Dear West Springs Families,
As communicated during the week of Aug. 31, all parents / legal guardians / independent students are required to complete, review, or update annual student information forms each school year. Some forms are completed on paper, while others are completed online through SchoolEngage. At this time, only 53% of our families have completed the necessary forms.
These forms are a requirement of Alberta Education and Childcare and are used to confirm student information for funding purposes. Failure to submit the required forms may affect funding for your child's education. Please click on the link below for the full "how to” posted on our school website.
To complete these forms, you need to log into SchoolEngage, found in your MyCBE account. This is the same account that you use to pay fees, view academic information, book school conferences, and more.
If you do not have a MyCBE account, visit the MyCBE page and click on Create a MyCBE Account. For online help refer to MyCBE - Creating an Account (includes instructions and a video).
To complete these forms:
1 | sign in to your MyCBE account
2 | click on the SchoolEngage icon
3 | select the form
4 | complete or review and update the form
5 | click on Submit to send the form electronically to the school
6 | repeat these steps for all remaining forms and for each child enrolled with the Calgary Board of Education
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the office 403 777 6244
Thank you for taking the time to complete these important forms.
Message from Mr. Vooys
Hello West Springs Families,
I hope that you've had a great summer and that getting back into the school-year routine has been smooth. My name is Mr. Peter Vooys, and I am your child's music teacher. This is my ninth year teaching music at West Springs School, and I am happy to be teaching full-time again this year.
This year, Grade 1-4s will once again have two 30-minute music classes per week. In a typical music class we sing, practice clapping or playing rhythms, learn some aspect of singing, music theory, listening, movement, and/or instrument skills, and play a brief music or drama game at the end.
We sing a lot in music class at West Springs. Singing is foundational to music making, and helping our students develop freedom and confidence in their singing voices is important. We also listen to a variety of composers, artists, and bands, and spend time discussing what makes their music great, and how music is connected to life and society, in grade-appropriate ways. My hope is that our students leave West Springs with an appreciation for the role music plays in their own lives and in the world as a whole.
Interspersed throughout the year, we typically spend some time playing rhythm instruments, djembes, boom whackers, and xylophones with Grade 1-4, and I also spend several months teaching ukulele to the Grade 4s. Helping our students develop a passion for music, creativity, and the arts is central to what I do at West Springs School.
This year kindergarten students will have music class once a week, and also on their designated Fridays. In kindergarten, we focus mostly on singing, cooperation, games, and moving to music, though we generally also use some of the percussion instruments at a few points in the year.
We will offer lunchtime choir for Grade 3/4 students and Grade 1/2 students weekly for a few months, later in the year.
We are tentatively planning a school evening performance of music in late April, and we are planning to bring the Grade 1-3 students to see the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as a field trip during March.
In my spare time I work on writing and producing my own songs in my home studio, get out to the mountains and explore, seek out new cultural and dining experiences in Calgary, and spend time with my family.
I will be around at Meet the Teacher night on Thursday September 24 and am happy to say hi and chat. Please feel free to pop by the foyer or music room before or after your time in your child's classroom.
Warm regards,
Mr. Peter Vooys
Dress For the Weather! Label All Belongings
Our students have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise outdoors. Please ensure your child is dressed for the weather so they can enjoy this time. Also ensure you have labelled all shoes, jackets and hoodies so lost items can be returned to you promptly. Reminder – no toys, trading cards or electronic devices.
Invite | National Day for TRC & Orange Shirt Day Events
All CBE staff, students, families, friends, and neighbors are invited to continue learning and show support at the 5th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day event taking place at the Confluence Historic Site on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 9-10:30 a.m. This important community gathering is a collaboration between the City of Calgary, CBE, Calgary Catholic School District, Calgary Police Service, Calgary Fire Department, and The Confluence. A CBE group photo will be taken at the CBE Smudge Tipi at the end of the event. Meet us there! 🧡
For more information, visit City of Calgary events. FREE Parking! All Calgary Parking on-street parking is free on September 30 each year.
Looking for more ways to engage? Check out these community events. All are welcome.
University of Calgary & Calgary Public Library National Day for TRC
Orange Shirt Day at The Confluence
Werklund Centre National Day to TRC
Indigenous Runners Alliance Orange Shirt Day Run/Walk
FREE Resource for Kindergarten | Eye See.... Eye LearnTM
Eye See...Eye LearnTM is a barrier free program for all kindergarten-aged children offered by the Alberta Association of Optometrists.
Kindergarten-aged children who receive an eye exam and are in need of glasses are eligible for a FREE pair through the Eye See...Eye Learn program. For more information,
https://www.optometrists.ab.ca/eye-see-eye-learn/im-a-parent
On the Horizon
Sept 24 Welcome Back Picnic 4 – 5 pm and Meet the Teacher 5 – 6:30 pm
Sept 25 Non-Instructional Day (No School for Students)
Sept 28 WSS Terry Fox Run 1:30PM – Parents welcome!
Sept 29 Orange Shirt Day (WSS recognizes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
Sept 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (School is closed)
October 12 Thanksgiving Day (School is Closed)
October 19 Non-Instructional Day (No School for Students)