Important Dates
- Monday, September 29 – No school; Non-instruction day
- Tuesday, September 30 – No school; National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Wednesday, October 1 – Fun Lunch
- Friday, October 3 – Patrol Training 12:15-1:00 PM (Grade 5/6 patrollers)
- Sunday, October 5 – World Teachers’ Day
- Monday, October 6 – 17 – Student teachers observing
- Thursday, October 9 – Communities
- Tuesday, October 13 – No school: Thanksgiving Day
- Wednesday, October 15 – Grade 5/6 students to Wordfest
- Thursday, October 16 – Blanket Exercise, 6:00 PM (RSVP required)
- Monday, October 20 – No School; non-instructional day and Election Day
- Tuesday, October 21 – Elder Saa’kokoto visit; School Council 6:30 PM
- Wednesday, October 22 – Picture retakes
- Thursday, October 23 – Grades 3/4 to Jack Singer
- Thursday, October 30 – Halloween Dance, 6:00-7:30 PM; kindergarten costume parade
- Friday, October 31 – Halloween/Orange & Black Day/costume parade
Dear Belfast Families,
We would like to remind all of our families that it is a long weekend for students. There is no school for students on Monday (non-instructional day) or Tuesday (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation). We will see you all on Wednesday!
Follow us on Instagram @BelfastSchoolcbe
If you do not see your child on Instagram and would like to, please complete the annual authorization form on MyCBE.
Patrol Training – Grade 5/ 6 Students
Grade 5 and 6 students that are interested in patrolling this year are required to attend patrol training on Friday, October 3 from 12:15-1:00 PM. Mr. Ursenbach has sent home expression of interest forms to interested students. If you have any questions about patrols, please reach out to him at djursenbach@cbe.ab.ca
Demographic Forms Overdue
If you did not complete the annual School Demographic Form for your child through MyCBE, please note it was due September 15. We have 33 students without updated forms at Belfast, and would like to remind families to complete those forms ASAP. Shelley can help you in the main office if you have any questions.
Student Teachers at Belfast
We are pleased to welcome seven pre-service teachers to Belfast, from October 6 – 17, as they observe classes as part of their first year of the education program. In November, we will welcome three pre-service teachers who will be teaching with our staff throughout the remainder of the school year. If your children are talking about the “new teachers”, this is who they are referencing!
Reminder: 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: 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.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have anything you would like to share.
Have a wonderful LONG weekend,
Meagan Lundgren
Principal