Hello Jennie Elliott Families,
We have seemed to have every season this week! From +20 degrees and sunshine to -1 and severe wind; no one said the weather was boring in Calgary! Despite the shifts, students were able to engage in a wide range of meaningful activities, including trips to the Weaselhead, Seton YMCA, and participating in engaging “Mission Impossible” challenges in Physical Education.
While the weather thwarted our staff’s plans to also learn on-site during our professional development day, an experience intended to deepen our ability to support student learning in the area, we were able to pivot effectively. Teachers participated in rich learning sessions during our Maatoomsii’Pookaiks (Children First) Professional Learning Day. Staff from Jennie Elliott and Bishop Pinkham School engaged in developing a deeper understanding of the land on which the school community learns and gathers. Within our workshops we focused on the geological and human history of the Weaselhead, Indigenous perpsectives on the plants and insects, and the psychological benefits of time spent in nature. This learning will directly support future outdoor experiences for our students and strengthen our collective understanding of how to use our local environment as a powerful extension of the classroom.
Support Staff Appreciation Week
This week was Support Staff Appreciation Week where we recognized and thank the many individuals who play such an important role in supporting our students and school each and every day. To our Educational Assistants, Educational Interpreters, office staff, Library Assistant, and Lunch Supervisors: your care, dedication, and behind-the-scenes work make a tremendous difference. Our school simply could not run the way it does without you. We are so grateful for all that you do!
Use of School Premises by Outside Individuals
A friendly reminder that our school playground is closed to the public during school hours. This helps us ensure student safety, maintain clear supervision, and keep the space available for classes and scheduled activities throughout the day. Visitors are required to check in at the office to help us maintain a safe and secure environment for all students.
We also kindly ask that dogs are not brought onto school property at any time. While we know they are part of many families, this helps us keep all students safe and comfortable, particularly those with allergies or fears.
Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for everyone!
Class Cohorts 2026-27
As we begin preparations for next year’s class placements, we remind families about friend requests from parents and students, which was shared last year.
In past years, we have considered friend requests when organizing class cohorts. While we understand that friendships are important to children’s school experience, we have noticed that accommodating these requests has posed significant challenges for teachers when creating the cohorts and on student well-being.
Besides the near impossible process of ensuring all requests are met due to the volume of requests we receive, some of the issues we've encountered include:
· Discrepancies between parent, teacher, and student choices regarding friendships
· A high volume of summer emails requesting changes after fallouts in friendships
· Group requests that unintentionally exclude certain students
· Students finding out that some parents have requested their child not be placed in the same class.
· Over-reliance on a single friendship, limiting broader social development
Given these concerns, we are respectfully asking families do not submit friend requests for next year’s class placements. The implementation of this request last year was met with understanding and support. Over this school year, parents shared their initial concerns about peer dynamics and their child’s class placements ultimately led to positive outcomes: their children formed new friendships, expanded their social circles, and developed greater confidence and resilience.
For further information on Class Cohorts, we recommend that families read the Class Cohorts FAQ that answers many of the questions and wonderings families have, including teacher requests.
As a staff and administration team, we will begin making the placements for next year soon. With this information in mind, if you think there is pertinent information that we don’t already know, or has a critical impact on your child’s learning environment next year, please inform the Principal, Ms. Tahmazian (lutahmazian@cbe.ab.ca) and our Assistant Principal, Ms. Asha Hynes (adyanko@cbe.ab.ca) by email prior to May 12, 2026. After that time, our teachers will begin the creation of the class cohorts.
Volunteer Appreciation – RSVP
Our Volunteer Appreciation Tea will be held on Thursday, April 30th at 2:00 PM.
If you have volunteered in any capacity at Jennie Elliott School - whether on field trips, helping with classroom preparation, supporting School Council events and fundraising, assisting with school needs such as the courtyard or assembling new carts, to name a few - we would like to celebrate you and show our gratitude. Our Division I and Division II choirs will provide our live entertainment, and all our students have prepared special recorded messages to share with you!
This event is a small way for us to say thank you and to recognize the meaningful impact you have had on our students and our school community.
To ensure that we have the appropriate amount of seating, beverages, and goodies, please RSVP here.
Physical Education Update
We wrapped up our gymnastics unit this week with our Mission Impossible course, which is always a highlight! Throughout the unit, students have been working on developing their fundamental movement skills, with a focus on balance, coordination, strength, and body control. In the final course, students became spies and agents, moving through a variety of obstacles that had them travelling over, under, and through equipment while staying in control of their bodies.
This was a great way for students to show what they’ve been working on, especially when it comes to spatial awareness and control. It was awesome to see their perseverance and problem-solving as they worked through each challenge and continued to build confidence in their abilities.
SDP Highlights
Each week, we will be highlighting the intentional fluency work occurring in our grade groups to help families understand the connection between our school development focus and student skill development. This week we are highlighting our Grade 6 classes!
Our Grade 6 students are supporting our School Development Plan goal of increasing reading fluency through purposeful rereading of a variety of texts. Students read texts aloud multiple times using strategies such as choral reading and echo reading. With each rereading, students build greater accuracy, expression, and pacing.
Each reread also has a specific focus to support comprehension. For example, students may reread to develop vocabulary, identify the main idea, or look for textual clues that help them make inferences. This approach helps students monitor their understanding while strengthening their fluency which aligns with the Grade 6 Alberta English Language Arts and Literature curriculum, which states, students will understand how self-monitoring skills can support comprehension and interpretation of texts read independently.
New Date | Screenagers Movies: Last chance to view
Remember to mark your calendar for May 4th! We’re hosting one final Screenagers screening before our license expires. We will be showing both films back-to-back.
6:00–7:00 PM – Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition
7:00–8:00 PM – Screenagers: The Next Chapter
Please RSVP here by Friday May 1st. The event will run based on participation and may be cancelled if there are not enough registrations.
School Council (JESC) Update
Please click here to see our School Council webpage that includes dates for the School Council meetings, the link to the meetings to attend online if you prefer, meeting agendas and meeting minutes.
Parent Society (JEPSA) Update
Jennie's Night Out Denim and Diamonds May 8, 2026
This year JEPSA’s spring fundraising goal is to raise $30,000 to help fuel learning within and beyond the classroom - supporting residencies, hands-on learning tools, and outdoor experiences that bring our curriculum to life. There are so many ways for families and supporters to be involved—please read on for more details!
75% Sold out! Get Your Tickets for Jennie's Night Out - May 8
Only 2 weeks left! We are at a new location this year—the Lakeview Community Centre— May 8 starting at 7 pm. Tickets include a drink ticket, food and dessert provided generously from our local Bella Roma and IGA. Don't miss out on this super fun event, and major fundraiser for our school! Get your tickets here www.jennieelliott.ca
50/50 Raffle
Can't attend Jennie’s Night Out, but still want to participate? Check out our Denim and Diamonds online 50/50 raffle - tickets start at just $1! click here www.jennieelliott.ca. This raffle is open to the public. Please share the link with friends, family, and colleagues too!
Online Silent Auction - Starting Monday at 9 am!!!
Sneak Peak the very popular online silent auction now. Get your bids ready as April 28th is the start of the online silent auction. You will have a chance to bid on items not only for the community, but also to help fill the school with supplies our teachers are requesting! This auction will also be open to the public—please share it with your networks! Link here! www.jennieelliott.ca
Thank you for your support as we launch our spring fundraising!
Upcoming Events
Click here to see the school’s website calendar
Apr 27 – Fun Lunch!
Apr 29 – Division 2 Math Contest
May 4 – Lacrosse Residency begins
May 4 – Screenagers Final Screening
May 5 – Dutch Heritage Day
May 5 – School Council meeting 6:30pm (gr 3 team presenting)
May 8 - Jennie's Night Out Gala
May 12 – Grade 6 Immunizations
May 14 – Division 1 Choir/Grade 4 Celebration of Learning
May 15 – Non Instructional Day (No School)
May 18 – Victoria Day (No School)