Weekly Update: September 8 to September 12
Happy Sunday, Grizzly families!
Last week was busy and exciting! On Tuesday we welcomed our Grade 6 and Grade 7 students to the school and served them a BBQ lunch. They had the school to themselves as we had a staggered entry so that our older students, those in Grade 8 and 9, had one extra day of summer holiday. The first two days were all about getting settled for the year. We had inside and outside tours, a mini-timetable, and a lot of time in homeroom groups to take care of such things as lockers, school expectations, and getting-to-know-you activities. We ran our regular timetable on Thursday and Friday and generally, everyone knew where to go and when to go there, especially because we practiced a mini-timetable on Wednesday afternoon. Annie Gale School is much bigger than most elementary schools, so our newer students have some adjusting to do. Never fear—we were there to help. I was pleased to see many smiles in classrooms this week—from staff and from students.
CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL: In the last two messages sent home, I discussed setting and maintaining solid routines in the home to support success at school. As I said last week, we are preparing our students for adult life in the “real” world and giving them life skills to function well. With that in mind, here are a few things you might want to consider in your family conversations. This list has been created because of what we see here at school.
- Does your child know all the important phone numbers for the adults in their life?
- Does your child know how to tell time using an analog clock?
- Does your child know how to use an “old school” phone—one other than a cell phone? Do they know how to leave a message? Do they know what a busy signal is and what to do if they hear it when they call someone?
- Does your child know how to tie their shoes?
- If they ride a bus, does your child know what to do to ride a city bus? Do they know what to do if they get off at the wrong stop or go past their stop? Do they know what to do if someone on the bus is bothering them?
- Does your child know their times tables?
Try having some “what if” conversations with your child and have some fun teaching and reinforcing the skills I have included in the list above. Give your child some scenarios and talk it out with them. Use examples from your life to help them learn through your mistakes or experiences. When our youth have the skills to succeed, their confidence increases, and we can feel better about their ability to problem solve and face struggles head on when they meet them.
DID YOU KNOW?
NEW: Grade 7 options students have not been provided with a “pick sheet” for options—the sheet of paper when they choose their options for the school this year. This is because our Grade 7s will be experiencing most of the options we offer to them in a rotation, called a wheel. This concept will give them real experiences to find a hidden passion or to learn what they might not be fond of. They will use this knowledge to choose their options when they are in Grade 8.
NEW: School Photo Day is Monday, October 6, 2025
NEW: Fun Lunch is coming your way in October. Stay tuned for updates.
NEW: In the next few days and weeks we may be making some changes to students’ timetables to balance classes and ensure that everyone is enrolled in the correct classes, so we want you and our students to be aware that this may take place. This is one reason why our enrolment numbers are so important. If students are registered in the computer, unless they are present, they won’t be counted in our final numbers. Please contact the school immediately if your child has been absent so that we can confirm if they are, in fact, a Grizzly, for this school year.
NEW: Our Grade 7, 8, and 9 students are considered junior high students, and this means that they can leave campus at lunch. The decision to leave the school property at lunch is for families to make. Grade 6 students will be supervised during lunch and must remain on campus. We prefer that students stay at school, or at least, on school property, where they have adults who can support them if needed. This is one reason why we offer so many activities at lunch, such as clubs and athletics. We also have open hallways at lunch so that students can walk around or find a bench to sit down and visit or eat. Our lunchroom and library/learning commons are open to students should they wish a more formal setting to eat. Under no circumstances should our students visit the campus of another school at lunch.
NEW: At Annie Gale School, all students change for their physical education (PE) class. Students are asked to wear athletic clothing, usually shorts and a t-shirt, to PE class, with a set of gym shoes other than what they wear to school. We prefer that parents/guardians purchase Annie Gale clothing for PE classes for safety reasons—this way all students look the same in the same clothing and we can easily identify anyone who does not belong. However, it is not mandatory to purchase this clothing, so long as your child has a change of athletic clothing to wear. Students wear one set of clothes for classroom learning and they wear another to exercise and learn about physical education. Your child should bring home their PE clothing at the end of each week so that they can be laundered. Remember to set them aside for the first day of school the following week though!
NEW: In order to maintain our focus on teaching and learning, we hold students accountable to our late policy. Each morning and after lunch, attendance is tracked. Should your child be late three times in the morning or after lunch, in one calendar month, they will serve a 20-minute detention at lunch. Should they be late a fourth time, they will serve a 30-minute detention and lunch and they will call home to inform you. Should they be late a fifth time, we may ask a parent or guardian to come to the school to discuss ways to improve attendance. Lates to individual classes will be monitored by classroom teachers, who each have a late policy. These expectations allow us to maximize learning—the more time students are in class and the fewer interruptions means that we have more chances to be our best academically. Annie Gale is a place of business and our business is learning!
NEW: Annie Gale uses video surveillance technology. We want you to be aware that we use this technology to maintain a safe and secure environment and to help control vandalism and criminal activity on school property. Personal information gathered by video surveillance is collected under the authority of the Education Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) section 33(b). The users of this information are the Principal or designate (the Assistant Principal) and law enforcement personnel in the case of reported incidents that would require an investigation. Only authorized persons will review video surveillance information. This technology is considered a complement to, and not a replacement for, CBE's strategies in supporting a welcoming, caring, safe, and respectful learning and work environment for students and staff. Approval, installation and use of video surveillance technology will comply with Administrative Regulation 1066.
REPEAT: Our parking lot has a change this year—the entrance/exit from Whiteridge Way is now blocked off. This means that the only entrance and exit is the one closest to the Whitehorn Community Centre. The school parking lot remains out of bounds for student drop off and pick up and does not have any spaces for visitors. The parking lot for the community centre typically has a few spots open, but access remains limited. Please choose to park in appropriate places on street and remember to follow all rules of the road. Speed should be limited to a maximum of 30 km/h and u-turns are illegal in school zones. Parking, including a brief stop in the bus zone, is not permitted. Please do your part to keep all students safe.
REPEAT: For safety reasons, our school does not permit students to bring spray perfumes, colognes, or body sprays. Squirting water bottles and water guns should also be left at home as they, too, create a safety hazard. Should these items be brought to school, they will be confiscated.
REPEAT: Last year the Alberta government made some changes to policies related to cell phones and personal devices. In our school, we prefer that students leave their devices at home; however, if they bring them to school, we ask that they remain turned off and locked in a locker. Should students have their personal devices on their person at times other than entering or leaving the school, we will store the device in the office for the remainder of the day. Parents and guardians will be notified the first two times this occurs. Should it happen a third time in the school year, we will ask a parent or guardian come to the school to pick the device up and we will discuss a plan to support compliance with this important government legislation.
REPEAT: Students in Grades 6, 8, and 9 are all assigned a hallway locker to store their personal belongings, and they are responsible for the lock provided to them. Grade 7 students share lockers with a locker partner. Students may not use any other lock or locker other than the ones assigned to them, nor should they share their locker combination with others. Students are also assigned a locker in the PE change rooms and the same expectations about sharing lockers and locks apply. Replacing a lost lock is $13.50. The lockers are considered a space shared with the school so should the need arise, administration has access at all times. If students believe their combination is known by others, they can easily exchange their lock in the office.
REPEAT: Backpacks, purses, side bags, hats (non-religious), coats, and puffy vests need to be stored in lockers throughout the day. Hoodies are acceptable but hoods need to be kept down while students are in the building. Exceptions happen during special Spirit Days, when we dress up in different attire. Spirit Days are advertised in advance.
REPEAT: If you plan on having your child away for a family trip in the upcoming school year, especially in September, you MUST connect with the school to inform us of your intentions. This is IMPERATIVE as funding for your child rests on them being present in September, and for TLC students, their attendance on the first week of school confirms their spot in the program.
REPEAT: To make our four Friday schedules easier for students and families to remember, we have labeled each Friday schedule with a colour (Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green). Parents and guardians need to know that we share this information in the “Weekly Events” section at the end of the weekly update. Students will be completing blank forms of their Friday schedules to post in their lockers so they can be prepared for the Friday schedule each week.
REPEAT: Thanks to our School Council, we will be hosting Paul Davis for a parent event on Wednesday, September 17, at 6:00 p.m. Paul will be speaking about Internet safety, and we are told that his presentation is outstanding and will help you better protect your children. Students in Grades 7-9 will see him speak on during the day and Grade 6 students will see a recorded message from him. Please mark this date on your calendars.
REPEAT: Our first School Council meeting is Thursday, September 18, at 6:00 p.m. Consider joining this group of parents and guardians supporting their children by being involved in decision making and the first to hear about the “why” related to decisions made at the school. Our council meetings are in a blended format—in-person and virtual. The meeting link for the virtual meeting is sent home the same day as the meeting.
WEEKLY EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 8 TO SEPTEMBER 12
Monday, September 8 (Formal Uniforms for TLC students)
- 12:00 – 12:30 | Cross Country Running Club Meeting (room 2)
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Boys Basketball Tryouts
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Girls Basketball Tryouts
Tuesday, September 9
- 12:00 – 12:30 | Girls Soccer Interest Meeting (room 4)
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Basketball Tryouts
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Boys Soccer Tryouts
Wednesday, September 10
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Cross Country Practice
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Basketball Tryouts
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Boys Basketball Tryouts
Thursday, September 11
- 8:00 – 2:35 | Grade Level Assemblies
- 2:45 – 3:45 | Boys Soccer Tryouts
- 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Girls Basketball Tryouts
- 4:00 – 7:30 | Cross Country Meet @ Annie Gale
Friday, September 12 – ORANGE (ODD B) DAY
Sincerely,
Tammy Quiring
(proud) Principal