Principal's Weekly Update - November 3, 2023
Hello ALS families,
I hope the week has treated you all well. The week of Halloween is always full of energy in middle school and this week was no exception. I want to commend our students on celebrating in style and proving to be super respectful and safe this Halloween season. The grade 9 haunted house was a huge hit, so thank you to our grade 9 leadership students for their hard work and positive contribution to our school.
Last Friday our grade 7 teaching team went out to Hydragreens Produce Ltd. to tour the facility and do some professional learning. We had hoped to take all of our grade 7 students for a visit, but alas we were not able to make it work, so the next best thing was to send our team of teachers and have them bring their learning back to our students. Huge thank you to Marc Schulz for making this learning opportunity for our teachers possible. He toured the team through the facility and provided enriching information that our team was able to incorporate into the design of the grade 7 plant unit. On top of this, he personally delivered two flats of living herbs to our school. Each student in grade 7 was able to take home a plant to grow, harvest, eat, and enjoy! Thank you so much to Hydrageens Produce Ltd. for the experience!
Next week we will pause and hold our Remembrance Day celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 8th. Students led by Mr. Cousin, Ms. Skjerpen and Ms. Samuelson have been working hard to put this event together for us. I look forward to seeing us come together as a school on Wednesday and honour those that have made sacrifices for us and for our country.
Don’t forget the time change this weekend. We fall back into a bit of darkness in the mornings as we enter the winter months. Please continue to be mindful of student safety during drop off and pick up times. It will be darker starting next week during drop off and visibility will be an issue. Thank you in advance for continuing to stay clear of our no stopping/parking zones. I would also urge parents to refrain from engaging in U-turns when signage clearly prohibits doing so – it’s super dangerous for all involved. Thanks again for keeping all of our students safe.
I would also like to introduce to our school community, Ms. Victoria Milligan who will be starting with us on Monday. Ms. Milligan will be working to support students with English as an additional language. We are vey excited to have her start with us and to offer our students this enhanced support.
New to CBE this year is the fall break. This will start for students on Thursday, November 9th through to the 14th. Students will return to school on Nov. 15th. The school will be closed during this time. Please see the Announcements & Reminders section of this message four some important information for grade 7-9 parents/guardians and some announcements about Yearbook and fundraising for the grade 9 sailing trip in the spring. I hope you have a great weekend and please let me know if there’s anything you need.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lisi, Principal
Announcements & Reminders:
ALS Students on Calgary Transit During Lunch
This week Mr. Sloane, our assistant principal, joined a Calgary Transit supervisor to speak with several of our students who were on the 299 route returning to school during our lunch break. Our students have needed several reminders while riding the bus at lunch and the regular driver request their supervisor support to ensure the expectations are clear for those riding the bus at lunch. The following points were made:
- No circuit/ loop riding – Calgary Transit is meant for the public to get from one place to another, riders are not to remain on the bus and ride the entire loop. They are absolutely permitted to ride the bus from our school to a location, get off, and then return on the same route to school. But the service is not meant to accommodate riders simply hanging out on the bus and riding the loop.
- When eating on the bus, do lot leave scraps or garbage.
- Noise must be kept to a minimum, this is not only a logistical issue as the driver needs to hear the stop signal, but a safety issue as increased noise can be a distraction to the driver.
- Absolutely no vaping on the bus.
- A valid bus ticket must be purchased, or students must have a valid monthly pass (if over the age of 12)
- Direction from the driver must be adhered to, including being asked to leave the bus for not following any of the above expectations.
Of course, not all students who may ride the bus at lunch were there for this conversation, so we ask that you follow up with your child about the above expectations. We are confident that our students can follow these reasonable expectations as failure to do so may result in them not being welcome on Calgary Transit. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Matt Sloane mgsloane@cbe.ab.ca
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 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
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
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Upcoming Events & Important Dates
November 8 Remembrance Day Ceremony
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 8 Kernels Popcorn Snack
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