Good afternoon Balmoral families

Happy Lunar New Year to all of our families who celebrate. This is now the year of the snake. According to an article in the Calgary Herald, the snake brings with it wisdom, transformation, calmness and creativity. We wish our families all the best in this new year!

This week we completed our in-school dance residency with SoundKreations. The theme this year was “Mumbai Moves”. Ask your child about the great dance moves they learned and their own choreography as well! Thank you to our School Council for their support of this engaging residency.

Please read the newsletter carefully as it contains important information that impacts all students. **Remember that tomorrow (Jan 31) is a Non-Instruction day and there is no school for students. The school office will be closed tomorrow.

Morning School Timing Reminder

A reminder that school doors are opened at 7:40am every day. Please do not drop off your students before this time, as we do not have morning child care or supervision. If you need to drop off your child early occasionally, please inform the office and we will allow them to wait in the Learning Commons in the morning. This is only for occasional situations and not every day.

Upcoming Celebration of Learning – February 5

We will be holding our annual Celebration of Learning on February 5 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. This evening is an opportunity for families to see what their children have been working on so far in the school year. Classrooms will be open with student work on display and there will be interactive activities to do with your child as well. There will also be short music and band performances in the gym so that you can listen to the lovely melodies we have been enjoying at school! **ALL students are expected to be in attendance for the music performances below, as part of their music/band program.

Grades 5/6 Performance starts at 6:10pm (until 6:45pm)

**Grades 5/6 classrooms will be CLOSED during the above performance time. Grades 5/6 students report directly to the cafeteria at 5:50pm to line up for performances. Grades 7/8/9 classrooms open for viewing during this time.

Grades 7/8/9 Performance starts at 7:10pm (until 8:00pm)

**Grades 7/8/9 classrooms will be CLOSED during the above performance time. Grades 7-9 students report to cafeteria at 6:50pm to line up for performances. Grades 5/6 classrooms open for viewing during this time.

Next School Council Meeting – February 6

Our next school council and parent society meetings will be on February 6 at 6:30pm. These meetings will be in-person in the Balmoral School learning commons. Agendas and previous meeting minutes will be sent out next week.

The Grade 9 team will be present at this meeting to discuss high school transitions and processes. We welcome Grade 9 parents to this meeting to ask questions and get information about high school programs and transfer processes. All parents are welcome at school council meetings to participate in important conversations that impact all students at Balmoral.

Cyber Awareness Presentations

As part of our ongoing commitment to Social Emotional Learning and Well-being at Balmoral School, we are pleased to offer a valuable opportunity for our students. Constable Gert Villani will be visiting our school to deliver digital citizenship and cyber awareness presentations to all grade levels over the next couple of weeks. Presentation content is outlined below:

  • Grades 5 and 6: Focus on topics such as the impact of social media and time spent online, posting videos and the potential consequences, recognizing scammers and hackers, identifying inappropriate content, and understanding cyberbullying.
  • Grades 7, 8, and 9: Explore the realities of virtual life versus reality (including the "Insta lie"), the risks of oversharing through photo posts (including geo-tagging), apps that encourage exposure (e.g., BeReal, TikTok, Instagram), the importance of reading terms and conditions, and the dangers of sextortion.

If you have any questions regarding this presentation, please contact our Student Services Learning Leader, Ms. Vallee (jvallee@cbe.ab.ca).

Indigenous Music Residency

During the last 2 weeks of February, all students will be learning music from Walter McDonald White Bear and Samantha Whelan . They are professional musicians who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our students, and we are so excited to have them as guests in our school next week. A big thank you to our School Council for their support of this residency!

Grade 9 Vaccinations

Grade 9 students are scheduled for their standard vaccinations on February 24. Forms have been sent home for signatures – please return these forms to the homeroom teacher by February 7. As with all vaccinations, a presentation about the vaccination was given to students last week. If parents have questions regarding these, please reach out to the school office.

Report Cards available for viewing on January 27

Families can view, download or print online report cards for kindergarten to Grade 12 students on Monday, Jan. 27 until May 30, 2025 through your MyCBE account.

Upcoming Days of Significance

February 12 – Valentine’s Day: all students invited to wear red or pink this day.

February 26 – Pink Shirt Day: all students invited to wear a pink shirt on this day.

**More information to come regarding the above dates.

Individual Program Plans

If your child's learning is supported with an IPP, please note that updated reports will be sent home during the week of January 27-January 31. Parents are asked to sign the 2nd Review Date and return the signature page to school. Please contact your child's teacher(s) if there are questions regarding the IPP. 

High School Open Houses

If your child is interested in applying to a different high school other than their designated high school, they must go through the TRANSFER process (online form). Please ensure you know about the high school programs and have a strong reason for transfer. High school open house dates are all available on the website: CBE Open Houses

Provincial Achievement Tests – Grade 6 & 9

In May and June of this year, Grade 6 and 9 students across the province will participate in the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Grade 9 students will complete PATs in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

For the 2024/25 school year, the Grade 6 PAT in Science will not be administered. However, the Grade 6 Social Studies PAT will continue to be offered, aligning with the current Grade 6 Social Studies curriculum. The Grade 6 Mathematics and English Language Arts and Literature (ELAL) PATs will be administered, reflecting the new curriculum.

Results from these tests will provide Alberta Education, school administrators, teachers, parents/guardians, students and the public with information about what students know and can do in relation to provincial standards at the end of Grade 6 and 9.

Provincial Achievement Tests are based on what students have been learning throughout the school year, so they will be marked by teachers before they are returned to Alberta Education in June. 

Lottery and Registration Process are Open

New families to Balmoral School must apply for a placement through the lottery process. Grade 4 students at Colonel Sanders School (our feeder school) are automatically registered at Balmoral for the 2025-26 school year.

Please share this information with your friends and families who are interested in the TLC program. Families must reside in our designated attendance area to apply for a placement at Balmoral School. Please forward the link below to families who are interested in applying. Interested families can contact our school office with any questions.

Alternative Program Registration

Next Fun Lunch Dates

Our next fun lunches are on the dates below and the restaurant is Little Caesars Pizza! Deadlines to order are always 5 days before the date of the fun lunch.

Tuesday, February 4 – Grades 5/6

Wednesday, February 5 – Grades 7/8/9

The Pickle Jar Menu

Important Dates

  • January 31 – Non-Instruction Day (no school for students)
  • February 5 – Celebration of Learning (6pm – 8pm)
  • February 6 – School Council Meeting (6:30pm @ Balmoral School)
  • February 10 to 27 – Cyber Awareness Presentations
  • February 11 at 12pm – Lottery deadline
  • February 12 – Lottery Draw date
  • February 13 and 14 – Teachers Convention (no school for students)
  • February 17 – Family Day (no school)
  • February 18 to 27 – Indigenous Music Residency

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office.

Regards,

Balmoral Administration