Good afternoon,

I hope everyone is doing well this week. I know that some of our families received the news yesterday afternoon that there has been another change in the communities designated to Arbour Lake School. As of September 2024, students residing in Scenic Acres will be designated to Twelve Mile Coulee for grade 6-9 and then Bowness HS for grade 10-12.

Current ALS students residing in Scenic Acres are able to select staying at ALS or moving to TMC as of next fall. Today some students came to me a bit upset as they were under the impression that they could not stay if they chose to do so. This is not accurate. We are not forcing any current students to move schools. Students currently with us are able to remain with us for the duration of their middle school experience if they wish to do so. Parents of current ALS students who would like to stay at Arbour Lake School are asked to let us know if they plan to stay at ALS by February 15^th. Bussing from Scenic Acres to ALS will remain in place for the duration of this year, and all of next year as well.  Please know that while we understand the necessity of such changes, and that our families will be well served at TMC, we will miss our Scenic Acres students and we are very sad to see this community leave us. I know that this news has come as a surprise to those impacted, and while I do understand the necessity of such changes, I also know that these are complex circumstances for parents to work through with their children and that this was not something our families were expecting. Please reach out if you have any questions you think I can answer for you.

Today was our Remembrance Day Ceremony. I want to commend and thank the staff and students that worked to make this ceremony an elegant and meaningful event. Thank you to Mr. Cousin, Ms. Skjerpen and Ms. Samuelson who led the planning, and thank you to Mr. Eygenraam, Mr. Smaniotto, Mr. Maris, Ms. Laird, and Mr. Crabbe for their support. I also want to congratulate our student MCs and all of the students who participated in the ceremony. Much gratitude as well to our Colour Guard led by Senior Constable Ramone Salcedo, a Canadian Veteran who served as a peacekeeper in both Cyprus and Somalia. Sr. Constable Salcedo is a current member with CPS, and we are so thankful that he was able to take time to join us today and help make this event even more meaningful as we honoured people like Sr. Constable Salcedo and those that tragically did not return home. I also MUST tell you all how very proud I was today of ALL of our students. They understood that this was a solemn ceremony and behaved accordingly. Never have I had a student body that needed not one reminder during an assembly. Parents, they were perfect today in their behaviours, attitudes, and demeanour.  I have always known that we have an incredible student body, but today they were exceptional.

Finally, I want to remind all parents/guardians visiting our school to please check in via the main office when coming into the school. It is imperative that all visitors check in at the main office, not only for the safety of our students, but also for their own safety in case of an emergency. Our office staff is more than happy to help parents in whatever way they can.

I’d also alike to remind parents that while teachers will be engaged in a professional day of learning dedicated to Indigenous ways of knowing and being, our students have the day off tomorrow. In fact, students are on fall break from November 9^th through to November 14^th and will return to school Nov 15^th. This is the first system-wide fall break since I’ve been with CBE (which is a fairly long time), and I do hope families have a chance to take advantage of this time off and spend time together.

As always, please reach out if you need anything at all.

Sincerely,

Nancy Lisi, Principal

Nmlisi@cbe.ab.ca

Announcements & Reminders:

Yearbook 2023-2024

Parents now have the access to add the yearbook fee themselves to their student accounts if they would like to purchase a yearbook.  To do this, Log into your Parent PowerSchool to add the fee.  Deadline to purchase is Feb 13th.

Winter Fundraiser Alert!

Are you seeking creative ways to make your home come alive this holiday season? The Grade 9 sailing trip is currently selling an exquisite collection of winter plants to raise funds for the spring sailing trip. The money generated from the sale will be used to subsidize the cost of the trip. These premium quality plants are supplied by Growing Smiles, and you can choose from a range of indoor and outdoor plants.

The premium poinsettias (available in red or white) would make a great addition to your home decor or add a festive look to your dining table with a mixed tropical planter in holiday-themed tins. You could also consider a hanging greenery bough that comes in a vintage burlap bag holding premium greens and red ilex berry branches to lean up against stairs, benches, or hang from your door!

We are also selling classic holiday outdoor wreaths with juniper and cedar, large plaid low, frosted pinecones, and red berries. For your front porch, you can welcome your guests with a large stunning and fresh holiday greenery arrangement that stands 2 feet tall!

The Fundraiser will run until November 22nd, and your orders will be ready for pick up at the school on December 7th. You can choose to support a single student or the entire trip by specifying your donation preference at checkout. If you're looking for a healthy alternative to giving cookies, something complementary to go with chocolates, or just something to add a pop of colour and cheer to the holidays, simply use the link below to take you to our fundraising website.

We would be grateful if you could share the link with your family and friends to support the fundraiser.

https://alssailing.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home

The Coyotes Canteen

The Coyotes Canteen is open. All sales are CASH ONLY.

Extra-curricular Activities Schedule

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

November 9                Professional Learning Day – No Classes

November 10-14         Fall Break School Closed

November 15              Gr. 8 Bowling Trip

November 21              School Council Meeting – 6:30PM - Virtual

November 22              Gr. 8 Natural Resources Climbing Trip

November 23              Parent-Teacher Interviews 4-8PM

November 24              Parent-Teacher Interviews 8AM-12PM – No Classes

November 28              Grade 9 Immunizations

November 29              Gr. 8 Bowling Trip

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

Nov 16             Coco Brooks

Nov 22             Kernels Popcorn Snack

Nov 23             Mary Brown’s

Nov 30             Subway

Dec 6               Tim Horton's Treat

Dec 7               Pizza 73

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

Arbour Lake School