Dear Evergreen Families,
What a wonderful first week back at Evergreen School! Our halls have been filled with the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm of students reconnecting with friends, meeting new classmates, and beginning another year of learning together.
During our first week, students across all grade levels have been spending time learning and practising the routines and expectations that help our school run smoothly and safely. Classes have been exploring what it means to be respectful, responsible, and caring members of our school community—from how we move through the hallways and use shared spaces, to expectations in classrooms, the gymnasium, bathrooms, and playground.
Teachers and students have also been engaging in team-building and community-building activities designed to help students get to know one another, build connections, and feel a sense of belonging in their classrooms and throughout the school. These early opportunities to connect are an important part of creating classrooms where every student feels welcomed, valued, and included.
The beginning of a new school year is about much more than academics. It is about building relationships, establishing a strong sense of belonging, and creating a caring and inclusive community where everyone can learn and thrive. We are proud of the way our students and staff have embraced our Evergreen values and look forward to all that this year will bring!
Welcome back, Evergreen. We are so glad you are here!
UPDATES AND INFORMATION
Evergreen Parent Advisory Council Meeting: The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a small group of parent volunteers that work with the principal to discuss and vote on what the casino fundraising dollars should be spent on. The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is separate from school council. They only meet 2-3 times per school year, including the Annual General Meeting in May. PAC’s first meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, September 9th at 5:15pm before the 6:00pm School Council meeting. We invite all families to join the meeting and look forward to meeting some new faces.
Evergreen School Council Meeting: One of the most important ways parents/guardians and community members can make a meaningful difference for students is by participating on the school council. Under the School Act, a school council is a collective association designed to advise the principal and the CBE Board of Trustees on matters related to the school. School councils have legislated advisory and decision-making authority. Our first School Council meeting of the year is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9th at 6:00pm. We invite all families to join the meeting and look forward to meeting some new faces.
Open House: We invite you to meet your child’s teacher and see their classroom on Thursday, September 17th from 3:30pm-5:00pm. This is an optional and informal drop-in time for those interested students and families. Feel free to stop by anytime between 3:30-5:00pm. The open house is not designed for families to have specific conversations regarding their student. If you have more detailed questions about your student’s current learning or want to share information with the teacher about your student’s learning needs, please reach out to their teacher through email to set up a phone conversation or in-person meeting.
Physical Education Weekly Update: It was wonderful to have the students back in the gym this week! Their energy and enthusiasm for physical activity is electric. We jumped right into reviewing our PE rules, expectations, and gym routines. We also played a few cooperative games to help everyone get to know each other.
The 3 R’s of the Gym
Please ask your child what the 3 R’s mean in physical education. Here is a quick breakdown of what we discussed:
- Respect Yourself: Stay on your feet, try your best, have fun, and always wear proper footwear (no sandals).
- Respect Others: Do not interrupt, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and keep your hands and feet to yourself.
- Respect this Place: Do not touch gym equipment without permission and take care of our equipment and gym.
We have a lot of exciting activities planned for this school year! Our very first whole-school fundraising activity will be the Terry Fox Run on Monday, September 21st. Keep an eye out for more detailed information coming your way next week.
-Mrs. Paterson, Physical Education Teacher
Live from the Music Room: This week we began Music classes for the year with some engaging activities. Our older grades (grades 3-5) learned what an Ostinato is - ask them and see if they remember! Students in grades 2-5 were learning about different musical notes and beats, with our 3's and 4's creating their own rhythm songs. Our K's and 1's were singing, moving to rhythms, and playing percussion instruments. All of our classes were learning the expectations for a successful Music classroom. Music is off to a strong start!
-Mr. Cohen, Music Teacher
Student Personal Mobile Devices Regulation: We also recognize that many families choose to have their child carry a cell phone or other device for safety and communication purposes while travelling to and from school, particularly when students walk, bike, take public transportation, or travel independently. We understand and respect the reassurance that a device can provide to both students and families outside of school hours.
Families are reminded that, in alignment with Alberta legislation, personal mobile devices (including cell phones, smartwatches, and similar devices) are not permitted for student use during the school day. This is outlined in the CBE Administrative Regulation 6008 – Student Personal Mobile Devices. This legislation is in place to support student focus, well-being, and a positive learning environment. As a school, we are required to follow and consistently enforce this expectation.
Students who bring a personal device to school must keep it powered off and stored away for the duration of the school day, unless specific accommodations have been approved by the school. This includes devices such as cell phones and smartwatches. Students can continue to access the school office if they need to contact a parent or caregiver during the school day, and families can contact the school if they need to reach their child.
We appreciate your continued support in reinforcing this expectation with your child. Working together helps ensure a calm, focused, and safe learning environment for all students.
If you have questions or require clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.
Students who bring a personal device to school must keep it powered off and stored away for the duration of the school day, unless specific accommodations have been approved by the school. We appreciate your continued support in reinforcing this expectation with your child. Working together helps ensure a calm, focused, and safe learning environment for all students.
If you have questions or require clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.
SchoolMessenger is our mass communication tool. It is used by teachers, schools and Communications & Engagement Services. It is used to effectively send messages to parents, legal guardians or independent students, by phone, email or SMS (text message)
Why We Use SchoolMessenger
- Consistency for parents
- Consistency for staff
- Fully integrated with PowerSchool
- Meets Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) requirements
- Sends email, phone and text/SMS message
- Allows system-wide communication with targeted parent groups, when appropriate (e.g. all parents, all grade three parents, all parents of Regular Program students, etc.)
- Maintains message records
- Is fast, easy and straightforward for schools to use
- Offers extensive user support
SchoolMessenger Mobile App
The SchoolMessenger app is available for staff to send messages.
- It works on iOS (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) and Android devices.
- It does not work on Blackberries.
- It's free.
- To send messages, you must already have your recipient lists saved. You cannot create lists within the app.
- It’s available on the App Store or Google Play.
- Choose the App called “SchoolMessenger.”
- It should not say InfoCentre or IC (IC is the parent version, which we are NOT promoting).
App Sign In & Sign Out
Use your usual CBE username and password to login.
- Your customer ID is Calgary
Be careful: It contains confidential data. Always log out when you’re done.
Per AR 1061, staff can only access confidential CBE information on a device that is password-protected and encrypted.
Thank you for taking the time to read through all this important information. We realize there is a lot of information to process! 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!