Happenings
April 19 - No School
April 22 - School Council at Branton School or online
April 22 - International Mother Earth Day
April 25-26 - Grade 7 Band Camp
Dear Branton School Community/Parents,
Volunteer Week
As we celebrated Volunteer Week, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to each and every volunteer who generously donates their time, energy, and skills to support Branton School. Your dedication and commitment to our school community have a profound impact on the lives of our students and staff alike. Whether you're assisting in the classroom, organizing events like our monthly Fun Lunches, or lending a helping hand behind the scenes, your selfless contributions make a world of difference. Thank you/MERCI for embodying the spirit of kindness and collaboration, and for being invaluable partners in education. We are truly grateful for your unwavering support and the positive ripple effects you create throughout our school.
Support Staff Appreciation Week
Next week, from April 22-26, we will be celebrating Support Staff Appreciation Week. This is a special time for us to express our gratitude to the dedicated individuals who contribute so much to the smooth operation of our school. From the custodians who keep our facilities clean and safe, to the administrative assistants who help keep everything organized, to the cafeteria staff who nourish our students, to the library assistant who foster a love for reading and learning among our students, to our lunchroom supervisors for their unwavering commitment to ensuring a safe and enjoyable dining experience for our students every day, and to our bookkeeper whose meticulous attention to detail keeps our school finances in order!
Their hard work, dedication, and kindness often go unnoticed, but they are the backbone of our school community. I encourage you all to take a moment next week to show your appreciation in any way you can, whether it's a simple thank-you note, a small gesture of kindness, or a word of gratitude. Let's come together as a community to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of our support staff. Together, let's make Support Staff Appreciation Week a memorable and meaningful time for all.
Thank you/MERCI for your continued support,
Mr. Casper and Mr. Picard
Cellphone Use in Schools
The Government of Alberta wants to hear from Albertans about how students should use cellphones in schools. In Alberta and in many other places across the world, student cellphone use is increasing. For children and youth, it typically becomes more prevalent as students advance through the grades. Teachers may occasionally use cellphones in classrooms for learning and teaching purposes. There are many other reasons a student may use a cellphone within school hours, including:
- Communicating about practices/rehearsals for school organizations (teams, clubs, etc.)
- Checking transit schedules
- Staying in touch with families about issues or emergencies
However, there are concerns that cellphones can be a distraction in educational environments and can sometimes be used inappropriately within classrooms and schools. We want to hear from all Albertans, including parents, guardians, teachers and other education professionals. Your input will help inform future government direction on cellphone use in schools.
The survey will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete and closes May 3, 2024.
April 22, 2024 Branton Parent Council Meeting Agenda
7:00pm, online and in person (Learning Commons room, Branton School)
Parent Council Agenda
- Space availability / new student groups
- Volunteer week
- Cafeteria hours
- Teacher retirement
- Track & field
- PATs for 6/9
- Grad / Awards ceremonies
- Request for volunteers on council
- Other business Parent Fundraising Association Agenda
- Review & payment of past funding approvals
- New funding requests
- Insurance
- Benevity fund
- Plant fundraiser
- Other business
Music Notes
Thank you to the parents who came out and helped with our Grade 8 and 9 band camp! It was a HUGE success with tremendous growth in our songs. We are gearing up to perform well at Festival, providing they continue to practice at home.
Grade 7 band camp is coming up. I still need parents to help me. Two on Thursday, and one on Friday. Please let me know if you can help. I have many Grade 7 parents who have not paid the fee for band camp, as well as the Course Fee-Instrumental Music. These need to be completed no later than Friday, April 19. (It was due last week). If your invoice had credit for fundraising, you need only to pay the amount owing. It does not show up in Powerschool that way. To make a partial payment, select the Band trip and type in the amount you need to pay. It will show that you owe money still, but the accountant will be removing that at some point. Please do not pay the full amount, $170, if you did any fundraising. Festival A letter was sent home Thursday with details of the trip. It includes the date and times, as well as how I would like the students to dress for festival. I am again, asking for volunteers to join us for those quick trips.
Please let me know if you can help.
Jacquie Baird Branton School
Parent Volunteers Needed
We are happy to announce the return of our field trip with RiverWatch this year. This exciting day on the Bow River is a central part of our Environmental Chemistry Unit in the Grade 9 Science Program. Students will be rafting on the Bow River and learning environmental chemistry by doing several water tests in different locations on the Bow River.
Only one teacher will be attending the following trip:
Mr. Savoie with 9-1,9-2 and 9-3 (MAY 6) (MONDAY)
Mr. Abbott with 9-4,9-5 and 9-6 (MAY 7) (TUESDAY)
Therefore, this experience requires that we have enough parent volunteers to meet the Calgary Board of Education supervision guidelines for field trips. So, to ensure the day runs smoothly, we need a minimum of 6 parent volunteers (one parent per boat - Teachers will circulate from boat to boat throughout the day). Please note, that new police clearances usually take between 2 and 3 weeks to complete. As such, volunteers who have already completed the police clearance make the process much quicker, but we welcome any parents who are interested to start the process ASAP if you’d like to come. Volunteer interest has traditionally been high from parents in the past, so selection will be first-come, first-served based on returning this form of interest AND having a security clearance in place.
If you are interested in volunteering, please know that each raft will have a professional river guide who is trained in first aid and will be responsible for teaching rafting safety, leading discussions and coordinating paddling and such. Your primary role would simply be in a supervisory capacity. Our goal is for you to also enjoy the day and maybe learn a bit too and therefore, teachers will address any discipline or group management issues that arise during the field trip.
Please, email the following teachers accordingly to the homeroom that your child is with.
Mr. Savoie (josavoie@cbe.ab.ca) 9-1, 9-2 and 3 MAY 6 (MONDAY)
Mr. Abbott (crabbott@cbe.ab.ca) 9-4, 9-5 and 9-6 MAY 7 (TUESDAY)
Signing out Your Child
We are at a very busy time of year for students with appointments, etc. To assist you with meeting your child for an appointment during school hours, it would be a great help if you could pre-arrange these departures. Please send your child with a note that can be presented to the teacher at the time of departure. After that, they can bring it to the office and sign out without having their classroom interrupted. There are also times when classes are outside and there may be delays in finding/connecting with them.
Please know that we do understand there are times when appointments come up last minute, at which time, we are happy to help you connect with your child. For some reason, students have been telling their parents that they have to be called but this is not the case. Interrupting the class it is what we are trying to minimize.
Thank you for your assistance.
Yearbooks -Year Order Deadline Approaching!
Don’t regret it on the last day of school when your friends are signing yearbooks, order now!
To purchase and customize your yearbook.
Go to:www.treering.com/validate
Enter the passcode: 1016565165982070
Create custom pages by May 6.
Daily Bulletin on Branton Website
Please be advised that the Daily Bulletin is back on the Branton website through this link.