Happy Sunday, Grizzly families!
I hope you are enjoying your chilly and snowy weekend!
As you have already been informed, Parent/Teacher Conferences will be taking place next Thursday, November 28, (in person) from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the gym and lunchroom. On Friday, November 29, conferences will be held virtually or over the phone between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The school will not be open on that day. Please remember that each conference is 10 minutes in length. Being on time and ready is imperative as teachers are unable to lengthen the meeting regardless of the start time.
Grade 6 parents are reminded that their child has a total of five teachers: one for humanities, one for math/science, one for French as a Second Language, one for band, and one for PE. Grade 6 homeroom teachers only teach two subjects listed above, so you may choose to meet with one or more of the teachers your child has.
Congratulations to the eight students chosen for Annie Gale’s SWAT (Student Well-being Action Team)! We had many applications for this group and the decisions were difficult. Students who were not chosen for the SWAT team will have opportunities to be involved starting in February. They need to listen to the announcements for more information.
Congratulations to our basketball teams! Though the season came to an end sooner than we would have hoped, the teams all showed grit, determination, and a great deal of skill improvement as well. Thanks to those parents and fans who came out to support our Grizzlies.
CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL: This week’s topic is about talking to your teen. Did you know that teens are more open and receptive to sharing and talking about sensitive issues when they don’t have to make direct eye contact? Therefore, an excellent time for discussion is spending time in the car with your teenager or while completing a task (such as baking, doing a puzzle, etc.). If youth believe their parents are not threatening their independence, they will more likely respond to parents’/guardians’ concerns. Parents and guardians might have success if they:
- Try to avoid putting their teen in a situation in which they feel defensive
- Admit to their fears
- Tell their child that they love them no matter the circumstances
- Model how to be honest without being hurtful
Adapted from: Ungar, Michael (2006). Strengths-based counseling with at-risk youth. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California.
Did you know?
- NEW: Annie Gale School was the recipient of a $2,000 equity grant earlier this year, and we purchased new athletic uniforms with the funds.
- NEW: On Tuesday we have a planned lockdown drill. Parents and guardians will receive more information about it from Mr. Barisow. Calgary Police Service will be in attendance to support us during this important safety drill.
- NEW: Snowballs are not permitted on CBE school property, because of safety concerns. Please ensure that you discuss this with your child—if they wish to engage in a snow fight, they must do it away from school property.
- NEW: Our current bout of snow and cold weather means that we need to remind parents and guardians that students need to be dressed for the weather. Boots, gloves, toques, and warm coats are a necessity. Our front doors open at 7:45 and will not be open earlier unless the weather is colder than –20 degrees Celsius. At lunch we will open some more spaces for students to gather during blue days (colder than –20 degrees Celsius).
- NEW: Our next council meeting date will be in January; there will be no December meeting.
WEEKLY EVENTS: NOVEMBER 25 TO NOVEMBER 29
Monday, November 25
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Wrestling Practice
Tuesday, November 26
- 9:30 – 10:15 | Lockdown Drill
Wednesday, November 27
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Wrestling Practice
Thursday, November 28
- 4:00 – 8:00 | in-person parent/teacher conferences
Friday, November 29 – SCHOOL CLOSED
- 8:00 – 1:00 | parent/teacher conferences (virtually or by phone)
Sincerely,
Tammy Quiring
(proud) Principal