Good afternoon Arbour Lake School families,
As we head into the first days of spring, it certainly feels like the pace has picked up in our building. It has been a very busy and positive week filled with learning, activities, and celebrations across the school.
Our Grade 7 students had the opportunity to visit Telus Spark this week and had a fantastic time engaging in hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Opportunities like this bring classroom learning to life and it was wonderful to see students so engaged and enthusiastic throughout the day.
On the volleyball courts, our season officially wrapped up this week with some fun and spirited teacher versus student games, along with team celebrations. A huge congratulations to our Junior Girls’ Volleyball team on capturing the Divisional Championship. We are very proud of their hard work, teamwork, and commitment throughout the season. With volleyball now complete, we transition quickly into badminton season, with tryouts beginning Monday, March 30. Please see Ms. MacDougall’s weekly update for full details.
I would like to, as always, extend my appreciation to our School Council and those parents that attended this week’s meeting. This week was the annual school engagement meeting where I reviewed our school development plan and school fees. The data and feedback from this meeting are now available on our website. Thank you again for your time and partnership – we are very fortunate to have such a supportive parent community.
A reminder that Parent Teacher Conferences are taking place tonight from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and tomorrow from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. We look forward to connecting with you. Please also note that there is no school for students tomorrow.
Classroom Complexity Team
Arbour Lake School has been identified to receive support through the Alberta Government’s Classroom Complexity initiative. At this time, we do not yet have full details regarding the structure or composition of the team that will be assigned to our school, however recruitment is underway. I have elected not to do an internal reallocation of staff to support this work, as doing so would be more disruptive than beneficial. Instead, any additional staffing will be hired externally, likely drawing from the substitute teacher roster. We will share more information as it becomes available.
National Food Program
Additionally, we were informed last week that Arbour Lake School has received funding through the Government of Alberta’s National Food Program Agreement, intended to support school food programs and help address food insecurity. Due to tight provincial timelines, these funds must be spent by March 31, which requires us to move quickly in determining how best to use this allocation.
While we appreciate the intent behind this funding, it is important to note that it comes with strict nutritional guidelines. These guidelines place limits on sugar and sodium content and restrict some fresh food options. Over the past two weeks, we have been pleased to offer fresh fruit to students, which has been very well received, however these guidelines limit our ability to continue offering some of those same items through this specific funding. We will continue working to ensure the funds are used in a way that aligns with requirements while still supporting our students as effectively as possible.
Celebrating our Coyotes
Our Celebrating Our Coyotes initiative is an ongoing opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate our students for who they are as individuals, not just as learners in the classroom. Thank you to the families who have already shared information and photos. We truly appreciate your willingness to help us bring these stories to life.
This initiative is important to us because it allows us to honour the many interests, talents, and passions that make each of our students unique. While we see students each day at school, we know they have rich lives beyond our walls. Whether they are involved in athletics, the arts, cultural or faith communities, leadership opportunities, or personal pursuits, these experiences are an important part of their identity. Sharing these moments helps us build a stronger sense of connection and belonging within our school community, and ensures our students feel recognized for all aspects of who they are.
We continue to welcome submissions throughout the year. If your child has something to celebrate, please send a brief description including their name and grade, any relevant details or links, and a photo if you are comfortable with it being shared. We will use first names only in our posts. Submissions can be sent to nmlisi@cbe.ab.ca.
To those in our community observing Ramadan, I wish you a joyful and peaceful Eid al-Fitr in the days ahead.
As we head into Spring Break, we hope that all of our students and families are able to enjoy some rest, time together, and a change of pace. School will resume on Monday, March 30. If you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at nmlisi@cbe.ab.ca.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lisi
Principal, Arbour Lake School