September 29, 2014
What better way to begin our weekly update than by celebrating the achievement of one of our students! Last week, we received an update about the exemplary performance from one of our Grade 7 French Immersion students. We would like to congratulate, Arthur D. in 7C1 for achieving a perfect score in the Gauss Mathematics Contest that was held this past spring. Each year, M. Boivin and our Math team, coordinate the Gauss Mathematical Contest in conjunction with the University of Waterloo. This contest gives an opportunity for students to have fun and develop their mathematical problem solving ability. Typically, students in Grade 7 & 8 participate, so it is especially impressive to achieve such an amazing score in Grade 6 – well done, Arthur!
This week, I came across the following video which I thought was a great example of student engagement in mathematics. The focus on the process of asking questions rather than only looking for the answer follows our current model of learning in Alberta....and it also has some catchy music!
What better way to begin our weekly update than by celebrating the achievement of one of our students! Last week, we received an update about the exemplary performance from one of our Grade 7 French Immersion students. We would like to congratulate, Arthur D. in 7C1 for achieving a perfect score in the Gauss Mathematics Contest that was held this past spring. Each year, M. Boivin and our Math team, coordinate the Gauss Mathematical Contest in conjunction with the University of Waterloo. This contest gives an opportunity for students to have fun and develop their mathematical problem solving ability. Typically, students in Grade 7 & 8 participate, so it is especially impressive to achieve such an amazing score in Grade 6 – well done, Arthur!
This week, I came across the following video which I thought was a great example of student engagement in mathematics. The focus on the process of asking questions rather than only looking for the answer follows our current model of learning in Alberta....and it also has some catchy music!
In this week’s update, parents were emailed a guide provided by the CBE on the new report card practices this year. By this time, all teachers should have enrolled students in a D2L shell for their class. We will continue to use D2L this year to share information about student progress. As described in the parent guide, outcome-based assessment will be both formative and summative and communication about students’ learning will be in the form of marks, comments, feedback…etc.
Although our interviews are scheduled on October 16-17, It is very important that parents begin the routine of checking their child's grade in D2L [d2l.cbe.ab.ca] now, so that they will be better able to judge whether an interview is necessary. Because we are reporting on student progress in 'real time,' we will not be providing a regular report card in October. Standard report cards will be sent home at the end of January and June.
Parents can now have access to D2L through their own username and password. They can access their login from the same D2L homepage that students and teachers visit. The most important thing about Personal Parental Access is:
- Parents can ONLY see the student’s User Progress tool when they are logged in as a parent. Schools who have established a communication method using the course homepages and newsfeeds can continue to invite parents to login alongside their children.
This change in how we report is designed both to improve communication and to increase the amount of school time that is devoted to student learning. Traditional report cards provide parents with out-of-date information. In the time it takes to prepare and distribute report cards, student learning - and teacher assessment of that learning - has continued. As well, in many cases, we are reporting on student performance that may be very different from current performance. Students - especially in middle school - can change a great deal even over a few weeks. By posting grades into D2L as the tasks are assessed, we are providing parents with current information. This allows us to better work together at the time when this work is most required.
In addition to providing more timely information, this change will free up class time for more learning. With traditional reporting, much instruction stops a few weeks prior to the publication of the report cards so that teachers can assess students and prepare the reports. This often results in tests and quizzes being given not because a unit of study is complete but because report cards are due. Under this new organization, assessments will occur when they are most relevant.
The first parent-teacher interviews will be held October 16 and 17. Interviews are by appointment - instructions on how to book interviews will be provided to parents later and will be included in my next weblog post.
Safety & Practice Drills
At Bishop Pinkham there is nothing more important than the safety of students and employees. As parents and students are already aware, schools regularly practice fire and lockdown drills throughout the year. For parents new to the CBE, a lockdown is a safety procedure to secure a school when there is a possible threat to a school. Twice a year, in collaboration with the Calgary Police Service, we practice a lockdown so that we are prepared for an emergency. The date when we have a practice, is not shared with teachers or students, so that we can truly review how prepared our community is to act in the event of an emergency. We have asked teachers to discuss the procedures with students, as we will have a practice lockdown very soon. We encourage parents to ask students about their understanding and to review the steps that they will need to follow during a lockdown.
Parent Invitation – Oscar Lopez is coming!
Parents and staff have been invited to attend an exclusive evening with multi Juno award winning musician Oscar Lopez. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear outstanding Latin music right here in Calgary. Oscar Lopez will be performing songs from his brand new cd, live in a rare, intimate cabaret setting. Complimentary tapas are provided, drinks will be available for purchase, dancing and mingling will be mandatory…Get dressed up, get a sitter and join us for a fantastic adults-only evening of great music! Only 225 tickets are available. All proceeds will benefit the music program at Escuela Canyon Meadows, CBE International Spanish Academy
Date: October 25, 2014
Time 7:30 PM
Location: Calgary Rugby Union, 9025 Shepard Road S.E.
Tickets: $80, available online only
https://oscar-lopez-school-benefit.eventbrite.ca
The week that was…
At Bishop Pinkham there is nothing more important than the safety of students and employees. As parents and students are already aware, schools regularly practice fire and lockdown drills throughout the year. For parents new to the CBE, a lockdown is a safety procedure to secure a school when there is a possible threat to a school. Twice a year, in collaboration with the Calgary Police Service, we practice a lockdown so that we are prepared for an emergency. The date when we have a practice, is not shared with teachers or students, so that we can truly review how prepared our community is to act in the event of an emergency. We have asked teachers to discuss the procedures with students, as we will have a practice lockdown very soon. We encourage parents to ask students about their understanding and to review the steps that they will need to follow during a lockdown.
Parent Invitation – Oscar Lopez is coming!
Parents and staff have been invited to attend an exclusive evening with multi Juno award winning musician Oscar Lopez. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear outstanding Latin music right here in Calgary. Oscar Lopez will be performing songs from his brand new cd, live in a rare, intimate cabaret setting. Complimentary tapas are provided, drinks will be available for purchase, dancing and mingling will be mandatory…Get dressed up, get a sitter and join us for a fantastic adults-only evening of great music! Only 225 tickets are available. All proceeds will benefit the music program at Escuela Canyon Meadows, CBE International Spanish Academy
Date: October 25, 2014
Time 7:30 PM
Location: Calgary Rugby Union, 9025 Shepard Road S.E.
Tickets: $80, available online only
https://oscar-lopez-school-benefit.eventbrite.ca
The week that was…
Entertainment Books – Return your books!
Monday, September 22 marked the last day of our Entertainment Book Fundraiser. We are very happy to report that in our last count, we sold 505 books for a profit of $10,100! Yay! We are now asking that all students return their Entertainment Books to school. Homeroom teachers met with their students on Friday to remind them to bring their books back to school. Parents will be contacted this week if we have not received a book from your student. We would like to say a very big thank you to Jodi Rea and all of the parent volunteers for making this a successful fundraiser! Ms. Rea and her team have been working on a daily basis to coordinate this campaign and their efforts have been outstanding.
Monday, September 22 marked the last day of our Entertainment Book Fundraiser. We are very happy to report that in our last count, we sold 505 books for a profit of $10,100! Yay! We are now asking that all students return their Entertainment Books to school. Homeroom teachers met with their students on Friday to remind them to bring their books back to school. Parents will be contacted this week if we have not received a book from your student. We would like to say a very big thank you to Jodi Rea and all of the parent volunteers for making this a successful fundraiser! Ms. Rea and her team have been working on a daily basis to coordinate this campaign and their efforts have been outstanding.
From the School Council
First we would like to give a huge thank you to every parent that came out to our first School Council meeting of the new school year. It was fantastic to see so many new faces. It's going to be a great year!
A brand-new group of School Council executive was appointed at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday September 23.
The new executive are:
Thank you so much for stepping up to help out our school community! If you have not sent in your School Council and Volunteering Information Sheets, please do as soon as possible.
Please note that our next School Council Meeting will be on Tuesday October 21 at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons.
First we would like to give a huge thank you to every parent that came out to our first School Council meeting of the new school year. It was fantastic to see so many new faces. It's going to be a great year!
A brand-new group of School Council executive was appointed at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday September 23.
The new executive are:
- Lydia Palmer [co-chair]
- Anna-Marie Saunders [co-chair]
- Liza Watkins [Treasurer]
- Cassandra Dux [Secretary]
- Carol Davies & Christine McKay [Fundraising]
- Cheryl Burgess [Special Lunch Coordinator]
- Amy McKee & Elizabeth Nodwell [Outdoor Spaces & Staff Appreciation]
Thank you so much for stepping up to help out our school community! If you have not sent in your School Council and Volunteering Information Sheets, please do as soon as possible.
Please note that our next School Council Meeting will be on Tuesday October 21 at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons.
Panther Pride
• Soccer – Congratulations to the girls who won 4-3 against Elboya on Monday. We are looking forward to their next game on Monday October 6 against Vincent Massey.
• Volleyball – Our Junior Boys, Senior Girls and Senior Boys all performed very competitively in their games last week. We continue to encourage everyone to come cheer on our Panthers on during their games on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week.
· Cross-Country - Great job to our cross-country team! We had fantastic results from all of our athletes at our last meet at River Park on Tuesday September 23. It was amazing to see over 30 of our students perform for our school. Our next run will be at Elliston Park on Wednesday, October 1. Come and support our runners.
BPLC Leadership Launch
On Friday September 26 over a hundred students participated in the BPLC Leadership Launch all afternoon. Students rotated between a presentation from AARCS, the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, about animal rights and volunteerism and a brainstorming / goals session to set the focus for the year ahead. Thanks to the quick thinking of the Leadership Team, the rain did not put a damper on the outdoor event, and the committee was able to use the Lakeview Church across the street from BP. The following are pictures from the event:
• Soccer – Congratulations to the girls who won 4-3 against Elboya on Monday. We are looking forward to their next game on Monday October 6 against Vincent Massey.
• Volleyball – Our Junior Boys, Senior Girls and Senior Boys all performed very competitively in their games last week. We continue to encourage everyone to come cheer on our Panthers on during their games on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week.
· Cross-Country - Great job to our cross-country team! We had fantastic results from all of our athletes at our last meet at River Park on Tuesday September 23. It was amazing to see over 30 of our students perform for our school. Our next run will be at Elliston Park on Wednesday, October 1. Come and support our runners.
BPLC Leadership Launch
On Friday September 26 over a hundred students participated in the BPLC Leadership Launch all afternoon. Students rotated between a presentation from AARCS, the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, about animal rights and volunteerism and a brainstorming / goals session to set the focus for the year ahead. Thanks to the quick thinking of the Leadership Team, the rain did not put a damper on the outdoor event, and the committee was able to use the Lakeview Church across the street from BP. The following are pictures from the event:
This week…
Homework Club
The BP Learning Centre and Homework Club is open for business every Tuesday from 3:00-4:00pm when M. J. Wessman and other teachers are available to help students in the Learning Commons. The teachers create a space for students where they can work on assignments and projects with the support of an array of teachers.
Gr. 5 Vaccinations
On Tuesday, September 30, Nancy McCaig, our Community Health Nurse will be meeting with our Grade 5 students to discuss this year’s vaccinations. There will be 3 dates during the year when Nurse McCaig and her team will be coming to the school to vaccinate the Grade 5s; the first date will be on Tuesday October 21. On Tuesday, the students will be given more information regarding the vaccinations and will bring home consent forms that are due on Friday, October 3. Should you have any questions, please contact Nancy McCaig [[email protected]]
SALTS
It has finally arrived! The Grade 9 sailing group will leave this week for the sailing trip in the Georgia Strait with the Sail and Life Training Society [SALTS]. Mme J. Tuttle, Ms. J. Sutherland and M. M. Julien will join 27 students on this adventure from Sept 28-Oct.3. Bon voyage!
To follow the updates on the trip, please use our Twitter feed [@bpbulletin - twitter.com/bpbulletin] or view the updates on our Facebook page at the end of the day.
School Fees
School fees are due on Tuesday, September 30. Thanks to all the parents who have paid fees in person [credit card/debit/cheque/cash] or online. I understand that September is a busy month; it is a month that taxes all our budgets, as well. These fees, though, provide critical resources.
Fee schedules are found by grade on our webpage at: grade 5 , grade 6. , grade 7, grade 8 and grade 9. Fees can be [paid at the school [credit/debit card, cash, cheque] or online at https://publicapps.cbe.ab.ca/MyAccount. Waiver information is found at www.cbe.ab.ca/parents/fees.asp.
Homework Club
The BP Learning Centre and Homework Club is open for business every Tuesday from 3:00-4:00pm when M. J. Wessman and other teachers are available to help students in the Learning Commons. The teachers create a space for students where they can work on assignments and projects with the support of an array of teachers.
Gr. 5 Vaccinations
On Tuesday, September 30, Nancy McCaig, our Community Health Nurse will be meeting with our Grade 5 students to discuss this year’s vaccinations. There will be 3 dates during the year when Nurse McCaig and her team will be coming to the school to vaccinate the Grade 5s; the first date will be on Tuesday October 21. On Tuesday, the students will be given more information regarding the vaccinations and will bring home consent forms that are due on Friday, October 3. Should you have any questions, please contact Nancy McCaig [[email protected]]
SALTS
It has finally arrived! The Grade 9 sailing group will leave this week for the sailing trip in the Georgia Strait with the Sail and Life Training Society [SALTS]. Mme J. Tuttle, Ms. J. Sutherland and M. M. Julien will join 27 students on this adventure from Sept 28-Oct.3. Bon voyage!
To follow the updates on the trip, please use our Twitter feed [@bpbulletin - twitter.com/bpbulletin] or view the updates on our Facebook page at the end of the day.
School Fees
School fees are due on Tuesday, September 30. Thanks to all the parents who have paid fees in person [credit card/debit/cheque/cash] or online. I understand that September is a busy month; it is a month that taxes all our budgets, as well. These fees, though, provide critical resources.
Fee schedules are found by grade on our webpage at: grade 5 , grade 6. , grade 7, grade 8 and grade 9. Fees can be [paid at the school [credit/debit card, cash, cheque] or online at https://publicapps.cbe.ab.ca/MyAccount. Waiver information is found at www.cbe.ab.ca/parents/fees.asp.
Homeroom Planning – Goal Setting in Iris
Our homerooms will be meeting on Friday October 3 to discuss the importance of goal setting and students will be developing their goals to share with parents in Iris during our Parent Teacher Interviews in October. Teachers will ask students to reflect on their goals and will prompt them to answer some guiding questions to direct their thinking. We encourage parents to ask your students to share this with you in order to build effective goals for this year.
The Week at a Glance
• Monday Sept 29-‐October 3: SALTS [Grade 9 trip]
• Monday Sept 29
o Junior Boys Volleyball Game (4:15pm at Vincent Massey)
• Tuesday Sept 30
o Grade 5 vaccination talk with Nurse Nancy McCaig
o Junior Girls Volleyball Game (4:15 at BP)
o Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at Elboya)
• Wednesday Oct 1
o Cross Country Meet (Elliston Park)
• Thursday Oct 2
o Senior Girls Volleyball Game (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
Our homerooms will be meeting on Friday October 3 to discuss the importance of goal setting and students will be developing their goals to share with parents in Iris during our Parent Teacher Interviews in October. Teachers will ask students to reflect on their goals and will prompt them to answer some guiding questions to direct their thinking. We encourage parents to ask your students to share this with you in order to build effective goals for this year.
The Week at a Glance
• Monday Sept 29-‐October 3: SALTS [Grade 9 trip]
• Monday Sept 29
o Junior Boys Volleyball Game (4:15pm at Vincent Massey)
• Tuesday Sept 30
o Grade 5 vaccination talk with Nurse Nancy McCaig
o Junior Girls Volleyball Game (4:15 at BP)
o Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at Elboya)
• Wednesday Oct 1
o Cross Country Meet (Elliston Park)
• Thursday Oct 2
o Senior Girls Volleyball Game (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
A Little Later…
Outdoor School
On Tuesday October 7 at 6:30pm, we will be hosting a Grade 6 Parent Information Meeting for our upcoming Outdoor School experience at Kamp Kiwanis. All of our grade 6 students are scheduled to attend Outdoor School from November 4-7, 2014. The Grade 6 team will share information about the details of the trip, the cost and connections to the Program of Study. In the interim, please review the following information provided by Kamp Kiwanis.
Quebec Meeting
Bishop Pinkham will be organizing a trip to Québec in May, for Grade 8 French Immersion students! We would like to invite you to a Parent Information meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 6:30pm, in the Learning Commons. We will discuss the major details of the trip, so that you may decide if this is something that interests you and your child. Le Voyage au Québec will take place on May 3-May8, 2015 and will cost approximately $2100.00.
Upcoming Dates
· Monday October 6
o Girls Soccer Game (4:30 at Vincent Massey)
o Junior Boys Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
· Tuesday October 7
o Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at Vincent Massey)
o Junior Girls Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
o Senior Girls Volleyball (5:00/5:40pm at John Ware)
o Outdoor School Meeting – All Grade 6 parents (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
· Wednesday October 8
o Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at Bishop Pinkham)
o Senior Boys Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
o Grade 8 Québec Parent Information Meeting (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
· Thursday October 9
o Cross Country Meet (North Glenmore Park)
· Friday October 10
o Terry Fox run at 2:00pm
Communication
Outdoor School
On Tuesday October 7 at 6:30pm, we will be hosting a Grade 6 Parent Information Meeting for our upcoming Outdoor School experience at Kamp Kiwanis. All of our grade 6 students are scheduled to attend Outdoor School from November 4-7, 2014. The Grade 6 team will share information about the details of the trip, the cost and connections to the Program of Study. In the interim, please review the following information provided by Kamp Kiwanis.
Quebec Meeting
Bishop Pinkham will be organizing a trip to Québec in May, for Grade 8 French Immersion students! We would like to invite you to a Parent Information meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 6:30pm, in the Learning Commons. We will discuss the major details of the trip, so that you may decide if this is something that interests you and your child. Le Voyage au Québec will take place on May 3-May8, 2015 and will cost approximately $2100.00.
Upcoming Dates
· Monday October 6
o Girls Soccer Game (4:30 at Vincent Massey)
o Junior Boys Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
· Tuesday October 7
o Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at Vincent Massey)
o Junior Girls Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
o Senior Girls Volleyball (5:00/5:40pm at John Ware)
o Outdoor School Meeting – All Grade 6 parents (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
· Wednesday October 8
o Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at Bishop Pinkham)
o Senior Boys Volleyball (4:15/5:00pm at Harold Panabaker)
o Grade 8 Québec Parent Information Meeting (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
· Thursday October 9
o Cross Country Meet (North Glenmore Park)
· Friday October 10
o Terry Fox run at 2:00pm
Communication
- e-mail
We are using e-mail more now to provide directly relevant information to BP families. Most teachers use e-mail as their primary communication tool with parents. Staff e-mail addresses are found on our webpage at: staff contact list. Send a note to [email protected] with your child's name and we will make sure that your address is added to our records.
social media
We are continuing to increase our use of the school Facebook page and Twitter accounts. If you 'like' our Facebook page at bit.ly/bishoppinkhamfacebook, daily updates will find their way into your News Feed. Following @bpbulletin will provide you with daily updates, as well.
school webpage
The webpage at cbe.ab.ca/b645 will continue to contain much of the important information for parents, including calendars and bus information. We will try to keep it as updated as possible with the information it contains.
contact me
As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and concerns by e-mail at [email protected] or telephone at 403 777-7840 [2123]
Thank you - Michelle Howell, Principal
Bishop Pinkham School