Dear DGS Families,
The sudden dip in temperatures has certainly reminded us that winter has officially arrived. With the colder weather settling in, we ask that students come to school dressed appropriately for the conditions. This includes a warm winter jacket, hats or toques, gloves or mittens, boots, and layers that will help keep them comfortable during arrival, recess, and dismissal.
A reminder of our Blue Day policy: when temperatures reach –20°C or colder (including windchill), students will be provided indoor spaces during recess and lunch. On days like today, when the weather was especially sharp, we also permitted students to enter the school early and wait in the main lobby until supervision began at 8:15 a.m. We will continue to exercise this flexibility when needed to ensure student safety and comfort.
Last month, we shared our School Improvement Results at the School Council meeting, and these results are now available for all families to view online. Overall, we are pleased to see meaningful growth in literacy achievement across the school, with writing showing particularly strong improvement over the past year. In addition, our recent survey results show exceptional gains in the areas of citizenship, belonging and inclusion, education quality, student engagement and parental involvement—reflecting the strength of our school community and the supportive relationships that help our students thrive. We encourage all families to review the full results on our school website to learn more about our progress and next steps communicated in our School Development Plan.
Have a great weekend!
Warm regards,
Chris Keuben
Principal | Dr. George Stanley School
Items in this update:
- Spirit Days
- Reporting a Student Absence
- Lost and Found
- Upcoming dates
- Grade 8 Leadership
- Yearbook Orders
- School Council - Staff Appreciation Potluck Lunch
- Life Touch Appreciation Discount
- Healthy Hunger Lunches
Spirit Days
Next week will include 3 Spirit Days that students can participate in. There will be: Holiday Hat Monday, Holiday Sweater Wednesday and Pajama Friday. Please feel free to participate in as many or as few as you wish.
Reporting a Student Absence
When reporting a student absence, we ask that families email drgeorgestanley@cbe.ab.ca whenever possible. Please include your child’s first and last name, the reason for the absence, and the name of your child’s homeroom teacher.
If you are unable to email, you may call the school and leave a voicemail. However, we kindly ask that you prioritize email, as it is the most efficient and accurate way for our office staff to record absences. This helps improve the timeliness of attendance notifications sent to families.
If you must leave a phone message, please slowly and clearly spell out your child’s first and last name, and include the reason for the absence and your child’s homeroom teacher’s name.
Thank you for helping us maintain accurate and timely attendance records.
Lost and Found
Please remind your child to check the lost and found. There are many items desperate to return home. Any items remaining at the end of the day on Thursday, December 18 will be donated. Parents are also welcome to check for missing items.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, December 15
- Holiday Hat Day
Tuesday, December 16
- Grade 6 WinSport Trip
Wednesday, December 17
- Holiday Sweater Day
- Grade 6 WinSport Trip
Thursday, December 18
- Final day for Toy Mountain
Friday, December 19
- Pajama Day
- Last Day of Classes before Winter Break
Monday, January 5
- First day back from winter break
Friday, January 15
- Grade 9 Vaccinations
Grade 8 Leadership
The Grade 8 Leadership class is organizing a donation drive for Toy Mountain. We invite all students at DGS to bring in donations of new, unwrapped toys, games, puzzles or gift cards. These will be distributed to children throughout the city in hopes of making their holiday season brighter. Donations can be placed under the tree in the front foyer of the school now until December 18.
Candy Cane Grams were a great success! Thanks to families and students for the overwhelming response. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Calgary Food Bank.
Yearbook Orders
The Grade 8 yearbook team has been working hard and is excited to announce that yearbooks are for sale! They are $40.00 each, and the deadline to place your order is February 27, 2026. Orders can be placed by clicking Here. Place your order now to secure a copy for your child.
Congratulations to April C. for winning the yearbook cover contest! Thank you to everyone who participated.
School Council - Staff Appreciation Potluck Lunch
The School Council is excited to organize a Staff Appreciation Potluck Lunch on Friday, December 12 to show our gratitude for all the amazing work the staff at DGS does every day!
We warmly invite parents to contribute by signing up to bring a dish for the lunch. Your support will help make this event special and memorable.
Please use the Sign-Up Genius link to see what’s needed and to add your contribution:
Thank you so much for helping us celebrate our wonderful staff community!
This message will also be shared on the Dr. George Stanley School Council Facebook Page.
Warm regards,
Dr. George Stanley School Council
Life Touch Appreciation Discount
Dear Parents,
As a token of appreciation this holiday season, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!
- 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code 50THANKYOU
- 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code 40THANKYOU
- 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code 30THANKYOU
Valid through December 14, 2025
To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.ca or create an online account.
Thank you!
Terms & Conditions: Offer is only available through December 14, 2025, 11:59pm CST. Use code 50THANKYOU to get 50% off an online purchase of $50 or more. Use code 40THANKYOU to get 40% off an online purchase of $40 or more. Use code 30THANKYOU to get 30% off an online purchase of $30 or more. Not valid for adjustments on prior purchases or after the promotional period, or with any other offer. Products, prices, availability, and offers are subject to change without notice. Shutterfly Lifetouch, LLC has the right to cancel an order due to altered, unauthorized, or ineligible use of discount.
Healthy Hunger Lunches
Orders can be made by clicking HERE!