Halloween Spirit Day

Thank you to all the families who came to the Fall Ball on Thursday evening. It was great to come together and create memories as a community, showcase dance moves, and celebrate all of the unique costumes on display. A huge thank you to the members of the School Council and Parent Association for organizing the dance and to the many volunteers who supported making this such a successful event.

On Tuesday, October 31 students and staff are invited to dress in costume. There will be a parade of costumes in the afternoon for the entire school and for AM Kindergarten in the morning.

• Please do not send your child with treats to giving to others as we have many allergies and food sensitivities. 
• We highly encourage that costumes are kept to a minimum. Masks cannot be worn during school and we ask that accessories (swords, light sabers, brooms, wands, etc), if possible, are kept at home. These accessories often distract from learning and if lost, damaged, or forgotten can take away from trick or treating fun that night.
• Please be sensitive of all of the different families, cultures, beliefs, and values represented at University School when selecting a costume with your child. If your child's costume is deemed to be offensive or inappropriate in any way, they will be asked to take it off. 
• Even though this day will be exciting and full of fun, it is still a day of learning and we ask that you please speak to your children about this.
• In the school days after Halloween, please limit the number of treats that are sent to school. As you can likely imagine, increased sugar intake does not often lead to optimal learning for students.

Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn - Nov 2

Today, Saturday, October 28 is the last day to order the super popular Kernels Popcorn Fun Snack. This snack will be handed out on Thursday, November 2.

Also, we are continuing the highly successful option in Healthy Hunger 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 visit Healthy Hunger to purchase the Kernels Popcorn fun snack or to view future snacks and lunches.  

School Council & Parent Association Meeting - Nov 1

The next School Council and Parent Association meeting of the year is on Wednesday,  November 1 @ 6:45 pm. The meeting will be virtual only so please use the link below to access the meeting. 

The meetings are a great way to find out more about University School, ask questions, and be a part of something bigger. You can be an active participant in the meeting, just listen to what is being said, or find out how you can get involved in making University School an even more amazing place for your children.  It is with the support of University School Families and the community that we can provide such wonderful learning opportunities for students and put on fun events for everyone. 

Click here to attend the meeting (Microsoft Teams) on Wednesday, November 1 at 6:45pm 

Click here for the meeting agenda and minutes from the previous meetings. 

Scholastic Book Fair - Nov 6 to 8

University School is excited to again be hosting an in person Scholastic Book Fair where students will be able to browse through a large selection of books and accessories. The fair will be open the following days and times so that families can come after school if they wish:

• Monday, November, 6 - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Tuesday, November 7 - 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, November 8 - 8:00 am to 12:30 pm

Colder Weather - Dress for Success

Even though we have had some cold days and snow we have still been able to go outside for morning and lunch recess with the students. Please make sure to send your child(ren) to school with warm winter clothing in this colder weather including boots, jacket, snow pants, toque, and mitts. If you require any help in acquiring warm clothing for your child please let your child’s teacher know as the school would be happy to help. 

On that note, we are looking for gently worn or new snowpants (especailly in the Grade 4 to 6 size range) and mittens/gloves (not knit - yes skiing style). If your family has some that you no longer need we will gladly accept them at the office to help students who may forget or do not have access to them.

University School is following CBE recommendations for cold weather and we monitor the conditions to ensure students are safe. However, we will continue to go outside whenever possible as we value unstructured play time for students as it supports their well being and learning. Generally speaking, we will go outside as long as the temperature, with windchill, stays below -21. Please click on the image below to access more information about how to properly dress for the weather.

Warm Clothes and Snacks for Students

Thank you to all of the families that continue to support University School and have already brought in a number of items.. As mentioned above, we are looking for some new or gently used outdoor clothing for students for those that forget or do not yet have. We also continue to have many students who are looking for snacks to replenish their energy and support their learning throughout the day. As a result, we are running low on our snacks as they are almost completely depleted. We are looking for the following:

• Snacks (fresh fruit and individual packs of cheese, tuna or chicken snack packs, goldfish, dried fruit, apple sauce, hummus and crackers, fruit bars, etc.). We are even almost out of granola bars so would gladly accept these as well again.

This Week 

Tuesday, October 31

• Spirit Day - Halloween

Wednesday, November 1

• Grade 1/2 Student Council at lunch
• School Council and Parent Association Meeting (6:45 pm)

Thursday, November 2

• Fun Snack - Kernels Popcorn

 

Month Ahead 

Nov. 6 - 8 -Scholastic Book Fair 

Nov 6 - University of Calgary Practicum Students begin

Nov 8 - Remembrance Day Assembly 

Nov 9 – No School – Indigenous Education Professional Learning Day 

Nov 10 to 14 – No School - Fall Break 

Nov 11 - Remembrance Day

Nov 15 – Classes Resume 

Nov 20 - Gymnastics begins

Nov 23 - No School for Kindergarten

Nov 23 - Student Learning Conferences

Nov 24 - No School - Student Learning Conferences

Dates of Significance 

Nov - Hindu Heritage Month

Nov 5-11 – Veterans Week 

Nov 7 - Inuit Day 

Nov 8 – Indigenous Veterans Day 

Nov 11 – Remembrance Day 

Nov 12 – Diwali 

Nov 13-19 – Metis Awareness Week 

Nov 19 to 25 - National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week