Full Day Kindergarten

For the 2023-2024 school year, our school will offer a full-day kindergarten program. The CBE receives funding for half-day kindergarten programs from Alberta Education. As a school system, we choose to supplement the half-day funding to provide full-day programs at a small number of schools that meet specific criteria. The list of schools offering full-day programs is reviewed annually, and the data is used to determine which schools have the greatest need and meet the established criteria. Please be advised that the data used to determine which schools will offer a full-day kindergarten program is updated each spring, and the schools that offer full-day kindergarten may change from year to year.

Welcome to our Kindergarten program at Banting and Best School! We are so excited to have your child join us for our full day Kindergarten program. We are committed to making your child’s experience in Kindergarten the best it can possibly be. We are looking forward to a wonderful year with your child. Please read the following for a few important things to know about Kindergarten at Banting and Best School.

Kindergarten Orientation Information

August Open House ~ Tentative

We have tentatively planned to have an Open House prior to school starting on Wednesday, August 30, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. This is an opportunity for families to come meet the teacher and see the classroom before school starts. This is completely optional but might be good for students (or parents J) who are feeling anxious about the first day of school. All are welcome! We will confirm the open house by email near the end of August.

Kindergarten School Hours

• Monday - Thursday: 8:10 am – 2:50 pm
• Fridays: 8:10 am – 12:30 pm

**This is a full day Kindergarten program. The hours mainly follow that of the rest of the school with the exception of during the Kindergarten staggered entry days and a few other specific days when there is no school for Kindergarten students only.

Calendar

The 2023-2024 Banting and Best Calendar is on our Calendar page.

MyCBE Account

All parents will need to sign up for a My CBE account. This can be done at MyCBE . There is also a link on our Banting and Best School website. This account will be required to do be able to do things such as pay fees, request waivers, book school conferences, and register for transportation and noon supervision. You will require your child’s CBE Number. This has been printed on the label on your package of information.

Transportation

Families eligible for transportation and who wish to use the bus should complete the online registration before the June 11 deadline if possible. For more information visit the CBE website.

Clothing

Please send your child to school in comfortable, washable clothing that is suitable for gym and trips outside, as well as for messy arts and crafts. Closings and fastenings that can be managed independently are important. Have students practice with zippers and buttons to help with their independence. It is also very helpful to keep a spare set of clothes in your child’s backpack in case of accidents.

Inside Shoes (to be left at school)

For safety reasons, non-slip, rubber-soled shoes need to be worn in the school and gym. Please provide a pair of indoor shoes on the first day of school and put your child’s name on each shoe. If your child cannot tie laces, please provide shoes with Velcro closings or slip-on shoes.

Labeling

All of your child’s personal items including shoes, backpacks, coats, boots, etc. should be clearly labeled with his/her name and/or initials.

Backpacks

In order to safely transport lunches, notices, artwork, and library books to and from school, it would be most helpful to provide your child with a backpack that is large enough to fit everything in. Your child needs to bring the backpack each day.

Toys

Please leave toys at home. These items routinely become lost or broken which results in unhappiness for your child. You will be notified in advance should items be required for a special activity.

Lunch/Snacks & Lunch Supervision

If your child is staying for lunch, they will need to be registered for Lunch Supervision. This is done using your MyCBE account.

There is a fee for this service. If staying for lunch, your child will be required to bring a nutritious lunch as well as a snack. They will also participate in daily snack time. Students are not to share their snacks/lunch with others. We have students with life-threatening allergies, and we want to ensure all students are safe. We are also a nut-aware school; therefore, we ask that you send a nut-free/peanut free snack/lunch. Please also send a water bottle with your child.

Allergies / Health Concerns

To help us keep your child safe and comfortable at school please notify your child’s teacher in writing as soon as possible of any allergies or other health concerns. In September, we will send home medical forms to be returned to the school.

Subscribe to Stay Informed

If you want to ensure that you are receiving all email messages from the school, because of anti-spam laws, you will need to subscribe to get some types of messages. Any messages from the school or from the Calgary Board of Education that are considered commercial, you will need to subscribe in order to receive these. If you would like to subscribe, and have not already done so, please do the following:

• To subscribe to receive commercial email messages, go to www.cbe.ab.ca/subscribe to enter your email address and click Subscribe. Use the primary email address on file at the school.
• To opt-in to receive text messages, text the word YES to the six- digit number 978338.

If your contact information changes, please:

• Contact the school
• Subscribe online again, if your email address changes
• Opt-in for text messages again, if your cell number changes

School Council

School Council usually meets on the second Tuesday of each month. The meetings begin at 6:30 pm and usually run until 8:00. All parents/guardians are welcome. We value positive input from all parents and hope to see you at our meeting in the fall.

Volunteers

We welcome volunteers in the classroom, on field trips and with certain tasks at school or at home as certain activities or field trips would not be possible without the active participation of our volunteers. All adult volunteers require a valid security clearance - no exceptions. We can start the security clearance process at any time, so that when volunteer opportunities arise you have a valid security clearance. Security clearances are good for five years. The process for obtaining a security clearance is listed below.

Volunteer Security Clearance Process

Prospective volunteers must first register as a volunteer at the school office.

• Please bring a piece of original government ‘picture ID’ to the school office. Your identity will be verified, and you will be registered in our volunteer database.
• You will then receive instructions regarding how to apply for your police information check with the Calgary Police Service (CPS) online, through their electronic Police Information Check (ePIC) system. There is a 60-day window to complete the application.
• If you are unable to complete the process online, you may visit a Calgary Police Service Station instead.
• Your security clearance is valid for five years and is free of charge.
• This process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
• In addition to having a valid security clearance, volunteers must also complete the annual CBE volunteer registration form.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful summer! We will email you during the last week of August to provide any additional school start-up information. Our school website is a great source of information. Any updates will also be posted there. Should you have any further questions, please contact the school office at 403-777-8650 or email us at bantingandbest@cbe.ab.ca.

Sincerely,

The Banting and Best Kindergarten Team