February 17-20, 2025

Our learning this week:

• We had an author visit our school! Melissa Allan, the author of "Brave Like The Buffalo", came to our school to read us her book! She also sang us a song about the buffalo. We were able to ask her questions like how many books she has written, who was her illustrator, and if she always wanted to be an author.
• We learned about Lunar New Year! We had friends share about their cultures and brought in Chinese outfits, red envelopes, and purses. We learned that the red envelopes are lucky and we created our own to take home. We also had the opportunity to create a "dragon scale" for our school-wide Lunar New Year activity with our buddies. 
• We learned about 'ou' and 'ow' spellings in words. We learned that 'ou' is often at the beginning and middle of words, such as 'out' and 'count', and 'ow' is often at the end (and sometimes in the middle), such as 'cow' or 'brown'.
• We wrote creatively about stickers and little figures - this helps us to begin our ideas quickly! 
• We continued to practice our subtraction skills and learned new centres.
• We learned about the word "belonging" and how we can belong to groups, schools, communities, and families. We created a page in our visual journals where we wrote and drew how we belong to our family, school, and Canada.
• We had a conversation about healthy boundaries, safe and trusted adults, and how we can say yes or no with our words and our body language.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

February 24 – Report cards open for families. Please find within your MyCBE account and download a copy

February 25 – SPIRIT DAY: Pink Shirt Day – See below for more info

February 27 - NO SCHOOL - Non-Instruction Day

March 6 – Last day for Purdys Chocolatier Fundraiser orders

SUPERVISION

There is no supervision on the playground before 8:56 am or after school after the 3:44 pm bell (or the 1:14 pm bell on Fridays). Students should not arrive at school to play before 8:56 am.

Students are also expected to go straight home or to their caregiver after school. Students cannot stay and play on the playground unless they are directly supervised by a parent or caregiver.

On Blue Days (when the temperature is below -20°C), the doors will not open before 8:56 am. Please do not send your child early on cold days, as there is no supervision available before this time.

PINK SHIRT DAY

Pink Shirt Day originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia back in 2008 with two high school aged students that saw a need to be kind while another student was not being treated with kindness and respect. That one act of compassion quickly spread beyond the school. In 2008, British Columbia’s provincial government proclaimed a provincial Anti-Bullying Day in February, and over time the idea of wearing pink to stand against bullying spread throughout Canada and then internationally. Today, Pink Shirt Day is observed annually in Canada on the last Wednesday of February.

Pink Shirt Day is now a national and global movement that encourages people of all ages to:

• Wear pink as a visible symbol of support for kindness, inclusion, and respect for others.
• Raise awareness and start conversations about why bullying is harmful and what we can do to prevent it.
• Raise funds for programs that help children and youth build healthy self-esteem, resilience, and safe environments.

The Calgary Board of Education recognizes Pink Shirt Day across all schools and offers professional learning and classroom resources that support a strength-based approach to well-being, emphasizing schoolwide and classroom supports for students. As an organization, through Pink Shirt Day we honour the grassroots act of kindness and reaffirm our shared commitment to reducing bullying and creating welcoming, caring safe and respectful spaces for everyone.

Promoting inclusion is something that occurs in our schools every day. Click HERE to check out some of the information and resources available!

RAMADAN

Ramadan is now being observed by many families in our school community and around the world. It is a meaningful month that emphasizes kindness, gratitude, reflection, community, and caring for others.

During this time, some students may choose to fast from sunrise to sunset, which means they do not eat or drink during the school day. While young children are not expected to fast, some may try fasting for part of the day.

Others may participate in different ways, such as focusing on kindness, helping at home, or doing thoughtful acts for others.

Ramadan concludes with a special celebration called Eid al-Fitr. This joyful occasion is marked by family gatherings, shared meals, and giving to those in need. Recognizing Ramadan helps us continue to build a respectful, inclusive, and supportive school community.