Dear Banff Trail School Families,
With the recent announcement of Banff Trail School now becoming the French Immersion home to a few additional communities (Glacier Ridge, Nolan Hill, University of Calgary, University District), and in consideration of the time of year, I am reminded of what a supportive community we have established at our little school. I very much value this sense of community that we have collectively established, and thus welcome these new communities with open arms. We prioritize strong, positive relationships amongst our staff, families and students. We are a building full of teachers with big hearts who love to teach, and want students to love to come to our school as much as they do. Our School Council is a welcoming, supportive group as well, raising funds for the many in-school residencies that we offer (such as Folklofolie, Inline Skating, Lacrosse, Curling, our Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Anita Crowshoe, Trickster Theatre, Dance, and much more), while providing for fun social events such as our Welcome Back Barbecue, Picnic at the Park, and Bike to School Day. The sense of community is palpable.
We of course provide many other experiences for our students as well. Mme. Sophie, our Intensive French Specialist, works with every class, and plays an instrumental role in incorporating French Cultural experiences into our work, including organizing our yearly Carnaval celebration (you may have noticed Mme. Sophie being spotlighted on the CBE’s main website, being recently honoured with a national French Immersion excellence award). Our Music specialist works with all classes, and this month hosted, for example, a tuba presentation for our grade 5 students. Last week, our Physical Education teacher hosted some speed skaters from Team Canada, including an Olympian, and a recent world-record breaker, in advance of an upcoming trip for students to the nearby Olympic Oval to watch some of the World Cup in January. Our proximity to other key locations, such as next-door West Confederation Park, also allows for us to leverage land-based learning together, whether using snowshoes in the winter or sketching in the warmer months. All this to say what most families who are currently at Banff Trail School certainly realize; we constantly seek to be a dynamic, engaging, multi-faceted learning environment for our students, and I look forward to continuing to strive towards making this a great place for all students to learn and grow in 2025 and beyond.
On another note, as we pause learning at Banff Trail School for Winter Break, a reminder to seek out learning opportunities for your children during this time. Whether exploring new recipes, learning more about our family and friends via gatherings, visiting new locations, trying out new sports or activities, or finding other ways to learn about some of the wonders around us, I encourage everyone to continue to uplift your child’s curiosity for our world. In asking questions together, you are setting your child up for a lifetime of interest in learning.
For your consideration:
Welcome Mika Ishikawa: We are very happy to introduce Mme. Mika (Ishikawa), who is taking over the role of School Secretary at Banff Trail School, since Mme. Nikki has decided to reduce her hours in support of spending more time with her family. It is not a goodbye to Mme. Nikki, however, since she will continue with her Lead Lunch Supervisor role. Congratulations Mme. Mika!
Many Celebrations to Acknowledge: Over the Winter Break, there are many faith-based celebrations occurring around our city, country and world. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or any other celebration, I wish you and your family a healthy and loving time together. A reminder that the CBE maintains a Dates of Significance page, which links to and acknowledges various celebrations.
Food Drive: Your support and generosity in donating food items during our Mayor’s Annual Food Drive was very appreciated and will help to provide for those less fortunate than us in our city. Our food drive boxes were absolutely overflowing with your generous donations. Thank you!!
Kindergarten/Grade 1 Registration: A reminder that 2025-26 registration for Kindergarten and grade 1 opens on Monday, January 13th, 2025. More information can be found here.
Upcoming Dates:
December 20: Last day of classes
December 21-January 5: Winter Break
January 6: School Resumes
January 9: K/1 Open House (for prospective families only, not for existing Banff Trail School families)
January 7-21: Alien Inline Residency, all grades
January 15: School Council Meeting, 6:30pm
January 27: Report Cards visible in MyCBE
January 31: Non-instructional day (no school for students)
February 10-12: School Carnaval Celebrations
February 13, 14: Teachers’ Convention (no school for students)
February 17: Family Day (school closed)
Wishing everyone a wonderful break with the family; Merry Christmas, and see you all again soon enough.
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School