Dear DGS Families, 

Living in Calgary means deciding whether or not Spring has truly arrived is often a gamble. Right around May 1, we start moving classes outside when we can, using more of our outdoor classroom spaces and taking our students to different walkable destinations in our community. We look forward to being a part of keeping our community clean, and you might see us on an outing using our set of garbage grabbers to care for the land around us.   

Bikes, Scooters, Skateboards 

We love seeing students return to riding their bikes, scooters and skateboards to and from school. Please send your child with a sturdy lock to lock their bike, scooter or skateboard up each day. We have locking outdoor skateboard and scooter racks as well, and these racks are the only place scooters and skateboards can be stored. These items cannot be stored in lockers, classrooms or the main office. When locking a scooter to the racks with a bike lock, it’s important for the lock to be would around the rack several times and/or through one of the scooter wheels. Families also need to provide their child with a helmet suitable to the activity. It’s also a good time to remind families to register your child’s bike at https://bikeindex.org/, which is used by CPS in the recovery of stolen bicycles. Should your child’s bike or other property be stolen from any location, report it online at https://www.calgary.ca/cps/report-a-crime.html.  Please note that the school and by extension the CBE is not responsible for theft or loss of personal property and use of bike and skateboard racks is at individual risk. 

Middle School Joint Jazz Concert 

Dr. George Stanley’s Jazz Band will be hosting a Jazz Night on May 7 at 6:30 pm, along with Dr. Martha Cohen’s Jazz Band and Samuel W. Shaw’s Jazz Band. Poster below. 

Celebrating our Support Staff 

Last week was officially Support Staff Appreciation Week- this message was inadvertently left out of the April 24 Principal’s Message. Our Support Staff are an integral part of our success each and every day at DGS. I would like to take a moment to thank the following outstanding humans who are very, very important to us:   

Ms. Teresa Ardelan, Administrative Secretary 

Ms. Chelsey Webster, Secretary 

Ms. Michelle Tremblay, Bookkeeper 

Ms. Leigha McNelly, Library Assistant 

Ms. Melanie Matjasic, Education Assistant 

Ms. Patricia Derosier, Education Assistant 

Ms. Milly Baldock, Education Assistant 

Ms. Dawn Koltusky, Lunch Supervisor 

Ms. Hannah Engel, Lunch Supervisor 

Mr. Bert Zhai, Facilities 

Mr. Danilo Estelita, Facilities 

Ms. Jocelyn Santos, Facilities 

Ms. Sharon Sui, Facilities 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

Literacy Afternoon 

What/When: 

Grade 6-9 Humanities teachers are looking to welcome students and parents/guardians on May 10th from 2-4pm to view ongoing work exploring the conceptual question: “What influences change?” 

This question has been a collaborative effort of the Literacy Professional Learning Community this year and has been taken up in each grade level according to the specific Programs of Studies and individualized vocabulary targets determined by each grade level.  

Why: 

Every two weeks, the grade 6-9 teachers belonging to the Literacy cohort have met to build students’ capacity to understand and apply academic language as one of our ongoing goals to increase student comprehension in all core subject areas related to reading, writing, and speaking. Academic language is defined as “the specialized words and phrases that are commonly used within academic settings such as classrooms, higher level fiction, scholarly articles, and educational discussions. These terms are typically more formal, precise, and specific than everyday language and are essential for understanding and communicating effectively within instructional contexts.” 

Although each grade approached the same conceptual question each grade targeted 3 words from their programming to highlight as essential/key. 

The purpose of this event is NOT to serve as a formal interview, but rather to invite students to speak to the ongoing work that is occurring in the classroom, highlighting the (beautifully chaotic) process that has been taken to engage in the question and exploration of the academic vocabulary. Parents are welcome to view any/all of the work that grades have produced as a means to visualize how skill development occurs between each grade. 

Where:

Grades 7, 8, and 9 will have tables/spaces upstairs out in the hallway with student work displayed. Grade 6’s will have tables and a space downstairs by the Learning Commons. 

We look forward to seeing you! 

Grade 6-9 Literacy Team 

Provincial Achievement Test Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help with PAT’s. If you are available and have a Valid Police Clearance, please click on the link below to sign-up. 

Possible supports that we might need you for during the exam will be the following: 

• Scribes and Readers  

• Hallway Monitor  

Volunteers will most likely not be staying to the end of the designated time as many students will be finished at this point. 

https://signup.com/go/vtLjKGL 

Important Upcoming Dates    

Tuesday May 7 Joint Jazz Concert 

Friday May 10 Literacy Afternoon 

Monday May 13, 2024 Grade 9 ELA Exam- Part A 

Friday May 17, 2024  Non-Instructional Day (No School for students)  

Monday May 20, 2024  Victoria Day (School Closed)  

I am available to answer questions- csmalette@cbe.ab.ca       

Chantal Malette  

Principal, Dr. George Stanley School