June 13, 2025
Principal’s Message
As we begin to wrap up another wonderful year of teaching and learning at West Springs School, there are many moments – big and small – to reflect on and cherish. I’m reminded of our core pillars, Care for Self, Care for Others and Care for this Place, and I realize the impact each moment we share together as a school community makes on my life and on those of all our students, staff and families.
The big moments – those school-wide events like the Terry Fox Run, the Halloween Howler, our Drumfit performances, our Celebrations of Learning, our Storytelling residency with Jeff Stockton, the Grade 4 Celebration, Fun Fair, the upcoming Sports Day and many more – deserve a permanent spot in our memories. The big moments help showcase the story of our year together and what a story it was!
Our everyday stories – the small moments – are also important. As young people, your individual story is charting a map for who you are becoming. Our collective story shares the values and beliefs of who we are as learners and how we contribute to our community. I hope that as a family, you reflect together before summer begins and you remember some of the big moments we shared as a school. Perhaps you will also think about some of the quieter, “small” moments, too. Often it is the small moments that matter most because they are the ones that carry the most meaning. I would love to know what one of those moments was for you. I invite you to share it with me when you see me around the school or in the hallway. Your stories inspire me to keep working hard to make sure each year is full of rich learning experiences for our students.
All the best to the students and families who are moving on next year. Thank you for being part of our WSS story. To those who are returning, I can’t wait to be a part of your next chapter.
I appreciate ALL the moments we had this year and am so, so proud to be the principal of this incredible school.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Westgate, Principal
Transportation Orientation Program
Each year, CBE collaborates with CCSD and Calgary Transit to provide a free orientation program that provides an opportunity for new and first-time transit riders to increase their comfort level and ability to ride Calgary Transit safely and efficiently to and from school.
The orientation includes different stations for families to visit to learn more about route planning, fares, how to ride the bus or C-Train, safety features, rider etiquette and much more.
Sessions run every half-hour and last approx. 1 hour.
Session Dates and Times
Wednesday, Aug. 13 from 5 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Calgary Transit and CBE Transportation staff will be available to answer questions at these sessions.
Link: Calgary Transit Orientations
All Sport One Day 2025
All Sport One Day is a fantastic, free sport discovery event designed specifically for children and youth aged 6 to 17. It offers a unique opportunity for young participants to try out a new sport or physical activity in a fun and supportive environment.
Whether your child is curious about learning a new skill or simply eager to get active, this event is an excellent way to introduce them to the world of sports without any financial commitment. By participating, kids can explore different sports, discover their interests, and potentially find a new passion, all while making new friends and staying active.
All Sport One Day 2025 will be held on Saturday, June 21 and Saturday, Aug. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Follow @SportCalgary on social media or sign-up for their newsletter for updates!
Music Notes
Hello West Springs Families,
Here are a few learning highlights for the last few weeks:
Kindergarten: Working on developing our singing voices, rhythm practice, introduction to djembes with some classes, boomwhackers with some classes.
Grade 1: Finishing singing, rhythm, and melody reading assessments. Introduction to djembes (African hand drums) for most classes.
Grade 2: We've been djembe drumming this week. Class talent shows and finishing singing, rhythm, theory, and listening assessments. I'm proud of the skills shown by our students in their talent shows. Some classes had more than half of the kids performing something, be it a piano song, dance, or showing art they made at home. I stress to the kids that this is an opportunity for them to show something they've put a lot of effort into, in a safe, fairly low-pressure environment.
Grade 3: We've been djembe drumming this week. In the prior weeks, we did class talent shows and finishing theory and listening assessments. I'm quite proud of the students who put their best effort into sharing their musical/artistic talents with their classes. Even after running a couple of these each year for each Grade 2-4 class, I am still surprised by some of the neat performances and pieces of art that kids share. We also did some listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, watching one of their performances from 1981.
Grade 4: Class talent shows for most classes were this week. We've also been working on our songs for the Grade 4 Farewell, "Alberta Bound" and "Here Comes the Sun".
Choir News:
Last Monday was a much nicer day outside than I'd hoped. We had a nice, small optional final choir practice with the Grade 1/2 choir. I regret that we were unable to perform at the end of April due to the outbreak. Grade 3/4 Choir had a good first half of our season in November/December, and started a little earlier than the Grade 1/2s in Spring, so it is over for the year as well. In May and especially June, most kids generally need to run around outside as much as possible, as it makes the day run smoother. There will be more opportunities to sing and perform next year!
Warm regards, Peter Vooys
Music Specialist, West Springs School
On the Horizon
- June 16 Volunteer Appreciation Coffee and Conversation 10–11 am
- June 19 Sports Day #1 T/Th Kinders and half school
- June 19 Grade 1 Teacher’s Pet Science Activity
- June 20 Sports Day # 2 M/W Kinders and half school
- June 21 Summer Solstice
- June 21 National Indigenous People’s Day
- June 22 DEADLINE FOR YELLOW SCHOOL BUS REGISTRATION
- June 24 Grade 4 Farewell Assembly 10am
- June 25 Report Cards available for families to view in MyCBE Account
- June 26 Last Day of classes (12:50pm home time bell)