Dear Banff Trail School Families,
As we enter Spring Break, at the forefront of my mind is the incredible support we receive from the many, many parents who give in a myriad of ways for the betterment of our school. This has been punctuated in the past couple weeks, as parents helped sustain a strong school culture and learning environment by:
· Participating in the reading program, daily, at our school. This has been an immense help in having students improve their literacy skills.
· Helping with field trips. In the past couple weeks alone, we have required numerous volunteers for a range of field trips, including the schoolwide trip to Winsport for the World Women’s Curling Championships, walking trips around the school area, a trip to Bow Habitat, a trip to the Earth Science for Society Exhibition at the University of Calgary, and whole-school skating at Triwood Arena. Without your presence to help with supervision on these occasions, these trips would not be able to happen.
· Funding whole-school (or almost whole-school) opportunities. In my 6 years at Banff Trail School, there has not been an occasion where families have been asked to pay for a whole-school event. Busing alone for the recent curling field trip cost around $3300, and the fundraising done by our School Society (whether via the Casino, Education Matters/Cheque writing campaign, Art Cards, or any other event) goes a long way to support these initiatives. Again, this would not be possible without your support.
· Attending your child’s grade-level assembly. Each grade level hosts one assembly over the course of the school year. Being restricted by both the size of our school population and the size of our gymnasium space, we are not able to host all families for all of our assemblies. As such, it has become an important occasion for each grade group to invite parents to attend their hosted assembly. This past week was one such occasion, as our grade 2 students hosted their assembly, and it was inspiring to see the large amount of families who were able to come in support of their children. This is especially true knowing that for many parents, it is challenging and/or not possible to attend such events during the school or work day, but it is just one of many ways that support can be shown.
· Joining Teachers in conversation during school conferences. Yesterday and today, most parents came to the school to discuss their child’s progress via the school conferences. With only 3 months remaining in the year, this is a great opportunity for discourse and analysis of what is going well for your child, and what are some next steps in their learning. Showing your child that you are there to support them, and working with Teachers to optimize their learning will help set everyone up for success for the remainder of the school year.
Perhaps this is a long-winded ‘thank you’ more than anything, but I am very grateful for the extensive wrap-around care that you provide your child, and the students at Banff Trail School; every piece matters in making our school a great place to learn.
For your consideration:
School Conferences: Thank you to all families for attending this latest and final round of school conferences. Though it is a great opportunity to discuss your child’s learning, you are of course welcome to connect via email or phone anytime you have a question, or if you have further information you want to share about your child.
Theme Day: With Spring officially beginning today, we should see all the signs of Spring emerging over the next month. In celebration and recognition of this time of year, we will be hosting “It’s Time for Spring” (C’est le temps du printemps) as our dress-up theme day on Thursday, April 30th. We encourage students and staff to welcome the new season by accessorizing or dressing like, or for, 'Spring’. Be as creative with this as you like!
Online Math Resources: There are many resources available for parents and students to use online that aim to offer engaging opportunities for students to learn about math. Two of these resources that some Teachers use include Yummy Math, and Math = Love. Though they are aimed at an adult audience (there are not online ‘games’ to play on those sites) and are in English, both have different ways to approach math through engaging, thought-provoking activities. If you’re looking for some fun challenges over the break, they might be worth a look!
Adults Learning at Banff Trail School: Banff Trail School continues to be a model of exemplary teaching practice for both current and aspiring Teachers in our province. This month, we have six Student Teachers working with various Teachers in our building from both the University of Calgary and Campus St. Jean, as well as First Year CBE French Immersion Teachers shadowing Mme. Sophie to learn about best practice for teaching and learning a new language in an Immersion setting. We are fortunate to have such broad teaching expertise in our building!
Upcoming Dates:
March 21-29, inclusive: School closed for Spring Break
March 30: School resumes
April 3: School closed (Good Friday)
April 13: Knowledge Keeper Anita Crowshoe working with select classes
April 24: Non-Instructional Day (school closed for students)
April 30: ‘It’s Time for Spring’ Theme Day
Have a wonderful Spring Break together, and see you again on March 30th,
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School