Thomas B. Riley School
3915 – 69 St. N.W., Calgary, AB T3B 2J9 t | 403-777-7260 f | 403-777-7266 email | [email protected]
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b611
Newsletter | December 2016
Principal Message
Important Dates
December
2 – Non-Instructional
Day
6 – School Council
Meeting 6:30pm
8 – Winter Concert
6:30pm
15 – Locker Clean Out
16 – Spirit Assembly
16 – Last Day of
Classes
January
3 – Classes Resume
10 – School Council
6:30pm
12 – Open House
6:30pm
13 – Non-Instructional
Day
20 – Treat Day
27 – Report Cards Go
Home/End of Term 1
The holidays are just around the corner, but we continue to be busy here at TB Riley
School. In recent weeks students have participated in field trips, volleyball playoffs,
wrestling meets, basketball tryouts, hands-on projects, and more. As I write this, students
in our PE class are having a great time working with “Kung Fu Force” to learn some martial
arts skills. Our entire student body also observed a thoughtful Remembrance Day
assembly on November 10th, largely put together by our talented drama students and staff.
There is much to be proud of here at TBR!
We recently had parent-teacher conferences, and several hundred families were in
attendance to talk with teachers about the learning that is happening in the school. We are
glad that so many parents came, and we appreciated the feedback that several of you have
shared with us in the office about the somewhat more traditional format we took for these
interviews. We anticipate using a similar format for our next round of conferences in
February.
The coming weeks will continue to be busy, with several events taking place such as the
Winter Concert on the evening of Dec. 8th, as well as some holiday celebrations for
students on December 16th, the last day of school before the break. On this day our
students will take part in an assembly to wrap up the fall months and usher in the holidays.
We will also have some festive treats for students to enjoy in the cafeteria that day, as well
as music and celebration as we enjoy a time of community building with one another.
Encourage your child to wear that holiday sweater or tie that is hiding in their closet for this
occasion, for which the dress code will be casual. Cash donations will be accepted to help
cover the costs of the treats, and any money collected in excess of the costs will be
donated to the Calgary Poppy Fund/Veteran’s Food Bank.
On behalf of the staff at Thomas B. Riley School, I would like to extend season’s greetings
and, to those families who celebrate it, a very blessed Christmas! We wish our school
community all the best for the holidays and the New Year, and hope that this time of year
would provide you and your loved ones with the opportunity for reflection, rest, rejuvenation,
and the chance to make precious memories together.
Steven Klukas
School Council Updates
Our next school council and PAC association meeting will be at 6:30p.m. on Tuesday, Dec.
6th. We’re looking forward to hearing an update on the casino that was held by the PAC in
November, as well as other updates from the school and council. Hope to see you there!
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Student Council
We just formed our new student council and we are excited to begin! The initial meeting
will include everyone getting to know who they will be with this year helping to steer some
of T. B. Riley’s activities. Primary and secondary homeroom representatives were chosen
by each homeroom to attend meetings and bring ideas and questions back to their fellow
peers. We will begin with ideas about themes days and (non-sport) intramural ideas.
Students will also be encouraged to get involved in the planning of events. We also hope to
also encourage the development community ties with others around us. Here’s to a great
year!
Help T.B. Riley Raise Money
Mention T.B Riley when you shop at The Bownesian Grocer, and they will make a donation
to the school! Just let the cashier know at the time of your purchase. It is at no additional
cost to you. The Bownesian Grocer is donating $10,000 to local organizations throughout
the year. They are located in Bowness along Bowness Road near Esso.
High School Transitions
Believe it or not, we have already been talking with our grade 9 students about the
transition to high school. One resource for grade 9 students is a booklet titled "Get Ready,
Get Set, Go For It." This document contains valuable information about high school
courses and transitions, and we encourage you to take a look at it with your child once they
have received it. Because TB Riley has TLC students from many communities in NW
Calgary, our grade 9 students are designated to several different high schools. If you are
not aware of the designated high school for your child, please visit the CBE webpage at
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/schools/find-a-school/Pages/default.aspx . Each of our CBE high
schools offers excellent programs and has skilled staff members. As was sent to parents in
our weekly update of November 7th, high schools have the following open house dates:
•
Central Memorial – (Performing and Visual Arts Program) – Nov.8 @ 7:00pm
•
Sir Winston Churchill (IB program only) Nov. 16 or Nov. 22 (repeated from Nov. 16)
@5:30pm
•
Bowness High School (Regular Program) - Nov. 30 @ 6:30pm
•
Sir Winston Churchill (Regular Program) - Jan. 19 @ 6:00pm
•
Robert Thirsk High School (Regular Program) - Jan. 19 @ 6:00pm
Remembrance Day
This year’s Remembrance Day assembly took place on Thursday, November 10. Many
students were involved in the creation of the assembly- the grade 9 band, the grade 9
advanced performance drama class, homeroom representatives and the glee club. We
thank all students, staff and parents who were able to join us on this day of Remembrance.
Junior High Leadership Conference
Last month, 13 Raiders attended the Junior High Leadership Conference representing TB
Riley. They learned how to better support students in our school community through
leadership opportunities. Way to go Raiders!
Fine Arts Night
This month, we will be having our fine arts night on Thursday, December 8 at 6:30pm. Our
grade 9 advanced performance drama class will be showcasing their version of a New
Year’s Resolution and their adaptation of The Elves and a Shoemaker which is a story of
kindness and generosity during the holidays.
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Sailing
The sailors are currently learning about sail boats. They have learned common terminology
that they will be hearing and using while on the boat, and are currently learning about the
different types of sail boats. They will be selling baked goods and crafts at the Winter
concert this year to continue to raise funds for their trip. It would be great if you could come
out and support them. There will be lots of yummy treats.
Calgary Youth Science Fair
We have many students this year hoping to participate in the Calgary Youth Science Fair in
April. They are beginning their research and experiments in all kinds of topics; from robotics
to health. With all the projects this year, we will need to have an in-school science fair to
decide the competitors to send to the city fair. We are looking forward to seeing what their
final projects look like.
Let's Talk Science Challenge
It's that time of year again. It’s time to find our teams for the 2107 Let's Talk Science
Challenge. This is a quiz show style competition with a design challenge. It is open to grade
7 and 8 students. Last year, our top team got first place! We are hoping for another strong
year. This is great for students who want to learn more about math and science, as there is
a lot of extra studying. It's an opportunity to learn a lot more outside of classes. Our
information meeting is Thursday Dec 1 at lunch for any interested students.
Raider Athletics
Basketball
Basketball tryouts were held the week of November 28 - December 1 for both boys and
girls basketball teams. Thank you to all of those students who tried out. The senior teams
will kick off their seasons with exhibition games on January 4 and 5 at Nose Creek School.
The boys and girls junior teams will start their seasons the week of January 9.
Music Program
It is that time of year again so let the festive spirit come alive! We would like to cordially
invite you to the annual Thomas B. Riley Winter Concert and Fine Arts Night Thursday,
December 8th at 6:30pm. This event was developed to showcase all the artistic talent that
is within the school.
It's going to be a great night, and a great way to start off the festive season. We are
excited to see you all there.
Drama Production
This month, rehearsals continue for the Drama Production. We have one rehearsal on
Friday, December 9 from 2:45-4pm. Cast members are asked to be off-book for this
rehearsal. Over winter break, all cast members are to continue to MEMORIZE their lines
for rehearsals in the New Year.
French News
Bonjour tout le monde!
In French this fall, we have been working on our first module. We are now at the end of the
module and we have started to post our learning (written & audio files) on our Site on
Google. Please ask your child to show case his or her learning to you. This work will
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determine their January report card mark. Your child should also keep track of his or her
weekly French practice in their Journal d’apprentissage also on their Google Site.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or
concerns.
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année 2017!
Hoodlums of Justice
Thank you Raiders, for an amazing Hat/Casual Day! We fundraised $1029 to support our
Tyler Zeer fund and local charities. We also raised $450 dollars for our Rafiki Bracelet
campaign. We are well on our way to our goal of $5000. Great work Raiders!
We are also organizing a hamper drive to give back to students in our school community.
There is a homeroom challenge based on points and the winner will receive a prize.
Completed hampers will be delivered to students before winter break.
Glee Club
We were very proud to sing at this year's Remembrance Day Ceremony. We sang "Ashes"
by The Kin. A video was sent to The Kin and they enjoyed it so much that they shared it
with their fans on Instagram. We are so proud of the students who worked hard on getting
the song perfect.
Our singers are now working on their Christmas carols and holiday songs. Once again, we
will be caroling to the classes throughout the school and sharing the spirit of the season!
Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah to all!
Pride Club
The TB Riley Pride Club, in support of LGBTQ students, will meet each Wednesday in room
5 at lunch. Pride Club offers a safe, comfortable space for students to discuss issues, gain
access to community resources, and connect with other LGBTQ students in our school.
The club is not exclusive to LGBTQ students; friends and allies are also welcome to attend.
German Club (Deutsch Klub)
Since September we have been holding this club once a week at lunch. Students of any
ability (or completely new to the language) have come and learned some basic words and
phrases to begin speaking German! We have also watched some videos and listened to
some music to become acquainted with some of the culture. This month we learned some
Christmas vocabulary and made decorations. It’s been great fun and I look forward to
continuing it into the New Year! Fröhliche Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue
Jahr!
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CBE Student Night with the Calgary Flames!
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CBE Student Night with the Hitmen!
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Thomas B. Riley School
Teaching Staff – Contact Information
2016-2017
Name
Email Address
Ms. Jennifer Bailey
Ms. Melanie Bond
Ms. Hanna Burger
Mr. Mark Christie
Ms. Sue Cook
Ms. Marie-Andree Drouin
Ms. Soraya Elwenni
Mr. Rudy Flaman
Ms. Suzanne Hall
Ms. Barbara Hare
Ms. Julie Kranjcec
Mr. Michael Kroeker
Ms. Shaunda Lang
Ms. Amberlee McKinnon
Ms. Sandy Merry
Ms. Kyla Murray
Mr. Andrew Parker
Mr. Joel Pendergast
Ms. Karen Riel
Ms. Janet Scott-Gattinger
Mr. Woodrow Shellenberg
Mr. Ian Silsly
Mr. Greg Wilpert
Ms. Roxanne Wilson Brown
Ms. Joanna Zakus
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Voicemail #
3005
3001
3028
3018
3011
3032
3009
3006
3003
3015
3014
3008
3007
3019
3016
3023
3028
3002
3017
3012
3027
3037
3022
3028
3004
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Ongoing Parent Communication
At Thomas B. Riley
Where do I find assignments
rubrics, textbook sections
and other resources used in
class?
Google Drive or D2L
- Each teaching team will use
one or the other platform
Where do I see my child’s
most recent assessment
scores?
Home Logic
https://sirswebapps.cbe.ab.ca/
homelogic/
How will I know if my child is
struggling or excelling
academically or
behaviourally?
Phone calls and e-mails from
staff as necessary
What is my child learning in
class?
Teacher update e-mails every
other week
How can I find a teacher’s
contact information?
School Website – Contact Us
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b611
When can I meet with a
teacher?
There are three scheduled
conference times each year
but call anytime to set up a
meeting!
What is going on around the
school?
Monthly Newsletter
Principal e-mail updates
School Council Meetings
Twitter @TBRileyschool
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