Dear Evergreen Families,
At Evergreen, our school theme this year is “every word tells a story”, a story of identity, history, culture, connection, and belonging. This was especially meaningful as our school community came together to recognize Orange Shirt Day and Truth and Reconciliation through a thoughtful, student-led assembly hosted by our grade 4 students.
Our students used their voices to share stories and learning. We listened to With Our Orange Hearts by Phyllis Webstad, reflected on what it means to matter.
We heard an original poem from our students about the experiences of an Indigenous child at residential school.
Grade 4 Collaborative Poem
Each year in September,
The truck would arrive.
To take away children,
Knowing some wouldn’t survive.
As you climb on the truck,
Your knees start to shake.
And as the truck rolls away,
You heart starts to ache.
You look back at your family,
A tear drops from your eye.
But the truck driver yells,
Don’t you dare cry!
As you wind down the road,
You feel alone and sad.
You arrive at the school,
And all the teachers are mad.
The first thing that happens,
Is they make you change clothes.
It’s almost like jail,
Shivering from head to toes.
The next part is worse,
When they chop off your hair.
Everyone looks the same now,
Which seems so unfair.
To erase the past,
You’re assigned a new name.
You know from that moment,
Things won’t be the same.
You aren’t able to speak,
In the language you know.
They’ve changed you so much,
You’ve never felt so low.
Each day you hope,
You will make it to another.
Crying each night,
Missing your mother.
Graves were dug,
And children never returned.
Their families had questions,
But answers weren’t learned.
As young Canadians,
It’s a story we hear.
But the past stays with us,
Year after year.
We gather each year,
At the end of September.
To support the survivors,
Which help us remember.
The youth will rise up,
And help better our nation.
So wear your orange shirt,
For Truth and Reconciliation.
Our Grade 4 students also sang Charlie by Willie Dunn, telling the story of Chanie Wenjack and reminding us of the importance of remembering and learning from the past.
The words shared during our assembly remind us that stories matter. The words we hear, the words we speak, and the stories we choose to remember can help us build a community grounded in respect, kindness, belonging, and dignity.
We are grateful to our students and staff for creating space to listen, learn, and reflect together. As we continue our journey of Truth and Reconciliation, we will continue to ask:
- Whose stories are we hearing?
- Whose voices are we listening to?
- And how will we use our own words and actions to make sure every person knows they matter?
UPDATES AND INFORMATION
World Teacher’s Day: On October 5th, we celebrate the incredible work our Evergreen teachers do every day. Their passion for teaching, dedication to our students, and commitment to fostering a caring and inclusive learning environment make Evergreen School such a special place. The care, creativity, and patience they bring to our classrooms inspire our students to grow, think critically, and pursue their dreams with confidence.
Thank you for all your hard work, the extra hours, and your unwavering belief in the potential of every student you teach. The impact you're making is felt not only today but for years to come.
Wishing you a wonderful World Teachers' Day. You truly deserve it!
Caregiver’s Support Series:
Physical Education Weekly Update: Our unofficial total for Evergreen’s donations to the Terry Fox Foundation is $1,588! Our in-school donations were almost even with our online donations—what an amazing show of support from our Evergreen community! Way to go, Evergreen!
On the horizon for PE in October: We’ll be continuing to work on our throwing and catching skills, before moving into volleyball activities. We’ll wrap up the month with the Calgary Flames Classroom Crew Ball Hockey program. It’s going to be a fun and active month in PE! -Mrs. Paterson, Physical Education Teacher
Live from the Music Room: We send a shout-out to our Grade 4's for their skilled musical performance at the Orange Shirt Day assembly this past Tuesday; a great way to start off the music week.
Our Kindergartens and Grade 1's continue to learn the music and story of "Peter and the Wolf". They have mimed playing instruments like the violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, as they discover how music helps tell a story. They are hearing how music can sound scary, happy, grumpy or playful, while using their imagination while listening to guess the animals and actions of the story.
Grade 2 classes are learning the "Ta" and "Tee Tee" notes (also known as quarter- and eighth notes). They are learning to sound these notes out in rhythm, write the notes, and assemble these notes together with classmates to create rhythm chants.
Have you ever written your own melody? Our Grade 3's and 4's are doing precisely that. These young musicians are taking the rhythm-songs they previously composed and adding musical notes from the C-major scale to it. They are developing their music-playing skills, and distinguishing between low and high notes, and as they compose and practice their melodies on the xylophone.
Speaking of practicing melodies, the Grade 5's have begun playing classic rock songs on the ukulele. They are learning the fingering to play the essential C-major and A-minor chords, as well as the strumming to turn these chords into songs. Students have played "Bo Diddley" by strumming the C-chord with a notable 1-2-3 / 1-2 rhythm. They also played "Get Up Stand Up" by Bob Marley by strumming the A-minor chord accenting the rhythm on the offbeat, which is characteristic of reggae music. We have lots more musical discoveries to come! -Mr. Cohen, Music Teacher
Volunteer Opportunities:
Fun Lunches Various Dates (Many dates to choose from)
Upcoming Fieldtrips and School Residencies: Prospective volunteers must first register with the school annually. This is done through MyCBE by clicking on the Online Forms and School Registration tab and completing the annual Volunteer Registration form.
Thank you for taking the time to read through all this important information. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at acmcphee@cbe.ab.ca
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!