Dear Woodman Families: 

We thank our wonderful School Council and parent contributors, for providing staff with a delicious selection of breakfast treats during the staff meeting this morning. We appreciate our parents immensely.

Take note of a few important messages for the week of Dec. 4-8. Note that Friday, Dec. 8 is a CBE non-instructional day for students. Woodman teachers will be planning collaboratively on priorities identified in the School Development Plan. This includes a focus on embedded assessment, language support, and accommodations for students with learning differences. 

Woodman Documents – School Improvement/Development Plan and Fees Report

Each year, CBE schools complete important accountability documents that are shared with families. Please read them through the following links to our school website. The documents are posted under the “Resources” column on the left hand side of the page:

• Fees Report to Parents (2022-2023)

• School Improvement Results Report and School Development Plan

“Fill a Sock” Donations for Calgary Drop-In Centre

Students are encouraged to continue bringing essential goods to their homeroom teacher next week. We want to fill as many socks as possible, in support of our vulnerable citizens who access the Calgary Drop-In Centre. Donations of new items will be collected until Dec. 11, and can include:

• $5 Tim Horton’s gift cards
• Gloves and mitts
• Hats and toques
• Socks and underwear
• Travel mugs
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Throat lozenges
• Handwarmers
• Lip balms
• Razors
• Calgary Transit tickets
• Cloth face masks
• Chocolates and candies
• Gum

Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth at Woodman

We are pleased to welcome a valued community partner to work alongside the school in offering new-to-Canada students with vital supports and resources. The program offers eligible youth and their families with assistance in transitioning to a new school system, translation services, making friends, accessing medical and psychological services, etc. There will be two portions of the programming delivery model:

• Weekly In-School Settlement Worker (Wednesday mornings)
• After school youth program (Friday) at Woodman, commencing in January

The team will be visiting select classrooms next week to provide more program information to students, as well as an invitation for a Parent Information Session on Wed. Dec. 13, 7:00 pm. 

High School Transition Next Steps

Thank you for the parent participation in the last school council meeting, and to M. MacCarl and Ms. Stenhouse for sharing the beginnings of the process we will embark upon with our Gr. 9 students over the next few months. The presentation from the council meeting will be posted to the High School Transition D2L shell. Grade 9 parents are requested to regularly log on to D2L together with their child to view important dates regarding CBE High School Open House nights. 

Winter Concert – Thursday, 6:30

We look forward to celebrating the impressive musical progress that our senior band (Gr. 8-9) and Guitar 9 students have made this semester. All families of participating students are welcome to attend the concert in the main gym. Doors to the performance area will be open for first come, first served seating, commencing at 6:00. The concert will be begin promptly at 6:30. As Mr. Bane has previously communicated, students who wish to remain at school in between the end of the school day and the start of their rehearsal at 5:00 may do so under their own risk. The school is not able to provide active supervision of students during this time, and we request that students show maturity, helpfulness and safety if they wish to stay on campus. 

Families of Grade 5-7 Music and Band students are warmly encouraged to attend the event, to learn more about what their own future music development will look like. More information about a celebration of musical learning for Grade 5-7 students will be communicated in the near future. 

The Woodman Music Parents’ Association is not selling tickets for this event. Cash donations will be gratefully received at the start and end of the concert, at the main entrance doors. Thank you for supporting rich music programming for our students. 

Parent Volunteers Needed – Student Holiday Market

This year’s Student Holiday Market has resulted in strong student participation levels. The market, led by students themselves, seeks to promote creativity, entrepreneurialism, and awareness around the value of supporting local and small businesses. Student vendors have identified their charity of choice – The Calgary Humane Society. A portion of individual student proceeds will be donated to support our furry friends. 

The market will run every lunch hour from Dec. 18-21 and all Woodman students will be welcomed into the Learning Commons to consider purchase small items for themselves, or gifts for others. Students will need to pay for items with cash. 

We request the involvement of any Woodman parents, who have valid police security clearance, to assist student vendors with counting their proceeds. This would occur from 1:30-2:30 on Thurs. Dec. 21. Please email Ms. Jamieson, library assistant, at woodman@cbe.ab.ca to indicate your interest and availability. 

Healthy Hunger Offerings

With the colder weather approaching, students may appreciate the opportunity to have lunch delivered straight to the school. If you have not yet registered your child for this paid lunch service, you may do so through the following link: https://healthyhunger.ca/parent-help. This fundraiser is led by the Grade 9 Leadership class, proceeds of which are all re-directed back into student identified areas of priority to enhance school life. 

Note the Friday midnight deadline to order lunches for your child. The restaurants are as follows:

• Tues. Dec. 5 Extreme Pita
• Thurs. Dec. 7 Wok Box
• Tues. Dec. 12 A&W
• Thurs. Dec. 14 Coco Brooks
• Fri. Dec. 15 Cobs Bread
• Tues. Dec. 19 Subway
• Thurs. Dec. 21 Extreme Pita
• Fri. Dec. 22 Jelly Modern Doughnuts

Important Dates                                                         

Fri. Dec. 1 Payment deadline for Lake Louise Ski Trip

Sat. Dec. 2 Quebec Trip Bottle Drive, 9:00-1:00 (staff parking lot)

Sat. Dec. 2 Purdy’s Chocolate Fundraiser Ordering Deadline

Dec. 4-14 Sound Kreations Dance Residency

Tues. Dec. 5 Healthy Hunger – Extreme Pita

Wed. Dec. 6 Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth Classroom Visits

Winter Holiday Concert (Gr. 8-9), 6:30-8:00 pm

Fri. Dec. 8 CBE Professional Learning Day

Tues. Dec. 12 Lake Louise Ski Trip (7:00 am departure, 6:00 pm return)

Wed. Dec. 13 Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth Parent Information Meeting, 7:00-8:30 pm, Learning Commons

Fri. Dec. 15 Breakfast With the Wolves, 8:00 (select students) -  Wellness Day – Citizenship and Community

Mon Dec. 18 Purdy’s Chocolate Fundraiser Delivery

Dec. 18-21 Student Holiday Market (Lunch Hour- Learning Commons)

Fri. Dec. 22 B Day Option Classes - Last day before the winter break

Dec.25-Jan.5 Winter Break – no classes

Mon. Jan. 8 Classes resume

Thurs. Jan. 11 Wrestling Quad Meet, Ernest Morrow School

Mon. Jan. 15 CBE Non-Instructional Day

Tues. Jan. 16 Woodman School Council Meeting

Jan. 19-20 Parent Educational Society Casino Nights

Mon. Jan. 29 Henry Wise Wood High School Open House

coming up Dr. EP Scarlett High School Open House