Vista View | Principal's Message for September
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Good Morning Vista Heights School Community, Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Meet the Staff BBQ last night. It was a wonderful evening filled with food, smiles, conversations, and opportunities to connect with one another. We are so grateful to share these moments that strengthen our sense of community at Vista Heights School. We hope everyone is getting the ‘Vista View’ School Messenger email that Ms. Jan is sending each week. It has the most up to date information for the week ahead. Each month I hope to send a general message with school related information as well. Today's message includes information on the following topics:
Action Required | Demographic Verification Families are reminded to complete their required annual CBE forms as soon as possible. If you need support with this process, please connect with Jan in the office, she is happy to help. Please log on to your MyCBE Account to complete the required annual Demographic Verification and Annual Authorization forms in SchoolEngage to ensure your email/phone address/numbers are up to date. This link connects you to the technical support page and MyCBE Account link: https://cbe.ab.ca/support/Pages/MyCBE-PowerSchool.aspx Safety | Emergency Procedure Drills & Video Surveillance This week, we practiced important safety drills to help ensure our students know what to do in case of an emergency. On Tuesday, we completed a fire drill, and yesterday, a lockdown drill. Each school year, schools are required to hold six fire drills and two lockdown drills. We appreciate your support in reminding students of the importance of staying calm, listening to adults, and practicing safety at school. The students and staff did an excellent job! At Vista Heights, we are receiving an upgrade to our video surveillance to include a greater perimeter around the building. Work will be completed this fall. Personal information gathered by video surveillance is collected under the authority of the Education Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). You can read more about security and safety here: https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/security Admirable Use of Technology Policy & Away for the Day Guidelines We would also like to highlight our expectations around technology. At Vista Heights, we adhere to the CBE’s Admirable Use Policy, which guides students in using technology responsibly and respectfully. You can read more about our technology and digital citizenship expectations here: https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/digital-citizenship CBE’s “Away for the Day” guidelines apply to every child and student at Vista Heights School and aligns with the Ministerial Order #014/2024. Any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate with or access the internet, such as a cellphone, tablet, gaming device or smartwatch, and sometimes headphones must be powered down and put away for the day. You can read more about expectations here: https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/student-personal-mobile-devices-k-9 Community Walks & Truth and Reconciliation Awareness Week September 22-26, Vista Heights recognizes Truth and Reconciliation Awareness Week. In Alberta, it is a requirement for all educators to help students understand and acknowledge the importance of repairing the legacy of residential schools. As part of this commitment, we will be holding Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 26, and hope to participate in a community walk together as a school community. Please send your child in an orange shirt on Friday, September 26, 2025. Reminder that following this day, families have a long weekend. There is a non-instructional day on Monday, September 29 and there is no school on Tuesday, September 30, a day in lieu of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We look forward to seeing students back to school on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation gives everyone in Canada a shared time to commemorate children who lost their lives at residential schools – and to recognize the hardships of those who survived, as well as the intergenerational trauma passed on to their families. Read more about off-site field trips within walking distance of the school here: https://vistaheights.cbe.ab.ca/environmental-citizenship Food Nutritional Programs At Vista Heights, we do have limited food supports however we do want to ensure that the basic needs of every child are met to ensure they have the fuel to regulate their bodies and be prepared to learn. Breakfast: In order to receive breakfast, students would have to visit the office during our soft start (8:36-8:44am) to pick up food and carry it back to class. Ideally students are sitting down before 8:44am when instruction starts. Lunch: Brown Bagging for Kids supports a bagged lunch for families in need. If families require food support, please contact the office so that we can request bagged sandwich lunches according to need. Starting in October, a hot soup lunch option from Meals on Wheels will join our menu for students on Tuesday and Thursdays. A letter outlining the nutritional program at Vista Heights will be sent home next week to be signed and returned. Attendance If your child is away from school, please contact the attendance line 403-777-6000 ext 1 to ensure that the school does not send you an unnecessary School Messenger and can monitor your reasons for absence in a way that can be supportive and understanding for your family needs. School Council & Enhancement Meeting | Monday, September 22, 2025 Thanks to the generous support of our School Council & Parent Enhancement Society, students will have a variety of learning opportunities to look forward to this year. Learn more by attending our School Council meetings. A reminder that our first School Council meeting will take place on Monday, September 22. We warmly invite all families to join us for a light meal as we come together to plan dates for the year and activities that support our students. We hope to see many of you there. Upcoming Events
Thank you for your ongoing support as we learn and grow together at Vista Heights. Follow us on Instagram: @vista_heights_school_cbe Ms. Jessica Principal, Vista Heights School |
Vista View | Principal's Message for September
Posted on 2025-09-19 19:02:48.276 +0000 UTC