Weekly Update: March 9 to March 13

Happy Sunday, Grizzly Families! 

For most students, last week concluded with a student vs. staff volleyball game, which was the kickoff for our Grizzly Growler Volleyball Tournament.  It was a hard-fought battle, and I’ll leave it to you to ask your child who won the game.  After dismissal, many of our students spent even more time in the school on Friday and Saturday—some as athletes, some as volunteers, and some as fans.  What a wonderful representation of Grizzly COURAGE those students gave our guests!  They were CARING, OPTIMISTIC, UNIQUE, RESPONSIBLE, ACCEPTING, GRATEFUL, and EXCELLENT in so many ways.  We saw and heard it in the sportsmanship shown on the court, the kindness at the raffle and concession counters, the cheering from the stands, the helpfulness in cleanup, and in the friendliness to our guests.  I can’t count the number of compliments we received from coaches, fans, parents, and visitors to our school.   In fact, here’s a comment from an email we received from one of the visiting coaches:  “Your student volunteers were incredibly helpful, kind, and very well behaved throughout the event. Your staff should be very proud of the positive school culture you have helped create, and the strong sense of school pride that was evident in both the players and the fans.” 

The competition between teams was outstanding and the teams were well matched. Our Grizzly athletes should be proud of how well they did.  The boys team finished second and the girls team finished fourth.  Grizzly pride was strong and ever-present.  Congratulations to our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and fans.   They made Annie Gale and Calgary’s northeast shine! 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  Making Reading Visible 

Most of you already know that Annie Gale was the recipient of a $50,000 Indigo Love of Reading Grant.  So far this year, we have spent close to $15,000 on books and resources from that grant, and we are thrilled with how it is changing not only the look of the library/learning commons, but how it has changed what we talk about in school.  The goal of this work is making reading visible and accessible for our students.  From signing out books to entering contests to requesting specific titles, our students have shown their appreciation for the work being completed in the library.   

This week’s challenge for parents and guardians at home is to talk to your child about the importance of reading.  Talk to your child about the different types of texts you read—from a requisition form for medical tests to the signs on the bus to the newsletter at the coffee shop and the training manual at work, adults are surrounded by text.  Beyond what I’ve listed, what do you read for fun or for learning?  Set aside some quiet time each week for the entire family to read and engage with text and then talk about it.  You’ll be surprised how it can change relationships in the family; the side win is that we all know that most successful adults are readers.  Parents and guardians owe it to their child to help foster a love of reading.  Good luck and have fun!  

DID YOU KNOW?  

NEW:  Alberta Education and Childcare Assurance Survey – Deadline Extended to March 13 

The deadline for the Alberta Education and Childcare Assurance Survey has been extended to Friday, March 13 for students, teachers, and parents. If you haven’t already completed the survey, please do so.  It is one way that your voice as parents and guardians guides our school development plan. 

NEW:  TLC UNIFORMS - thank you to parents who work with their child(ren) to support adherence to the uniform policy.  Unfortunately, in a spot check last Monday, almost a third of our students were not in the proper uniform.  We sent home notes to all families, reminding them of the responsibility related to uniforms and asking for a plan to help students remain compliant to TLC program expectations.  We ask for your continued support.   

REPEAT:  Report cards for semester one have been released.  Log into PowerSchool to view them.  Paper copies will not be distributed, so if you would like a paper copy, please print one at home. 

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

UPDATE:  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.   

WEEKLY EVENTS – MARCH 9 TO MARCH 13  

Athletes should confirm all practice and game times with coaches this week. 

Monday, March 9 - (TLC Students in formal uniforms—no golf shirts)   

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Practice  
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Junior Boys Volleyball Practice 
  • 5:45 – 6:45 | Junior Girls Volleyball Quarter Finals Game @ Terry Fox School (athletes should arrive by 5:15 in case the game starts early) 

Tuesday, March 10 

  • 10:00 – 2:30 | Grade 7 Field Trip to the Zoo (for 7-4) 
  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Practice 
  • 4:30 – 9:30 | Senior Boys Quarter Finals Volleyball Game @ Prairie Sky School (check with coach for exact time) 
  • 4:30 – 8:00 | Junior Boys Quarter Finals Volleyball Game @ Crossing Park (check with coach for exact time)

Wednesday, March 11 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Junior Boys Volleyball Practice  
  • 4:15 – 5:15 | Junior Girls Volleyball Semi-finals @ Ted Harrison (check with coach for exact time) 
  • 4:30 – 7:00 | Senior Girls Semi-finals @ Peter Lougheed (check with coach for exact time) 

Thursday, March 12 

  • 4:30 – 7:00 | Junior Boys Volleyball Semi-finals @ Annie Gale (check with coach for exact time) 
  • 4:15 – 5:15 | Senior Boys Volleyball Semi-finals @ Dr. Gordon Higgins (check with coach for exact time) 

Friday, March 13 – YELLOW DAY 

Sincerely, 

Tammy Quiring 

Proud) Principal