The students and their teachers are settling into their classroom routines and the week has been full of lots of excitement with students re-connecting with their peers as well as developing lots of new friendships. We had a fire drill practice on Wednesday morning, and I can report that it was one of the best first fire drill practices that I have been involved with. The students were very responsible and followed all the evacuation procedures to a tee. Both Ms. Sasha and I were very impressed with how well all the students did!   

Terry Fox Fundraising Run 
Our annual Terry Fox run will take place on Wednesday, September 20 with our Division I and II students running at different times.  The Division I students will begin their run at 9:30 am and Division II students at 2:30 pm with each group running for 20-30 minutes. In the spirit of goal setting and perseverance, teachers will use non-permanent marker to put a letter of Terry Fox’s name on the arms of students as they complete a lap. Grade groups will have different goals with some groups trying to spell T-E-R-R-Y and others trying to spell T-E-R-R-Y-F-O-X, for example. Prior to the run, classes will engage in some activities such as watching a video about Terry Fox, having discussions about Canadian heroes and setting goals like Terry did.  There will be a bulletin board set up at the front of the school with additional information about the Terry Fox Run.      Families are invited to participate in the “Toonies for Terry” fundraising campaign for cancer research. Families can donate by sending money to school with students, which will be collected by classroom teachers or by clicking on the following link which will allow for donations to be made online.  

https://schools.terryfox.ca/31234  

Donations will be accepted until Friday, Sept. 29. 

Alex Munro Parent Association (AMPA) Meeting – Mon, Sept 11 (online) 

The first parent council meeting of the 2023-24 school year is next Monday, September 11 at 6:15pm on Teams. We will be sending out a meeting invite with a link next Monday morning. Joining this meeting is a great way for parents to get involved with school fundraisers as well as participate alongside with school administration to make important decisions that support the learning of our students. 

Sound Kreations
We are excited to be welcoming Sound Kreations back for a second year.  It was a great way to start off last year and we are pleased to have them back again to kick off the year again!  Next week students will be learning the art of dance and movement lead by an awesome team of instructors. Sound Kreations has a great reputation for providing engaging experiences that children really enjoy and we are excited that we are having them back! Stay tuned for more information about the in-school performance on Friday the 15^th at 12:15 pm. 

Meet the Teacher (Learn the Student) Night
Building a strong school-home partnership requires both “meeting the teacher” and “learning the student”. September conferences are the best opportunity for your child's teacher to get to know who they are as learners from the people who know them best – their parents.  We will be hosting our Meet the Teacher/Learn the Student night on the evening of Thurs, Sept 21 from 4:30pm-7:30pm. The format this year allows for a quick sit-down meeting with the teacher to provide them with information about your child as a learner as well as sharing goals you have for this academic school year. Part of the evening will include a student-led guided tour of the classroom and other main areas of the school.  We will provide more details on the format as we get closer to the date.

School Photos
Photo day for K-AM – Grade 6 is Friday, Sept 15. Students will have a ¾ length pose and a head and shoulder pose.  Retakes will be in October.  Information about photos is available through Lifetouch at 1.866.457.8212 or on the ordering website www.mylifetouch.ca 

Afternoon kindergarten photos will take place on Sept. 14. 

Safety Reminders in and Around the School
Thank-you for your care and attention to the safety of all of our students and staff in and around the school each day. We are pleased to be working with the AMA and Calgary Police Service team to resume AMA School Safety Patrols once again at Alex Munro School.  We will begin once training of staff and students is complete (likely not before the end of September).  This will support the safe crossing on 78 Ave. NE.   

A reminder that there is no parent drop off or pick up of students in the staff parking lot.  Families must use street parking around the school.   

Please note the no stopping zone in front of the school.  Please do not stop here.  This area is for safe pedestrian traffic and bus parking.  We will have a school bus and two daycare busses that need to safely load and unload students in this space.   We thank you for contributing to the good citizenship of this wonderful neighbourhood. 

Popcorn Sales and Fun Lunch
AMPA Parent Council will be raising money for our school by selling popcorn every Wednesday. There will be a variety of flavours at a cost of $2.00/bag. Cash only and exact change is recommended. 

We will also be having monthly fun lunches.  A separate email will be sent out tomorrow with information regarding how to sign up and order fun lunches this year.

Thank you for your support!

Upcoming Dates 

September 8 – Early Dismissal 1:15 pm 

September 8 – PM Kindergarten 

September 11 – AMPA School Council Meeting 6:15 PM 

September 11-15 – Sound Kreations Dance Residency & performance for all classes throughout this week 

September 14 – PM Kindergarten Photo Day only 

September 15 – Photo Day AM Kindergarten – Grade 6 photos 

September 15 – Early Dismissal 

September 15 – AM Kindergarten 

September 19 – Fun Lunch (stay tuned for more information by email) 

September 20 – Terry Fox Run 

September 21 – Meet the Teacher/Learn the Student Night (4:30-7:30) 

September 22 – Non-instructional day – No School for Students 

September 28 – Orange Shirt Day (wear your orange shirt) 

September 29 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – No School for Students