Dear Vanier Families,
I want to start this penultimate update of the year by congratulating our 13 student teachers (10 final year students from U of C and Campus St Jean, and 3 first year students also from Campus St. Jean). The U of C students will be back in February for their 4th and final placements.
Mr. Brown and the grade 7 leadership team have been working to create a school spirit schedule for next week, which will include a school dance next Friday. Please see the schedule below for dates and activities.
For those families in Grade 7, your child should have brought home a letter with their official PAT results last year. If they did not write the PAT (for example, you lived out of province), no letter will come home.
A few students in school have been mentioning Australia’s social media ban for under 16s. With our current digital citizenship plan around positive online behaviour this might be something that comes up in conversation at home. I have attached a link from UNICEF Australia with a snapshot of the legislation for families who want to know more.
Finally, I want to recognize Mme. Suelzle and our 8 student wellness ambassadors who attended the CBE’s Wellness Symposium this week at Mount Royal. This symposium brought together middle school students and staff from across the CBE to discuss student well-being to add student voice to actions we can take in our individual schools. I had the chance to join our team for the last hour of the session and ask each of them how they felt it went and what they wanted to see at Vanier.
The students shared a few immediate actions. In January, they want to start a student wellness team after the break that will meet regularly and give input on steps we can take as a school. Secondly, they identified the need for continuing to build a welcoming community where students are connected to adults and each other.
We will be implementing these student initiatives in the new year.
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
Holiday Hampers at Vanier
Our school is launching our Holiday Hamper Drive to support families in our community. We will begin collecting items from Monday, December 8 to Wednesday, December 17. We warmly welcome donations of non-perishable food, toiletries, small toys, gift cards, warm outerwear (mitts, toques, socks, etc...). Every contribution big or small helps bring comfort, dignity, and joy to families who need it most this season. Please have your students bring their donations to school starting Monday. Thank you for making Vanier a better place.
Spirit Week
- Monday December 15: Holiday Colours (wear red, white, green, or gold)
- Tuesday December 16: Festive hair and hat
- Wednesday December 17: Holiday sweater
- Thursday December 18: PJ Day
- Friday December 19: Homeroom day + Winter Wonderland dance
Vanier Community Corner
- Our crochet club has been hooking students in faster than we expected! It’s sew much fun—but we’re starting to run low on wool. If you have any extra yarn at home, we’d love a thread of support. Every ball helps us keep the creativity going! The crochet club will also be selling some of their creations at lunchtime to raise money for more resources!
- Our growing Outdoor Education program is continuing to accept donations of outdoor equipment in good repair. We are looking for:
- cross-country ski gear (boots, skis, and poles)
- snow shoes
- daypacks
- multiday backpacking backpacks
- hiking boots
- tarps
- sleeping pads
- sleeping bags
Please contact Mr. Eitzen at mdeitzen@cbe.ab.ca for more information.
Heritage Park Volunteer opportunity
Heritage Park is looking for volunteers to help our Kids Only store shoppers find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, all while sticking to their budget!
Every year during the Once Upon a Christmas event, we transform our red barn into a magical shopping experience for children looking for the perfect gifts and stocking stuffers for Mom, Dad, and all of their loved ones. No grown-ups are allowed!
If you enjoy working with children, sharing the magic of Christmas, and are a savvy shopper, this could be a great opportunity for you!
We are looking to fill 2 Volunteer Group shifts to help out in the Kids Only Store.
- Sunday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 23rd.
- Shift time is 1PM -4PM
- Lunch and Costume/Volunteer Gear provided.
- Check in and lunch will be between 11:30AM and 12:45PM, then the group will head to the barn to start shopping with our guests.
For more information please contact acharles@heritagepark.ca.
Yearbook information
With the resumption of school, we have started the design and build of our school yearbook. If you are interested in order you can do so directly at this link.
LifeTouch
As a token of appreciation this holiday season, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!
- 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code 50THANKYOU
- 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code 40THANKYOU
- 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code 30THANKYOU
Healthy Hunger is Back!
We’re excited to announce our upcoming Healthy Hunger lunches!
- January 16: Booster Juice
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!
Upcoming Sports Dates:
Monday: no sports scheduled
Tuesday: no sports scheduled
Wednesday: no sports scheduled
Thursday: no sports scheduled
Friday: no sports scheduled
Upcoming Dates:
Dec 16: Grade 9 Vaccine Presentations
Dec 17: Outdoor Education trip (weather dependent)
Dec 19: Last day of classes before winter break
Jan 5: Classes restart
Jan 5: Volleyball season starts (Try-out scheduled to be released)
Jan 13: Grade 9 vaccinations