Dear William Reid Families, 

It has arrived, the last week of school prior to Winter Break! We want to extend a big thank you to all our families and students that attended our Winter Celebration Evening, either in person or online. It was wonderful to gather as a community and celebrate our students' hard work on their Trickster performances. 

We'd also like to extend a huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the Owl’s Nest Book Fair this week, as well as with the Grade 2 field trip on Thursday.

Please read our message below carefully, as there are many important details for the events of the upcoming week.

Upcoming Dates and Events

Dec 15-19       Winter Spirit Week (see # 2)

Dec 17              Winter Market Event (see #3)

Dec 18              Healthy Hunger – Mucho Burrito

Dec 19              Last Day of classes - Winter Break

Happy New Year!

Jan 5                 Classes resume

Jan 13               School Council (7:00pm – See # 7 below)

Jan 15               Kindergarten & Grade 1 Open House

Jan 27               Healthy Hunger - Subway

1. Traffic Safety Concerns | Safety Over Convenience

We have recently had a near miss involving a student crossing the road in front of the school. Incidents like this remind us how important it is for all of us to work together to keep students safe during drop-off and pick-up.

Please review and attend to the following reminders to help support a safe environment for everyone:

Use Crosswalks

We are seeing an increase in jaywalking by both students and adults. Please model safe behaviour by using the designated crosswalks. Our students learn from what they see, your guidance helps them develop safe habits when they are walking independently. 

Kiss-and-Go Zone

The Kiss-and-Go area at the front of the school is only for quick drop-offs. If you wish to walk your child to school, please park on 11 Street, 12 Street (south of the school), or north of the driveway on the west side, or on 13 Street.

Bus Zone

Please do not park or drop off in the bus zone. The bus zone extends from the corner of 12 Street and 36 Avenue, to north of the driveway at the west entrances. Parking in this area causes congestion at the 4-way stop, delays our buses, and creates unsafe conditions for students to exit vehicles while buses are trying to pull in and out.

Support from CPS

We have requested support from Calgary Police Service Traffic Safety. When they are on-site, they may issue tickets to drivers who are not following posted signage or traffic laws.

Reporting Concerns

If you observe a traffic-related safety concern, you are encouraged to report it through 311 using this link: https://www.coplogic.ca/dors/startreport/102104800/117669900

Thank you for helping us prioritize student safety. Your cooperation makes a meaningful difference in keeping our school community safe.

2. Winter Spirit Week | December 15 – 19, 2025

Our Student Voice Action Committee has identified several days to help celebrate the festive season just prior to Winter Break. Here is a schedule of our special days. We are asking that students dress up to help us celebrate this festive season as outlined below.

Dec 15

Winter/ Santa Hat Day

Dec 16

Ugly Sweater / Holiday Sweater

Dec 17

Candy Cane / Red and White day (Winter Market)

Dec 18

Holiday Character Day (Reindeer horns, Grinch hat, elves etc....)

Dec 19

Pajama Day

3. Winter Market | Call for Gently Used Items

To ensure the success of our Winter Market, we are asking families to bring in previously enjoyed “treasures” that you would like to rehome. Currently we have not received enough items, and we are at a point where we might need to cancel this treasured event.  

We continue to look for previously enjoyed books, puzzles, games, knick-knacks, jewelry, art, etc., for dads, moms, caregivers, sisters and brothers (not for pets). No large items that are hard to wrap or bring home by the student, and no stuffies. We would also love donations of gift bags, tissue paper, and wrapping paper!   

Please drop off donations to Mme Moreau (Room 9) at the East Entrance by the playground.   

To make this special event a success, we need your help - come in and enjoy the holiday fun! Sign up to volunteer here and ensure you have your volunteer clearance. New spots have been added!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAEAB2AABFBC52-60550105-holiday#/ 

If you have any questions please contact Julie, julielinmccann@gmail.com, Rachel racheldekorol@gmail.com, or Mme Moreau jewalshmoreau@cbe.ab.ca

4. Lifetouch Portraits

As a token of appreciation this holiday season, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!

  • 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code 50THANKYOU
  • 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code 40THANKYOU
  • 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code 30THANKYOU
    • Valid through December 14, 2025

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.ca or create an online account.

5. Carnaval Preparation | Save and Clean 2 L Milk Cartons

Carnaval d’Hiver 2026 is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you during the week of February 2–6! This five-day event will be filled with fun activities and French-Canadian traditions that your children are sure to remember.

One of the most exciting events that occurs during the week is our ice castle building. To be successful at this event, we need families to begin to save and wash out 2L milk cartons. These cartons will be used to make ice blocks closer to our event day. Please ensure that they do not get crushed! Thanks for your attention to this as it will not be successful without your help.

Should you begin to create a stash of Ice Blocks, do not be afraid to be creative, but please be mindful of the environment. Keep in mind that when the blocks melt, the ice needs to contain only compostable items.

6. William Reid 2025-2026 Yearbook

Order your 2025-2026 Yearbook now! The yearbook is a valuable keepsake which captures memories and key moments throughout the school year. The book contains 32 color pages and features a custom cover created by one of our students – more details to come for this year’s cover contest in February!

7. School Council | Next Council meeting, January 13, 2026

William Reid is in immediate need of filling two roles for the William Reid School Council (WRSC) and William Reid School Fundraising Society (WRSFS).

  • School Council Chair – Leads meetings, sets agendas, and liaises with the principal and school community.
  • Fundraising Society President – Leads meetings, oversees fundraising, and ensures compliance. Holds signing authority.

These roles are not overly time consuming but are crucial to the organization and success of Parent Council. Please contact wrchair@gmail.com with your interest.

8. EvenStart Winter Hampers – Message from School Council 

If you haven’t had a chance to drop off your donated gift items, please make sure to coordinate with the parent volunteer assigned to your grade. EvenStart will be collecting these items on Monday morning, so items MUST be dropped off this weekend.

Thank you in advance for your generous donations!

9. William Reid Families to support

We are also collecting gift cards for certain William Reid families that need our assistance.

Donations will be restricted to gift cards and prepaid credit cards. Suggested gift cards may be for Walmart, Superstore, Safeway, Sobeys. Please write the $ value on the gift card.

  • DROP-OFF location: THE OFFICE at WILLIAM REID SCHOOL
  • The collected cards will be evenly distributed among the William Reid families in need by the school’s Principal, Kenzie Rushton.

Please mark the envelope for William Reid families as this is not affiliated with the EvenStart Foundation.

10.  Healthy Hunger Special Lunch Volunteers

Our next Healthy Hunger fun lunch day is on December 18, 2025 – Mucho Burrito!

Saturday is the last day to get your orders in! Order here: https://healthyhunger.ca/

Thank you to all the Volunteers that have signed up to help organize and distribute food – we couldn’t do it without you! 

Healthy Hunger Volunteer Sign Up

11. Chess Club

It takes place every Wednesday at lunchtime in the gym! (Grade 3 and 4 students)

  • Bring your lunch
  • Bring your own chess set (if you have one!) or team up with a friend who brought a game

All skill levels are welcome—from beginners who want to learn the basics to experienced players ready to show off their best moves. Come sharpen your mind, meet new friends, and have lots of fun. See you there!

12. Casual Lunch Helpers Needed | Make a Difference, Not Just a Dollar

Do you have free time around noon on weekdays? Become a lunch supervisor! This is a fulfilling way to contribute your time and energy for the good of our community and our children.

This role is about much more than a paycheck; it's about providing a safe, caring, and structured environment for our students during their lunch break.  Please see the Calgary Board of Education Website to apply for lunch supervisor positions. On the casual roster, you can pick up as many, or as few shifts as you’re able, in nearby schools or at William Reid when there are absences or vacancies on the lunch team.

13. Request for Early Pickup

To help our office staff manage student pickup more smoothly, please call when you're on your way to the school, about 10 minutes beforehand. Also, if you are aware, please email your students' teacher and William Reid email (williamreid@cbe.ab.ca) the night before to give a heads up. We understand that sometimes students are not ready at the time of request due to unforeseen circumstances, and we appreciate your cooperation and patience!

Ongoing Fundraising Links

We have several ongoing ways that parents can contribute to our school financially throughout the year.

Financial Donations:

https://www.educationmatters.ca/project-matters/william-reid-school/

Bottle Drive:

Manchester Bottle Depot – 410 – 38a Ave SE – Donate your bottles here for William Reid School

If you return your empty bottles to the Depot mentioned above and let them know that you would like your refund to be donated to the William Reid, the funds will come directly to the school. 

Kind Regards,

Kenzie Rushton
Principal | École William Reid School

Sheri Bullough
Assistant Principal | École William Reid School

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.”
Flora Lewis