Welcome Back

What a wonderful start to the 2023-24 school year. It was so nice seeing all the familiar and new smiling faces with students meeting their teachers and friends. A huge thank you to the incredible University School Staff, the superb students, and the fantastic families who all work together to make this such a great place to learn.

So that you are aware, we will do our best to have weekly messages (like this one) out to families at 5:00 pm each Friday. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding for those Fridays, like this one, when the message comes out slightly later. They also generally won’t all be as long as this one, I promise!

Beginning on Tuesday, we will again have a flexible entry between 7:50 am and 7:57 am. Like last year, we will be using an outside bell to help University School students transition inside. There will be a bell at 7:57 am to signify that students should start heading inside. With the flexible entry, community students in Grades 1 to 6 will be able to enter the school through their designated entry doors and head to their classroom to prepare for the day.  Students in Kindergarten are to wait outside until Ms. Gunn greets them at 7:57 am (morning class and Fridays) or 11:40 am (afternoon class) outside. This is to ensure that our new friends make it safely into their classroom. Students in the EES program begin school at 8:10 am and are met at the bus or by the gate entrance. Please do not have your children arrive before 7:50 am as there is no supervision before this. So that you are aware, there is no supervision on the playgrounds before or after school. Please help us by having your children arrive by 7:57 am so that we can begin learning right at 8:00 am. Students who arrive after 8:00 am will need to enter through the main school doors and say hi to Ms. Hugi or Mrs. Robins in the office.

Student Safety

Drop off and pick up is often a busy time with increased congestion. We would like to thank families for parking in the appropriate spaces and being mindful of keeping the Bus zone area free as well as not parking in the parking lot as those are designated for staff. We encourage families to have conversations with their child(ren)  to use the crosswalk when crossing the street as it provides a well-marked spot for students and their families to cross.  Please help us by also modelling this behaviour when you are dropping off or picking up your child.

If you drive your child(ren) to school please be aware of where you are parking so that you do not block community driveways. Thank you for your attention to this.

We understand that sometimes students need to leave early for appointments. We ask that you clearly communicate this to your child’s teacher and also to the office as this will help us have your child ready to go on time. All students leaving early will be leaving from the office so that we can make sure they are being picked up by an approved adult.

University School is careful to protect confidential student information. As such we are only able to speak to legal guardians regarding each student. If your child is part of a blended family or another family dynamic we require permission to speak to the other non-guardian parent. This is also true for students who attend before and after school care or may have a nanny or other family member who supports your child.

This permission is provided through the Obtain and Release of Student Information Forms. Please contact the school if you would like to fill out these forms so that University School can also communicate with those you identify.

Welcome Package

Each year, schools have a variety of forms that parents / legal guardians are required to complete or review and update, some of which are paper and others online. In CBE, the forms in an online format (SchoolEngage) are:

• Demographic Verification - 2023-24 – This form includes your child’s personal information as well as parent / legal guardian contact information.
  • Citizenship Information Update - 2023-24 – This form becomes available if you change your child’s citizenship information on the Demographic Verification form.
• Annual Authorization - 2023-24 – This form provides consent for school and district use of personal information.

SchoolEngage is one of the applications found in your MyCBE account. This is the same account you use to pay fees, view academic information, book school conferences, register for busing, etc.

If you do not have a MyCBE account, on the MyCBE page click on Create a MyCBE Account. For online help refer to MyCBE - Creating an Account (includes instructions and a video).

All paper forms that need to be filled out and returned are printed on coloured paper and those with only information are printed on white paper. These forms will be sent home early next week.

Please fill out the forms completely and return all forms, even those that might not be applicable, by Friday, September 8. This allows us to ensure that you have read and filled out all of the documents provided.

We are also encouraging all families to register to receive commercial electronic messages so that you receive all messages from your child’s teacher, University School, and the Calgary Board of Education. To register please visit this site: http://calgary.schoolmessenger.com/cbe_subscribe.

Safe and Caring Schools

The Calgary Board of Education strives to ensure that all our schools are safe and caring places for all students and staff. As a public school, we welcome and celebrate students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and beliefs.

At University School, we have honoured and recognized our unique community with acknowledgements such as Orange Shirt Day, Black History Month, Take Me Outside Day, and Winter Solstice.

August 26 to September 4 is Pride Week, a time to recognize the pursuit of equality and rights for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. The CBE reaffirms our commitment to creating safe and caring learning and work environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students and staff.

We acknowledge that each family and community has a unique experience with different recognitions and celebrations, and any commemorative activities in our schools may be perceived differently. However, classroom-based activities and lessons that promote diversity and inclusion are not subject to exemptions under the Education Act.

We work hard to make University School an inclusive, respectful, safe and caring place to learn for all students. Thank you for helping us do this.

Pack In Pack Out Lunches

University School continues to be committed to a litter free lunch. Litter free lunches at school are the best form of recycling and composting.  On average, a school-age child with a disposable lunch generates approximately 30 kg of waste per school year. That means that if your child has 25 students in their class, they are producing 737 kg of waste each year. Just imagine what a whole school produces!

We ask that whatever comes in your child's lunch bag goes home in their lunch bag, including uneaten food, empty containers, and food wrappers. In this way, we will create far less garbage at school, and you will have a much better idea of what your child is finishing or not finishing for lunch.

Allergy Awareness

University School has several students with allergies to various types of food.  The severest of these is an anaphylactic reaction with the most common being peanuts. Although we are not a peanut-free school, we would like to ask for your cooperation by not sending any peanuts (shelled or unshelled) or peanut products in your children’s lunch.

Classrooms that have students with serious allergies will have a sign posted on the exterior of the classroom to inform of those allergies. This will also be communicated to families by the classroom teacher.

We ask that you remind your children to eat only their own food and to not share items from their lunch so that we can keep everyone safe.

 

Snacks and Lunches for Students

As a continuation of the last few years, University School would like to provide snacks to students that may have forgotten or for families that need a little bit of help.

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, apple sauce packets, fruit bars, 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 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).

 

Volunteering at University School

University School is always looking for volunteers, be it for reading programs, field trips, or to help out around the school or in classrooms. If you think you, or your family or friends, may be interested in volunteering in any form we ask that you read the information below. Don’t worry, reading the information does not automatically sign you up as a volunteer nor does completing the forms.

Prospective volunteers must first register as a volunteer at the school office. University School will verify your identity and register you in the CBE volunteer database. You will then be provided with a letter enabling you to obtain a police information check from the Calgary Police Service (CPS).

Please note that prospective volunteers must reside in Canada for a full year before registering. Police clearances from countries other than Canada are not accepted.

The CPS has an online system, electronic Police Information Check (ePIC), which you will use to obtain your police check after you receive your CBE volunteer letter. If you are unable to complete the process online, you may visit a police information check location instead.

Your security clearance is valid for five years and the cost is $21.25  ($15.00 for police clearance and 5.95+GST service fee) which is charged during the online ePIC application. This fee is not covered by the CBE.

You must also complete the annual CBE volunteer registration form which is sent home in the Welcome Package. By completing the form, you agree to abide by the conditions that protect the safety, confidentiality and working environment of our schools. You also make a signed declaration with regard to criminal charges.

• Annual Volunteer Registration Form
• Volunteer | Administrative Regulation 5003

Keep Your Items Safe, Reduce Lost and Found, & Raise Money

For all of your personalized label needs for things like water bottles, jackets, lunch kits, shoes, and even additional fun items like buttons or decals, make use of our school's exclusive fundraiser for Oliver's Labels. You know that you are in the right place for supporting the University School Parent Association when your screen says this:

If you are unsure you can click on the shopping cart icon and you will see “You were referred by University School Parent Association.”

This is an ongoing fundraiser; order at any time of the year and feel free to share the link with friends and family! Here are some examples from Mr. Lang’s family.

 

If your Child is Absent

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 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.

This Week

Monday, September 4

• No School - Labour Day

Tuesday, September 5

• AM Kindergarten for students with last name F-Z attend
• PM Kindergarten for students with last name Mo-Z attend

Wednesday, September 6

• All AM and PM Kindergarten students attend

Thursday, September 7

• Ukranian Canadian Heritage Day

Friday, September 8

• AM Kindergarten classes attend (8:00 to 12:05) - No PM Kindergarten
• International Literacy Day – Teachers will be reading a book to a different class
• Welcome Back Assembly

 

Month Ahead

Sept 19 – Grade 4 Field Trip

Sept 20 – Grade 4 Field Trip

Sept 21 - Meet the Teacher / Open House (evening)

Sept 22 - No School -  Non-Instruction Day

Sept 25 - School Photos - Lifetouch

Sept 28 - Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters

Sept 29 - No School - Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day

Oct 2 – 5 – Grade 5 & Grade 6 Students Camping 

Oct 6 - No School - Non-Instruction Day Oct 9 - Thanksgiving Day - No School