Welcome 2025
We hope that University School students and families enjoyed their time during the winter break resting, relaxing, and refreshing.
There are many fun events planned like an Author Residency with author Cathy Beveridge, 2025 ISU World Cup Speed Skating, Evergreen Theatre, Just Like You Program, field trips, pond school, and other amazing events and activities. Stay tuned!
Thank you for your continued support of University School and your child(ren)’s learning here. If you have questions or concerns about your child, their learning, or their social and emotional well-being please contact their teacher right away. We do our best to help all students but we also don’t catch everything. We value families being part of their children’s learning and also the role you play in their development. Let’s continue to work together to help your child(ren) increase their confidence, develop their resiliency, and have the highest level of success possible in their learning and life.
We look forward to an incredible second half of the school year!
Kindergarten Registration - 2025-26
Kindergarten Registration begins on Monday, January 13.
Information for registering your child for kindergarten can be found on the CBE website or accessing the following link Kindergarten - Great Learning Starts Here. Beginning on January 13 registration can be completed online through School Engage.
Feel free to call University School for more information. We are planning an open house in later spring for all families interested in attending University School for the 2025-26 school year. More information to follow in the coming weeks.
We look forward to welcoming you and your child to University School!
Absences and Lates
It is important for the school to keep accurate attendance to ensure all students are safe and accounted for. To help us with this we ask that you please call the school’s attendance line if your child will be absent or late for any reason (ie. illness, holiday, appointment). To call dial 403-777-6240 and enter “1” when prompted. Please remember to include your child(ren)’s first and last name, their teacher’s name, and also the reason they are absent or late.
Attendance is a growing concern at University School with a substantial number of students missing more than 12% of school so far this year. Anything above 12% absenteeism is considered to be a chronic problem. This has a huge impact on individual student learning and personal growth. It also makes it hard for students to feel connected to their peers decreasing their confidence and social and emotional well-being. Did you know that:
- by grade 3, students with regular attendance are more likely to read at grade level
- by grade 6, regular attendance is a predictor of high school completion
- by grade 9, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than test scores
- students who attend daily are less likely to fall behind in school
- concerns with school attendance may indicate other challenges in a student’s life or concerns at home
We are also asking families to make a greater effort to have their children attend school on time which means inside by 8:00 am as approximately 15% of students have been late to school more than five days. This not only disrupts your child’s learning but also the learning of their peers and impacts the continuity of schedules.
Report Cards - January 27
University School continues to support students in developing a growth mindset while enhancing their resiliency in learning. As such, much more emphasis continues to be placed on the process that students go through rather than the final product they produce. Students are encouraged to take risks, push the boundaries, and see what is possible.
We do our best to focus on student progress and help students see where they were, where they are, and where they are trying to get to in their learning. This way the priority is the learning rather than the “mark” and students’ confidence increases as they begin to take more ownership over their learning.
We hope that you see this reflected in the report card comments, which along with the achievement indicators, provides a better perspective of how your child is progressing in their learning. The area(s) that students see the most progress in and the rate at which they progress are just as unique as each student. We would like you to be proud of and focus on celebrating your child’s successes as we work together to support their learning.
The heading in the Report Card has changed to keep consistency within the CBE so this year you will see “Areas of Strength” instead of “Progress in Learning,” to demonstrate some of the successes students have had and “Areas for Growth” to reflect some areas for improvement.
Please note that the Term 1 Report Cards will be available for viewing in your MyCBE account on Monday, January 27.
If you require any support in ensuring you can access this digital Report Card, please visit the CBE Parent and Student tech support webpage
Practicum Students
When it first opened, University School was established as a demonstration school in partnership with the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary. The intention of this partnership was to provide a setting in which pre-service teachers would be able to see how theory and practice were able to be combined to create effective approaches to teaching and learning.
University School continues this work today by hosting many teaching and educational assistant practicum students from Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary. It is an excellent way for our students and staff to be exposed to current teaching and learning practices and for us to give back to these future educators and educational assistants by providing mentorship. It also allows for reflection and at times challenges us to look at things differently.
Some of these practicums are for short durations and involve observations whereas others are more extensive and involve taking on a full teaching load for a short duration. All of the practicum students are aware of and follow all school protocols and are monitored and supervised by University School staff as they explore this amazing profession.
The following classrooms have practicum students this year: Ms. Nouri/Ms. Danielle, Mrs. Gunn, Ms. Hancock, Mrs. Sera, Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Smith, Ms. Rowley, Ms. Connellan, and Ms Roa.
This Week
Monday, January 13
- Author Residency Continues
Wednesday, January 15
- Art Club
Thursday, January 16
- Guest Teachers from Australia Visit
Friday, January 17
- Spirit Day - Wear a Jersey Day
- Flex Friday - Mixed Groups - Animal
Month Ahead
Jan 21 - Grade 6 - Branton Presentation
Jan 24 - 2025 ISU World Cup Speed Skating at Olympic Oval
Jan 24 - Individual Progam Plans (IPPs) go home
Jan 27 - Report Cards Visible Online
Jan 28 - Grade 6 - Ski School Field Trip
Jan 28 - Room 18 Field Trip
Jan 29 - School Council and Parent Association Meeting (6:30 pm)
Jan 30 - Evergreen Theatre Presentation (PM) - Through the Looking Glass
Feb 5 & 6 - Just Like You Program
Feb 7 - Pond School Learning
Dates of Significance
January - Tamil Heritage Month
Jan 13 - Lohri-Maghi
Jan 14 - Mahayana New Year
Jan 14 - Orthodox New Year
Jan 21 - Lincoln Alexander Day
Jan 24 - World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture
Jan 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Jan 27 - Family Literacy Day
Jan 29 - Lunar New Year - Year of the Snake
Jan 29 - National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia
February - Black History Month
Feb 1 - World Interfaith Harmony Week
Feb 1 - World Hijab day
Feb 4 - World Cancer Day
Feb 5 - Winter Walk Day
Feb 5 - World Read Aloud Day
Feb 14 - Valentine’s Day
Feb 15 - National Flag of Canada Day