Good afternoon Balmoral families

Thank you for another great week at Balmoral. Please read the newsletter carefully as it contains important information that impacts all students.

Dates of Significance

At Balmoral School, we have a vibrant community of students and families from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. We value diversity at school and make great efforts to ensure safe, caring, welcoming and respectful learning environments for all of our students every day. Part of this work is recognizing and celebrating important dates and holidays that are important to our families. The CBE has a Dates of Significance calendar that we use to educate and spread awareness of significant dates. Next week we will be celebrating Halloween and Diwali at school. Our Student Voice Council (SVC) has planned some fun activities for students to engage in for these festivals.

Halloween 

Buddy day activities in the afternoon, including a whole school assembly and costume contest by homeroom.

IMPORTANT – Students are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Thursday, October 31. The following are NOT permitted at school – weapons, masks, blood/gore, inflatable costumes (they take up too much space and get in the way of learning).

Diwali 

All students were invited to paint clay lamps at lunchtime in the Learning Commons this week, so we will have their “diyas” on display in the office next week.

ALL students are welcome to dress in their cultural clothing on Friday, November 1, regardless of whether they celebrate Diwali or not. This is to create a festive atmosphere in the school, and build understanding and appreciation for various cultures.

If your child would like to celebrate a significant date or holiday at school, please ask them to talk to Ms. Keet or Mrs. Vijairaghavan. We will find a way to honour their request in an authentic way at school.

Next School Council Meeting

Our next school council and parent society meetings will be on Thursday, November 7 at 6:30pm. This meeting will be held IN-PERSON at Balmoral School. We encourage all parents to attend and be part of important decision-making that impacts all Balmoral students.

Construction Update

There will be some construction along 2nd street (north of 16th Ave NW), from October 25 to November 2. Access to the school’s west parking lot may be limited during this time, and parents will not be able to drive along 2nd street to drop off/pick up students. We ask that all parents please use 1st street (along the East parking lot) during construction and obey all road signs and detours.

School Engage Forms

Please complete your school engage forms in your MyCBE account as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. If you cannot find the forms when you log in, please call the school office and our office staff can help you with this. This is a very important step for the school to secure funding for each student.

School Council Requires Your Contact Information

Please take a moment to provide your contact information to school council. Don’t miss out on important communication about school events organized by parents!

Link:https://forms.gle/rWVseWRwBcNHdo7o7

There is still one vacancy on school council – Fundraising Coordinator. This is an important position that has a large impact on school activities. If you are able to volunteer in this role, please contact the school office.

Off-site Trips

Parent volunteers are often necessary to ensure field trips go ahead as planned. These are enriching learning experiences for all students and we rely on our parents/guardians to be able to offer these to our students! To ensure you are able to volunteer, please ensure you have a valid police check. Please log in to your MyCBE account > Online School Forms and Registration > Volunteer Registration 2024-25 and follow the steps. If you have any questions, please call the school office.

Healthy Hunger Fun Lunches are Back!

Thank you to our School Council for organizing these great lunches for our students and raising some funds for our school! Our first fun lunch is from Subway and the dates are:

Tuesday, November 5 – Grades 5/6

Wednesday, November 6 – Grades 7/8/9

Please log into your Healthy Hunger account at Healthy Hunger and add your children’s names for Balmoral School. You will need to do this again every year even if you ordered food last year. Please ensure you choose the correct grade and teacher when registering your child, and then order lunches.

The Pickle Jar Menu

Students may purchase food Monday – Thursday during the lunch break. The cafeteria is CASH only, and most meals are $6.

Important Dates

  • October 25 – Non-Instruction Day (no school for students)
  • October 31 – Halloween Buddy Activities at school
  • November 5 – Fun lunch for Grades 5/6 (Subway)
  • November 6 – Fun lunch for Grades 7/8/9 (Subway)
  • November 4 to 6 – Band Camp for Grade 7
  • November 4 to 8 – Camp Evergreen for Grade 9
  • November 7 – Last day of classes before Fall Break + School Council Meeting
  • November 8 to 13 – Fall Break
  • November 14 – Classes resume
  • November 28 – Parent-Teacher Conferences from 4pm – 8pm (IN-PERSON)
  • November 29 – Parent-Teacher Conferences from 8am – 2pm (ONLINE)

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


Regards,

Balmoral Administration