Weekly Update: May 26 to May 30

Happy Sunday, Grizzly families! 

Congratulations to our badminton teams!  The season ended last week with the Grade 9 Tournament and Annie Gale finished second in that tournament. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  I thought it might be timely to include some information on test anxiety, as students in Grades 6 and 9 are preparing for their Provincial Achievement tests.  Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that occurs when children face the prospect of taking tests. It stems from a fear of failure, pressure to perform, and sometimes, past experiences with testing. This anxiety can manifest in various ways, including physical symptoms like headaches and nausea, emotional symptoms such as fear and irritability, and cognitive issues like difficulty concentrating or blanking out. For children who may not have developed coping mechanisms for stress, test anxiety can be particularly overwhelming and can significantly impact their academic performance. 

Signs of Test Anxiety in Kids 

Recognizing the signs of test anxiety is the first step in helping children overcome it. Parents and teachers should be observant of both the physical and emotional indicators. Physically, children might complain of stomachaches or headaches on the day of a test or exhibit restlessness and excessive sweating. Emotionally, they might express negative thoughts, show signs of depression, or become unusually irritable and restless. Cognitive signs include trouble concentrating during study or blanking out during the test despite thorough preparation. 

Creating a Positive Learning Environment 

One effective way to combat test anxiety is by creating a positive and supportive learning environment. Children should feel safe to express their fears and concerns without judgment. Parents and teachers can encourage this by praising efforts rather than just outcomes, emphasizing the value of learning over high scores. It’s important to set realistic expectations and reassure children that their worth is not measured by their test scores. This can alleviate the pressure to perform perfectly, which is often a significant contributor to anxiety. 

I’ll add more in the next few weekly updates to carry on this topic. 

Adapted from an article Retrieved on May 12, 2025, from:  https://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/test-anxiety-in-children/ 

DID YOU KNOW? 

REPEAT:  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. 

REPEAT:  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. 

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 families and their accompanying children must sit together during this event. 

UPDATE:  June’s School Council Meeting is Wednesday, June 11, at 6:00 p.m.  

​​​​​​​UPDATE:  We have one more fun lunch before the end of the year.   Log in to Healthyhunger.ca to participate.  These fun lunches are organized by School Council, and we appreciate their efforts! 

WEEKLY EVENTS:  MAY 26 TO MAY 30 

Monday, May 26 

  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 
  • 2:40 – 3:30 | SWAT Meeting 

Tuesday, May 27  

  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 

Wednesday, May 28 

  • 8:30 – 12:30 | Grade 6 ELAL Part A Provincial Achievement Test 
  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 

Thursday, May 29  

  • 8:30 – 12:30 | Grade 9 ELA Part A Provincial Achievement Test 
  • 12:00 – 12:30 | Golf Practice 
  • 3:00 – 6:00 | Golf Team Rounds @ McCall Lake Golf Course 
  • 6:00 – 7:00 | TLC Band Concert 

Friday, May 30 – EVEN A DAY 

Sincerely, 

Tammy Quiring 

(proud) Principal 

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 . 

math camp

  • 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!