SPB Oct 11

Stay Informed |

Dear Bronco Family,

This week, we had a Community Outreach Educator from the Calgary Police Discovery Centre (calgarypolicediscoverycentre.com) deliver their Cyber Safety presentation to all our Grade 8 and 9 students. This time, Grade 7 students were not included as the presentation topic was targeted to the older grades. The focus of the presentation was to inform students about the potential dangers online, raising awareness around sharing too much information and how to deal with incidents when students are being contacted by strangers. The key message was for students to keep as much personal information private by using privacy settings and considering the impact of what they share on social media and who can see it. Another topic was the use and misuse of AI and how to deal with situations when students become aware that their information or pictures are being used without their consent. Our Broncos were surprised about the nature of online incidents targeting students and how often they happen. They were encouraged to reach out to their parents and guardians as well as teachers and administrators the moment they feel uncomfortable online and not to hesitate to call the Calgary Police Non-Emergency line (403 266 1234) at any time when they have safety concerns.  

I would like to encourage you to have conversations with your child about how they navigate the online world and what they share and with whom. It is good practice to check your child’s footprint in the digital world and have ongoing conversations about their experiences and concerns. You will find the Calgary Police Discovery Centre’s Cyber Safety Parental Information Guide attached to this email to give you practical tips on how you can support your child.

As a school, we deal with any cyber safety incident immediately as they can impact students’ feeling of safety in school and use all resources available to support students and families who reach out to us.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Sr. Ludwigsen, Principal 

Weekly Schedule

Monday, October 12

All Day

·        No School – Thanksgiving Day

Tuesday, October 13

At lunch

·        Student Council Meeting | Room 7 | 12:00 – 12:25 PM

·        Basketball Intramural Tournament | Grade 8 | Main Gym

After School

·        Boys Basketball practice from 3:00 to 4:15pm

·        Boys Soccer Practice @ Triwood 3:15-4:30pm

·        Grade 8 Band Clinicians | 3:05 – 4:45 | Band Room | Mandatory

·        Girls Soccer Game - Away @ Twelve Mile Coulee School | 4:30-5:45pm

Wednesday, October 14

Before School

·        Senior Boys Basketball practice 7:00-8:15 am

Lunch

·        Basketball Intramurals Tournament | Grade 7 | Main Gym

After School

·        Spanish Club in room 12 3:05-4:00 pm

·        Boys Soccer Home Game vs Arbour Lake. 4:30 pm

·        Girls Soccer Practice @ Triwood Field | 3:15-4:30pm

Thursday, October 15

Before School

·        Senior Girls Basketball practice 7:15-8:15 am

·        Collingwood Visit — Day 2 Leadership Students: Please meet at the blue benches at 8:00 a.m.

At lunch

·        No Sports Club this week – we will meet next week!

·        Basketball Intramural Tournament | Grades 9 | Main Gym

·        Strings Club in the Band Room

After School

·        Strings Club | 3-4 pm | Band Room

·        Boys Basketball Away Games @ FEO vs FEO and VC | 5:00 & 6:00pm

·        Girls Soccer – NO GAMES (Make-up day if an earlier game had to be cancelled)

Friday, October 16

·        Day 2

After School

·        López Math Club in room 7 1:45 - 2:45 pm

Video Surveillance Notification

Our school now has a video surveillance system to help maintain a safe and secure environment at the school for students, staff and the public, and to help address vandalism and criminal activity on school property. 

The video surveillance system has been installed and reviewed in accordance with Administrative Regulation 1066. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Education Act and the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA), specifically section 10(1) and the Access to Information Act (ATIA). 

This technology has been placed in areas such as ​the school parking lot, building entrances and exits, stairwells and hallways. This information is recorded and collected to help maintain a safe and secure environment in the school and on school property. The users of this information are the principal or designate and​ law enforcement personnel in the case of reported incidents that would require an investigation. Only authorized persons will review video surveillance information. 

Inquiries concerning the video surveillance system, or the collection and use of recorded information may be made by contacting the school office.

SPB Presents: Shrek the Musical Jr.!

Students who are interested in participating as actors or as technicians behind the scenes can attend an information meeting on October 28 from 3:00-4:00pm in room 3.

  • Auditions will start on November 18.
  • Rehearsals and Technical Theatre Club will begin in the new year (first rehearsal on January 5).
  • Performances will take place on June 17 and 18 at the William Aberhart High School Theatre.

Parents can email Sra. Newburn at pcnewburn@cbe.ab.ca with any questions regarding the school musical. Thank you for supporting the arts at SPB!

Inform | Grade 7-9 Curriculum Pilots at SPB

Dear Parents and Guardians

We are pleased to share that Senator Patrick Burns School will participate in the provincial pilot of the draft Grade 7/8/9 Physical Education and Health curriculum as well as the Grade 7 Math curriculum during the 2026–27 school year. 

Alberta Education and Childcare is offering schools the opportunity to pilot draft Grade 7–9 curriculum during the 2026–27 school year, ahead of mandatory provincial implementation  in 2027–28.  All Grade 7/8/9 students at SPB will participate in the classroom pilot for PE and all Grade 7 students at SPB will participate in the pilot for Grade 7 Math as part of their regular learning. Through this process, teachers will be able to provide feedback to Alberta Education and Childcare to help inform final refinements to the curriculum.

Students will learn and be assessed using the identified draft learning outcomes. Teachers will continue to monitor student progress, respond to individual learning needs, and communicate with families as they normally would. Teachers participating in the pilot will also receive professional learning, collaborative planning and networking opportunities, ongoing guidance from CBE system specialists, and access to resources and supports through new LearnAlberta. 

Most families will notice little or no change to their child’s report card as a result of this pilot. Teachers will continue to assess student learning and communicate progress through the regular reporting processes.  

We look forward to supporting students and teachers through this opportunity. If you have questions about the curriculum pilot or what it will mean for your child’s learning, please contact me or Sra. Moreno at elmoreno@cbe.ab.ca.

Sincerely, 
Sr. Ludwigsen
Senator Patrick Burns School

Chinook Learning Services | Spanish for Parents - Level 1 | Dalhousie School

Chinook Learning Services is the Calgary Board of Education’s provider of non-credit professional and personal development courses. 

We currently offer an in-person Spanish for Parents – Level 1 course that is taught at Dalhousie School by Jeanne Liendo. 

It is currently scheduled for Tuesday evenings, 6-8pm on the following dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2026. 

We decide one week prior to the start date whether there are enough registrations to run the course. We would appreciate if you could continue to share this information with your staff, students & parents and any other groups you think might be interested. 

We do recommend registering early as the decision to confirm or cancel the course is made one week prior to the scheduled start date.

Band Updates and Rehearsals

Hello Band Families! Please take a look at the following updates regarding rehearsal start up and clinician dates coming up in October. 

Note: A few times a year, we invite clinicians to come work with the band students in small groups. This is a great way to support specific instrument technique and sound in a more on-on-one setting. Please note that clinician sessions take place on regular rehearsal days, but the times are longer than regular rehearsal, running until 4:45pm. It is expected all students attend these sessions. Please reach out to chapoulsom@cbe.ab.ca with any further questions.

Grade 7:

·        Weekly Rehearsals: Mondays from 3-4 pm starting October 26.

Grade 8:

·        Weekly Rehearsals: Tuesdays from 3-4 pm starting October 13.

Grade 9:

·        Clinicians: Wednesday October 21 from 3:15-4:45 pm

·        Weekly Rehearsals: Tuesdays from 3-4 pm starting October 7.

Strings Club: Moved to after school on Thursday! Strings Club will take place on Thursdays after school in the band room, starting September 24! Bring your instrument and come join us!

Thank you, and looking forward to another great year at SPB!

Sra. Poulsom

Individualized Program Plans (IPPs) 

For those students who have Individualized Program Plans (IPPs), key IPP teachers will send an email to parents/legal guardians to introduce themselves as key IPP teachers and to request information from the perspective of parents/legal guardians and students.  This information will be used to help create the first draft of this year’s IPPs.  If your child has an IPP and you have not yet received an email from your child’s key IPP teacher by Monday, September 21st, please contact our resource teacher, Aimee Inostroza, at atinostroza@cbe.ab.ca.  IPPs will be shared with parents/legal guardians on Friday, October 9.  For students who receive a new diagnosis and coding during the 2026 – 27 school year, IPPs are completed and signed by parents/legal guardians within six weeks from the date the documents are received at school.  For questions related to IPPs, please contact Aimee Inostroza at atinostroza@cbe.ab.ca.   

Leadership 9 and Collingwood Partnership

Starting October 8, our Leadership 9 students will visit a Grade 1 class at Collingwood School for Animación a la lectura—stories and interactive activities that make reading fun. Our leaders will build connections with their younger buddies while practising leadership through service.

Day 2 Leadership students will visit on October 8 and 22, November 5 and 19, and December 10. On visit days, they must arrive at school by 8:00 a.m.

More dates for Day 1 Leadership students are coming soon!

StarGATE Mentorship Opportunity for Students

Dear Parents and Guardians 

I hope you are doing well. My name is Maryam Alobaidy, and I am contacting you on behalf of the University of Calgary's Stars for Scholarly Youth Club. 

Our club is committed to supporting students in grades 5 to 12 by offering educational opportunities, including one-on-one tutoring and mentoring. Every year, through our partnership with the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, we’re thrilled to continue our mentorship initiative, connecting high school students with University of Calgary mentors. Our StarGATE Mentorship program is open to all grade 5-12 students, including those who are not part of the GATE program. 

Program Highlights:

  • Explore University Life: Gain insights into campus life, academic pathways, and degree options.
  • Personalized Guidance: Monthly 30-minute one-on-one sessions with a University of Calgary mentor to ask questions, seek advice, and plan for post-secondary education.
  • Engaging Events: Participate in on-campus activities to connect with mentors and peers, build your network, and join a supportive learning community.

Over the past four years, mentees have shared that this program has been instrumental in helping them navigate their academic and career paths.

We would greatly appreciate it if you are able to inform your students and their parents about our club and encourage all interested students to apply and take advantage of this opportunity! 

Students can submit their applications using the link below or by scanning the QR code in the poster provided in this email. The deadline to apply is October 9, 2026 at 11:59PM. 

Link to register: Mentee registration form 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact mentorship@starsforscholarlyyouth.com. 

Best regards,
Maryam Alobaidy | Communication Lead
mentorship@starsforscholarlyyouth.com
Stars for Scholarly Youth
“Promoting the Pursuit of Purpose"

Save the Date

Photo Retakes: Wednesday, October 21, 2026

School Council Meetings (online) 

  • October 21, 2026
  • November 18, 2026
  • December 16, 2026 (tbc.)
  • January 20, 2027
  • February 17, 2027
  • March 17, 2027
  • April 21, 2027
  • May 19, 2027
  • June 16, 2027