Spring Refresher: Routines and Readiness at WRS
As we move into spring, we want to remind students and families of a few important routines and expectations that help keep our days running smoothly at West Ridge School.
We also wanted to say thank you for being such an incredible community! We are so fortunate for all of the support that you show us each and every day and for the care and dedication you show towards your child(ren)’s learning and public education. The snack donations are appreciated and it was overwhelming how much the West Ridge Community donated to make our days just that much better.
School Supplies (Grades 7–9)
Students in Grades 7–9 are responsible for bringing and maintaining their own school supplies. Please ensure your child has the following items as we are unable to continue providing them :
- Ruler
- Calculator
- Geometry set
- Pens and pencils
- Pencil crayons or markers
- Eraser
- Whiteboard marker
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Pencil crayons or markers
Students in Grades 5–6 continue to receive supplies from the school through their annual student supply fee.
Locker Use and Timing
To support smooth transitions and reduce hallway congestion, students should not be visiting lockers between every class. Please follow the schedule below:
- Start of Day: Gather materials for Periods 1 & 2
- Nutrition Break: Gather materials for Periods 3 & 4
- Lunch: Gather materials for Periods 5, 6 & 7
Classrooms, including the gym, have spaces that students can store their belongings for their other classes. If students need to go to their locker outside of these times, they must check in with their classroom teacher first, so teachers know where they are and do not mark them late.
Students must use a CBE lock on their lockers and keep them locked at all times. Combinations should not be shared, event with good friends. If a lock is lost or missing, families will be charged for a replacement.
Attendance and Checking In/Out
Being at school on time and staying for the full day is an important part of student success. If a student arrives late or needs to leave early, they must check in or out through the main office. Students cannot leave the building without parent/guardian approval so please help us by calling or emailing the school so that we are aware.
Every part of the school day, including regular classes, assemblies, and shared community experiences, contributes to students’ sense of belonging, their well-being, and their academic success. When students are excused from parts of the day, it impacts their connectedness and their learning so please help us by ensuring your child attends school every day for the entire day .
Raptors Smash the Competition
Congratulations to West Ridge School’s E-Sports team who had a very good showing at Bow Valley College’s Smath Ultimate Tournament that took place last weekend.
Out of close to 100 entrants, Westridge claimed 1st and 4th place. Big congratulations to Carter Shandruk for placing 4th and for Josh Park for securing 1st! A huge thank you to Mr. Scollard and Mr. Stratton for leading this group.
Grade 9 Farewell Photos
On Tuesday, March 31 Lifetouch will be at West Ridge School in the morning to take Grade 9 Farwell Photos. Lifetouch will be providing the gowns for the students to wear and students will have to decide what top they will have visible as in the photos below.
Raptors PE & Athletics
Athletics
Volleyball
Volleyball season has come to an end. I would like to congratulate all of our teams on successful seasons and offer a BIG congratulations to our Jr. Girls who finished in first place with a straight sets victory over Bishop Pinkham in the championship game. I would also like to thank all of our coaches, Ms. Adams, Ms. Olesen, Mr. Whelan, Ms. Angel, Mr. Braynen, Ms. Kapeller, Mr. Moulton, and Mr. Scollard, for their time and dedication to our student athletes throughout the volleyball season. Your efforts are very much appreciated and do not go unnoticed.
Badminton
Badminton tryouts will begin on Monday, March 30. Each year we have four teams (Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, and Grade 9) and any students in those grades are eligible to try out for that specific team. A few tryout dates/times needed to be adjusted from last week’s message, so please refer to the following schedule going forward:
We are also happy to announce that our Grade 5 Developmental Badminton sessions will return again this year. These sessions will be run by Ms. Armstrong and will happen on Friday mornings from 7:45-8:30am on the following dates: April 17 and May 8 and 22. These sessions are open to any Grade 5 students who would like to learn the game of badminton, build their skills for Grade 6, and have some fun!
For the most up-to-date information regarding all of our athletic programming, please visit our Athletics website.
Field Trips
The final winter field trip of the year happened earlier this week, with our Grade 7 and 8 Outdoor Education students taking part in some cross-country skiing and snowshoeing activities at West Bragg Creek. The Chinook made the conditions challenging and the trails had more slush than snow on them, but I didn’t hear any complaints whatsoever and a good time was had by all. Please stay tuned for details about upcoming Spring field trips that will be available for our Outdoor Education students.
Childhood Unplugged - Scroll less, read more
Screens are everywhere – in our homes, schools, and pockets. Many parents and educators are asking the same question: How do we help children find balance in a digital world?
Join us at the Calgary Public Library for a free conversation inspired by Katherine Johnson Martinko’s book Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance, which offers practical guidance for helping children spend less time on screens and more time reading, playing, and exploring the world around them.
This event will feature a keynote presentation by the author, followed by a panel discussion with local experts who will share insights, research, and realistic strategies to help families navigate screen use in today’s digital environment.
Expert panel featuring:
- Dr. Sheri Madigan, Professor in the Department of Psychology and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Child Mental Health and Well-being at the University of Calgary.
- Dr. Mengguo Jing, Assistant Professor in Learning Sciences with the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.
- Sara Austin, Founder and CEO of Children First Canada.
Event Moderator: Dr. Susan Graham, Director of the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Scientific Director of the Azrieli Accelerator, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary.
The first 200 guests through the door receive a free copy of Katherine Johnson Martinko's book.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, caregiver, or community member, together we’ll explore how small changes can help create a childhood that is richer in reading, creativity, and real-world connection.
Register for free at https://childhoodunplugged.eventbrite.ca
Digital Futures Pathway Program
The Digital Futures Pathway is an extension of CBE's Career Pathways programming and it provides enhanced learning opportunities in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for students interested in digital fields such as animation, programming, robotics, web development and more. The Digital Futures Pathway begins in Grade 10, so current Grade 9 students are encouraged to apply. Students in Grade 10-12 may still be accepted.
This multi-year program provides exposure in diverse areas initially and then a narrower focus on specific interests throughout high school.
In partnership with SAIT's School for Advanced Digital Technology, MacPhail School of Energy, and School of Manufacturing and Automation, the Digital Futures Pathway prepares students for the rapidly growing tech ecosystem and connects them with career interests and potential pathways into the workplace.
Follow this link for more information or to apply: https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/high-school/unique-pathways-and-off-campus-education/Pages/digital-futures-pathway.aspx
School Council Update
Have a lovely Spring Break!
Pantry of Appreciation, Fueling Those Who Inspire!!
Thank you for the community support to provide the WRS staff with some snacks!
School Council Meeting - April 16
The next meeting will be held April 16 at 6:30pm.
West Springs Cougar Ridge Community Association (WSCRCA) Charity Casino Volunteers
Thanks to the funds from past casinos, WSCRCA was able to provide financial support for our sport court repairs this past fall!
WSCRCA is looking for volunteers to help with their upcoming casino to be held at “Cowboys Casino” on April 7 & April 8. Please see the link for more information and to sign up. Sign-Up Link: https://signup.com/go/ubVeCUS
Stay in the Loop
Quick links for fundraisers and sign-ups Skip-the-Depot
Check out the school webpage
Send us an email:
Council: wrscouncil@gmail.com
Society: infowrss@gmail.com
Study on Children’s Physical Activity
Students at West Ridge School are being invited to participate in a study from the University of Lethbridge that will explore physical activity among youth 8 to 17 years old worldwide. There is no requirement to participate in this study and it is completely voluntary.
Below is information pertaining to the study:
We are developing an app-based questionnaire to assess physical activity among 8- to 17-year-olds worldwide. We need to know if data collected with this questionnaire are valid and reliable. Our study aims to compare data collected with the questionnaire with data collected by an activity monitor (see page 2). Your child would be asked to wear the monitor on a belt around their waist for 9 consecutive days. You and your child would be asked to complete the questionnaire twice, so we can see how much physical activity varies from one week to the next.
Physical activity provides many health benefits for children and youth. By comparing data from many countries, we can find new ways to encourage physical activity. Yet, we lack a questionnaire to collect comparable physical activity data across countries. This is why we are developing a new questionnaire in collaboration with researchers in 16 countries.
If your child or family is interested, please let Mr. Lang know and he will send you more information that was provided by the research team so that you can look into it further.
This Week
Monday, March 30 - Day 1
- Gr. 9 Girls - Badminton Tryouts - After School
Tuesday, March 31
- Gr. 8 Boys - Badminton Tryouts - Before School
- Gr. 9 - Farewell Photos
- Gr. 7 Boys - Badminton Tryouts - After School
Wednesday, April 1
- Gr. 9 Girls - Badminton Tryouts - Before School
- Teams and Clubs Photos
- Gr. 6 Girls - Badminton Tryouts - After School
- Gr. 9 April Sailing Trip - Parent Final Meeting (5:30pm
Thursday, April 2
- Gr. 7 Boys - Badminton Tryouts - Before School
- Gr. 8 Boys - Badminton Tryouts - After School
Friday, April 3
- No School - Good Friday
Month Ahead
Apr 6 - Gr. 6 Girls - Badminton Tryout - Before School
Apr 6 - Gr. 9 Boys - Badminton Tryout - After School
Apr 7 - Gr. 8 Girls - Badminton Tryout - Before School
Apr 7 - Grade 7 Field Trip
Apr 7 - Gr. 7 Girls - Badminton Tryout - After School
Apr 8 - Gr. 9 Boys - Badminton Tryout - Before School
Apr 8 - Gr. 6 Boys - Badminton Tryout - After School
Apr 9 - Gr. 7 Girls - Badminton Tryout - Before School
Arp 9 - Healthy Hunger Fun Lunch - Boston Pizza
Apr 9 - Gr. 8 Girls - Badminton Tryout - After School
Apr 10 - Gr. 6 Boys - Badminton Tryout - Before School
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.