Stay Informed:

• See our School Calendar for our dates and events.
• Review our SchoolMessenger information for steps you can take to ensure you receive all of our messages.

Dear Vanier Families,

This week there is a lot of information I wanted to share with you, but to make it more manageable I have added it below in various headings.  This includes news about this year’s yearbook orders; our community corner returning and grade 6 YMCA memberships.   

I wanted to spend the rest of the update focusing on the theme of welcoming people to, or back into, the Vanier community. 

Welcome back to our grade 8 and 9 outdoor education students who spent 3 days backpacking in K-Country.  It was wonderful to hear from students and teachers about how pleased they were with the trip.  I was especially pleased to hear about how many of the students recognized their own personal growth during the trip, both in terms of leadership and celebrating their physical accomplishments of completing the hikes each day.   

A second welcome goes to the eight 1st year student teachers we have from the University of Calgary.   These students have been spending time in various classrooms across the school, talking with teachers, and getting their first exposure to the profession.   

Finally, I want to welcome all parents to register for parent/teaching interviews that happen next Friday and Monday. Hosting online interviews on Monday is due to the change in PD-day to coincide with the upcoming provincial referendum.  If you did not receive the email from Ms. Beth, please see below for instructions on how to book a time to meet.  

I hope all families have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend, and we will welcome the students back to school on Tuesday, October 13. 

Joyeux action de grâces,

Mr. Chad Edmonds – Principal
Georges P. Vanier School

GP Vanier Cafeteria Menu

View the Cafeteria Menu

Yearbook Ordering Open Now! 

Order your child’s yearbook online at https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09700335. Personalized icons are currently FREE with the purchase of personalized text. Hurry, this special offer ends October 24th! 

Parent Teacher Conferences! 

Parent Teacher Conferences are open for booking! You need to book through your MyCBE account. There is one Conference to book in for all our students this year. Please see below for notes regarding the Grade/Program of your student.  See our Parent-Teacher Conference information for booking instructions.

• Gr. 6 Families – Please book with your Homeroom Teacher only. They will have notes for you from other teachers if needed. If you are in need to speak with one of the other grade 6 teachers, please reach out to them separately to book. 
• Gr. 7-9 English Program Families – Please book with your Grade Team. You will meet with both Core Teachers at the same time. Example to select “Grade 7 English Program”. 
• Gr. 7-9 French Program Families – Please book with any French Core Subject Teacher you would like individually. Mr. Yat is not available for the Friday In-Person Sessions. He will be available for the Online Conferences on Monday October 19, 2026, and will email you directly with other availability. 
• Gr. 7-9 Families Booking for P.E./Options – For all our Gr. 7-9 Families regardless of program. If you would like to book with an Option or P.E. teacher, you can select them. 

Please make sure you read all conference information when booking your conferences. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school 403-777-7460. 

Learning Commons / Library Corner

We have new books, and that is very exciting to all our Vanier readers: 

• ‘Girls Think of Everything’ introduces inventions by women. This book is not just meant for girls. All are encouraged to learn about the stories. 
• The ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not!’ books are one of our most popular non-fiction. We have just added the ‘Expect… the Unexpected’, ‘Thank Remarkable Revealed’, ‘Level Up’ and ‘Download the Weird’. 
• ‘Gunnies World Records- Gamer’s Edition 2026’ features the top 100 greatest gaming characters. It is recommended to students who like gaming. 
• Some graphic novels we now have are ‘Flight (volume 5)’ and the whole volume, 10 books of the ‘Demon Slayer’ in French. This week, we also add one more copy of the ‘Bone: The Great Cow Race’ by Jeff Smith. 

Come to explore our collections in the library. Everyone should find something interesting. 

Grade 6 at the YMCA 

As we settle into a new school year, we’re excited to share an opportunity for every Grade 6 student in Calgary: a FREE 13‑month YMCA Calgary membership designed to help youth stay active, build confidence, and explore new interests. 

Through the ongoing support of the Calgary Flames Foundation, all Grade 6 students in Calgary receive complimentary access to YMCA Calgary from August 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027. 

The Calgary Flames Grade 6 YMCA Membership gives youth opportunities to stay active, make new friends, and develop greater independence in a safe and welcoming environment.

For more information, Calgary Flames Grade 6 YMCA Membership

Community Corner 

The PE team is looking for some equipment. If you know anyone who could donate in good condition: 

Please send photos or information to madunn@cbe.ab.ca  

AHS message on Lice 

I was speaking with our school nurse about our recent lice cases and he wanted me to share the following information with families 

While it used to be part of their practice to come to schools and inspect/educate, that hasn't been the case for a number of years now.  He also thought it important that I bring to your attention the importance of following instructions carefully when treating lice.  There is the link that he included for your convenience that addresses this: 

School health nursing - Support for schools - Find Support - Healthier Together Schools 

If lice are not properly treated, they can become resistant to some forms of treatment.  The information found on Healthier Together Schools also addresses lice prevention.   

Healthy Hunger Is Back! 

We are excited to offer Healthy Hunger lunches/snacks again this school year! Families can order special lunches for their children through the Healthy Hunger website. 

Our first Healthy Hunger lunch will take place on: 

• Friday, October 16 | Cobs 
• Friday, November 20 | Coco Brooks 
• Friday, Dec 11 | Modern Jelly Doughnuts 

To participate, please visit www.healthyhunger.ca, create or sign in to your account, and add your child using their current teacher and homeroom. All orders and payments must be completed online before the ordering deadline. 

Please note that lunches are not provided unless an order has been placed in advance. If your child is absent on a Healthy Hunger day, their lunch cannot be refunded and will be donated. All orders close 5 days before the lunch date.   

We look forward to enjoying our first special lunch together! 

School Fees Update 

We have now activated all Option Course Fees and the Soccer and Basketball Team Fees. If your child is in one of the following, there is a fee on your account to be paid. Details on which teams and options have fees, are listed below. 

If your Grade 6-9 child is on any of the following Athletic Teams, you will see one of the fees below: 

If your Grade 7-9 child is in any of the following Option Courses for Semester 1, you may see some of the courses listed below: 

You can pay your fees online through your MyCBE account or at the school using cash, cheque (Made out to Georges P. Vanier School), Debit/Credit. 

If you need assistance paying fees, please be sure to apply for a Central Fee Waiver. This can be done through your MyCBE account. For information on the Waiver Process, please go to CBE School Fee Waivers. Once this is done, you can talk to the school about a Principal Fee Waiver for School Based Fees. 

If you have any questions regarding Fees, please feel free to email Beth Gilkes at eagilkes@cbe.ab.ca. 

CBE Caregiver Series

The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join a live online series on supporting child and youth well-being. The series is hosted by the Recovery Alberta Community Education Service (CES) Program in collaboration with local experts from the Calgary community.

The sessions are designed to provide families with knowledge, tools, and strategies to help navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising children and teens today.

Child and Youth Well-Being Family and Caregiver Series

CBE Days of Significance 

• The CBE is committed to building a culture of appreciation and inclusion, where students and staff can see themselves valued, respected and celebrated   
• For more information on key dates, go to the CBE Dates of Significance Website 

French Conversation Practice for Parents – Calgary Public Library

Practice your beginner-to-intermediate French skills in a welcoming and informal environment. French-speaking volunteer facilitators will help you build your language skills and confidence through guided activities, conversation practice, and small-group discussions.

• Saturdays, September 26–October 31
  1:00–2:30 PM
  Central Library – Level 3 – 3-16B
• Calgary Public Library Website
• Registration is not required. Just drop in.

Upcoming Sports Dates:  

Monday: no sports scheduled 

Tuesday: Jr. Boys’ basketball @ QE High School (6:30pm start) 

Wednesday: Jr. Girls’ basketball @ Vanier (4:30 pm start) 

Thursday: Sr. Boys’ basketball @ Colonel Irvine (4:30 pm start) 

Friday: no sports scheduled 

Upcoming Dates: 

October 12: Thanksgiving (schools closed) 

October 15: Camp Chief Hector Parent Meeting (5:30 pm) 

October 16: Healthy Hunger Snack 

October 16: 1st year U of C student teachers finish their practicum 

October 16: Family-Teacher conferences (1:30 – 4:30pm) 

October 19: Family-Teacher conferences (9:00 am – 3:00 pm) Online 

October 22: Photo Retake Day 

October 26: Campus St. Jean Student teachers begin 

October 26: Grade 6 Vaccinations 

October 27: U of Calgary student teachers (practicum III) begin 

October 27: School Council meeting (7 pm)