Principal's Weekly Message - December 7, 2023
Happy Thursday!
It would seem we have a small stint of winter upon us, I hope you’re all staying warm and safe. This week our grade 7 and 8 band students went on our first band trip of the year. They spent two days at Camp Caroline and engaged with a variety of clinicians. They also have a chance to get to know each other outside of the school setting. They were excited when they returned from their trip yesterday and seemed to have had a lovely time! Here at school, our grade 7 classes (2 per day) worked with Code Canada via zoom. Students were taught how to create stories in “Scratch” using motion, dialogue, background, and characters. This learning opportunity blends into the “structures and Forces” unit in grade 7 science and also served to promote coding, the ability to program and direct with computers. Our grade 8s finished their off-campus bowling unit this week. As part of our Physical Education program this year we have planned off-campus experiences for all students. As mentioned, grade 8s went bowling, while our grade 6 and 7 students will go skiing, and our grade 9s will be off to play beach volleyball. Through these opportunities we are hoping to both continue to promote physical well-being and movement along with exposing students to activities some may not experience on their own.
Next Thursday, December 14 from 6:30pm-8:00pm we will be showcasing student learning through our Complementary Program Night. Students will have an opportunity to share their learning from their fine arts and CTF classes. It is my understanding that Citadel Elementary is also having a winter celebration on this same evening, I am sorry that for some families you may have to make a choice between which event you can attend. This said, if it helps, our program for this evening is informal and depending on timing, it may be possible to pop in quickly and take a peek. Please touch base with your child as they will be able to share with you the logistics of their involvement in our evening. We will also have a second night in the spring, albeit these will be different complementary courses, it will be another opportunity for students to show their learning to parents.
Finally, we do have a quick message from our Patrols led by Mr. Gilson. Patrols are asking parents to remember that when dropping off and picking up their child, the bus zone is a NO DROP zone, and U-turns and turning into the Telus parking lot are not allowed. Police have been issuing tickets in both cases, one of which includes a trespassing warning. The Telus parking lot is not public property. Random police checks have been scheduled and tickets are being issued for traffic violations. Our Patrols are also asking parents to discourage their child from jaywalking to and from their vehicles as the Patrols are trained to get students across the streets safely and quickly. That said remember the Patrols are children and not adults and they do their very best every day in quite trying conditions. Big thank you to Mr. Gilson and our grade 6 Patrols. They are doing a great job keeping everyone safe, please help them in their work!
Patrol Parents: Please ensure your child has mittens and winter clothing. On days when it is below minus 20 Patrols will not go out, but that call is made at the school.
Tomorrow is a non-instructional day and students do not have any classes. I hope you have a great weekend, and for those celebrating Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah! Please reach out if you need anything at all.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lisi, Principal
Announcements & Reminders:
Spirit Week – December 18th -22nd
Monday, December 18th – PJ Day
· Settle back into the final week by not even changing your Sunday morning wear. Come to school dressed in your favourite PJs, robe and even bring your favourite stuffy.
Tuesday, December 19th – Teacher Student Swap
· Students, here’s your chance to dress just like a teacher! I can be any teacher at Arbour Lake, a teacher in your favourite novel or movie, or just how you think a stereotypical teacher dresses. Teachers will be doing the same, but in reverse!
Wednesday, December 20th – Pink Day
· In support of our current production, Mean Girls Jr. – students must channel their inner Plastics and wear pink on Wednesday. It’s a rule.
Thursday, December 21st – Sport Jersey vs. Band T-Shirts
· Arbour Lake has its share of athletes and music lovers. Let’s see who comes out in greater numbers!
Friday, December 22nd – Anything but a Backpack + BONUS PJ Day
· On our final Spirit Day, students are encouraged to carry their belongings in anything but a backpack. Be it luggage, a garbage can, a canoe or a shopping cart (purchased, not stolen, of course), students are to get their belongs from point A to point B in the most creative way they can imagine. Also, students can leave the week the way they came in…as comfortable as possible by wearing their PJs again.
The Magic of Christmas
We are once again running our annual Magic of Christmas gift drive here at Arbour Lake School. The Magic of Christmas is a local Calgary organization that delivers Christmas hampers and gifts to those in need. We will be accepting donations until Monday December 18, 2023. The Magic of Christmas accepts NEW, UNWRAPPED donations. They need items for ages infant to grandparent. They also accept donations for pets. Donations can include clothing, toys, housewares, gift cards, self care and more. All donations can be placed in the large white boxes in the main office.
Last year we filled one of their large boxes and more, let’s see if we can beat that this year Coyotes!
The Coyotes Canteen is open. All sales are CASH ONLY.
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Canteen Items |
Price |
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Cheez-It Crackers |
$2.00 |
|
Rice Crispy |
$1.00 |
|
Puff Wheat |
$1.50 |
|
SmartFood – Popcorn |
$1.50 |
|
Chips – Lay’s Oven Baked |
$1.00 |
|
Chocolate Cookie |
$1.00 |
|
SM Noodle Bowl (Beef/Chicken/Spicy/Veggie) |
$1.75 |
|
LG Noodle Bowl (Beef/Chicken) |
$2.50 |
|
Water |
$1.50 |
|
Juice (Apple, Orange, & Grapefruit) |
$1.50 |
Extra-curricular Activities Schedule - Updated
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MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
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LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
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AFTERSCHOOL |
AFTERSCHOOL |
AFTERSCHOOL |
AFTERSCHOOL |
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Upcoming Events & Important Dates
December 8 Non-instructional Day – No Classes
December 14 Fall Complementary Program Night
December 18-22 Spirit Week
December 21 Winter Solstice
December 19-20 Natural Resources X-Country Ski Trip
December 23-Jan 7 Winter Break
Jan 8 Return to School from Winter Break
Jan 10 Grade 7 Trip to Telus Spark (7.5, 7.6, 7.7)
Jan 15 Non-instructional Day
Jan 16 Grade 9 Trip to Zoo
School Council Meeting @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Jan 17 Grade 7 Trip to Telus Spark (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)
Jan 18 ImPACt – Lunch
Jan 23 Grade 9 Trip to Zoo
Jan 24 Grade 9 Trip to Zoo
Jan 29 Grade 9 Visit to Robert Thirsk HS
Jan 31 Grade 9 Leadership Carnival
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.
https://healthyhunger.ca/parent-help
Dec 14 Subway
Dec 20 Kernels Popcorn Snack
Dec 21 Tim Horton's Lunch
Arbour Lake School Social Media Accounts
Twitter: @ArbourLake_CBE Instagram: arbourlake_cbe