Weekly Update: March 16 to March 20

Happy Sunday, Grizzly Families! 

For three of our volleyball teams, the season has come to an end.  We have one team, junior girls, competing in the finals at 4:30 p.m. at Nelson Mandela High School on Tuesday, however.  All are welcome to cheer on the Grizzlies.  Our next Sunday update (at the end of Spring Break) will have a summary of the season for all four teams.   

We hope that the school spirit from our recent Grizzly Growler Volleyball Tournament will carry through to this week as we will be having a SPIRIT WEEK.  Your child will likely choose to wear some themed clothing this week.  Encourage them to do so!  Read the calendar section below to see the themes each day. 

I would also like to personally invite all parents and guardians to our School Council Meeting tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m.  The meeting will be a blended format (both in-person and online).  I’ll be sharing information about our budget at tomorrow’s meeting and I hope to see you there!  There is a message from School Council at the end of this email. 

The next weekly update will be sent home on the last Sunday of Spring Break. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  Life Literacy 

This week I am including some statistics and facts related to reading skills. 

Life literacy signals the importance of lifelong and life-wide literacy and learning. It’s the literacy skills you need to live your life fully and the new skills you need to acquire throughout your life. Workplace, family, and community are important areas in your life where developing your skills can result in a more productive and more successful life experience.   

Having adequate literacy skills means being able to understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts.  

It also means being able to participate in society, achieve your goals, and develop your knowledge and potential. Research shows that adults who have inadequate literacy skills are more likely to have poorer overall health, lower salaries, and lower levels of participation in their community. 

Adults who score at the highest levels of the proficiency scale were significantly more likely to report high levels of life satisfaction and being in very good or excellent health than adults who score at or below Level 1, in Canada as well as on average across OECD countries. 

Adults who are employed demonstrate higher literacy and numeracy levels than Canadians who are unemployed or out of the labour force. 

Retrieved on March 15, 2026, from:  https://abclifeliteracy.ca/literacy/ 

DID YOU KNOW?  

NEW:  This week is SPIRIT WEEK!  Check the calendar below for the ways students can show school spirit.  Monday is Colour Rush Day (each grade wears its assigned colour-- Grade 6 – yellow; Grade 7 – purple; Grade 8 – red; Grade 9 – blue). Tuesday students can wear green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  Wednesday is Beach Day, and Thursday is Pajama Day, when students can bring a book and read at least once in each class. 

REPEAT:  Parent/Teacher Conferences are on March 19 and 20.  Watch your emails for information about signing up.  

REPEAT:  Our next School Council meeting will be on Monday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m.  We will watch a presentation on the school’s budget and school fees. 

REPEAT:  The next Fun Lunch is Wednesday, March 18.  

REPEAT:  Spring Break is from March 23 to March 27.  The school will be closed during Spring Break and will re-open on Monday, March 30.   

WEEKLY EVENTS – MARCH 16 TO MARCH 20  

Monday, March 16 – COLOUR RUSH DAY (EACH GRADE WEARS ITS ASSIGNED COLOURS); if TLC students aren’t wearing their assigned colour, they must be in formal uniform—no golf shirts) 

  • 8:00 – 2:35 | Grade 6 Zoo Field Trip 
  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Practice  
  • 6:30 | School Council Meeting (in-person or online)  

Tuesday, March 17 – WEAR GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day 

  • 4:30 – 5:30 | Junior Girls Volleyball Finals @ Nelson Mandela High School (student fans are welcome) 

Wednesday, March 18 – BEACH VIBES DAY (Wear sunhats, Hawaiian shirts, and  sunglasses) 

  • 12:00 | FUN LUNCH 

Thursday, March 19 – DEAR DAY (Drop Everything and Read Day—wear pajamas [slippers not permitted] and bring a book to read); LAST DAY OF CLASSES 

  • 8:00 – 2:35 | locker cleanout 
  • 4:00 – 8:00 | Parent-Teacher Conferences (in-person, by appointment only) 

Friday, March 20 – NO SCHOOL 

  • 8:00 – 1:00 | Parent/Teacher Conferences (virtual or by phone, by appointment only) 

Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27:  SPRING BREAK—NO SCHOOL 

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