Mark Your Calendars:

·         Jan. 20 & 21, 2025: Drama Days with Quest Theatre

·         Jan. 27, 2025: Report Cards available to families online

·         Jan. 31, 2025: No School for Students - PD Day

·         Feb. 3-7, 2025: Green Fools PE Residency

·         Feb. 13 & 14, 2025: No School for Students - Teachers' Convention

·         Feb. 17, 2025: No School for Students – Family Day

·         Feb. 18 & 19, 2025: Elev8 Lacrosse during PE times

·         Feb. 24 – 27, 2025: Gymnastics Unit begins in PE

·         Feb. 26, 2025: Pink Shirt Day Assembly – TBD

·         Feb. 28, 2025: No School for Students – Non-Instructional Day

Dear Silver Springs School Parents and Guardians,

This coming week will be an emotional week for me, as I say my final good-byes to the students, staff and families at Silver Springs School. As a learning community, we have accomplished so much in the past four years together. Please know that you hold a special place in my heart, and I have been blessed to be your principal. We are excited to welcome Mr. Derek Rakowski, your new principal, this coming week as we have the opportunity to work together and make the transition as smooth as possible.

Kindergarten Registration: Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-26 school year began on January 13, 2025 at 9:00am. For children to be eligible to register and attend kindergarten next school year, they must turn five years old on or before Dec. 31, 2025. Families with students designated to Silver Springs School but who attended elsewhere for kindergarten are also encouraged to enroll as soon as possible for grade 1. Should you have any questions about registering your child, please contact the school office at 403-777-6070 ext. 0. For more detailed information on how to register and what is required, please visit the CBE website: https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/Get-Ready-Get-Set-Kindergarten.aspx

Drama Days with Quest Theatre: On January 20 & 21, we will welcome a member of the Quest Theatre team to our school to help lead our classes in two Drama Days. This program consists of a series of drama activities and games chosen for grades kindergarten to six that target the following specific classroom wellness impacts: Creative problem solving with space to make mistakes, Relationship building with dignity & Physical literacy with a framework. Each class will be participating in one 45-minute session over the two days.

Student Assessment and Reporting: It’s that time of year again when families receive written feedback regarding their child’s progress at school. Report cards will be viewable online for Silver Springs School students beginning Monday, January 27, 2025.

Report cards are one of several mechanisms that teachers use to communicate student progress along with formalized processes such as parent-teachers conferences. Additionally, teachers informally communicate student achievement through such means as email, phone calls, or face-to-face communication with families. Taken together, ongoing communication is vital to ensure student success. Ongoing communication supports students and families in building an understanding of individual student achievement over the course of the reporting period, so the information communicated in the report card is both expected and easily understood. Should you have questions or comments about your child’s progress or information contained within their report card, please connect with your child’s teacher. Please note that our next round of school conferences will occur on March 20 and 21, 2025. 

New CBE Report Card Comment Structure:  To provide clarity, conciseness, and consistency for students and families when communicating and reporting assessment information, all report card comments include areas of strength and areas of growth, in bullet form. Each comment will include four elements: proficient descriptor, stem/ outcome, evidence of learning, and success criteria. Please be aware of the proficiency descriptors and how they align with the indicators of 1 to 4.

Viewing Report Cards: Families can view online report cards on January 27 using your MyCBE parent account. Report cards can also be downloaded and printed by families at home. For best access to information, login to the MyCBE portal instead of using the PowerSchool app. Need help? Check out this video for more information on how to sign in, navigate the portal, toggle between more than one child’s report card, and more.  MyCBE Student and Parent/Legal Guardian Account Sign-in - Kindergarten - Gr.9

TOPP Kids – Before and After School Program: We are happy to share that TOPP KIDS has been named the Top Choice Award winner for Best Child Care Provider in Calgary for 2025! This recognition is a testament to their commitment to providing the best care for your children. There are still spaces available in their program – full time, part time or even drop in.

Branton Late French Immersion for Grade 7: If your child is interested in the grade 7 Late French Immersion Program, please be advised that Branton School will be holding their Open House on February 6, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.  Attached is information on the registration process.  They would appreciate having forms submitted before Spring Break.  https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/branton/about-us/news-centre/_layouts/15/ci/post.aspx?oaid=f3da833d-0580-4348-9c71-fe764b60716f&oact=20001

 Sincerely,

Michelle Ryskamp,

Principal, Silver Springs School

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SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATES

 To ensure you don’t miss out on information on school fundraisers, events, and other activities, please add your email to our list here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmgHooW3c5LPJxpfP7aFDbBVVQScFJatbHToWR7_sMH6mbnw/viewform

 For any questions about the above, or your School Council and Parent Association in general - please email sssparentcouncil@gmail.com

Celeste Howard and Erin Olesen (School Council Chair and Vice Chair)