It has been another great week. Students were excited to have our first popcorn day. They are also looking forward to having Sound Kreations teach them dance next week! Fun Lunch – Sept 24
For our first fun lunch of the school year will be offering The Lunch Lady on Tuesday, Sept 24. The menu includes chicken fingers, burgers, hot dogs, and mac & cheese. To order you will need to set up an account with Healthy Hunger. If you already have an account, you will be asked to update your information and re-register your children with their current grade and teacher. Casino Volunteers Needed - Oct 5 and 6 (Police Check Not Required)
AMPA will be providing volunteers to run the Oct 5 and 6 casino days (and nights) at ACE casino. Casino fundraisers bring in a large amount of funds to support our school. Without these funds many of the parent council initiatives that support our students (and families) would not be possible. Please consider signing up for a volunteer position for a day or night shift (or two) on Oct 5 and 6. Casino volunteering is a great way to connect with other parents as often the positions allow for time to socialize with others. A complimentary meal is also included for all volunteers during their shift. Please fill out this following form to indicate your interest in volunteering https://forms.gle/BhCgcYmqEy8XUp2S6 Our parent council will email you with further information after you have completed the form. Anybody can volunteer including family and friends, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. It is also important to mention that a police check is not required to volunteer at the Casino. Volunteer Registration
Throughout the year there will be many opportunities for volunteering. September is a good time to get all the paperwork completed, especially for new volunteers. This includes getting a police clearance which is valid for 5 years. For anyone who already has a police clearance please fill out our annual volunteer registration form and send it to our front office (drop off, with student, or via email). The form can be downloaded by clicking here. Anyone who requires a police clearance can call the office at 403-777-6600 and we will be happy to help you with this process. We also have new volunteer registration process which can be completed digitally through School Engage (same program we now use for registrations). Please check it out as this may be a more convenient option for you. 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. Sound Kreations
We are excited to be welcoming Sound Kreations back for another year. During the week of Sept 16-20 the students will be learning the art of dance and movement. Sound Kreations has a great reputation for providing engaging experiences that children really enjoy and we are excited that we are having them back! Grade 1-6 parents are invited to the gym for a performance on Friday, Sept. 20. Doors open at noon and the dance performance run from approximately12:15 pm to 1:00 pm. Meet the Teacher (Learn the Student) Open House Night
We will be hosting our Meet the Teacher/Learn the Student Open House on the evening of Thurs, Sept 26 from 4:30pm-7:30pm. Please plan to attend during the following times: · 4:30pm- 5:50pm: Families with last names starting with “A to I” are invited to attend anytime between this time · 6:10pm - 7:30pm: Families with last names starting from “J to Z” are invited to attend anytime during this time · Families who have students in the same household with different last names can choose one time and come together. · 5:30 – 6:30pm: Mandatory Grade 6 Parent meeting about Tim Horton’s Outdoor School–more information will be emailed to Grade 6 families next week. We will be sending home a parent viewpoint questionnaire, and families are asked to fill out return before Sept. 26. The questionnaire will provide the teacher the opportunity to quickly learn more about their students through the eyes of the parents. There will also be some opportunity to talk with the teacher through “meet and greet standing” conversations. Students will have a checklist to follow so they can host the guided tours of the classroom and the school. Due to the format of an Open House, there will not be any private sit-down meeting time slots. Parents will have an opportunity for a private conference on November 29 once assessment information has been gathered. If you require a more formal meeting earlier, please arrange this with your child’s teacher. Terry Fox Fundraising Run
Our annual Terry Fox run will take place on Monday, September 23. 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 a marker to print 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/AlexMunro please donate! School Photos
Photo day is next Tuesday, Sept 17. 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 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. Practicing fire drills are an important way we can be prepared for an emergency evacuation if required. We will be scheduling 6 fire drills this school year. The first fire drill is required to be completed within the first few weeks of school start up. We are planning on having our first fire drill on Sept 10. 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 drop off or pick up of students in the staff parking lot. Families are welcome to use street parking around the school for drop off and pick up purposes. Please note that directly in front of the school is a no stopping zone. This area is designated as “no stopping” to support pedestrian safety and school bus loading and unloading. When crossing the street, please use the crosswalks. We thank you for contributing to the good citizenship of this wonderful neighbourhood.
Breakfast Program
Alex Munro school has a fantastic breakfast program with vegetarian, gelatin-free, and nut free food available to all students. These items include fruit, vegetables, and freshly baked goods. We love that our students are eating and enjoying this healthy food. A reminder that students should only be choosing 1 or 2 items off the breakfast cart in the morning and only enough that can be consumed within the first 15-20 minutes of the school day. If students are hungry later in the day, most of the items from the breakfast cart are still available at the front office. With this availability students do not need to take additional items from the breakfast cart in the morning to keep items on their desk for “later”. It is much better come to the office for more food as they become hungry as all of the food is stored with safe food handling practices which ensures fresh and safe food for all. Popcorn Sales
AMPA Parent Council will be raising money for our school by selling popcorn every Wednesday. There is a wide variety of flavours at a cost of $2.00/bag. Cash only and exact change is recommended. Thank you for your support! Upcoming Dates:
September 13 – Early Dismissal 1:15 pm
September 13 – PM Kindergarten
September 16-20 – Sound Kreations Dance Residency
September 17 – Photo Day
September 18 – Popcorn Day $2 a bag
September 20 – Sound Kreations Student Dance Performance (Grades 1-6) – 12:15pm
September 20 – Early Dismissal 1:15pm
September 20 – AM Kindergarten
September 24 – Fun Lunch (The Lunch Lady). Order at healthyhunger.com
September 26 – Meet the Teacher/Learn the Student Open House Night 4:30pm-7:30pm
September 26 – Orange Shirt Day (wear your orange shirt)
September 27 – Non-instructional day – No School for Students
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – No School for Students | 