We held our first whole-school assembly today as part of our continued work building a strong sense of belonging and connection to our Mountain Park School community. The assembly was planned and run by our Grade 9 students with a focus on Social-Emotional awareness and Spirit-to-Be from theIndigenous Education Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework Students and staff shared multiple perspectives on what it means to be self-aware and to recognize our own strengths, interests, and challenges, and students were reminded that every person in our community is unique and has something valuable to offer. Through staff and Grade 9 student videos and team challenges with our basketball, soccer, and cross-country athletes, students saw that there is no single path to success and that strong teams and communities are built on people contributing in different ways.
We also announced a new Lunch with Leadership club, beginning Mondays in room 114, where students can share ideas and connect with student leaders, and we thanked our coaches and volunteers and welcomed our new wrestling team. Our key message to students today was that every person has strengths, is still growing, and belongs at MPS!
School Spirit Week
Join in the fun as we celebrate School Spirit Week from Oct 26-30. Dress up, spook out and have a great time while learning at MPS. Themes for each day are below:
🎃 Monday: Fall & Flannel Day – Wear a Fall outfit or flannel
👻 Tuesday: Trick–or–Twin – Match with our Duo, Trio, Squad, Etc.
🍭 Wednesday: Wicked Hat Day – Wear your best Halloween Hat
☠️ Thursday: Blackout Day – Wear an all-black outfit
🕷️ Friday: Wear Your Halloween costume or PJs
Field Trips
- Grade 9 students 9-2, 9-5, and 9-4 (M-Z) will visit the zoo on October 26. Please reach out to Mr. Eeles if you have any questions (majeeles@cbe.ab.ca) and dress appropriately for the weather! We sincerely thank the volunteers who are helping to make this trip happen. Please reach out to your child's science teacher if you have any questions.
MPS Morning Learning Lounge | Help Available
Our Learning Lounge is open for learning support sessions, available for all students on select mornings before classes in the MPS Learning Commons. We are targeting two core subject areas each day in alignment with our School Development Plan: Mathematics and Literacy. Various subject area teachers will be present to provide an additional layer of support for those students who wish to access it as follows:
- Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:40-9:10 am .
- Front doors will be unlocked for student entry from 8:35-8:45 am only. Students must arrive by 8:45 at the latest in order to make effective use of this support. Students arriving after this time will need to wait until the doors re-open at the morning bell.
- Students are welcome to attend as often as needed but must come prepared to learn with assignments, homework, test review or specific topics they require support with (e.g. polynomials, persuasive essay writing, etc.).
- Students will be provided access to computers when required to utilize D2L and written assignment work.
Attendance
If your child is going to be absent from school or picked up early, please send an email to mpsattendance@cbe.ab.ca. This ensures the teacher is aware the student is leaving early and can have them to the office without disrupting the class or having you wait.
Wrestling
The Wrestling season of play has begun. Practices will be occurring on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:45am - 9:00am. This is a no-cut team where students who attend practices regularly will be on the team. The goal is to build strength, stamina, and good sportsmanship as we learn new skills in the sport of wrestling. If your child is interested or if you need more information, please reach out to Mrs. Gaunt at brgaunt@cbe.ab.ca as she will be the head coach.
Free Online Well-Being Sessions for Families and Caregivers
Parents and guardians are invited to join a live online series focused on supporting child and youth well-being. Hosted by the Recovery Alberta Community Education Service (CES) Program in collaboration with experts from the Calgary community, these sessions are designed to equip families with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising children and teens today.
MPS Clubs
Dungeons and Dragons Club has begun but it is not too late to join!
Dungeons and Dragons club is now meeting on Tuesdays after school from 4:00pm - 5:00pm. Setting off into student led adventures, this club is a great opportunity for students to make new friends, stretch their imaginations, and slay the occasional goblin. Whether your child is a beginner or an expert, all skill levels are welcome. For more information, please email Mr. Summach at consummach@cbe.ab.ca.
Collar and Claws Club is collecting animal treats to help spoil some very deserving shelter pets! Help us fill their treat jars and make some tails wag, whiskers twitch, and little paws dance! Donations will be collected by October 30th.
SPARK Club is collecting non-perishable food items for the Veteran’s Food Bank to support the veterans in our community who have given so much in service to others. A simple donation can help provide comfort and nourishment to the veterans in our city. Donations will be accepted by November 10th.
MPS Chess Club is on Thursdays at lunch in Room 116. No sign-up is necessary. Grade 6's are welcome but must ask their Lunch Supervisors before joining Chess Club for the lunch period. Please see Mr. MacDonald for any other questions.
New Connections Lunch Club is a welcoming space for students to meet new people, build friendships, and make connections while enjoying lunch together. Students are welcome to join us in Room 202 during the first half of lunch. October Dates: October 7, 14, 21, and 28.
Art Club is held every Tuesday at lunch in room 204. Grade 6's come after attendance is taken in the lunch room.
Mountain Park School Wrestling Team Host Tournament
Wrestling season of play will be starting on October 13th, and we have the amazing opportunity to host a tournament on November 5th from 4:00-9:00 pm and November 6th from 2:30 pm-9:00 pm. We will need some parent volunteers to help make this event a success. Please reach out to Mrs. Gaunt via emailbrgaunt@cbe.ab.ca if you would be free to help either of those evenings or any portion of the time; you do not need wrestling experience to be able to help. The Wolverine Wrestling team greatly appreciates your willingness to volunteer your time.
Healthy Hunger
Healthy Hunger is an online platform that allows families to order hot lunches delivered to their kids at school - a fun treat for the kids & also one of Mountain Park School’s main fundraisers. The proceeds from this fundraiser help offset costs for various field trips throughout the year and provide enriching opportunities for all students at MPS.
We will offer lunches from a variety of vendors, and families can order as many or few as they choose. It’s easy to order; just go to Healthy Hunger.
- Click on ‘Register Student’ to set up your account (or sign in if you have an account already)
- You can add and manage all of your children in the same account
- For each student, ensure you’ve selected Mountain Park School, and the correct Homeroom/Class to ensure the food finds its way to them.
- Check out the lunches that we’ve posted so far and if you are interested, you can pay online when you’re done ordering (no need to send $ to school)
- Note: the cut-off for orders is 5 days in advance. Orders for Wednesday lunches are due the preceding Friday.
- Please let us know by 11:30am if your child is away and you would like to pick up their Healthy Hunger lunch. We will have it waiting for you in the office after 12:30pm. If we don't hear from you, the lunch will be donated.
MPS School Council and Music Parents Society thank you for your support!
Beverages
To help keep our school clean and support healthy choices, students are encouraged to bring non-spill water bottles to school. Slurpees, iced-cap-style drinks, open pop, and energy drinks should not be brought into the building. Sealed beverages may be stored in student lockers until lunchtime or after school.
Band
MPS Music Clubs
- Jazz Band - Rehearsals: Tuesdays at Lunch and Fridays at 8:00 am.
- Coffee House - Performances: Wednesdays at Lunch. Sign up for your performance time outside the Band Room
- Choir - Thursdays at Lunch. Bring your lunch and eat in the Band Room
Ongoing Fundraisers
- TruEarth Laundry Strips: A true eco-friendly product. No plastic jugs just compressed soap strips that clean your laundry, toilet bowls, laundry stains, kitchens, and dishes! This is an ongoing fundraiser.
- Bottle Drive – Drop off your empties and support the band!
- South Pointe Bottle Depot (behind The Home Depot on 130th Avenue SE) 5126 126 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 0H2. Please let them know the funds go to the Mountain Park School Band.
- Deerfoot Bottle Depot (near Douglasdale Professional Centre) 11440 29 St SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 3V5. Please tag the bags as LG782.
MPS Band Parents Society appreciates your support!
Upcoming Activities
October 26 – Monday
- Grade 9 Zoo Field Trip
- Junior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00 –9:00 am
- Boys' soccer game – Finals
- Junior Boys Basketball Practice @ 4:00-5:00 pm
October 27 – Tuesday
- Wrestling Practice @ 7:45-9:00 am
- Junior Boys Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- SPARK club in Room 121 @ 12:10 pm
- Jazz Band Rehearsal @ 12:10 pm
- Senior Girls Basketball Practice @ 4:00-5:00 pm
- Dungeons and Dragons @ 4:00-5:00 pm
October 28 – Wednesday
- Collars and Claws Club in Room 121 @ 12:10 pm
- Coffee House @ 12:10 pm
- Senior Boys Basketball Practice @ 4:00-5:00 pm
- Junior Girls Basketball Game @ Lakeshore School @ 5:30 pm
- Senior Girls Basketball Game @ Lakeshore School @ 6:30 pm
October 29 – Thursday
- Wrestling Practice @ 7:45-9:00 am
- Junior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Senior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Choir @ 12:10
October 30 – Friday
- Students may wear costumes
- Jazz Band Rehearsal @ 8:00-9:00 pm
- Senior Boys Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
CBE Days of Significance
The CBE is committed to building a culture of appreciation and inclusion, where students and staff can see themselves valued, respected, and celebrated. For more information on key dates, please visit the CBE Dates of Significance webpage.
Don’t forget to check our MPS Calendar regularly for key dates and upcoming events.
Thank you for your support,
Angela Takla
Principal, Mountain Park School
Natasha Duffy
Assistant Principal, Mountain Park School