Dear Lynx families/Chères familles Lynx, 

I would like to start the week off by congratulating our wrestling program and thanking all our athletes and coaches for the successful quad we hosted at GPV this week. We had great fans and support from families. We also could not have made this night work without support from the student volunteers who came out and helped with the meet. 

Continuing with the sports updates, our girls’ and boys’ senior and junior volleyball teams have been named. Practices will continue next week, and the season starts the following Monday, January 29 with Vanier hosting SJAM. 

If any of you have children in grade 6 in some of our feeder elementary schools, you may have heard that Mme. Laurelle and some current students have been visiting to speak with students about the late French Immersion program at Vanier. The feedback I have received from the schools has been fantastic and our student ambassadors have done a wonderful job of presenting and sharing stories to possible future students. If you have friends who are curious about the program, please let them know about our upcoming open house for the Late Immersion program on February 1 at 6:30 pm. As a principal, it is very rewarding to hear from future parents that current parents recommend the school, so please do not hesitate to pass along the message, or the school’s contact details to any curious families. 

Bonne fin de semaine 

Chad Edmonds – Principal GP Vanier. 

Our Georges P. Vanier School website has information as well: https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/gpvanier/Pages/default.aspx 

GPV Late Immersion Open House February 1  

We are looking forward to welcoming our prospective families for an information meeting about our Late French Immersion program on February 1 from 6:30 – 7:30. Please see the attached invitation to pass along to families. Mme Laurelle has been making visits to our feeder schools to let grade 6 students know about our alternative program for grade 7 entry in the 2024-2025 school year.

Link: Open House

Lost and Found 

We have collected many items in our lost and found over the past few weeks. These items have now been put into bags to be donated at the end of January. Please remind your child check regularly if they notice they ae missing an item. 

Family Literacy Week: January 20 – 27 

What is literacy?  Literacy is critical in helping us make sense of our world. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we are constantly making meaning of the world around us. 

To celebrate, over the next 8 days the CBE Literacy & Early Learning Teams have shared ideas & resources to support key areas of literacy development that can be used at home or school. The CBE Literacy & Early Learning Teams invite you to share your celebrations with others! 

See flyer under Resources.

YMCA – Y Mind 

Y Mind is a FREE 7-week mental wellness program for teenagers (13-18 years old). The program aims to support and provide resources for teenagers experiencing mild to moderate levels of stress and/or anxiety. Y Mind is grounded on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness and allows participants to learn more about different ways of how to manage their stress and anxiety. This program is facilitated by trained mental health professionals and there will always be two facilitators at each session. We have seen proven results nationally of reduced stress and anxiety related symptoms, increased overall wellbeing, and an increased ability to cope with difficult emotions.   

Participants will receive a workbook of all the activities done during the program, so they can review and practice at home. We do provide snacks for participants during the program and meet other individuals experiencing similar feelings. Upon completion of the program, participants would receive a Certificate of Program Completion and a free 2-month YMCA gym membership as improving one's physical wellbeing has shown that it improved mental wellbeing.   

Y Mind is generously supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Alberta Government and allows us to offer the program at multiple locations throughout the city. The closest locations to your school are the Saddletowne Y, Rocky Ridge Y or a virtual group.   

Individuals can learn more about our program on our website (https://www.ymcacalgary.org/y-mind-mental-wellness-program) or complete a Formstack request (https://ymcacalgary.formstack.com/forms/ymind_intake_form_ymcacalgary) to sign up for our Information and Intake Sessions.  Students 14 and older can self-register for the program without parental consent as well. Interested individuals can contact our general Y Mind email if they have any questions at ymind@calgary.ymca.ca.   

French For Parents – Level 1 

Chinook Learning Services is offering a French Course for CBE Parents and Caregivers. You can build your French language skills in this introductory course. Learn or refresh vocabulary and grammar while increasing your confidence speaking French. Become more comfortable helping your children with their homework and conversing with the school staff. See Course Outline. 

One of our GPV French Immersion teachers will be the Instructor, Sophia Aristou. 

Textbooks & Materials: Textbooks are included in our course fees and distributed at the first class. 

Please see this link for more details: https://www.chinooklearningservices.com/ContEd/AdultCourses/French-For-Parents-Level-1.html# 

Upcoming Sports Dates 

Monday, January 22 – no games or meets scheduled 
Tuesday, January 23 – no games or meets scheduled 
Wednesday, January 24  – no games or meets scheduled 
Thursday, January 25  - no games or meets scheduled 
Friday, January 26  – no sports scheduled 

Students, please continue to check the schedule outside of the gym for updates. 

Upcoming Dates 

Jan. 26: Healthy Hunger – Jugo Juice delivered 
Jan. 30: Wrestling Divisionals 
Jan. 30: Band Parent Association & School Council Meeting 7:00pm 
Jan. 30: Report Cards Available on MyCBE
Jan. 31: First Day Semester 2 
Jan. 31: Vaccinations for Grade 9 students 
Feb. 1: Late French Immersion Open House 6:30pm 
Feb. 15 & 16: Teacher’s Convention (no school for students) 
Feb. 19: Family Day (no school)