Marion Carson School
5225 Varsity Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T3A 1A7
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b241/
t | 403-777-6050 f | 403-777-6053 | [email protected]
Newsletter | January 2017
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
What a treat it was to see our students in their performance of Moose on the Loose and other
musical pieces. I was especially pleased with the confidence and poise of our caste and chorus
as they shared their talents with family and friends. Thanks to all of our students who spent a
great deal of time learning the songs and to the cast for learning their lines over the last several
weeks. A big thank you must go to Ms. Draper and her amazing ability to bring out the best in our
students. Also thank you to our teachers and student teachers who spent a great deal of time
auditioning and practicing with students. As well, Mrs. Schimpf must be recognized for her
contributions to organize caste, props and stage set. The students and staff in Mrs. Sutor’s class
and Mr. Roger’s class need to be recognized for their building of the sets. Costumes would not
have been the same without the talents of Mrs. Joy and Mrs. Balobina, two of our education
assistants.
At this time it is also important that we recognize the contributions of our families for their
generous giving during the Week of Giving and the Cheque Writing Campaign. Your support
makes our school a better place and teaches our students strong citizenship skills.
The kindergarten registration start date is on January 9, 2017. If you know of friends and
neighbours with small children in Varsity community, please tell them about this important date.
Remember that we place students in our Regular English a.m. and p.m. kindergarten classes on a
first come first served basis. The Mandarin Bilingual program registrations will be determined by
lottery. Our space is limited and as a result we need to make sure we only admit a certain
number of students. We will be accepting applications for the Mandarin Bilingual registrations
from January 9 to 12:00 p.m. March 14. Morning or afternoon kindergarten for the Mandarin
Bilingual Program is based on transportation and what neighbourhood’s children will be coming
from. Please read the Lottery Information for Parents webpage
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/registration/registration/Pages/Lottery-Information-for-Parents.aspx for more
details about the lottery process.
Report cards will be going out to parents on January 27, 2017. Teachers have been working on
formative assessments and supporting students for some time now and will be compiling them in
the weeks to come through analysis and summation of their thoughts. The look of the report card
will be the same as last year and there will also be assessment marks in the Results column both
January and June.
On behalf of the staff of Marion Carson School, we wish all of our families a warm and happy
holiday season and a pleasant new year.
Sincerely,
David Watson
Marion Carson School
January, 2017
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Kindergarten registration begins for all Calgary Board of Education schools on Monday, January
st
9, 2017. A child who turns four years old on or before March 1 can attend Kindergarten in the fall
of that same calendar year. Kindergarten is an optional program but children must start school in
grade one if they are six years old as of September 1. You will need to provide proof of your
child’s name, date of birth, and citizenship. Only the following documents are accepted:
•
Birth Certificate
•
Canadian Citizenship Certificate
•
Passport
•
Record of Landing
•
Baptismal Certificate
•
Court Order
You will also need to bring two documents that confirm your address (e.g. a driver’s license &
energy bill). Please note: if all documents are not provided your child is not officially registered
and will lose their spot in line should we have limited space. Please note if you’re applying for the
Mandarin Bilingual Program you will need to refer to the web-site for the lottery process
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/registration/registration/Pages/Lottery-Information-for-Parents.aspx. If your
child is not a Canadian citizen, you will need to register at the Admissions Office at Kingsland
Centre. The Admissions Office will register your child into your designated school. Phone 403777-7373 to make an appointment.
Our Kindergarten Open House is on January 5, 2017 at 6:00-7:30 pm.
Kindergarten–Great learning starts here
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/programs/kindergarten/Documents/Kindergarten-Great-Learning-StartsHere.pdf
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING!
Marion Carson's Science Fair Open House will be on Thursday,
February 9, 2017 from 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Move Over Sherlock Holmes, There’s A New COP In The Cottage
This past November and December has been a very busy
month for Cottagers who have been immersed in the
scientific world of Evidence & Investigations. It all
started when a student broke into Mr. Wiedener’s car in
the parking lot and stole his autographed Justin Bieber
Christmas CD. Soon, Cottagers were on the hunt to find
suspects who robbed a safe, and those who stole a car
and then lit it on fire. They learned all about forensics
and enrolled to become junior Detectives for the Calgary
Police Service and worked on solving a crime. This was
followed through with a fieldtrip to YouthLink, the new
Calgary Police Interpretive Centre. Here they also learned
about Drugs, Bullying & Gangs, as well as becoming Street
Smart using a Smart Choices Checklist.
Later, the John Howard Society came out to
engage students with some Criminal Justice Education
where they learned about the father of prison reform, the
Youth Criminal Justice Act and participated in some
interactive scenarios. Another Constable from the Calgary
Police Service came to speak to students about her role as
a detective and walked them through the collection of
evidence and a police interview as they came to terms with
solving a previous crime. Sherlock Holmes may have been the
greatest detective that never lived, and because of their
actions and first hand accounts, Cottagers continue to
experience that, science is a verb!
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
CELEBRATION OF LEARNING
- Save the Date!
All classes will b showing off their learning on January 24, 2017. Parents are invited to join us to
view displays and performances. Included is the celebration of Chinese New Year, Marion Carson
School will be having a boxed Chinese lunch. Each lunch will cost $8 (eight). Each lunch will also
be peanut free, no added MSG, and include 1 spring roll. All the food is being prepared by
Eastern Treasures (2825 32 Avenue Northeast, Calgary, AB T1Y 6J1 (403) 250-8880).
This year our school is hosting a Chinese New Year concert on the evening of January 24th.
SCHOOL BUS MONITOR
A helpful website is available to families to be able to check if their child’s bus is having
issues with getting to stops on time. Please go to www.myschoolbusmonitor.ca/ to find out if your
child’s bus is on time.
There is also a Twitter account available for parents to receive the latest updates
@firststudentyyc
Please remember that parents need to make sure that children are safe at bus stops,
especially on those cold days. Children should be well dressed and parents should stay with their
child until they know the bus is picking them up. A bus will come eventually but it may take a
while in severe weather.
WHAT IS A BLUE DAY?
Marion Carson School is very concerned about the well-being of our students during frigid
weather. At –20° C or colder (including wind chill), our “Blue Day” sign is posted in the window of
both school entrances and students are asked to come into the school when they arrive and
remain inside during morning and lunch recesses. We use the Environment Canada, Weather
Network and City of Calgary Websites to check the weather. For days warmer than –20° C, make
sure that you send your children with clothes that are warm enough for them to play outside for
one half hour.
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY
The cold, windy weather has already shown itself and will be with us on occasion for some time
yet. Parents/guardians are strongly cautioned as to the following:
• Children should be well prepared for extreme cold and not left unattended at bus
stops for any period of time, under any circumstances.
• Parents/guardians should provide alternate arrangements for their child(ren) that provide
timely shelter, if required (i.e.: a neighbour who will be at home during the day).
• If parents/guardians cannot ensure the safety of their children to and from school, the
child should be kept at home or other arrangements made for the daily supervision of the
child.
• All CBE schools will remain open to provide a safe, warm and secure environment for
attending students.
The CBE and its chartered bus carriers always monitor the weather for developments and will
keep parents/guardians and media informed of any decisions.
TOO COLD TO PATROL
If the temperature is below -20o C, patrollers do not go on duty. If it is a “Blue Day” there
will not be safety patrols.
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Organized Intramural activities will start in January. Students in Grades 1-6 are able to drop into
the gymnasium from 12:30-1:00 pm and participate in floor hockey, ringette and large gym games.
Students who are in the walk zone and normally go home for lunch are able to bring their lunch
and eat without supervision cost in their classrooms on their designated intramural day (see
monthly calendar).
The Grade 4 Recycle Club, School Safety Patrols, Student Announcers, and Office Monitors will
continue on through January.
Please see the monthly calendar for the specific date and times when all the above
activities/groups will meet. Thank you to all the teachers and support staff who are giving their
own time to organize these extra-curricular activities.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The Special Events committee would like to thank everybody who donated cookies and other
baking on December 13th. The tea and bake sale was a great success!
All the kids had the opportunity to buy 2 of your delicious cookies or treats. Thank you all for your
support!
WEEK OF GIVING
Thank you to all the participants in the Week of Giving. We received an incredible amount of
donations this year, about 3 SUV’s worth of donated items. Plus approximately $2000 in cash was
received and donated to the Mustard Seed. Large or small, all the donations will be greatly
appreciated.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
Our school is hosting our winter Scholastic Book Fair the week of January
31-February 3, 2017. A notice will be sent home with students regarding
specific hours.
Teachers will book times for their classes during school hours for
previewing and purchasing. Students will be allowed to purchase outside
their class booked times with permission from their teachers.
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
Late Immersion Information
Evening
for
Grade 6 Parents / Students
Thursday, February 2, 2017
7 p. m. at Branton in the Gym
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
VARSITY PRESCHOOL
Ages: 3 and 4 year olds
School Term 2017-2018
3 year old by end of October 2017
4 year old by end of February 2018
Varsity Community Center
4303 Varsity Dr.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
OPEN HOUSE 10:00-2:00
Registration Starts 12:00-2:00
Alumni/Current families start Registration Tuesday Feb. 21, 2017
For more information contact:
Joanne Nickerson
403 247 1145
[email protected]
www.varsitycommunityassociation.ca
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
PRE-KINDERGARTEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES INC.
Registration Information for Fall 2017-2018
Operating two programs at Marion Carson School Fall 2017.
• Pre-Kindergarten for 4 year olds (turn 4 by March 1, 2018)
• Kindergarten Enhancement and K - Out of School Care
January 2017 News
Welcome back to school and Happy New Year! We have settled in nicely to our new classroom on
the lower level! Stop by and say hello!
Our wintry January themes are “Winter Wonderland”, “Valentine’s Day”, “Dinosaurs”, and an
enhancement of our early literacy journey with a study of “Famous Authors”. We look forward to a
visit from Mad Science and an Outdoor Snow Play Day if the weather cooperates!
Happy Chinese New Year will be ringing in our classroom during the last week of January!
We welcome Ms. Ping Cheng to our Out of School Care program!
th
Pre-Registration for Marion Carson families during the week of January 16-20 .
Drop by the classroom or email the Registrar to register.
th
Open House at Marion Carson for Fall 2017: February 6 from 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
st
General Registration at Marion Carson for Fall 2017: March 1 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
PRE-KINDERGARTEN (Pre-K) at Marion Carson School – must turn 4 by March 1, 2018
Please visit the website for class options and tuition cost. Pre-K and KE share a classroom.
KINDERGARTEN ENHANCEMENT – PART TIME OR FULL TIME – Classroom opposite
library
PART TIME KINDERGARTEN ENHANCEMENT (KE) - not including Out of School Care
hours
We offer the option for half day Kindergarten students to stay at school for the duration of the
regular school day. This program includes a mid day supervision program and a five half day per
week play based early literacy program operating during regular school hours.
Bussed children will be escorted between the bus and the program.
Operating hours: Same as Marion Carson School’s hours
Tuition: $525.00 / month
FULL TIME KINDERGARTEN ENHANCEMENT (KE – OSC) - including out of school care
hours
This program for half day Kindergarten students includes before school care, mid day supervision,
half day Kindergarten Enhancement program, and after school care.
Operating Hours: 7:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $975.00 / month
Age 3-5 PRE-KINDERGARTEN (Pre-K) at Hope Lutheran Church @ 3527 Boulton Rd. NW
Registrar: (403) 605-2988 [email protected]
Business office: (403) 992-2404 [email protected]
Website: www. Pre-KindergartenEd.com
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Marion Carson School
January, 2017
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chool
January, 2017
MARION CARSON SCHOOL CALENDAR
JANUARY 2017
Monday
2
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
3
CLASSES RESUME
4
*Intramurals Gr 1
5
*Intramurals Gr 2
*6-7:30PM
Kindergarten
Presentation and Open
House
6
*Intramurals Gr 3
*Gr. 6 Author Visit –
Cathy Beveridge (910:30am & 10:4512:15pm)
9
*Kindergarten
Registration begins
10
11
*Intramurals Gr 4
12
*Branton Gr. 6
Presentation @ 1:30pm
13
*Fun Lunch
16
*Brick for Kids
17
*Intramurals Gr 5
*School Council
Meeting 7pm
18
*Lunch Lady
*Intramurals Gr 6
19
*Intramurals Gr 1
20
*Intramurals Gr 2
23
*Brick for Kids
24
*Celebration of
Learning CNY
Lunch.
25
*Lunch Lady
*Intramurals Gr 3
26
*Intramurals Gr 4
27
*Intramurals Gr 5
*Report Cards go
home
Winter Break
NO SCHOOL
*Chinese New Year
Concert 7:00-8:00pm
30
*Brick for Kids
*Intramurals Gr 6
*Scholastic Bookfair
in Library
31
Upcoming FEBRUARY dates:
Feb 1-3 *Scholastic Bookfair in Library
2
*Parent conference 4:00-8:00pm
3
*Parent conference 8:00-1:00pm– No School
9
*Science Fair
10
*Fun Lunch
13-15 *Staff Appreciation
15
*Lunch Lady
16-17
20
21
22
23
*Staff Convention – No School
*Family Day – No School
*Parent Council 7:00pm
*Gr. 5 Blue Flame@Atco (Rodger) 9-1:30pm
*Gr. 5 Science Centre (Sutor) 9-2:30pm
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