Dear Parents & Guardians:

In this post you will find information for the following:

·         Important Dates

·         Student News: Terry Fox & Orange Shirt Day

·         School Council Minutes Posted

·         Bottle Drive for Families-in-Need

·         Student Progress & Contacting Teachers

·         Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series

·         Save the Date - Casino Volunteers Please

Important Dates –

·         Sept 29 – Organizational Day (No School)

·         Sept 30 – Truth & Reconciliation Day (No School)

·         Oct 2 – Gr. 5-6 Camp Parent Meeting – Mandatory (6:00-7:30 p.m.)

·         Oct 6-9 – Cricket PE Residency 

·         Oct 13 – Thanksgiving (No School) 

·         Oct 20 – Professional Development Day (No School)

·         Wed., Oct 29 – EPPS Society AGM (7 p.m.)

·         Oct 30 – Halloween Dance & Haunted House (5:30-7:30)

·         Nov. 7 – Remembrance Day Assembly (9:45-10:30) Parents Welcome

·         Nov. 10-12 – Fall Break (No School)

·         Nov 13 – Classes Resume

·         Nov 17-21 – PE Curling Residency: Rocks & Rings

·         Nov 18-21 – Grade 5-6 Outdoor School YMCA

·         Nov 20 – School Council Meeting (6:30-8:00)

·         Subscribe to our Web Calendar (link on bottom left)

Student News: Terry Fox & Orange Shirt Day

The Marathon Of Hope

This year our school ran laps around the Elbow Park School property, honoring the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. Our Terry Fox run was on September 12 and everybody wrote a dedication note that said who they were running for. Most people were running for their grandparents or family friends but this one really stood out to us, “I am running for Terry Fox and the fight against cancer”. This year we wanted to raise money for the cancer research foundation. Our goal was $1,000 and we raised $1467! Thank you so much to everybody that donated!

By: Chloe, Addie and Savannah    

You Still Matter… We Still Care

Most of us wore orange shirts on September 24 2025 and all students tied an orange ribbon to our fence and some students wrote a meaningful note on the ribbon…We celebrate Orange Shirt Day because we want to remember the past and care for the future and help change our wrongs to rights. Some examples of the orange ribbons are “your culture is your beauty” and “study the past to make a better future” and “we are all important”. Check out the orange ribbon heart on Sifton Boulevard if you can!

Our class and some other classes read some Indigenous books. For example, one of them is called Shi-shi-etko. It is about a 7-year old going to Residential School. There is a sequel called Shin-shis-canoe.

By: Chloe, Addie and Savannah

School Council Minutes Posted

If you missed our School Council meeting on September 18, the meeting minutes including the Principal’s Report are now posted on the Council webpage.

Bottle Drive for Families-In-Need

Help support families-in-need at our sister school, James Short Memorial, which is located in the community of Penbrook Meadows, through our Parent Society’s ongoing bottle drive.  

·         Our school is partnered with Skip-The-Depot to collect refundable cans and bottles from your home.

·         Bottle donations are collected from your door throughout the school year and the dollars raised will be distributed to families by way of Superstore gift cards.

·         You can schedule your bottle pick-ups by using the Skip-The-Depot app and connecting to our Elbow Park Parent Society in the list of donors. More instructions are available on our Fundraisers & Donations webpage.

Student Progress & Contacting Teachers

​We know it is important for parents/guardians to understand how their children are doing in school. Research shows that students are more successful with active parent/guardian involvement.

Our report card in January is one component in communicating student learning. In addition to the report card, schools communicate with parents/guardians about student progress on an ongoing basis in a variety of ways. Our Grade Teams are sending weekly emails every Friday with a review of what was learned in the week prior and a glimpse into what is coming up in the next week. You can also expect to see work samples come home each month in literacy and numeracy.

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please email their teachers to arrange a time to connect.

Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series

Well-being is a precondition for student achievement. Students need to be well to succeed. Currently, students face a wide range of mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. This trend is alarming and requires our attention.

The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join us for a live online series focused on supporting child and youth well-being. Hosted by the Recovery Alberta Community Education Service (CES) Program in collaboration with experts from the Calgary community, this year's sessions will explore a wide range of timely topics, including:

• Digital Dilemma: Screens, Social Media and Gaming
• Is Your Child Struggling at School? It May Be Time for a Psychoeducational Assessment
• Level Up: Exploring the Impact of Gaming and Tech on Adolescent Learning and Cognition
• Cyber Safety
• ADHD is Awesome
• Executive Functioning Essentials for Parents

These sessions are designed to equip families with knowledge, tools, and strategies to navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising children and teens today.

These sessions will be free and provide information, resources, helplines, and services to support healthy child and youth development. Click here to register.

Save the Date: Casino Volunteers Needed 😊

Hh We have confirmed dates for our Elbow Park Parent Society (EPPS) Casino: Nov 23 and 24, 2025 (Sunday and Monday).

Please sign up using this link

Every two years, we have the opportunity to run a casino with Elbow Park parent community volunteers, to raise funds for the EPPS.  The casino funds more than half of our overall Society budget, which allows us to offer unique programming to EPS students. 

Please consider supporting this valuable fundraiser:

·         When: Sun 23 and Mon 24 November, 2025; daytime and evening shifts

·         Where: Cowboy's Casino (421 12 Ave SE)

·         What is needed: volunteers to support casino activities - training and support is provided for all volunteers on the day.

In a typical school year, EPPS pays for a variety of experiences and enhancements for your children:

·         Academic residencies including theatre, dance, in-line skating, skiing, lacrosse and Aussie rules football, totalling around $20,000. 

·         Art supplies, PE equipment, math and science resources total around $10,000

·         Facility enhancements such as the outdoor boulder classroom, naturalization area tree planting, patio tables are budgeted to be around $10,000 per year

·         Other smaller items including classroom budgets for consumable learning materials, music equipment repair, iPad apps, concert lighting and leveled and/or decodable reading materials are budgeted at around $5000

Thank you for your consideration

Warm regards,

Jason Fech
Principal