​Dear parents and guardians, 

On behalf of the Briar Hill staff, I want to thank each of you for your ongoing support, encouragement and dedication to our school community. My heart is full when I reflect on how this school community comes together to support one another, often in subtle, unnoticed ways. Moving into Thanksgiving weekend, I want you to know that you each make a significant difference in making Briar Hill school a most amazing school community.

 Deep gratitude to our students. Since school start, I have watched students step up to invite someone new to play, stop play when someone falls and needs attention, older students being open to their play being interrupted by a younger student and then adapting it so the younger student can play. I have learned about students taking sign language courses to support their interactions with students and witnessed the thoughtful ways they support one another.

 I also want to thank our staff who put their heart and soul into their work. They work tirelessly to ensure success for all and a safe space for each student to be their best self. The complexities of this work have increased significantly over the years, and the staff at Briar Hill continue to lean in to the challenges to ensure they are doing all they can for each learner. I

 Additionally, we have the immense support through our Educational Assistants, Ummay Habiba and Jeanette Yee. They joyfully support our learners with such dedication and care.

 Ms. Katie is the glue that holds our school together. It is her bubbly voice that greets you on the phone or welcomes your student if they arrive late. And not only does she do the most incredible job, but she is also the one checking in on teacher's wellbeing, going above and beyond to ensure everyone is at their best to do their best.

 We are so fortunate to have Ms. Olafson keeping the library buzzing with action and allowing students to fall in love with books!

 And to keep this place sparkling clean, Ms. Marty is simply the best. She truly is the most dedicated facility operator who excels in her job, but also has such care for our staff and students. She is a true gem. 

 I often think back to the parent session by Dr. Jody Carrington when she spoke of the need for a community to work together to take care of each other. This is what makes this place so very special.

 Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

 Communication

 Please know you can always reach out to myself with any wonders or worries. No matter what it is, I am here. I'm also very curious if you feel you are receiving the communication you need to feel connected and informed. It can be a fine line between over inundating families with emails while ensuring you have the information you need.

 If you have concerns about your child, please do reach out to your child's teacher. They may not be able to respond right away as they are busy in the class during the day, but they care and want to know. 

If you happen to witness or hear of an incident or altercation, even outside of our school hours, please do bring it to either myself or your child's teacher so we can work with all involved.

 ELL Assistant

 I am very pleased to share that we were able to hire a short term 15 hour per week ELL assistant. Mrs. Tracy Wiens will begin supporting our students on Tuesday, October 10 until end of January. This will be a great support for our students acquiring English as an additional language. Please join me in welcoming Tracy Wiens to our Briar Hill staff.

 Pizza Lunch – Grade One to Six

Our next pizza day is October 19 and the order deadline is end of day on October 15 at midnight.   https://www.briarhillplayground.com/shop  Remember to select your child's teacher from the dropdown menu once you have added pizza to your cart. This helps make the pizza delivery to each classroom more seamless, and ensures no students pizza ends up in the wrong classroom.

Pizza lunch is a fundraiser for our School Council and supported by our grade 6 leaders who are responsible for delivering and handing out the pizza lunch. 

We want every child interested in eating pizza to be included, if you need support, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. La Montagne at erlamontagne@cbe.ab.ca

On pizza day, please remember to send your child with a plate.  

With thanks,

Briar Hill School Council Pizza Committee

 Parent Opportunity – Child and Youth Well-Being

  The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join us in an online series focusing on child and youth well-being. These sessions will be hosted in partnership with experts from Alberta Health Services and will explore topics such as vaping, brain development, mental health, and sexual health. 

 Click here to learn more:   

Child and Youth Well-Being:  

A Webinar Series for Parents and Guardians 

 CBE educators believe that parents and guardians can inspire their kids to make healthy lifestyle choices and increase protective factors – in order to do so, they need the right tools and information.  
Well-being is a precondition for learning. As our understanding of student well-being continues to evolve, it is important for those that support children and youth to stay up to date on the same information so everyone can support student success.  

 The intention of the series is to advance student well-being by raising family and caregiver's understanding of a variety of health-related topics.

  Thank you for your time and consideration to join us. 

 Upcoming Dates

 Have a most wonderful long weekend,

 Elan LaMontagne and the Briar Hill staff​