Weekly Update: May 19 to May 23

Happy Monday, Grizzly families!  

I hope that your family had some time together this weekend.  The long weekend seems to change the energy in a school, as it is that last long weekend before the final push to end the school year.  Grade 6 and Grade 9 students and their teachers are getting ready for Provincial Achievement Tests and others are gearing up to finish the content in their courses, projects in classes, and end the year well.  Please read on for more information about some events taking place at the school. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  As the weather has improved significantly, and more opportunities arise to be outside and active, I thought it might be prudent to share information about active living.  Though this Canadian data is from 2016-2017, I believe it is still relevant.  As you read the information, think about how your child aligns with the data.  You might be able to celebrate that your child meets recommended guidelines; on the other hand, if a celebration isn’t possible because your child does not meet these guidelines, you might brainstorm ways to get them moving—maybe even with you! 

“Regular physical activity among children and youth is related to improvements in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body composition, bone density, physical fitness, academic achievement, and aspects of mental health including self-esteem.Note 1 Conversely, recreational sedentary behaviour, such as time spent watching TV or playing video games, is linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and poorer scores in psychosocial health indicators such as body-satisfaction.Note 2 

In Canada, recommendations on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in children and youth are outlined in the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth.Note 3 The guidelines recommend that children and youth aged 5 to 17: 

  • get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day, on average. This can be accomplished through a range of activities such as bicycling, rollerblading, soccer, football, etc.; 
  • get an additional several hours of light physical activity (LPA) through structured and unstructured activities.  This can be accomplished through activities such as walking, stretching, playing with animals, etc.; 
  • limit their recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours per day, on average; and 
  • get plenty of uninterrupted sleep (9 to 11 hours for 5- to 13-year-olds and 8 to 10 hours for 14- to 17-year-olds). 

Nearly 40% of children and youth aged 5 to 17 met the physical activity target 

Approximately 2 out of 5 children and youth aged 5 to 17 met the recommended physical activity target of 60 minutes of MVPA per day, on average. Boys (52%) were two times as likely as girls (26%) and children aged 5 to 11, (47%) were 1.5 times as likely as youth aged 12-17, (31%) to meet the recommendation.” 

Retrieved on May 4, 2025, from: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2022/statcan/82-625-x/82-625-2019001-3-eng.pdf 

DID YOU KNOW? 

NEW:  2025 Girls Excel in Math Summer Camp will be held at the University of Calgary from Tuesday, July 8 to Thursday, July 10.  This camp is open to girls who are currently in Grades 6 – 9.  Please read the information included at the end of this message if you are interested. 

NEW:  TLC uniform reminder for Grades 6, 7, and 8:  The summer purchasing window for TLC uniforms is between Wednesday, July 2, and Friday, October 31, 2025.  Only during purchasing windows will families be able to purchase embroidered uniform items.  Items can be purchased in store, online, or through McCarthy Uniform’s Call Centre.  This information is being shared to remind families that many students have outgrown their uniform pieces and will therefore need to have new items.  One item of note is ties—many students have adult-sized bodies and are wearing a child-sized tie or they have lost their tie.  Next year we will also be focusing on compliance for white dress shirts, so please ensure that your child has an appropriate shirt along with black dress shoes.  Golf shirts are considered an informal uniform item and are not appropriate for formal uniform days. 

NEW:  Water guns and similar “toys” are not permitted on school property.  Should students have these at school, they will be confiscated.  Students wishing to participate in any kind of water fight need to do it away from school property. 

REMINDER: Perfumes, colognes, body sprays, and aerosol deodorants are not permitted at school.  Should students have these at school, they will be confiscated. 

REPEAT:  Our TLC program is proud to host our upcoming band concert on Thursday, May 29, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.  TLC parents and guardians will receive an email from Ms. Bumstead with details.  Note that parents/guardians and their children must sit together during this event. 

UPDATE:  Grade 9 leadership will be serving pizza on May 21 for those who pre-purchased on Wednesday and Thursday last week.  All funds raised will go towards the Grade 9 Farewell.   

REPEAT:  May’s School Council Meeting is Wednesday, May 21, at 6 p.m.   This meeting will be held in person and online.  Look at the end of this message for more information from School Council. 

REPEAT:  June’s School Council Meeting will be in-person only because it is the Annual General Meeting of the Council.  Read the message at the end to learn about some of the roles that make up the council.  If you are interested in filling a role, let us know.  If you just want to join council as a “visitor”, you are certainly welcome!  You will be surprised at what you will learn.  Being a part of school council is informative and supports your child’s school.   

REPEAT:  We have a few more fun lunches before the end of the year.  Our next one is Thursday, May 22.  Log in to Healthyhunger.ca to participate.  These fun lunches are organized by School Council, and we appreciate their efforts! 

WEEKLY EVENTS:  MAY 19 TO MAY 23 

Monday, May 19 - NO SCHOOL – VICTORIA DAY 

Tuesday, May 20  

  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 
  • 4:00 – 8:00 | Grade 9 Badminton Tournament at James Fowler High School 

Wednesday, May 21 

  • 12:00 – PIZZA from Grade 9 Fundraiser (presales only) 
  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 
  • 6:00 – 7:30 | School Council Meeting (in person and online) 

Thursday, May 22 – FUN LUNCH 

  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 
  • 3:00 – 6:00 | Golf Team Rounds @ McCall Lake Golf Course 

Friday, May 23 – ODD 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.comor 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

2025 Girls Excel in Math Summer Camp 

Description: The 2025 Girls Excel in Math Summer Camp will be held at the University of Calgary from Tuesday, July 8th - Thursday, July 10th.  This camp is open to girls and who are currently in grades 6 - 9.  The camp aims to encourage girls to pursue their passion for mathematics and make connections with peers who share similar interests. 

Throughout the week, students will engage in mathematical sessions that explore topics such as the connections between music and math, coding theory, fair division, voting theory, and the mathematical constant π.  The camp will run from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm each day.  Students will attend mathematical sessions in a large lecture hall for some portions of the day and will break into smaller groups in smaller classrooms for other portions of the day.  Transportation to and from the camp is the responsibility of the family.  Students should bring a lunch each day (lunch will not be provided). 

Registration: Students will be accepted into the camp on a first-come, first-served basis. You can secure your spot by completing 'Step 1' and 'Step 2' below.

Fee: There is no registration fee to attend this camp, but if you're able, we encourage a voluntary donation of $40 - our approximate cost per student which covers the camp t-shirt, materials, and facility rentals. Any amount is appreciated and helps keep the program accessible to all. (Please note that voluntary donations are non-refundable.) Voluntary donations can be made here: https://engage.ucalgary.ca/give?id=7dd50151-4c8b-4ce8-b1b8-b9ae72003c46 . 

weeklyupdateimagemay19

    • Please note that if you just created an account, the system will give you an error message when you try to complete this step, “This user's profile has not yet been verified. Please try again later.” In this case, you will need to login again the following day to complete “Step 2”.

Once you have completed Step 1 and Step 2, your registration is complete. You will receive an email from the camp organizer (Lauren DeDieu) within two weeks confirming your registration. Closer to the camp date, additional camp details will be shared via email (e.g., drop-off location). If you do not receive an email from Lauren within two weeks of registering, please check your spam folder; if you cannot locate the email, please contact Lauren DeDieu (lauren.dedieu@ucalgary.ca). We ask that you do not send inquiries about the status of your application before two weeks have passed, as the applications need to be checked manually, and these are typically done in batches once every week or so.   

Waitlist: If there are no spots available, you will see an option to 'Join Notify List'. This list will be notified when spots open up. 

Withdraw: If you registered but can no longer attend the 2025 Girls Excel in Math Camp, please cancel your registration by logging into the Active Living system and clicking "Withdraw". This allows us to offer this opportunity to another student.  

We hope to see you at the 2025 Girls Excel in Math Summer Camp!