Happy Sunday, Grizzly families! 

Congratulations to our senior volleyball teams for the amazing day they had on Friday, during our Mini Grizzly Growler Volleyball Tournament.  PE classes watched the games throughout the morning.  The last game of the day was during Grizzly Den, so all homerooms were present.  We were not able to run the full tournament, so we were thrilled that our students still had a chance to watch some great volleyball; players also had a chance to improve their skills. 

Parents and guardians are our strongest allies in supporting student learning. Student learning is negatively influenced by chronic absenteeism (missing more than 10% of instructional time).  Generally, parents, guardians, and community partners share our belief in the importance of education, but they may not realize that absenteeism is often a symptom of other concerns. Did you know that by Grade 9, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than test scores?  With that in mind, remember that unless there is a holiday or a non-instruction day, students should attend every weekday.  Fridays may be short, but they matter.  Send your children to school every day, unless they are ill, have an appointment, or a religious event.  If your child does not attend school regularly, try to find out why.  Work with school staff who are here to help. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:   Last month at The Calgary City Teachers’ Convention, I attended a session about youth anxiety.  One topic discussed was the fact that many adults create helplessness among young people by trying to solve their problems for them.  Adults often don’t want children to feel discomfort or experience negative emotions.  Unfortunately, this leads to a lack of confidence in our youth because the adults who should be giving them tools to work through difficulties are taking away the difficulties and not allowing the child the opportunity to face negative consequences of their choices or the choices of others.  Most of my big life lessons came about because I made a mistake and felt the discomfort of the consequences related to my choices.  My parents guided me through difficulties, but they did not do the hard work for me—that was my job. 

The presenter used an example of a child having trouble in their friend group and then telling their parent or guardian about it.  Rather than telling the child what to do or making plans to meet the friends or their families, the parent could respond by acknowledging the child’s feelings.  She gave a few examples of what to say: 

  • “That’s terrible.” 
  • “That sounds crummy.” 
  • “I can hear that you are sad/angry/frustrated.” 

After the acknowledgement of the child’s feelings, the next step is simple, yet difficult for some adults.  The adult should ask, “What are you going to do?”  After that, the adult must listen, guide if necessary, encourage, and tell the child that they know they can do it.  There may be discomfort, unease, fear, or anxiety, but these feelings are all normal.  The feelings may last for a while, but when someone comes out the other side of a problem, having solved it themself and having experienced the consequences, the result is pride and an increased sense of assurance and confidence.  That’s something most of us could benefit from.  I challenge you to try this the next time your child approaches you with a concern.   

When we work with students in the office, our goal is to help them help themselves and learn from their mistakes.  School is about more than learning from textbooks and curriculum.  We all work together to prepare our youth for the world of adulthood and setting them up for success by giving them tools and encouragement during tough times is important. 

Did you know? 

  • NEW: Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, March 20, and Friday, March 21, will by phone or virtual, NOT in-person.  Please watch your emails for the sign up information coming soon. 
  • REPEAT:  Annie Gale’s website is your place to find all the weekly updates sent home.  If you haven’t been to our website lately, check it out:  https://anniegale.cbe.ab.ca/ 
  • NEW:  Thanks to all who shared their opinions in our recent survey about the school development plan and budget.  The premature results indicate that most families are happy with our choices.  Stay tuned for more information when I share the specifics of the results. 
  • NEW:  FAMILIES OF BUSSED STUDENTS:   On Friday the Calgary Transit Drivers asked for proof of payment from our riders.  For those under 12, this wasn’t a problem, but for almost everyone else, this was an issue as most students did not have passes or money for the ride.  Some students were not even aware that payment was required.  The bus drivers informed me that there is a fine of $250 for non-payment. Parents and guardians need to ensure that students over the age of 12 have a monthly bus pass or pay for individual rides.  I can only imagine how stressful it might be for students to go through the process of proving payment, not to mention the delay in the trip for those who expect a timely trip.  Please, set your student bus riders up for success—make sure they pay for their rides. 
  • REPEAT:  The next Fun Lunch is Tuesday, March 18. 
  • REPEAT:  March’s School Council Meeting is Wednesday, March 19.   If the CUPE strike is still on, our meeting with be held virtually.
  • NEW:  Look at the end of this message for more information from School Council. 

WEEKLY EVENTS:  MARCH 10 TO MARCH 14 

Monday, March 10  

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 2:40 – 3:20 | SWAT Meeting 

Tuesday, March 11  

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior Boys Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Practice 
  • 5:45 – 7:00 | Senior Girls Playoff Game vs. Terry Fox @ Dr. Gordon Higgins School 
  • 7:00 – 8:15 | Junior Girls Playoff Game vs. Peter Lougheed @ Peter Lougheed School 

Wednesday, March 12 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 4:30 – 5:45 | Senior Boys Playoff Game* vs. Dr. Gordon Higgins @ Clarence Sansom 
  • 7:00 – 8:15 | Junior Boys Playoff Game vs. Peter Lougheed @ Peter Lougheed School 

Thursday, March 13 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Practice 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Junior Boys Volleyball Practice 
  • *If Senior Boys WIN Wednesday*  
  • 4:30 – 5:45 | Senior Boys Playoff Game vs. Crossing Park @ Prairie Sky School 

Friday, March 14 – EVEN B Day 

Sincerely, 

Tammy Quiring 

(proud) Principal 

A MESSAGE FROM SCHOOL COUNCIL

Hello Annie Gale Parents, 

It’s almost time when the school year is ending, 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 2025-2026 school year. 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 21, 2025, 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. The chair should be someone who can work collaboratively and understands how to organize both programs and people. The chair should actively encourage others to be engaged in meaningful ways. 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