Good afternoon Balmoral families,
On Friday, Balmoral School celebrated National Indigenous Peoples’ Day by marking the occasion with a variety of activities and a renewed commitment to truth and reconciliation. In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, and in alignment with the CBE Education Plan, Balmoral School acknowledges and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action, and makes the following commitment to action for the 2024-2025 school year:
In our collective responsibility towards truth (then reconciliation), Balmoral School commits to Design, implement, and share learning tasks and resources to teach K-12 students about Indigenous peoples in Canadian history, residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous peoples' historical and contemporary contributions to Canada. Further, we intend to focus on the Spirit Domain as we engage the school community to create calendars that acknowledge and celebrate significant Indigenous cultural observances and events such as Winter/Summer solstice.
This week saw our grade 6 and 9 students finishing their Provincial Achievement Tests while other grades capped off the year with final exams and projects as well. Students and teachers are working on the final assessments that will lead towards report cards this coming week.
Read on for key updates, reminders, and news as we head into our final week of school for the 2023-2024 school year!
Staffing Updates
While staffing for the 2024-2025 school year continues to evolve, we are excited to highlight some key changes for the next school year. First, we are excited to welcome Krista Keet as the new Assistant Principal of Balmoral School! Krista joins us from Falconridge School and is excited to be part of the Balmoral Community. With Krista, we would also like to welcome:
- Jeannie Vallee - Student Services/ Resource Learning Leader
- McLean Masuch - Grade 7 Humanities Teacher
- Mary Karuse - Grade 8 Math/ Science Teacher
- Leslie Au Yeung – School Secretary
- Twinkle Khurana – Educational Assistant
Half Day School on Thursday, June 27
The last day of school for the school year will be this coming Thursday, June 27. This will be a half day for students and busses will pick students up at our regular Friday dismissal time, 11:30 am. Any parents picking their children up, please note the early dismissal time.
Yearbook Orders
Our 2024-25 school yearbooks will be distributed to students on the last day of school (June 27). These yearbooks are created by our dedicated teachers and students, and showcase all of our students and events throughout the school year. They are a wonderful memory for students to keep for the future.
While many students have pre-purchased yearbooks, the school has an additional inventory available in the office on a first come basis for $20. Students that have already purchased a yearbook, or will be purchasing a yearbook, and are leaving early for the year, can collect theirs on their final day by visiting the office.
Buddy Day – June 24
As we look to cap off the year and still want to bring our community closer together, our students will be having a final buddy activity day on June 24. During the morning classes, students will be participating in walking field trips before participating in various team building activities.
As each buddy group will require 1-2 volunteers, if you are interested, please email your child’s homeroom teacher.
Grade 9 Farewell Ceremony – June 25 @ 5:30pm
This year’s Grade 9 Farewell Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 25 in the evening. Details are below:
5:30pm to 6:30pm – Official ceremony in the school gym (families welcome for this part)
6:30pm to 7:30pm – Light Refreshments and visiting on the school grounds
School Council has generously supported our Grade 9 students with their daytime celebration and for decorations in the evening.
Questions about the Grade 9 Farewell can be sent to jhneibrandt@cbe.ab.ca
Report Cards
Families will be able to view online student report cards for kindergarten to Grade 12 from June 26 – July 26, 2024. Report cards for the 2023-24 school year may be viewed, downloaded and/or printed.
Parents and Guardians can sign in to MyCBE to view student information, including report cards, comments from your child’s teacher, assignments and grades, and attendance information. For best access to information, log in to the MyCBE portal instead of using the PowerSchool App.
Sports Day – June 26
On Wednesday, June 26th, Balmoral will be having their annual Sports Day! Weather dependant, students will be engaging in fun sports themed activities and games throughout the day outside and around the school.
During sports day we are lucky to have food trucks from YYCFOODTRUCKS coming from 11-1:30 to the school for all the students. We aren’t sure yet which exact ones will be coming so it is recommended students still bring something to eat (snacks especially) that day just in case. The cafeteria will also not be open on Wednesday!
We recommend students bring these items on Wednesday:
- A water bottle
- A hat
- Sunscreen
- Running Shoes (please no crocks or sandals)
- Cash or card (for purchasing items from food trucks)
- A backpack for items during locker cleanout
We are really excited to have a fun day outside with all the students. Let’s hope for warm sunny weather!
Reminder about extended leaves from school
Balmoral School does not encourage extended leaves for students during the school year. If families decide to take students out of school for longer than one week, an Extended Leave Form (available at the office) must be completed PRIOR to the absence.
In addition, if students are absent in the first three days of school in September, their place at Balmoral will be given to the next student on our waiting list. If you have any questions about extended absences, please call the school office.
School Fees are Due
This is a reminder to please pay your school fees in PowerSchool when the activity occurs. The school has already paid the vendors for many of our past field trips (e.g. skiing, band camp, camp evergreen, etc.), and now we are waiting for families to pay their fees to cover these costs. We request that all families please pay your child’s outstanding fees so that we can continue offering these valuable learning opportunities to our students.
Fee statements are being sent home to families over the coming weeks. Please remember that certain school-based fees are mandatory as part of the TLC program (music fee, CTF fees, etc.) Parents/guardians are welcome to come to the office to pay fees in person, or pay online. Please call the school office if you need any support with paying fees.
McCarthy’s Uniforms Bundle Savings
Every year McCarthy Uniforms offers bundle saving to our school communities. These bundles offer an additional coupon incentive that can be used later in the year to top up the student’s uniform. These bundles also offer a 2 year and 1 year exchange policy. These bundles will be available on the McCarthy's website, in stores and through the Call Centre beginning on Wednesday May 1.
Lost and Found
All lost and found items remaining at school will be donated. Please encourage your children to check the lost and found (located near the gym doors) regularly for lost items. Valuable items that are lost, such as cell phones, air pods, and glasses, are often turned into the office for safekeeping, and these are not donated. A table will be set up outside the office during the last week of each month to encourage students to look for their lost items before they are donated.
Please ensure your child’s items are LABELED with their full name. This helps us return lost belongings to their owners before we donate as well.
The Pickle Jar Is CLOSED for the school year!
This year we have celebrated the re-opening of The Pickle Jar, our school cafeteria. This past week saw the closing of the Pickle Jar for the year. Check back in August as the Pickle Jar reopens in the new school year!
Important Dates
- June 24 – Buddy Day
- June 25 – Grade 9 Bowling and Farewell Ceremony
- June 26 – Sports Day
- June 27 – Last day of classes (early dismissal)
- June 28 – Appeals Day in the morning (No School)
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office.
Regards,
Balmoral Administration