Happy Holidays

University School appreciates the kindness and gratitude that your families have shown the students, staff, and community this year.  He had many generous donations of gift cards that allowed us to support many families during this holiday season. On behalf of all families whose holidays were made a little brighter, thank you for your generosity!

We respect and value each other's uniqueness and are glad that we have opportunities to celebrate who we are and where we have come from throughout the year. It was great to see the variety of food that students brought for the Winter Solstice Lunch and, more importantly, the stories that came with the food. I appreciate that more students are sharing their cultures with us in other ways, such as through music and other celebrations.

We know that every family's break will look different. Whether you are staying close or travelling far, keeping warm inside or seeking outside adventures, the staff of University School wishes you and your family the very best during the holiday season!

We would like to wish everyone joy as they celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, or New Years, and a 2025 filled with happiness and health.

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Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn

The first fun snack of the 2025 school year is Kernels Popcorn and it will be on Thursday, January 9. Orders must be placed at least 5 days before the delivery date so for this fun snack that is Saturday, January 4.

With this fun snack, there is the opportunity for families to donate / buy snacks for friends so that the school can purchase items for those students who are unable to do so themselves. It is wonderful seeing University School community coming together to help each other out. 

Please go to Healthy Hunger to order your fun snacks and fun lunches. Most items have been added for the year so you can order ahead. For more information about how to do this check out last week's update.

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 by 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 late 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!

Fueling the Mind

University School continues to have many students who are looking for snacks to support their learning and give them a little extra energy throughout the day. Just before the winter break we distributed all the snacks available at school and currently have none left to distribute.

If your family is able to help, we would be grateful for donations of food items such as fresh fruit (apples, bananas, oranges), packs of goldfish, granola bars, dried fruit, apple sauce packets, fruit bars, and individual packs of cheese, pretzels, tuna or chicken snack packs, etc. All items need to be single-serve and prepacked. Items can be brought to the main doors of the school or your child can bring them down to the office. Thank you so much for your help! 

Also, University School is part of the Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) program which provides prepared healthy lunches for free to Calgary Schools for students who are in need. Through this program, we will be able to provide daily lunches to some of our students. If you feel as though your family would benefit from this program, please contact Ms. Bonanno (ljbonanno@cbe.ab.ca). 

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 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.

This Week 

Monday, January 6

• Welcome Back
• MRU Student Teachers Start
• Flipped Lunch Schedule Begins (Grades 4 -6 eat first, Grades 1-3 play first)

Tuesday, January 7

• Author Residency Begins (Cathy Beveridge)

Wednesday, January 8

• Art Club

Thursday, January 9

• Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn

Friday, January 10

• Flex Friday - Buddies

Month Ahead 

Dec 21 - Jan 5 - Winter Break

Jan 6 - Classes Resume - Welcome back!

Jan 9 - Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn

Jan 10 - Flex Friday - Buddies

Jan 16 - Guest Teachers from Australia

Jan 17 - Flex Friday - Mixed Group

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 29 - School Council and Parent Association Meeting (6:30 pm)

Jan 30 - Evergreen Theatre Presentation (PM) - Through the Looking Glass

Dates of Significance

Dec 25 - Christmas

Dec 25 - Jan 2 - Hanukkah

Dec 26 - Kwanzaa

Jan 1 - New Year’s Day

January - Tamil Heritage Month

Jan 4 - National Ribbon Skirt Day

Jan 4 - World Braille Day

Jan 6 - Epiphany

Jan 7 - Orthodox Christmas

Jan 13 - Lohri-Maghi

Jan 14 - Mahayana New Year

Jan 14 - Orthodox New Year