Dear Woodman Families:

We had another very positive week with students. Our students keep us energized and motivated to continually improve learning experiences for them. 

Take note of the important messages for the week of Nov. 6-8.  It is Daylight Savings Time this weekend.  On Sun. Nov. 5, 2:00 am, clocks are turned backward one hour.

Fall Break – Nov. 9-14

This is a three-day week for students, before commencing the CBE Fall Break.  Thurs. Nov. 9 is an Indigenous Education professional learning day for all CBE staff.  The main office will be closed, and staff emails will not be monitored, from Fri. Nov. 10 to Tues. Nov. 14.  Regular classes resume on Wed. Nov. 15.

Staffing Updates

As we respond to change, we wish to share several staffing updates:

• We have a vacant Grade 5-6 lunchroom position; any interested family members who are seeking employment within the CBE, and who have availability between 11:00-1:30 (Monday to Thursday) are requested to email woodman@cbe.ab.ca for more information
• We welcome new Humanities teacher, Ms. Karas, to the Grade 7D, Grade 7F and Grade 8F classes. 
• We sadly bid farewell to Educational Assistant, Ms. Shaw. Ms. Shaw has served the Woodman community for many years and has left a lasting impression on students and colleagues. Ms. Shaw’s last day with students is Wednesday.  We thank her for her service.

Remembrance Day Ceremony, Wed. Nov. 8, 10:45 am

With the involvement of our feeder high schools – Henry Wise Wood and Dr. E.P. Scarlett – we are finalizing details of a thoughtful Remembrance Day commemoration.  Students are encouraged to:

• Email Principal MacCarl (woodman@cbe.ab.ca) if they wish to wear a Cadets, Guides or Scouts uniform, and participate in the entry of flags and wreaths.
• Dress more formally, as a sign of respect for the occasion
• Bring a cash donation to receive a poppy; all proceeds will be directed towards supporting Canadian veterans

Annual Student Holiday Market

Attention budding and veteran entrepreneurs! A meeting will be held on Mon. Nov. 6 in the Learning Commons (first half of lunch, bring your food) for all students interested in being vendors at our 3rd annual, student-driven holiday craft market. Students will need to commit to weekly meetings (Monday) and to making their sale items on their own time.  The craft sale will take place over four lunch periods, from Dec. 18-21.

This will be a fundraiser for a charity of the student vendors’ choosing. Table fees will be charged and students are encouraged to donate a portion of their after-expense profits. If your child is passionate about crafting, baking, jewelry making, knitting, card making, etc., please encourage them to participate in this Woodman tradition.

The event is facilitated by student leaders, Ms. Jamieson (library assistant) and Mme. Wister (teacher).

Learning Conferences November 22-23 

Reporting on student achievement through an “oral report card” is important at the mid-point of the first semester of school.  Students are encouraged to attend together with their parent(s).  In-person conferences will be held on Thurs. Nov. 22 (4:00-8:00 pm) and virtual conferences will be held on Fri. Nov. 25 (9:00-1:00). Each conference is 10 minutes in length and may be booked online, beginning on Thurs. Nov. 16th, 5:00 pm. Parents will receive an email shortly, with instructions about how to book conferences.

Exciting Learning Plans Ahead

In spring 2023, we engaged with parents about fees and learning experiences they would be interested in having students gain access to.  Families stated that they would be prepared to pay fees in order for their children to be offered with this kind of enriched learning. With this feedback in mind, Woodman has planned for two Artist-in-Residencies during the 2023-2024 school year:

• DANCEPL3Y/Sound Kreations (December), $15/student, fee added to MyCBE within the next two weeks
• Author David Bouchard (April), $20/student

The opportunity to learn alongside experts is inspiring for students and helps them see their future selves in new ways.  Thank you for your support of this work.

DANCEPL3Y Coming to Woodman in December

We are excited to introduce an incredible dance experience at Woodman School this year with DANCEPL3Y, an award-winning program that combines a global exploration of dance styles with a focus on mental health, physical education curriculum, and daily physical activity requirements. This exceptional program, which has been voted #1 on the Discovery Education Channel, is designed to meet the Alberta Physical Education Dance curriculum's learning goals. DANCEPL3Y's fun and accessible approach to dance encourages physical literacy, boosts mental health, and allows for creative exploration of music, making it suitable for students at any dance level. Students will experience eight full days of dance magic from December 4-14. Workshop themes include: Around the World, Dancing Through the Decades, Superhero Dance Party, Hip Hop/Urban Stylz, Exploring Indigenous Culture through Dance, and more. Some of the programs will be delivered in French, providing a unique language experience.

Child and Youth Well-Being Series

The first session of this year’s Child and Youth Well-Being Family and Caregiver Series is Nov. 16 from 6:30-8:00 pm.  Hosted in partnership with Alberta Health Services, we will present the health implications of vaping and how to engage in challenging conversations with young people about it.  Across Canada, e-cigarette use, also known as vaping, is reaching new heights amongst teenagers. This presentation will focus on common devices used for vaping, substances vaped such as nicotine and cannabis, and the health risks associated with vaping. We will present on how to engage in challenging conversations with your young person regarding vaping. This virtual event is open to all parents to attend.

School Council AGM and Educational Society Updates

We are impressed with the rapid uptake of volunteers for the upcoming Casino on Jan. 19-20.  Thank you for the volunteerism, which will help arise more than $65,000.00 for Woodman!

The draft minutes of the Oct. 24 School Council and Parent Educational Society meetings may be viewed here: School Council, Parent Society

Belcanfran Exchange Program – Alberta and France/Belgium

Each year, Woodman families are invited to consider having their child participate in a language and cultural experience that will change their lives.  Belcanfran is a non-for-profit reciprocal family exchange between Alberta and France/Belgium.  See the website for more information: https://www.belcanfran.com/. We have recently hosted several students from France that have enriched the classroom and school environments greatly.  Partner Woodman students will reciprocate the visit, leaving for France in early February.

Families are invited to an important information session to learn more about the program:

What:               Belcanfran Exchange Program Information Meeting
When:              Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023
Where:            Sunday, November 26, 2023
Where:            Haysboro Community Centre
                        1204-89 Ave SW, Calgary AB
Time:               3:30-4:30

Wrestling Season Ahead

This week, Woodman students, from Grade 6-9 (all genders), were invited to learn more about the wrestling season during a lunchtime meeting. The wrestling season runs from early November to early February. Teacher coaches are: Mr. Homewood (Head Coach) and Mr. Collings (Assistant Coach). Talk to your child about participating; this is a no-cut team.  More information about practices and meets will be shared soon.

Mon. Nov. 6
Sr. Girls Basketball (AM)
Jr. Girls Basketball (PM)
Sr. Boys Basketball Game at MH School
Jr. Boys Basketball Game at Woodman School

• All Woodman students are invited to be spectators for the first game only (4:30); following this game, our students must be accompanied by a responsible adult

Tues. Nov. 6
Sr. Boys Basketball (PM)
Jr. Boys Basketball (AM)
Sr. Girls Basketball Game at LKS

Wed. Nov.8
Jr. Girls Basketball (AM)
Sr. Girls Basketball (PM)

Important Dates

Mon. Nov. 6                            Welcome, U of C Student Teachers
                                                            -Mr. Homewood / Mme. Breuer classes
Wed. Nov. 8                            Remembrance Day Ceremony, 10:45 am
                                                Coffee With the Principal, Grade 8 Parents, 2:15-3:15
Nov. 9-14                                CBE Fall Break – No Classes
Thurs. Nov. 16                        Learning Conferences Online Booking Opens, 5:00 pm
                                                TREX Art Exhibit – Urban Soul (Woodman Learning Commons)
                                                Henry Wise Wood High School, Sectional Practices with Sr. Band, 4:00-5:30 pm
Fri. Nov. 17                             A Day Option Classes
Tues. Nov. 21                         Healthy Hunger – Wok Box
Wed. Nov. 22                          AHS School Immunization Program – Catch Up Day
                                                Dr. EP Scarlett High School Presentation to Grade 9 Students
Thurs. Nov. 23                        Learning Conferences, 4:00-8:00 pm
                                                Healthy Hunger – A & W
Fri. Nov. 24                             CBE Non-Instructional Day – Learning Conferences, 9:00-2:30
Sun. Nov. 26                           Belcanfran Exchange Program Meeting, Haysboro Community Centre, 3:30 pm
Mon. Nov. 27                          Deadline: WMPA Coco Brooks Fundraiser Orders
                                                Henry Wise Wood High School International Baccalaureate Orientation, 7:00 pm
Tues. Nov. 28                         Healthy Hunger – Coco Brooks
                                                November School Council Meeting, 7:00 pm
                                                Focus: High School Transition
Thurs. Nov. 30                        Healthy Hunger – Subway
Tues. Dec. 5                           Healthy Hunger – Extreme Pita
Thurs. Dec. 7                          Healthy Hunger – Wok Box
Mon. Dec. 14                          WMPA CocoBrooks Fundraiser Pick Up, 3:45-6:00