Community Reminder | Neighbourhood Driveways
Before and after school is always a busy time of day with buses and vehicles picking up and dropping off students. Please ensure that neighbourhood driveways near the school are kept clear at all times. A few minutes on a daily basis causes access issues and frustration for our wonderful neighbours. Parents/guardians are asked to wait in their vehicles in designated areas only and ensure they are not blocking driveways, even for brief periods of time. Thank you!
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.
Terry Fox Fundraising
As part of our efforts to collect funds in support of the Terry Fox Foundation, the leadership students have put together a raffle. Every $1 donated, students will receive a ticket to enter in a draw of their choosing. Donations can be made during the first half of lunch in the foyer, or the day of the run. Prizes include:
- Private lunch hour in the Main Gym or Learning Commons (The winners for each of these spaces will get a lunch hour for just them and their friends)
- Terry Fox T-shirt (2 available)
- Candy Basket
- Ice Cream Sundae making for you and 5 friends in the foods room
- A coupon for an indoor lunch for you and your friends.
If you would like to donate online, you can do so at the link below. Students who donate online can still receive tickets to enter the draw. Just email Ms. LeBlanc (hlleblanc@cbe.ab.ca) after the donation has been made and their tickets will be waiting for them.
Online Donation: https://schools.terryfox.ca/137304
Orange Shirt Day
On Tuesday, September 29th, students and staff are encouraged to wear an orange shirt as we recognize Orange Shirt Day and reflect on the importance of Truth and Reconciliation. Wearing orange is a way to honour the experiences of Indigenous children who attended residential schools, remember those who were impacted, and show our commitment to learning, understanding, and building respectful relationships.
Throughout the day, students will participate in age-appropriate learning opportunities that help deepen their understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and perspectives. We invite all members of our school community to wear orange as a visible reminder that Every Child Matters.
Terry Fox Run/Student Back to School BBQ
We are looking forward to Friday, October 2nd, where students will have a slightly modified schedule to accommodate our Terry Fox Run and Back to School BBQ.
Students will start with their regular classes and then move to homerooms to discuss the importance of Terry's dream and the impact he had, and continues to have, on the fight against cancer. Students will reflect on why we carry the torch for Terry and how this relates to each of our lives in unique ways.
After this, students will join together as a school community outside to continue Terry's story as they participate in the Terry Fox Run around our school field. And finally, we will end our day with a BBQ celebration sponsored by our fantastic School Council, before our regular Friday dismissal.
Cross Country
This year's cross country season was a huge success! Congratulations to our runners for participating in Finals this past Monday. Team wrap-up invitations will come out soon for our lunchtime pizza party. Please note in your calendars that all meets ran as scheduled. Therefore, the alternate dates - Sept 23rd and 29th - will not be used this year. Well done Wolverines!
Coaches: J. Taylor, J. Cameron and J. Leteta
MPS Chess Club
Chess Club will be starting up on Thursday, October 1st 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.
MPS Morning Learning Lounge | Opening Monday, September 28
With September nearly behind us, we are pleased to be opening our Learning Lounge 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 (ex. polynomials, persuasive essay writing, etc.).
- Students will be provided access to computers when required to utilize D2L and written assignment work only.
Healthy Hunger
We are excited to let you know that MPS will be starting up our Healthy Hunger program again! For those who are new to Healthy Hunger, it 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. A win-win.
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 - yay!)
- Note: the cut-off for orders is 5 days in advance. Orders for Wednesday lunches are due the preceding Friday.
MPS School Council and Music Parents Society thank you for your support!
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.
Lates
Some parents may have noticed that we have begun sending out additional notifications at the end of the day via School Messenger from our MPS Attendance line. You will receive this notice when your child is late (unexcused) for one or more classes that day. Punctual class attendance is essential for success in school and we ask that you speak to your child about the importance of being on time to avoid missing critical classroom instruction. Thank you for your support.
Physical Education
Students will be expected to change for physical education every day. Students are encouraged to wear clothes that allow full engagement in physical activity and can include: T-shirt, shorts, sweatpants, long-sleeve T-shirt, or leggings. Should you wish, we have t-shirts available for $20.00 and shorts for $30.00; you can purchase them from your child's physical education teacher with cash at this time.
Communication
Brightspace by D2L
In addition to the Weekly Update posted each week to our School Website, parents and guardians can expect to see classroom weekly updates in each class D2L ‘shell’. If you are new to D2L, this is a virtual classroom environment where teachers post weekly updates, resources and pertinent information for each class. This is particularly helpful for regular home-based review or if your child misses any of their classes. Click here for a helpful video for parents who are new to D2L.
Open communication and collaboration are key strategies to a successful partnership between school and home. Should you have any questions or concerns about your child at any point during the school year, your first point of contact should be your child’s teacher. All teacher email addresses can be found here. Alternatively, feel free to contact our front office to leave a message for the appropriate teacher.
Bikes, Scooters & Skateboards
We are happy to see so many students choosing active transportation to and from school. For everyone’s safety, students are asked to walk their bikes, scooters, and skateboards while on school grounds. The City of Calgary strongly recommends helmet use for all wheeled activities, and helmets are required by law when riding bikes and e-bikes. Some students have been reported in the community riding at excessive speeds en route to and from school. This endangers everyone. Please ensure you have a conversation with your child regarding safety and appropriate speed.
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
September Newsletter: Link
- Opt-In for Band Communication: Fill in here.
- Band Spirit Wear! Show off your love of being a musician with spirit wear. You can even customize it with your instrument! Click here to order.
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.
We appreciate your support!
Upcoming Activities
September 28 – Monday
- Junior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Junior Boys Basketball Practice @ 4:00-5:00pm
September 29 – Tuesday
- Orange Shirt Day
- Junior Boys Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00am
- Senior Girls Basketball Practice @ 4:00-5:00 pm
September 30 – Wednesday
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - NO SCHOOL
October 1– Thursday
- Junior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Senior Girls Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Girls Soccer Game @ Mountain Park School vs. Midsun @ 4:30-5:30
- Mountain Park Music Society AGM @ 6:30 pm
October 2 – Friday
- Co-Ed Soccer Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Senior Boys Basketball Practice @ 8:00-9:00 am
- Terry Fox Run
- Back to School Bar B Que
- Vaccination Presentation - Grade 6
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