Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thanks to the hours of work by students, and the support from parents and staff, the SPB Bands attended the Alberta International Band Festival. The Grade 9s performed Friday Feb. 24, and the Grade 8s and 7s performed Monday Feb. 21. In a world class hall, each band performed in front of and then had a workshop with judges selected from the best band educators on the continent. 

The judges were impressed with SPB. A veteran band teacher at the event said of the grade 9s, “That was the best performance of Drums of the Saamis I’ve heard from a grade 9 Band,” and after the grade 7 performance, the judges were shocked to find out they are beginners. Each group received above 80% as their “grade” from the judges putting them just shy of the top ranking possible. 

Once again thank you to band parents for supporting your students to achieve all they do.

Grade 6 students enjoyed the much-needed warm weather this week on a field trip to the University of Calgary, where they participated in a Math Fare organized by students from a Math Appreciation course. Besides participating in the fair, they also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt, a citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (formerly Métis Nation of Alberta), who shared her background and experiences as a Métis woman, along with her work collecting Métis stories and sharing them with others (https://www.muralmosaic.com/metis-memories). It was an inspiring day of learning, connection and hands-on exploration.

Thanks to Sra. Bayona and Sra. Sutherland for organizing this learning opportunity, and to all the parent volunteers who made the field trip possible.

Finally, this week, our Grade 7 team had the incredible opportunity to take 230 students and parent volunteers to a Calgary Hitmen game! It was an exciting experience, as the Hitmen annually raise awareness for Pink Shirt Day through their Be Brave anti-bullying game. Our students had an absolute blast cheering on the team while also supporting such an important cause. The energy in the arena was contagious, and it was a memorable day for everyone involved. We’re so grateful to the Calgary Hitmen for hosting such a meaningful event and creating a fun, impactful experience for our students!

A huge shoutout to our Jr. girls' volleyball team and coaches Sr. Lopez and Sra. Leeder for winning the Nickle tournament last weekend! They have had a fantastic season so far and now have a well-earned banner to add to their achievements. Bring on the volleyball finals!

Sr. Ludwigsen, Principal 

Monday, March 3

ALL DAY

• Grade 7 & 8 Band trip to the Alberta International Band Festival
• Grade 6 – ATB presentation about loans and investments (1 hour)

LUNCH

• English Conversation Club (room 4)

AFTER SCHOOL

• Sr. Girls Volleyball Practice 3:00 –4:30 PM
• Boys Volleyball Games at TBR. Jr. Boys game at 4:00pm; Sr. Boys game at 5:00pm
• Yearbook Club | Room 27 | 3:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• NO Grade 7 Band Rehearsal
• Dungeons and Dragons Club Cancelled. Will resume normally next week. 

Tuesday, March 4

ALL DAY

• Grade 8 Band Camp
• Grade 6 – ATB presentation about loans and investments (1 hour)

BEFORE SCHOOL

• Sr. Boys Volleyball practice – 7:00 – 8:00 AM

LUNCH

• Knit and Crochet Club – Room 03
• Student Council – Room 26 | Lunch Time
• Grade 7 & 6 Intramurals
• GSA Meetings – Room 12 | Lunch Time

AFTER SCHOOL

• Peter and the Starcatcher Rehearsal - 3:00-4:30 (check Google Classroom to see if/when you are needed!)
• Jr. Boys Volleyball Practice– 3:00 – 4:30 PM
• Girls Volleyball Games at TBR. Jr Girls game at 4:00pm; Sr. Girls game at 5:00pm 

Wednesday, March 5

ALL DAY

• Grade 6s away 9:30-1:00 pm Storybook Theatre
• Grade 8 Band Camp

MORNING

• Grade 9 Leadership Day 1 students In-School Field Trip

BEFORE SCHOOL

• Jr. Girls Volleyball Practice – 7:00 – 8:00 AM

LUNCH

• Pascal Math Contest – Registered Grade 9 students – Learning Commons
• Science Club: Room 6 🔬
• Grade 8 & 9 Intramurals
• Climbing Club

AFTER SCHOOL

• Final Robotics Scrimmage – 3:00-4:30 pm in the basement under the stage!
• NO Jazz Band rehearsal
• Club de Español - 3:05 to 3:45 in room 22
  o   Spanish Club members are entering the Languages Build Video Contest. If your child wants to appear in the video, please fill in the consent form (https://www.caslt.org/en/why-learn-languages/video-contest/consent-form/) and select the option to send a copy of the form to elmoreno@cbe.ab.ca
• Jr. Girls Volleyball Practice – Cancelled!
• Sr. Girls Volleyball. Rally on the Ridge Tournament at West Ridge School. See TeamSnap for more information. 

Thursday, March 6

BEFORE SCHOOL

• Sr. Boys Volleyball practice – 7:00 – 8:00 AM
• Grade 8 Band Camp
• A special grade 6 teacher is becoming Canadian today!!

MORNING

• Grade 9 Field Trip to Crescent Heights High School AM ONLY

LUNCH

• Healthy Hunger Fun Lunch - Subway
• Climbing Club

AFTER SCHOOL

• Jr. Boys Volleyball Practice– 3:00 – 3:45PM
• Sr. Boys Volleyball. Rally on the Ridge Tournament at West Ridge School. See TeamSnap for more information.
• Peter and the Starcatcher Rehearsal - 3:00-4:30 (check Google Classroom to see if/when you are needed!)
• Sr. Girls Volleyball Practice 3:00 –4:30 PM 

Friday, March 7

AFTER SCHOOL

• Sr. Boys and Sr. Girls Volleyball. Rally on the Ridge Tournament at West Ridge School. See TeamSnap for more information.

Reminders:

• Students will need to have left the building by 3:15 pm (1:15 pm on Fridays) unless they are taking part in a club (e.g. homework club, band, volleyball etc.).
• All clubs (besides drama and volleyball) will need to finish at 3:45 pm as per CBE rules.
• Volleyball and drama rehearsal will have to finish by 4:30 pm the latest and students will have to leave the building immediately after.
• The school doors will close at 4:30 pm every day unless we have a home volleyball match.
• Volleyball matches must finish by 6:00 pm with students having left the building by 6:30 pm on home games’ nights.
• No student spectators are allowed at games anymore unless they have a sibling playing in the team and are supervised by parents.
• Parents of participating athletes are welcome to all home and away games.

Thank you for your understanding and support

 Upcoming:

• Grade 8 Band Camp – March 4-6 

Request for Donations of Climbing Holds

We are excited to announce that we are planning to reset the walls in our climbing gym. To provide even more opportunities for our students, we aim to have two routes per wall. However, in order to achieve this, we are in need of additional climbing holds. 

If you have any climbing holds (rocks) at home that you would be willing to donate to the school, we would greatly appreciate it. Your contribution will help us enhance the climbing experience for all students. 

Thank you for your support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Next SPB School Council Meetings (3rd Wednesday of the month):

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 

Social Media, Sexting, Sextortion and Snapchat Basics with Paul Davis

On March 9, 2025, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm at St. David’s United Church, there will be an event with Paul Davis who spoke at SPB over a year ago. Please find all the information on EventBrite.

 Spanish for Parents Level 2 

Chinook Learning Services 

Fee: $309 per person or $429 per couple 

Continue building your confidence in Spanish to better support your child’s language learning! This course is designed for parents who have a basic understanding of Spanish and want to expand their communication skills in everyday situations. Through interactive activities, listening exercises, and guided conversations, you will strengthen your vocabulary and improve your ability to understand and speak Spanish with your child at home. 

The textbook, Spanish Made Simple: Revised and Updated, is required for this course (approximately $30, available on Amazon). Details for purchasing the textbook will also be provided upon registration. Recommended prerequisite: Spanish for Parents - Level 1 

Instructor: Jeanne Liendo