Happenings
- May 6, Riverwatch 9:00AM - 1:00PM, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- May 7, Riverwatch 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Practice Vretta
Our Grade 6 and 9 teachers have started to use Vretta to practice tests in advance for the Provincial Assessment Tests. Practice will create a sense of familiarity with the Vretta platform and all its functions that support a student's work (e.g., navigation, spellcheck, and platform tools). You can practice at home using VRETTA!
Subject: Reminder: Payment of Enrichment Course Fees on PowerSchool
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to take a moment to remind you about the payment of school fees related to the Enrichment courses offered at our school. These fees contribute to the resources and materials necessary to provide enriching learning experiences for our students. Ensuring that these fees are paid in a timely manner helps us to maintain the quality of our Enrichment program and ensure that all students can benefit from these valuable opportunities. If you have not already done so, please log in to your PowerSchool account to review and complete the payment for your child's Enrichment courses. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions about the payment process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our school office for assistance. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated, as it allows us to continue offering a diverse range of enriching experiences for our students.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community.
Best regards,
Sebastien Picard
Principal
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.
Music Notes
Congratulations to all band 7/8/9 students on their successful performances at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival. I am so proud of the hard work everyone put into their performances. And thank you to the parents who came and helped with this, as well as again the band camps. Without your support, we couldn’t do this!
Stay tuned for our end of the year concert date and the start up again of morning practices. Next week will just be regular classes, and the week of May 13, we will get back at it.
Jacquie Baird, Band Director
Hello Branton Families
The Parent Fundraising Association at Branton is having a Spring Plant Sale Fundraiser just in time for warmer weather. A large portion of the sale of each item goes to the Parent Fundraising Association which allows the council to fund activities and support the children at Branton.
Please place your order by May 8. Please be ready to pick up your order on Thursday May 23 between (pick up times will be confirmed by May 21)
Please come to the parking lot at the back of the school and the volunteers will help you claim and load your order. If a student wants to start their own personal fundraiser please see Mr. Casper to get added. Thank you for your support.
Support our fundraiser by purchasing beautiful flowers, succulents, herbs, veggies, and more! Perfect for any home garden or patio.
May Dates of Significance
- Asian Heritage Month, May 2024
- CDN Jewish Heritage, Month, May 2024
- Mental Health Week, May 6 - May 12
- Bear Witness Day, (Jordan’s Principle) May 10
- Moose Hide Campaign Day, May 12
Enrichment Selection Forms
Grade 6, 7, and 8 students received their Enrichment Selection forms on Thursday, May 2. If your child was absent, please have them get the form from their homeroom teacher. Forms are due no later than Friday, May 10. Please help to remind your child to get their form in on time to avoid disappointment.
Should you have any questions about the selection process or about the classes in general, please email Mrs. Rustad (bcrustad@cbe.ab.ca) or Mrs. Baird (jlbaird@cbe.ab.ca). Classes will be given to students on the first day back next year.
Lates and Absences
Please note that when leaving a message regarding a student absence or late, time does not permit us to check the branton@cbe.ab.ca for emails. To ensure we receive a message in a timely matter, please contact the Attendance Line 403-777-7440 ext 5000 and leave a clear message stating your child’s name and reason for the absence or late. The Attendance line is the first thing we check in the mornings and the most accurate way we can track attendance. The phone call for attendance goes out between 9 AM at 9:15 AM and the safety of your child is most important to us. Thank you.
Wednesday May 8 Fun Lunch
Order using Healthy Hunger!
Important! 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 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (MAY 6) (MONDAY)
- Mr. Abbott with 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (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) 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 3 MAY 6 (MONDAY) Mr. Abbott (crabbott@cbe.ab.ca) 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and 9:00 - 6:00 PM 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: Treering
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.
Mulitmedia - David Farrell
The City of Calgary Minecraft Challenge has come to a close, and our Multimedia enrichment students came up with many great ideas for it that were thoughtful about sustainability, accessibility, and equity in public spaces. Some of their awesome designs can be seen below. Extra congratulations to Zoe and Matthias & Rhys for their Haultain Park and Green Line train station submissions, which will be competing in the next round of judging by the City of Calgary panelists!
