Spotlight on Learning Grade 7 Spotlight Last week, grade 7s ventured to the Outdoor Learning Centre in Kananaskis as part of their science unit on Heat & Temperature. As part of their learning leading up to the field trip, students were faced with the challenge of building their own thermos that will keep water hot for as long as possible. They learned how heat is transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation and ways that they could use common materials to reduce the amount of heat lost in their thermos design. Students then brought their thermoses on their field trip to be tested throughout the day out in the snow. Students also did some knife work - making kindling with a blade and rock, in order to start their own fires. They also baked bannock over the fire and built a quinzee.
The Grade 7s have also all gone into business against each other selling holiday trees for the month of December. They have to apply their knowledge of probability, formulae, percentages, general arithmetic and business sense to make as much money as possible. Each student has 12 elves working for them and sends them out daily to harvest trees. Of course, the trees they can get depends somewhat on the weather and that is subject to chance by the roll of a dice! This is how things start but there are all sorts of complications and twists along the way. Are the elves content? Will they strike if they don't get a day off? Can the workforce be increased? Will the mountain road be opened for access to bigger trees? Students are participating and updating their spreadsheet daily and we will see how things wrap up before the holiday break.
One show down and one more to go!! What an incredible night it was at our Holiday Concert last night. Our students did an amazing job and there were many thrilled parents and family members leaving the theatre after an incredible show. A huge thank you to Ms. Kowalewski for working so hard to prepare our students and to our staff for being there to support backstage! Thank you as well to the incredible crew at the Banff Centre for their technical work and coordinating our show. Our students are very lucky to have this experience!
A huge thank you to our School Council for organizing the first movie night at BES in a number of years. It was so wonderful to see so many students and families attend. We are hoping to host another one sometime in the spring so we hope you will join us! Funds raised from the Movie Night are used to support classrooms and spaces like our new Maker Space. We would also like to thank the Lux Cinema for providing the popcorn and the Wild Flour Bakery for donating the delicious cookies! Final School Council Meeting of 2024! All parents are invited to our final School Council meeting of 2024! Our meeting will be held at BES on Wednesday December 18th at 3:20pm. Let’s celebrate the season with festive food and drink while sharing your thoughts and ideas for 2025. We will be also celebrating David Shackleton’s contributions as our School Council Chair! David will be stepping down after this meeting. David has served as the School Council Chair at BES for the past 5 years. During his time, the Council has done many wonderful things for our school community. They have supported the Hot Lunch Program and Nature Explorers, as well as through supporting projects such as the Maker Space, iPads for the classrooms, the Buddy Bench, Grade 8 projects, musical instruments, photography and computer equipment, food for teachers during parent/teacher/student conferences, and the Sensory Room. We are excited to welcome Nicola Hardingham as our new Chair. Nicola is joined by Matt Kirkwood as Vice-Chair (also covering the Secretary role) and Satu Tzotzos continues as Treasurer.
Important Upcoming Dates
Dec 13 - Last day to contribute to our Give What You Can, If You Can campaign
Dec 13 - Staff Professional Learning - 12:05 pm dismissal for Grades 1 - 8 (no Kindergarten classes)
Dec 16 - 20 - Winter Spirit Week
Dec 17 - Carolling and Winter Assembly 1:30 pm
Dec 18 - School Council 3:20 pm
Dec 20 at 12:05 pm to Jan 5 - Winter Break
Winter Spirit Week December 16 - Cozy Winter Footwear (Slippers, Socks) December 17 - Winter Wonderland (Blue, White, Sparkles) December 18 - Holiday Cheer Headwear (Antlers, Elf, Santa) December 19 - Candy Cane Lane (Red, White, Green, Patterns) December 20 - Pyjama Day
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 $1800. 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. 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)
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!
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. Mountain Readers Volunteer Program The Mountain Reader volunteer program at Banff Elementary School started back in 2009 and continues to encourage and support student literacy while fostering community connection. Each volunteer visits a BES classroom once a week for an hour to read one-on-one or in small groups with students. The program feedback from students, teachers, and volunteers is overwhelmingly positive with many volunteers returning year after year to cheer on young readers. Please click here if you would like more information. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the Mountain Readers who give their time to this terrific program, especially Kristen McCutcheon who has been the volunteer coordinator for the past 7 years. We are looking for a new parent volunteer (or two) to train with the current coordinator of the Mountain Reader program and eventually take over this volunteer position. This involves monitoring the mountain reader email inbox, communicating with potential volunteers and with BES to get RCMP checks, and organizing the class schedule. When a new volunteer starts, you would also meet them at BES for a brief orientation and introduction to the teacher. If you would like more information, please contact Kristen at mountainreaders@gmail.com.
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.
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/.
SWIS Upcoming Events: Positive Ways to Parent Tuesdays: January 14, 21, 28, and February 4 Time: 6:00–7:00 pm (online via Zoom) Pizza will be provided. Register here
Schooling in Canada: Open Discussion and Skill Building Monday, January 20, 2025 Time: 6:00–7:30 pm (online via Zoom) Pizza will be provided. Register here
Schooling in Canada: Grade to Grade Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM (online via Zoom) Pizza will be provided. Register here
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!
