| School Council Meeting: Please join us on Thursday December 2nd at 6:00pm for our School Council meeting. A Microsoft Teams link will be shared shortly so you will be able to listen in easily on a phone, tablet or computer. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. We will have the Grade 4 team sharing a few things about their program as well as Ms. Brocke who will talk about the music program at the school. Mrs. George and Mr. Perrone will also talk a little bit about the achievement data and goals for the school this year. We will also be doing a draw for a school logo T-shirt for one lucky attendee! Grade 2 Staffing Update: There will be a staffing change in grade two beginning November 29th. Our school has received additional funding from Alberta Education for students in Grades 2 and 3 who may require extra support in reading and mathematics. We are excited to be able to use this extra funding to welcome a new teacher to our staff. Ms. Simran Sekhon will be joining us on a on a full time basis until April 22nd. To assist with the targeted instruction, Ms. Dron will be pausing her classroom duties from November 29th until April 22nd to provide targeted reading and math support to the identified students in Grades 2 and 3 while Ms. Sekhon joins Ms. Shihab in grade two. We are excited to be able to provide this additional, targeted reading and math support and will work to ensure a smooth transition for students. CBE Vaccination Policy: As of Dec. 17, all volunteers must be fully vaccinated to enter a Calgary Board of Education (CBE) building or to participate in field trips. Medical exemptions or a negative rapid antigen test will not be accepted. Please see the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca for full details. More information will be shared when available. Attendance: Regular school attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances but when students miss too much school it can cause them to fall behind academically. We track school attendance and send letters home when a child is missing too much school. Did you know? By grade 3, students with regular attendance are more likely to read at grade level! By grade 6, regular attendance is a predictor of high school completion! By grade 9, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than test scores!
School fees and lunchroom registration: If you have not registered for lunchroom supervision, please set up your MyCBE account and do so as soon as possible. Students are not permitted to stay for lunch if they are not registered. School fees have now been loaded on your child’s portal. If you need assistance please visit “MyCBE Power School” tab on the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca Upcoming Dates *** SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING DECEMBER 2nd at 6:00pm November 26th | Non-Instructional Day (No school for students on this day) | December 8th | Grade 3 Field Trip to Fish Creek Park | December 17th | Last day of classes before Winter Break! |
|
| Look for us on Twitter @DHarkness_CBE
Attendance: Regular school attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances but when students miss too much school it can cause them to fall behind academically. We track school attendance and send letters home when a child is missing too much school. Did you know? By grade 3, students with regular attendance are more likely to read at grade level! By grade 6, regular attendance is a predictor of high school completion! By grade 9, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than test scores!
Here are a few tips to help support regular school attendance: Encourage your child to do well in school and praise their success. Listen and show an interest in your child’s day. Help your child maintain daily routines such as eating breakfast, turning off electronics two hours before bedtime and going to bed early. If possible, try to schedule dental and medical appointments after school hours or on days off from school. Unless they are sick, send your child to school. Ask for help from the school before the problem gets too big. No problem is too small. We are here to help.
Parent Teacher Conferences: Thank you to families who booked telephone teacher conferences. These conferences are an important part of your child’s school experience. It gives teachers a chance to share successes and communicate challenges so that we can all work together to support your child. Report cards go home at the end of January 2022 and we have another round of conferences the evening of March 10th and during the day on March 11th. School fees and lunchroom registration: If you have not registered for lunchroom supervision, please set up your MyCBE account and do so as soon as possible. Students are not permitted to stay for lunch if they are not registered. School fees have now been loaded on your child’s portal. If you need assistance please visit “MyCBE Power School” tab on the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca Upcoming Dates November 26th | Non-Instructional Day (No school for students on this day) | December 8th | Grade 3 Field Trip to Fish Creek Park | December 17th | Last day of classes before Winter Break! |
|
| Look for us on Twitter @DHarkness_CBE Scents: Douglas Harkness is a scent-reduced environment. While in the school building you are asked to please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, body lotions and other products containing fragrance. Fall Back Into Reading Day: We had two guest readers “zoom” in to read to us today. Author Sheree Fitch read to us all the way from Nova Scotia and Actor Nina Andresen (a former Douglas Harkness Student) read to us all the way from Norway. Mr. Meuser visited all the classrooms to share some fun poetry and there were lots of awesome book character costumes around the school. We have put photos up on the DHS Twitter pages so be sure to check them out! Remembrance Day: We have poppies for sale (by donation) in the main office and will be honouring our veterans in a virtual assembly on Wednesday November 10th. There is no school on Thursday Nov. 11th. We invite everyone to pause and reflect in two minutes of silence that day to mark the WWl ceasefire that went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 103 years ago. Hats at School: Can you wear your hats in school? You bet! Hats are a great way to show your individual style and during those cold Canadian winters, they keep you warm and toasty as the temperature dips. Students may wear their hats indoors provided they do not pose a safety risk. Students may be asked to remove their hats during special school assemblies or if they become a distraction to themselves or others. Safety TO and FROM school: As the days get shorter, and darkness lingers a little longer in the mornings and returns earlier in the afternoons, we want to remind students about things that they can do to stay safe on their way TO and FROM school each day. Walk in pairs or groups and always stay together Wear bright or reflective clothing Do not arrive at school too early and go straight home right after the bell (supervision starts at 8:25am and there is no playground supervision after school) Don’t talk to strangers If you ever feel worried or scared, you can always come back to the school and ring the front doorbell for help
Parent Teacher Conference Booking: Parent teacher conferences are an important part of your child’s school experience. It gives teachers a chance to share successes and communicate challenges so that we can all work together to support your child. Our first parent teacher conferences of the year happen on Nov. 10th from 4:30-7:30 and Nov. 12th from 8:00am-12:00pm. If you have not yet booked your phone conference, please call the school on Monday to book your time. School fees and lunchroom registration: If you have not registered for lunchroom supervision, please set up your MyCBE account and do so as soon as possible. This information is important so that we can ensure that we have the appropriate number of lunch supervisors. School fees have now been loaded on your child’s portal. If you need assistance please visit “MyCBE Power School” tab on the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca Upcoming Dates November 10th | Remembrance Day Virtual Assembly | November 10th | Parent Teacher Telephone Conferences 4:30-7:30 | November 11th | Remembrance Day (SCHOOLS CLOSED) | November 12th | Parent Teacher Telephone Conferences 8:00-12:00 (No school for students on this day) | November 26th | Non-Instructional Day (No school for students on this day) | December 17th | Last day of classes before Winter Break! |
|
| Look for us on Twitter @DHarkness_CBE Staff Parking Lot: The staff parking lot cannot be used to pick up and drop off students before, during or after school. It is for CBE staff only. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe by parking on the road and NOT in the staff parking lot. Smoking: CBE Administrative Regulation 4024 states that all facilities and property owned and operated by the CBE are smoke-free environments. This includes all CBE facilities including parking lots, playgrounds, fields, and CBE-owned or leased vehicles. Thank you for abiding by this law and not smoking on our school property. Parent Teacher Conference Booking: Parent teacher conferences are an important part of your child’s school experience. They give teachers an opportunity to share successes and communicate challenges so that we can all work together to support your child. Our first parent teacher phone conferences of the year happen on Nov. 10th from 4:30-7:30 and Nov. 12th from 8:00am-12:00pm. You will be able to book your teacher phone conference time starting at 4pm on Wednesday Nov. 3rd. School fees and lunchroom registration: If you have not registered for lunchroom supervision, please set up your MyCBE account and do so as soon as possible. This information is important so that we can ensure that we have the appropriate number of lunch supervisors. School fees have now been loaded on your child’s portal. If you need assistance please visit “MyCBE Power School” tab on the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca Harkness Hour: This week we started our weekly Harkness Hour rotations. Harkness Hour is a collaborative response structure using small group, direct teaching strategies that target essential learning outcomes in literacy, English Language Learning and Social Emotional Learning. Harkness Hour happens every Wednesday and Thursday morning. Ask your child what they worked on, and which staff member they worked with during Harkness Hour this week and check out some photos on our school Twitter page. Fall Back Into Reading Day: On November 5th (leading up to “falling back” with our clocks) we are having a “Fall Back” into reading day. We have booked Canadian author Sheree Fitch to do a virtual read aloud all the way from her home on Happy Doodle Do Hobby farm in River John, Nova Scotia. You can learn more about Sheree’s books at www.shereefitch.com We have also booked actress Nina Andresen to do a read aloud all the way from Norway! Nina got her acting debut as a former student of Douglas Harkness School and this year one of her plays was featured at the Toronto International Film Festival! HOW COOL IS THAT! During Fall Back into Reading we will be asking students to come to school dressed as a favorite book character and will have door prizes and other fun reading activities all morning long. Dress for the weather: The weather is changing and we go outside every day unless the temperature drops below -20. UPCOMING DATES Nov. 3 | Conference Manager opens to book your parent teacher telephone conferences | Nov. 5 | School Wide Fall Back Into Reading Day (dress like a book character day and special guest author read-alouds) | Nov. 10 | Parent Teacher Conferences (evening) | Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day (SCHOOLS CLOSED) | Nov. 12 | Parent Teacher Conferences (day) - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS | Nov. 26 | Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS |
|
| Look for us on Twitter @DHarkness_CBE We are pleased to report that the back hallway and washroom areas that were damaged by the fire a few weeks ago are now fully repaired and ready for student use again. I wanted to take a minute to update everyone on our current numbers. We have 269 students enrolled at Douglas Harkness. GRADE | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | # | 45 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 42 | 38 | 27 |
Harkness Hour: This week we started our weekly Harkness Hour rotations. Harkness Hour is a collaborative response structure using small group, direct teaching strategies that target essential learning outcomes in literacy, English Language Learning and Social Emotional Learning. Harkness Hour happens every Wednesday and Thursday morning. Ask your child what they worked on, and which staff member they worked with during Harkness Hour this week and check out some photos on our school Twitter page. Halloween: Looking ahead to Halloween, students and staff are encouraged (but not required) to wear a Halloween costume or dress in Orange and Black on Friday Oct. 29th. A couple of things to be mindful of: Please leave costume props such as wands and weapons at home so that they don’t get lost, forgotten, or damaged at school Please do not send candy and treats to school for sharing on that day. Covid protocols prevent us from sharing food and treats Please do not send candy to school for your child’s snack or lunch on the days following Halloween. Sugar and learning don’t mix. Thank you for your help with this.
Fall Back Into Reading Day: On November 5th (leading up to “falling back” with our clocks) we are having a “Fall Back” into reading day. We have booked Canadian author Sheree Fitch to do a virtual read aloud all the way from her home on Happy Doodle Do Hobby farm in River John, Nova Scotia. You can learn more about Sheree’s books at www.shereefitch.com We have also booked actress Nina Andresen to do a read aloud all the way from Norway! Nina got her acting debut as a former student of Douglas Harkness School and this year one of her plays was featured at the Toronto International Film Festival! HOW COOL IS THAT! During Fall Back into Reading we will be asking students to come to school dressed as a favorite book character and will have door prizes and other fun reading activities all morning long. Dress for the weather: The weather is changing and we go outside every day unless the temperature drops below -20. School Fees: If you have not yet set up your MyCBE account, please do so by Monday as school fees have now been loaded on your child’s portal. If you need assistance please visit “MyCBE Power School” tab on the CBE website www.cbe.ab.ca UPCOMING DATES Oct. 29 | School Halloween | Oct. 29 | Photo retake form deadline | Nov. 5 | School Wide Fall Back Into Reading Day (dress like a book character day and special guest author read-alouds) | Nov. 10 | Parent Teacher Conferences (evening) | Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day (SCHOOLS CLOSED) | Nov. 12 | Parent Teacher Conferences (day) - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS | Nov. 26 | Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS |
|
| Reminder: Our school will be closed for Fall Break from Friday, Oct 8, 2021 until Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021.
A great big thank you to the Calgary Fire Department, the Calgary Police Service, the Area 4 Office, the staff and students at Clarence Sansom School, and our cleaning crew for their support during this week’s emergency evacuation. Thank you Best Choice Pizza and A.B. King Pizza for being ready to prepare 270 slices of pizza for our students and staff on short notice! We are truly blessed by our supportive community and have a lot to be thankful for as we head into Thanksgiving weekend. Grade 4/5 Re-Organization - On September 30th, the Alberta Government finalized the student count in Alberta schools. Douglas Harkness welcomed more students than we anticipated which resulted in large, complex class sizes in our grade 4/5 split classrooms. With our count now finalized, we are pleased to announce that we now have enough students to re-organize our grade 4/5 classrooms by adding a teacher and therefore lowering class size. This means that on October 19th, we will be shifting from three grade 4/5 classrooms to two grade 4 classrooms and two grade 5 classrooms. Mr. Meuser and Ms. Paterson will be teaching grade 4 while Ms. Sleno, and Ms. Bains will be teaching grade 5. Welcome back Ms. Bains! Grade One Staffing Change - We had to say goodbye to Ms. Stephanie Hanson (Grade One) this week as she finished her temporary contract covering the last two months of Ms. Engelman’s maternity leave. Douglas Harkness was Ms. Hanson’s first teaching job but she sure had us fooled from the start. We know that she has a very bright teaching future ahead of her and we wish her the very best in her next adventure. We would like to welcome back Ms. Melissa Engelman (Grade One) who is returning from a year of maternity leave caring for her new little family member. Welcome back Ms. Engelman! GagaBall - You have all heard of Lady Gaga, but have you ever heard of GagaBall? Ask your kids about this new game and the inflatable GagaBall pit we have purchased for use in the gym and outside. Then check out photos of the fun on the classroom Twitter accounts. Upcoming Dates: Oct. 8 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 11-15 | Fall Break SCHOOL CLOSED | Oct. 18 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 19 | Classes resume | Oct. 27 | Grade One Field Trip to Fish Creek Park (to be confirmed) | Nov. 5 | School Wide Fall Back Into Reading Day (dress like a book character day and special guest author read-alouds) | Nov. 10 | Parent Teacher Conferences (evening) | Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day (SCHOOLS CLOSED) | Nov. 12 | Parent Teacher Conferences (day) - no school for students |
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Mrs. George Proud Principal - Douglas Harkness School
|
| Douglas Harkness students and staff would like to acknowledge the traditional territories and oral practices of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and Kainai. I also acknowledge the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Metis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. How do we know we are growing in Mind, Body, Spirit and Heart at Douglas Harkness School? 
|
| We can't wait until we can invite everyone inside to see the talented and creative artwork on our walls. But for now, like this first photo says, "Donut Worry, Be Happy" that we can share on here and on Twitter.
Stay healthy everyone!
|
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: In recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, CBE schools will be closed on Thursday September 30th. Orange shirt day is on that day so students and staff are encouraged to wear ORANGE shirts on Friday October 1st instead. Students and staff will be engaging in age appropriate conversations of reconciliation this week (and throughout the year) as we seek to understand, heal, and develop empathy within ourselves, school, and the larger community. Our School Wide Provocation: “How can we grow in mind, body, spirit and heart?” Over the last few weeks, using the CBE Indigenous Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework, students have been digging into this big question and other sub-questions such as: How does literacy help me grow in mind, body, spirit and heart? How does math help me grow in mind, body, spirit and heart? How do I know if I am growing in mind, body, spirit and heart?
Check out our school @DHarkness_CBE twitter page and individual Classroom Twitter Pages for photos of student responses and student artwork related to these provocations. #HarknessHasHeart Masks: Schools are no longer provided with free masks and our current supply is running low and we are regularly handing out masks to students who forget to bring their own. Please remember to send a mask and a spare with your child each day and keep your child home when they are not feeling well. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe. Picture Retakes: If you missed picture day this week, don’t fret. We will be doing photo retakes on October 5th. Student Vote: Grade 4,5,6 students participated in CIVIX Student Vote https://studentvote.ca/ on Federal Election day and were able to take a peek into the gym to see democracy in action. They will be participating in Student Vote again during the municipal election in October. These events help to prepare our students for when they are old enough to cast real election ballots. Upcoming Dates: Sept. 28 | Grade 6 Immunizations (return consent forms to office) | Sept. 30 | National Day for Truth & Reconciliation SCHOOL CLOSED | Oct. 1 | IPPs go home to be signed and returned | Oct. 1-7 | Teachers will phone home to discuss IPPs with parents/guardians | Oct. 5 | Photo retake day | Oct. 8 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 11-15 | Fall Break SCHOOL CLOSED | Oct. 18 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 19 | Classes resume |
|
| Look for us on Twitter @DHarkness_CBE
Birthday Snacks From Home: Due to Covid restrictions and various dietary considerations we are unable to hand our birthday snacks brought from home. Thank you for your understanding.
Masks: Schools are no longer provided with free masks. Our current supply is running low as we are regularly handing out masks to students who forget to bring their own. Please remember to send a mask and a spare with your child each day. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe. Terry Fox Run: The Terry Fox Run on Friday was a great success. Students enjoyed collecting hole punches on their punch cards to keep track of their laps around the school field Picture Retakes: If you missed picture day last week, don’t fret. We will be doing photo retakes on October 5th. ELECTIONS: Our school is a polling station for the Federal election happening on Monday September 20th. Elections Canada will be using the gym on that day. As such, parking during drop off and pick up may be impacted. Monday might be a good day to walk to school. For the safety of students and staff, security will be provided on that day and voters will not have access to the general school building. Grade 4,5,6 students will be participating in CIVIX Student Vote https://studentvote.ca/ and are looking forward to being able to peek into the gym to see democracy in action. Upcoming Dates: Sept. 28 | Grade 6 Immunizations (return consent forms to office) | Sept. 30 | National Day for Truth & Reconciliation SCHOOL CLOSED | Oct. 1 | IPPs go home to be signed and returned | Oct. 1-7 | Teachers will phone home to discuss IPPs with parents/guardians | Oct. 5 | Photo retake day | Oct. 8 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 11-15 | Fall Break SCHOOL CLOSED | Oct. 18 | Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) | Oct. 19 | Classes resume |
Sincerely, Mrs. George Proud Principal - Douglas Harkness School
|
Follow javascript: SP.SOD.executeFunc('followingcommon.js', 'FollowDoc', function() { FollowDoc('{ListId}', {ItemId}); }); 0x0 0x0 ContentType 0x01 1100 Compliance Details javascript:if (typeof CalloutManager !== 'undefined' && Boolean(CalloutManager) && Boolean(CalloutManager.closeAll)) CalloutManager.closeAll(); commonShowModalDialog('{SiteUrl}'+
'/_layouts/15/itemexpiration.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}', 'center:1;dialogHeight:500px;dialogWidth:500px;resizable:yes;status:no;location:no;menubar:no;help:no', function GotoPageAfterClose(pageid){if(pageid == 'hold') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/hold.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;} if(pageid == 'audit') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/Reporting.aspx'
+'?Category=Auditing&backtype=item&ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;} if(pageid == 'config') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/expirationconfig.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;}}, null); 0x0 0x1 ContentType 0x01 898
|
(Hidden) About this blog
|
|
Welcome to SharePoint Blogs. Use this space to provide a brief message about this blog or blog authors. To edit this content, select "Edit Page" from the "Site Actions" menu.
|
Follow javascript: SP.SOD.executeFunc('followingcommon.js', 'FollowDoc', function() { FollowDoc('{ListId}', {ItemId}); }); 0x0 0x0 ContentType 0x01 1100 Compliance Details javascript:if (typeof CalloutManager !== 'undefined' && Boolean(CalloutManager) && Boolean(CalloutManager.closeAll)) CalloutManager.closeAll(); commonShowModalDialog('{SiteUrl}'+
'/_layouts/15/itemexpiration.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}', 'center:1;dialogHeight:500px;dialogWidth:500px;resizable:yes;status:no;location:no;menubar:no;help:no', function GotoPageAfterClose(pageid){if(pageid == 'hold') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/hold.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;} if(pageid == 'audit') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/Reporting.aspx'
+'?Category=Auditing&backtype=item&ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;} if(pageid == 'config') {STSNavigate(unescape(decodeURI('{SiteUrl}'))+
'/_layouts/15/expirationconfig.aspx'
+'?ID={ItemId}&List={ListId}'); return false;}}, null); 0x0 0x1 ContentType 0x01 898
|
