Good afternoon ALS Parents/Guardians,

I hope you are all doing well and staying warm now that winter has turned to its usual self again! I’d like to take a moment to thank all parents who attended the School Council meeting this week, and for the continued support our school receives from Council. This partnership is vital to our success in supporting students, and it is truly appreciated.

Thank you as well to everyone who came out to celebrate our Winter Festival of Learning. It was a cold evening, but incredibly heartwarming to see so many families joining us to celebrate student learning. Special thanks to Ms. Tompkins for organizing the event, and to all of our staff for the outstanding work they do with students in their complementary courses and for showcasing and celebrating that learning with our community. Our students displayed some incredible talent and learning last night – kudos to them! Looking ahead to next week, Semester 2 begins on Wednesday. Students will be moving into their new complementary course offerings at that time.

High school transition activities are beginning for our Grade 9 students. Next week, students designated to Robert Thirsk High School will attend a school tour on Monday. Students designated to Bowness High School already visited their school last week. As a reminder, students are automatically designated to their community high school when transitioning from middle school, and no action is required from families unless you wish to seek enrollment in a high school other than your child’s designated school. In that case, the high school transfer process must be followed, as outlined on the CBE corporate website. Students living in Arbour Lake, Citadel, and Hawkwood are designated to Robert Thirsk High School. Our grandfathered students living in Scenic Acres are designated to Bowness High School. Again, all information related to high school designation and transfers can be found on the CBE corporate website.

The volleyball season has begun with our teams practicing last week and this week, preparing them to take to the court next week in their first competitions of the season. We wish them the very best as they prepare for their games.

Please be reminded that Friday, January 30 is a system non-instructional day. There will be no classes for students. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. If you need anything, please feel free to reach out to me by email.

Dr. Nancy Lisi
Principal, Arbour Lake School
nmlisi@cbe.ab.ca