Newsletter September 2016

Transcription

1 Andrew Sibbald School 1711 Lake Bonnavista Dr SE Calgary AB T2J 2X9 t f e andrewsibbald@cbe.ab.ca w cbe/ab/ca/336 Collaborate, Create, Care Newsletter September 2016 Principal s Message Important Dates Sept 6 First Day of Classes (staggered entry Kindergarten) Sept 9 Sneak-a-Peek K-4 1:00 2:00 Sept 13 School Council 7:00 pm Sept 15 Terry Fox Assembly 9:00 am Sept Scholastic Book Fair Sept 22 Welcome Back BBQ & Playground Opening 5:30 pm Sept 22 Parent Led Conferences 3:30 7:00 Sept 23 Parent Led Conferences 8:00 11:00 Oct 7 No School - PD Day Oct 10 No School Thanksgiving Oct 11 School Council 7:00 pm Oct 20 Photo Day Nov 8 School Council 8:00 pm Nov 10 Remembrance Day Assembly Nov 11 No School Remembrance Day Nov 17 Picture retakes Dec 1 Teacher-Led Conferences 4:00 7:00 Dec 2 Teacher-Led Conferences 8:00 11:00 Dec 8 Christmas Concert Dec Carol Singing Dec 16 Last Day before winter break Welcome to the school year! I am excited to be at Andrew Sibbald School as we embark on this educational journey together. The year is off to a great start. It has been great starting to get to know the Sibbald students and families. For those of you who are returning to Andrew Sibbald, I am sure you have noticed a few changes that go along with moving from a school of over 500 students last year to just under 150 students this year. The school seems quiet and calm and has an incredible cohesive community feel. We have an amazing talented staff who care deeply about ensuring that the needs of all students are met and that great learning is happening. This year we will continue to focus on the goal of creating intellectually engaging tasks for our students. One of the things that will guide our work this year is the concept of developing the skills that are needed to flourish in the 21 st Century. In the video, The Adaptable Mind, these skills are identified as: Curiosity, Creativity, Initiative, Multi-disciplinary Thinking and Empathy. These skills will be encouraged and celebrated throughout the year as we help students to develop the tools they need to flourish. I want to take this opportunity to thank a few people who help to make Andrew Sibbald School an amazing place to be. Thank you first off to the amazing staff who have worked so hard to get the school ready for learning. A special thank you to Mr. Zhai, our facility operator who has worked countless extra hours to ensure the building was clean and shiny. A huge thank you also to a few of our amazing Sibbald parents who spent many hours getting our school yard to look fantastic. And finally, a big thank you to all of the Andrew Sibbald staff, students and parents for giving me such a warm welcome to this wonderful community school. Please feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns. Here is to a fabulous year together! Kindest regards, Kim Manser Page 1 9

2 Our Incredible Staff for Kindergarten (am only) Leann Deisting Grade 1/2 Tasha Craik Laura Howden Erin Manes Grade 3 / 4 Jaime Hatchette Lori Bonanno (Learning Leader) Music Leann Deisting Mental Health Syrena Oswald Roxanna Patrascu (Behaviour Support Worker) Administration Kim Manser (Principal) Pat Summerton (Admin. Assistant) Education Assistants Sandra Eckland Wendy McEwen Amy Magnan Library Assistant Jennifer Norman Meal Supervisors Janae Wickhorst (Lead) Jennifer Norman Maureen Bartolome Kelly Charbonneau Facility Operator Bert Zhai Night- time Cleaner Deb Ryan Bus Transportation If you make alternative travel arrangements and your child will not be riding the bus, please notify child s teacher and andrewsibbald@cbe.ab.ca before 2:30 from Monday to Thursday and 11:30 on Fridays. If you after this time your request may not be caught. We understand that emergencies do happen, we hope that we can work together to ensure the safety of all students. Please note that we are unable to accommodate requests for students to ride a bus home with a friend. Telephone for Safety: ex 1 (Attendance Line) Our Telephone-For- Safety Program is in operation. It is very important to call our 24-hour answering service to leave a message if your child will be absent from school. When reporting, please spell your child s last name and give the reason for their absence as well as the teacher s name. If your child is not at the school, and we have not received a telephone message, we will phone the contact numbers you have provided for us. If you are picking your child up from school, outside of regular dismissal times, please sign your child/children out at the office. Student Safety A reminder to everyone that the playground is supervised during the following times: 8:05 8:20 am 11:45 12:15 pm Page 2 9

3 Fresh Air Break Students go outside for a fresh air activity break, FAB, everyday. This allows an opportunity to take our learning outdoors. Emergency Information It is the parent/guardian s responsibility to ensure that the school has accurate up to date information regarding your child. If any information changes during the year (work phone numbers, cell numbers, addresses, custody agreement, legal documents, contact people, etc.) please notify the office immediately. We appreciate your effort in helping us keep your child safe. Parking Lot Because of our smaller staff size, the parking lot is now available for volunteer parking. If you are coming to volunteer at the school, you can park in the middle section of the parking lot. For safety reasons, DO NOT use the parking lot to drop-off or pick-up children. Lunch Program Andrew Sibbald School offers a supervised lunch program. All students eat lunch in the lunchroom at 11:20. This is followed by lunch recess. Please ensure that lunch kits are well labeled with full names and that your children have appropriate outdoor clothing. Please watch for information about our Milk Program later this month. For the safety of those students who go home for lunch, they should not return to the school until 12:00 p.m. at which time we will provide additional supervision for them. If you have any questions/concerns about the lunch program, please contact Janae Wickhorst or Kim Manser. Andrew Sibbald School is a Nut- Aware school. For the safety of our staff and students with lifethreatening allergies, we ask that you refrain from sending lunches or snacks that may contain peanut/nut products to the school. School Pictures - October 20 th Life touch will be at Andrew Sibbald School to take individual and class photos on October 20 th. Don t forget your smiles. Terry Page 3 9

4 Fox Run at Andrew Sibbald School Our School s Commitment to the Terry Fox Run Andrew Sibbald has always been a strong supporter of the Terry Fox Run. We believe that Terry Fox is a true Canadian hero who demonstrated the qualities of perseverance, reliance and selflessness while waging his own personal battle against cancer. These qualities are traits that we would like to nurture in our students to help them succeed in a world where they will face many small and large challenges. During our class time, we will be discussing how our school community can demonstrate these qualities in their day-to-day life, at school, at home and in the community. Many of our students families have or will benefit from the research and support provided by the Terry Fox Foundation. Students will be preparing for the Terry Fox run in their Phys.Ed classes as well as with their classroom teachers. Students have been encouraged to participate at a pace that is comfortable for them and are reminded to engage in physical activity at home through their own personal interest. We are also discussing how the actions of one individual such as Terry Fox can inspire a larger community to champion the needs of the less fortunate and improve our quality of life. Information about the Andrew Sibbald Run: Kindergarten through Grade 4 On Thursday, September 15th following a brief assembly in the gym at which time students will be given information about the logistics of the run. The actual run/walk will take place from 9:30-10:00 am. Students are encouraged to participate for the duration of the run (30 minutes) by either running, jogging or walking. Location: West Field beside the school. Pylons will mark the course and adults will encourage students to remain on course. The approximate distance is 0.5 km per lap around the field. Should the weather be inclement, the run will take an alternate form.***if you would like to volunteer to help with this event (photography, setting up the course, supporting students) please contact Laura Howden (lahowden@cbe.ab.ca) Toonies for Terry This year we are continuing to support this cause with donations to the Terry Fox Foundation. We are asking each child to bring at least one toonie for Terry, but of course families may wish to donate more than just a toonie. Should you wish to send a cheque, please make the cheque payable to the Terry Fox Foundation. All money will be collected starting on Sept. 13 and ending on the day after the Terry Fox Run Friday, Sept. 16). Each day, teachers will have an envelope available for contributions and the contents will be emptied into one large container. On September 23 the money will be counted and one cheque on behalf of Andrew Page 4 9

5 Sibbald School will be issued to the Terry Fox Foundation. This method will eliminate the need for children to ask for pledges from family and friends. How Parents Can Help With the Event - Encourage your child to participate - Volunteer to help organize the event and run/walk during the event (Please note: a current security clearance must be on file in our records) - Attend the pre-run assembly from 9:00 9:30. - Encourage your child to do various jobs in the home in order to earn the money to donate Thank you in advance for your support of this worthy cause. Mrs. Laura Howden Scholastic Book Fair The Scholastic book fair will be here from September 20th 23rd. Students will have the opportunity to view the books with their class September 20th-22nd during school hours. Books will only be available for purchase on September 22nd until 7pm and from 8-11am on September 23rd. I am still looking for volunteers to assist with various book fair duties. If you have a current security clearance on file, I can use your help! We work very hard to keep parents informed at our school. Teachers tweet daily about in the moment learning that is happening. Teachers also post information on their blogs each week (usually on Friday) about what has been happening in their class. Our newsletter is another important means of communication and is sent out to all families via each month. There are no paper copies of newsletters due to our Green School commitment. Please ensure the school has your best address, or check our website regularly. Notifications of when newsletters are online and other information is sent out via . Information is also posted on the school web page In addition, please always feel free to contact your child s teacher or the school administration if you ever have questions or concerns. Daily Physical Activity For safety reasons, we ask that all students have comfortable, non-slip indoor and outdoor footwear as they will participate in both indoor and outdoor physical activities. Slip on shoes and very loose footwear present safety hazards for students when running, jumping and participating in other activities. For more information you can reach me at janorman@cbe.ab.ca Thanks, Mrs. Norman Communication Page 5 9

6 Andrew Sibbald Parent Teacher Conferences September 22 nd & 23 rd At Andrew Sibbald, Parent-Teacher Conferences are a key part of our communication strategy regarding your child s progress. Please plan on booking and attending a parent-teacher conference with the applicable teacher(s) for each child you have attending the school. This first Parent Led Conference is a great opportunity to help us learn more about your child. We encourage you to bring you child to the conference. Conferences are: Thursday, September 22 nd 3:30 pm 7:00 pm & Friday, September 23 rd 8:00 am 11:00 am To book conferences with your child s teacher, please go to your My CBE Account ( This link can also be found on the homepage of our Andrew Sibbald School Website. If you have not used this link before, you will need to create an account as the first step in booking your conference time(s). You will need your child s CBE ID# and a current address that is on file with the school. This can be found on the report card. Online conference bookings will become available on Friday, Sept 16 th at 7:00 am and will close on Sept. 22 nd at noon; however, your account can be created at anytime. We greatly appreciate parents booking their own appointments, but know this is not always possible due to not having any access to a computer. If you are unable to book your own appointment, please call the school at during regular office hours and we will be happy to assist you over the phone. Playground Grand Opening and Welcome Back Family BBQ Please join us for the grand opening of our school playground and for the welcome back family BBQ on Thursday, Sept 22 nd at 5:30 pm. BBQ order forms were sent home earlier this week. Page 6 9

7 Message from School Council Greetings Andrew Sibbald parents, We would like to invite you to attend the School Council and Parent Association meetings that will be held at the school Tuesday, September 13 th at 7:00 pm in the Andrew Sibbald Learning Commons. The monthly meeting is a great opportunity for you to come and find out what is happening at the school, ask questions, and provide your point of view with regard to school policies and activities. The School Council is largely an advisory body that works in collaboration with the principal to help foster a supportive learning environment and create valuable learning opportunities for students, while the Parent Association largely serves a role as a fundraising body that enriches the educational opportunities for Andrew Sibbald students. At the last meeting in June, elections were held for all of the executive positions on the Council and the Association. We were able to fill nearly all of the vacancies, but are still in need of a secretary and a Fun Lunch coordinator. These are important positions needing to be filled, but are not especially demanding. If you think you could contribute some of your time to our team, please feel free to attend the meeting this evening, or else Spencer Jones at scjones@cbe.ab.ca. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Your Andrew Sibbald School Council and Parent Association Executive: President Spencer Jones Vice President Carrie Styczen Treasurer Kjersti Schlenker Social Events Kristin Hunt Staff Appreciation Leanne Schulz Casino Coordinator Carrie Styczen Treasurer Kjersti Schlenker Fundraising Kristin Hunt Learning Grounds Kristin Hunt Volunteer Coordinator Leanne Schulz Page 7 9

8 Andrew Sibbald School School Council Meeting Agenda Tuesday September 13, :00 Call to Order Approval of Minutes from previous meeting 7:05 Report from school administration 7:15 Election of secretary 7:20 Committee Reports Learning Grounds Fundraising (Enrichment Drive?) Volunteer Coordinator Parent advisory Group? 7:35 Questions, other business? 7:40 Motion to adjourn Andrew Sibbald School Parent Association Meeting Tuesday September 13, :40 Call to Order Approval of Minutes from previous meeting 7:45 Election of secretary Election of Fun Lunch Coordinator 7:50 Committee Reports Treasurer Playground resurfacing Social Events Staff Appreciation Fun Lunch? Casino 8:10 Questions, other business? 8:15 Motion to adjourn Page 8 9

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