Principal’s Post It has been a very wet week at BES! Thanks to families for making sure their students have the appropriate gear for the weather. We go outside in almost all weather conditions, so having outdoor shoes/boots, rain jackets and hats/gloves would be perfect to send along at this time of year! It also doesn’t hurt to throw some extra socks and pants (for our younger students) into their backpack as they always seem to find the puddles!!
Thank you as well to our parents who drop off in the morning for following the road rules around the school. This includes stopping when the buses have their red lights flashing and driving slowly in the school zone. A few parents have been making U-turns (especially in our Kiss and Go area) and we ask that you please do not make U-turns in the school area as it is illegal and unsafe.
We are excited to be hosting our Terry Fox Assembly and Run next Friday (September 20). Parents are welcome to join us for our assembly at 9:30 am and our run which will begin at approximately 10:15 am. Our Grades 1 - 3 students will run on the Elk field while our Grades 4 - 8 students will follow the trail along the river. Please ensure you have completed your child’s Annual Demographic Update so they can participate off-site during this event (please reach out to the office if you are having trouble with this). This is always a wonderful event and we would love to have you join us! You can donate here: BES Terry Fox Donation Page. If everyone donates a Toonie, we can raise close to $800!
Grades 1 - 3 Provincial Assessments: Students in Grades 1 - 3 across the province will complete literacy and numeracy assessments this month. These assessments are not something that students need to prepare for. The information from the assessments helps the school gain a better understanding of your child’s literacy and numeracy skills and guides us in how we can support them. You can find more information on the Alberta.ca site here: Early Years Assessments
Have a wonderful week!
Spotlight on Learning Grade 1 Spotlight We started our reading/spelling program this week called UFLI! The class did very well listening to segmented sounds (i.e. c/a/t) and blending them together (i.e. "cat"). They also practiced some substitution of sounds (i.e. let's change "cat" to spell "cot").
Grade 1s have been busy practicing their subitizing to start the year! Playing fun math games, like War, have really increased our ability to quickly recognize numbers and sets!
We practiced some patterning, reviewing what we learned in kindergarten and building a deeper understanding. We spent some time working in small groups, reading a story about patterns in nature and practicing finding the core of the pattern!
We've started the year with learning about the scientific method. We've asked some great questions (i.e. "how did water get born?") and did our first experiments with hot water and candy, making hypotheses with our peers. Grade 5 Spotlight 5M have had a cracking start to the year! With a special focus on working together and building our class community we have been having a lot of fun!
As a class we decided that this is how we will act in our classroom:
Show kindness, respect and manners to everyone and everything, always!
Learn from your mistakes, and remember they are part of learning!
Share the workload, listen to others and be a team player!
Ask for help when you need it and help others when you can!
Learning has no limit, always strive for greatness!
Try your best, stay positive and NEVER GIVE UP!
Here are some of the students' highlights from the first three weeks:
‘My highlight was the first day of school, because we got to play lots of fun games and reconnect with my friends!’ - Hudson ‘I really loved working with a team to make wind instruments in Science and maps of Canada in Social Studies!’ - Spencer ‘A highlight for me has been learning about place value in maths through lots of fun games!’ - Logan ‘I loved meeting my new teacher and all my new classmates. And learning new things in maths, like decimals!’ - Sierra
Important Upcoming Dates
Sep 20 - Terry Fox Assembly & Run 9:30 am
Sep 20 - Staff PD 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
Sep 25 - School Council Meeting 3:30 pm at BES
2024-2025 Annual Demographic Update/Permissions & Consents Thank you to those who have already completed the online 2024-2025 Annual Demographic Update. If you have not already completed the update, please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account and click on SchoolEngage on the left side bar at the bottom. Once you have signed in to your SchoolEngage account, click on the bell at the top right hand corner. You will see the incomplete forms in blue. This is the place to give permission for walking field trips, which start immediately, along with permission for Grades 7 & 8 students only to leave the school grounds at lunch. Please contact the school office if you have any questions.
Before School Care Before School Care is being offered at no cost to families in need of childcare before school to enable parents to get to work on time. Before School Care will commence Tuesday September 3, 2024 and registration is required each year. It is available between 7:45 - 8:15 am. Please click here to register your child. Students who arrive at 8:15 do not need to register for the Before School Care Program.
Terry Fox School Run Friday September 20 In honour of Canadian hero Terry Fox, BES students will be participating in the Terry Fox School Run on Friday September 20 starting with an assembly at 9:30 am. Grades 1-3 students will run in the school field following the assembly and students in Grades 4-8 will walk over to the Canoe Docks at 10:15 am and run a course along the river walk and return to school by 12:00 pm. To participate off campus, each student’s online 2024-2025 Annual Demographic Update must be completed giving Walking Field Trip permission. We encourage parents to run with their child. Students and families are invited to make a contribution - you can click here to sponsor Banff Elementary School online through the Terry Fox Foundation School Run website.
School Council School Council is a liaison group between parents/guardians, teachers, administration, community and School Board to encourage communication, involvement and cooperation with the goal of maximizing individual student learning and enhancing school life. As a parent or a guardian with a child in the school, you are considered a member of School Council. We welcome all parents to join our Council meetings to learn, observe, and have a voice. School Council generally meets the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 pm (in-person at BES and virtually). Whether you can join for one meeting, or every meeting, for 30 minutes or the full hour, your involvement is welcome. The next meeting is Wednesday September 25 3:30 pm.
Important Dates Please click here to view the BES Community Calendar andclick here for the 2024-2025 Learning Calendars.
September 20
Terry Fox School Assembly and Run 9:30 am
September 20
Staff PD - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
September 25
First School Council Meeting 3:30 pm at BES
September 27
Orange Shirt Day - please wear orange
September 30
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation - School Closed
October 4
Staff PD - 12:05 pm Dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes )
Volunteering Banff Elementary School loves and greatly appreciates our volunteers! We require all volunteers who help in the school or on field trips to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check through the RCMP and sign a Confidentiality Contract as per Canadian Rockies Public Schools’Administrative Procedure 490 - School Volunteers andFOIPP. RCMP checks expire one year from the issue date. Prior to volunteering, please email your legal name to the school office at bes.info@crps.ca to request an RCMP Fee Waiver Letter and we will email you back the letter, required forms, and instructions. Often Vulnerable Sector Checks can be completed by the RCMP within 24 hours. Please click here for more information on volunteering opportunities.
School Fees For the third year, the CRPS board has decided not to charge lunchroom supervision fees for the 2024-2025 school year, reflecting our division's commitment to easing family financial pressures. Complimentary course fees (Grade 7 & 8) and incidental fees will be added to your Parent Portal account as required.
School and Family Wellness Worker Emily Nicholson, our new School and Family Wellness Worker, is here to help support families and students with their social and emotional well-being. Please contact her at 403-762-4465 ext 6089. This is one more way Canadian Rockies School Division is here to help support not only your child, but also your family.
Right From The Start Welcome back BES families! We are so excited to have you here! Ms. Jenniex, with Right from the Start, will start visiting all the classrooms next week. If you have any questions about Right from the Start, please feel free to reach out to megan.jenniex@crps.ca. Watch for RFTS newsletter updates from your child(ren)’s homeroom teachers throughout the year to see what is happening with RFTS!
Town of Banff Children & Youth Programs The Out-of-School Club (OSC) is a licensed childcare program offering care for school aged children, September to June. With a focus on child-led play, exploration and natural curiosity, OSC aims to connect children through indoor and outdoor programming. The OSC program hours compliment the Canadian Rockies Public School calendar- providing care during the after school hours, PD days, parent/teacher interviews, the staggered kindergarten entry and school breaks. For details and how to register, visit www.banff.ca/kids.
Settlement Services Settlement Services provides Permanent Residents of Canada, Live-In Caregivers and Refugees with the support they need to settle in the Bow Valley. Please click the link for the Settlement Services September Newsletter. More information about Settlement Services and a calendar of events is available at: www.banff.ca/settlement or follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSBV.CCBV/.
You can also check out our School Announcementshere (this is updated frequently) for more information. Please like us on Facebook and follow BES on Instagram @banffelementaryschool for news and reminders.
Canadian Rockies Public Schools Please follow CRPS on Facebook, Follow/Tag us on Twitter and on Instagram so you can stay up-to-date on all CRPS school related issues, updates and information. Please click here for the CRPS Board Meeting Calendar, Agendas and Highlights.
Do you have a spare bedroom? Become a host family for our International Student Program! We are looking for 5 or 10 month commitments. Remuneration is provided. Follow this link to find out more!
