raising money for our upcoming Terry Fox Run through our Toonies for Terry fundraiser. Students are invited to bring a Toonie on these days. By bringing in a toonie, students will earn points for their house teams. For TLC students there is an extra incentive: bringing a toonie means they get a day off from wearing their uniform and can dress casual instead!
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. Ask they what they have learned about their teachers through our new teacher trivia!
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
Sports 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 Atheltic Tryout form Included in my email).
Soccer and basketball tryouts have come and gone very fast, and Cross Country season is well underway! Teams are set, up and running, and off to a great start. I am thrilled that this year we were able to offer both junior and senior teams for boys and girls basketball. The credit goes to our generous teachers who volunteer their time to give our kiddos these amazing opportunities to shine!
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
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
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.
Healthy Hunger
Healthy Hunger is BACK! Healthy Hunger is a fundraising lunch program where every lunch purchased helps raise money for the school to enhance and enrich the learning environment of the students. Register your child at: www.healthyhunger.ca
Place all orders at once OR at multiple times throughout the year. Currently we have dates for September-December. More dates will be added later in the year for 2025.
Note: All orders, changes or cancellations must be completed no later than 5 days prior to the lunch date. Don’t miss those deadlines!
Sep. 26 - Via Cibo (order deadline Sep. 21)
Oct. 10 - Mary Browns (order deadline Oct. 5 )
Oct. 24 - Banzai (order deadline Oct. 19)
Nov. 4 - Coco Brooks (order deadline Oct. 30)
Nov. 21 - Subway (order deadline Nov. 16)
Dec. 5 - Taco Time (order deadline Nov. 30)
Stayed tuned for January - June