Dear Vincent Massey families, 

 

We've been excited to welcome students back this week, and students are quickly settling into the routines of the school year. The focus of this week's message is on you, the parents and guardians of our students. 

 

We see you as the primary partners in your child's education. That belief is aligned with the Alberta Education Act, which clearly outlines the rights and responsibilities of parents in their child's education. When Assistant Principal Meghann Springett and I spoke with the students at our opening grade assemblies, we talked about the importance of showing up - for ourselves, for other people, and with a positive Massey mindset. Some days showing up is easy, some days it is harder, but we are here to support students every day.  We appreciate your help in getting your child to school on time, prepared and rested for learning, and with food and appropriate clothing for the weather. We know that some families struggle with those last essentials – please reach out to the school if you need any help, as we have the Brown Bag Lunch program and many community partners who can assist.

 

Our attendance processes track and communicate the most literal part of 'showing up.' Please review the information on our website: https://vincentmassey.cbe.ab.ca/attendance. Students leaving for appointments during the day should ideally have a plan to leave at the end of a specific period – this is less disruptive for classes and is particularly important for PE or Outdoor Education, when students may be on the field or in the community and cannot be quickly brought back to the school.

 

When picking up and dropping off students at any time, parents can support the safety of all students by paying extra attention around school zones, crosswalks and school buses. This coming year, students will be arriving at school in the dark for a couple of months in the winter, which is new for us. To support safety: 

·         Do not pick up or drop off in the bus zone or school parking lots 

·         Ensure that your child uses the crosswalks at either end of the block – running out from between buses to get in vehicles parked on the east side of 45 St is particularly dangerous 

·         Avoid distractions and be extra attentive while driving in the school zone and through the crosswalks 

·         Do not pass or attempt to pass in the school zones 

·         Use available school busing, transit, bike, or walk to reduce congestion around the school 

 

Volunteers are essential to our programming, particularly off-site activities which literally cannot happen without your support. To ensure the safety and security of CBE students and staff, all volunteers must be registered with the school each school year before participating in volunteer activities. The Annual Volunteer Registration Form is valid for the current school year only. This registration form is available through the SchoolEngage tab in their MyCBE account. Community members who wish to volunteer but are not the legal guardian of a student (eg. other family members) should come to the office for assistance. 

 

Thank you for your continued to support. I'll have more to say about our communication with you next week, which will also be when you receive the next biweekly update directly from your child's homeroom teacher. If you have any more pressing questions, please reach out to your child's homeroom or relevant subject teacher using the contact information on our website. 

 

Vincent Massey School has a long history of involvement with the Terry Fox Foundation, and has been one of the top fundraising schools in the country for many years. A separate email has been sent out with this information – please make sure you have opted in to 'commercial' communication to receive emails which contain information about fundraising or other items with financial content, such as yearbook orders and our school store with Massey clothing. This last item is also on the school website at this link. 

 

Here are the key events for the next two weeks: 

  • September 7 – Labour Day, school closed 
  • September 8 – Boys and Girls Soccer Tryouts, 4pm 
    • Jr. Boys Basketball tryouts 4pm
    • Sr. Boys Basketball tryouts 4pm
  • September 9 

o    Terry Fox 'Wax-a-thon' fundraising activity at lunch 

o    Bamfield Trip (Grade 8 & 9) Interest Meeting, 6pm

Sr. Boys Basketball Tryouts 8:00 am

Sr. Girls Basketball tryouts 4pm

  • September 10 

o    Fire Drill 

o    Boys and Girls second Soccer Tryouts, 4pm 

o    Cross-country running meet #1 @ North Glenmore Park

Jr. Boys Basketball tryouts 8:00 am

Sr. Boys Basketball 4pm

Sr. Girls Basketball 4pm 

  • September 14 

o    Grade 9 ODL Meeting before school 

o    Boys Soccer Match #1 

  • September 15 

o    Girls Soccer Match #1 

o    Cross-country running meet #2 @ North Glenmore Park 

  • September 16 

o    Terry Fox 'Pie-the-teacher' fundraising activity at lunch 

  • September 17 

o    Picture Day 

o    Grade 9 ODL Meeting 

o    Band Parent AGM, 6:30pm – all band parents please attend 

  • September 18 – Terry Fox Day, special activities day at school 

 

All the best,

David Pugh

Principal