Hello Jennie Elliott Families,
Today, our staff came together for a meaningful and highly valued day of professional learning. To begin the day, we worked on strengthening our school-wide “continuum of supports” to enhance student engagement in learning. These are research-informed, age-appropriate strategies that we are committed to using consistently across all Jennie Elliott classrooms to support every learner.
Then, staff continued deepening our understanding of the "Instructional Hierarchy" - surface, deep, and transfer learning - to better match instruction to where each student is in their learning journey. We explored small, high-impact instructional shifts that support all learners while also providing intervention strategies for those who require it.
In the afternoon, we focused on strengthening both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in mathematics. As a staff, we explored how helping students understand the “why” behind math concepts, alongside practicing accurate and efficient strategies, builds confidence, flexibility, and long-term success in problem-solving.
We look forward to continuing this work to support each child’s growth and success.
Pink Shirt Day
To honour Pink Shirt Day this week, students across Jennie Elliott engaged in thoughtful conversations and activities centered on kindness, courage, and belonging. Some of our grade teams have shared their learning with you to help carry on the conversations at home as well.
Kindergarten students, alongside their buddies, learned that we wear pink shirts to stand up against bullying and to show that everyone belongs. Through stories and class discussions, students explored important ideas: that bullying hurts others’ feelings, that kindness helps our classrooms feel safe and happy, and that we can choose to help rather than ignore unkind behaviour. Students learned the difference between a bystander and an upstander, and together discussed what an upstander looks and sounds like:
- Saying, “Stop, that’s not kind.”
- Including someone who is left out.
- Telling a trusted adult.
- Using kind and helpful words.
- Helping a friend who feels sad.
Grade 3 students worked alongside their buddy classes to explore what it means to be an upstander. They discussed how standing up for others helps create a safe and caring community, and how small actions, such as using kind words, helping a friend, or speaking up when something isn’t right, help build a culture of kindness, inclusion, and respect.
Grade 4 students partnered with their Grade 1 buddies to read The Invisible Boy. Through discussion, students reflected on what it feels like to be left out and considered how sometimes we may unintentionally leave others out. They talked about how one person can make a difference and brainstormed ways to help others feel included and safe at school.
Grade 5 students explored the history of Pink Shirt Day and learned about individuals who created positive change as upstanders. They examined the difference between rude behaviour, being “mean on purpose,” and bullying, recognizing that bullying involves repeated, intentional harm and a power imbalance. Through drama activities, students practiced identifying bystanders and upstanders and rehearsed respectful “quick comebacks” to respond to unkind behaviour in confident, constructive ways.
Pink Shirt Day reminds us that even small acts of courage and compassion can make a powerful difference. Together, we continue to build a school community where every student feels seen, valued, and safe.
Clubs at JES!
We have several clubs currently, or soon to be running at JES. Many thanks to our teachers for organizing these events to provide new and different lunchtime activities for our students!
Division 2 Mount Royal University Elementary Math Contest
Jennie Elliott will be participating in the Mount Royal University Elementary Math Contest on Wednesday April 29, 2026! This is a great opportunity for Division 2 students who love a Math challenge! To prepare, Math Club will run during the second half of lunch (12:20) on Wednesdays in April in room 32 with Ms. Adams. We will also meet Wed. March 11th to confirm our numbers as registration is on March 15th. All division 2 students are welcome!
Division 1 Choir
Division I Choir began meeting on February 17. Students had the opportunity to attend a “Check-it-out” session to gain a better sense of what choir is all about before signing up, and we now have about 80 students who meet every Tuesday at lunch. We look forward to making some joyful noise with the children!
Drawing Club
Mrs. Bevilacqua is offering Drawing Club to the Grade 4 & 5 students. It will be during the second half of lunch, from 12:15-12:40pm, in Room 6. The club will run on Mondays, starting on Monday, March 9th, with the last date being on Monday, April 20th. From their own classrooms, students are to bring their visual journal, pencil, and eraser.
Lego Club
Lego Club began during the month of February and throughout March for Division 1 students. Our grade 1 teachers are taking Lego to new heights! Students will engage in hands-on STEM learning, applying concepts of design, structure, and spatial reasoning while developing communication and teamwork skills.
Board Games Club
Ms. Burge and Mrs. Davey are thrilled to launch Board Games Club for grades 1-3 students starting next week, running until Spring Break on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This club is all about learning through play, big smiles, and lots of fun! Students will dive into exciting board games that build problem-solving, strategy, flexible thinking and communication, while also practising fair play, following rules, and perseverance. We can’t wait to see the teamwork and new friendships that can grow from this experience!
🤟 Join ASL Club! 🤟
Our DHH teachers are excited to offer the ASL club on Tuesdays at lunch starting March 20 until April 21. This will first be offered to Div II students, then Div I students. Participants will learn basic conversational American Sign Language, make new friends, and have fun communicating in a whole new way! Build confidence, show kindness, and grow as a leader while helping make our school a more caring and inclusive community.
Highlights from the Music Program & Ms. Ling
Calgary Opera will be visiting JES on Friday, March 6, 2026. We are very excited about this school tour performance, which is a fun and fully staged production. This in-school performance aims to provide a deeper understanding of classical music, operatic singing, creative storytelling, and the history and traditions of opera. This year, the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood (with a few twists) is brought to life through a delightful and charming children’s opera.
School Development Plan (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 plan focus and student skill development. This week we are highlighting our youngest Jaguars, our Kindergartens!
Our Kindergarten students have been engaged in rich, creative musical learning experiences that build fluency in meaningful and engaging ways. Through learning songs, practicing rhythm on djembe drums, and collaboratively creating a musical story, students developed accuracy, expression, and confidence in performance. As they rehearsed songs like The Lion Sleeps Tonight and practiced drumming sequences, students strengthened key fluency skills such as pacing, rhythm, repetition, and expression, skills that mirror the development of early reading fluency. By combining music, storytelling, and performance, they also deepened their sequencing, oral language, and expressive communication skills. This work directly supports our School Development Plan goal of improving literacy through fluency development. Repeated practice, modelling, and performance align with our school-wide focus on accuracy, automaticity, and expression (prosody).
We are proud of the creativity, engagement, and growth our Kindergarten students demonstrated and were thrilled to celebrate their learning at our Celebration of Learning last week.
Student Registration 2026-27
We are a little more than halfway there with participation in this survey! We need all families to click here to respond to our 2026-27 Student Enrollment Survey as this is critical to our planning for staffing next year. You will be asked if your child will be returning to Jennie Elliott next year, going to another school, or if you are unsure at this time. Thank you for your support as we gather this important information.
2026 Education Plan Check-In Survey
The Calgary Board of Education is in Year 2 of its 2024–2027 Education Plan and is inviting families and staff to share their feedback through a short check-in survey from Feb. 23–Mar. 8. Your input will help shape adjustments for Year 3 and guide the final year of the current plan before work begins on the next three-year cycle. We strongly encourage all families to participate—your voice matters and plays an important role in shaping the future direction of our schools. Please click here to access the survey.
Parent Information Session #4 | Screenagers: The Next Chapter Tues, Mar 10
On March 10 from 5:00–6:00 p.m., we invite families to join us for a screening of Screenagers: The Next Chapter. This powerful film explores children’s and teens’ mental health in the digital age, addressing stress, anxiety, and emotional well-being in a way that is both honest and hopeful.
Please RSVP here and feel free to share the link with other JES families.
School Planning Parent Engagement
At the March 3rd School Council meeting at 6:30 p.m., we will share Part II of our community engagement presentation, highlighting how the school budget supports our development plan and why school fees are necessary. Families will have an opportunity to provide feedback following the session.
School Council (JESC) & Parent Society (JEPSA) Updates
March Newsletter
Family Dance Night is March 12th—two weeks away!
Tickets for both the Division 1 and Division 2 events are available now at www.jennieelliott.ca. All guests must have a ticket to attend. The Dance Night Committee is looking forward to seeing everyone in their brightest neon as they get down on the dance floor! We will have a concession stand selling snacks and treats, but ask that families bring along their own pre-filled reusable water bottles from home to help us be kind to our environment, and eliminate the need for beverage container collection, cleaning and recycling. The school water fountains will also be available as usual. More event details will be announced to ticket holders by email in the next two weeks, but if you have any questions, please contact us at jennieelliott1962@gmail.com.
Upcoming Events
Click here to see the school’s website calendar
March – Irish Heritage Month
Mar 2-5 – Grade 6’s to Outdoor School
Mar 3 – School Council Meeting 6:30pm
Mar 3 – Holi
Mar 8 – International Women’s Day
Mar 9-13 – Substitute Appreciation Week
Mar 3 – School Planning Engagement: School Budget (at School Council meeting)
Mar 10 – Parent Info Session #4 – Screenagers Movie: The Next Chapter 5:00pm
Mar 12 – Family Dance
Mar 14 – Pi Day
Mar 16-20 – Student-Led School Conferences (more info to come)
Mar 20 – Spring Equinox
Mar 20 - Non-instructional day for School Conferences (no school)
Mar 23-27 - Spring Break (no school)
Mar 30 - Classes resume
Mar 30 – Fun Lunch!
Apr 3 - Good Friday
Apr 7 – School Council Meeting
Apr 27 – Fun Lunch!