We had a wonderful assembly Thursday morning to commemorate Remembrance Day. The 878 Banff/Canmore Squadron joined us and we recognized this special day with a student drama performance, a song from our Grade 3, 4 and 5 choir, and a performance from our Grade 8 band. Our students were very respectful throughout our entire assembly. We are very proud of all the students who performed and our incredible audience. Thank you to those families who joined us and to Trustee Sunderland for attending.
Grade 8 Band at the Vic Lewis Festival We were thrilled to have 14 BES Grade 8 students participate at the Vic Lewis Festival that was held in Canmore last weekend. Our students got the opportunity to work with clinicians and to perform on the stage in the theatre at Canmore Collegiate. They were amazing!! Thank you to Ms. Kowalewski for organizing the group and volunteering her time to give our students this incredible experience!
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences Thank you to all our families for joining us for our conferences. Partnering together is integral for student success, and these conferences are a great opportunity to check in, review things that are going well, and to set goals for the next few months. We are always here to help and families are encouraged to reach out to your child’s teacher at any time if you have questions about your child’s progress.
Thank you for the Teacher Meals of Appreciation!!! BES staff would like to thank all the families and our School Council for organizing the Teacher Meals of Appreciation during our conferences. We really appreciate the generosity of our families and our staff are definitely well fed on these days. Thank you very much to all those that brought something in for our staff.
CRPS Shared Vision of Learning
This week’s highlight of the CRPS Shared Vision of Learning and how it is coming to life at BES is the following belief:
We believe in and embrace the importance of whole child education in the development of each learner. As caring professionals, we:
create inclusive environments that value and respond to diversity and the strengths of each individual.
create opportunities for learners to develop habits, skills and mindsets that build their social, emotional and academic competence.
Our classrooms are designed to be diverse, inclusive spaces where all students can thrive. Our dedicated teachers work diligently to understand each student’s unique strengths and areas for growth. They create engaging, differentiated activities that ensure every student has an opportunity to participate and contribute.
To further support students’ needs, we offer accommodations such as standing desks, fidgets, and wobbly stools. These tools help students stay focused and comfortable while learning. In addition, we have specialized spaces like our Hibernation Station sensory area, Movement Room, and Learning Labs—quiet zones where students can take breaks or engage in alternative learning experiences as needed.
We are also fortunate to have the support of our School and Family Wellness Worker, Ms. Emily, and our Right From The Start Worker, Ms. Jenniex. Both are available to provide students with social-emotional strategies and help reinforce the skills necessary for success in the classroom.
Our administration and Learning Support Team meet weekly with Ms. Emily and Ms. Jenniex to discuss student needs and explore new ways to offer support. This collaborative approach is crucial in ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed.
We also recognize the importance of partnering with families to support students' growth. By working together, we create a strong network that nurtures the whole child and fosters success both in and out of the classroom.
Spotlight on Learning Grade 3 Spotlight Grade 3 students have been exploring and developing geographic skills in mapping and understanding our world! They've created booklets to identify and label key features of our planet, including continents, oceans, hemispheres, poles and the equator. In addition, students have been very engaged in learning catchy songs that make it fun to remember the names of the continents and oceans. We’re excited to see how these skills enhance our students' understanding of the 4 countries we study throughout our grade 3 year!
Important Upcoming Dates
Nov 8 - P/T/S Morning Conferences / BES is closed in the afternoon (no classes for students all day)
Nov 11 - Remembrance Day - School is closed
Nov 19 - HI-Banff Family Lunch
HI-Banff Alpine Centre sponsored Family Lunch on Tuesday November 19, 2024 Again this year HI-Banff Alpine Centre are sponsoring and serving a free family lunch at BES to promote community connections and to celebrate World Children’s Day. Please come join your child for lunch (12:05 - 12:55 pm) on Tuesday November 19. To ensure we have enough food for everyone please sign up by completing this FORM by end of day Wednesday November 13. This is an optional lunch at no cost to students and families, although we will be taking donations for our “Give What You Can, If You Can” Holiday Campaign. All family members are welcome to join us for this meaningful event; however if parents are unable to attend, you can still order a free lunch for your child(ren). Please complete one form per family providing the oldest student's name and homeroom.
“Give What You Can, If You Can” Holiday Campaign As the heart of the community, Banff Elementary School is always eager to support our families and our community. As we are aware that community supports are limited this holiday season, BES is once again working to support as many of our families as we can during the 2024 holidays. From now until December 13, we will be running our “Give What You Can, If You Can” Campaign. We are looking for the following donations which can be dropped off at the BES office.
Grocery gift cards ($25 denominations)
New, unwrapped family Board games (e.g. Uno, Snakes and Ladders, etc.)
Monetary donations (cash, cheque made out to Banff Elementary School)
Please watch our E-NEWS over the next couple of weeks while we announce school initiatives, events and challenges to support the campaign. Our school goal this year is to raise $2,000 for the campaign, and there will be some awesome celebrations for our students and staff along the way!
Could You Use Support this Holiday Season? Our self referral sign up will be available by the end of November. Please watch our E-NEWS for the sign up link. Support is not guaranteed, and is dependent upon donations received.
Apparel Order This is your chance to order BES hoodies and/or t-shirts to show your school spirit! Hoodies and t-shirts are available in traditional BES Green or Grey (hoodies $35.00 youth sizes/$40.00 adult sizes, and t-shirts $13.50 youth sizes/$14.50 adult sizes). Buffs are also still available for $2 each (limited supply). DEADLINE FOR ORDERS is November 17, 2024 11:59 pm / DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT is November 18, 2024 11:00 am. Order delivery is expected in mid December. The total amount of your order will be added to your Power School Parent Portal account under Student Fees. CLICK HERE to access the online Google form to place your order.
Holiday Concert Schedule Banff Elementary School students will be performing on specific evenings at the Holiday Concert at the Banff Centre with the exception of the Grade 7 & 8 band students that will perform both evenings. Further information will be shared shortly about obtaining complimentary tickets.
Save the Date!!! Family Movie Night We are excited to share that our School Council is organizing a Family Movie Night on Thursday, December 5th. We are still finalizing the details and will share more information in the coming weeks.
2024-2025 Caribou Kids Season Ski Pass Program Banff school students will enjoy free skiing again this winter. Now in its 18th year, Banff Lodging Co and Banff Mount Norquay are happy to offer the Caribou Kids Season Pass program for students enrolled at Banff schools. Please click here for more information and the online purchasing link. All payments and inquiries should be directed to Banff Mount Norquay.
Important Dates Please click here to view the BES Community Calendar andclick here for the 2024-2025 Learning Calendars.
November 8
P/T/S Morning Conferences - BES is closed in the afternoon
November 11
Remembrance Day - School is closed
November 13
Deadline to sign up for the HI-Banff Alpine Centre Family Lunch
November 15
Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
November 17
Deadline for Apparel Orders
November 19
HI-Banff Alpine Centre Family Lunch
November 26
CRPS Board of Trustees Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 pm at BES
November 27
BES Council Meeting 3:30 pm
November 29
Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
December 5
Save the Date - School Council Movie Night - more details to follow
December 11&12
BES Winter Concert at the Banff Centre 6:30 - 7:30 pm - watch for ticket details
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 (CTF) course fees for Grades 7 and 8 students have been added to your Parent Portal account and are due by October 31, 2024. You can pay school fees online and obtain a copy of your invoice through your Power School Parent Portal account. Once you sign on, under navigation, click on Student Fees. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office.
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!
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.
Out of School Club The Town of Banff Out of School Club (OSC) is a licensed childcare program offering care for school aged children during the school year. 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 more details, program calendars, and information on how to register, visit www.banff.ca/kids. Winter Break registration opens to all on November 15th 2024 at 8:30am.
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 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.
Homestay families needed in Banff, Canmore or Exshaw for international high school students (Grade 10-12) from Feb-June 2025 Do you have a spare bedroom? Become a host family for our International Student Program! Remuneration is provided. Follow this link to find out more!
