Weekly Update: April 13 to April 17
Happy Sunday, Grizzly Families!
The start of April has come and gone, though its significance isn’t lost on students and teachers. We all know that there in three months, this school year will end. Grade 6 and Grade 9 students and their teachers may be thinking about Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Read on for the Connecting Home and School section below, as I will share some conversation starters with you.
This week we will be practicing our last lockdown drill of the year, supported by Calgary Police Services. I’ve added a note about this for parents and guardians in the “Did you know?” section below.
Ask your child about what took place in Grizzly Den on Friday. We started a school-wide activity called Den Defense. This two-month activity includes a variety of challenges and will introduce a “house” system to Annie Gale, in which different homerooms will be joined in a house. The houses are: River, Forest, Mountain, Lake, and Plains, and they represent the territories in which grizzly bears have lived. Den Defense will reinforce community within and between homerooms, risk-taking and collaboration within a community, the development of a greater sense of belonging, the evolution of Grizzly Den, and help students practice CARING, ACCEPTANCE, and RESPONSBILITY, components of our COURAGE model. The first challenge starts tomorrow; stay tuned for more updates.
CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL: Conversations about Ending the School Year
We encourage our families to talk about the school year ending well with their children. A check-in may be appropriate with questions such as:
- When you think about your school year, what are you happy/thankful about?
- What are your successes? How can you continue your successes in the last few months of school?
- What are the areas that need attention or some changes? What might you do differently to bring about those changes? If you need support for those changes, who can help?
Listen carefully to what your child says and continue to ask questions about their plans and ideas. Note that their answers may not always be about learning. Sometimes their thoughts may be on friendships or athletics rather than their classwork. Though parents have much more life experience than their children, kids have a lot to say. Give them a chance to share their ideas before rushing in with solutions. Asking “What do you think?” and “Do you want me to share some ideas after you share yours?” shows them that you believe they have it in them to solve some of their problems. Checking in later with, “Tell me how it went with ...” also shows your continued interest. Above all, have fun with these conversations.
DID YOU KNOW?
NEW: We put our outside bell on continuous ring during a lockdown drill or a lockdown. This continuous bell is a signal to all NOT to enter, as we are having a lockdown drill or are in a lockdown.
NEW: TLC uniform purchasing window for the spring will open on April 15th and will end on May 31st. We remind families that uniforms must be in good condition and a suitable size. Many of our students have grown and they need new uniform pieces. For more information about purchasing uniform pieces now, over the summer, or for the remainder of this calendar year, click here.
NEW: Save on Student Study Guides & Digital Resources
We are excited to share a special offer for educational resources through a new partnership between EducationMatters and Castle Rock Research. You can purchase valuable study materials at a significant discount and help raise funds for EducationMatters.
This is a great opportunity to get supplementary resources to support your student’s learning this school year, especially in preparation for diplomas and final exams.
How to Order:
- Visit CBE’s unique online portal: CBE Site Sale — Castle Rock Research
- Select our school’s specific ordering page.
- Place your order and pay directly online.
All print materials will be delivered to the school and distributed to students.
NEW: The last word of the week for Word Wednesday was “implicit”. Ask your child to use the word implicit in a variety of ways and see how you can as well.
REPEAT: Our next School Council meeting will be on Wednesday, April 22, at 6:00 p.m.
REPEAT: The next Fun Lunch is Wednesday, April 29.
WEEKLY EVENTS – APRIL 13 TO APRIL 17
Monday, April13 - TLC students in formal uniforms (no golf shirts)
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Grade 9 Badminton Practice
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Grade 6 Badminton Practice
Tuesday, April 14
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Grade 8 Badminton Practice
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Grade 7 Badminton Practice
Wednesday, April 15
- 9:15 – 10:00 | Lockdown Drill
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Grade 6 Badminton Practice
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Grade 9 Badminton Practice
Thursday, April 16
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Grade 7 Badminton Practice
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Grade 8 Badminton Practice
- Friday, April 17 - RED Day
Sincerely,
Tammy Quiring
(Proud) Principal
A MESSAGE FROM SCHOOL COUNCIL
Hello Annie Gale Parents,
It’s almost that time again when the school year will be coming to an end, and we will be having elections for the executive positions on our school council and fundraising society PESA (PARENTS ENCOURAGING SUCCESS ASSOCIATION) at our AGM (Annual General Meeting) in June. All positions are available to be filled for the school year of September 2026 to June 2027. The description of all the roles is provided below, so if this is something that interests you, please send us an email at anniegalepesa@gmail.com or ruminakhan80@yahoo.ca or come join us at our next meeting. Please send us your request before May 8th, 2026, so we can plan accordingly for multiple candidates interested in the same position.
Chair: It is expected that the school council chairperson will be a parent of a student attending the school. They will chair all meetings of the school council and coordinate with the principal to establish meeting agendas. The chair will also be the official spokesperson of the school council, ensuring regular communication with the whole school community and making sure that the operating procedures are current and followed. They must prepare an annual report that summarizes the school council’s activities for the previous school year, including a financial statement relating to money, if any, handled by the school council.
Vice-Chair: On some school councils, the role of chair is shared, either through the creation of co-chairing positions or through the chair’s dependence on the vice-chair to undertake part of the work. Typically, the vice-chair's duties are, in the event of resignation, incapacity or leave of absence of the chair, to fulfill the chair’s responsibilities, and in the absence of the chair, supervise the affairs and preside at meetings of the school council.
Secretary: The school council secretary typically acts as a recorder at each meeting and ensures that the minutes are prepared to accurately reflect the directions and decisions agreed to at the meeting.
Treasurer: If the school council is handling money, through fundraising activities or donations, the treasurer keeps accurate records of all financial transactions and ensures that records are available upon request of the school board or school community.
Thank you,
Rumina Cruz
Chair (School Council/ PESA)
Annie Gale School