Vista View Principal's Message for December


Good Afternoon Vista Heights School Community, 

It’s hard to believe we are moving into our final month of 2024! Thank you to all the families and friends who contributed to the Purdy’s Fundraiser. We appreciate your support deeply!

Reminder | Parent Teacher Conferences 

Vista Heights School will be holding teacher conferences today, Thursday, November 28, from 4:30–7:30 PM, and tomorrow, Friday, November 29, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM.

Please book your conference time with your child’s teacher by accessing "My Conferences" in your MyCBE account at www.cbe.ab.ca/mycbe

The office is happy to help find an available time if you need any support. 

When you come tonight/tomorrow please bring a plastic bag, as there may be some goodies for you to take home! J

Student Led Donation | Calgary Food Bank 

The SWAT (Student Wellness Action Team) club at Vista Heights School is excited to announce a community initiative to support the Calgary Food Bank. The students are calling this the “I CAN” food drive, and their goal is to fill the donation box at the front of the school with 180 cans. Your child is also welcome to bring other non-perishable food items to help those in need. Your support will make a big difference for families in our larger community. Thank you for helping us teach students the power of giving back!

Fun Lunch | Wednesday, December 11, 2024 

To cultivate connection and support our efforts to find joy this month, Vista Heights School is providing a shared pizza lunch for all students. This amazing opportunity has been made possible by the generous donation from a private donor. This special lunch will have cheese and pepperoni pizza slices available for students; parents are welcome to still send their own child a lunch, and of course healthy snacks are encouraged. 

Parent Invitation | Celebration of Learning Assembly

Our Winter Celebration of Learning will take place during the day on Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 10:00-10:45am. This will be an assembly that showcases the learning from all the classes in some capacity and highlights our work around wellbeing, learning excellence, and truth and reconciliation, diversity and inclusion. Classes are still in the midst of planning, however some may be supporting with the MC script, others may showcase their learning with a song, while others may read or showcase their learning through a reading or video display. 

Parents are invited to attend this assembly and are asked to call the school to RSVP for attendance due to gym capacity.  

Learn Alberta | Universal Screeners

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, enhancements to the early years literacy and numeracy assessment requirement will include:

  • Mandatory screening assessments in September and January for all students in grades 1 to 3, with a follow-up assessment in June for those students requiring additional supports after completing the January assessment.
  • Mandatory screening assessments in January for all students in kindergarten, beginning in January 2025.

Early years assessments are formative assessments meant to complement, not replace, day-to-day teacher observations and classroom assessment. They are sources of information that must be interpreted, used and communicated within the context of regular and continuous assessment by classroom teachers. 

The types of assessments being administered are outlined in the following document: https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/assessment-and-reporting/Documents/Understanding-Universal-Screeners.pdf

Website | Updated Frequently 

We are slowly trying to update the school website with current information.  

  • Teachers are sharing monthly updates on the learning taking place in their classrooms. These are shared out via school messenger and are also captured on our school website here: https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/teacher-pages-blogs
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  • With the colder weather on its way, we wanted to provide opportunities for classes to mingle and have some fun in their learning. Students will be able to sign up for various elective clubs occurring monthly on Friday mornings; we are calling this ‘Flex Friday Clubs.’ Additionally, a list of optional clubs for students to participate over lunch recess are provided on our school website. https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/extracurricular

School Updates | School Development Plan

Our School Development Plan is now available on the Vista Heights website for your review. Over the next three years, our primary focus will be on strengthening students' written communication skills. This year, we are concentrating specifically on two key areas: encoding skills (spelling) and syntax (the structure and relationship of words within sentences). These foundational skills will be built upon over time as we work together to enhance students' writing abilities. Writing is becoming an increasingly important aspect of student assessment as they move through the grades, and we are committed to supporting their growth in this essential area.

Upcoming Events

  • December 1: Calgary Food Bank Non-Perishable Food Drive begins
  • December 2-5: Room 1 & Room 2 (5’s) Police School Trip
  • December 5: Room 6 & Room 2 Zoo Field Trip
  • December 6: Artist in Residency Visit
  • December 6: Early Dismissal K-6
  • December 11: Fun Pizza Lunch
  • December 12: Celebration of Learning @ 10:00 am
  • December 13: No Kindergarten
  • December 13: Early Dismissal Grades 1-6
  • December 13: Flex Friday Clubs
  • December 20: PJ Day & Bring a Stuffie to School (Potential Movie in Gym)
  • December 20: Last day of classes and early dismissal K-6
  • January 6: Classes Resume

Dates of Significance for Truth & Reconciliation:

  • December 21: Winter Solstice 
  • January 4: National Ribbon Skirt Day

Dates of Significance to Honour the Community:

  • December: Universal Human Rights Month
  • December 2: International Day of Abolition of Slavery (UN)
  • December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
  • December 4: International Volunteer Day
  • December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
  • December 8: Bodhi Day
  • December 10: Human Rights Day
  • December 13: Salgirah Khushiali
  • December 21: Yule
  • December 25: Christmas
  • December 25-Jan 2: Hanukkah
  • December 26: Kwanzaa

See you at our next Parent Council Meeting, Monday, January 13, 2025 @ 6:00pm. 

Have a safe and happy Winter Break, 

Jessica (P) & Alaina (AP)

Vista Heights School