Bonjour BP families, 

With the CUPE strike set to start on Monday, schools will be without their facility operators and cleaning staff. There are contingency plans in place, but know that we have had to pivot to change some of our operations until there is a resolution.  

  • Doors will open at 7:45 AM (no change), if students have AM practices for volleyball, these will continue unchanged 
  • Students are asked to leave the building as soon as possible after the last bell at 2:30 PM (M-R)/12 PM (F), and no later than 3:15 PM if in a supervised activity on Monday to Thursdays 
  • The volleyball season will continue as planned 
  • For any sports games that are hosted at the school, no student spectators are allowed 
  • Students are reminded to clean up after themselves in class, in halls, and at lunch 

Teachers Convention Update

Big and small ideas were all explored in hundreds of different sessions at Teachers Convention last week. Powerful insights were shared in a keynote session by Secretary General of Education International, Dr. David Edwards.  He named teachers as “wisdom workers”, in which we foster critical thinking, ethical considerations, and emotional intelligence to apply knowledge wisely. We look forward to bringing this guidance back to continue to benefit our students. Another important session by David Eagleman took on preparing students for an AI powered world. In rapidly changing times such as this, it's critical that educators continue professional development to prepare students for an ever changing world. 

Casino Update 

A big thank you from the Bishop Pinkham Parents Association (BPPA) to our casino volunteers as your hard work raised just under $83,000 from our December casino! That amount works out to be over $2,000 per volunteer shift. This money will be spent over the next 2 years by our school on our enrichment/option programs, artist-in-residence programs, various equipment and grade 9 farewell celebration (just to name a few items) that would not be possible otherwise. A big thank you as well on behalf of our staff and students for helping us to provide rich programming, experiences,  and enhancements for our students.  

French Club- Reunis en Francophonie 

We welcomed students this week from Westgate and Western Canada High School as a part of our OLEP (Official Languages in Education Program) grant. The club celebrates how we can infuse French language and culture into our everyday lives and how French does not stop after we finish school. Students were treated to pastries from Hooman and Daniel from Element Cafe and to hip hop dancing with Angellyn and Allen from The Masses, all in French, and all former French Immersion students. We look forward to the club visiting Westgate and Western Canada High School for new French experiences that they will each host.  

Pink Shirt Day 

The CBE supports bullying prevention and awareness and recognizes the importance of Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, February 26. Pink Shirt Day is an opportunity that supports increased awareness and prevention of bullying in schools, workplaces, homes and online and helps support bolstering children's self-esteem. In Homeroom class, students will continue the work and discussions on bullying behaviour and preventative actions that they can take to ensure BP continues to be a safe, inclusive environment for all. We encourage everyone to wear pink on Wednesday. 

Green Fools Artist in Residence 

Reminder, please note that a non-refundable fee of $15 will be charged to your PowerSchool account for participation in the Circus Program. This fee covers the costs associated with equipment, instruction, and materials necessary for the program. Please reach out if you will be away that week for PE.  

Thank you for your understanding and support. We look forward to an exciting and active experience for our students! 

Grade 9 Immunizations- Feb 25 

We want to inform you that the Alberta Health Services School Immunization Program will be at Bishop Pinkham School on February 25, 2025,  to immunize grade 9 students. Only students who have returned their completed consent forms will be immunized.  

Please review the information, fill out the consent forms, and return to the school as soon as possible. If you received a Request for Vaccination Records, please fill out the form and follow the included instructions for providing immunization records to AHS. The School Immunization Program follows the Alberta Immunization Schedule. For more information about the immunizations your child has been offered, please visit the website. If you have questions about immunization day or need interpretative services, please contact the school nurse, Chantel Josiak.    

Helping Your Child to Feel Comfortable on Immunization Day 

Fear of needles is common. Our program is committed to making the experience as comfortable as possible. We encourage students to prepare by using the distraction techniques listed on the AHS Commitment to Comfort website. I've also provided a handout with additional strategies. Please review these with your child and discuss what strategies might work best for them.   

Other ways to help your child on immunization day are:   

  • Encourage your child to eat a healthy, hearty breakfast. 
  • Pack a healthy snack/lunch and a water bottle. 
  • Have your child wear a short sleeve shirt (immunizations are given in the arms). 
  • Encourage your child to go to bed at their regular time the night before. 
  • Use positive language to reassure your child before, on, and after immunization day.   

If you have any questions, please contact Chantel Josiak, at chantel.josiak@albertahealthservices.ca or 403-944-7362. 

Important Dates  

  • February 25 - Grade 9 vaccinations. Only students with signed and returned consent forms will participate. Please call AHS if you have any questions or concerns.  
  • February 25 - Grade 8/9 Outdoor Ed- Nakiska 
  • February 25 - grade 8E zoo trip  
  • February 26 - Pascal Math Contest 
  • February 26 - Be Brave trip for Leadership students 
  • February 27 4-8 PM- Parent Teacher Interviews, on MS Teams
    • Booking window open from Feb 19 6PM to Feb 26 6 PM via your MYCBE Account 
  • February 28 8:30AM-12PM- Parent Teacher Interviews, on MS Teams
    • Booking window open from Feb 19 6PM to Feb 26 6 PM via your MYCBE Account 
  • March 3 - Grade 7A day Outdoor Ed Snowshoeing 
  • March 4 - Grade 9B day Outdoor Ed Avalanche Awareness 
  • March 5 - Grade 9A day Outdoor Ed Avalanche Awareness 
  • March 5 - Trabadour performance for all FSL and grades 7-8 Late Immersion students 
  • March 6 - Healthy Hunger (Subway) 
    • Order here 
    • Note: orders close 5 days before scheduled date 
  • March 11 - French club to Western Canada High School (forms to follow) 
  • March 12-14 - Band Camp at Camp Caroline 
  • March 13 - Grade 7B day Outdoor Ed Snowshoe 
  • March 13 - BPPC/BPPA Meetings online 6:30-8 PM, link to follow 
  • March 17-20- Semaine de la Francophonie/French week 
  • March 17- Grade 8 A day Outdoor Ed X Country Ski 
  • **NEW - March 17 Special French Week Healthy Hunger (Poutine from Family Fry Guy) 
    • Traditional, Vegetarian, Gluten Free. All with curds :) 
    • Order here 
    • Note: orders close 5 days before scheduled date 
  • March 18 - Grade 7A day Outdoor Ed Snowshoe 
  • March 19 - Grade 8B day Outdoor Ed X Country Ski 
  • March 20 - last day of classes 
  • March 24-28 - Spring Break 
  • March 31 - Classes resume 
  • March 31-April 4 - Grade 9 SALTS Trip 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the warmup!

Rishma Hajee 

Principal | Bishop Pinkham School