The Week Ahead
Mar. 4 - 8 - Semana Cultural
Mar. 4 - 5 - Polar Bear Club
Mar. 6 - Elder Eaglespeaker Visit
Mar. 8 - AM Kindergarten Attends
Mar. 9 - 9am booking opens for Student-Led Conferences
Upcoming Dates
Mar 12 - Fill Your Freezer Fundraiser Ends
Mar 14 - Kindergarten AM In-School Field Trip - Teacher’s Pet (9am & 12:30pm)
Mar 14 - CBE Child & Youth Well-Being Webinar/Mental Health & Anxiety (6:30pm-8:00pm)
Mar 15 - SDP and School Fee Survey Closes
Mar 15 - PM Kindergarten Attends
Mar 20 - School Council Meeting- In Person at the School
Mar 21 - Learning Conferences for Kindergarten Only (no school for Kindergarten)
Mar 21 - Fun Lunch - Mucho Burrito & Booster Juice
Mar 21 - Fill Your Freezer Fundraiser - Pickup
Mar 21 - Learning Conferences for all grades (starting at 3:30pm)
Mar 22 - Learning Conferences for all grades (starting at 8:00am) - No School for all Students
March 23 - April 1 - Spring Break (No School)
Staffing Updates
We will be welcoming two new members to our lunchroom team starting Monday March 4th. Linda Lindseth and John Heath will be joining our team. We are sad to be saying goodbye to Sra. Naoko and Sra. Halyna. They have both been outstanding, warm and caring members of our staff and we wish them well in their new positions in the CBE.
Semana Cultural
Every year the school focuses for one week on a different element of Hispanic culture and traditions. This year our Semana Cultural will be held the week of March 4 – March 8. During this week the emphasis will be on a variety of different legends from across Latin America and Spain. Students will be learning different legends in Spanish and sharing them with one another in classroom visits.
Polar Bear Club
The weather is forecast to be very cold for this week, and Monday and Tuesday at least, are likely to be indoor days. We know that multiple indoor days are hard on students and a little fresh air and running around can go a long way. Several staff members have offered to supervise a Collingwood Polar Bear Club for those students who want to bundle up warm and run around the field for part of the recess break on indoor days. We will be running a polar bear club this week on Monday and Tuesday at recess.
Food Bank Donation Thank You
Thank you to the many families who sent in donations for the Veterans Food Bank! Several large boxes of food were donated and the food bank was very grateful for your support.
Fill Your Freezer Fundraiser
The Collingwood School Parent Association is organizing a “Fill your Freezer Fundraiser." Details are available on the school website here.
Cross Country Ski Club Thursday, March 7
Weather permitting, this week’s cross-country ski club will be held on Thursday at lunch. No cross-country ski experience is necessary, although students need to bring their own cross-country ski gear. We will meet by the playground.
Student Led Conferences March 21 and 22
Families will have the opportunity to see your children’s school work and meet with teachers during the upcoming Student-Led Conferences on March 21 and 22. Families will be able to book conferences starting Saturday, March 9 at 9:00am on MyCBE. A link will be sent out later this week with conference booking details.
School Development Plan and School Fee Survey
As we begin to plan for the 2024-2025 school year we are asking families to give us some feedback on our School Development Plan and School Fees. The School Development Plan identifies three major priorities in Literacy, Math and Wellness which we are pursuing as a school. Our current School Development Plan is posted on our school website. Fees for Bussing and Lunchroom are set by the Calgary Board of Education. Collingwood School Fees pay for additional activities organized by the school, such as field trips. Many of the additional opportunities available for students at Collingwood School such as residencies, guest performers, and additional school supports are provided free for families due to the financial support of the Collingwood School Parent Association. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at the link below about the School Development Plan and School Fees. This survey will close on midnight on March 15.
SDP and Fees Survey Link can be accessed here.
Before and After Care Communication
If your child is absent from school or will not be attending Before and After Care please ensure that you communicate that information directly with your Before and After Care provider. Please also ensure that you include your Before and After Care provider on your CBE portal as authorized to pick up your child. The school will not inform Before and After Care providers whether or not a child was attending school unless that child care provider is listed as authorized to pick up your child.
Parent Support
We are seeking parent support in a number of ongoing ways to support the school.
School Council –There are currently two open positions on the school council executive:
School Council Chair
Key Communicator
Descriptions of these two positions are posted on the school website here.
Please email the school council directly if you would like to help out: Collingwoodparentcouncil@gmail.com
Naturalization Committee
We are looking for parents with a passion for outdoor learning, outdoor green spaces and gardening to join the Naturalization Committee. If you are interested, please contact the school council at the email above.
Parent Association
There is an open Casino Coordinator position on the Parent Association. This will be a very important position for next school year as the casino is the biggest fundraiser for the school. In addition, if someone was interested in either the Secretary of Treasurer position, one person is currently filling both of those roles.
Please email the Parent Association directly if these positions are of interest to you: collingwoodpa@gmail.com
Collingwood School Council Facebook and Instagram Sites
Collingwood parents Spencer and Catherine Wight do an excellent job keeping a School Council Facebook and Instagram site updated. Check out the pages below.
New Email for Volunteer Coordinator and Fun Lunch
If families would like to communicate with the Collingwood Volunteer Coordinator or have questions about Fun Lunch, please use the following email: collingwoodvc@gmail.com
The 7 Grandfather Teachings and Elder Visits
For February and March, the focus of the Grandfather Teachings is on Honesty. We had our first visit with Elder Eaglespeaker last month and he shared Blackfoot beliefs and stories about the importance of truth and respect in Blackfoot Culture. He will be speaking with different grade groups each visit. We are grateful to the Collingwood Parent Association for making these visits possible.
Spanish for Parents
Chinook Learning Services is offering Spanish For Parents (level 1) course at Dalhousie school. Learning Spanish can be both easy and fun. This beginning level course will help parents of bilingual Spanish students learn or refresh their Spanish language skills. Parents will become more comfortable interacting with their children in Spanish, build their network of bilingual parents and become familiar with the school environment. Includes a textbook and CD.
Course: Spanish for Parents – Level 1
Date: Wednesdays, April 10, 17, 24 and May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: In-person at Dalhousie School
For more information and to register please use the link below.
CBE Dates of Significance Calendar
In the spirit of building a culture of appreciation and inclusion, where students and staff can see themselves valued, respected and celebrated, the CBE has compiled a Dates of Significance Calendar. As we work to make Collingwood School more welcoming and inclusive, it is our hope that this calendar will help build awareness in our school community.
Links
- Fundraisers and Donations: this link will provide you with up to date information about any Collingwood School fundraisers or Parent Association Fundraisers. It also explains the process the CBE uses for other donations.
- Lunchtime: View the staggered lunchroom schedules for classes and Fun Lunch Dates
- Subscribe to Stay Informed
- School Calendar (printable calendar and events and field trips)