May 01
Message from new acting Principal
May 1, 2023

Dear staff and families of Pineridge School,

I am honoured to share that I will be the new acting Principal at Pineridge School starting May 1, 
2023. I am so excited to be joining the amazing learning community of Pineridge School!

I have been an educator with the Calgary Board of Education since 2001, and through that time I 
have been gifted with a wide range of teaching and leadership experiences, from Kindergarten 
through Grade 12, in various areas of the city. The last 3 years I have had the honor of being the 
assistant principal at Battalion Park School in the community of Signal Hill. Previous to that, I 
was the assistant principal at Cappy Smart School in the community of Marlborough Park. All of my 
previous experiences and roles have provided me with amazing learning opportunities, joy, and 
excitement. I know this will continue at Pineridge School.

Together, my goal is to continue the outstanding work taking place at Pineridge School. I know we 
will continue to provide an equitable and excellent schooling experience for everyone as we honor 
and celebrate this amazing school.

I believe strongly in collaboration and value the work that is made possible when we work together 
to support our learning community. Working alongside the staff, students, parents and families, we 
will collectively share our responsibilities in this incredible school where students will thrive 
intellectually, grow to be active and engaged citizens, and learn to be kind, caring and empathetic 
individuals. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us, and I am so grateful to be joining the 
Pineridge School community!

I look forward to meeting and working with all of you!

Sincerely,

Ryan Nyrerod 
Acting Principal, Pineridge School
rsnyrerod@cbe.ab.ca 
t | 403-777-6750
e | Pineridge@cbe.ab.ca

Sep 14
September 2021 - Welcome Back

A warm 'WELCOME BACK' to our Pineridge Proud Community! I hope you all had a restful, and enjoyable summer holiday. The summer flew by and it's hard to believe we're embarking on our 2021-2022 school year. It is setting up to be another unprecedented year of learning!

We have the student numbers this year to reconfigure classrooms into straight grades. Classroom configurations are as follows:

  • Morning Kindergarten - Mrs. D. Saarenoja
  • Grade 1 - Ms. L. Sage
  • Grade 2 - Ms. S. Rai and Mrs. T. Whitehouse.
  • Grade 3 – A huge welcome to Mrs. H. Knowler and Mrs. R. Paull
  • Grade 4 - Mr. B. Herold and Mr. M. Cater
  • Grade 5 - Ms. T. Desousa, Mrs. E. Peltier and Mrs. C. Hayward. We're very fortunate to have Mrs. Hayward join us this year in her dual role. In addition to teaching grade 5, Mrs. Hayward will also be providing learning support as our new Mathematics Learning Leader.
  • Grade 6 - Ms. de Jong

A new EES class has been added to our System program that is housed at Pineridge School and with that we welcome 9 new students and 4 new staff members. Our EES staff include:

  • Room 6 - Ms. H. Petry, Ms. Russell, Ms. Baird, Ms. Gill
  • Room 9 – Ms. J. White, Ms. Tamas, Ms. Gehmlich, (our new EES EA), Ms. Sajan
  • Room 10 – Ms. K. Spencer (our new EES teacher), Ms. Shaw, Ms. Wabick, Ms. Ananthasuthan (our new EES Lunch Supervisor)
  • Room 11 - Ms. N. Ong, Ms. Paul, Ms. Hurley (our new EES EA), Ms. Siddiqui  

Our own Ms. L. Hua has accepted the position of Acting Assistant Principal and is doing an amazing job in her new role.

A number of great staff remain at Pineridge School for the 2021-2022 school year. Mrs. Billingsley, our wonderful Administrative Assistant, continues to keep us all organized. Ms. Labonte is back in the Learning Commons keeping our books and technology organized and is available to assist students. Ms. Scott, Ms. Jetha and Ms. Charleston, our amazing Educational Assistants, continue to support all of our students with their learning. Ms. Jetha also wears another hat in our school as our Breakfast Supervisor. Our Breakfast Program is up and running for the 2021-2022 school year. Students are welcome to come for breakfast between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. Ms. Wendy, Ms. Senait and Mr. Gary continue to work tirelessly to keep our building clean and as sanitary as possible. We certainly appreciate all of their hard work! Sadly, we must bid a fond farewell to Ms. A. Curzon. We have appreciated all she has brought to Pineridge School to enhance our lives with her wonderful voice and musical abilities.

As we continue with our protocols to keep our students as safe as possible, we will be continuing to provide 'soft entry' for students every morning. Students do not need to line up outside before the start of each school day. Doors will be open at 7:45 a.m., and students are welcome to enter their designated door and head to their classrooms to begin their day. This helps to avoid congestion on the tarmac and in the hallways.

Thank you all for being tremendous supports in your child's learning! We look forward to a fabulous year and a continued journey with you all!

Leslie Goodwin

Principal ​


Jun 08
It's June!

Wow! What a year… Like nothing we’ve ever experienced! I’d like to begin with acknowledging students, staff and parents for all of your efforts this year in keeping each other healthy and safe. The school year is drawing to a close and we all need some time this summer to rest and rejuvenate. The last day of school for students is Friday, June 25, 2021.  

The month of June is significant in terms of celebrating our students. For our Grade 6 students it will be the time to say farewell to the school they know and love as they move on to new schools and adventures in learning. The grade six team has special events planned. For the rest of our students, we are celebrating their learning and sending them off to enjoy their summer before we gather in the fall.  

For the last reporting period of the year, all CBE schools will use the online version of the report card for parents/legal guardians.  The report card will be available to view/print through MyCBE/PowerSchool account.  Once logged in, you will see an additional tab titled 'Report Card' – select this tab to view the report card. We will notify families when the report card is available for viewing. 

If you have not already set up a MyCBE/PowerSchool account you will need to do this.  Instructions can be found here MyCBE/PowerSchool 

Please check our website for Back to School information regarding our 2021-2022 school year. Students’ first day is September 1, 2021. 

Wishing you all a safe, fun, restful summer holiday!  

Leslie Goodwin ​
Jul 02
Have a wonderful summer!

Dear Pineridge families,

June has arrived and we have completed another school year – an unprecedented year of learning! 

On behalf of everyone at Pineridge School, we want to thank you for supporting us as we created and transitioned to Ongoing Learning at home.  It has been quite an amazing journey. 

We would like to thank the many families who came to the school to gather up their children’s school supplies and personal belongings. 

We wish to bid a fond farewell to our students in grade 6 who are moving on to new learning environments next year. We wish you all the best in junior high!

We are keeping our thoughts filled with hope and optimism for next year. As a staff, we have been very focused on planning for safety in our school environment and effective learning for all students when we return in the fall. Please know that our planning and preparation for next year has been in the works for quite some time and you can be rest assured that we will be re-energized when we return.

Please continue to check the CBE website, during the summer, for updated information.  Visit www.cbe.ab.ca  The first day of school for students is Tuesday, September 1.

Together we are ‘making a world of difference’!  We are Pineridge Proud! 

Take care of yourselves and each other and have a safe and wonderful summer!

 

Sincerely,

 

Leslie Goodwin

Mar 31
Learning Update

Dear Pineridge Families,

We miss you all so much!  We hope you are all staying safe and healthy! 

Your child's teacher will be calling you to touch base during the first part of this week.  On Thursday April 2, 2020, your child will be enrolled into their online classroom and the online Pineridge School Learning Commons space.  Your child will be able to log onto Brightspace/D2L with their CBE number and password at d2l.cbe.ab.ca.

CBE is working on the logistics of supporting students with technology resources during this time.  More information to come in the near future!

School access is now by 'appointment only' in order to reduce the number of people in the building at one time.  If you need to come into the school, please call the school and book an appointment - 403-777-6750.

 Virtual hugs,

 Pineridge Staff

Oct 11
Letter to Parents

October, 2019
 
It is hard to believe we have already been back for a month!  It is so great to see many familiar faces!  Welcome to all of our new families who have joined our Pineridge School Community!    
 
We continue to be committed to creating a curriculum and environment that fosters imagination, intellect and rigor.  In order to accomplish this, we nurture children’s self-confidence and assist them in developing dispositions that promote independence, curiosity, an ability to solve problems and to make ethical, thoughtful decisions about themselves, relationships with others and their environment.  This year, our School Development Plan will focus on reading, math and creating a caring environment.
Please go onto PowerSchool to register for Noon Supervision.  If you need assistance, please contact the office. 
Please remember ‘safety first’ when dropping off and picking up your child(ren).  Traffic is always an issue in front of our school.  Please cross with your child(ren) at the patrolled crosswalk and DO NOT drop your child(ren) off in the staff parking lot. 
Thank you to Pineridge School Council and the Pineridge School Parent Society for funding so many of the engaging learning experiences planned for students.  The calendar is already filling up with so many fabulous learning opportunities. 
Swimming is currently underway.  This opportunity is invaluable for so many children.  However, we cannot go swimming if we do not have volunteers to support our students walking to and from the pool.  Thank you to the many parents who give their time to make this experience possible.
Thank you to everyone who made the effort to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences!  It was great to chat with so many families!
We are all looking forward to another successful year of learning and caring at Pineridge School!
Leslie Goodwin
Principal, Pineridge School
Jun 26
What an amazing group of people we have at Pineridge School!

What an amazing group of people we have at Pineridge School!  It has been a fabulous first year of learning, growing and tackling new challenges for me!  There have been so many wonderful opportunities for learning this past year – residencies, Grandparent Program, Winter and Spring Celebrations, swimming, Walk and Bike Safety Week, etc.  These enhanced learning experiences occur when parents, staff and volunteers come together and make student learning a priority! Thank you to everyone who has been involved!

We will be experiencing a few staff changes in the fall.

We are bidding a fond farewell to:

Mrs. J. Lack, who is retiring as our ELL Assistant and support person in the office.  Fortunately, she has agreed to continue organizing and supporting our Grandparent Program next year!  All the best, Mrs. Lack!
Mrs. K. Pattison is moving on to another school experience!  Good luck at your new school!  We’ll miss you!
Mrs. C. Schroeder is moving to a new school and a new program!  Enjoy your new adventures!
Ms. T. Whitehouse, Mr. D. Wan and Ms. K. Johnson will be missed at Pineridge School.  They are all moving on to new teaching opportunities!  Good luck to you all! 

We are welcoming:

Ms. A. Reyes, who will be teaching Grade 1/2!
Ms. J. White, who will be teaching in one of our CSSI classrooms!

We have a number of changes to grade assignments for teachers next year:

Kindergarten:        Mrs. D. Saarenoja
Grade 1/2:             Ms. L. Denton
Ms. S. Rai
Ms. A. Reyes
Grade 3/4:             Mrs. A. Taha
Mrs. C. de Jong
Mr. E. Lee (for Ms. L. Sage, who is on leave)
Grade 5/6:             Mr. M. Cater
Mr. B. Herold
Ms. T. DeSousa
CSSI:                     Mrs. N. Ong
Ms. J. White
Literacy/Math/Resource Support Teacher: Ms. L. Hua
The rest of the crew remains the same.

New bell times for 2019-2020…

First day of school is Tuesday, September 3, 2019 and the bell times will be slightly different.
Grades 1 – 6        Mon - Thurs:        8:25 AM - 3:05 PM
Lunch                    Mon - Thurs:        12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Grades 1 - 6         Fridays:                8:25 AM - 12:00 PM
Kindergarten –    Mon - Thurs:       8:25 AM - 11:15 AM
Kindergarten will be attending on specific Fridays: 8:25 AM -11:15 AM (see calendar for Friday ‘red’ colour coding).

When students arrive on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, class lists will provide names of students, teacher’s name and classroom number.  All students and families are invited into the gym for the Welcome Back Assembly at 8:25 am, immediately following the bell.

Wishing you all a safe, relaxing, incredibly fun summer!

Ms. Leslie A. Goodwin

Sep 11
Welcome back!

As the summer comes to an end, I hope that your holiday was relaxing and that you had an opportunity to get recharged to start the new school year.  We are looking forward to what this year has in store for all of us at Pineridge School.   We are committed to creating a curriculum and environment which fosters imagination, intellect and rigor.  In order to accomplish this, we will nurture children’s self-confidence and assist them in developing dispositions which promote independence, curiosity, an ability to solve problems and to make ethical, thoughtful decisions about themselves, relationships with others and their environment.

 

Thank you to the Pineridge School Parent Association and the Pineridge School Parent Society for funding so many of the engaging learning experiences planned for students.  The calendar is already filling up with so many fabulous learning opportunities. 

We have a new student information system, PowerSchool, which has been implemented across the Calgary Board of Education.  You will need to create a profile to be able to access its features.   All of your old profiles have been replaced with this system.  Please follow this link for instructions: 

https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/cbe-launches-new-student-information-system.aspx​

Please take a moment to confirm your contact information once you have created a profile.  It is CRITICAL that we have an effective way to connect with you to share information or contact you in the event of an emergency.

Mark September 20th and 21st on your calendars as the first opportunity to meet with your child's teacher.  Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place during the evening of September 20th from 4:00-7:30 and during the day on September 21st from 8:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.  Looking forward to meeting with you all!

Leslie Goodwin

Principal, Pineridge School

 ​

Mar 26
March 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This update will provide you with information about current and upcoming events.

Student Enrolment

Our current student enrolment is 251 students.
We have welcomed 10 new students in recent weeks, with some new to Calgary, and new to Canada families.  

Our projections for next year are 227 students Kindergarten to Grade 6.

Thank you to all who have answered the questionnaire around next year’s school attendance for your family, as it assists us in our ongoing planning.

Attendance

We continue to be vigilant in asking parents to ensure that their children attend school every day, and on time.  Good attendance habits benefit learning now and in later life. 

Pineridge School is committed to making sure that students are actively engaged in all learning opportunities all day every day.  In accordance with provincial legislation and Calgary Board of Education policies, students are expected to attend school regularly and be on time.  Lates and absences create interrupted learning due to time missed by a student.  These can creep up and cause significant interruption in their learning and that of the class with repeated interruptions caused by late arrivals.  It is understood that weather conditions and illness can create unforeseen absences.  It is also an issue of safety for our students in order to be able to know where they are and whose care they are in.  Student attendance is tracked twice a day.  On a recent day, there were over 20 students who had arrived within the first 25 minutes of school start time.  This interrupts their day, that of their classmates, and results in an increased work load for front office staff.  Students arriving late must line up and be checked in at the office against the main list of  absent children for the day, which then causes more delay in getting to class.  This is a standard and expected procedure around student safety. 

In order to ensure clear and open communication around attendance, letters are sent home monthly, tracking those students who have missed more than 10% of the month, or have been late more than 10% of the month.  This might seem small as it is only 2 or maybe 2.5 days per month.  However, 10% of a school year is the equivalent of a month of learning.  This becomes significant when parents wish to discuss their child’s academic or social progress with our staff, to discover that hit and miss attendance might be a contributing factor to making learning connections.

Letters sent home are generally for information only, in order to ensure that we share a common understanding of your child’s attendance.  Approximately 35% of the student population is absent or late at over 10% of the monthly time, taking flu and cold weather into recent consideration. This is not acceptable.  It is expected that most students will miss no more than 7 days per year.  We look forward to working together to get students to school on time each and every day.

School Snack, Breakfast and Lunch Programs

Over the past 3 years, we are pleased to have been able to work with students and their families to provide support through an increase in the use of the school’s food related resources.  We are deeply grateful for community support provided by many external agencies.  It is known that children who are fed learn more readily and have fewer social problems.  These agencies allow us to provide the following to our students:

  • Snack bags of a variety of sugar free cereal as required throughout the day
  • Toast and Nutta butter or cereal and milk if students have missed breakfast at home
  • Toast mid-morning if a student does not want dry cereal
  • Full bagged lunches are delivered twice a week to support the lunch program
  • Lunch makings are available for students who might need them

Additionally, we are cautious and careful as we hear of families who might require support.  They are linked to community resources and supported in a variety of ways that allow people to maintain their integrity and privacy if they require food assistance, regardless of the cause.  There is a discreet way of ensuring that families receive assistance, with signs posted by the front door, and on the student check-out book in the office, as well as through connections with the City of Calgary Village Square community hub project.

Medical concerns around food:

If your child has food concerns or allergies that would not allow them to have a snack if they forget to bring theirs to school, it is presumed that they can speak to that concern and refuse food if offered, and that you, as parents, have completed a medical information form at the start of the year to let us know about medical and food concerns.  If you are uncertain, please put a note in the front cover of your child’s agenda telling us that under no circumstances is your child to have a snack or food provided due to a medical condition.   

Staffing

Pineridge School remains at 15.6 teaching positions.  We wish to acknowledge the work that has been done by Ms. Rai as she works with Kindergarten students following her time in the Grade 3/4 area.  She will return to Kindergarten teaching after Spring Break.

Mr. Cater has joined Pineridge staff to assume responsibility for the teaching vacancy created by the absence of the Assistant Principal.  He will also return after Spring Break.

We wish to thank Ms. Best for her many years of positive, community centred, child focused work at Pineridge as she begins her retirement from the Calgary Board of Education.  There will be an acknowledgement of her work scheduled at a time convenient for Ms. Best later in the spring.  Staffing for the Assistant Principal position is ongoing, and the replacement will be announced once a suitable candidate has been chosen.

Mrs. Saarenoja has assumed responsibility for most of the Student Services and resource work for the school this year, in addition to her ongoing work in the Learning Commons, in Ms. Best’s absence.

Ms. Hua has been instrumental in the work of the school, focussing on Technology and Literacy, along with her teaching responsibilities.  

Ms. Hua and Mrs. Denton have worked diligently on behalf of the school community as members of the Calgary Board of Education Literacy cohort linking school based work to the school development plan, and the Calgary Board of Education 3 year plan.  The School Development Plan focuses on disciplinary literacy with all children learning in a joyful literacy rich environment, creating opportunities for all children to read independently with comprehension.

All staff members are actively engaged in ongoing professional learning opportunities focusing on the Calgary Board of Education 3 year plan in a variety of ways including:

  • Literacy across the curriculum
  • Mathematics education
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Outdoor education and literacy
  • Physical Activity
  • Makerspaces and Project based learning and assessment with the material and human support of the University of  Calgary, Werklund School of Education
  • ASD:  inclusion and planning, with the support of Area 4, Education Matters and the University of Calgary
  • Clear Speech:  Alberta Health Services
  • Mentoring of new to the profession, student teachers
  • English Language learning
  • Mental Health

Budget

School budget decisions will be made for next year based on the allocation of funds and the number of projected students.  Please note that a drop in our projections will mean a decrease in funding to the school regardless of provincial funding.  We will work intentionally and transparently to make sure that budget processes are shared at suitable points in the upcoming budget process. 

Planning for Next Year

Registration has begun for next year.   New students have begun to register.  Kindergarten remains as a 5 day, half-day program in order to allow children to develop a sense of attending school and separating from home for a short period of time on a daily basis.  At this time, Pineridge School will continue to have a morning and afternoon class.  Hours of operation are not yet finalized for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.  It is anticipated they should remain fairly consistent with some minor adjustments for the upcoming year.

Joyful Learning linked to School Environment through Curriculum

Both curricular and extracurricular activities allow students to experience the joy of a positive day at Pineridge.  Recent and ongoing projects and specifically identified celebrations have included:

The Young Writer’s Conference

Grades 4, 5 and 6 students will attend on April 21 to work together in a conference and workshop setting.  They have been choosing their coursework and making decisions about which authors they wish to work with on this Saturday event.  Parents take their children and are responsible for picking them up.  Registration is limited and has now closed.  Pineridge staff will be onsite to meet and supervise students during the day.

Pink Shirt Day linked to the school wide literacy theme of “Wonder” and “Choose Kind”.  It was a timely reminder of treatment of others in a positive and kind manner, every day.  This was not just a one time event, but continues on throughout every class, every day, all year.

The University of Calgary has provided materials and staff to work with many classrooms on literacy, social studies, math, and science maker space projects for the months of February and March.  These projects have focussed on a study of story in Grade 1 and 2, Making Things in Grades 3 and 4, and the establishment/creation of government in Grades 5 and 6.  The opportunity to utilize cutting edge resources and have additional educational support has been of significant note.

As well, we have been fortunate to have three Bridges to Teaching practicum students working at the school for the months of February and March.  These are teachers who are working in Alberta to gain their Alberta certification.  They have been a significant addition to our school culture as well.  

Calgary Reads continues to support school and family literacy.  At the school level, we are exceptionally fortunate to have students working with Calgary Reads volunteers on a weekly basis.  Most recently, all students in Grades 1 and 2 visited the Children’s Reading Place in Inglewood to celebrate their growing understanding of literacy.  The trip was organized and paid for by Calgary Reads. 

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CBE students came away with a number of wins and demonstrated exceptional talent and skills as they competed in Skills Canada Alberta in Edmonton and the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Winnipeg. https://t.co/7Rigvcqpv6 #WeAreCBE https://t.co/GkTJe0yV9C

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