Dear Banff Trail School Families,
Twenty-three years ago, as I was a few years into my career as a French Immersion Teacher with the Calgary Board of Education, Teachers engaged in labour action in support of improved learning and working conditions. I am saddened to see that we seem to have reached an impasse again, and like everyone, hope that it can be resolved as quickly as possible. I have advocated for many years through School Council and my Principal’s messages that learning does not stop when children leave the school, and assuming the labour disruption continues as currently planned, it will be even more important that you find ways to keep the learning, engagement, and wonder alive, outside of the school. Previous ideas that I have offered include visiting a nearby (or distant!) library to explore, visiting local attractions (Heritage Park, The Confluence, Bell Studio, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, etc.) or local-adjacent attractions (Royal Tyrell Museum, Writing-On-Stone, etc.), watching some age-appropriate videos or documentaries together, or simply exploring the outdoors while asking questions about what you see as a family…and finding the answers to those questions! With any time away from school, know that you are all in our hearts and minds, and we look forward to connecting again in a good way.
For your consideration:
Transportation Safety: I am happy to hear that many families have taken extra precautions during pickup and drop off around the school, including a reduced number of people using the back lane to drop their children off. Thank you! Please consider reading this document from CBE Transportation Services, which offers some excellent tips for both drivers and pedestrians that you could review with your children at home.
Volunteer Reading Program: We are happy to announce that our Volunteer Reading Program will be happening again this year. We are looking for volunteers to read at all grade levels, either in French or in English. If you are interested, please follow this link before October 11th to register. There will be a training session, currently planned for Friday, October 17th (9:30 to 10:30) for all volunteers (provided schools are open). If you have any questions about this program, please contact Mme Sophie at soducharme@cbe.ab.ca. For information about Police Information Check (PIC), please contact Mme Nikki at the office (nlschafer@cbe.ab.ca).
School Conferences: Thank you to all families who attended the in-person school conferences this past Friday and Monday (and to the many families who brought in snacks for the Teachers!). This is a valued occasion for both school staff and parents, to help set students up for a successful learning experience at the school. If ever you have questions or new insights to share about your child, please connect with your child’s teacher.
Next Theme/Spirit Day: Thank you to everyone who participated in September’s important theme day: Orange Shirt Day. Our next Spirit Day is planned for October 31st; we invite all students to either wear a costume (no hand-held accessories/weapons, or costumes with ‘gore’ please), or wear black/orange on that day. Looking forward to it!
School Council: All School Council dates for the month of October have been cancelled by CBE.
Labour Action: Information about any potential, upcoming labour action is dynamic and evolving. I encourage everyone to pay close attention to CBE’s dedicated Labour Action page for any updates.
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, October 6: Labour action scheduled to begin
Monday, October 13: Thanksgiving Day, school closed
Wednesday, October 15: School Council, 6:30pm - CANCELLED
Monday, October 20: Non-Instructional Day, Municipal Election Day
Friday, October 31: Theme/Spirit Day: Costumes/Orange&Black Theme
November 8-12: School Closed, November Break.
Thursday, November 13: School resumes
Wednesday, November 19: School Council, 6:30pm
Have a wonderful weekend with the family, and sincerely hope to see you again very soon.
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School