Week Ahead | September 18 - 22, 2023

Mark Your Calendars:

  • Sept. 18, 2023: Class and Individual Photo Day
  • Sept. 20, 2023: Healthy Hunger Fun Lunch – Little Caesar’s (All students eat at 12:00)
  • Sept. 20, 2023: Grade 5/ 6 Outdoor School Parent Information Meeting 5:30-6:15pm
  • Sept. 21, 2023: School Learning Conferences 4:00 –7:30pm
  • Sept. 22, 2023: No School for Students, School Learning Conferences 8:30am –1:00pm
  • Septe. 27, 2023: Healthy Hunger Fun Snack – Cobs Bread
  • Sept. 28, 2023: Orange Shirt Day and Assembly at Silver Springs School
  • Sept. 29, 2023: No School – National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
  • Oct. 2-6, 2023: Grade 3/ 4 Room 3 to Open Minds Stampede School
  • Oct. 9, 2023:  No School - Thanksgiving
  • Oct. 10-13, 2023: Grade 3/ 4 Room 8 to Open Minds Stampede School
  • Oct. 10, 2023: School Council Meeting
  • Oct. 11, 2023: Grade 6 Vaccinations

Dear Silver Springs School Parents and Guardians,

School Photos: Lifetouch will be at our school on Monday, September 18 to take individual students photos as well as class photos.  Individual photos can be ordered online through Lifetouch when proof packages arrive later this fall. The class photos continue to be a complementary gift from Lifetouch.

Upcoming School Conferences: On Thursday, September 21 from 4:00 – 7:30 and Friday, September 22 from 8:30 –1:00, we will be holding our first round of School Conferences. This is an opportunity for you as parents to share what is most important to know about your child in order for the teacher to support your child in having a successful year ahead. This conference also provides an opportunity for teachers to share their initial impression of your child as a learner and together with you, set goals for your child this term. We look forward to seeing you later this week.

Terry Fox Run: On Friday September 15, 2023 we held our 2023 Terry Fox Run. It was great to see students running together as a whole school and proudly wearing their buddy group colors. Thank you to our parent volunteers who came out to cheer on our students as they ran and walked the course. Your family can still donate to The Terry Fox Foundation in support of cancer research. The Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Please use this method to donate rather than sending cash to the school.

Donate online at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/29660. Click the link above to donate or search for our school name at terryfox.org. Receipts are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation

Annual CBE Online Forms Require Completion by Monday, September 18: Each year, schools have a variety of forms that parents / legal guardians are required to complete or review and update, some of which are paper and others online. In CBE, the forms that have now shifted to an online format (SchoolEngage) are:

  • Demographic Verification 2023-24: This form includes your child’s personal information as well as parent / legal guardian contact information.
  • Citizenship Information Update 2023-23: This form becomes available if you change your child’s citizenship information on the Demographic Verification form.
  • Annual Authorization 2023-24 – Combines the following forms:
    • School District Use of Personal Information - explains how CBE uses personal information in providing education services.
    • Consent for CBE Use of Student Information – provides an option to grant / not grant consent for additional use of student information by school/district and third parties.
    • Consent for Use of Student Information by News Media and Outside Groups (Third Party) - provides an option to grant / not grant consent for additional use of student information by outside groups and third parties

SchoolEngage is one of the applications found in your MyCBE account. This is the same account that you use to pay fees, view academic information, book school conferences, etc.

If you do not have a MyCBE account, on the MyCBE page click on Create a MyCBE Account. For online help refer, to MyCBE - Creating an Account (includes instructions and a video).

To complete these forms:

  1. sign in to your MyCBE account
  2. click on the SchoolEngage icon
  3. select the form
  4. complete or review and update the form
  5. click on Submit to send the form electronically to the school
  6. repeat steps 3-5 for each form

Dressing for the Weather - As we are approaching the end of September, we are seeing cooler mornings and variable weather conditions throughout the day. Please make sure that your child has the appropriate clothing for recess, lunch break, and / or community walks. You may consider packing a pair of light gloves and a toque along. Please make sure that they have an appropriate jacket to wear and /or an umbrella if the forecast calls for rain.

Invite | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day Event - Sept. 30: CBE students, staff and their families and friends are invited to join an event being hosted by the City of Calgary in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District. The third annual ceremonial opening is taking place on Sept. 30 from 9-10:30 a.m. at Fort Calgary (750 9th Ave SE). This year's gathering will include a smudge tent, in-person Indigenous speakers and performers, an aerial salute ceremony, and other events. The events will also include an intertribal dance demonstration featuring Indigenous students from the CBE and CCSD. Participants are encouraged to wear orange. Following the YYC, CBE & CCSD event, all are invited to join the Pokaiks – The Children Commemorative Annual Walk and Gathering 2023. The walk will begin at 11 a.m. at City Hall (15-minute walk from Fort Calgary or 2-minute drive) and continue to Shaw Millenium Park (30-minute walk). The walk will be followed by drumming/dancing, Indigenous community speakers, artisan booths, and food sales.

Sincerely,

Michelle Ryskamp,

Principal, Silver Springs School

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SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATES

School Council Minutes: Thank you to everyone who came to the School Council Meeting on Sept 12, 2023. The meeting minutes have been posted to the school website. Here is a link to the September 2023 minutes: September 2023 School Council Meeting Minutes.

2022-2023 Yearbooks: The 2022-23 Yearbooks have arrived, and they look amazing! Thank you to our parent volunteer, Locke Vincent, for taking on this project and creating a lovely keepsake. Thank you also to our staff for taking such great pictures of our students throughout the school year. Teachers distributed yearbooks last week to those students who placed orders last year. If you missed ordering one in the spring, we do have 18 extras at a cost of $20 each. Please stop by the school office if you are interested in purchasing one.

The FARM TO SCHOOL FUNDRAISER is back! Get your veggies for Thanksgiving and give 50% back to the school!  Ask your neighbours, family members, and friends. Watch for the forms coming home this week in your student's backpack. If you don't need veggies, you can still participate in the fundraiser by choosing the online option to donate a bundle to a family in need.

  • Order now through midnight on Sept 26
  • 2 different veggie bundles to choose from ($15/$25)
    Veggie orders will arrive the week before Thanksgiving - pick up date/time to be determined
  • Pick Up Time: Friday, Oct 6 from 2 - 4pm at the front of the school. If this time does not work for you, and you still would like to order, please arrange with another family you know to pick up for you, or reach out to the School Council at sssparentcouncil@gmail.com to make alternate arrangements.

HOW TO ORDER:

  • Go to peakfarmtoschool.com and select "BUY A BUNDLE"
  • Add your products to your cart
  • Click on “ Continue to check out” when you are ready to pay
  • Select province and Silver Springs Elementary (AB)
  • Enter in your child’s first and last name
  • Enter billing and payment information and click on “REVIEW ORDER”
  • Review your summary and “PLACE ORDER"

A Note About Fundraising: Last week, we reported that we raised $83,000 from the casino last year. The actual amount that we received was $77,500. Thank you again to all the parents, teachers, friends, and family members for volunteering at this year's event. There is an important distinction to make between the casino funds and other fundraisers the council holds. The AGLC has strict guidelines called "use of proceeds" which directs how casino funds can be spent. For example, last year, money raised through the casino helped pay for the new outdoor learning circle, new iPads, and new instruments for the music room, amongst a multitude of other items that students use directly for their learning.

Silver Springs School Council fundraises separately through methods such as the Farm to School fundraiser, Purdy's Chocolates fundraiser, and Healthy Hunger to support school council events such as the Halloween Howler, Santa's Workshop and Sports Day.

Thank you,

Loyce Sakuhuni and Olivia Parsons

(School Council Chair and Vice Chair)

sssparentcouncil@gmail.com