Principal’s Post We are looking forward to our Terry Fox Assembly and Run tomorrow morning at 9:30am. We hope parents will join us for this great event. Don’t forget to get your donations in at BES Terry Fox Donation Page. Every donation helps the Terry Fox Foundation with their fundraising!
Do you have your Orange Shirt yet? We will be recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday September 27 at BES. All students and staff are encouraged to wear orange shirts on Friday. We will also be holding an assembly at 1:15 pm to honour and recognize this day.
We are looking forward to our first Professional Learning session tomorrow afternoon at BES. Our staff will be working with the Director of Learning Services at CRPS to learn more about Benchmarks 2.0. Benchmarks 2.0 is an assessment tool to support educators in identifying the English language proficiency levels of students learning English as an additional language. It is a useful tool to help us track the progress of our English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. We are looking forward to the afternoon of learning!
Spotlight on Learning French as a Second Language Spotlight When the September sun shines, French classes have been heading outside! Each grade has been learning movement games connected to vocabulary covered in the classroom. For example, les couleurs are used in a game called Arc-en-Ciel, adapted from the popular running tag game Fruit Salad. Students have been very encouraging to one another while practicing their oral French skills!
Kindergarten Spotlight Ms. Cavanaugh and Mrs. Daffern were inspired by a most beautiful full coloured rainbow over Canmore the other evening as we began Colour Days in Kindergarten. We are exploring primary and secondary colours this and next week leading up to Orange Shirt Day! We kicked off our learning with Red Day!
Ms. Jenniex with RFTS has been coming to practice learning attributes that help us work as a group. Through books like 'Pete the Cat - I Like My White Shoes!' and songs like 'Willaby Wallaby Woo,' we have been practicing taking turns and learning each other's names - so important for demonstrating belonging, which is part of our CUBS Code!
Grade 4 Spotlight The Grade 4 students have kicked off the year by learning more about waste and our world. The Grade 4 classes went to the Fenland Loop with Lynx on their first Nature Explorers outing to find real-world examples of natural waste and decomposers. Students will be learning about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and next week both classes will be visiting the Francis Cooke Landfill near Exshaw and touring the recycling centre in Canmore.
The Grade 4 classes have also been learning about the importance of fluent reading when reading aloud and have started a weekly practice called Fluency Friends together! Students are matched with a reading partner and together they take turns listening to each other read a passage out loud for one minute. The students then share feedback with one another about how accurately and smoothly they read the passage. Students will be recording and graphing their progress with the goal of becoming more fluent readers over time.
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
Sep 27 - Orange Shirt Day and Assembly at 1:15pm
Sep 30 - National Day for Truth & Reconciliation - School Closed
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.
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.
Circle of Support (formerly Rainbows Program) at BES Once again the Circle of Support: Family Changes Group (formerly Rainbows Program) will be offered at Banff Elementary School. Circle of Support is a group for children and youth that helps them to cope with life changes and losses in their life, such as separation or divorce of caregivers, family illness/injury or the loss of a loved one. The goal of the group is to assist children in expressing and understanding their feelings, accepting what has happened, normalizing grief and loss, and experiencing a sense of belonging in an accepting, non-judgmental environment. As a result of attending the program, participants have reported many positive changes, including significant improvements in well-being, coping skills, problem solving, understanding feelings, self-esteem, and communication skills. Students will meet in groups during non-instructional time within their school day, once per week for six weeks, and use creative ways such as art, games, discussion, and journaling to explore different topics. If you feel that your child(ren) could benefit from the Circle of Support group, please email Katie Barton at katie.barton@banff.ca. Students who participated in Rainbows last year are more than welcome to join this year. If you have any questions about the program or are not sure if Circle of Support is the right fit for your child, please feel free to contact Katie. The anticipated start date for the program is October 16.
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 25
First School Council Meeting 3:30 pm at BES
September 27
Orange Shirt Day - please wear orange - Assembly at 1:15pm
September 30
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation - School Closed
October 4
Staff PD - 12:05 pm Dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes )
October 14
Thanksgiving Day - School Closed
October 18
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 Criminal Record 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 Criminal Record 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.
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.
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!
