Dear Banff Trail School Families,
Upon returning to school from winter break, students and staff hit the road running! On day 1 of our return, we jumped right into a 2-week residency with Alien Inline skating, thanks to funding from our wonderful School Council/Society. From observations and conversations I've had with students and teachers, their instructor, Greg, was a fun, engaging, patient leader for all students K-5. Thank you to parents and older student volunteers for helping our youngest students enjoy these experiences with balance, equipment and the promotion of perseverance. During this time, and leading up until now, grades 1 to 5 teachers have also been working diligently to gather and review data, and subsequently generate report cards, which I'm sure you can appreciate is a very time-consuming yet valuable process. Report cards are a snapshot in time, serving to indicate a teacher's evaluation of a student's achievement at this moment. It can also complement conversations that you have with the teacher that elaborate upon progress, suggestions, next steps, passions, etc. Undoubtedly, your child is your primary focus, and such conversations can also prompt reflection about what to explore, or pursue with them, outside of school hours!
On the topic of exploring passions outside of the regular classroom, I am very pleased to announce that we will be running Banff Trail School's 2022-23 clubs over the course of February and March. Our grades 1 to 5 teachers are looking forward to hosting these clubs (as well as Mme Toy and myself), volunteering their time over the lunch hour to provide extra-curricular opportunities for students to explore. Forms were to be sent home today; please note that clubs will be first-come, first served, so if your child is interested in joining a club, I would encourage you to return the forms first thing Monday morning, since space in each club is limited, and we may not be able to accommodate all requests! I hope these clubs can offer an opportunity for students to explore areas of interest to them, whether due to an existing passion or curiosity to learn something different.
Finally, you can look forward to a few other whole-school special experiences over the coming couple months. In February, we have our Carnaval celebration, which brings in Folklofolie and the Cabane à sucre; a couple skating sessions for each grade at Triwood Arena, and; a Trickster residency planned for mid-March. This is amongst some other, grade-specific experiences that are being planned and/or considered. Once again, thank you to our School Council/Society and their fundraising efforts, which enable these whole-school experiences to happen.
For your consideration:
Congratulations! I'm pleased to announce that Mme. Vicky, Grade 1 Teacher at Banff Trail School, gave birth to her first child on Sunday, January 22nd. Scarlett Sylvie Rueve was born a healthy 6lbs 15oz, and both mom and baby are doing well. We all send her our best, as she takes some valuable time to nurture a strong family bond with Scarlett.
Family Literacy Day: Today (January 27, 2023) marks Canada's Family Literacy Day. Consider visiting this website to read more about family literacy, and access some of their resources to explore at home (such as this activity book that prompts reflection about our family's heritage). Even a simple act, such as reading a book together or watching a book-reading on YouTube, can help instill a love for literacy.
Reminder: Next Spirit Day: A reminder that our next Spirit Day will be Class Colour Day. Each class and/or grade-level will choose a colour to focus upon for this special day, which will take place on Tuesday, January 31st. Please connect with your child's teacher if you have any questions about their class' chosen colour/theme.
Reminder: Report Cards: Grade 1-5 Report Cards are currently scheduled to become visible online on January 30th, 2023. A reminder that the best viewing experience will be through the PowerSchool/MyCBE website; although some data is able to be seen through the app, it is not officially supported by the CBE, and parents have experienced difficulty viewing the full report card via the app.
Upcoming Dates:
January 30: Report Cards visible online
January 31: Spirit Day: Class Colours
February 3: Non-Instructional Day (School Closed)
February 6-10: Skating at Triwood Arena
February 13, 14: Carnaval—Folklofolie
February 15: Carnaval—Cabane à sucre
February 16, 17: Teachers' Convention (School Closed)
February 20: Family Day (School Closed)
Have a wonderful weekend,
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School
