Important Information
Winter Family Night Thank you
We are so grateful for the feedback and participation at our Winter Family Night on Thursday. The joy we experienced alongside students and families, speaks for itself!! Thank you to everyone who was able to come and celebrate the festive season with us.
Casino Fundraiser
WE ARE IN DESPARATE NEED TO FILL THE CASINO SLOTS!!!
Our Casino Fundraiser is coming. There will be many opportunities to volunteer for this one and you DO NOT need a police clearance to help out in this circumstance. Please use this link to sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0E49ACA722A4FE3-52932910-chaparral
We recognize that the shifts are lengthy; however, they are chosen by the AGLC and we are not able to change them. All volunteers will receive breaks and a food budget at the casino to use throughout their shift.
It is critical that we fill these volunteer shifts as this is our largest fundraiser that we do. If we do not fulfill our commitment, we will lose our ability to participate in this fundraiser and limit what we can do to support the school. It is very difficult to get the spot back once it is lost.
Festive Week This Week
We will have a festive week for our last week of school before the break. Students are welcome to participate in any or all of the activities each day.
Monday – Wear a Holiday Sweater
Tuesday – Wear Red
Wednesday – Wear a Festive Hat/Hair-Do
Thursday – Wear Green
Friday – Pajama Day!!
We will also have some caroling this week. On Monday, we will have caroling at 1:00pm. On Tuesday, we will have caroling at 9:45am and on Friday, we will add caroling to our assembly at 11:00am.
Indigenous Drummer and Jingle Dancer Visit
This December 18 & 19, we are excited to welcome some Indigenous artists into our school!
Adrien Goulet and Stella, from Mahegun Trails Inc., will be spending time teaching our students about Indigenous drumming, singing, and dancing. All students will receive an hour teaching during this cultural workshop. Our music teacher, Ms. Robertson, will be supervising this event.
Here is a link to the Mahegun Trails Inc. organization for your interest:
This opportunity comes at a cost of $6.75 per child. This amount will be added to your student’s MyCBE account as an in-school experience; Fine & Performing Arts – Drumming and Singing.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Dress for the Weather
We are noticing many students arriving to school without the proper winter clothing. This includes a warm jacket, mitts or gloves and a hat. If your child likes to play in the snow, we request snow pants also. We do have Phys Ed outside, even in the winter. Additionally, even though they may leave home through a garage and a warm vehicle, they need the warm clothing for recess and lunch recess daily. We do not have the extra clothing at school to support everyone who is coming without warm winter wear. If you need support with this, please contact Mrs. Robinson at agrobinson@cbe.ab.ca for support. This will be kept confidential.
Lost & Found
As the weather gets colder, our lost & found collection grows larger. We want students to have their warm clothes rather than having them sit in the lost pile. Any lost and found left at Winter Break will be donated to those in need. We will pack it up on Dec 19.
Extended Absences and Late Students
If your family is planning an extended vacation for the holidays, please be sure to let us know and to fill in an extended absence form. These are available in the front office or we can send one home with your child. Please email the teacher to have it sent home.
We have also noticed an increase in late students every morning. Please be cognizant of the start time for school. All learning time is important and when students miss the beginning of the day instruction, it has a big impact on their learning.
Volunteering at Chaparral School
If you have completed your Police Check and our annual volunteer registration you are eligible to volunteer at our school. Please email the school at chaparral@cbe.ab.ca is you would like to come in on a regular basis. We are always looking for support to complete odd tasks throughout the school.
From the Office
MyCBE Accounts & Fee Payments
Please check your MyCBE accounts on a regular basis. Field trips are added regularly and this will allow you to stay current with your child’s fees. By checking on a regular basis, you will avoid the potential build-up of fees and eliminate concerns around payments needed. If you are experiencing difficulty with paying fees for your child, please email Mrs. Robinson to discuss options at agrobinson@cbe.ab.ca.
Please be sure you have registered for Lunch Supervision and Bus Transportation if applicable. This can be done on your MyCBE account. Registration is not a request for payment, but MUST be in place. Payment schedules/plans can be established. Please contact Mrs. Ewart at the office if you have questions or need assistance.
Kindergarten Registration 2025-26
Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year will begin on Monday Jan. 13, 2025. Children can be registered for kindergarten if they turn five years old on or before Dec. 31 of the school year they will be in kindergarten.
For example, when registering for the 2025-26 school year, the child must turn five on or before Dec. 31, 2025.
Parents can find information on kindergarten registration on the public CBE website.
From School Council
Our next school council meeting is not until Thursday, January 16 at 6:30pm in Rm 24. Please plan to come out, learn more about what is happening at the school and participate in important decision making.
Teachers will be attending these meetings to give a short update related to what is happening in their grade. January’s teachers will be the Grade 1 team & music presenting.
Fun Lunch/Fun Snacks & Spirit Days
Our next Fun Lunch day is January 16. It is Taco Time. This can be purchased on the Healthy hunger website at www.healthyhunger.ca
Order deadline to order lunch is Saturday January 11.
Our next Spirit Day is Thursday, January 16. It is Anything But a Backpack Day! Bring your daily supplies to school in a fun and unique way…. Please keep the size to approximately that of a backpack, but use something else. We can’t want to see your creativity.
Month at a Glance
We have moved to a Month at a glance calendar rather than in the weekly updates. It will be provided at the beginning of the month each month and updates will be posted on our calendar as they occur.
Families are reminded that our website should always be your first point of information updates as it is consistent for the whole school.
In Recognition of the Multi-Cultural Calendar, we acknowledge the following Dates of Significance for December
Weekly Mantra
You Have A Vast Treasure of Talents and Potential Inside You
(SEL Competency – Self-Awareness & IELLF – Spirit Domain)
You have a treasure chest of talents and potential just waiting to shine! Believe in yourself and share your unique gifts with the world. Each day is an opportunity to discover something new about yourself!
Please check our website for calendar updates. You can subscribe to it and the updates will go straight to your phone!! You will always be in the know!