School Update 

This past week, staff at Maple Ridge decided to try a fun experiment with our students to see how strong their observation skills are. We called it “Secret Spirit Week,” and each day our staff followed a different theme. The results were impressive, especially as students in the older grades began to suspect that something was happening as the week went on. 

Here is how our experiment unfolded: 

• Denim Monday – Not many students noticed or commented. 
• Blackout Tuesday – A few students noticed and started making comments. 
• Jersey Wednesday – Our jerseys definitely caught students’ attention. Many began to realize that something unusual was happening this week. 
• Anything But a Water Bottle Thursday – From gum boots with a clean liner to plant watering cans, many staff members came prepared with creative drink containers, and lots of students took notice. 
• Crazy Socks with Sandals Friday – By the end of the week, most students were fully aware and seemed to enjoy the silly combinations of socks and sandals. Ironically, it turned out to be quite a cold day for sandals. 

We want to thank all of our students for their wonderful reactions. Our staff truly enjoyed this playful experiment. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. 

Maple Ridge Staff 

Upcoming Important Dates 

​​​​​​​Maple Ridge School Council and Parent Association

January AGM

Reminder that our Annual General Meetings are coming up in January. During these meetings, we will vote on filling several key roles, including President/Chair, Vice-President/Vice-Chair and Key Communicator. All parents/guardians are eligible, and these roles must be filled to ensure the smooth operation of our Council/Association in service of Maple Ridge School. If you're interested in learning more, please contact us at mapleridgecouncil@gmail.com.

Winter Solstice - Dec 18

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who have signed up to help with our treats table! We look forward to visiting with our parent/guardian community in the iLab between performances. Come see us for a hot chocolate or tea, and a sweet treat!

On behalf of School Council and Parents Association, we wish you all a happy holiday season and all the best in 2026.

🎵 Notes from the Music Room🎵 
Students are so excited to share their incredible talents for Winter Solstice!  Students have analyzed some of their own performance to celebrate what is going well, and what needs attention to polish our songs.  They are working so hard at polishing their songs and demonstrating performance etiquette!  Ask your child what some of the learning targets are this week - what does sing out loud mean?   

For our upcoming school performance, students are encouraged to wear an outfit that helps them feel excited, confident and ready for the stage. This might be a favourite dress, a nice sweater, or a button-up shirt.  Winter colours—such as blue, white, silver, or darker tones—are wonderful choices but not required.  

🎵🔬 Fun Fact:  Did you know… listening to music lights up many parts of your brain all at once—more than almost anything else you do? 

Winter Solstice | Dec 18 

Students and staff at Maple Ridge have been busy preparing for our upcoming Winter Solstice Celebration on Thursday, December 18. We strongly encourage parents to attend this celebration of learning, and we have shared the classroom schedule below. 

If you know that your child will NOT be attending the performance, please contact Ms.Harris (anharris@cbe.ab.ca), or the school (mapleridge@cbe.ab.ca). Many classes will have specific student roles which we want to ensure success for the performance.  Thank you to those parents who have already reached out! 

Supporting our Calgary Food Bank 

Over the next week, students are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for our collection to support the Calgary Food Bank. We have created a friendly competition amongst our grades to see who can collect the most food. We are also encouraging families to bring a non-perishable food item as a donation when they attend our Winter Solstice Event on December 18.