Bonjour les families de William Reid,

We have several important updates this week, as we approach the March break. Schools are closed for instruction from March 22 – Monday March 31 for Spring Break. In our last School Council in February, I spoke about some surveys and engagements that we are doing at the school, all with an aim to work towards constant improvement of the program that we provide at William Reid School. I felt so appreciative of the number of families who took the time to complete the Program Monitoring survey; we received 61 logins and 19 full responses from parents, which is not an incredibly high amount for our school of 309 students. Please call the school if you have any questions or if you need any support with the survey.

We ask you this week to check out our School Planning Engagement – on the right side is a link to School Planning Presentation Feb 11, 2025 – here is the presentation I shared in February and below is a link to our survey:

Notes of Thanks

  • To all families who kept their children home to rest when they felt sick
  • To all staff and students for helping, respecting and being kind and empathetic during the third week of CUPE 40 strike
  • To all parents and our Grade 1 team who attended School Council

School Conferences March 20 – 21 2025 (Online only)

All School Conferences will be online due to the CUPE strike. The dates are

  • Thursday, March 20 - Kindergarten no school as conferences will occur during the day
  • Friday March 21 - Conference slots fill up quickly. Please contact the main office if you are encountering issues with booking an appointment. These conferences will not be student led due to the on-line format. Students are always welcome to attend these conferences with their family members. The duration will be 15 minutes in length. Please ensure that you sign in early and are ready to go at your allotted time. Prior to your conference time, please ensure you have thoroughly read through your child(ren)’s report card(s) and be prepared with questions for the teacher. Report cards were available in PDF format on January 30 through your CBE PowerSchool account. Please do not access the link until the exact time of your conference. Parents are reminded that system can provide language interpretation services for almost any language so that all parents can have an opportunity to speak with their child/ren’s teachers. The language interpretation service is available for the virtual appointments next week. Contact the office if assistance is needed to book an appointment and/or if you have a question about the language interpretation service.

Booking a Conference

You will be utilizing your MyCBE Parent Account to schedule conference times. Booking opens at noon on Monday, March 17 2025.

Here is the link to your account login: MyCBE

For these online conferences, each participant will receive an email with the meeting link. It may take up to 24 hours to receive the link for the online meeting.

If you have not yet done so, parents will need to create a new account at MyCBE using your student’s CBE ID number.

Once you have scheduled your Conference, you will receive a confirmation email confirming the meeting date and time. If you do not receive an email, please check your “Junk” or “Spam” folder for it.

For support with booking, please visit:

MyCBE-PowerSchool-School-Conferences - How to Book a Conference

Supports and Services

The AHS Occupational therapist and the AHS Physiotherapist have been in working to support all students in our school and especially with our early learners in our Grade 1 classes. They have worked on both fine motor and gross motor control. Especially focusing on movement and they have led the 3 Grade 1 classes through a series of exercises designed to develop students be successful with body coordination and control. The activities have been passed on to the Grade 1 teachers who have the opportunity to continue these exercises during movement and body breaks from now until the end of the year.

Our School nurse and her AHS team have been in to administer Grade 1 vaccinations, as well as catching up any other students with vaccinations they may have missed on prior visits. All went very smoothly, and our students were courageous and brave!

Grade 3's to University of Calgary for the Earth Science for Society Exhibition

On Monday March 17, from 8:50AM - 12:00PM the grade 3 classes will be attending the University of Calgary for the Earth Science for Society (ESfS) Exhibition to fill part of our Grade 3 Earth systems unit. Students will be rotating through various stations with hands on material to reinforce their earth systems learning, including rocks, fossils, minerals, crystals and virtual reality! We look forward to this wonderful opportunity!

  • Grade 3 Team, Mme Seychelle 3A, Mme Maria 3B, Mme Forin 3C

Lost and Found

Our Lost and Found is overflowing with items such as shoes & boots, hats & mittens, sweatshirts & jackets, reusable lunch containers & water bottles. Ask your child to take a look if they have any lost items. Parents are welcome to take a look also at school dismissal or drop off times.

Reminder: Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey – ends March 21

The Alberta Education Assurance survey is now open for this school year's administration. This survey is for students in Grades 4, 7 and 10, their parents and all certified teaching staff.  This survey will be done by our Grade 4 students in their homeroom classes. Grade 4 parents have received an e-mail from CBE with instructions of how to access the survey. Survey Administration Dates: Feb. 18 – March 21, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Mme Bullough.

Manie Musicale

William Reid’s Manie Musicale has begun and the students are absolutely loving it! Students in all grades will continue to listen to and vote between a curated selection of 16 songs in a bracket style match-up. All entries in this tournament are en français and by francophone artists from all over the world! Two songs will battle it out every day until March 19… when one winner will be left standing. Which song will William Reid student’s choose? Stay tuned! 🎶 Thank you Mme Ferguson for organizing this fabulous fun learning experience for our students!

Reminder Yearbook Cover Contest

The yearbook cover contest is open and the yearbook team will be accepting cover submissions until Monday, March 17. The students have received the instructions, examples and would have received a template in class if they expressed interest in submitting a cover for our 2024-2025 yearbook.

Place your order for the William Reid 2024-25 yearbook now! We are 93% sold! The yearbook will be sent home in June. The cost is $22 which is paid online directly through the Lifetouch yearbook pay website. The deadline to order is Friday, May 23rd 2025. Thank you to those who have already purchased!

Order your 2024-25 yearbook here: WR Yearbook Orders 2024-2025

Yearbook ID: 14464825

Smart Watch Policy

We have noticed a number of students coming to school with smart watches (ie. Apple Watches). We kindly remind you that CBE implemented restrictions on Personal Mobile Device & Social Media Use in Schools effective Aug. 29. This policy complies with the Ministerial Order provided by the Government of Alberta this past June based on survey feedback provided by families.

CBE cares about the mental health and well-being of students. Restricting access to personal mobile devices and social media is expected to improve student achievement and learning outcomes. CBE strongly recommends students simply leave their devices at home, because in most cases, personal mobile devices are not needed to support student learning.

For students in kindergarten to Grade 9, CBE will use ‘away for the day’ guidelines similar to what many schools have been using in recent years. Personal mobile devices brought to school including cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, laptops, smart watches, Bluetooth speakers/headphones or any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate with or access the internet must be powered off or set in silent mode and stored out of sight in student lockers, backpacks or other designated area for the duration of the school day.

If a student is found to be using a personal mobile device in class without permission from the teacher, the teacher will work with the student to ensure the rules are understood. We rely on good communication and other existing processes to ensure students know what is expected. When necessary, schools will use a progressive student discipline approach in working with students.

These new rules will apply to all students, with exceptions for students using devices for health and medical needs, to support specialized learning needs and for educational purposes as directed by the teacher.

For students who require access to a personal mobile device for health and medical needs, it is advised that parents complete and submit a Student Health Plan as soon as possible or contact.

For students who require access to a personal mobile device to support an identified educational need, families should contact Mme Bullough sbbullough@cbe.ab.ca to discuss this being included as an accommodation or support in the student’s individual program plan (IPP).

Also, aligned with the Ministerial Order, the CBE will restrict student access to all known social media platforms on the CBE network.

Thank you for helping us to make this transition successful. If you need to contact your student during the school day (including lunch hour) please contact the school office at 403-777-6940 (extension 0).

Navigating Social Media: Protecting Our Youth’s Mental Well-Being

Emerging research has drawn attention to the concerning relationship between adolescents' social media usage and exposure to harmful content, including self-harm behaviors and racialized language use. A recent article in The New Yorker highlighted cases where excessive social media engagement contributed to increased anxiety, depression, and, tragically, instances of self-harm among teens (New Yorker). Additionally, discussions in The Guardian have emphasized the importance of integrating resilience-building strategies within educational settings to equip students with coping mechanisms against such online adversities (The Guardian).

In light of these challenges, several Canadian mental health resources are available to support our youth:

Kids Help Phone

A 24/7 national service offering confidential counseling and referrals to young people. They can be reached at 1-800-668-6868 or through their website.

Jack.org

A Canadian charity empowering youth to revolutionize mental health. They provide various programs and resources aimed at promoting mental well-being among young Canadians.

FRIENDS Program

An evidence-based initiative recognized by the World Health Organization, focusing on enhancing resilience and reducing anxiety among children and adolescents.

We encourage open conversations with your children about their online experiences and ensure they know help is available. By staying informed and proactive, we can collectively foster a safer and more supportive environment for our students.

Reminder: CUPE 40

CBE is prioritizing in-person learning during the third week of the strike. All CBE schools and buildings will remain open, and classes will continue. However, a strike will have an impact on schools and operations. We are committed to ensuring schools remain a place where students, staff and families feel valued, supported and safe. CUPE Local 40 members are an important part of our school communities. We value the contributions of all employees who support student success, and we respect the bargaining process. We are committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a new collective agreement. All information can be found on the CBE website. A big thank you to our staff and students for helping keep our school clean and safe over the past week. We all have a part to play in taking care of our space, so please remind your child to pick up after themselves and put their litter in the bin throughout the day and that we have a pack in / pack out lunch procedure.

Reminder - Recovery from Illnesses

Please be mindful of sending your child to school when sick. If they are not fully recovered or have been sick the day prior, please keep them at home until they are back in good health. The suggested recovery time after vomiting or diarrhea is 48 hours. This allows your child to heal, and to stop the spread of illnesses that can make others sick. The past few weeks we have been seeing a very high number of illness at our school. Please do not send your child to school if they are not feeling well.

Jump Rope for Heart

From March 19 to April 25 our school is participating in Jump Rope for Heart to empower kids to learn and build healthy habits, so they understand the importance of staying active, eating well, and taking care of their heart and brain health as well as to learn the importance of giving.

Our school has set a fundraising goal of $2000. The funds raised will help support heart and brain research funded by Heart & Stroke. To help us reach our goal, please donate online today using this link. Open the link and click "Donate". If you would like to register your child to set their own goal to support the school goal, please use this link to help you register your child.

Our Jump Rope for Heart Assembly will be on March 19. This is when the fundraiser will open, and donations will be open from March 19 to May 9. Our Jump Event will be the week of April 21-25 and will be held during Physical Education classes. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mme Eeles at kreeles@cbe.ab.ca.

Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (which is based on the lunar calendar) and is a time when Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset for either 29 or 30 days (depending on the moon).

Throughout the day, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking anything (including water) and focus on prayer and worship alongside daily tasks. After sunset, Muslims break their fasts and share meals with families and friends. While fasting is the main part of Ramadan, it is also a time to reflect, donate, focus on prayer and better themselves. Fasting is a way for people to feel empathy for the poor and hungry people around the world. Food and water are usually taken for granted, so through Ramadan, Muslims can reflect on their blessings and be thankful for all they have. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims have a celebration known as Eid, when they celebrate with family and friends, giving gifts to each other, marking the end of fasting.

March is Nutrition Month

Upcoming Events

March 17 Gr 3 Science Field Trip - University of Calgary – wear green

March 17 Deadline to submit cover for yearbook cover contest

Mar 18 Gr 3 Guiffre Library

Mar 19 Special Lunch (Little Caeser’s Pizza) Jump Rope for Heart assembly

Mar 19 Twin day! (Find a friend to match with)

Mar 20 – 21 Parent Teacher Conferences (on-line)

Mar 21 No School for students

Mar 24 – 28 Spring Break 

Mar 31 Classes resume

Apr 1 Picture Day - Spring Photos

Apr 8 Field Trip - Heritage Park Gr 2

Apr 10 Grade 4 Delf A1 (optional) written exams

Apr 16 Special Lunch (Edo)

Apr 18 Good Friday – No School 

Apr 21 Non-Instructional Day – No school 

Apr 23 French Play – l'UniThéâtre 9:30 in the Gym

Apr 23 Grade 4 DELF A1 Oral exams (optional)

Apr 28 - May 2 Scholastics Book Fair

May 14 Special Lunch  (The Lunch Lady)

May 16 Non-Instructional Day – No school

May 19 Victoria Day – No School 

May 23 Deadline to order Yearbook

May 30 Volunteer Tea 

Important Links  

  • Mabel’s Labels
  • Donations
  • Bottle Drive:  Manchester Bottle Depot – 410 – 38a Ave SE – Donate your bottles here for William Reid School  

Hand to heart,

Mme Christine Stiles and Mme Sheri Bullough

William Reid School