Bonjour BP families. 

Thank you, students, families, and staff, for another wonderful year at BP! We hit the ground running since September, and it seems like we haven't stopped. The year has flown by so quickly; I can't believe it's the end of June already. We have much to celebrate this year:  

  • Athletics and clubs  and arts running in full force all year. Check out our achievements!  
    • Soccer: Girls finished 2nd place  
    • Badminton: All grades finished 4th place  
    • Basketball – Junior girls finished 1st place 
    • Cross Country – Tied for 1st place overall, grade 8 girls/boys won their division (1st Place) 
    • Junior girls volleyball into the semis!  
    • Senior Girls volleyball were division champs! 
    • BP Track finished 2nd this year in our division- combined 
      • Grade 7's finished 3rd 
      • Grade 8's finished 1st 
      • Grade 9's finished 2nd 
  • Some very successful Band/Drama/Fine Arts evenings 
  • Two very successful out of province and International trips- Disney and Quebec 
  • Engaging learning activities for our students  
  • Laughter and smiles in the halls  
  • The partnership with our main feeder schools (Jennie Elliott, Westgate, Western Canada High School) 
  • BPPC/BPPA, and our parent volunteers- we couldn't do what we do without your help and generosity 

This is certainly not an exhaustive list. I can't wait to see what next school year brings.   

Our work in supporting students' academic achievement, emotional growth, and wellbeing has been seamless for many students, and sometimes an ongoing conversation for some; this is the work we do in meeting students where they are in their personal development as learners and members of our school community. We strive to do this with empathy and kindness. We all have a role to play in this work; staff, students and families have a responsibility and role to play in contributing to a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment. We are continually learning, unlearning, and relearning as our context is never static. We work on showing grace and empathy when mistakes are made and ask the same from our students.   

For those students and families leaving BP, I wish you success in your next school year.    

For those families remaining, you can expect to see school start up information delivered via email mid-August. If you have registered for yellow school bus transportation, the routes will be made available in late August. The school will be closed at 12:00 PM on June 28, and reopen at 1:00 PM on August 28. Please note that all school staff will be on holiday from July 1 to August 26.    

In the meantime, have a safe and restful summer, and we will see you on the first student day, August 29 at 8 AM.    

For those looking for school supply lists, these will be made available on the course outlines given to students at the beginning of September. If you really want to make some purchases over the summer, you can definitely count on the basics such as: binders, pencils, pens, erasers, dividers, lined paper, white out, and a scientific calculator. Some students prefer an agenda - this is optional.  

Government of Alberta's Announcement of Cell Phones in School 

Last week, Alberta Education announced that as of September 2024, K-12 students in all school districts in the province will no longer be permitted to use personal mobile devices during instructional time. In addition, access to social media sites will be restricted.  

In the announcement, the Minister of Education said school boards will have the autonomy and flexibility to determine specific circumstances under which these devices can be used. This might include supporting students with special learning or medical needs and for other educational purposes.  

We know there will be questions from schools and families. Once CBE has reviewed the upcoming Ministerial Order and guidance provided by Alberta Education, the board will work to create specific guidance for our school district. We will share more information to provide direction before the start of the 2024-2025 school year.   

Staffing Updates 

We would like to congratulate Mme. Renee Leblanc on her upcoming retirement at the end of June. Felicitations, Madame! We wish you the best in your upcoming adventures.  

Bonne chance to Mr. Sager who will be on a new adventure teaching half time at Branton and half time with elementary students at Capitol Hill School.  

We welcome Mme. Anna Cochran who will be taking on French Immersion Math and Science at BP next year.  

Semester 2 Report Cards and Appeals Day 

Teachers have worked intensively over the last month to capture student assessment of learning and communicate that in personalized ways through the semester 2 report card.  Digital report cards for all CBE schools will be viewable in Power School beginning on Wed. June 26. 

We suggest the value in arranging a sit-down meeting between parent and child to read the report card together. This creates an opportunity for intentional recognition of accomplishments made this year; there are also specific recommendations made by teachers for next steps in learning 

If there are any incongruencies or if you are unable to access the digital report card, please contact the main office right away.  Additionally, should families have questions or wish to contest any aspect of the report card, we request that they email the teacher to book a virtual or in-person appointment.  Please email teachers by Thurs. June 27, 3:30 PM to request an appointment on Appeals Day.  Appeals Day is Fri. June 28, 9:00AM - 12:00 PM. 

Outstanding Fees 

Please have a look on your MyCBE account to resolve any outstanding fees for this year. We have had some field trips and athletic events for June. 

Lost and Found Items 

We have an abundance of lunch kits, water bottles, and hoodies galore in our lost and found. Please remind your students to have a final look and take any items that belong to them, as we will be donating the abandoned items on June 28.  

Important Dates  

June 26 - Report cards to go live at 8 AM 

June 27- Last day of school for students, noon dismissal 

June 28- Appeals Day 9AM - 12PM (School will close for summer break at 12 PM) 

June 28, 12 PM- Aug 28 1 PM- School closed for summer holiday. 

August 28 - Main office opens at 1 PM 

August 29 - First day back 8 AM 

Have a wonderful summer! 

Rishma Hajee 

Principal | Bishop Pinkham School