We were thrilled to host the CRPS Board Meeting and our School Council Meeting at BES this past week. A major highlight for us was getting to tour our Trustees and School Council members through our new Maker Space. CRPS and our School Council generously funded this project and provided over $20,000 for the purchase of equipment and furniture. A huge thank you to them for their generosity and to Mr. Weller who spent many hours planning, purchasing and setting up the space. Our Grade 7 and 8 students will have access to this space in the new year and will explore 3D printing, robotics and photography/videography. What a fabulous addition to our school! We wanted to send out a little reminder to our families to please keep the Accessible Parking area clear during drop off and pick up. Some parents have been parking in these spaces, especially during pick up times, and some of our parents who require these spaces have not been able to access them. Thank you for working with us to keep the spaces available for those with a pass. Please click here to review all our Safety While Traveling To and From School information.
Spotlight on Learning Kindergarten Spotlight Kindergarten has been looking into trying a learning task in the style of “Building Thinking Classrooms”, which is an approach we have been trying at BES to encourage collaboration and engagement. Kindergarten refers to this style of learning as “Thinking on our Feet.” Our first task was thinking about the number of vehicles we would need to have a total of 7 wheels - this connected to our focus on transportation and put our numeracy skills to work. Kindergarten has also jumped into the BES Food Drive challenge! In our talks about being part of a community, we want to be leaders in encouraging families to participate in this endeavour.
Gr 1 - 3 Literacy Spotlight UFLI Home Practice Video This link takes you to a video that shows how parents can help their children with reading at home. It is part of the UFLI Home Practice program, which teaches simple and clear ways to help kids become better readers. IF you see this sheet come home, here is how you can help! The video shows:
How to support your child to read words step by step.
How to support your child to write words
How to support your child to do word work
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 that diversity of experiences and connections in nature and community enhance learning beyond the classroom. As learners, we:
collaborate to create and honour relationships with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Elders and other community experts to provide authentic learning experiences.
design experiential learning opportunities and environments that authentically engage and stretch learners.
We are very fortunate at CRPS to have access to wonderful Knowledge Keepers from Mînî Thnî to help students develop their foundational knowledge around First Nations, Metis and Inuit perspectives and understanding. This year, the Knowledge Keepers have visited our Kindergarten and Grade 7 classes. They have shared stories about the Banff area, taught students some words and numbers in Stoney, and also shared knowledge around residential schools. We also hosted a wonderful assembly to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is a valuable partnership and opportunity for our students and we are excited to have our Knowledge Keepers joining us each month this school year.
Did you happen to see our BES Highlight on the CRPS website?? We had a wonderful write up about our Mountain Living program which includes Nature Explorers and our Outdoor Pursuits. This is an excellent example of how we provide opportunities for our students to connect in nature and in our community to enhance learning and make it engaging and real for students. You can find the article here: BES Mountain Living Program
Important Upcoming Dates
Nov 29 - Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
Dec 2 - Secure and Hold Practice Drill
Dec 3 - Lockdown Practice Drill
Dec 5 - School Council Family Movie Night 5:30 pm
Dec 11 & 12 - 2024 Banff Schools Holiday Concert at the Banff Centre in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre 6:30 - 7:30 pm each evening - required tickets are complimentary
Secure and Hold/Lockdown Drills BES Emergency Secure and Hold and Lockdown Procedures/Practice Drills are scheduled for the upcoming week. At Banff Elementary School, the safety of students and staff is our most important priority. Emergencies requiring Hold and Secure or Lockdown are rare, but it is the duty of a school to prepare students and have them practice what to do in case of all types of emergencies. Banff Elementary School will conduct emergency practice drills for both a Hold and Secure and Lockdown during the course of the year:
Monday December 2 at 9:00 am - Secure and Hold Practice Drill Tuesday December 3 at 9:45 am - Lockdown Practice Drill
The purpose of these drills is to practice response behaviours to protect students and staff.
Secure and Hold
Lockdown
when there is not an imminent threat
if a student has a medical emergency in the corridor, provide them with privacy until assistance arrives
an upset, violent or abusive person is in the school, need to limit exposure of students to the event
police incident in community
wildlife threat on the field
when there is an imminent threat
threatens the safety of students
is originating in or outside the school
could result in bodily harm
With practice we hope everyone will feel more confident, less anxious and better prepared knowing there is a plan and procedures for a situation of this kind. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Billings or Ms. Chisholm.
Holiday Concert Schedule & Tickets 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. Please click here for the schedule and ticket information. Concert Attire for each grade is as follows:
Grade 1 - Red top/Black bottoms and an optional santa hat Grade 2 - Solid coloured shirt in Red, White, Silver or Gold, or Green depending on the student’s group Grade 3 - Rock and roll themed Grade 4 - Festive or fancy holiday themed Grade 5 - Black/White with an optional santa hat Grade 6 - Festive sweaters with an optional festive accessory Grade 7 & 8 - ALL black with an optional festive accessory
School Council Family Movie Night Holiday Campaigns & Support We really appreciate everyone’s generosity as we look to support BES families and members of our community through these initiatives. Our goal this year is to raise $2000 and we already raised over $1000 at the Bake Sale. Thank you to all the students and their families for contributing and purchasing baked goods. We are planning some fun activities when we hit milestone goals. It may just include a pie in the principal’s face if we hit our goal!!! You can find more information below.
“Give What You Can, If You Can” 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)
Food Drive Our Food Drive has begun. Let’s support our community by collecting the items most needed for our food bank. You can bring in items until December 5.
Grades K-3 Toiletries & New Toys/Books/Games
Grades 4-6 Canned Food & New Toys/Books/Games
Grades 7-8 Dry Goods & New Toys/Books/Games
Could You Use Support this Holiday Season? If you or someone you know may benefit from additional support this holiday season, please let us know by filling out this (confidential) form by December 6.
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.
Casual Lunch Supervisors Needed Are you available on a casual basis to supervise students over the lunch hour? We are in need of subs to call in the event that we are short staffed. This is a paid position and you are required to obtain a Criminal Record Check (unless we already have one on file). Please contact the office for more information.
Lost & Found The lost & found at BES is growing. Please ask your child to check for lost items or please stop by the school. All items left behind at the Winter Break will be donated.
Important Dates Please click here to view the BES Community Calendar andclick here for the 2024-2025 Learning Calendars.
November 29
Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
December 2
Hold & Secure Drill
December 3
Lockdown Drill
December 5
School Council Movie Night 5:30 pm
December 11&12
BES Winter Concert at the Banff Centre 6:30 - 7:30 pm - click here for ticket details
December 13
Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
December 16 - 20
Winter Spirit Week
December 17
Carolling and Winter Assembly 1:30 pm
December 18
BES Council Meeting 3:20 pm - celebrate the season with festive food and drink
December 20
Winter Break begins at 12:05 pm - BES is closed in the afternoon
December 23 - January 5
School Closure for Winter Break - Happy Holidays!
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!
We wanted to send out a little reminder to our families to please keep the Accessible Parking area clear during drop off and pick up. Some parents have been parking in these spaces, especially during pick up times, and some of our parents who require these spaces have not been able to access them. Thank you for working with us to keep the spaces available for those with a pass. Please click here to review all our Safety While Traveling To and From School information.
