Dear Simon Fraser Families, 

We had an amazing turnout for the auditions for the school play.  Our basketball and soccer teams are doing amazing and it is so wonderful to see all the participation in our school sports.  Our student leadership classes are preparing for many fun events in the weeks and months to come.  We want to once again thank our families for their tremendous support of some of our changes this year with the cell phone policy and student code of conduct.  

Important Dates 

• Wednesday, October 18– Fun Lunch Boston Pizza (Orders due by midnight tonight) 
•  Friday, October 20 – Non-Instruction Day (Professional Learning Day) – No School 

Thank you Casino Volunteers

Thank you to all the families that agreed to volunteer at the Casino in December.  The positions are all full!

Parent-Teacher Conferences - Parent Engagement 

As we get closer to our Parent-Teacher conferences on November 23 and 24, we want to get some parent voice in our decision around the format for the meetings. Last year, we offered a blend of in-person and online conferences and wanted to know if our approach matches the preferences of families. Please indicate your family's preference on the survey below. 

https://forms.office.com/r/HbYjGYbVR2 

Fun Lunch 

Healthy Hunger is back! Families must order by midnight the Friday before the fun lunch. We want to thank School Council and Ms. Rita Samari for organizing and supporting the fun lunches.  

The Fun Lunch Opportunities will be in Healthy Hunger for families to purchase for their child(ren).  We will have a weekly Fun Lunch every Wednesday. Reminder that if you order a fun lunch and your child is sick/away, please call or email us before 12:00 to let us know what you would like us to do with the lunch. If we have not heard from a family, we will donate the lunch to another child who may not have lunch. 

To Register for Healthy Hunger 

• Go to healthyhunger.ca 
• Create an Account (or Login) 
• Click “Add Student” 
• Fill in your child’s information  
• Select Simon Fraser School 
• For “Select Grade” you will choose your child’s homeroom/teacher 
• You can begin ordering food by date 

Alternative to Suspension

Learning is our central purpose in all situations with the children at Simon Fraser, and we work to support all students in developing and stregthening the skills they require to have healthy relationships. We know that when students learn the skills they require to resolve conflicts peacefully, seek help, and have healthy boundaries, they will be able to make better choices and be more successful in learning. We will continue to partner with the YMCA  this year in using the Alternative to Suspension Program. The Alternative Suspension Program aims to work with students with a directional approach to address reasons for suspension, and other factors they might be dealing with in life in a neutral space away from school. From there children can begin to understand themselves and their situation and gain new-found confidence when they return to class. This is done through targeted workshops and one on one conversations during the afternoon and part of the morning. Since academics are still an important priority, students are given the morning period to work on homework while being supervised by the youth worker. Students can also attend the program through a preventative approach to support positive behaviours.  Please reach out to us if you have any questions.

Individual Program Plans (IPPs) 

Student individual program plans are coming home on Monday. Please review and sign. If families would like to amend the IPP in any way, please reach out to lojohnson@cbe.ab.ca and we will facilitate a meeting with your child’s teaching team. 

Y Mind! At Shane Homes Rocky Ridge YMCA 

Y Mind is a FREE 7-week mental wellness program for teenagers (13-18 years old). The program aims to support and provide resources for teenagers experiencing mild to moderate levels of stress and/or anxiety. Y Mind is grounded on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness and allows participants to learn more about different ways of how to manage their stress and anxiety. This program is facilitated by trained mental health professionals and there will always be two facilitators at each session. We have seen proven results nationally of reduced stress and anxiety related symptoms, increased overall wellbeing, and an increased ability to cope with difficult emotions. 

Participants will receive a workbook of all the activities done during the program, so they can review and practice at home. We do provide snacks for participants during the program and meet other individuals experiencing similar feelings. Upon completion of the program, participants would receive a Certificate of Program Completion and a free 2-month YMCA gym membership as improving one's physical wellbeing has shown that it improved mental wellbeing.  

Individuals can learn more about our program on our website (https://www.ymcacalgary.org/y-mind-mental-wellness-program) or complete a Formstack request (https://ymcacalgary.formstack.com/forms/ymind_intake_form_ymcacalgary) to sign up for our Information and Intake Sessions.  Students 14 and older can self-register for the program without parental consent as well. Interested individuals can contact our general Y Mind email if they have any questions at ymind@calgary.ymca.ca.   

Have a wonderful weekend with as a family!  We look forward to welcoming your children back for a four day week next week.

Laureen