Festive Week

This upcoming week is full of fun events that all University School students and staff can participate in. This includes winter sing-alongs in the gym, switched staff read alouds, the Winter Solstice Eve Lunch, and dress up days for each day of the week organized by the Grade 1/2 leadership students. Make sure to look at the “This Week” section to find out when everything is happening.

Gift Card Drive - Supporting UES Families

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to the UES Gift Card Drive supporting UES families. 

Monday, December 18 will be the last day to bring in your donations as we will be organizing and distributing gift cards later in the week.  Some gift card ideas are: Walmart, Safeway, Save on Foods, Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Subway, zoo or movie tickets, bus passes, Visa or Mastercard. 

In turn, if your family would benefit from support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or reply to this email. 

Student vs Staff Basketball - Leadership

A huge thank you to the Grade 5 & 6 leadership students who organized the Grade 6 Student vs Staff Basketball game on Friday, December 15. It was wonderful having the whole school come together to cheer on the students and staff in what turned out to be a fairly close game. You’ll have to ask your child if you would like to find out who won!

 We look forward to other events organized by the leadership group in the new year.

Student Safety Leadership Group

A group of Grade 5 and Grade 6 students continue to work with Ever Active Schools on a School Travel Planning (STP) project to look at ways of encouraging active forms of transportation to and from school while enhancing student safety. 

Over the four sessions, the students have explored various forms of active transportation, created a safety concern map around University School, discussed possible concerns, and have now started to look at possible solutions to some of these concerns. 

Between now and the end of June the students will be collecting more data through school based student surveys and examining the information collected from the Family Travel Survey. They will be developing strategies to address some of these concerns and looking at ways to make active forms of transportation more fun.

We look forward to seeing what these students will come up with and we appreciate the support from Ever Active School, the City of Calgary, and the University Heights Community Association. 

Stay tuned for exciting information coming in the new year!

Winter Solstice Lunch

This Wednesday University School will be holding its annual Solstice Lunch, keeping the tradition alive. 

Who:    All students and staff at University School

What:   Eating lunch at school (snack for students in kindergarten)

When:  Wednesday, December 20 at lunch time

Where: In our classrooms 

Why:    To share and build school community spirit, as well as taking time to celebrate the richness of the cultural diversity of University School.

How:    Students and staff bring their own lunches to eat in class.

Reminder: Students will be eating their OWN lunch, they will NOT be sharing with others. 

More than two decades ago, our University School Solstice Lunch tradition began as families joined together to share foods that were family favourites connected to their cultural heritage. 

We would like to encourage students to share in conversations with their family about special dishes/foods that are connected to their family’s cultural heritage and/or this seasonal Winter Solstice Time.  In keeping with the traditional Solstice Lunch theme, lunches could also be an item of food that is a family favorite,  is unique to a family’s cultural heritage, or simply loved at this time of year.   

Fun Lunch - Jelly Modern Doughnuts

The last day to order for the upcoming Jelly Modern Doughnut fun lunch is Saturday, December 16.  Jelly Modern Doughnuts is offering both savoury and sweet options including three different types of sandwiches and five different flavours of doughnuts including a gluten free option. 

Please go to Healthy Hunger to place your order. 

The fun lunch will be distributed on Thursday, December 21. 

Morning Kindergarten students can wait until 11:15am to receive their fun lunch if ordered. If they attend Summit they will have their food brought to them there.  

This Week

Saturday, December 16

• Last day to order Fun Lunch

Monday, December 18

• Last day for gift card donations
• Merry Monday - Wear a festive toque or hat
• School Wide Winter Sing Along in the morning

Tuesday, December 19

• Tinsel Toes Tuesday - Wear fun or festive socks
• School Wide Winter Sing Along in the afternoon

Wednesday, December 20

• Winter Wonderland Wednesday - Wear blue and white
• Winter Solstice Eve Lunch
• School Wide Winter Sing Along in the afternoon

Thursday, December 21

• Thermal Thursday - Wear a cozy or festive sweater/shirt
• Fun Lunch - Jelly Modern Doughnuts
• School Wide Winter Sing Along in the morning

Friday, December 22

• Festive Friday - Wear pyjamas 
• School Wide Winter Sing Along in the morning
• Switched staff read alouds
• Last day of classes

 

Month Ahead

Dec. 23 - Jan 7 - Winter Break 

Jan 8 - First day back from Winter Break

Jan 11 - Guest teachers from Australia visit

Jan 11 - Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn

Jan 15 - No School - Non-instructional day

Jan 15 - Kindergarten Registration opens

Jan 16 - Humane Society - Grade 4 presentation

Jan 22 - Photography Residency begins

Jan 29 - Sound Kreations Dance Residency begins

Jan 30 - Report Cards are viewable online

Dates of Significance

Dec 21 - Winter Solstice

Dec 21 - Yule

Dec 21 - Yaldā Night

Dec 25 - Christmas Day

Dec 26 - Kwanzaa

Jan 1 - New Years Day

Jan 4 - World Braille Day

Jan 4 - National Ribbon Skirt Day

Jan 6 - Epiphany

Jan 7 - Mahayana New Year

Jan 13 - Lohri - Maghi

Jan 14 - Orthodox New Year

Jan 24 - World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture

Jan 25 - Mahayana New Year

Jan 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Jan 27 - Family Literacy Day