Dear Vanier Families,

As many of you are aware, this month, sees an overlap of numerous religious and cultural celebrations (Lent, Ramadan, Lunar New Year).  Over the past few weeks at Vanier, I have really enjoyed witnessing the diaspora of students and how they are sharing knowledge and practices of some of these celebrations with others.   

Report cards were released on Tuesday, please make sure to log into your MyCBE accounts to view these.  If you are unsure how to access PowerSchool, use our Power School for Parents information. 

This Monday, March 2 is the deadline to order yearbooks!  As these yearbooks are ordered directly online, there will be very few, if any, yearbooks for sale in June.  If you want to order, please do so via the link below!  

At parent council this week we had a few presentations from our grade 7 leadership students with their proposals for how to make Vanier better for students.  Thank you to the parent council for their support of the winning proposals: a new funding model for supporting school field trips and $1500 for new French manga books for our library!  There is also an important message they would like to share regarding traffic safety around Vanier.  Please read the message below for more information. 

Finally, for those music fans out there, Manie Musicale starts (https://www.maniemusicale.info/) this week.  You can click on the link provided for a list of songs along with the tournament bracket.   

Bon weekend,
Mr. Chad Edmonds
Principal
École Georges P. Vanier School

Georges P. Vanier School website has information as well: 

https://georgespvanier.cbe.ab.ca. 

GP Vanier Cafeteria Menu: 

https://gpvanier.cbe.ab.ca/cafeteria-menu 

A message from your parent council 

Dear families, please see this  announcement from the parent council regarding traffic safety around Vanier.  Urgent Action Needed: Improving Pedestrian Safety for Our Students

30 Years of Black History Month in Canada

This February marks an important time in our history and is reflected in this year’s Black History Month theme in Canada:
“30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.”

With February around the corner, we are pleased to share both ourinternal CBE resources and City of Calgary resources. As well as events taking place across Calgary and Alberta.

February 28
Black Professionals Canada: Black History Month Event
Location: C-SPACE Marda Loop

Understanding Ramadan

The month of February marks the beginning of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. This sacred month is a time of reflection, compassion, generosity, and gratitude for many CBE families and communities who observe it. The estimated start date is February 17, marking a month-long period of spiritual commitment and community connection. It is an opportunity to deepen understanding, honour the diverse traditions of Muslim students, staff, and families, and continue fostering welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environments for all.

Child Care Tax Receipts – Lunch Supervision

Child Care Tax Receipts for CBE Lunch Supervision (January 2025 – December 2025) are now available through MyCBE.

Please download or print your online receipt to include with your 2025 tax return. Paper copies are no longer provided.

If you do not already have a MyCBE account, please create one to access your receipt.

MyCBE Pathway:
MyCBE > Fees, Waivers and Service Registrations > Menu (three lines) > Tax Receipts

Pink Shirt Day 

Pink Shirt Day reinforces the importance of sustained, whole‑school approaches to bullying prevention and student well‑being.  

CBE defines bullying as repeated, persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, fear, or distress. Effective prevention helps students distinguish between conflict, mean behaviour, and bullying, while strengthening relationships and belonging. 

Additional Resources: 

  • www.alberta.ca/pink-shirt-day-alberta 
  • CKNW Kids' Fund 
  • Alberta Education and Childcare continues to promote the Bullying Helpline (call or text 310‑1818) and supports at: www.alberta.ca/bullying-prevention. Services are confidential and available 24/7. 
  • Hope for Wellness Help Line (1‑855‑242‑3310) – 24/7 counselling for Indigenous students and families, with services in Cree, Ojibwe, and Inuktitut. 
  • 211 Alberta – Free, 24/7 connection to mental health, social, and community services. 
  • Kickstand Connect – Free virtual mental health counselling for youth ages 11–25. 
  • Suicide Crisis Helpline (988) – Available 24/7. 
  • Kids Help Phone – 24/7 counselling and crisis support; includes Resources Around Me, connecting youth to 40,000+ programs. 

Winston Heights Community Newsletter

Share Your Stories – We’d Love to Hear From You

One of the things that makes our community special is the people who live here. Their stories, talents, experiences, and moments—big or small— are what truly bring our neighbourhood to life. That's why we're inviting community members to contribute content for future issues of this newsletter.

If you enjoy writing, photography, history, or sharing something interesting or uplifting, we would love to consider your submission.

What kind of content are we looking for? 

We’re interested in pieces that are informative, educational, or entertaining, and that reflect community life. Ideas include: 

  • A short story or reflection about life in the neighbourhood
  • A local history piece or “Did You Know?” article
  • A resident-written column on a hobby, skill, or passion
  • Photos from a recent community event (with a short caption or story)
  • A creative contribution such as a poem, puzzle, cartoon, or game
  • Letters to the editor or thoughtful opinion pieces on community topics
  • Helpful, non-promotional how-to articles or seasonal tips

To keep things fair and aligned with our newsletter guidelines, submissions cannot include links, self-promotion, advertising, calls to action, or content that promotes paid programs, services, businesses, or events. The focus should always be on sharing information or stories—not selling or promoting. 

Length and Format Guidelines:

  • Articles should be approximately 300–600 words
  • If photos are included, the written word count should be shorter
  • Photos should be clear, high-quality, and relevant

Please note that the newsletter team reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity, tone, content, and length to ensure everything fits well within the publication. 

If you’ve been thinking, “I have something I could share,” this is your nudge. Whether it’s thoughtful, fun, creative, or informative—your voice matters, and your contribution helps make this newsletter a true reflection of our community. 

We look forward to reading what you send! 

— Shannon Smith, Your Newsletter Editor 

Healthy Hunger Is Back

We are excited to announce upcoming Healthy Hunger lunches:

  • March 13 – OPA
  • April 17 – Coco Brooks

You can now place your orders online through Healthy Hunger. Please remember that orders close 5 days before each lunch date, so don’t miss out!  Orders can be placed at: https://healthyhunger.ca

Any lunches that are not picked up on the day will be donated. 

Thank you for supporting our school and enjoying a tasty lunch or snack at the same time! 

Vanier Community Corner

1. Outdoor Education Donations

Our growing Outdoor Education program is accepting donations of outdoor equipment in good repair. We are looking for:

  • Cross-country ski gear (boots, skis, poles)
  • Snowshoes
  • Daypacks
  • Multi-day backpacking backpacks
  • Hiking boots
  • Tarps
  • Sleeping pads
  • Sleeping bags

Please contact Mr. Eitzen at mdeitzen@cbe.ab.ca for more information.

2. Lightly used French books needed for the library.   

-If you have some new graphic novels or fiction books in French that are suitable for middle years students, we would be happy to accept them!  Please drop them off at the main office. 

3. Hall Pass Donations

We are looking for interesting and unique items to use as classroom hall passes. Examples include a rubber duck or a small hub cap.

We use these passes to minimize student traffic during class time, and it lets teachers quickly identify which students have permission to be in the hallway and what class they are from at a distance.  

If you have any items that fit this description, please send them to school and we will gladly put them to use. 

Yearbook Information

With the resumption of school, we have started the design and build of our school yearbook.  If you would like to order a yearbook you can do it directly at: 
https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09700335

The price is currently $30 until the end of the school year and will go up to $35 on January 1. 

Upcoming Sports Dates

Monday
Girls’ Volleyball vs. Colonel Irvine @ Vanier
Start time: 4:00 PM

Tuesday
Boys’ Volleyball vs. Colonel Irvine @ Vanier 
Start time: 4:00 PM

Wednesday
No sports scheduled

Thursday
Boys’ Volleyball vs. SJAM @ Vanier – Sr. Boys only  
Start time: 4:00 PM

Friday
No sports scheduled

Volleyball Season Begins

We are in a division this year with SJAM, Queen Elizabeth, Colonel Irvine, Senator Patrick Burns, and TB Riley.  As a division, we have agreed upon similar expectations for games that promote safety, respect and a positive experience for players, coaches, other spectators and the hosting school. The expectations are as follows: 

  • All students (spectators and athletes) must leave school at the end of the day, before the games start at 4:00pm. Students who wish to stay to watch Vanier play need to have permission from the staff to stay to supervise. 
  • Players who remain at the school must remain in the gym and are not to be wandering the school.   Also, food and drink are not permitted in the gym.  
  • For all Away games, students must have their own parent or guardian accompany them to all games. They may not be supervised by someone who is not their parent/guardian.   
  • There are no in and out privileges for spectators. If you leave the building you should not re-enter. 
  • All visitors must enter our building through the schools main doors only. Entrance through an alterative door may trigger security protocols and result in significant consequences for students letting others in the school. This would be a significant security risk for everyone in the building. 
  • Student spectators without parental supervision will be directed by the hosting school administration to leave the building immediately. 
  • All spectators are expected to cheer and support the players, coaches, referees, etc. in a positive manner. 
  • Disrespectful behaviour from students or spectators will be addressed by the hosting school administration as well as your home school administration as a follow up. The student and parent code of conduct applies at all times. Spectators may be asked to leave the school depending on the severity of the issue. Parents also may be asked not to return. 
  • Parents/guardians who bring younger children are responsible for direct supervision at all times. The rest of the school is closed and off limits. Please ensure children are not in the hallways or playing on the stage or with any school equipment. 

Thank you for your attention to these things.  We thank you in advance for your ongoing support and look forward to the best year yet for our athletics teams!