Buchanan Week Ahead | Aug. 28 - Sept. 1

Good afternoon Buchanan Families, 

This is principal Jeff with your week ahead communication for August 29-Sept. 1 2023. Within this communication you will find: 

·       School Calendar 

·       Welcome Items 

·       Health Protocols 

·       School Communication Plan 

·       Staffing Roster  

·       MyCBE Parent/Guardian Account   

·       Weekly Calendar Items 

School Calendar 2023-2024 

·       Please see the attached links for the General School Calendar and the attachment with events / dates specifically at Buchanan School

·       BuchananCalendar2023_24.pdf  

Welcome Items: 

On behalf of the staff at Buchanan School, I would like to welcome all students and their families to the 2023-2024 school year. 

We are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Thursday, August 31st.  

School will begin at regular bell times on that day, 9:00am for regular program and 9:10am for EES. Please accompany your student to the designated meeting area. Teachers will be outside the building with signs and class lists starting at 8:45am.  

The kindergarten program is a half day program which ends each day at noon. We kindly ask that students in Kindergarten or Grades 1 & 2 be dropped off and picked up by a parent or guardian. If your family situation has an older sibling or a different adult filling this role, please provide the teacher with a written note indicating this so we can ensure a safe drop off or pick up.  

Students in the grade 1-6 regular program on Mondays – Thursday start at 9:00am and end at 3:40pm. On Fridays we have early dismissal at 2:00pm.  

Students in the EES program start their day at 9:10am and on Mondays – Thursday end at 3:50pm. On Fridays EES students end their day at 2:10pm.  

Entry/Exit Doors for students: 

·       Kindergarten: Southeast Entry Doors 

·       Grade 1 & 2: Southeast Entry Doors 

·       Grade 3 & 4: North Playground Area, entry will be through Northeast Door 

·       Grade 5 & 6: Northwest Doors 

·       EES: students will be met at the bus drop off area Southwest Side of School and  enter the school through the Northwest Doors 

School Supplies:  

·       Students in K-6 do not need to bring any school supplies. The school will provide all notebooks, pencils, and paper required for learning.  

Backpacks / Lunch / Snacks / Indoor Shoes 

·       Students do need to bring a backpack with their lunch and two snack items included and a pair of indoor shoes to remain at school. Please ensure that the shoes are appropriate for learning activities that will include gym activities. Where possible try to ensure that the shoes have or do not have Velcro laces to make it easier for students to put on and take off.  

·       Each classroom has either a coat room or a locker for students to store and access their backpacks and lunch/snack items during the school day.  

Student Code of Conduct & Progressive Student Discipline Policy:

• Student Code of Conduct
• Progressive Student Discipline Policy

Health Protocols 

·       Health and Safety measures are updated regularly. Information will be passed along to you through our weekly communications and can be accessed by visiting the AHS and CBE websites.  

·       As we begin the 2023-24 school year, there are no current COVID-19 public health measures in place that impact CBE schools. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we will be following the guidance and direction provided from Alberta Education and Alberta Health Services. 

·       If new measures are announced, they will be communicated with families and staff before they are implemented in our schools. 

·       We continue to encourage general health measures for all students and staff to reduce the risk of transmission of illnesses; these include such things as staying home when sick, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. 

Communication Plan: 

·       Principal Week Ahead Email 

·       Classroom Teacher Week Ahead Email 

·       School Website 

·       Paper Forms & Documents sent home with students 

·       CBE Area 2 Concerns & Complaints  

Throughout this school year you will be receiving two communications on a weekly basis: 

·       One communication will come from me updating you on weekly items that pertain to whole school items.  

·       One communication will come from your students’ teacher updating you on items pertaining directly to their instruction. On August 28 your student’s classroom teacher will email you and your student to welcome them to the classroom.  

·       As required, teachers will send home paper documents that usually require your review and signature. Please send these documents back to the school with your student for them to hand to their classroom teacher.  

·       We will post updated information about calendar events on our website so please try to take advantage of that resource when you can. 

If you have questions about whole school items, please feel free to contact me via email (jhlailey@cbe.ab.ca) or phone into the office (403-777-6260). If you have questions about classroom items, please feel free to contact the classroom teacher via their email. We will always try our best to reply to you in a timely manner. If there are times during the year when you are not satisfied with the response, you have gotten from us at the school about any concern or complaint you have brought forward you can engage the next level of supports at the Area Office by filling out a concern or complaint using the concerns and complaint form. https://cbe.ab.ca/about-us/contact-us/Pages/concerns.aspx  

Staff Roster:  

The list below indicates all of the teachers and support staff that will be working very hard this year to support your students' growth and learning.  

Setting up your MyCBE account: 

https://sis.cbe.ab.ca/public/home.html  

The CBE uses several technologies and tools to support parents/guardians in paying school fees, viewing report cards and booking parent/teacher conferences. These tools are accessed through the MyCBE account. If you have not done so already, please try to set up your MyCBE account as soon as you can. The link above will take you to the entry page. If you require support completing this process, feel free to call the school (403-777-6260) and set up an appointment time with Ms. Unger, our Administrative Assistant, to complete this process.  

School Council / Parent Society 

The Buchanan School Council will be hosting a welcome back to school pancake breakfast for all students and their families on Friday September 8, from 8am-9am. 

·       If you are interested in volunteering to help please contact the school office to sign up 

The first meeting of the month will take place online at 12:00pm on Monday September 18.  

Weekly Calendar Items 

Thanks, 

Jeff