Aug 29
Welcome Back!


For those of you who are new to Dr. Freda Miller School, my name is Nancy Gillott, and I am the school PrincipalOur Assistant Principal is Julie Ramsay and together we welcome you to our schoolFor those of you who are returning, welcome backWe hope families have had a safe and relaxing break filled with good memories.  

We are excited to see our school population growing a little each year. This school year, if our enrollment stays as anticipated, we will have 3 half day kindergarten classes, four classes at each grade for grades 1,2 and 3, two classes of grade 4 students and three classes at grade 5.  


In addition to having Mrs. Kachra our Admin. Assistant back in the office with us and Mr. Williams back as our Facility Operator, we are excited to welcome two new lunch supervisors, Ms. Szabo and Ms. Rehman. We wish the best of luck to our lunchroom supervisors who were with us last year, Ms. Sharma who has accepted a different position at another school, and Ms. Zia who is on leave. Ms. Belot will be in Ms. Beamish’s role in the Den until October. 

 

Our team of four educational assistants will remain the same and we will welcome the following teachers; Ms. Ingenthron is joining us in Grade 1, Ms. Martinez in Grade 2 and Ms. Watson in Grade 3. During Ms. Smith’s maternity leave, we welcome Ms. Mikusek in Grade 2 

 

Our office opens on Monday, August 28 at 9:00AM and our first day of classes is Thursday, August 31 with Kindergarten students having a specific staggered entry for the first two daysWhile our beginning and end school times have not changed from last year, we have adjusted bell times during the lunch breakYou will be able to find all start-up information on our school website under Back to School Information. 

 

Bell Times - Monday to Thursday for Grades 1-5 

Early Entry: 8:45 AM 

Entry Bell:   8:55 AM  

Lunch break A: 11:30 to12:15 PM  

Lunch break B: 12:20 to 1:05 PM  

Dismissal: 3:35 PM  

  

Early Dismissal Fridays: 8:55 - 12:50       

            a snack/ recess break is built into the morning 

 

Bell Times – Monday to Thursday for Kindergarten 

Early Entry: 8:45 AM 

Entry & Dismissal Bells KAM:   8:55 - 11:45 AM 

Entry & Dismissal Bells KPM:   12:45 - 3:35 PM 

Alternating Early Dismissal Fridays: 8:55 AM - 12:50 PM 

 

As in previous years, you can expect a phone call from your child’s teacher on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, introducing themselves to you and your child and letting you know when and where to meet on the first day of school. We know you may have a lot more questions, but this first call is just a short introduction, and we will follow up with a letter or email from the teachers with more information about expectations and their program in the first week. If you miss the call from your child’s teacher, no worries, as teachers will also send out an email by end of day Wednesday, with the important start up details about their class. A meet the teacher/open house is scheduled for September 21, 2023 from 6-7 PM for all families. 

 

Please ensure you have registered through your my CBE Account for busing as needed and for lunchroom if your child will be staying at the school for lunch  

 

Teachers send a weekly communication at the end of each week and the administration team sends out a weekly communication on Sunday at 5:00pm.  

 

We are looking forward to seeing our families this week and are excited about a wonderful school year ahead!  

 

Nancy, Julie and the staff 


Jul 01
Summer Farewell and Back to School Information

Dear Families,

Thank you for being such amazing partners in learning. Dr. Freda Miller School is a wonderful place to be because of strong families and a commitment to excellence.

If you are returning to Dr. Freda Miller in the fall, you can expect a phone call in the last few days of August from your child’s teacher. If you are not returning and have not notified the school, please reply by email.  

Our first day of classes is Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 and the school office is open to parents on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022 at 8:55 AM.

A reminder to returning families that we will be out on the land weekly. We have posted a Field Study Gear Guide showing recommended outdoor clothing on the website. To see our back to school information, click on the link here.

Thank you for being part of our school family. We wish you the very best.

Have a safe and happy summer!

Nancy, Julie and Staff​


Jun 26
Beautiful Celebrations this Week!

We had such a heartfelt week with our Kindergarten Orientation and our Grade 5 Farewell. How wonderful to be welcoming new families into our beautiful program and what a treat to have our littlest ones come and spend some time with us! ​

Our Grade 5 celebration was wonderful! The students hosted the entire assembly with the help of some grade 4 leaders and all students were part of the send-off.  Every student contributed a message of hope, care and thanks to our Grade 5 classes. We have produced a short video of the whole school singing the farewell song, posted at this link. 


Apr 19
Tipi Teachings at Dr. Freda Miller | April 14-18, 2023

​When Julie and I drove out of the parking lot last week, the sun setting on the Tipi, we were filled with gratitude for a spectacular week of learning, connecting and relationship building. What a remarkable opportunity for our community.  

The Tipi, standing larger than life, reminded us that you never really know what gifts will come your way in life and what a beautiful community of people we have working to change and enrich children's lives! Peace, hope, connection, listening, reconciliation.
We got to raise a Tipi with Tsuut'ina Elders, learn inside the Tipi, have Bruce and Joe Starlight work with staff and students, and have an evening with families!  

This week we are seeing the impact of the week of learning in sharing circles, class meetings, journals and in children's art and writing.  

Thank you to the Starlight Family, our School Enrichment Society, Dr. Hill and Mount Royal University, the CBE Education Team, staff, students and parents. We can imagine the story of Tipi Teachings a Dr. Freda Miller, being shared with families 50 years from now. Powerful in so many ways!​​

Jan 23
New Principal - Introduction

January 23, 2023

Dear Dr. Freda Miller School Families,

I was thrilled to learn I have been appointed as the new principal of Dr. Freda Miller School and I look forward to being part of your community. I have heard wonderful things about students, staff and parents and my colleagues have told me there is a sense of curiosity and wonder at Dr. Freda Miller School, like Dr. Freda Miller herself!

As your new principal, I will carry forward the amazing work you are doing and will find ways that we can continue to work and grow together. Rich meaningful programming and the foundational skills of literacy, numeracy and student wellness will continue to be our focus.

The best part of my day is when I am in classrooms, so you will get to know me quickly.

Currently I am the Principal at Riverside School which is a K-9 alternative science program. Like Dr. Freda Miller School, we spend time learning on the land, journaling, and connecting to Spirit.

Born and raised in Calgary, I started my career with the Calgary Board of Education teaching a program for diverse learners. I have taught all grades from kindergarten to grade 6, worked as a specialist and have been a principal at 4 different schools. When I am not at school, I enjoy hiking, cross country skiing, or being with family and friends. I have just started violin lessons which are proving to be a great challenge, and I love a night out at any theatre performance.

I am excited to meet the staff, students, and families of Dr. Freda Miller School after the Family Day weekend and am looking forward to getting to know you all.

Sincerely,

Nancy L. Gillott​


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