| 01-Sep-2022
Dear Dr. E. W. Coffin School Families,
What an amazing day! Thank you for sharing your students with us this year. We enjoyed all the excitement and conversations throughout the day. The students did an incredible job with adapting to being in school once again. This is not possible without the incredible support of all our families, so thank you for preparing them so well.
We had an outside assembly today welcoming our students and introducing our staff. In the assembly we shared these expectations: Respect yourself Respect others Respect this place
We also introduced a new lunch time process where students will eat in the gym. Students were clean and orderly. It was very impressive how our students moved in and out of the gym without any incidents.
Lastly, we shared our general school goals for the year that were summarized into two main student challenges (problem solving and curiosity) distilled into one statement:
We encourage you to solve problems by being curious.
Last year, our general student message centered around solving problems and we are adding a layer to help develop this skill using the concept of curiosity.
Other reminders: Remember to take garbage from lunch to home (Pack-in and Pack-out) Fresh Air Friday is tomorrow. Be prepared to be outside regardless of weather. For tomorrow sunblock, hat and water bottles are important School is dismissed at 12:15 on Friday.
Thanks to our school staff for all their hard work in preparing for our students and thanks to our families for supporting our students to have a fantastic first day of school.
See you all tomorrow, Mr. Hooper
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| 25-Aug-22 Dear Parents, Welcome back to another great year at Dr. E. W. Coffin School. Our staff is excited to reconnect with your student(s) and start a new school year full of fantastic learning experiences. Our front office staff and teachers return on Monday, August 29th. Also, our before and after school child care program, Millennium Kidz N Kare Ltd, have also returned to coordinate and organize for our opening day. Below are some items that are helpful to know as you and your students prepare for this school year. Calendar-Please visit our website to view our calendar Students First Day Back to School (September 1st, 2022)-Please see our very detailed webpage to learn more. All Students - The first day for K-6 students is September 1 at 8:40 am. Supervision on the school property starts at 8:30 am. Teachers will contact parents via an email message on Tuesday, August 30th around 3pm to welcome students to their respective classes and provide information on their specific entrance and exit doors. This email message will also contain information regarding forms to be sent home, signed and returned to your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher will meet them at their designated door at 8:40 am on September 1st. Front doors: Mrs. Hamby & Ms. Jones SW doors: Ms. Stilborn & Mrs. Wilkens NW doors: Mr. Pedenko NE doors: Mrs. Saunders & Ms. Cowdy Portable doors: Mrs. Armour
The general timetable for our school is illustrated below. Timetable (Monday-Thursday) | Timetable (Friday) | Line up outside the school: ~8:30 AM Start: 8:40 AM Lunch: 12:00-12:55 PM Warning Bell: 12:53 PM Start: 12:55 PM Dismissal: 3:30 PM | Line up outside the school: ~8:30 AM Start: 8:40 AM Dismissal: 12:15 PM
| Note: Kindergarten starts at 8:30 am and dismissal is 11:20 am. The first day for all kindergarten students is September 1st, 2022. |
Fees – We will contact families when it is the appropriate time. Noon supervision – If you have not registered your child for lunch supervision in the past, please do so by going into My CBE Powerschool account. Please remember that lunch will need to be brought to school every day. The school does not provide lunch. Health Measures for the 2022-23 School Year - As we begin the 2022-23 school year, there are no current COVID-19 public health measures in place that impact CBE schools. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we follow the guidance and direction provided from Alberta Education and Alberta Health Services. Our Facilities and Environmental Services have ensured that we meet the appropriate standards regarding airflow and high touch points. If new measures are announced, they will be communicated with families and staff before implementation at school. We continue to encourage general health measures for all students and staff to reduce the risk of transmission of illnesses; these include such things as staying home when sick, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Homeroom teacher contact - On August 30 @ 3pm, your child’s teacher will email families to introduce him / herself. School supplies - You do not need to buy school supplies. We will send you a reminder to check your My CBE account to pay a minimal school fee that covers all of the school supplies needed for the school year. Supplies needed - Ensure your child has an adequately sized backpack, a pair of clean indoor running shoes, a water bottle, a daily snack. Also, ensure that your student has quality outdoor gear as we often use our nature grounds and the Whispering Woods for certain learning tasks throughout the year. Please label all items with your child’s name on it. Students should not bring any toys, trading cards, or personal money to school. Throughout the school day, students will have a designated snack time and a designated lunch time. We encourage parents to pack healthy foods for students to eat. Nutritious meals help students to focus and learn throughout the day. Epi-pens and/or inhalers - Students who require an epipen must have an extra one stored in the main office. Ensure that the item is clearly labeled and not expired. There is a Student Health Emergency Response Protocol form which will need to be completed. This form will be in the student package sent home during the first week (Due September 7th). Legal agreements - Students who have any legal agreements (i.e. custody arrangements, emergency protection orders, etc.) must have a current copy in the main office. Without any legal papers stating otherwise, adults that can prove they are a child’s legal parent/ guardian have full access to the child as well as educational information. Early departure/Late entry situations - Please notify the office and/or the classroom teacher anytime your child is late or leaving early. Volunteers and school visits – We will let families know more details about volunteers and visitors in the near future. School Council - We have an amazing group of parent volunteers that help our school thrive. They are a fun group to work with and always so supportive and positive. Thanks for all the care of our gardens over the summer! If you are interested in joining, please contact drcoffinschoolcouncil@gmail.com. Millennium Kidz Message - We want to welcome you to Millennium Kidz and Dr. Coffin School! Here is some information for you: We will be holding early registration on August 30 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM and August 31 from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. If you can't make these times, please let us know. We can arrange another time or you can fill these forms out on the first day of school. Our contact information is: Wendy Haskayne, Director (403-850-1127) and Russell Ward, Director (403-850-2331). Thanks for taking the time to read all this information. You will receive more information in the coming week. We are looking forward to seeing students and families and having an incredible year of learning. Sincerely, Chris Hooper, Principal.
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| Dear Dr. Coffin Families, On behalf of our staff, I would like to sincerely thank you for making Dr. E. W. Coffin School a fantastic place to learn and grow. Our students have demonstrated tremendous growth over the year and deserve a summer break full of physical activity and fun. To our grade 6 students moving on to junior high school, we are proud of you and remember to get involved and also be curious. Remember what you learned a Dr. Coffin and you will thrive at your new school. To our new kindergarten students, we are excited to welcome you and your families to our school community. It is a fantastic place to start your academic journey. To our returning students, find ways to show your caring nature and of course, be curious. Remember to take care of your family and be healthy. Finally, read as much as possible over the summer. Whether it is a long car ride, plane ride, or just a rainy day, that book can be a great way to pass the time and keep your skills sharp. To our School Council and parents, thank you for your incredible support. Pulling off a casino fundraiser in the middle of COVID is incredibly difficult and we are so grateful for this unwavering support. Also, thank you for hosting our first major event in 2 years. The BBQ was excellent and followed up with a wonderful Grade 6 farewell. It was so nice to have our building filled with families. Also thanks for the help at our Sports Day. It was an incredible amount of fun and without your help it would not have been possible. Our staff is excited to see you back on September 1st, 2022. Sincerely, Chris Hooper Principal Dr. E. W. Coffin School
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| I take great pride and joy in welcoming you to the 2021-22 school year at Dr. E. W. Coffin School. I hope you all had a restful and healthy summer full of family, friends, and play. Our staff have been working hard to prepare for this school year and are looking forward to seeing our families again on September 1st (First day of school). I want to especially welcome our new students and families to our school. As a relatively new person to this school, I can attest to the warmth of our entire school community. Our students, staff, and parents are very kind and inclusive so please do not hesitate to ask any of us for help or guidance. Given our focus upon community, it is no doubt that our success in working through the many challenges associated with COVID-19 is based in our collective support of each other. We definitely have a strong well-being focus that sheppards all our efforts to improve student learning. We take a strengths based approach to student learning and know that this lays a foundation for managing future challenges and general adversity. Our staff takes intentional steps to help guide your child towards thriving in learning and in life. We want to meet all parents and have a chance to get to know each other. We value our parent input and look forward to our virtual Meet the Teacher Day on September 24th. Please refer to our website and our Worth Mentioning school messenger notifications during the first few weeks of school. Lastly, we have a wonderful school council and invite you to participate in the meetings and initiatives. The first meeting date has not yet been set, so please stay tuned to our website and Worth Mentioning information (sent out Friday afternoons). We are honored to be entrusted with your student’s education and development. Thank you for sharing your children with us and we look forward to seeing you soon. Respectfully, Chris Hooper, EdD Principal
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| In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, and in alignment with the CBE Education Plan, Dr. E. W. Coffin School acknowledges and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, and makes the following commitment to action for the 2021-2022 school year: In addition to honoring National Indigenous Peoples Day, we have also included a moment to reflect upon the 215 lives lost at the Kamloops residential school. This will be an annual tradition that is integrated into our day that includes planting of 215 orange flowers in our Sun Circle. In making our commitment, Call to Action # 62 offered inspiration. Date: June 21, 2021
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| We are already a week into March and the warm spring-like temperatures sure have teased us that spring is on its way! We had the compound cleared which created large mounds of snow. The students had a lot of fun creating snow forts and climbing the mounds during their outdoor recess breaks. I was very impressed with the creative designs students came up with and how they worked together to build the various structures. The warm weather has pretty much melted the forts away, however the snow mounds are likely going to take a little longer to disappear. Pandemic protocols and guidelines have changed the way we do many things. One of the activities impacted has been the ability for the students to enjoy “buddy” activities. The teachers have now figured out safe ways to allow students to once again have opportunities to meet with their buddies. The first meeting with buddies was a special event in the school and I heard many positive statements from the students once they had been introduced to their buddy. The students and teachers will continue to plan for buddy activities in the months ahead.
Teaching and learning during a pandemic certainly has changed the opportunities for field trips, volunteers and visitors into our school. Fewer events happen outside of the school and field trips take place to local spots without the support of our valuable volunteers. Last Friday, Saakokoto spent time with each one of our classes to share stories of the land and Blackfoot culture. On March 9th we will hold our monthly School Council meeting at 7 pm, virtually of course. All parents are welcome to log into our School Council meetings. Please refer to the School Council Message sent out on March 3rd for the meeting link. March 12th is a professional learning day and there will be no classes for students. Saakokoto will return on March 19th to meet with the students again and continue to build our understanding of Indigenous culture. Spring Break begins on March 27th with the last day of classes on March 26th. Students will return to school following the spring break on Tuesday, April 6th.
Following the spring break, planning and organization for the next school year begins. Thank you to all the families who returned the Next Year planning sheets. This data will help our new principal, Mr. Hooper and the staff to begin the process of looking at class configuration and staffing requirements for the upcoming school year.
This is my last principal message and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students, staff and families for an amazing end to my career. My six years as principal of this amazing “little school on the hill” will be forever a part of the cherished memories I have of my thirty-five year career with the Calgary Board of Education. I will miss all of you! Thank you for the many kind words and well wishes I received upon announcing my retirement. I plan to fill my days in retirement spending time with family, golfing, enjoying doing my crafting in the middle of the day, and travelling, when it is safe to travel again. I wish you all the very best in the days ahead. Take care and stay safe. Cathy
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| The first week of February is wrapping up and the weather is certainly reminding us that we are still in the middle of the winter season. This weekend and the upcoming week will test our stamina for cold temperatures. We may have a few days of indoor breaks however, I will offer up Polar Bear club for those students who want to bundle up and get some fresh air. February is Friendship month at Dr. E. W. Coffin. As an entire school, we will be engaging in friendship activities and discussions throughout the month. This will include reading friendship stories, completing friendships activities and art projects, and developing our friendship skills through a variety of learning activities. Following Valentine’s Day, learning activities will focus on positive peer relationships and anti-bullying behaviors leading up to Pink Shirt Day on February 24. I encourage families to talk with your children about the conversations and learning activities that are taking place in their classrooms.
Thank you for the support from School Council and the Friends of Dr. Coffin who have provided the funds available for additional snow shoes to be purchased for the students. With all the snow that has been falling the snow shoes will be put to good use in the days to come. We will also be increasing our phys-ed equipment, math and science materials, and our Chromebook inventory through the financial support of the Friends of Dr. E. W. Coffin. These additional learning resources will be supportive of the learning in our classrooms. Student report cards were available for parent viewing on February 4.Our teachers continue to see improvement in the academic achievement of our students. Covid-19 protocols make group-learning tasks a challenge to plan for and therefore students are engaging in individual learning tasks to demonstrate their understanding of learning outcomes. The students are eager to learn and show what they know thruogh the learning tasks they undertake in the classrooms.
February is the shortest month of the year; however, at Dr. Coffin we will be busy. This past Wednesday, we took time for a Winter Walk. The weather was a little chillier than we have been having but the classes all found time in the day to bundle up and get outside. This walk is an annual event, which encourages 15 minutes of walking outdoors. Our classes will all be taking part in some Valentines fun over the next few days. Creating Valentine mailboxes will be one activity this year that all grades will enjoy. Covid-19 protocols require a carefully planned approach to some of the traditional Valentines Day fun. During this school year when so many things are not able to take place for our students, we hope that having some of these fun activates in a safe way keeps smiles on our students faces. Teachers' Convention takes place on February 11 and 12 followed by Family Day on February 15. These are non-school days for students. On February 17, our Kindergarten students will celebrate their 100th day in school. This is always a special day for our kindergarten students as they have learned about number sense and can show their understanding of 100 in many ways. February 24 is Pink Shirt Day and we will encourage students to participate in this anti-bullying event and wear a pink shirt to school.
As the second term of this school year begins, I want to express my deepest appreciation for your continued support of teaching and learning at Dr. E. W. Coffin School.
Take care and stay safe. Together in Education, Cathy
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| Happy New Year to our Dr. E. W. Coffin families. I do hope that the winter break gave you time to recharge and create some new traditions with your families under the health guidelines we currently live within. Our return to school has been different for all of us, and I have to say the students have done a wonderful job pivoting back to on-line learning. The days do look different this time around compared to last spring when we jumped to emergency teaching and learning. Students and teachers were able to follow a similar timetable and routines, while on-line, combining virtual classroom meetings and lessons with independent learning tasks. During last weeks, on-line learning I enjoyed popping into the class meetings and lessons and seeing the students engaged in the learning activities they had been doing. The preparation time before the winter break was helpful and allowed teachers to send home necessary learning materials and books with the students. I hope having a schedule and the materials at home in advance made this period of at-home learning run a little smoother. When students arrived at school today, it was great to see their smiling eyes and their eagerness to return to in-school learning.
Kindergarten registration for the 2021-2022 school year begins on January 11. We encourage families who will be registering their children for kindergarten to contact the school office about the registration process. Families who live outside of our designated area and currently have a child attending Dr. Coffin, and have a sibling who will be age appropriate to start kindergarten, are also asked to contact the office about registration.
This year report cards will be completed by the teachers at the end of January. Families will be able to access the on-line report card beginning the week of February 1 to the 5. The Calgary Board of Education will be making report cards accessible to parents on a staggered basis according to school name. Please watch for more information about the time to view Dr. Coffin report cards coming from the Calgary Board of Education later in January.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of teaching and learning at Dr. E. W. Coffin. Take care and stay safe. Together in education. Cathy
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| December has arrived and although the calendar identifies the month of the year, our weather has certainly not been December-like. The pandemic continues to impact teaching and learning and with the warm temperatures our classes have been fortunate to maximize learning outdoors. Students and teachers are happy to be outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine. Our little school has some big celebrating to do! Our students worked hard this year in music class with Mr. O’Reilly to enter the CBC Music Class Challenge. This was not an easy task with COVID restriction and limits around musical instruments and vocal participation. Mr. O’Reilly and the students worked through these challenges and successfully submitted our entry. The top 10 list has been revealed and Dr. E. W. Coffin has made the list in the category of Elementary Instrumental (Grades 4-6). Well done everyone!! The finalists will be announced on December 15 – keep your fingers crossed! This is a wonderful accomplishment and shows our strong collaborative, community spirit and our ability to work together to complete such a great project.
Our School Development Plan and our Annual Results report are both posted to our school website. This year our School Development Plan (SDP) will focus on two areas for student achievement: English Language Arts (specifically reading) and Well-Being for Learning (self-regulation). Our language arts goal will target student achievement in reading fluency and comprehension and our well-being for learning goal will focus on student’s ability to self-regulate and make responsible decisions in their learning. You may access the SDP on our website from the About Us tab, under Our School, if you would like to learn more about our plans for this school year. Before we know it, 2021 will be here. We will begin registration for our Kindergarten program on January 11, 2021. At this time, it would be helpful for us to hear from families who have a child of Kindergarten age, who is eligible to start Kindergarten in September of 2021. Please use the Calgary Board of Education’s Kindergarten calculator located on the CBE website to see when your child is eligible to start kindergarten. These early conversations will help us in planning for our Kindergarten program in the fall.
We will hold a few festive events during this final month of 2020. December 10 will be festive hat day and students and staff can put on their favorite festive hat for the day. Mr. O’Reilly will lead us in our annual carolling December 15, 16, and 17. We will miss our families joining us for our carolling during the last week before break. December 18 is the final day of classes before the winter break.
At this time, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. This year our holiday gatherings will be different as the whole world continues to manage life during a pandemic. My wish for each one of our families is for the New Year to bring all of us hope, good health and well-being.
Take care and stay safe. Together in Education,
Cathy
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| The school year is well under way and the students and staff continue to follow guidelines and protocols associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very pleased with how the students have adjusted to the new routines and have been supportive of one another in following our safety steps. Hearing students check for washroom occupants, or remind their friends of the direction to travel in the halls, are daily occurrences and are conveyed with kindness and caring for each other. Teaching and learning during a pandemic challenges all of us to look for new ways to do some of the things we plan for during the school year. This year’s Halloween activities took on a very different look and the day was one that students and staff all enjoyed. Thank you to our School Council for providing several pumpkins for each classroom. Everyone enjoyed starting the day with a pumpkin hunt in Whispering Woods. Once the pumpkins were found, classes used the pumpkins in a variety of ways. Predicting weight, estimating how many seeds were inside, and the circumference, were fun math activities students engaged in. Finishing the day with an outside costume parade was a great end to the day. I am inspired by the continuous efforts of our students to come to school eager to learn, showing perseverance and determination when facing new and challenging tasks. The CBC Music Challenge has been one of the learning activities that students, and teachers, have had to adjust. Mr. O’Reilly has been working with the students to prepare for filming day on November 19. Having to maintain physical distance, practice in classrooms, and limits around singing and musical instruments, have been challenging to navigate, however the students have continued to practice their part for the Music Challenge submission. I am looking forward to listening to the final piece.
Our months are not nearly as busy as our pre-COVID days when our students were taking part in field trips, group projects and special events. Volunteers were frequent visitors in our school, supporting home reading, fun lunches and special activities. We miss you all and look forward to the time we can once again welcome you into the school to support the teaching and learning in our little school.
The school is quieter although there are a few events I wanted to highlight that have taken place, or are upcoming this month. On November 10, we held a virtual Remembrance Day assembly. Our grade five and six students with the support of Mr. O’ Reilly honored the men and women who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace in a solemn and respectful ceremony. Our Kindergarten students concluded the assembly with a song about the poppy. We will be planning for more virtual assemblies and hope to invite families to attend assemblies, virtually of course, in the future. Parent Teacher conferences are taking place virtually on November 19 and 20. These conferences are an opportunity to talk with the teacher about your child’s learning progress. Online conference bookings will open up on November 14 for parents to book their conference times with the teachers. We will be holding a spirit day for everyone on November 25. This spirit day will give students, and staff, a small opportunity to don a favorite sport team jersey, their own jersey, or their Dr. Coffin hoodie or T-shirt, and come together as a learning community and show our spirit. We look forward to having a fun day to cheer!
I want to continue to extend my sincerest gratitude and the appreciation of our staff to all our families. Your ongoing support for the staff, and the teaching and learning that happens at Dr. E. W. Coffin School is truly cherished.
Take care and stay safe! Together in Education, Cathy
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