Hello Jennie Elliott families, 

Some of you may have noticed that our new fence was installed at the front of the school. This is the beginning stages of an outdoor learning space that we are creating for our classes, particularly as we begin to explore more land-based learning opportunities...and to grab more shade when we need it!  We are grateful to our School Council school project funds that have contributed to this and are excited to continue to add to this space over the coming year. We invite parents to hear more about the vision and purpose of this space at the next School Council meeting on September 24. 

Reminder | Welcome Back & Meet the Teacher Event

There is a lot of new information and routines your child is adjusting to at this time of the school year. The Meet the Teacher event is not only a chance to introduce yourselves to your child’s teacher, but also an opportunity see your child's learning environment and understand some of the routines they have already picked up. We invite families to take the opportunity to see where their child’s seating desk/table is, where they keep their learning materials, ask them what their morning routine is when they enter the school, and tour places like the Learning Commons, the gym, and the Music room. Ms. Caldwell and I will also be set up by the playground outside the grade one classrooms to answer questions and visit with families, along with our School Council members.

Teachers have also posted the new English Language Arts and Literature and Mathematics curriculum for each grade on display boards near their classrooms. Please take a moment to view these curricula to get a better sense of the outcomes your child will be learning this year. 

When do we have indoor recess/lunch?

As we know, the temperatures can fluctuate significantly in Calgary throughout a day, so we always recommend that students are prepared with proper outdoor wear for any type of weather. We aim to send students outside for fresh air and movement breaks as often as possible, and that includes days when it is raining or snowing lightly. If we are experiencing heavier rain or snowfall during a recess or lunch period, we will have an indoor recess to keep the kids dry, such as the heavy rainfall we had on Thursday.

CBE has cold weather guidelines for on-site activities that all schools use as their gauge.  When temperatures reach -20 Celsius or colder, including the wind-chill factor, it is recommended that students be kept inside for recess or lunch breaks. The negative 20 Celsius guideline is comparable to other school jurisdictions in Alberta and across Canada.

In addition, when Environment Canada’s air quality health index (AQHI) reaches a level of 7 or higher, we are asked to consider postponing or cancelling outside activities and monitor the situation. 

Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Fundraiser

We are excited to kick off our 2024 Terry Fox School Run on Thursday, October 3rd in support of the Terry Fox Foundation . For 44 years the Terry Fox Foundation has raised money for cancer research, and these school runs are a large source of that fundraising. We hope you will consider contributing to our Jennie Elliott School Run in Support of the Terry Fox Foundation this year, to help do our part for cancer research. 

Personal Mobile Devices

Please see further information about the new rules regarding personal mobile devices and social media use in school on the CBE public website. 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day

The 4th annual City of Calgary, Calgary Board of Education, and Calgary Catholic School District ceremonial opening of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day will be held on Monday, Sept. 30 from 9 - 10:30 a.m. at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (750 9th Ave. S.E.). All CBE staff, students, families, friends, and neighbours are invited to attend to commemorate Indian residential school victims, honour survivors, and commit to Truth & ReconciliACTION. 

Assessments

Universal screeners are assessments that measure a learner’s proficiency in different skills. In the Calgary Board of Education, teachers administer mandatory literacy and numeracy screening assessments in Kindergarten to Grade 3. Please read more about this from our CBE brochure, Understanding Universal Screeners. 

Highlights From the Music Program & Ms Ling

What a joy to be able to work with emerging musicians of all ages!  Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the honour to work with your children to foster a love of music, be it through singing and movement or instrumental playing. 

Grade 1 and Grade 2 students come together in a combined grade setting when they come to music.  They are learning the concept of “body percussion” and exploring different vocal qualities such as singing voice versus speaking voice, whispering voice versus stage voice.  They will be applying these skills and concepts throughout the year.  Storytelling through music has been the focus for our Grade 3 and 4 students.  Grade 3 students are reviewing the concept of non-pitched instruments and will apply what they have learned to enhance the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  Grade 4 students are experiencing musical storytelling through singing and movement.  They are enjoying their musical rendition of Salamanca Market.  Grade 5 and 6 students had their first experience of “ensemble” playing.  Orff instruments like the xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels will continue to be an important part of their learning as they play multi-voiced music textures. 

I will continue to highlight different grade groups throughout the year as they continue to deepen their musical experience and understanding. 

Fall Equinox

On Friday, September 20 we will be celebrating the Fall Equinox that falls on Sunday, September 22. Fall is an important time of gathering and preparation, and the land provides many signs and teachings. Through a series of classroom activities and school announcements, and land-based learning opportunities, our students will be exploring themes of nature, balance, and cultural traditions associated with this special time of year.  We look forward to celebrating the beginning of autumn together! 

Deaf Awareness Month

September is Deaf Awareness Month, September 23-29 is the International Week of Deaf People, and the International Day of Sign Languages is Saturday, September 23. We are honoured to be a school that houses the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) System classes for elementary students in the Calgary Board of Education. Our whole school community benefits from developing our understanding of DHH abilities and the involvement of our DHH students through integrated programming. As a part of this commitment, our teachers are learning some basic American Sign Language (ASL) through professional learning opportunities from our DHH staff, and everyone benefits when our ASL interpreters sign at our assemblies and events.  

Students in our DHH program might communicate through the use of ASL, listening and spoken English, or both!  Many of our students in our community classes also express a desire to learn ASL due to this incredible opportunity to connect with their DHH peers. Some resources our school community can use if you want to explore ASL are: 

Upcoming Dates

Sept 16-18      Korean Harvest Festival

Sept 22            Treaty 7 Day

Sept 23            International Day of Sign Language

Sept 23            Fun Lunch

Sept 19            Welcome Back and Meet the Teacher event (4:00-6:30) 

Sept 20            Fall Equinox 

Sept 24            School Council Meeting (7:00pm) 

Sept 26            Orange Shirt Day (in lieu of Sept 30)

Sept 27            Non-instructional Day (no students) 

Sept 30            National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no school)

Oct 2                International Walk to School Day

Oct 3                Terry Fox Run

Oct 9                School Photos

Oct 12               Thanksgiving Day (no school)

Oct 25              Non-instructional Day (no students)

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Lucene Tahmazian
Principal (Acting), Jennie Elliott School