Good morning Balmoral families,
Thank you to all of our wonderful families for a great 2024! We are lucky to have your support and involvement as we work together towards learning excellence for every student. We wish all of our families a healthy and enjoyable winter break, and we look forward to seeing our students back at school on Monday, January 6.
Please read the newsletter carefully as it contains important information that impacts all students.
TLC Open House – January 16, 2025
We are holding our annual TLC open house for all NEW families interested in the TLC program for the 2025-26 school year. Families of students (who live in our attendance area) who wish to attend Thorncliffe School (TLC Kindergarten), Colonel Sanders School (Grades 1-4), or Balmoral School (Grades 5-9), should attend this open house to learn about the TLC program and decide if it is the right fit for their child. Administration from all three schools will be present at this open house event. Please forward this information to your family and friends who are interested in the TLC program.
Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Location: Balmoral School (220 16th Avenue NW)
We will be sharing lottery information and deadlines during the presentation. If families have questions about this event, please contact the relevant school they are interested in.
Upcoming Celebration of Learning – CHANGE IN DATE!
Our annual mid-year Celebration of Learning is coming up in the new year! In the past we have held 2 separate evenings for different grades, however this year the dates are more challenging to find, with the volleyball season, teachers’ convention, and evening rentals at the school.
So this year we are holding one Celebration of Learning evening for all grades 5-9 families – February 5, from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Please keep this evening free as all students will be participating in a mini-band concert and this is an important part of our TLC music program.
More information and a detailed scheduled for the evening will be shared in the new year.
Volleyball team tryout information
Volleyball tryouts will begin IMMEDIATELY after Winter Break! They will be held after school from 2:30pm – 4:00pm. Students MUST have a ride home arranged promptly at 4pm if they plan to attend the tryouts.
Monday, January 6 – Senior Boys (Grades 8/9)
Tuesday, January 7 – Senior Girls (Grades 8/9)
Wednesday, January 8 – Junior Boys (Grades 7/8)
Thursday, January 9 – Junior Girls (Grades 7/8) Please contact Mr. Guenther if you have any questions at teguenther@cbe.ab.ca
Ongoing student extra-curricular opportunities
At this point in the school year, some of our extra-curricular activities are wrapping up, such as speech club, and some others are just getting going!
For those interested in the following activities, please see the teachers in charge and details below.
Science fair
We are currently accepting entries for the Calgary Youth Science Fair that takes place in Spring 2025. This is an independent project that students must complete at home, and our teachers will support them with experiment ideas and check-ins. Interested students must see Ms. Ontko about this opportunity (esontko@cbe.ab.ca). Based on student interest and number of entries available (this is determined by the science fair organization), we may need to do a selection of projects to take forward to the city science fair. Please email Ms. Ontko if you have any questions.
Chess club
Students in Grades 5 and 6 are welcome to play chess every Monday at lunch in Mr. Trudeau’s classroom. Bring your lunch!
Art club
This will be starting up in the new year with Ms. Gelly and Ms. Piorno. Stay tuned for more information.
Math contests
More math contests are coming up in the new year for all Grades 5-9 students. Please stay tuned for more information.
Attendance Reminder
You may report an absence by emailing balmoral@cbe.ab.ca or by phoning (403) 777-7330.
Please state the date, student's first and last names, the duration of their absence and the reason for absence.
If you choose to report an absence by phone, please speak slowly and clearly- and spell the student's first and last names.
Thank you for your attention to this matter as it helps to ensure we have accurate information and that you do not receive an attendance notification in error.
Important dates
- December 20 – Last day of classes before Winter Break
- January 6 – First day of classes after Winter Break
- January 6 to 9 – Volleyball tryouts after school (2:30pm – 4pm)
- January 16 – TLC Open House (hosted at Balmoral School)
- January 31 – PD Day (no school for students)
- February 5 – Celebration of Learning (6pm – 8pm)
- February 6 – School Council Meeting
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office on January 6th.
Regards,
Balmoral Administration