September 15, 2014
What a week it was! While there was certainly chaos surrounding us on the streets of Calgary, we were one of the lucky schools who managed to keep our power intact and continue on with our regular business of teaching and learning. We want to thank the parents who were able to stay in contact with us on email, Facebook and Twitter to confirm that we were open. It was a good example of how important it is to have a solid communication plan with our parent community.
Should you have any feedback that you may wish to share with us, please feel free to contact the Main Office or to contact me directly at [email protected].
A Challenge for our Students...
A friend recently challenged me to the following; Can you be Happy for 100 Days in a Row? Some of you may already be familiar with the online challenge that has been circulating the web. As mentioned in our last update, this week, we met for the first time as homeroom classes to discuss a number of topics with the intent of supporting our students. One of these topics includes the Health and Wellness of our students. I encourage parents to share the following challenge with your families and to think about how we can recognize, vocalize and appreciate our happiness on a daily basis. Good luck!
What a week it was! While there was certainly chaos surrounding us on the streets of Calgary, we were one of the lucky schools who managed to keep our power intact and continue on with our regular business of teaching and learning. We want to thank the parents who were able to stay in contact with us on email, Facebook and Twitter to confirm that we were open. It was a good example of how important it is to have a solid communication plan with our parent community.
Should you have any feedback that you may wish to share with us, please feel free to contact the Main Office or to contact me directly at [email protected].
A Challenge for our Students...
A friend recently challenged me to the following; Can you be Happy for 100 Days in a Row? Some of you may already be familiar with the online challenge that has been circulating the web. As mentioned in our last update, this week, we met for the first time as homeroom classes to discuss a number of topics with the intent of supporting our students. One of these topics includes the Health and Wellness of our students. I encourage parents to share the following challenge with your families and to think about how we can recognize, vocalize and appreciate our happiness on a daily basis. Good luck!
Staffing Update
We would like to congratulate Ms. M. Crane for accepting a new Learning Leader position at James Fowler High School. Ms. Crane will be a full-time Guidance Counsellor, supporting the Knowledge & Employability Program beginning on Monday, September 22. Mr. K. Khubyar will be replacing Ms. Crane as our Resource Teacher. We are currently interviewing candidates to replace Ms. Crane’s gr. 6S1/S2 classes, as well as Mr. Khubyar’s gr. 9F1/F2 ELA classes. We will be sure to send a communication home to parents once we have confirmed the successful candidate. We will miss you, Ms. Crane!
We would like to congratulate Ms. M. Crane for accepting a new Learning Leader position at James Fowler High School. Ms. Crane will be a full-time Guidance Counsellor, supporting the Knowledge & Employability Program beginning on Monday, September 22. Mr. K. Khubyar will be replacing Ms. Crane as our Resource Teacher. We are currently interviewing candidates to replace Ms. Crane’s gr. 6S1/S2 classes, as well as Mr. Khubyar’s gr. 9F1/F2 ELA classes. We will be sure to send a communication home to parents once we have confirmed the successful candidate. We will miss you, Ms. Crane!
D2L has taken off!
As communicated in our last update, teachers will continue to share on-going student assessment and learning plans using D2L. With the exception of some of our new teachers who are still waiting to be attached to D2L, our staff is now ready to share their D2L shells with students and parents. Based on parent feedback from the past, this year we have asked teachers to be consistent using the following D2L features:
If you are new to D2L, you may want to ask teachers to share their shells with you at the Meet the Teacher Evening this week. As well, there will be a separate session to better understand D2L that evening.
Roof Replacement
Beginning on Friday, September 19, a section of our roof is scheduled to be replaced. The majority of the new roof construction will take place over the Music Room, Gym, Office and Art Room. The project is estimated to take about a month, and we do not expect this to disrupt learning. Although it would have been ideal to have the work completed over the summer, we feel fortunate to have a new roof over our heads and know that it will be worth the wait!
As communicated in our last update, teachers will continue to share on-going student assessment and learning plans using D2L. With the exception of some of our new teachers who are still waiting to be attached to D2L, our staff is now ready to share their D2L shells with students and parents. Based on parent feedback from the past, this year we have asked teachers to be consistent using the following D2L features:
- Calendar – all upcoming due dates for tasks and tests will be shared in the calendar.
- News Items – Teachers will communicate class updates on the opening page of D2L.
- Content – Digital copies of assignments, notes or resources can be found in content.
- Grades – Teachers will share feedback about daily assessments and connect these marks to the outcomes that will be shared on the report cards.
If you are new to D2L, you may want to ask teachers to share their shells with you at the Meet the Teacher Evening this week. As well, there will be a separate session to better understand D2L that evening.
Roof Replacement
Beginning on Friday, September 19, a section of our roof is scheduled to be replaced. The majority of the new roof construction will take place over the Music Room, Gym, Office and Art Room. The project is estimated to take about a month, and we do not expect this to disrupt learning. Although it would have been ideal to have the work completed over the summer, we feel fortunate to have a new roof over our heads and know that it will be worth the wait!
Athletics at BP
Getting involved in the Fall sports season is a great way to start the year. Our coaches have been busy coordinating tryouts and selecting teams for volleyball, cross-country and soccer. Although there have been some changes to try-outs due to the inclement September weather, the following is the practice schedule for the season. For the specific game schedules, please consult the School Athletics information on our school website. This will include the dates, school locations and times of the games.
Getting involved in the Fall sports season is a great way to start the year. Our coaches have been busy coordinating tryouts and selecting teams for volleyball, cross-country and soccer. Although there have been some changes to try-outs due to the inclement September weather, the following is the practice schedule for the season. For the specific game schedules, please consult the School Athletics information on our school website. This will include the dates, school locations and times of the games.
As well, although Cross Country practices have not yet begun, the following are the dates of the upcoming meets (more information to come):
Cross Country:
Tuesday September 23 – Stanley Park
Wednesday October 1 – Elliston Park
Thursday October 9 – North Glenmore Park
The following are the coaches for this season. For specific questions, please contact the coaches directly:
Grade 9 Girls Volleyball – Mr. Fiset
Grade 9 Boys Volleyball – Mr. Kennedy /Miss Shantz
Grade 6/7/8 Girls Volleyball – Srta. Gilbertson
Grade 6/7/8 Boys Volleyball – Miss Ell / Miss Fulton
Boys Soccer – Mr. Palkovits / Mr. Jordan
Girls Soccer – Mr. Menjivar / Miss Turner
Cross Country – Mr. Holland
From the Bishop Pinkham Music Parent Association
(BPMPA)
Please join us at our first AGM on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7:00pm in the Music Room. We will discuss the opportunities to get involved this year to support the music and complementary programs at Bishop Pinkham.
Cross Country:
Tuesday September 23 – Stanley Park
Wednesday October 1 – Elliston Park
Thursday October 9 – North Glenmore Park
The following are the coaches for this season. For specific questions, please contact the coaches directly:
Grade 9 Girls Volleyball – Mr. Fiset
Grade 9 Boys Volleyball – Mr. Kennedy /Miss Shantz
Grade 6/7/8 Girls Volleyball – Srta. Gilbertson
Grade 6/7/8 Boys Volleyball – Miss Ell / Miss Fulton
Boys Soccer – Mr. Palkovits / Mr. Jordan
Girls Soccer – Mr. Menjivar / Miss Turner
Cross Country – Mr. Holland
From the Bishop Pinkham Music Parent Association
(BPMPA)
Please join us at our first AGM on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7:00pm in the Music Room. We will discuss the opportunities to get involved this year to support the music and complementary programs at Bishop Pinkham.
This Week…
Meet the Teacher
Our Meet the Teacher Evening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17 from 6:30-8:00pm. We are looking forward to meeting many new parents, as well as welcoming back many parents whom we have been working with in past years. Please note that this will be an open-house format and not a one-one interview. A formal opportunity to discuss individual students will be during our Parent-Teacher Interviews scheduled on October 16-17th.
The following is the program that we will follow on Wednesday evening:
Professional Development Day
This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Friday, September 19. In the morning, teachers will be working on updating our student IPPs in Iris and the afternoon will be spent discussing and planning in grade groups to support student learning plans at Bishop Pinkham this year.
The Week at a Glance:
-Leadership Committee Meeting (Lunch in the Art Rm)
-Homework Club (3:00-4:00pm after school in the Learning Commons)
-Gr. 9 boys volleyball practice (3:00-5:00pm)
- Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at BP)
A Little Later…
- Girls Soccer Game (4:30 at Elboya)
-School Council Meeting (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
-Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at BP)
-Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at A.E.Cross)
From the Board of Trustees
Meet the Teacher
Our Meet the Teacher Evening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17 from 6:30-8:00pm. We are looking forward to meeting many new parents, as well as welcoming back many parents whom we have been working with in past years. Please note that this will be an open-house format and not a one-one interview. A formal opportunity to discuss individual students will be during our Parent-Teacher Interviews scheduled on October 16-17th.
The following is the program that we will follow on Wednesday evening:
- 6:30-6:45pm – Welcome and introductions in the Main Gym
- 6:45-8:00pm – Open House – Parents visit individual teachers and classrooms
- 6:50 – Bishop Pinkham Music Parent Association AGM
- 7:15pm / 7:45pm – Information on D2L / Iris in the Learning Commons
Professional Development Day
This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Friday, September 19. In the morning, teachers will be working on updating our student IPPs in Iris and the afternoon will be spent discussing and planning in grade groups to support student learning plans at Bishop Pinkham this year.
The Week at a Glance:
- Monday Sept 15
-Leadership Committee Meeting (Lunch in the Art Rm)
- Tuesday Sept 16
-Homework Club (3:00-4:00pm after school in the Learning Commons)
-Gr. 9 boys volleyball practice (3:00-5:00pm)
- Wednesday Sept 17
- Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at BP)
- Thursday Sept 18 – Boys Soccer Game (4:30 at BP)
- Friday Sept 19 – Non-Instructional Day
A Little Later…
- Sunday Sept. 21
- Monday Sept. 22
- Girls Soccer Game (4:30 at Elboya)
- Tuesday Sept 23
-School Council Meeting (6:30pm in the Learning Commons)
- Wednesday Sept 24
-Girls Soccer Game (4:30pm at BP)
- Thursday Sept 25
-Boys Soccer Game (4:30pm at A.E.Cross)
From the Board of Trustees
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