Week at a Glance ~ April 27-May 1

Will spring ever arrive AND stay? We hope so as this Friday marks May 1! Only two months left in the school year and still so much to do in only 43 school days!

This Friday May 1 ALL kindergarten students will attend school from 8:43-11:38am as they participate in a spring celebration from 11:00-11:30 am. To ensure everyone has a safe and comfortable space to enjoy the performance, we kindly ask that attendance be limited to a maximum of 4 guests per child. This is the first time we will bring together all 65 students, so your assistance is requested after the show. Post concert, we ask that families wait outside the front doors for a regular ‘high five’ hand to hand dismissal. Please be patient as we will need to get 65 kindies safely on their way! Please note that due to the concert this Friday and all kindergarten students attending, there will be NO SCHOOL for kindergarten students next Friday May 8.

Our Spring Concert is fast approaching. On May 7 there will be performances at 10:30 am and 2:15 pm where our students in grades 1 and 2 as well our grade 3-5 choir will perform. Families are encouraged to attend and hear the beautiful voices of our students as they share the work they have been doing in music and choir club.

Last Friday we came together as a staff to expand knowledge and understanding of Indigenous education, with a specific focus on moving forward our TRC commitment of task design through place-based learning. We are excited to be working through these tasks in the next 6 weeks and hopefully the weather cooperates for us to move learning outside. In late May we will also be showcasing our painted bison on our school fence. We are super excited to share this work as we live the bison way of life and ‘face the storm’.

In recent weekly messages we have been sharing information regarding field trips based on feedback received from a recent school survey. Along with curricular connections and enough volunteers, cost also plays a critical factor in the determination of which trips and residencies are undertaken. At CPS we try to keep the cost of a field trip within $25.00/student for families, including program cost and bussing. We recognize that there are some field trips that do cost more and we aim to limit those trips where possible. As previously mentioned, we are extremely fortunate to have a school council that supports off-site activities and they provide approximately $8,000 per year to cover the cost of bussing. This equates to about 1 bus per year per class. With inflation rising, the cost of fuel for busses as well as program pricing is increasing. While some families indicate they would pay more to have more off-site activities, not every family can afford more. And so, we must balance the added value that a field trip brings with ensuring that the costs for families are manageable. The CBE mandates that no child will be denied access to a field trip due to an inability to pay. As such, for any family who is unable to pay, the school budget must be able to cover those additional costs. Taken together, curriculum, volunteers and costs are the three key drivers related to field trip decisions. Should you have further questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Our Alien In-line skating residency will take place May 11-29. While CPS school council is subsidizing a portion of this residency, there will be a $10.00 per child fee added to your MyCBE account. Looking ahead to that event, if students have a CAA approved helmet at home, they are strongly encouraged to have it at school for their skating time (a schedule will be shared by your child’s teacher). Please ensure helmets are clearly labelled with your child’s name to avoid confusion.

Other important dates:

May – Asian Heritage Month

May – Canadian Jewish Heritage Month

May – Polish Heritage Month

For students who ride the bus, we would like to inform you that next Monday May 4 is bus driver appreciation day. Our bus drivers are our heroes! No matter the weather, no matter the traffic, our drivers not only get our students safely to and from school each day, they do it with a smile and happy greetings for all. If your child rides the bus, a quick thank you, a card or a few words of kindness would go a long way to ‘making their day’ next Monday.

With the aim of bringing some warmer spring weather, Fashion Friday this week is break out your best spring fashion/colours!

Have a great week! Bring on the sunshine!

The Admin Team