Weekly Update: February 16 to February 20

Happy Family Day, Grizzly Families! 

If someone spent any time in our foyer during instructional time last week, they would have heard a lot of loud music coming from our gym.  Had that person stepped into the gym, they would have seen students participating in their PE dance unit and following along with our guest dance instructors, who focused on Bhangra.  This short, three-day unit was sponsored by our School Council, who used fundraising dollars to pay for this learning opportunity for our students.  Frankly, our student engagement in Bhangra is wonderful to see.  In fact, we see very high levels of participation in this unit.   

I had a conversation with a parent about the discomfort that the dance unit often brings to students.  We talked about supporting children through that discomfort—too often nowadays parents overlook the importance of students working through discomfort.  Facing it and getting through it are important aspects of learning and life, so we thank our parents for reminding their children that they can and will face uncomfortable situations in school and in life.  Asking your children how they plan to face the challenge and then reminding them that they can use the same skills for the next obstacle they face is a great way to support your adolescent child.   

The weather forecast is for extreme winter conditions to return this week.  Please ensure that you allow for enough time for your child to safely arrive at school and that they are dressed for the elements. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  Bullying and Conflict with Peers  

Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing information on bullying and conflict with peers.  I thought it would be important to note that much of the conflict with peers happens online and/or through social media.  The Continuum of Behaviours (below) was provided last week as well, and I’m including it again today to make reference to some issues we see at school. 

Continuum of Behaviours  

Believe me, schools would prefer not to be involved when it comes to things that students do online.  After all, this typically happens after school hours or on weekends, usually in the family home, well away from the school.  The Education Act states that schools may be involved when those online activities affect the safety of students in the school.   

What we see often is that the online forum can provide opportunities for false or anonymous accounts—and this is difficult for schools to investigate.  We also see comments that are mean and aggressive, and we sometimes see bullying online as well (see continuum above).  Some of these comments would never be spoken aloud by students to another student’s face, but with a keyboard in front of them, they are more likely to be written.  I have worked with many families who are shocked when they learn what their child is up to online, using the phone or computer supplied by the family.  At Teachers’ Convention last week, I attended several sessions related to conflict between students and the use of AI in negative ways.  These sessions made me reflect on something I’ve discussed with parents often.  I have often heard parents say, “I wish I had held off on providing a phone or unsupervised use of a device for a lot longer.”  I have NEVER heard parents say, “I wish I had given my child a phone or unsupervised use of a device sooner.”   

Paul Davis’ presentation in September asked parents to wait until the age of 14 before giving their child access to phones or unsupervised Internet use.  Australia is having children wait until they are 16.  Research clearly shows that social media is a negative force on the well-being of youth.  Schools can only do so much when it comes to teaching students about how to stay safe on the net (as we did in the last two Grizzly Dens).  What’s sad is that the damage is often done before schools learn about it, and we are left trying to work with families to pick up the pieces.  I can’t be clearer when I ask parents to monitor their child’s use of digital devices and if possible, to hold off on providing them access.  In fact, each year when I meet new parents in September, I boldly say, “Your child does not need a phone to support their learning, even though they might tell you they do.” 

I don’t want to end this section without providing some resources, so here are a few: 

• mediasmarts.ca 
• commonsense.org 
• cybertip.ca 

DID YOU KNOW?  

NEW:  Our annual Grizzly Growler Volleyball Tournament is quickly approaching! The tournament runs from 12:30 pm - 8:30 pm Friday, March 6 and then 9:00 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday, March 7. This tournament is a great opportunity for our school to build a sense of community and belonging. There is already a lot of excitement through the school in anticipation of the tournament.  

We have received a lot of community support and donations from local businesses, but we are still in need of additional support to run the two-day tournament. We will be looking for volunteers to help supervise the raffle table, concession stand, team and coaches’ rooms.  

If anyone can support, please contact Mr. Ellice at ccellice@cbe.ab.ca and let him know what days and times you are able to donate some time.  

In addition, if you wish to contribute to the tournament and our students in other ways, please feel free to contact Mr. Ellice.  

Thank you for your support and helping us host a great event! 

REPEAT:  Though Annie Gale is a public school, it is not open to the public.  Our campus is closed to visitors throughout the day.  Anyone coming to the school MUST check in at the office.  Furthermore, we always try our best to support parents and guardians who come to the school needing support; however, the admin team has an increased workload because of our upcoming modernization, which limits our availability.  As a result, we are often not able to provide support to families who come to the school without an appointment, especially if parents/guardians want to speak with an administrator.   Please call the school to make an appointment so that we can set aside time to talk with you.  If it is an emergency, let the office staff know so that we can respond accordingly.  Thank you for your understanding. 

CORRECTION:  February 27 is a non-instruction day.  There will be no school for students on that day.  

REPEAT:  Golf shirts for TLC students are not considered appropriate for formal uniform days.  The expectation is that all students wear a white, button-down, collared shirt on the first learning day of the week. 

REPEAT:  Our next School Council meeting will be on Tuesday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m.   

REPEAT:  The next Fun Lunch is this Wednesday, February 25.  

WEEKLY EVENTS – FEBRUARY 16 TO FEBRUARY 20  

Monday, February 16 – FAMILY DAY – NO SCHOOL 

Tuesday, February 17 (TLC Students in formal uniforms—no golf shirts)   

• 8:00 – 2:30 | Calgary Zoo field trip for 7-3 and 7-4 is postponed because of the weather. 
• 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice  
• 3:45 – 4:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice 
• 4:15 – 5:15 | Junior Boys Volleyball Game vs. Crossing Park @ Crossing Park School 
• 5:15 – 6:15 | Senior Boys Volleyball Game vs. Crossing Park @ Crossing Park School 

Wednesday, February 18 

• 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior and Senior Boys Combined Volleyball Practice  
• 4:15 – 5:15 | Senior Girls Volleyball Game vs. Crossing Park @ Annie Gale  
• 5:15 – 6:30 | Junior Girls Volleyball Game vs. Crossing Park @ Annie Gale 

Thursday, February 19 

• 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior and Senior Girls Combined Volleyball Practice 

Friday, February 20 – RED Day 

Sincerely, 

Tammy Quiring 

(Proud) Principal