Sep 01
Welcome Back to School


Welcome Back to School! 

Dear Harold Panabaker Students and Families, 

Welcome to the 2023 - 2024 school year! We are thrilled to have all of our students back in school on Thursday, August 31. We hope you all had an enjoyable summer filled with relaxation and special moments with friends and family. Our incredible staff have been back to work, diligently preparing for a safe, positive, and meaningful year ahead. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to our wonderful custodial staff, who dedicated their entire summer to ensure our school is in pristine condition. We are eagerly looking forward to reconnecting with our returning students and extending a warm welcome to all the new students. Our goal is to collaborate with you and your children to support their academic, social, and emotional growth throughout the year. Let's make this a remarkable year together!

Here is some key information that will help you and your family get ready for the first day of school:

School Hours  

Monday to Thursday: 9:15am – 4:04pm  

Friday: 9:15am – 1:10pm 

Staff Members 

Administrative Team:

Principal: Ms. Li

Assistant Principal: Ms. Roach 

Administrative Assistant: Ms. Weatherhead

Teachers: 

Humanities Team                                       Math/Science Team 

Mr. Doerksen (Learning Leader)               Ms. Ray (Learning Leader) 

Ms. Cooke

Ms. Chalmers                                               Ms. Bruvall

Ms. Easton                                                    Mr. Deighton 

Ms. Godwin                                                   Mr. Halle                               

Ms. Hansen                                                  Mr. Egener               

Ms. Hougen                                                  Mr. Nickerson

Mr. McClure                                                              Mr. Privat 

Mr. Michalak

​Mandarin Bilingual Program 

Ms. Fischer (Gr.5/6 English)                      Ms. Law (Gr.5/6 Mandarin)  

Ms. Han (Gr.7-9 Mandarin)                        Ms. Duan (Gr. 7-9 Math)

L & L Team

Ms. Dickson (Learning Leader)                 Ms. Duan

Ms. Godwin                                                   Mr. Kohler      

Physical Education: Ms. Broks (Learning Leader) 

Music and Band: Mr. Michalak

ALP Program: Ms. De Borja

Support Staff: 

Educational Assistants:Ms. Day, Ms. Sefel and Ms. Korns (ALP Program) 

School Assistant:                Ms. Galindez

Library Assistant:                 Ms. Belisle 

IT Support:                            Mr. Singh

Bookkeeping:                        Ms. Lopez

Facility Operators:                Mr. He

 

Parents dropping off and picking up student(s)  

Parents we need your assistance in keeping all our children safe.  Please chose safety over convenience.  It is not safe to drop children off in the staff parking lot or in the bus zone (directly in front of the school).  Please drop off and pick up your child(ren) on the east side of Sackville Drive or along the school field. Having a plan identifying an area for the student(s) to be picked up further away from the building will support the distancing measures.  

Who is My Child's Homeroom Teacher?  
Please expect a special message from your child's homeroom teacher on Tuesday August 29. 

School Supplies

All you need to know about school supplies is on our website. Click here.

Student Placement 
A great deal of time and thoughts has gone into the process of student placement for the 2023-24 school year. Careful consideration was given to input from staff and families as well as student learning styles. We have tried our best to balance classrooms academically and socially. Our class lists are structured to provide equitable class sizes at each grade level.  Thank you so much for being positive with your child and helping him or her understand that it is impossible to place all students with a preferred best friend or teacher. All of our staff works hard to make school a positive experience for ALL students. Thank you for understanding that it can take a few weeks for a child to acclimate to a new grade, peer group and teacher. 

Option Classes 

Option forms were emailed to families before the end of June. However, we have noticed that a number of students have not yet submitted their option choices. Rest assured, we will make every effort to connect with each of these students on their first day back to place them into their desired classes as much as possible. However, please understand that some option classes have already reached their capacity, and your child may not get their preferred choices. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Tuck Shop Update

We are pleased to share that we are opening the Tuck Shop in the 2023-24 school year. The Tuck Shop will provide freshly made, nutritious lunches and snacks at reasonable prices. Staffing for the Tuck Shop is underway and we anticipate that food service will start as soon as the position is filled.

Best ways to stay informed.  
Communication between home and school is key to student success. Please make sure to take advantage of all of the avenues of communication that we offer.  

  • Make sure to check your email regularly!  We send the vast majority of our communications home via School Messenger.  
  • Please be sure to read our Week at a Glance.  All Harold Panabaker families will receive a weekly email, we urge you to read the newsletter.  This is our primary mode of communicating important announcements and event information to parents, and we appreciate you taking the time to "stay in the loop!"  
  • The Harold Panabaker website is full of great information and we encourage you to check the website often for news and updates.    

    I hope your child will find Harold Panabaker a safe, caring, warm, positive and supportive place to learn and grow and we look forward to having a great year of learning with all of you.

    See you very soon!  

    Respectfully,  

    Shelly Li, Principal 


Jun 30
Principal's Message Year End 2023

As the school year draws to an end, on behalf of Harold Panabaker staff, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the tremendous support you have provided to our school. Throughout this past year, we have been fortunate to maintain in-person classes, providing our students with an optimal learning environment. All option classes were offered, allowing our students to explore their passions and talents fully. Moreover, they had the opportunity to embark on exciting field trips such as River Watch, Calaway Park, and Mobil Escape Room, expanding their horizons beyond the classroom walls.

I commend our students for their dedication and commitment. Beyond their academic achievements, they showcased their determination and perseverance through their involvement in various athletic teams. Whether it was on the field, court, or track, they displayed remarkable sportsmanship,a diligent work ethic, resilience, serving as an inspiration to us all.

Our school encountered an unexpected challenge in late April when we faced a small fire as a result of ongoing roof work. However, in the face of adversity, our students displayed remarkable resilience, rallying together as a tight-knit community and demonstrating their high spirit.

I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to a few of our remarkable teachers who have made a significant impact on our school community. Mr. Prouse will be taking his expertise to J.P. Vanier School next year, Ms. Sosnowicz will start the next step in her career with Mid Sun School, Mr. Gu will be joining Henry Wise High School in the fall and wish them all the best as they embark on this new chapter in their teaching journey. In addition, Ms. De Souza will be transitioning to a system position as the inclusive strategist for Area 6. We wish her all the best as she continues to make a difference in the lives of students beyond our school walls.

Additionally, we are very happy to announce that Ms. Bruvall and Ms. Godwin will continue to teach at Harold Panabaker next year!  We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Nickerson as our new Construction teacher who has many years of experience in construction, and Mrs. Dickson as our new special education Learning Leader. Ms. Dickson is an experienced Humanity teacher and learning leader and her expertise and passion will undoubtedly enhance our inclusive education program, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to thrive.  Furthermore, we extend a warm welcome to Ms. Duan, who will be joining Ms. Han in teaching Mandarin math to our Grade 7-9 Mandarin Program students. We are excited to have her on board, and we look forward to the enriching educational experiences she will bring to our classrooms.

I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall. ​


Jun 30
2021-22 Year End Message

As our year comes to completion I want to take a moment to reflect on Panabaker’s 21-22 school year. I want to start by thanking everyone involved in the successes we had this year; our students, parents, teachers, support staff, community supports, local businesses, community residents, administration, Area Office, and of course the Calgary Board of Education in general. This has been a year of transitions, as our Covid-19 response kept everyone on their toes as we learned to pivot through this difficult time. Our school community responded with strength, unity, and pride. We overcame, we showed our resilience, and we found success at every bend. For that I am eternally grateful and proud of our entire school community.

As a school we worked diligently to offer specific, intentional, and meaningful interventions to ensure students were able to recoup skills and concepts that were challenging during the pandemic learning. This intervention is captured in our school development plan, and the success of this is reflected in our student achievement and growth. Our staff committed countless hours to analysis, preparation, and delivery to best serve the educational goals of all our students. Our parents worked closely with us to support the needs of their individual students, and as a group through parent council to support the entire population. We were able, throughout this challenging time, to simultaneously target our school culture and develop a sense of belonging and safety for our student body. Wrapping itself around all of this work was our schools dedication to reconciliation and our goals to recognize and celebrate all cultural diversities in our student population with a particular focus on our Indigenous truth and reconciliation commitments. It has been a busy year, but a fruitful one as our students blossomed academically, socially, and athletically.

We celebrated multiple divisional championships in volleyball, junior boys and girls brought home the title banners, in badminton our senior team won the divisional championship, and in track & field our senior boys finished in first place with our overall team taking third. What an incredible year! Within all of this we ran clubs and intramurals every single day, our gym is always a hub of activity. We at Panabaker are firm believers that strong athletes create strong students and a strong school culture. The successes on the athletic field are reflective of our successes in the classroom. Go Panthers!

With the end of a school year we always face a time of goodbyes and welcomes with staff. This year is no different, we find ourselves with some key staff members moving on, but also being populated with new energy and expertise. We say good bye to our Assistant Principle Mr. Llewellyn, but welcome our new Assistant Principal Ms. Roach. We send off Ms. Crecco, Ms. Locke, and Ms. Poulin as they embark on new positions within the CBE and in the UK. However, we welcome to our team Mr. Doerksen, Mr. Deighton, Ms. Easton and Mr. Halle who all bring unique talents and passion to the halls of Panabaker. We also wish well to our newest staff members on temporary contract Ms. Godwin and Ms. Fedotova as they find their way to new buildings and new positions as their individual careers develop in the CBE.

On behalf of Harold Panabaker School, we wish Mr. Llewellyn all the best in his new personal adventure next year. Mr. Llewellyn has been passionate and dedicated to supporting staff and student success. He connected with the community to build relationships and his legacy as a panther will continue in his absence.

So as with every year we faced many changes and challenges but our Panthers proved up to the task. We look forward to seeing you all in September and ask you to check the school website for back to school information. Please enjoy a summer filled with family and fun, take time to recharge, and enjoy the return of the Calgary Stampede.

Sincerely,

Shelly Li
Principal

 


Jun 28
Year End Message

As we wrap up this unforgettable year of teaching and learning through a pandemic, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the students, teachers and parents of Harold Panabaker School for your enduring support and partnership. Whether we were in school or learning from home, we talked together, supported each other, and have remained a strong community despite the many challenges that we faced navigating through the reality of a pandemic.

Undoubtedly, this year has provided staff and students many opportunities to learn the importance of adaptability and resiliency when embracing changes with open hearts and minds, learning to sacrifice for the common good, developing empathy and compassion for others, and most importantly, practicing the value of caring for each other as a community. Staff, students, and families demonstrated grace and understanding when asked to follow new norms and routines. Whether it was being masked, quarantined, social distanced, cohorted, or switched between on-line and in person classes the Harold Panabaker community worked together to support one another through these many changes. Though inconsistency and uncertainty where a new part of our world, we continued to strive to find ways to create connection, unite and support each other, and care for the social, emotional and academic well-being of our students. We are proud of the work staff and students accomplished to provide the following community and learning experiences and supports: virtual Chinese New Year Celebration, skating on the community rink, land-based learning in Fish Creek Park, fundraising to support a family that lost all their belongings in a house fire and a student who lost his parent to Covid-19, virtual talent show, modified Sports Day, Gr. 9 Drive-by Farewell with a DJ, and daily intermural activities throughout the year including basketball, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis. All of these experiences and opportunities helped maintain our sense of community, belonging and the Panther spirit of resilience. All of the above could not have happened without the dedication and contribution of the Harold Panabaker staff, the enthusiastic participation of our students and the support from our parents. A big thank you to you all! Thank you and well done to an incredible group of professionals and a big hug to all of our lovely students. 

We want to pay tribute to all of our staff. This school year has been exceptionally challenging in a profession that is never easy. Throughout the year, they have put commendable effort into maintaining their focus on teaching, learning and relationship building while overcoming many challenges: learning and developing various resources that are used for on-line teaching, designing activities that bring students together intellectually yet keep them apart physically, talking through masks the whole day, helping students when they are sick and willingly working one-on-one with students who’s needs exempt them from wearing masks. Through your actions, you have modelled what empathy, compassion and devotion means in life.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our community partners, School Council members, and parents and guardians for whole heartedly supporting our students and our school. You showed your care through organizing fund raising events, purchasing 18 Chromebooks for the students, supporting students and families who needed support, working with your child when they were home learning on-line, coming to pick up your child when they had some minor symptoms to ensure the safety of others, etc. Your support has meant so much to the staff at Harold Panabaker and we have always felt like our parents have our back. 
To our students, we are very grateful for your flexibility, resilience, positive attitude persistence and amazing talents. For those returning next year, we look forward to seeing you back in SeptemberReturning families will receive a welcome email in August with information about the 2021-22 school year, including any relevant health and safety measures based on government guidelines at that time.

To those who are leaving our school, we hope you feel Harold Panabaker School has provided you with guidance and the skills needed to developed the attitude, work ethic, and confidence needed for your academic future. All our best wishes to you.

Although we are not certain at this moment what impact COVID will have in the fall, we are excited to welcome students back on Wednesday, September 1. Please watch your emails in August to get updates about our return to school plans and Covid protocols. We will update you all with this important information as it becomes available.  Please note that our office will be closed for the summer holiday and will re-open August 27, 2021; our regular office hours are 8:30am-4:30pm Monday to Friday. 

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and enjoyable summer break. On behalf of all the staff of Harold Panabaker, we look forward to being together again next school year.

 


Dec 15
Happy First Week of Classes in 2021

Happy New Year Harold Panabaker families,  

I hope that all of you had a chance to relax and enjoy the holidays despite the unprecedented challenges that we have been facing!  

For the week of January 4-8, on-line learning will occur for all Gr.5 – 9 students except the students in the ALP Program and some of the students in the L & L Program who chose to attend in-person classes. As we continue with on-line learning this week, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of student attendance and engagement in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. Learning is progressive and it is imperative for students to keep up with their school work. Parents, your support in ensuring your child(ren)'s active participation in on-line learning is greatly appreciated. We will contact you through email or phone calls if your child misses his/her classes. 

All students will return to in-person learning on January 12, 2021 (January 11 is a PD day for our school and there will be no classes). We are looking forward to the time when we are together again! 

I would like to thank Nicole Weber for her exceptional leadership of Harold Panabaker during my absence. All her hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated.  

Please stay safe and well. We look forward to a happy and bright 2021! 

Sincerely,  

Shelly Li­­­, Principal


 

Nov 25
Covid Confirmation by AHS

November 25, 2020

 Dear Parent/Guardian,

 On November 25th, the school used a PreAlert message to notify our community of a positive case of COVID-19 that had been reported by a family or staff member. At that time, the school did not have official confirmation from Alberta Health Services (AHS). The purpose of this message is to inform you that AHS has now confirmed this case.

 The school had already contacted each family or staff member affected by the positive case and now, AHS will follow up. If you were not identified as a close contact, then your child(ren) were not affected by the positive case.

 We remind parents/guardians of students to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.The Alberta Health daily checklist can be found here. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school.

 If you/your child has any of the symptoms of illness listed on the Alberta Health daily checklist, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811 and stay home/keep your child at home.

We will continue to provide additional information to parents / guardians as it is available.

 If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

 Sincerely,

 Nicole Weber, Principal

t | 403-777-7890​


Nov 25
Covid Confirmation by AHS

November 25, 2020

 Dear Parent/Guardian,

 On November 25th, the school used a PreAlert message to notify our community of a positive case of COVID-19 that had been reported by a family or staff member. At that time, the school did not have official confirmation from Alberta Health Services (AHS). The purpose of this message is to inform you that AHS has now confirmed this case.

 The school had already contacted each family or staff member affected by the positive case and now, AHS will follow up. If you were not identified as a close contact, then your child(ren) were not affected by the positive case.

 We remind parents/guardians of students to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.The Alberta Health daily checklist can be found here. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school.

 If you/your child has any of the symptoms of illness listed on the Alberta Health daily checklist, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811 and stay home/keep your child at home.

We will continue to provide additional information to parents / guardians as it is available.

 If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

 Sincerely,

 Nicole Weber, Principal

t | 403-777-7890​


Nov 25
Covid Confirmation by AHS

November 25, 2020

 Dear Parent/Guardian,

 On November 25th, the school used a PreAlert message to notify our community of a positive case of COVID-19 that had been reported by a family or staff member. At that time, the school did not have official confirmation from Alberta Health Services (AHS). The purpose of this message is to inform you that AHS has now confirmed this case.

 The school had already contacted each family or staff member affected by the positive case and now, AHS will follow up. If you were not identified as a close contact, then your child(ren) were not affected by the positive case.

 We remind parents/guardians of students to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.The Alberta Health daily checklist can be found here. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school.

 If you/your child has any of the symptoms of illness listed on the Alberta Health daily checklist, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811 and stay home/keep your child at home.

We will continue to provide additional information to parents / guardians as it is available.

 If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

 Sincerely,

 Nicole Weber, Principal

t | 403-777-7890​


Nov 25
Covid

November 25, 2020

 

 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

 

We have been notified by a family or staff member that a positive case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in an individual from Harold Panabaker School. At this time, the school does not have official confirmation from Alberta Health Services (AHS).

 

The school has already contacted each family or staff member affected by the positive case, and AHS will be following up only with those individuals. If you were not contacted, your child(ren) are not affected by the positive case.

 

Our school remains open to in-person learning for all students, and we are working to ensure necessary measures continue to be in place to protect all staff and students. This includes the cleaning and disinfecting of all items touched by the individual, and the removal and storage of all items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected (paper, books, etc.)  in a sealed container for a minimum of 72 hours.

 

All students impacted by the positive case will be supported in maintaining course work during the designated period online. They will not join Hub online learning.

 

We remind parents/guardians of students to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.The Alberta Health daily checklist can be found here. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school.

 

If you/your child has any of the symptoms of illness listed on the Alberta Health daily checklist, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811 and stay home/keep your child at home.

We will continue to provide additional information to parents / guardians as it is available.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Nicole Weber

t | 403-777-7890

nweber@cbe.ab.ca​


Oct 19
Introduction-Acting Principal

As you probably know by now, the principal of Harold Panabaker, Shelly Li, has taken a short leave and I will be her replacement during this absence.

I thought I would tell you a little about myself. I worked for the CBE for 40 years before I retired with a diverse and extensive background-I have been an elementary teacher, physical education specialist, resource teacher, principal of both elementary and middle/jr schools, system principal of planning and transportation and taught at the university level. My schools include 11 sites ranging throughout the city in both high and low economic areas, high ESL populations and a variety of special needs programs such as PLP, L&L, ACCESS and TASC.

I believe students come first and as educators we must do everything we can to help students teach their full potential and develop a love of lifelong learning. I will continue the excellent leadership that Mrs. Li has demonstrated and continue with the direction of the school. I Iook forward to meeting you and working together to enhance the learning community of Harold Panabaker. ​

Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any concerns or just would like to introduce yourself to me at nweber@cbe.ab.ca. I will continue to keep Panabaker a safe and secure learning environment for both staff and students.

 


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