Week of February 24- Pink Shirt Day, Celebration of Writing, Veterans Food Bank Update, Escape Room, Spring Concert, Registration Open, CUPE Strike, . . .

Posted on 2025-02-23 05:20:43.832 +0000 UTC

Pink Shirt Day - Feb 26

Pink Shirt Day was inspired by two Nova Scotia high school students who organized their fellow students to wear pink in support of a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, you can show your support for welcoming, caring, respectful, safe, and inclusive school communities by wearing a pink shirt or anything else that you may have that is pink. It is a day to raise awareness and encourage everyone to stand up to bullying when they see it in schools, communities, workplaces, at home and online.

This years shirt design [below] is about cultivating a community of kindness and this is something that occurs at University School everyday. We remain committed to advancing equity and antiracism within the school system through the work of CBE CARES (Collaboration for Anti-Racism and Equity Supports). This requires open conversation with staff, students, and community. Let’s take care of one another and promote healthy relationships.

More Information and Resources:

Learn more about how the CBE works to create safe and caring school environments.
Learn more about Bullying Prevention – Actions We Can Take from the Government of Alberta
Download and share resources to help prevent bullying.
Bullying Helpline - Call 1-888-456-2323 toll-free. Available 24/7 | 170+ languages
Bullying Helpline Chat – 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily | English

Celebration of Writing - Author Residency

Each month Univeristy School hosts a student assembly to showcase some of the amazing learning that has been happening. The focus this month was growth in student writing and inspiration from the Author Residency we had with Cathy Beveridge during the last few months. Thank you to all of the students who showcased their learning and to those guests who attended.

Ms. Beveridge worked with students and teachers on different aspects of writing and the writing process depending on which grades they were in. At the assembly, the Grade 1 students shared some of their identity poems where they used descriptive words to describe what they looked like and who they are; the Grade 2s presented information about their Bird Resort brochures and then sang the “Birdies Song;” the Grade 3s created a video demonstrating their understanding of what strong writing looks like; the Grade 4s produced some powerful writing connected to Black History Month explaining some of the history behind it; and the Grade 5 students produced shorts stories in the Fantasy genre and then published them.

Awesome work everyone and a big thank you to University School’s School Council and Parent Association for funding another residency. With their support, we are able to greatly reduce the costs for these types of experiences to make it more affordable for all families.

Veterans Food Bank Drive Update

We are incredibly grateful for University School’s generosity in this year's Veterans Food Bank Drive that we held in November! With your support, University School donated 585 pounds of food, equating to $2059.20 worth of supplies for those in need. Your kindness and efforts make a meaningful difference in supporting Veterans in our community. Thank you for coming together to help others. We truly appreciate your generosity and spirit of giving!

Escape Room - Home Challenge

To date, there has only been one student able to complete all of the changes and exit the escape room by entering the right combination to the Rainbow Lock. To help, and if you are interested below are the first, second, and third challenges that have been posted in the school. You might want to have fun as a family and see if you can figure them out at home and find out where the fourth and final challenge is. Click on any of the photos to open up a folder with large versions of each folder.

Save the Date - April 10

We are getting ready for our annual Spring Concert! It is the time when families get to see the work that our students are doing in music class, from Kindergarten to grade 6. Students have been working hard, learning songs and playing instruments to share with you all!

Date: Thursday, April 10, in the school gym

Time: We will be doing 2 concerts on this day:

Matinee/dress rehearsal at 1:00pm AND
Evening performance at 6:30pm.

Registration for the 2024-25

Registration for all new students to University School remains open!

Information for registering your child for kindergarten can be found on the CBE website or by accessing the following link Kindergarten - Great Learning Starts Here. Registration can be completed online through School Engage.

We are planning an open house in late spring for all families interested in attending University School for the 2025-26 school year.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to University School!

If your child is already a student of University School and will be returning next year then there is no need to register as you are automatically re-enrolled.

CUPE Strike

For the most current information regarding the CUPE Local 40 strike and its impact on student learning place visit the CBE’s webpage dedicated to this (https://cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Labour-Action/Pages/default.aspx).

This Week

Monday, February 24

Star of Pond School Week

Tuesday, February 25

Junior Choir - Group A
Senior Choir - Group A

Wednesday, February 26

Pink Shirt Day - Wear anything pink that you have
Little Green Thumb Presentation - Room 18
Senior Choir - Group B

Thursday, February 27

Junior Choir - Group B
Mindful Monstrosity Club

Friday, February 28

No School - Non-Instructional Day

Month Ahead

Mar 3 - Visiting Teachers from Japan

Mar 7 - Flex Fridays - Mixed Groups

Mar 12 - School Council & Parent Association Meeting (Virtual - 6:30 pm)

Mar 13 - Fun Snack - COBS Bread

Mar 14 - Whole School Assembly

Mar 20 - Kindergarten - No School

Mar 20 - Learning Conferences - Kdg (8:30am - 7:30pm) - Gr. 1 to 6 (3:30pm - 7:30pm)

Mar 21 - No School - Conferences

Mar 21 - Learning Conferences - Kdg to Gr. 6 (8:00am - 12:00pm)

Mar 22 - Mar 30 - No School - Spring Break

Mar 31 - Classes Resume

Dates of Significance

February - Black History Month

Feb 28 - Losar

Feb 28 - Ramadan Begins

March - Alberta Francophonie Month

March - Irish Heritage Month

Mar 8 - International Women’s Day

Mar 10 to 14 - Substitute Teachers’ Appreciation Week

Mar 14 - Holi

Mar 14 - Pi Day

Mar 20 - Spring Equinox

Mar 20 - Persian New Year (Nowruz)

Mar 20 - French Language Day

Mar 20 - World Storytelling Day

Mar 21 - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Mar 21 - World Down Syndrome Day