Dear Parents and Guardians,

Photo day on Monday had students looking their best!

Thank you to all the parents who came out for parent-teacher conferences. Being connected to the school and the teacher is essential for ensuring success in school.

Ms. Hou is starting a division 2 choir on October 18, 2023. I am so excited to hear singing at school again more often. I hope that our division 2 parents have returned their registration slips. The first 40 students will be joining the choir.

Thank you to BPAC for moving the big mulch pile to the base of trees and shrubs and freeing up the staff parking stall #10. Thank you also for the treats on Wednesdays and the treats on Thursday to help us get through a long day of teaching and parent-teacher interviews.

Thank you to Ms. Moya from the library and all our parent volunteers who have been running the book fair! The excitement of students perusing books and spending some of the hard-earned pocket money was infectious. Such happy energy.

Our student-count-day of September 29 is approaching fast. Our annual funding depends on the student count of September 29.

Orange Shirt Day | Sept. 28

What is Orange Shirt Day?

It is an opportunity to remember the children that didn’t make it home from Indian residential schools, the experience of survivors, and resulting in inter-generational trauma.

This day also provides an opportunity to witness, support, and honour the healing journey of survivors and their families.

How did Orange Shirt Day begin?

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in the spring of 2013 at Williams Lake, BC, and was inspired by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's story of how her new orange t-shirt was taken away on her first day of school at the Mission.

The confiscation of Phyllis' orange shirt was a common practice at Indian residential schools where the intent was to disconnect Indigenous children from their families and communities and erasing their Indigenous identity. Since then, the event has become an opportunity to continue the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.

As the number of events increases across the country, September was chosen because this is the time when school begins again and also reflects the time when indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in residential schools.

Information taken from https://www.calgary.ca/events/orange-shirt-day.html

Hope to see you at Fort Calgary on Saturday, September 30, at 9:00 to 10:30am

Warm Regards,

Meike Thomsen
Principal/Schulleiterin

Important Dates

September 28: Orange Shirt Day
September 29: No School, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
October 2: School Council, in person, 6:30pm
October 6: Free Clothing shopping event
October 9: No school; Thanksgiving
October 12: Grade 6 vaccinations
October 13: Saa'kokoto with students in morning and adults in PM
October 16-19: Jackie Soppit, Hoop Dancing
November 6: School council, 6:30pm
November 6-8: Metis week
November 9: No School, professional development
November 10-14: FALL BREAK, no school
November 15: Classes resume
November 17: Saint Martins assembly, 11:30am, parents welcome
November 23: Parent teacher conferences #2, 4:15 to 8:00 pm
November 24: No school, parent teacher conferences 8:00 – 1:00pm