Welcome back to BP School! We are excited to reconnect with our students and families and start a new year filled with learning, achievement, and community spirit. Here's to a fantastic year ahead! 

There will be much information coming your way. I usually send out a weekly update every Tuesday to keep families updated on a broader level of what is happening at the school level. Please keep a look out for these emails. The updates are also posted on our school website 

For now, here is some useful information as we begin school start up.  

CBE Administrative Regulation 6031: Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments 

At our school, we are committed to creating a welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe environment for all students, staff, and families. CBE Administrative Regulation 6031 outlines our shared responsibility to foster inclusion, respect diversity, and ensure every member of our school community feels a sense of belonging. We encourage families to support these values by promoting kindness, respectful communication, and positive relationships both in and outside of school. Together, we can help create a school culture where everyone feels safe, valued, and supported. 

Teacher Decisions on Class Assignments 

The school wishes to remind families that their child’s class placement has been determined through the careful lens of teachers working together in teams to ensure the best possible classroom composite. Teacher decisions are rooted in a strong instructional and social/emotional rationale. Bishop Pinkham is fortunate to count on a stable student demographic. Many students have been together since early elementary at our various feeder schools.  As students grow and mature, preparing them for high school includes living with a certain degree of uncertainty.  Only through embracing this uncertainty and new opportunities to develop relationships with others do adolescents grow in their level of preparedness for their future worlds.  We stand by our instructional decisions, which have been made with the best insight and in a collaborative approach between teachers. Thank you for your support in this matter. 

Fall Sports Season Begins 

We are excited to share information about the first Cross-Country and Soccer season! These activities provide a great opportunity for students to stay active, develop teamwork skills, and build new friendships. Please see below for important information about the Cross-Country Team and Boys/Girls Soccer tryouts taking place next week:   

Cross-Country Team:  

• All athletes are welcome to join and participate 
• All athletes able to attend the cross-country meet will make the team 
• Please bring running shoes and a water bottle to all practices and meets 

First meeting details: 

Date: Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 

• Location: Main Gym @ 2:45-3:45pm 
• Please see attached Cross Country Team schedule for cross country meet dates and practices 

Soccer  

• Athletes, please come with proper running shoes or cleats to tryouts 
• Tryout schedule below is for both BOYS and GIRLS team  

 Please ensure that your child comes prepared with appropriate athletic attire, water, and a signed copy of the Annual-Authorization-for-Athletic-Tryout.pdf and for our female student athletes, the Athlete Eligibility Confirmation Form as required by the Alberta government. Suppoting documents can be found here: CBE Administrative Regulation 3034 and Fairness and Safety in Sport Act 

We encourage all interested students to participate, regardless of their experience level. It’s a great way for them to challenge themselves and be part of our school spirit! If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out. Thank you for your support! 

Option Change Request Forms 

Students wishing to change options may submit a request form (available in office from September 16, and due on September 18). Please note that we may not be able to accommodate all requests due to balancing class sizes and class availability for the specific time block. Option forms are due to the office no later than September 18, and will require a parent/guardian signature. Students are expected to attend their classes as listed on their schedule until a change has been confirmed by the main office. 

Walking Trips During the School Day  

The CBE values the educational benefit of field trips. Field trips close to our school can complement classroom learning by giving students opportunities to explore the community around their school.  

Please be advised the process for trips within walking distance of the school has been simplified, excluding restricted activities, e.g. swimming. As parents/guardians, you will no longer need to fill out a consent form for your child to go on a class trip that is walking distance from the school, e.g. to a local park.  Appropriate walking distance is determined by the Principal and may vary, depending on the age of the students. 

Teachers will provide at least 48 hours’ notice when planning a trip to a local site. You will be notified about these trips by email or on D2L.  

The following is a list of sites near the school that teachers may use to complement classroom learning. There may be other sites that are used as opportunities arise. 

As with any field trip, we want to inform you about some common hazards involved with walking trips to the above locations. Please note this list may not include all of the hazards for a given trip: 

• Slips, trips and falls; 
• Getting separated from the group; 
• Street crossings; 
• Pre-existing medical conditions and/or allergies; 
• Exposure to infectious diseases (eg. COVID-19 virus, SARS, MERS, influenza). 

If you have any questions regarding field trips within walking distance of the school, please contact your child’s teacher.  

Video Surveillance System 

Our school has a video surveillance system to help maintain a safe and secure environment at the school for students, staff and the public, and to help address vandalism and criminal activity on school property. 

The video surveillance system is installed and reviewed in accordance with Administrative Regulation 1066. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Education Act and the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA), specifically section 10(1) and the Access to Information Act (ATIA) . 

This technology can be placed in areas such as the school parking lot, building entrances and exits, stairwells and hallways. This information is recorded and collected to help maintain a safe and secure environment in the school and on school property. The users of this information are the principal or designate and  law enforcement personnel in the case of reported incidents that would require an investigation. Only authorized persons will review video surveillance information. 

Inquiries concerning the video surveillance system, or the collection and use of recorded information may be made by contacting the school office. 

Here's looking to a wonderful week of welcome. 

Rishma Hajee 
Principal | Bishop Pinkham School