Dear Banff Trail School Families,
The first month of school marks the time where students are learning new routines, adapting to new teachers and expectations, and developing new relationships with both peers and adults (a lot of 'new'!). Everyone from our office staff to Lunch Supervisors to our teachers carefully consider and plan for how to best care for our students, while aiming to set them up for success in their many future years of education.
As we move into October, teachers are now beginning to establish baseline data about their students, which can inform what students still need to learn (in comparison to the curricular expectations for the year) and what they have already mastered. Teachers are also reflecting upon what types of professional development would serve them best, as we are very fortunate to have a keen group of teachers who are always looking for ways to improve teaching efficacy and learning opportunities. This year, we are planning to look closely at the oral component of language acquisition, to empower our students to become better communicators. Details about how we will be enacting this plan are still in draft form, and I encourage you to continue to read these messages and/or attend our School Council evenings if you would like to learn more about our plans for constant improvement. We are very proud of the excellent achievement of the students at Banff Trail School, but we are also always looking for ways to improve our work!
In consideration of constant improvement, teachers and I have received some queries over the years about how one might support their child with language acquisition, especially when over 90% of parents in Immersion schools do not speak the targeted language. Consider the following resources, which may be of interest to you:
- Literature Review on the Impact of Second-Language Learning: A four-page summary that lists and examines the many positive personal, societal, intercultural and economic impacts of learning a new language.
- Yes, You Can Help! Information and Inspiration for Parents of French Immersion Students : A document from the Alberta Government with extensive yet approachable information about many facets of learning in a French Immersion environment. Very accessible, and many simple, excellent suggestions about what you can do at home to help with language acquisition.
- Rainbow Schools Toolbox for parents of students in French Immersion and Core French: Another great guide that offers some foundational French information, such as key vocabulary, pronunciation, grammatical differences from English, some excellent website resources to consider, and more. You can flip to any page to quickly learn something new about the language, and then start a discussion with your child about it!
I hope that you can find something in the above resources to support your child in their French Immersion schooling; having said this, your child's teacher is also an excellent resource if you are looking for other ways to support their learning at home…
For your consideration:
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 to register. There will be a training session on Friday, October 27th (8:30 to 9:15) for all volunteers. If you have any questions about this, please contact Mme Sophie at soducharme@cbe.ab.ca.
Cyber Security Awareness Month: October is recognized as Cyber Security Awareness Month; as students begin to dabble with technology and the online world, it is important to equip them with the tools needed to safely navigate this space. Though many online resources exist, the government of Canada's getcybersafe.ca website has some excellent resources to consider, for everything from gaming systems tips to social media usage. Two 4-minute videos also worth considering that come from another source recommended by the CBE are this video about email and phishing, and this video about social engineering.
Child and Youth Well-Being: A Webinar Series for Parents and Guardians: The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join us in an online series focusing on child and youth well-being. These sessions will be hosted in partnership with experts from Alberta Health Services and will explore topics such as vaping, brain development, mental health, and sexual health. Click here to learn more. CBE educators believe that parents and guardians can inspire their kids to make healthy lifestyle choices and increase protective factors – in order to do so, they need the right tools and information. Well-being is a precondition for learning. As our understanding of student well-being continues to evolve, it is important for those that support children and youth to stay up to date on the same information so everyone can support student success. The intention of the series is to advance student well-being by raising family and caregiver's understanding of a variety of health-related topics.
Spirit Day: Thank you to everyone who participated in September's important theme day: Orange Shirt Day. Our next Spirit Day will be on 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!
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, October 9: Thanksgiving Day, School Closed
Wednesday, October 11: Photo Retakes Day
Friday, October 20: Non-Instructional Day—No school for students
Tuesday, October 31: Spirit Day-Costumes, Orange and Black, Halloween Day
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all; have a great long weekend.
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School