Thank you volunteers for coming out on a Saturday afternoon to help clear the leaves and get our naturalization space ready for winter.  It was perfect weather and perfect timing as the snow arrived shortly after the clean up!  AMPA also has a thank you message that can be read below. 

A reminder that there is no school for students tomorrow, Oct 25, due to a professional learning day for teachers. 

AMPA Hosted Family Halloween Dance | Oct. 24 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm (Sensory Friendly 6:30pm-7pm) TONIGHT! 
AMPA has planned a fantastic family night out for Halloween fun. Costumes are encouraged! Especially for the adults. The first 30mins of the dance (6:30-7:00 pm) will be sensory friendly with lower volume music and regular lighting. Also, this year AMPA will be offering a quieter activity area in the school Learning Commons during the regular Halloween dance hours. Snacks and juice will be available for purchase. Parents are required to attend with their children.  Due to liability requirements, students without parental supervision will not be allowed to attend the dance.

Orange and Black Day | October 31 
Students are invited to wear orange and black to school on October 31. There will be no costumes at school on October 31 (save this excitement for the evening trick or treating). Halloween is a regular learning day at school and the focus will continue to be on academics, however the day may include some Halloween themed activities. If your child wants to wear a costume to school this will only be allowed during the Halloween dance tonight. 

Fall Naturalization Area/Garden Clean up - Thank You 
A huge thank you to all who participated in the fall clean up this past weekend. We had beautiful weather with a warm sunny day and an amazing crew of kids and parents who worked hard to make our naturalization area look its best. We not only filled all four of our green bins with leaves and cones, we also filled an additional 4 extra-large garbage bags! We had a fantastic group of about 25 eager faces, including our own Mr. Belcher who made sure we had all we needed! It was so wonderful to see such hard work from our students, parents and families alike. Thank you so much for all you did for the space!

Lockdown Drill – Oct 29th at 1:15pm 
All CBE schools are required to practice two lockdown drills every school year. Calgary Police will be assisting us with our first lockdown drill tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct 29 at 1:15pm. The procedures all schools are expected to follow include gathering at an identified area within the classroom with staff and students remaining quiet and calm until the lockdown is over. No one can enter or leave the building during a lockdown drill.  We are letting parents and guardians know in advance so that they can have a discussion with their child before the lockdown drill if they choose.  Teachers will be discussing and going over procedures with their classes next week. If the anticipation of participating in the lockdown drill tomorrow is causing your child stress, then please let your child’s teacher know so that they can support your child before, during, and after the practice drill. 

Please Check your MYCBE Account 
As we settle into the new school year there are some important housekeeping items that are required from our families, all of which can be completed via your MYCBE account.  These include completing the yearly verification of your child’s demographic and contact information, ensuring your child is registered in the lunchroom program, as well as ensuring all outstanding fees are paid and up to date.  Thank you for attending to these important housekeeping items, especially the verification process as Alberta Education requires that all our information is updated and current as of Oct 31st. 

Bottle Drive Fridays 
Just like last year you can donate your refundable bottles to AMPA by dropping them off at the front of the school (by the free little library) every Friday.  Our goal this year is to raise $1750 through our bottle drive Fridays. 

Safety Patrols 
Our Grade 5 and 6 students started patrolling the crosswalk on 78th Ave this week.  Thank you, parents, and students for using the crosswalk when crossing the street. 

Upcoming Dates 
October 24 – AMPA Halloween Family Dance – 6:30pm-8:30pm 
October 25 – Non-Instructional Day – No School for Students 
October 29 – Lockdown Drill 1:15pm 
October 30 - Judith Umbach Public Library - 4/5 Kear (walking Field Trip) 
October 31 – Orange and Black Spirit Day – Dress in Orange and Black 
November 1 – Early Dismissal 1:15pm 
November 1 – AM Kindergarten Attend 
November 7 – Remembrance Day Assembly – Hosted by the Grade 3’s (10:30am) 
November 7 – Last day of classes for students 
November 8-13 – Fall Break – No School for Students 
November 14 – First day back to class for students