Important Dates
Monday, September 22 – Picture Day
Monday, September 22 – Treaty 7 Day
Thursday, September 25 – No School for kindergarten; Meet the Teacher 6:00-7:30
Friday, September 26 – Orange Shirt Day at schools
Monday, September 29 – No school; Non-Instructional Day
Tuesday, September 30 – No school; National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Tuesday, October 13 – No School: Thanksgiving Day
Monday, October 20 – No School; Non-Instructional Day and Election Day
Thursday, October 30 – Halloween Dance
Dear Belfast Families
Thank you to all the parents who came out to School Council this week – your collaboration and care make Belfast an amazing place to teach and learn! The Council is looking to fill some full-time positions, and they are looking for volunteers for the Halloween Dance – if you are interested in hearing more, please reach out!
This week all Belfast students worked hard to learn skills and rules for Aussie Rules football from our residency, Aus kick. Thank you to the Belfast Fundraising Society and School Council for funding our Phys Ed residencies.
Students have the opportunity to continue their learning of Aussie Rules Football through an after school program on Mondays on our own school field. Please use this link to sign up. Aussie Rules at Belfast School Field.
Next week is our yearly Meet the Teacher event. This is an opportunity for you to see your child’s classroom, look at some of the learning that has taken place, and connect face-to-face with teachers. We will have popcorn for sale for $1 per bag, with all proceeds going to school initiatives that help to build community.
Follow us on Instagram!
If you do not see your child on Instagram and would like to, please complete the annual authorization form on MyCBE.
Picture Day!
Monday, Sep 22 is picture day at Belfast School – we can’t wait to see all the students' bright smiles!
Recycle your Drink Containers at Belfast – Recycle for Life Bin
Belfast School and School Council have partnered with Recycle for Life for drink container recycling. There is now a bin in the staff parking lot and families are encouraged to drop off empty and bagged drink containers. Both Belfast Fundraising Society and Kidsport will receive a monthly cheque based on the donated recycling.
Reminder: Healthy Hunger Fun Lunches
We have partnered with Healthy Hunger again this year to offer a monthly Fun Lunch to our Grades 1-6 students and those kindergartners who attend Belfast Student Care. If parents wish, they can go onto the Healthy Hunger website and order their child a special lunch. The lunches are delivered to the school and distributed by parent and student volunteers.
This year, our Fun Lunches are:
Oct 1 (Subway), Nov 5 (McDonalds), Dec 12 (Tim Hortons -Friday donut day), Jan 7(Spolumbos), Feb 11 (Edo), Mar 11 (Mary Brown’s), Apr 8 (Coco Brooks Pizza), May 6 (Jugo Juice), June 12 (Tim Hortons -Friday donut day)
Reminder: Truth & Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day
This year, schools will recognize Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 26. When our students and staff wear orange, they show everyone that they know the history and ongoing intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools on Indigenous peoples. All students will be learning about Truth and Reconciliation throughout the school, with a particular emphasis over the next few weeks. We encourage all families to talk to your children about what they are learning, as often our children are the ones who can help us unlearn and relearn the history of our country. If parents want to learn more, the Blanket Exercise is a wonderful starting point...
Reminder: Blanket Exercise | October 16, 6:00 PM
I will be leading a Blanket Exercise for any interested adults who want to attend. The Blanket Exercise is used to “build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land, and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy” (Kairos).
It is the story of Canada that many adults did not learn in school, and covers topics like the Indian Act, Residential Schools, and the Sixties Scoop. The exercise is interactive, and as it covers heavy topics, there will be a circle and optional smudge to end the evening in a good way.
If you have any questions, you can read more about what to expect here.
An RSVP is required to prepare, so please email me at mllundgren@cbe.ab.ca if you can make it or want to know more.
Reminder: New Bus & Parking Signage
To accommodate our new accessible bus, all signage in front of the school will be adjusted in the upcoming days. Parents, please pay attention to accessible bus signs, loading only, and no stopping signs.