Dear Parents,

Well it did not take long for both staff and students to jump back into teaching and learning. It has been a busy week with lots of excitement and learning in the classrooms. Although we are all glad to be back in front of children and continuing the passion we have to see students be successful, I would like to remind you that this is still a tricky time for all educators in Alberta. We would like to thank you for your words of encouragement, support and understanding as they are greatly needed, wanted and appreciated as we continue to do our best for your children and their education.

This next week is very short but I want to make sure you have all the information for the next couple of weeks so nothing is missed!

1. Reminder that we have our Fall Break Nov 10 -12.  We hope you are able to enjoy some of this time REMEMBERING those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms.
2. Students will be given the opportunity to have an author from Edmonton come and share the writing and publishing process with them, as well as hearing one of his stories on Nov. 13. Following the visit, there will be a QR code sent to you as parents in the Nov 14 updates in case you are interested in purchasing one of the books the children learned about during the author visit.
3. Friday is DIWALI dress day! Although Diwali is over and was celebrated in October, we want to make sure we take the time to celebrate with those families who formally celebrate this holiday. Students who have Diwali as part of their cultural and religious beliefs are invited to wear their FANCY FORMAL DIWALI clothing on Friday, Nov 14 for a photo for the yearbook. This is NOT a casual day and students who do not celebrate Diwali should still be in their uniforms as usual.
4. Students brought home a RESPONSIBILITY BINGO card before the strike. Hopefully they were able to complete some of those tasks. If your child still has it at home, please return it to school as there are prizes for the students who completed their bingo card.
5. Parent - Teacher Conferences are on November 27 and 28.  The booking window will open on Monday Nov 17 at 8:00 am and close on Thursday Nov 27 at noon. Please be sure to go onto your CBE account, scroll to “Book & Manage School Conferences” on the left side to book your time slot.  Conferences will be between 3:30 - 8:00 pm on Thursday evening and 8:00-11:00 am on Friday. In addition to those times, Kindergarten can attend conferences on Thursday between 8:30 – 11:30 am and 12:30 - 2:30 pm.  You must book a specific time to meet your teacher as it is not an open door event.  Friendly reminder this is NO KINDERGARTEN for students on Thursday Nov 27.  These conferences are 15 min conversations between parents and teachers, students are welcome to attend but not required.  As a reminder, this is a school community event and therefore no one should be attending under the influence of any substance (alcohol or drugs).  Attendees who arrive under influence (either acting or smelling of substances) will be asked to leave as we want to be respectful to all attendees and our staff. Thank you for your compliance with this expectation.
6. FUN LUNCH – reminder that our Subway Fun Lunch is on Thursday, Nov 20 and orders can be placed on Healthy Hunger until midnight Nov 15. Please note that M/W Kindergarten should NOT order this lunch as it is not their day.  For those who had previously ordered and paid for the Oct lunch- there is a credit on your Healthy Hunger account for the missed meal due to the strike.
7. School Council Meeting is on Tuesday, Nov 18 online.  If you are interested in participating in this online meeting, please email adtaylor@cbe.ab.ca before noon on Monday, Nov 17.  The meeting link will be sent to you Tuesday morning.

Hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy the Fall break.  Looking forward to having students back on Thursday Nov 13.

Sincerely,

Andrea Taylor