Good morning, Ian Bazalgette Community.
As we come to the close of our final school week of 2025, we want to thank you for your support and trust with your students. Note that there is school every day this week, following a normal school bell schedule--including Friday.
Please see important updates and the school newsletter for this week:
Upcoming Important Dates
- Dec 1-18 - Bazzy the Elf (Schoolwide Elf on the Shelf)
- Dec 1-11 - Candy Gram Sales at lunch hour
- Dec 15-19 - School-wide spirit days
- Monday - Wear School Colours
- Tuesday - Wear a Scarf
- Wednesday - Twin Day
- Thursday - Ugly Christmas Sweater
- Friday - Pajama Day
- Dec. 16 - School Council Mtg.
- Dec 18 - Candy Gram Delivery
- December 19 – Last day of Classes
- December 20-January 4 – Winter Break (No Classes)
- Classes Resume January 5, 2026
Dressing for the Weather
- Use extra caution when crossing the streets – sometimes cars have a difficult time stopping when it is slippery
- Busses can be late due to poor driving conditions – ensure you are checking for bus updates and dressing for the weather
- Dress every day for outside activities. Snow pants, hat, mittens/gloves - Please no scarves as these can be a choking hazard
- Snow at school stays on the ground - children are never allowed to throw snow at school as it can cause injuries
- Snow packs down around the school and school grounds into ice despite Ms. Li's best efforts to keep the snow clear. We recommend to walk like a penguin and use care when using the walkways around the school.
Message from the Front Office - Attendance & Family Trips
All student absences & lates must be called in each day. The Attendance line is available 24/7. 403-777-7360 “press 1”. Please state you & your child’s full name, slowly & clearly in addition to stating the reason for the absence or late.
All late students, regardless of reason, must sign-in at the front desk and obtain a time-stamped late slip prior to returning to class.
Parents are encouraged to send a note with their child to gain permission to leave during school hours for appointments, likewise to explain a student’s late or absence. The onus is on the student to present this note to their class teacher in order to leave at the appropriate time as well as to present and leave with the office staff in order to gain permission to sign out. It is imperative students obtain parental permission and this permission must be relayed by the parent to the office staff via a telephone call to the attendance line, email or by physically coming into the office to sign your child out. Students are not allowed to leave the school otherwise.
Students Who Fall Sick During School Hours are allowed to walk or take transit home on their own only after the school has obtain permission from the parent/guardian.
Emails can be sent to Mrs. Ditlof slditlof@cbe.ab.ca.
When to Send A Note for your child:
- To leave the school for any reason;
- To excuse a late;
- To inform Phys. Ed. Staff of an injury limiting participation.
Getting Messages to Students
Ensure your child is aware of all after school arrangements, pick-ups and appointments prior to the beginning of the school day. We will not interrupt classes to give students messages.
If you arrange an appointment for your child during school hours, please come into the office to sign him/her out, ensuring you arrive in ample time for us to locate your child prior to the appointment.
Contingency Planning
Do you have a back-up plan in place with your child with regards to arrangements for pick-up after school? Or what to do if their bus is delayed? Talk with your child about where to look for you if you are not at the school on time. Will you be coming into the school? Should your child look for you outside? Does your child know all important phone numbers or have them in their backpack for reference? Does your child know the importance of always leaving a message on your telephone when calling you for any reason from the school? Having these contingency plans in place helps to relieve stress and disruption for your child.
Family Trips - Reminder
We want to remind parents to fill out the Extended Leave Form in the main office in those situations where families may be leaving for extended periods attached to the beginning or end of the current timeframe for winter break.
Locker Clean-Out
Students are expected to have cleaned out their lockers of food items and student items by Thursday, December 18, 2025. To help facilitate this we will have a brief locker clean out at the end of the day on Tuesday and Wednesday.
School Fees
School fees for Term 1/Semester 1 option/complementary course fees have been applied to the students accounts in MyCBE.
Please pay now. Beginning in December letters will be sent home to accounts in arrears. Please note fee waivers do not apply to school complementary course fees.
More information about school fees can be found here.
Ian Bazalgette School Council Shares YCC Newsletter
Dear Families!
We hope that parent-teacher conference went well, and now the holidays are around the corner! The Ogden and Forest Lawn houses are lively and full of laugher these days!
A few things for the families…..
1. Holiday hours for the centres:
- Wednesday, Dec 17 and Thursday December 18th - Regular Hours 2:30-6:00 at both centres
- Friday, December 19 Closed to kids in Ogden only
- Friday, December 19 Open to kids in Forest Lawn only - Regular Hours 2:30-6:00
- Monday December 22 and Tuesday December 23rd 12:00-3:00 at both centres
- December 29, December 30, December 31 - open 12:00 to 3:00 at both centres
2. Fresh Routes will be selling below market priced produce on Fridays out of the Forest Lawn garage, starting in the first week back to school in January. Stay tuned for the schedule. All welcome, including school teachers.
3. If your child is sick, please keep them home from the centre. As soon as they are well, they can come back!
4. Skating and hockey will start in January, Mondays in Forest Lawn and Wednesdays in Ogden. We will have teachers/coaches to help the kids. Don’t worry if they have never skated. That is why we are here - to serve all levels and welcome beginners.
5. If anyone would like to help with snow shovelling at the centres, please do! We would love some help. If anyone is handy and would like to do some volunteer repairs at the centres (broken shelves, doors, installing a new toilet,….), please let one of us know!
I hope you are all well, staying cozy. If you have anything you’d like to ask or talk about, please reach out. My number is below!
Happy rest of the weekend, everyone. We are honoured to know you, incredible parents and families to the YCC kids.
Xox Jane 💚
Jane Wachowich
Executive Director
jane@youthcentresofcalgary.com
Indigenous Family Resource Guide
This resource guide is designed to support Indigenous students and families within the Calgary Board of Education. It provides access to Indigenous-focused supports and resources, helping families navigate available services. Grounded in the Indigenous Education Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework, this guide reflects our commitment to holistic support for self-identified Indigenous students. The CBE Indigenous Family Resource Guide can be used in addition to the CBE Family Resource Guide which provides a broad range of services, including food, housing, financial aid, and mental health resources. The CBE Indigenous Family Resource Guide is not an exhaustive resource list, please note it will be revised bi-annually.
For families who need further guidance on available supports, 211 Alberta is a 24/7, free, confidential service which connects individuals with thousands of programs, including Indigenous-specific supports for housing, food security, crisis services, and more. By calling 211 or visiting their website, you can get real-time assistance in finding the most relevant resources for Indigenous students and families.
Indigenous-Family-Resource-Guide 2025-26
High School Registration is Coming Soon
High school is about you – your interests, goals, and learning. At the CBE, we are committed to your success. Teachers, Student Services, administrators, and all the staff here at Ian Bazalgette are here to support you in making choices that allow you to discover your interests, achieve your goals, and develop the skills you need to be successful in high school and in life.
Please review the Get Ready! Get Set! Go for it! document (attached) with your student. If you have any questions regarding the transition to high school, please feel free to reach out to Tanya Miller in Student Services (talmiller@cbe.ab.ca).
Get-Ready-Get-Set-Go-For-It-2025-26
Personal Mobile Devices
Parents are asked to refrain from contacting their child/student on their PMD during the school day to avoid unnecessary distraction. Parents can contact the school office who can facilitate contact with their child/student during the school day, if needed.
Steven Pike
Principal
Ian Bazalgette Junior High School