Dear Vanier Families,

Congratulations to all the students who made the junior and senior badminton teams. I am always blown away by the number of students who try out, so thank you to everyone who took a risk and gave it a shot. For those who made the teams, please make sure you are aware of the schedule set out by the coaches. Year-end tournaments will be happening in May.

Next week will be the final week for our students from the U of C, many of whom will be starting work with the CBE in the weeks ahead. It has been a wonderful opportunity to watch these students grow into the profession and into themselves as teachers.

Finally, I wanted to share a story a parent passed along last week. During one of the snowstorms, her car got stuck in a snowbank as she was leaving the school. Some Vanier students, seeing her predicament, walked up and began helping dig her out and push her car free. Her child didn't know the students, so the mom was only able to give descriptions - someone wearing orange, another in pink sweatpants. I did my best to identify them, but none of the students I spoke with took ownership of the good deed. I wanted to let those students know that I am very proud of them, and the parent also wanted me to pass along her sincere appreciation for their help.

I hope you all get a chance to enjoy the warmer weather this weekend brings.

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

• Cafeteria Menu: https://gpvanier.cbe.ab.ca/cafeteria-menu

Gary Weimann Award

Applications for EducationMatters Awards are now open! Students at Georges P. Vanier School can apply for the Gary Weimann Award for Community Service. The deadline is May 30. To apply, visit https://applications.educationmatters.ca, register an account, and search for the "Gary Weimann Award for Community Service" application.

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 and/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 > Fees, Waivers & Service Registrations > Menu > Tax Receipts

Winston Heights Community Newsletter - Share Your Stories

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. We are inviting community members to contribute content for future issues of this newsletter.

We are 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-hosted event with a short caption or story
• A creative contribution like 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

Please note that 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.

Length and format guidelines:

• Articles should be approximately 300-600 words
• If you include photos, the written word count should be shorter
• Photos should be clear, high-quality, and relevant to the story

The newsletter team reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity, tone, content, and length. If you've been thinking, "I have something I could share," this is your nudge. We look forward to reading what you send!

— Shannon Smith, Newsletter Editor

Healthy Hunger

We are excited to announce our upcoming Healthy Hunger lunch! Orders can be placed at https://healthyhunger.ca. Please note that orders close 5 days before each lunch date, so don't miss out. Any lunches not picked up on the day will be donated.

• April 17 - Coco Brooks

Thank you for supporting our school!

Vanier Community Corner

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

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

We are also looking for lightly used French books for the library. If you have graphic novels or fiction books in French suitable for middle years students, please drop them off at the main office.

Finally, we are looking for interesting and unique items to use as classroom hall passes - for example, one class uses a rubber duck and another has a small hub cap. These passes help minimize student traffic during class time and allow teachers to quickly identify students in the hallway. If you have any items that fit this description, please send them to school and we will gladly put them to use.

Upcoming Dates

• April 16 - Last day for U of C student teachers
• April 18 - Vanier Jazz Band at William Aberhart (Saturday)
• April 20 - Grade 9 French Immersion to Aberhart (not all students)
• April 23 - Vanier Fine Arts Showcase
• April 24 - Schools closed | System PD Day
• April 27 - Track and Field season starts
• April 28 - Grade 9 French Immersion to Aberhart (not all students)
• April 28 - Parent Council Meeting | 7:00 PM