Dear Belfast Families, 

What a great start to the 2023-2024 school year! Our staff worked very hard last week to get everything ready, and it showed: the first two days of school have been very organized and engaging. Although the weather didn’t cooperate, we were pleased to see so many families come out for our annual Chalk the Walk on Wednesday – thank you for braving the rain!  

I LOVED seeing our returning students on Thursday morning: the hugs and the smiles were a powerful reminder of the significant role school plays in a child’s life.  Another highlight from this week was welcoming all of our new students and their families – it was wonderful to see how comfortable the students felt and how warmly they were embraced by our Belfast community. 

I would like to thank our new School Council co-chairs, Kim and Robin, for providing coffee for our parents the first day.  Having families gathered together and visiting within the opening minutes of the new school year was fantastic, and really set a welcoming and inviting tone.  

We encourage all our families to follow our school’s Instagram account (@BelfastSchoolcbe) and visit our school website to see pictures from the week.  This week, we have highlighted all of our Belfast staff, so please have a look!  

Long Weekend Reminder & Kinder Staggered Entry 

We would like to remind our families that there is no school on Monday, as it is the Labour Day holiday. We will see everyone on Tuesday, September 5. We would like to remind our kindergarten parents that kindergarten has a staggered entry on Tuesday: 9:00-10:15 & 10:30-11:45, just like this past week.  

Bus Zone 

For the first time in recent Belfast history, we have students who are bussed to school. We currently only have one bus right now, but expect more to be added as Ms. Hutchison’s 4, 5, and 6 class grows. We will have pylons out before and after school to block off the bus zone, and ask families to respect those designated spaces. 

Welcome Back BBQ on Thursday, September 7, 5:00-7:00 

We invite all of our Belfast families to come to our Welcome Back BBQ and get to know one another and our school staff.  Families are encouraged to bring their own picnic blanket and enjoy a relaxed evening outside. The best news?  You don’t have to worry about dinner, as our staff will be serving all beef, Halal, and veggie hotdogs, chips, drinks, and dessert.  Adults can relax and visit, children can run around and play, and we will all continue to build that strong sense of community that Belfast is known for.  

*If the weather does not cooperate, we will keep the date and simply move the event inside. 

Welcome Back BBQ Form: Due Tuesday! 

PLEASE return the paper form that was sent home today on Tuesday so that we can purchase an appropriate amount of food. We do not want to run out of food, or waste food, so your timely communication is appreciated! 

LEAD Program Expanding 

The system demand for the LEAD program continues to grow, and we will get to open our second LEAD class soon! We are in the process of interviewing and hiring a new LEAD teacher and ELL Assistant. We have really enjoyed welcoming our new students and families to Belfast, and we are pleased that this second class will open faster than anticipated.  

As a reminder, students in LEAD are in Grades 4-6, are new to Canada, have little to no English, and have had minimal to no formal schooling in their home country. We will be having a school-wide assembly next week to share the beauty of the LEAD program with our students in the regular program. LEAD is a very important and beneficial program, and Belfast is incredibly lucky to have LEAD as part of our school community.  

School Council: Tuesday, September 19, 6:30  

Our first School Council meeting of the year will be in-person at the school on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:30. Please note the new date, as a different day was previously communicated.  

All families are invited to attend to learn more about your child’s school and have your say in decision making. We hope to see you there!  

Posting your Child’s Work or Image 

We love to post student work and pictures – both at the school and on our Instagram page. Parents give permission for their child to either be included or not the annual authorization form on SchoolEngage. We will be sending out more information about these forms next week – stay tuned!   

Let’s Create an Opera! 

Along with Connaught and Panorama Hills, Belfast was selected by Calgary Opera to receive a year-long residency. Throughout the school year, students will create, rehearse, and perform their very own opera! This is a whole school, year-long event that will culminate in performances in June. We will keep you all updated on the opera and let you know how families can get involved, so stay tuned!  

Reminder: Meet the Teacher, September 21 6:00-7:30 

Unlike previous years, we will not be having formal conferences in September; with only a few weeks under our belts, those conferences are not always the most beneficial.  Instead of parent conferences, we will be hosting a Meet the Teacher/Open House on September 21.  Families will come into the school and classroom and see the learning that has taken place over the first few weeks of school.  We will also have a book fair running that week, and Ms. Barrowcliff will be at the school to process book orders.  Stay tuned for more information about Meet the Teacher night.   

Important Dates  

Monday, September 4 – Labour Day (no school) 

Tuesday, September 5 – Kindergarten staggered entry; return BBQ form  

Thursday, September 7 – Family Welcome Back BBQ, 5:00-7:00  

Monday, September 18 – Book Fair begins 

Thursday, September 21 – Terry Fox Run; Book Fair ends in the evening; Meet the Teacher night 

Friday, September 22 – PD Day (no school) 

 

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have anything you would like to share.   

Have a wonderful weekend, 

Meagan Lundgren 

Principal 

Belfast School