Professional Learning Day
On Friday, January 30, West Ridge School teachers participated in a wide range of professional learning experiences as part of the CBE System Professional Learning Day. These in‑person and virtual sessions gave our teachers an opportunity to deepen their practice, explore new instructional strategies, and build capacity in ways that directly support the goals outlined in our School Development Plan.
Throughout the day, teachers engaged in various sessions such as AI for Learning, Leveraging AI for Task Design, and Introduction to AI for Learning as well as CBE AI Guidelines, which align with our work around creating high‑quality, intellectually engaging tasks that promote disciplinary thinking.
Sessions such as Bringing the New K–6 Social Studies Curriculum to Life Through Critical Thinking, Languages Symposium, and Teaching Digital Citizenship and Social Media in Middle School provided meaningful connections to literacy, critical thinking, and the development of thoughtful, informed learners.
Workshops like Impactful Instruction for Learning Disabilities, Knife Skills for Foods Teachers, Flag Football for Physical Education, Outdoor Pursuits with the Canadian Rocky Outdoor Learning Centre, AHS Food Safety Certification, From Sewing Machines to Fashion Projects, and Icing on the PD, supported our ongoing focus on inclusive, hands‑on, and experiential learning. These learning opportunities strengthen our ability to meet the diverse needs of students and contribute to the overall well‑being and engagement of our school community.
We also want to recognize the creativity and leadership of two of our own staff members who presented today:
Mrs. Lutz, Low Budget Props and Set Construction for a Non-Theatre Space!
Mrs. Hassett, Mini Magic in Polymer
Their contributions to the system day highlight some of the deep talent we have at West Ridge School.
Welcome Back Mrs. Servos
Beginning on Monday, February 2, Mrs. Servos is returning from her maternity leave to teach Humanities to 5-3 and 5-4. She is excited to be back and looking forward to meeting her students and creating a positive classroom community.
We would also like to thank Ms. Dadlani for the kindness she has shown her students. She took the time to truly get to know each learner, made learning engaging and fun, and thoughtfully supported students as individuals. She will be missed by her students, and we are thankful for the strong foundation she leaves behind for her classes.
Health and Human Sexuality Forms
This is a friendly reminder that students who do not return the Human Sexuality Opt In forms will not be able to partipcate in this important part of the Physical Education and Wellness and Health and Life Skills curriculums as in accordance with Section 58.11 of the Education Act.
You can view more information on the West Ridge website Physical Education page (https://westridge.cbe.ab.ca/phys-ed) and find digital copies of the forms below if you have not yet returned yours.
Grade 5 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 6 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 7 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 8 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 9 Human Sexuality Opt In
Raptors PE and Athletics
Field Trips
We wrapped-up Semester 1 with our final Outdoor Education field trip of the semester. We returned to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park with a wonderful group of Grade 7s and 9s for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. We were treated with perfect weather and ideal snow conditions to practice our skills.
We returned to Nakiska Ski Area on Thursday with 90 eager Grade 6 students for downhill skiing and snowboard lessons. The weather was warm, the sun was shining, and the snow was soft; perfect conditions for plenty of fun on the slopes.
Athletics
All of our volleyball teams were back in action this week and all four teams went undefeated! There were some lopsided wins, some hard-fought victories, and plenty of learning out on the court. Next week we are hosting the Rally on the Ridge Junior Volleyball Tournament from February 4-6 for both of our junior teams. Our Sr. Boys resume regular season play on Thursday, while our Sr. Girls enjoy a bye week. We’d love to see you out supporting our teams!
From The PE Department
Students have just completed Module 2, which means we’ll be starting Module 3 on Monday, February 2. The units in Module 3 include Badminton, Dodgeball/Speedball, Fitness/Health, and Winter Activities/Health. One of those Health units will be on Human Sexuality. If you have not already done so, please ensure that you have returned the opt-in/opt-out form for your child. Without it, we must assume your child is opting out of this unit and will need alternative work during this time. Students will also need to be prepared to go outside during the Winter Games and Activities unit. The CBE allows us to be outside in weather as cold as -20 degrees Celsius, so students need to be prepared with proper clothing and footwear. Mr. Dixon’s PE classes will be starting outside on Monday morning, so please ensure your child is prepared.
This Week
Monday, February 2
- Another amazing day of learning!
Wednesday, February 4
- Rally on the Ridge Jr Volleyball Tournament @ WRS - After School
- Jr. Girls Volleyball Games @ Bishop Pinkham
- Sr. Girls Volleyball Games @ Griffith Woods
Thursday, February 5
- Rally on the Ridge Jr Volleyball Tournament @ WRS - After School
- Sr. Boys Volleyball Games @ William D. Pratt
Friday, February 6
- Grade 5 Developmental Volleyball - Before School
- Rally on the Ridge Jr Volleyball Tournament @ WRS - After School
Month Ahead
Feb 9 - Grade 8 Skiing Field Trip
Feb 10 - Jr. Bos Volleyball Games @ William D. Pratt
Feb 11 - Grade 9 Skiing Field Trip
Feb 12 - 13 - No School - Teacher & Staff Convention
Feb 16 - No School - Family Day
Feb 18 - Grade 5 Skiing Field Trip
Feb 18 - Jr. Girls Volleyball Games @ Bishop Pinkham
Feb 18 - Sr. Girls Volleyball Games @ West Ridge
Feb 19 - Jr. Boys Volleyball Game @ A.E. Cross
Feb 19 - School Council and Society Hybrid Meeting (6:30pm)
Feb 20 - Grade 5 Developmental Volleyball - Before School
Feb 20 - Sr. Volleyball Tournament - Manning Feeder Tournament
Dates of Significance
Please find the link to the CBE Dates of Significance below which also contains additional details for each date. Please scroll down on the site to find the current date.