Dear Parents & Guardians:
In this post you will find information for the following:
· Important Dates
· Principal’s Message: Go CANADA Go!
· Student-Led Conferences
· Birthday Book Fundraiser
· Action - Alberta Education Parent Survey – Due March 6
· Download/Print Your Online Report Cards – Feb. 24
· Calgary Opera Residency – Volunteers Needed
· Fun Lunches (details on our Lunchtime webpage)
Important Dates –
· Feb 17-26 – PE Gymnastics Unit
· Feb 22 – Parent/Teacher Conference MyCBE Online Bookings Open (6:00 p.m.)
· Feb 24 – Pink Shirt Day (details below)
· Feb 24 – Reports Available Online for Download – PLEASE PRINT/SAVE
· Feb 25 – Fun Lunch: Papa John’s (order by midnight tonight)
· Feb 26 – Student Led Conferences (4:00-8:00)
· Feb 27 – Student Led Conferences (8:00-11:00) No School
· Subscribe to our updated Web Calendar (link on bottom left)
Principal’s Message: Go CANADA Go!
There was a deafening roar in the building when MacKinnon scored the winning goal in today’s hockey game. We had the game projected in the gymnasium for classes to come in and watch in-between their lessons. I think we created some memories that will last a lifetime. Many classes took time to talk about the Olympics, the rings and sportsmanship.
Our Grade 4-5s had University of Calgary students in today offering some science experiments and teaching about the scientific method. Our Grade 6 students were at the Police Interpretative Centre on a field trip yesterday learning about cyber-safety and digital privacy. Our Grade 4-5s also went to the Sam Centre at the Stampede Grounds and learned about how the Stampede has impacted relationships between people, this place and over time – a great social studies history lesson!
Next week we are recognizing Pink Shirt Day. We have used this month to discuss kindness and inclusivity while learning about Pink Shirt Day, Valentines Day, Black History Month and Lunar New Year. There will be more in-class activities coming up for Pink Shirt Day and all students will be given a sticker to wear that is of a pink shirt (parents, you do not need to run out and buy a pink shirt) – watch for details in your homeroom email.
Our staff meeting this afternoon focussed on one of our school development plan goals: improving resilience in solving complex math problems. Each grade team shared their complex math problem and teachers discussed how we can build a scope and sequence of strategies to help students from K-6.
Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences
As we approach our Student-Led Parent / Teacher conferences on February 26 (4:00-8:00) and 27th (8:00-11:00), please ensure that you have created a PowerSchool MyCBE account. You can book your time starting on Sunday, February 22 at 6:00 p.m. You will receive an email ahead of time with reservation details.
The format for these conferences are different from the formal one-on-one interview with the teacher in November. Students are expected to attend and will be sharing their work with parents. Students may have a passport for learning that will guide the time with your child.
There will be multiple families in the classroom at the same time with the teacher. The teacher is available to prompt students or add further context to the learning tasks on display. This format allows students to share their accomplishments and speak to learning goals moving forward. If you feel you need to discuss concerns with teachers outside of these sessions, please request a separate meeting with the teacher.
You will be booking into a 10-15 minute time slot with the teacher, however you are welcome to stay longer as required to view student work. The time slots allow us to stagger times for families and not have too many families in the room at one time. If you book the last time slot of the day (7:45 p.m. or 10:45 a.m.), please arrive earlier to have time to explore before conferences end.
Birthday Book Library Donations
We just recently handed out our first round of birthday books to students. They were very excited to be the first to sign out their book and select a special bookmark to go with it.
The Birthday Book campaign is an annual campaign that helps keep our Learning Commons up-to-date and expands the literacy materials available to our students. EPS families can choose to participate in the campaign by donating $25 per student. These funds are used to purchase brand new books. Participating students get to select which book they would like to designate as donated by them and they are the first to bring their donated book home to read, then the book enters the EPS library circulation for other students to enjoy for years to come.
Please visit our Elbow Park Fundraisers & Donations page for more information.
Action - Alberta Education Parent Survey – Due March 6
Every school year, Alberta Education and Childcare surveys students, parents, and teachers to gather feedback on school experiences. This input helps identify what is working well and highlights areas where improvement is needed.
To date, we have had ten (10) parents access this survey. As a small school, the Alberta Education and Childcare Assurance Survey (AECAS) invites students at Elbow Park in grades 4-6, along with their parents, to share their perspectives, experiences, and feelings about school. This is an important opportunity to have your voice heard! Last year we only had 16 parents complete the survey.
Usually, Alberta Education uses Canada Post to send out random access codes to access the survey. We are excited to announce that this year, CBE School Improvement will email parents and guardians a unique, single-use access code to enter the survey.
- Families with more than one eligible student will receive a separate single-use access code for each child
- Paper copies and translated versions are available upon request through your child’s school principal
- Participation is voluntary and questions may be skipped/survey can be exited at any time. As noted in the instructions for the survey, if a question is not applicable or if the respondent does not feel comfortable answering, they should leave the response blank, or answer “N/A”. A blank response does not count towards the total number of responses
Once you receive your access code, visit the AECAS webpage to complete the confidential online survey.
Students are surveyed during the same period as their parents or guardians, Jan. 26 – Mar. 6, however students typically complete the survey at school. Further details are available in the Parent Notification Letter.
If you have any questions or would like a paper copy of the survey, please contact the principal of your child’s school after Jan. 26.
By participating in the AECAS, you are helping to shape the future of education in Alberta
Download/Print Report Cards on February 24
On Tuesday, February 24, your child’s report card will be available to view/print in your MyCBE account. You must use a computer to login to view the PDF version of this report card – you are not able to view it in the App. Report Cards are only available to parents for download during the current school year.
The report card is one of the ways teachers communicate how your child is progressing in their learning. Teachers may also share learning progress through parent/teacher conferences, your child’s daily work and assignments, and other ongoing communication with you.
Calgary Opera Residency
We have begun our residency with Calgary Opera which will create our centennial themed performances on June 4 and 5.
Each homeroom worked with Dustin, our librettist, to come up with the content and lyrics for the play. Each grade level has a different time era of study.
We will require some parent volunteers to assist with elements of the production including set design and costuming. If you are interested, please contact Mr. Fech: jwfech@cbe.ab.ca
Fun Lunches
Did you know that our Fun Lunch program is a school fundraiser?
Did you know that you can sign up for all future Fun Lunches in one sitting and not miss any?
Please sign up now and end the invasion of Uber Eats in our office 😊
Sign up on our Lunchtime webpage.
Our fun lunch dates are:
· Feb. 25 -Papa Johns Pizza
· Mar. 18 - Edo
· Apr. 15 - Opa
· May 20 - McDonald’s