Dear Arbour Lake School Families,

It has been another busy and productive week at ALS, with students participating in a wide range of learning experiences, athletic competitions, field trips, performances, and school activities.

Events and Activities Updates

]We began the week with our annual City-Wide Track Meet, where 107 Arbour Lake School athletes proudly represented our school. We are incredibly proud of all of our Coyotes who competed and demonstrated determination, sportsmanship, and school spirit throughout the day.

Special congratulations to the following students and relay teams for their outstanding performances:

▪ True B (Grade 7) – 1st Place, 100m Dash

▪ Jannat Z (Grade 7) – 1st Place, Hurdles; 2nd Place, Long Jump

▪ Grade 7 Girls Relay Team (True, Tenuun, Parker & Anaya) – 1st Place

▪ Alex B (Grade 7) – 2nd Place, High Jump

▪ Sydney M (Grade 8) – 1st Place, Shot Put

▪ Maya L (Grade 9) – 1st Place, 100m Dash; 2nd Place, High Jump

▪ Olive W (Grade 9) – 2nd Place, 100m Dash

▪ Kasha M (Grade 9) – 3rd Place, 1200m

▪ Ashtyn R (Grade 9) – 3rd Place, Shot Put

▪ Juniper G (Grade 6) – 1st Place, 800m; 2nd Place, 1200m

▪ Jane P (Grade 6) – 1st Place, Shot Put

▪ Eshaan B (Grade 7) – 1st Place, Hurdles

▪ Oliver X (Grade 9) – 1st Place, 100m Dash; 1st Place, Long Jump

▪ Tolu A (Grade 6) – 1st Place, 100m Dash

▪ Grade 6 Boys Relay Team (Tolu, Roman, Brodie & Maxi) – 3rd Place

▪ Brodie F (Grade 6) – 1st Place, Long Jump

▪ Grade 9 Mixed Relay Team (Tristan, Kale, Kate & Maya) – 1st Place

Congratulations to all our athletes and thank you to our staff coaches for their time, commitment, and support throughout the track and field season.

Unfortunately, the City-Wide Middle School Football Tournament, originally scheduled for last Friday and tentatively rescheduled for today, has officially been cancelled due to weather conditions. While this is certainly disappointing for our student-athletes and coaches, we recognize that some factors are beyond our control. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the tournament organizers, officials, volunteers, and coaches who worked diligently to try to make the event possible. We look forward to celebrating the conclusion of the season next week with the Staff vs. Students Football Game.

Other learning opportunities continued throughout the week. Our Grade 9 students attended a performance of Shrek the Musical at StoryBook Theatre, while our Grade 7 and 8 Drama students attended a production Come from Away at Theatre Calgary. These experiences provide students with opportunities to connect classroom learning to professional performances while fostering an appreciation for the arts.

This week also saw our annual Patrol Picnic at Heritage Park. We are grateful to our patrol students for the leadership, responsibility, and service they provide each day in helping keep our school community safe. The picnic was a well-deserved opportunity to celebrate their contributions.

Today, approximately half of our Grade 7 students visited the Crowfoot Public Library, where they learned about the many resources, programs, and supports available through the Calgary Public Library system. Experiences such as these help students become aware of the valuable learning opportunities available within our community.

We also continued our Dance Kreations Residency, which has brought energy, creativity, and movement into our school over the past several weeks. Students have thoroughly enjoyed working with the instructors and developing their confidence through dance and performance.

Final Exams & PATs

As part of our ongoing commitment to academic excellence and preparing students for future success, ALS has implemented final examinations for Grade 7 and Grade 8 students this year. This week, Grade 7 students completed their English Language Arts Reading Comprehension and Mathematics final assessments. These assessments provide valuable information about student learning while also helping students develop important skills related to preparation, organization, time management, and perseverance. The experience of writing cumulative examinations helps students build confidence and familiarity with assessment practices they will encounter throughout high school and beyond. Please be sure to review communications from your child's teaching team regarding upcoming assessment dates and schedules. Of course our Grade 6 and 9 PATs also continue as noted below.

Government of Alberta’s Class Size Reduction Grant

As mentioned last week, we are pleased to inform you that our school has been allocated 3 additional teaching position(s) for the 2026–27 school year through the Government of Alberta’s Class Size Reduction Grant.

This grant funds teaching positions that support improved learning conditions in kindergarten to Grade 9 classrooms.

This funding is specifically intended to help reduce class sizes in core subject areas (English Language Arts/French Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies), with priority given to schools experiencing the greatest class size pressures.

This decision was made using system-wide data that considers:

▪ The number of classes exceeding provincial class size benchmarks

▪ Projected enrolment and class organization

▪ School programming and grade configuration

Our goal is to ensure students benefit from:

▪ Increased teacher attention

▪ Improved classroom learning environments

▪ Greater support for diverse learning needs

Spirit Week

We remain committed to supporting strong learning environments for all students and using our resources thoughtfully and strategically.

As we enter the final weeks of the school year, the pace certainly does not slow down. We have many year-end activities, celebrations, assessments, field trips, and special events ahead. Please take a few moments to review the school calendar below and watch for communications from your child's teachers.

This said, Spirit Week is next week and our Leadership students have planned a fun week of activities for all students:

❖ Multicolour Monday

Dress in the most colourful outfit you can find and join Leadership 9 students at lunch for parachute games on the main soccer field.

❖ Clash of the Colours Tuesday

Wear your favourite colour from head to toe.

❖ White Lie Wednesday

Wear a white T-shirt with a silly white lie written on the front. Join Leadership 9 students on the compound at lunch for a temporary tattoo party.

❖ Rhyme Without a Reason Thursday

Bring your rhyme buddy and join Leadership students on the main soccer field at lunch for a three-legged race.

❖ Beach Day Friday Wear your beach best and help us celebrate the approaching summer season.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and school community. We look forward to another exciting week at ALS and please reach out if you need anything at all.

Warm regards,

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