WARNING – Longer than Usual Update Good afternoon, I hope this finds everyone doing well. It has been a very busy week at Arbour Lake School. Our grade 7s attended Journey 2050 which meant taking a trip to the Nutrien Western Event Centre on the Stampede Grounds. They were able to engage in interactive and hands-on activities that supported their learning in relation to the ripple effect of farming and the importance of agriculture in sustaining life. Additionally they also learned about sustainable agriculture which balances economic, social, and environmental factors for long term success. Our volleyball teams were busy this week as well with our Senior Boys’ team making it to the championships. They will be playing tonight at 7:45PM at Sir Winston Churchill High School. Additionally, in learning about entrepreneurship, grade 9 students were tasked with designing their own businesses and products/services to sell to their fellow Arbour Lake School students. Grade 9 students designed their business and then marketed them through advertisements shared throughout the school. On Thursday, this multidisciplinary project culminated with the “Grade 9 Market” where the grade 9 students sold their product/service to the other students in the school. All proceeds made from the market are being donated to the Cancer Society. The creativity, ingenuity, and talent demonstrated through the products and services sold at Market was truly remarkable to witness. I wanted to pause this week to outline some of the intentional strategies that we have implemented at ALS to support student well-being, and in doing so I am hoping that I can present a cohesive plan that outlines for parents the “why” behind some of our strategies and how they are interconnected with the hope that parents can work with us to support the continued implementation of our initiatives. Arbour Lake School remains committed to supporting student well-being through those avenues we are able to influence while students are with us during the day. We know that adolescent mental health continues to be a factor that impacts the well-being of many of our students. We know that social media has grown in popularity and that this medium can expose our students to harrowing news, along with a window into the idealized lives of other people which can cause feelings of inadequacy and frustration, but which can also increase the risk of cyber bullying, negative self-image, and even substance abuse; all factors that can negatively impact one’s mental health. This said, we also know that regular exercise, even as little as 30 minutes per day, can support strong mental well-being and current research also indicates that spending time outdoors, connecting with others, and learning through creative avenues can also strongly support mental well-being. Outlined below are the intentional strategies we have implemented to support the physical and mental well-being of all of our students.
This week, for their full grade off-campus experience, our grade 9s spent Tuesday at YYC Beach. They had the opportunity to get away from the school and try beach volleyball, sand soccer, dodgeball, spike ball and a few other activities. Those that went had a good time and came back excited to have had the opportunity to go try something they really had not considered doing, especially in March in Calgary! Sadly, of our approximately 200 grade 9s, over 60 elected not to participate. Some of these students were engaged in the spiritual celebration of Ramadan making it understandable to pass on this opportunity as fasting makes physical activity challenging, and others also had very understandable reasons for not attending, however most of the student who did not participate simply opted out to stayed home for the day missing additional instruction as our grade 9s were only away from 9am to 1pm. I am hoping that by sharing with our learning community why we offer what we do, and why we operate in the manner that we do, more of our families will encourage their children to participate in the learning opportunities provided as the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. If at any time you have questions or may wonder about the purpose behind any activity or event, please do not hesitate to reach out and ask. Finally, please check out the "Announcements and Reminders" sections as there are a MANY new additions. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Sincerely, Nancy Lisi, Principal Announcements & Reminders:
Parent Teacher Conferences An email was sent out earlier this week around Parent Teacher Conferences being held on Thursday, March 21 from 4PM to 8PM and Friday, March 20 from 8AM-1PM. To accommodate as many families as possible, conferences are 10 minutes. Conferences are virtual, however families wishing to have an in-person meeting can request this. Please see the email sent earlier this week that details how to sign up for a conference booking.
Ramanda Supervision at Lunch We have reconfigured our supervision schedule for the month of Ramadan. Students who are fasting are welcome to spend the first half of the lunch period when others are eating in the Learning Commons. Teacher supervisors will be present.
School Council Meeting – March 19 Our next School Council meeting will be on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:30PM. This will be a virtual meeting. During this meeting I will go through a community engagement presentation sharing with you information about school fees and our school development planning process. I will also be asking for feedback from you on both the meeting and the items covered. I hope to see you all there. You can use the following link to access the meeting: Click here to join the meeting
Community Engagement: Survey on SDP and Fees We are starting to look ahead to the next school year and we are hoping you can take a few minutes to provide us with some feedback directly linked to our school development process and school-based fees. Please note that when we consider school-based fees this does NOT include lunch supervision fees for grade 6 students, nor does it include transportation fees. Please use the link below to share your perspective with me on fees and our SDP. Survey: https://arbourlake.cbedialogue.com/en/projects/2023-2024-school-year/engagements/school-planning-survey-2024-arbour-lake-school
Spirit Week: March 18-21 Monday: Beach Holi(Day) It’s going to be beautiful double-digit weather in Calgary so let’s get an early start to our March Break by breaking out our beach/summer wear. Shorts, sandals, summer dresses, tank tops and Leis! You get the idea, right? We can’t let Mr. Hicks be the only one wearing shorts in the winter this Monday. Tuesday: Soccer Moms and BBQ Dads Spring has sprung, and so has soccer season and BBQ season! Time to drive the kids to soccer practice in your leggings, runners, fanny packs and baseball caps. Not taking the kids to practice, better turn on the BBQ and get dinner ready. But we all know you can only BBQ in shorts (khaki preferred), your best t-shirt, and socks and sandals are a must (crocs are acceptable) Wednesday: Bitmoji/Skin Day We know that many of you will be spending a fair amount of time in the virtual world this March Break. To celebrate our virtual selves, you are encouraged to dress up as your favorite Fortnite Skin or Bitmoji from another of your favorite games. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3lB20kvT3k/?igsh=bnF0MG1udjZuYXZ5 Thursday: Staycation Day This is the fourth day of Spirit Week so make it an easy one. Imagine you’re staying at home for all 10 days of March Break. Over the break, you may go down the Netflix rabbit hole and discover a show that have 6 seasons…and you have nothing but time on your hands. Dress like you’ve been on your couch for three straight days binge watching this show! Basically Pajama Day, but Pajama Day at 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o
Spring Plant Sailing Fundraiser Our grade 9 sailing students are heading to the west coast in April for the trip of a lifetime. We are running one final fundraiser for students to help offset their costs. Through Growing Smiles we are selling spring plants and flowers. Please use the link below to order. Orders are being accepted until March 21, 2024. Delivery will be at the end of April/Beginning of May. When checking out, there is a section to add referred by, please feel free to indicate a specific sailing student or just write All students and the profit will be split between all students attending the trip. Thank you in advance for your support of the Arbour Lake Sailing Program. https://alssailing.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home
Mean Girls Junior – Hoodie Order Arbour Lake School is proud to present their mainstage show this year, Mean Girls Jr! To promote our play and show our school spirit we are offering the opportunity to purchase a Mean Girls Jr hoodie. This is an open opportunity for all students and families in Arbour Lake School. All hoodies will be pink in color and have a Mean Girls Jr logo on the front and "On Wednesday's we wear pink" on the back. They will each have a personalized name on the sleeve as well. The cost of the hoodies is to be determined by how many are ordered. The maximum amount would be $50.00. So please only order if this price is okay with you. Please use the following link to order: https://forms.gle/WYUTnVw5b9W5v1gY8 All orders are due by Friday March 22, 2024. You will receive an email once all orders are confirmed, with the official price. This fee will then be added to your MYCBE account to be paid.
Student Enrollment Intentions for 2024-2025 If your child is currently scheduled to return to Arbour Lake School next year, but you know that they will not be returning, please use this link to share your intentions: https://forms.gle/XvbybR3qvQci3R21A
NEEDED - Parent Volunteer Sign-Up for Fun Lunch - Thursdays For parents who wish to volunteer, our Fun Lunch days need some support. If you have completed your police check and requirements for volunteering within CBE and are a quick learner in understanding systems of organization, we would love to have you come join us on Thursdays at lunch to support Fun Lunch distribution. Please use the Sign-up Genius link below to do so: Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CAEA628A3FDC34-46860288-funlunch/24158094#/
THE COYOTES CANTEEN The Coyotes Canteen is open. All sales are CASH ONLY.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE - UPDATED
Upcoming Events & Important Dates Mar 18-22 Spirit Week Mar 18 Spring Photos Mar 19 School Council Meeting – 6:30PM – Virtual – Planning Engagement Session Mar 20 Spring Leadership Activity Mar 21 Parent Teacher Interviews 4-8PM Mar 22 Parent Teacher Interviews 8:00AM-1:00PM (No Classes) Mar 25-Apr 1 Spring Break April 2 Return to School April 2-4 Badminton Tryouts
Healthy Hunger Dates Organized by our School Council, Arbour Lake School does offer “Fun Lunches” through Healthy Hunger. Parents can order lunch for their child in advance. It is delivered to the school on the noted date and distributed to students. If you’re interested in taking advantage of getting a break from making lunches occasionally this is a nice treat for parents and students. The link to sign up is below. Please scroll down and select “Arbour Lake Middle School” – there are two schools with similar names, this is the one that takes you to our staff selection. ALL Homerooms have now been included!! https://healthyhunger.ca/parent-help March 20 Tim Horton’s Snack March 21 Subway Parent Volunteer Sign-Up for Fun Lunch - Thursdays For parents who wish to volunteer, our Fun Lunch days need some support. If you have completed your police check and requirements for volunteering within CBE and are a quick learner in understanding systems of organization, we would love to have you come join us on Thursdays at lunch to support Fun Lunch distribution. Please use the Sign-up Genius link below to do so: Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CAEA628A3FDC34-46860288-funlunch/24158094#/
Arbour Lake School Social Media Accounts Twitter: @ArbourLake_CBE Instagram: arbourlake_cbe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arbour Lake School |
Arbour Lake School - Weekly Message - March 15 2024
Posted on 2024-03-18 16:18:46.804 +0000 UTC