Andrew Sibbald Parent Update:
Week of January 2, 2017 Dear Parents, I hope that during the winter break, you and your family were able to enjoy whatever you were needing - whether that be rest and relaxation, visiting with friends and family, an exciting adventure or a little of each. I wish you all the best for 2017! This Week at a Glance: Monday, Jan. 2 - School Closed – No Classes Tuesday, Jan. 3 - Classes Resume Wednesday, Jan. 4 - Owls in School Program in Grade 1/2 Thursday, Jan. 5 - Friday, Jan. 6 - Kindergarten Attends Updates and Info Christmas Concert Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our Christmas concert. It is was a fabulous evening and we were very proud of how our students performed. It was a packed house but it was so nice to be able to invite parents and grandparents to help us celebrate. Thank you also to our School Council for helping to organize our “Christmas Cheer” after the concert. Thank you also to those parents who provided goodies for this event. Thank you from the Staff Thank you to our amazing parents who decorated the staff room so festively and provided us with a Christmas lunch and a little treat during our last week of school before the break. Thank you parents for making the staff at Andrew Sibbald feel so special!! You are amazing! Kindergarten Registration Kindergarten registration begins on January 9th. If you have friends or neighbors with Kindergarten aged children living in Lake Bonavista or in Bonavista Downs, please encourage them to consider registering their child at Andrew Sibbald. Let them know what great school Andrew Sibbald is!! If they have any questions or would like personal tour, I would be happy to meet with them. Just have them contact me at the school. Open House Please plan to attend the CBE open house at Nickle School on January 18th 5:00 – 8:00 pm for information about the proposed changes for Andrew Sibbald and other area V schools. Information can also be found on the website at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/dialogue March Conferences Please note, that there has been a change to what was originally posted for our March Conference times. The March conferences are student led and will be held on March 23rd throughout the day and evening. Please also note that March 23rd and 24th are both system non instructional days – so there will be no school for students on either of these days. Important Dates Jan 9 - Kindergarten Registration begins Jan 10 - School Council Meeting Jan 11 - Storytelling Residency Begins Jan 13 - No Classes for Andrew Sibbald Students Jan 18 - CBE Open House at Nickle Jr High 5:00 – 8:00 Jan 19 - Assembly 10:00 am Jan 26 - Fun Lunch Jan 27 - Report Cards go Home Feb 1 - Sibbald U begins Feb 16/17 - Teachers Convention Feb 20 - Family Day Mar 21 - Oral Story Telling Evening Presentation Mar 23 - Student Led Conferences - No Classes for Students Mar 24 - PD Day No Classes for students Mar 27 – 31 - Spring Break Dear Parents, It will be a busy yet exciting final week before our Winter Break!! I’m happy to see that it looks like it should we warming up a bit so we can hopefully get outside a bit more this week. Thank you for sending your children dressed appropriately for the weather! This Week at a Glance: Monday, Dec 12: Christmas Caroling 8:30 am Tuesday , Dec 13: Christmas Caroling 8:30 am Wednesday, Dec 14: Christmas Caroling 8:30 am Thursday, Dec 15: No Caroling this morning Concert Dress Rehearsal 9:00 am Fun Lunch - Subway Concert & Christmas Cheer 6:30 pm Friday, Dec 16th: Final Day before the Winter Break. No Kindergarten Christmas Caroling 8:30 am Updates and Info Staffing Update: It is with sadness that we announce that Ms. Oswald will be leaving her position as our Mental Health Teacher. For personal reasons, Ms. Oswald has had to give up this position. I want to thank Ms. Oswald for the outstanding job she has done in our Mental Health class and for the contribution that she made to our Sibbald Community. It is also with pleasure that we welcome Mrs. Amy Spray to this position. Amy comes to us with a rich background in working with complex students. We welcome her warmly to our wonderful Andrew Sibbald School Community. We also say goodbye this week to Mrs. Deisting. As mentioned in the previous Weekly Update, Mrs. Deisting is being replaced in Kindergarten by Mrs. Pauline Ross, who is returning from a leave. In Mrs. Deisting’s music position, we are excited to have been able to hire Mrs. Maegan Bishop. Mrs. Bishop has a very strong musical background and is excited about sharing her musical expertise with us at Andrew Sibbald. Thank you to Mrs. Deisting for all of her excellent work in both Kindergarten and in our Music Program. You will have an opportunity to see some of the great work Mrs. Deisting has done during our concert later this week. Christmas Caroling We will be caroling on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning this week at 8:30 am. Families are welcome to join us. Christmas Concert: Thursday, Dec 15th at 6:30 pm Students are asked to arrive at their classrooms between 6:00 and 6:15 pm. Please plan to arrive within this window of time. Students are asked to wear “dressy clothes” and to bring a Santa Hat. If your child does not have a Santa Hat, please let their teacher know prior to Thursday so we can arrange one for them. The concert will begin at 6:30 pm. Following the concert, families are invited to join us for some mingling and cheer in the Learning Commons. Hot chocolate and goodies will be provided by our School Council. Food Bank & Stuff a Sock Campaign Thank you to everyone who have already provided donations to our Food bank and Fill a Sock campaign. We will continue to accept donations up until the evening of Thursday, Dec 15th Reading Pays off! Please see the attached Advertisement for Dudes & Divas…..this ad caught my attention because they are giving $2.00 off if the child reads to their hairdresser while having their hair done. I had to share because I love that they are encouraging children to read! Cold Weather Days When it is a Blue Day (-20 degrees or colder) students are welcome to come in the closest door when they arrive at school. Also, please know that parents are welcome to come inside the school to stay warm while waiting for their children during dismissal time. Kindergarten Registration Begins on January 9th, 2017 Andrew Sibbald is the designated public school community program for students living in Lake Bonavista and Bonavista Downs. If you know families who have a kindergarten aged child, please encourage them to come to Andrew Sibbald to register their child. I am happy to meet with any families wanting more information about our Kindergarten program. School Resumes on Jan 3rd, 2017 I wish you and your family a very Safe and Happy Holiday! Sincerely, Kim Manser Principal It is hard to believe that there are only 2 weeks left before our Winter Break. It’s always a busy, yet exciting time of year. The following are the updates for this week.
This Week at a Glance: Wednesday, Dec 7 Handbell club at lunch Friday, Dec 9 Sibbald U – this is the final session for this round of Sibbald U Updates and Info Cold Weather Policy – Blue Day Now that the weather has turned cold, it’s a great time to remind everyone about our cold weather policy. If the weather is -20 degrees or colder, with the wind chill, we have a Blue Day. On Blue Days students come directly inside when they arrive at school (anytime after 8:05). A supervisor will still go out to meet the students at the bus. Students who go home for lunch on Blue Days will need to come to the main entrance when they arrive back at school. Students will go outside for FAB and/or lunch recess if the weather warms up. Please ensure students are dressed appropriately for the weather. Picture Retake Orders Due Picture retake orders were due last week. We will still accept them until Tuesday Dec 6th. Personal Items at School We have noticed an increase of personal items such as small toys and pokemon cards at school. Students are asked to keep these items at home to avoid the possibility of having them go missing as well as to avoid the distraction that they sometimes cause. Christmas Concert & Holiday Cheer Just a reminder, that our Christmas concert is on Dec 15th at 6:30 pm. Following the concert, families are invited to join us for hot chocolate and goodies in the learning commons for an opportunity to visit and spread holiday cheer within our school community. For the evening performance, all students are asked to be in their classroom by 6:15 pm so that we will be able to begin our concert promptly at 6:30 pm. Students can wear their "dressy clothes" although we also went them to be comfortable for this performance. They are welcome to wear Santa Hats if they would like. If you are unable to attend our evening concert, you are welcome to attend our concert rehearsal, although please know that this is a rehearsal not a final performance. The Rehearsal will take place on Thursday, December 15th at 9:00 am. Engagement Process – Future of Andrew Sibbald The online survey to gather more feedback closes on Dec 5th. I would encourage all parents, and community members to provide input by doing the survey. Make sure your voice is heard. The link is http://fluidsurveys.com/s/cbe-area5/ Annual School Results Report and Report to Parents on Fees The Annual School Results Report and Report to Parents on Fees for the 2015-2016 school year have now been posted on our website. The link for this is http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b336/publi.htm Stuff a Sock Campaign We are still collecting items for our stuff a sock campaign initiative with the Calgary Drop In Centre. Items we are collecting include Large Work Socks, gloves, mitts, hats, lip balm, travel size toiletries, cough drops, deodorant, travel mugs, brushes, combes, socks, underwear, gift certificates such as Tim Horton’s or McDonalds, chocolates and Candy. We will be collecting items until December 15th. Food Bank Donations We will be collecting food bank donations up until the evening of our Christmas Concert on December 15th. CBE Updates: See below for the follow CBE Updates & Information
As always, if there are any questions or concerns, please contact me. Sincerely, Kim Kim Manser Principal Thank you so much to all Parents who were able to come meet with teachers last week for conferences. It is always great to be able to connect with parents and share information about the learning that is happening. The next formal communication regarding your child’s progress will be when report cards come home at the end of January, but please know, you can contact your child’s teacher at anytime throughout the year if you have questions or concerns.
Thank you to the families who stopped by our “clay studio” during conferences to help us create our “Sibbald Community Tree”. We are hoping to have it on display for all to see during our upcoming Christmas Concert. Thank you also to the parents who provided the staff with a delicious meal on the evening of conferences. The Nacho Bar and sweet treats were much appreciated! This Week at a Glance: Nov 28 Artist in Residency with Ewa continues until Wednesday Nov 30 Handbell club at lunch Dec 2 No School for Students (PD day for Teachers) Updates and Info Staffing Update: Mrs. Pauline Ross will be returning from leave in January 2017 where she will be teaching Kindergarten (0.5). Mrs. Deisting, who currently teaches music and Kindergarten will not be returning to Sibbald after the winter break. I would like to thank Mrs. Deisting for her excellent work both in Kindergarten and as our Music teacher and we wish her all the best. We are currently in the process of hiring a music teacher (0.5). Christmas Concert & Holiday Cheer We would like to invite you to our Christmas Concert and Holiday Cheer on Thursday, December 15th. The concert will begin at 6:30 pm. All students will sing a song with their class and a couple songs as a whole school. Our handbell choir will also perform a few songs. Following the performance, any families who are interested are invited to join us in the learning commons for some Christmas Cheer. There will be hot chocolate and goodies provided by school council as well as a few Christmas activities. This will be an opportunity to share holiday greetings with our Andrew Sibbald Community. Engagement Process – Future of Andrew Sibbald The online survey to gather more feedback has been launched and will remain open until Dec 5th. I would encourage all parents, and community members to provide input by doing the survey. Make sure your voice is heard. The link is http://fluidsurveys.com/s/cbe-area5/ Wireless Updagrade We are having the wireless upgraded at our school. There will be contractors doing this work in the evenings between Nov 28th and the end of December, so if you see people at the school late into the night in the next few weeks, this will likely be why. Online Survey Now Open
You may be affected by decisions regarding the future use of learning space at some schools in CBE Areas I, II and V. We encourage you to learn more about what’s happening and complete the online survey now available. A tablet or computer is most appropriate for completing this survey. § Survey for Areas I and II § Survey for Area V § Surveys are also available on our website, along with other information about the schools affected, scenarios currently being considered, what we’ve heard so far and more. Students, parents, employees and community members are invited to provide us with their thoughts and perspectives. Please complete the survey by Dec. 5, 2016 Upcoming Open House: Jan. 18, 2017 Area V 5-8 p.m. Nickle School 2500 Lake Bonavista Dr. S.E. Register cbe.ab.ca/dialogue The following message was sent to Kindergarten parents:
November 23, 2016 Dear Kindergarten Parents, It is with mixed emotion that I send this letter. Effective January 3, 2017, Mrs. Pauline Ross will be returning from her leave and will be taking over as our Kindergarten teacher. We are happy to welcome back Mrs. Ross to Andrew Sibbald School. She is very excited about returning and is eager to begin her work with the Kindergarten students. On the other hand, it is with sadness that we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Leann Deisting. She has done a fabulous job with our Kindergarten students this year and I am sure they will miss her dearly. Mrs. Deisting’s last day will be on December 15th. Mrs. Ross has been coming in to support Kindergarten a couple of days each week for the past few weeks and will continue to do so until the Christmas break. This has given her a great opportunity to get to know the students and to work with Mrs. Deisting to get to know the routines already set up in Kindergarten. This will help to ensure a smoother transition as she takes over as the Kindergarten teacher in January. Mrs. Ross will join Mrs. Deisting at the upcoming conferences so you will have the opportunity to meet her at this time. Mrs. Deisting will be completing the first set of report cards that will be going home in January. Thank you for your support with this transition. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Kim Manser Principal Parent Update for the Week of Nov 21
This week at a glance: Monday, Nov 21 - Artist Residency begins Wednesday, Nov 23 - Handbells at Lunch Gr ¾ Thursday, Nov 24 - Spirit Day – Pajama Day - Fun Lunch – Edo - Teacher Led Conferences 3:45 – 7:45 - Families are invited to come make a tile for our Andrew - Sibblad Community Tree 4:00 – 7:00 (drop in) Friday, Nov 25 - No School for Students - Teacher Led Conferences 8:00 – 1:00 Teacher Led Conferences Conferences are this Thursday and Friday. If you have not had a chance to book your conference yet, please do so by going onto you’re my “CBE account”. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s progress. Just a reminder that there is no school for students on Friday. Engagement Process – Future of Andrew Sibbald The online survey to gather more feedback will be launched on Nov 21 and will remain open until Dec 5th. All staff, parents and students are encouraged to share their thoughts by participating in this survey. The survey can be accessed on our school website (http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b336/ ) as well as on the CBE website. In January a decision will be made as to which scenario is being recommended. There will be an open house regarding this held at Nickle Junior High on January 18th. School Development Plan Our School Development Plan indicates the specific goal that we are focusing on as a school this year. It includes specific strategies that we will be using as well as the targets that we have set. Our school development plan has been posted on our school website (http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b336/pdfs/School-Development-Plan.pdf ) Spirit Day – Nov 24th - Pajama Day Our grade 3/4 class has organized our first spirit day. They have chosen to have Pajama day. Students from the grade 3/4 class will go to each of the classes encouraging students to participate in our spirit day. Spirit days will coincide with fun lunch days. Artist in Residency Nov 21 – 30 Artist Ewa Sniatycka (pronounced Eva), will be working with each class a minimum of 4 sessions. Each of the classes will have drawing lesson as well as the opportunity to complete two projects. One of the projects includes working together as a school community to create an “Andrew Sibbald Community Tree”. This will be made with clay tiles. The “clay studio” will be open on Thursday Nov 24th from 4:00 to 7:30 so that parents can also have the opportunity to help us create our community tree. Fill A Sock, Fill A Need As Christmas Spirit begins to fill the air, our school is preparing to support a very special initiative with the Calgary Drop In Center. Students in our school are continually learning about and experiencing empathy, kindness and ‘Filling Buckets’ for others, which makes this a perfect opportunity to take these wonderful traits outside of our building. Every Christmas morning The Drop In Center enjoys surprising their clients with a special sock (stocking) that is filled with the things that we all need on a day-to-day basis. We are looking for help in providing the following items to fill the socks Some items we will be collecting are:
Your help is greatly appreciated! Please email Jaime Hatchette at [email protected] if you have any questions. Food Bank We will be accepting donations for the food bank from now until Dec 15th. Kindergarten Registration for 2017-2018 Kindergarten registration for the 2017-2018 school year will begin on January 9, 2017. Please encourage any families who have children who will be starting Kindergarten in 2017 that live in Lake Bonavista or Bonavista Downs to come to Andrew Sibbald School to register for the community Kindergarten program. If anyone has questions or would like meet to discuss our Kindergarten program, please feel free to call (403-777-6830) or email me ([email protected] ) so that we can arrange a time to meet. Thank you from AARCS The following is a message from ARCS: I just wanted to thank you and your team again, on behalf of AARCS, for all of the wonderful, much-needed donations your staff, children and parents provided during our visits to Andrew Sibbald school. These donations (including the many items on our “needs” list, as well as cash & cheques) couldn’t have come at a better time…AARCS is really struggling right now - our medical needs skyrocketing! Truthfully, however, it was the many hand-made cards the boys and girls created for AARCS that caused our program manager’s eyes to light up when I handed them over….she said “I love these!”. Please let everyone know, and thank you for having us and helping. |
Kim Manser - Principal
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