Weekly Update: February 10 - 14

Happy Sunday, Grizzly families! 

We were “old school” at Annie Gale all week!  Last weekend we had a power surge which made our public address (PA) and bell system inoperable.  We had to quickly find ways to work through this and had some “old school” solutions—Mr. Barisow and I rang a hand bell at every class change and we had a few teachers with speakers playing music in the hallways as our telltale sign to move students along to class.  There may have even been some singing by a staff member or two—if that didn’t make students walk to class faster, then nothing could!  We are waiting for a piece of equipment for this repair, so we will not have bells or PA capabilities this week as well. 

What a cold week we had!  This week we opened up more areas for students to gather and stay busy at lunch because of the extreme temperatures outside.  We thank you for supporting your child by sending them to school in warm clothing.  We noted that some students were underdressed, however, which is a safety concern.  Some students had bare legs and some chose not to wear coats, gloves, or hats.  Please ensure that your child is dressed for the weather.  We have a few winter coats available; if your child is in need, please call our office and we may be able to help. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  Last week I started a focus on healthy lunches.  I thought that I could continue by talking about sugary drinks, something we see a lot of when students return from their visit to nearby stores at the end of lunch.  Teens may not admit it, but they look to their parents to help guide their choices and behaviour. Help your teen replace sugary drinks with water.   

Benefits of decreasing your teen’s intake of sugary drinks 

Parental influence can play a major role in decreasing teens’ intake of sugary drinks. Reducing your teen’s intake of sugary drinks may lead to a decreased risk of: 

  • obesity 
  • tooth decay 
  • type 2 diabetes 

Teens are some of the highest consumers of sugary drinks. Sugary drinks are a major source of sugars in the diets of pre-teens and teens. Teens consume most of their sugary drinks at home in the afternoons and evenings.  Soft drinks are the most popular drink among teens. Other sugary drinks include: 

  • iced tea 
  • fruit juice 
  • sports drinks 
  • energy drinks 
  • hot chocolate 
  • chocolate milk 
  • specialty coffee and teas 
  • flavoured waters with added sugars 
  • fruit-flavoured drinks like fruit punch 
  • sweetened plant-based beverages 

How to help lower your teen’s intake of sugary drinks 

Teens are still developing healthy habits. You can help your teen develop healthy habits by: 

  • reducing the number of sugary drinks available at home 
  • encouraging them to make healthy drink choices when they are away from home 

Take some time to explain to your teen that some drinks have a lot of sugars and should not be consumed every day. Make it easier for them to choose healthy beverages. Try to: 

  • offer water or carbonated water with meals and snacks 
  • as a family, brainstorm ways to flavour water with fruits and herbs 

Retrieved on February 7, from:  https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/make-water-your-drink-of-choice/sugary-drinks/sugary-drinks-and-your-teen/ 

Did you know? 

  • REPEAT:  Do you want to find other ways to connect your child’s learning to what’s being taught in school?  Our COURAGE model is one way you can do that—we use the student-created COURAGE model in our Grizzly Den on Fridays and when we focus on character education with our students.  The COURAGE model uses these words:  CARING, OPTIMISTIC, UNIQUE, RESPONSIBLE, ACCEPTING, GRATEFUL, and EXCELLENT.  When it comes to excellence, we believe that it’s not about being the best, but about doing our best. 
  • REPEAT:  Did you know that we have many lunchtime clubs running each day?  Drop in visits by students are perfectly acceptable; weekly attendance is not required.  In other words, if a student has never gone to a club before, they are welcome to stop by and see what it is all about.  During lunch time our hallways are open as are the Library/Learning Commons and lunchroom. This is especially important on cold weather days.  We declare a “blue day” when the temperature, including wind chill, is below –20 degrees Celsius, and we open more classrooms as well.  We want students to have a safe, welcoming place to be any day, and that includes blue days. 
  • REPEAT:  Teachers’ Convention and Family Day are rapidly approaching.  THERE IS NO SCHOOL on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, February 13, 14, and 17.  The office will be closed on these dates as well. 
  • REPEAT:  We have added more dates to Fun Lunches.  Log in to healthyhunger.ca to participate.   
  • REPEAT:  Our next school council is Wednesday, February 18, at 6:00 p.m.  At this meeting I will be presenting information on school fees and our school development plan.  The presentation includes a follow up survey for parents and guardians so that you can share your opinions.   
  • REPEAT:  March’s School Council Meeting is Wednesday, March 19.    
  • REPEAT:  Parents and Guardians of Grade 9 students should be aware that students need to register for the school that they are designated to.  CBE high schools are continuing to experience enrolment growth and consequently, many schools have limited or closed status for transfers for the 2025-26 school year.   
  • The CBE’s priorities are to manage this growth equitably and ensure that schools have enough spaces for students who live in the communities designated to our schools. This means schools identified as being open or limited must consider school capacity and enrolment in programs or courses for students designated to attend a high school, before we can accept transfers from out-of-attendance students. 
  • CBE schools identified as open or limited will only be able to accept transfers for the 2025-26 school year once they ensure space exists for out-of-attendance students.   
  • Students interested in academic credentialed learning, such as the International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP), will be able to request this at their designated high school that offers these options.  
  • There are five (5) IB Programme schools in the CBE. Students who are not designated to one of these schools for the regular program will be required to submit a transfer for the IB-designated school in their Area. After March 15, the IB Programme school will determine how many spaces are available for students requiring a transfer and communicate acceptance to families by April 11. 

WEEKLY EVENTS:  FEBRUARY 10 TO FEBRUARY 14 

Monday, February 10  

  • 2:40 – 3:30 | SWAT Meeting 
  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice  

Tuesday, February 11 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Boys AND Junior Boys Combined Volleyball Practice 
  • 4:15 – 5:15 | Junior Girls Volleyball Game vs. Prairie Sky @ Annie Gale School 
  • 5:15 – 6:15 | Senior Girls Volleyball Game vs. Prairie Sky @ Annie Gale School 

Wednesday, February 12 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 4:15 – 5:15 | Senior Boys Volleyball Game vs. Prairie Sky @ Prairie Sky School 
  • 5:15 – 6:15 | Junior Boys Volleyball Game vs. Prairie Sky @ Prairie Sky School 

Thursday, February 13 – NO SCHOOL – TEACHERS' CONVENTION 

Friday, February 14 – NO SCHOOL – TEACHERS' CONVENTION 

Monday, February 17 – NO SCHOOL – FAMILY DAY 

Sincerely, 

Tammy Quiring 

(proud) Principal