| Dear parents, guardians and caregivers, Throughout the year, we create a range of opportunities for our community to engage in conversations about learning at Christine Meikle School. This includes day to day conversations with teachers, IPP meetings and team conferences, School Council meetings and conversations about emergent needs and issues with members of the classroom team, SSIL team and admin team. Each year, Alberta Education sends a survey to families of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 with questions about their child's experience at school. Across the CBE, schools also engages families through a survey about School Development Plans (SDPs) and School Fees. The information gathered through these surveys is critical to our planning for the next school year. Below, you will find information about: - our upcoming School Council Meeting,
- the Christine Meikle School Planning Survey, and
- the Alberta Education Assurance Survey.
We strongly encourage families to participate in these engagement opportunities. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out: avrosendaal@cbe.ab.ca or 403-817-3524. Thanks, Alison School Council Meeting March 15th, 6:00-7:00pm (Teams) All parents, guardians and caregivers are welcome to attend. Topics included on this month's agenda are: - School updates: COVID, committee work, professional learning conversations, spring transitions
- Conversations: feedback about conferences, planning a resource fair for April School Council, grad plans
- CBE Engagement: school development planning, fees
- Parent Council: need for new members, council grant, fundraising
Please email avrosendaal@cbe.ab.ca for a meeting link.
Christine Meikle School Planning Survey In this short (5 minute) survey, parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to offer guidance on school development planning and the collection of school fees: https://christinemeikle.cbedialogue.com/en/projects/2021-22-school-year/engagements/christine-meikle-school-planning-survey-2022-unique-special-settings/sections/1
Alberta Education Assurance Survey (for parents and guardians of students in grades 4, 7 and 10) Each year Alberta Education sends an important survey to all parents and legal guardians of students in Grades 4, 7 and 10. Families will receive survey packages mailed from Alberta Education. The survey package includes: - a copy of the Education Minister's letter to parents;
- a letter containing a Random Access Code (RAC) for accessing the survey online; and
- instructions for accessing the survey in other languages.
The Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) survey will be available for parents/legal guardians February 23 to March 25, 2022. Completing the survey online is the quickest way for Alberta Education to receive a completed response. Families can still choose to complete the survey on paper by requesting a copy from the System Assurance Branch directly (see contact information below), or by contacting me directly.
Please complete the survey by March 25, 2022. Alberta Education Contact Information System Assurance Branch, Alberta Education
Email: EDC.SystemAssurance@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 780-643-9193 (toll-free access within Alberta by dialing 310-0000
Survey link: https://public.education.alberta.ca/APOS/
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| We are delighted to welcome your children back to school tomorrow, Wednesday, September 1st. By now, you should have received a phone call from your child's teacher introducing the classroom team, 4Seasons Transportation informing you of bus pick up and drop off times, and Pediatric Home Care if your child is a Home Care client. You should also have received a welcome message from me, and an email about the optional, in-school vaccination program for students. If you are not currently receiving messages from the school, please call us at 403-817-3524 and we will get you back into the loop. As always, we welcome your questions, concerns, suggestions and celebrations. Feel free to connect with me, or with our assistant principal, Deb Blayways, at any time.
Alison Van Rosendaal avrosendaal@cbe.ab.ca
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| Dear parents, guardians and caregivers, We did it! It's been a remarkable year, both in terms of the challenges we faced and the successes we achieved as a school community. We are so proud of our students and all they have learned this year, and so thankful for your support in setting them up for success.
End of School Tuesday, June 29th, is the last day of school for students. Staff will be in the school on June 30th in case parents need to talk with anyone on the school team. On Tuesday, your child's medications, personal supplies and report card will come home with them in their backpack. Parents are also encouraged to pick up standing frames and walkers and take them home for the summer.
Appreciation We are so grateful for the continuing support our small but mighty parent council. They have been instrumental in liaising with the school about important decisions that affect our school community. The parent society has been tireless in securing funding for things like iPads, Smartboards, bikes, communication books and other items that benefit all of our students. Any parents who are interested in joining our parent council next year are most welcome.
Thanks, too, for our partners in Pediatric HomeCare, the Society for the Treatment of Autism, and 4Seasons Transportation, for everything you do to ensure students are able to access learning; we couldn't do it without you.
Our School is Growing In the 2021-22 school year, we are excited to welcome students in our remote learning program (RLP) back to in person learning, and we are delighted to be expanding to include an additional 13 students within our learning community. To support this expansion, we will be opening an additional classroom, reconfiguring some classes in our green wing, and hiring additional staff.
Farewells and Welcomes Please join me in congratulating: - Diane Ammerman on her retirement
- Shannon Chalupiak on her new position at Mckenzie Lake School
- Jennifer Elmore on her new position at Wildwood School
- Lindsay LeBlanc on her new position at Bishop Pinkham School
- Nelsy Ferrarosa and Savannah Lybbert and on their new adventures
Please join me in welcoming: - New Education Assistants Elizabeth Okunlola and Somer Gotmy
- New Teachers Sarah Mumford, Melissa Plett, Karl Bengtsson and Rachelle Best
Fall Startup Our calendar has been approved. The first day of school will be Wednesday, September 1st.
To prepare for back to school, please: - ensure you send your child to school with indoor shoes, a water bottle (if needed), a change of clothes, personal hygiene supplies and swim gear
- expect a phone call from Pediatric Home Care if your child has a Home Care contract
- expect a phone call from your child's bus team with information about the route, including pick up and drop off times
- check your child's agenda in the first few days for any missing paperwork that may require signatures
We wish all of our Christine Meikle families a restful and rejuvenating summer.
Looking forward to our continued work together this fall.
Alison
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| In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, and as part of our ongoing commitment to the TRC's Calls to Action for Education, our staff has worked together to find meaningful, integrated approaches to education for reconciliation. As educators, we embrace the responsibility to help students and staff build knowledge and understanding about the histories and current realities of Indigenous people, to critically evaluate our own histories and positionalities, and to actively build and sustain the kinds of relationships that hold promise for a better future. 
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| Hello! After two weeks as principal of Christine Meikle School, I have to say—I am smitten. There are some truly remarkable people here, doing brilliant work for and with each young person in our school. The students are amazing—fun, interesting, clever, passionate, busy people, effortfully engaged in important learning experiences. I have started to build relationships with our partners within the CBE (e.g., our psychologist, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists) and beyond (e.g., Society for the Treatment of Autism, Pediatric Home Care, JB Music). I am looking forward to connecting with our parent community as well. In addition to parent council meetings, which are held on the third Tuesday of every month, I am open to suggestions for how we might work together in service of student learning. For those of you who may have missed my letter of introduction in April, here is a little bit about me:
Over the course of the last 25 years, my career with the Calgary Board of Education has offered countless opportunities for new learning—I've taught in regular community classrooms and specialized classes, worked centrally as a learning specialist supporting schools across the city, and taken part in some really interesting and innovative projects. In and through these varied experiences, I've developed a passion for mathematics and the arts, flexible structures for curriculum, student voice and agency, and personalized learning for both students and staff.
Most recently, I was assistant principal and then (briefly) acting principal of Children's Village School. As an administrator of a unique setting, I came to understand many important dimensions of how to care for the wellbeing of students and staff, and how to make the most of a highly specialized approach to teaching and learning. I am a committed advocate for each and every child entrusted to our care.
What else? For the past two years, I have been away from work in order to pursue a PhD at the University of Calgary. I am the parent of three grown children, and the proud noni to six grands. I know I am biased, but I have to say—they are spectacular. I recently made the move to a small rural community outside of Calgary so that I can be nearby while they are young. I have come to love the quiet of small town living and the luxury of long, uninterrupted time with podcasts and audiobooks on my daily commute.
Although COVID-19 protocols limit the ways we can meet in person, my virtual door is always open—please feel free to call or email with any questions, concerns, insights or celebrations you'd like to share.
Sincerely,
Alison Van Rosendaal avrosendaal@cbe.ab.ca
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Dear Parents and Guardians of students at CMS, As many of you know, it’s with very mixed feelings that I announced my retirement effective at the end of February. I have had a very rewarding career at the CBE where I have had so many amazing opportunities to work with wonderful children, families and colleagues. I’ve worked as a teacher, a specialist, a psychologist and an assistant principal and learned throughout the way. With each of these experiences, I’ve always said to myself, “Wow, could it get any better than this?” But clearly being Principal of Christine Meikle School is definitely the highlight of my career. Everyday, I go to work and see miracles happen. I see students who are excited about learning and showing off their impressive new skills with pride. I see staff excited to come to work and make a difference for your children and have a can-do approach to any challenge they face. I also see you, our students’ parents and care givers, show your love, your resilience, dedication and support everyday. You have all been so inspirational to me! I am very happy to let you know that Alison Van Rosendaal will be the new principal of Christine Meikle School. Alison has the experience, intelligence and heart to be a wonderful leader at Christine Meikle School. With Alison Van Rosendaal and Deb Blayways at the helm and the amazing staff we have at the school, Christine Meikle School will be in excellent hands. It’s been an honour to meet you, to work with your children and to be part of their journey. I want to thank you so much for everything you do and letting me be a small part of your life. All the very best, Sandy
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| Dear Christine Meikle School
Families,
Thank you for all your support
and the hard work that you have done to support your children and our
school. We have had a great school year that ended in a very
unexpected and strange way. You have all been so amazing! Our
teachers and classroom staff have worked hard to stay connected with your
families and we've been very successful in this endeavour.
Our Parent Society has graciously
offered to buy each of our students a 2010-2020 Year Book. This year book
is being created right now by the LifeTouch and will be ready for distribution
this fall. Those of you with students who are graduating will receive the
books at the long awaited graduation ceremony or by mail.
We are planning for next year and
would like to remind you that school will start for our students on Sept. 2, 2020. Remember that this is a day later than other schools because we
use the first of September as a professional development day for our staff to
learn more about their new students and the programs that will best meet their
learning needs. We look forward to seeing our returning students and our
new students on Sept. 2.
We will be in contact with you
before school starts to share information about the coming school year and
introduce you to you child’s teacher.
We wish you all a wonderful,
healthy and fun summer.
All the best from your team at Christine Meikle School.
Sandy Mann and Deb Blayways
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| Dear Parents and Guardians of Christine Meikle School students,
On behalf of all of the staff at Christine Meikle School, it is indeed our pleasure to welcome you to a new and exciting school year. For those of you whose children have attended our school in the past, we are so glad to have you returning. For those of you whose children are just entering Meikle we are pleased to have you as a part of our school community.
Your child’s teacher will be contacting you within the next few days to introduce themselves and begin the school year of working closely together as a home/school learning team to ensure that your child has a very successful school year at Christine Meikle School.
As part of the learning team we ask that students come to school with the materials they need to have school. If your child needs shirt protectors, communication devices, other equipment, and/or medical materials please ensure that your child has these labelled and with them on the first day of school. For those students to access Home Care, our Home Care nurses will be at school on August 30th. Please feel come by and meet with them in the morning of the 30th and drop off any materials that they will need to care for your child.
Our first School Council Meeting is scheduled to take place on September 24th from 6:00 – 7:00pm. We would to invite you to attend. School Councils are a wonderful opportunity to be involved with the school. We will be electing our new board members at this meeting.
Assistant Principal, Andrea Byrne, and I want to welcome all of you to what we hope will be your best school year yet. We look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Please do not hesitate to stop by the office or to give us a call if we can assist you in any way.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Principal Assistant Principal
Sandy Mann Andrea Byrne
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| Happy 2019 to all our Christine Meikle families. We’ve had a very busy and active start to our new year! We are lucky at our school that even when the weather outside is frigid, our students have the opportunity to walk, roll and bicycle around our school halls. Movement and physical activity is very important to us at our school. It helps to keep us healthy, active and supports our student’s self-regulation, which is always a plus for our students.
We have received several donations and community opportunities to our school which totally support our active student initiative. Triwood Community Centre has opened their doors to us and our students can go skating there during the school day. We are just starting to take advantage of their generous offer and have brought several small groups to Triwood to get involved in games and activities and we are hoping to expand this opportunity to more or our students in the coming weeks. Comries Sports Equipment Bank donated new skates and helmets to our students which we will be using as we take students ice skating at Triwood Arenas. We also received a grant of $5000 from the Good Life which we are going to use to purchase exercise and physical education equipment that is suitable for our students.
We have been holding a special event for our students each month. On January 23 we had an energetic Indigenous Dance performance. Our students loved the dancing and the drumming. Many of our students joined in the dance and were quite excited to participate. On Friday, February 22 Michael Goosen came back and played music for our students. Once again his show was a terrific hit and our students danced and joined in with both song and dance. March’s performance has yet to be confirmed, but we have great plans in the works.
Incorporating Indigenous ways of learning is an important part of our work in education. Our staff have been working with the Diversity team to learn more about ways to involve our students in rich and meaningful hands-on experiences that highlight these learnings.
We would like say thank you to all who participated in our modified school calendar survey! Parent voice is so important and we appreciate your input. Because of parent input, we did decide to stay with our traditional school calendar year. You have another opportunity to share your opinions and give feedback about our school to Alberta Education. All of you would have received the Accountability Survey from Alberta Education and we would be very grateful if you filled it out and shared your thoughts about the school. Many of the questions may not seem to apply to your child and our school, but please answer the questions that you think are relevant.
Our next School Council Meeting is on March 12 at 6:00 – 7:00. Come and be involved. There is always great learning and sharing of ideas at our meetings.
Rememeber: March 21 is the last day of classes before Spring break for Students. We return to School on April 1.
Thankyou for your continued support. Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing Spring Break.
Sandy and Andrea
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| Dear Parents and Guardians,
Classrooms at Christine Meikle continue to be busy.
A typical November event is a performance from Hoja. Thank you to Emma F and her family for providing this opportunity for the school. We certainly appreciate Emma giving us a gift on her birthday!
We also gathered as a school community for a Remembrance Day Ceremony. Classrooms presented their wreaths and learned about Remembrance Day through videos and music.
Thank you to families for supporting the two fundraisers we have had, Farm to School Vegetables and Fundscrip.
The weather has even been cooperating, allowing for some nice community walks.
December will have two exciting events for students. We are debuting a special musical performance for our students from Mike Goossen & Jesse Shire on the morning of December 14th. The highly anticipated Policeman’s Ball will be held on Dec. 21.
We look forward to seeing you at the next School Council Meeting on January 8 at 6:00 PM. At this meeting, we will be exploring the possibility of moving to a modified calendar for the 2019 – 2020 school year. Parent feedback and discussion are very important in this information gathering process.
Sometime in January we will be rolling out our new Christine Meikle School website. Look forward to a more colourful and appealing website. Our hope is to have updates on school news and events updated weekly. We are looking forward to this new platform.
Remember: December 21 is the last day of school for students. We return to School on January 7.
Thank you for your continued support. Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing winter holiday.
Sandy and Andrea |
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