School Update 

To the students and families of MRS,  

On Wednesday of this week, our lottery was held for all new students interested in attending Maple Ridge School for the 2024-25 school year. The results of this lottery will be communicated to families on Thursday, February 22.  

We also want to remind everyone that if your child is already attending Maple Ridge School, they do not need to participate in the lottery for the following year as they automatically remain in the program. 

As mentioned in our last Weekly Update, we are asking that each family complete this survey to indicate any anticipated changes for the next school year. 

We understand that the information you share may change and therefore what you indicate is not a commitment. Any anticipated changes offer us some insight as we plan for next year and strive to determine the number of registrations, we may offer new students.  
   
We thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. 

MRS Staff   

Upcoming Important Dates 

Report Cards and New Curriculum 

The report card is one of the ways teachers communicate how your child is progressing in their learning. Teachers may also share learning progress through parent/teacher conferences, your child’s daily work and assignments, and other ongoing communication with you. 

CBE began implementing the new Alberta Education Curriculum:   

• Fall 2022 start:   
  • Mathematics (K-3)  
  • English Language Arts and Literature (K-3)   
  • Physical Education and Wellness (K-6)   
• Fall 2023 start:   
  • Mathematics (4-6)  
  • English Language Arts and Literature (4-6)   
  • French Language Arts and Literature (K-3)  
  • Science (K-3)  

In the new curriculum, some things students learn may be new or may have previously been taught in higher grades. Students could be missing foundational pieces from previous grades, and their report card indicators might not be as high as before. This is expected when there is a new curriculum. It might take more than one school year to build these foundational skills. Even though each grade has its own curriculum, many ideas come up again each year, helping students to build on what they already know and do well.  

Teachers continue to make learning interesting and inspiring and are adapting to students' needs during this transition. As always, if you have questions about your child's learning, please reach out to their teacher.  

Kindergarten Report Cards  

Kindergarten teachers will report progress to parents / legal guardians via January and June report cards. 

• In January, progress in English Language Arts and Literature and Math will be communicated to parents / legal guardians via the report card. Other subject areas will be visible online but will be blank (these subjects will not appear on PDF versions). 
• In January, French Immersion Kindergarten programs will communicate progress in French Language Arts and Literature and Math to parents / legal guardians via the report card. Other subject areas will be visible online but will be blank (these subjects will not appear on PDF versions).  
• In January, Spanish, German and Mandarin programs will report on English Language Arts and Literature, Math and either Spanish Language Arts, Mandarin Language Arts or German Language Arts to parents / legal guardians via the report card. Other subject areas will be visible online but will be blank (these subjects will not appear on PDF versions).  
• In June, progress in all discipline areas will be communicated to parents / legal guardians via the report card. 

School Council and Parent Association Update: 

​​​​​​​We’re looking forward to seeing parents/guardians at the upcoming virtual School Council / Parent Association meetings on February 22 at 6:30pm. We encourage you to join us at this meeting, as we’ll hear from Mr. Laidlaw and Ms. McNeil about the school budget. As a parent/guardian of a student you automatically become a member of both the School Council and Parent Association and are invited to participate and vote at the meetings. Your involvement is invaluable to building a supportive and engaging environment for our kids. 

As a reminder, we still have two vacant positions on the Parent Association: Fundraising Coordinator (which is a key role in ensuring we have the money to buy curriculum-enriching activities, services, and materials for our kids at Maple Ridge) and Casino Coordinator (which will not need to run a casino fundraiser until 2025). If you’re interested in learning more about either of these roles please email: mapleridgecouncil@gmail.com.  

We’re excited to have been elected at the January Annual General Meeting, and are very grateful for the patient and comprehensive handover from past Chairs, Jenn L and Nicole S. By way of introduction, Lindsey M is the parent of a child in grade 1 at Maple Ridge and will serve as President/Chair, while Cara P is the parent of children in grades 1 and 3, and will serve as  Vice President/Vice Chair. Please feel free to connect with us anytime at mapleridgecouncil@gmail.com. 

Lindsey M and Cara P 

On behalf of Maple Ridge School Council and Maple Ridge Parent Association 

Upcoming Dates:  

• Feb. 22, 2024 – Monthly Meeting – School Budget presentation 
• April 18, 2024 – Monthly Meeting – Grade 3 Teacher presentation 
• May 23, 2024 – Monthly Meeting – Grade 2 Teacher presentation 

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MapleRidgeSchoolPTA for upcoming events, activities and fundraisers. 

Black History Month 

During the month of February, Calgary Board of Education students and staff will celebrate and explore the many contributions of Black Canadians, peoples, and communities worldwide. Black History Month is an opportunity for schools to amplify and spotlight the innovative, courageous, and inspiring voices, stories, and contributions of Black Canadians and communities. Throughout the month of February, the Calgary Public Library is hosting events dedicated to celebrating the lives, legacies, and voices of Black peoples and communities. 

Assurance Survey – Grade 4 Parents 

As a parent of a child in grade 4, you will receive a survey package in the mail from Alberta Education. It will include the survey link and random-access code for you to complete the survey online. Both student and parent surveys are anonymous. The survey results are used at the system and school level to make evidence-informed decisions for school improvement. The parent/guardian survey is now open and will close March 1, 2024. We thank you for taking the time to include your voice in this survey.